• Air Warfare

  Czech Republic seals $6.6 billion F-35 deal amid Gripen lease uncertainty

  1st February 2024

  The Czech Republic has solidified its defence stance with a historic F-35 procurement deal, yet unresolved talks have hinted at lingering considerations over potential Gripen lease extensions.

• Digital Battlespace

  Space defence assets under growing threat says Lockheed executive

  19th September 2024

  Chinese innovation and interference means it will only continue to get harder for western nations to defend their space assets.

• Air Warfare

  Poland buys air and surface radar systems for $1.2 billion

  8th February 2024

  Poland has remained steadfast in its commitment to bolstering its defence capabilities as it secured a freshly approved Airspace and Surface Radar Reconnaissance deal.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Anduril's extra-large UUV Ghost Shark edges closer to production in Australia

  10th November 2023

  Australia has been focusing on uncrewed systems solutions as a way of expanding coverage of its extensive maritime exclusive economic zones and as a way of expanding mass for the Royal Australian Navy.

• Naval Warfare

  World Defense Show 2024: First NiDAR CUAS set for combat ships

  6th February 2024

  NiDAR has already been operational on M/V Asterix, a naval auxiliary ship to the Royal Canadian Navy, marking the first time the system was put to use on a NATO-associated vessel.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing extends Australian wing kit partnership until 2028

  24th October 2023

  Boeing will continue working with Australian partner Ferra for the supply of precision aerial munitions for five more years.

• Land Warfare

  Securing Space: Innovations in Defence Technology | EOS Interview at Eurosatory 2024

  18th June 2024

  Discover how EOS utilises high-power lasers to safeguard space assets by precisely assessing and monitoring their orbital environments.

• Land Warfare

  Future-Proofing Defence | EOS Interview at Eurosatory 2024

  19th June 2024

  Learn about EOS's pioneering advancements in high-energy laser weapon systems for countering drones and UAS, alongside their expertise in satellite communication terminals.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024: New standard JLTVs built as Oshkosh waits by to step up

  17th October 2024

  The competition to build the next generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV A2) was hotly contested and ultimately saw manufacture go from Oshkosh Defence to AM General. Now, as the latter makes the vehicle, the former stands by for commercial sales or to fill any gaps.

• Land Warfare

  British Army’s new Apaches come online as the force confronts new challenges

  28th February 2024

  The British Army’s new fleet of attack helicopters are a major step-change from the previous various and the force has a strong focus on the opportunities for spiral development and crewed-uncrewed teaming.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUKUS nations test AI-enabled UAV that destroys ground targets

  12th August 2024

  Australia, the US and the UK have been collaborating on the AI aerial vehicle.

• Naval Warfare

  US forces intercept second boat carrying Iranian weapon supplies for Houthi rebels

  15th February 2024

  The operation in the Arabian Sea involved the US Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr assigned to US Naval Forces Central Command.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Iranian UAV threat leaves Israel’s defence industry searching for answers

  11th March 2024

  Iran has continued to invest heavily in its drone-building capacity, supplying Russia and Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East, leading defence experts in Israel to call for more defensive solutions be developed to deter the threat from UAVs.

• Digital Battlespace

  Enhancing Military Operations | Intelsat Interview at Eurosatory 2024

  18th June 2024

  Learn how Intelsat pioneers technologies like 5G and virtualisation to enhance military communications, enabling seamless and real-time data sharing.

• Defence Notes

  Budgetary uncertainty threatens Argentinian modernisation plans

  29th January 2024

  The new Argentina government has reduced the defence budget request for 2024 and enabled the use of FONDEF for expenses not related to equipment improvement.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Loyal Wingman [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat [Australia]

  Programme Background Goal As stated by the Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney, in March 2022, the Ghost Bat will be an "operational ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (Option) [Australia]

  Programme Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a loyal wingman type MALE fixed-wing drone being developed by Boeing Defence Australia. Its development began in 2013 and took its first ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...