• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon gets its teeth into JAWS

  19th January 2021

  DARPA issues contract for all-domain battle management planning software.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea plumbs the ocean depths

  10th February 2021

  South Korea is becoming prolific in its development of indigenous vessels for tasks performed on the surface or under the water, and many of these designs are unmanned.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Angler programme proceeds with ‘weapon technology’ contract

  3rd December 2020

  The USV would be capable of operating autonomously to manipulate objects on the seabed

• Digital Battlespace

  Pentagon takes meaningful steps towards a viable military Internet of Things

  4th December 2020

  Efforts continue to place Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2)​ firmly in the Pentagon's long-term acquisition plans.

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army and Sikorsky to test ‘multi-ship’ optionally piloted Black Hawks

  12th November 2020

  Multiple UH-60 optionally piloted Black Hawk flight tests, under DARPA's ALIAS Phase III, are set to begin next year.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan launches first of new frigate class

  23rd November 2020

  The first of an extensive class of new frigates for the JMSDF has been launched in Japan.

• Military Logistics

  Sea Train concept to include mission-level autonomy

  16th October 2020

  AI specialist will develop algorithms to optimise propulsion and fuel consumption

• Defence Notes

  US DoD bets on non-standard procurement to improve readiness

  23rd October 2020

  Other Transaction Authority (OTA) obligations of the US DoD have increased by 712% between FY2015 and FY2019. The largest proportion of these resources is going to non-traditional contractors and is primarily being used for R&D. The army was the leader in OTA usage across the DoD and accounted for 67% of obligations in FY2019.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Gibbs & Cox to develop unmanned sea train concept

  8th October 2020

  The US is keen to explore the potential of USVs for naval logistics

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems expands its UUV family

  22nd September 2020

  BAE Systems on 22 September unveiled its Riptide UUV-12 system, as the newest addition to its portfolio of unmanned undersea systems.  The 30.5cm-diameter vehicle joins …

• Digital Battlespace

  Franco-German axis stumbles in the grey zone

  30th October 2020

  ​The proliferation of grey zone threats from Russia and China poses a geopolitical challenge for the EU, particularly close political partners France and Germany

• Digital Battlespace

  Aether Spy progresses to next phase

  16th October 2020

  Transition to digital AESA technology aligns with USAF digital engineering initiatives

• Military Logistics

  DARPA seeks help to reduce MUSV wave resistance

  14th September 2020

  Applied Physical Sciences has been awarded a $13.88 million contract by DARPA to support the Sea Train Phase 1 programme. The company will help DARPA …

• Defence Notes

  Academic researchers support DARPA chip-scale integrated photonics programme

  17th September 2020

  The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is joining the DARPA-run Lasers for Universal Microscale Optical Systems (LUMOS) programme under a $19.21 …

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders more Archerfish mine neutralisers

  21st September 2020

  BAE Systems has been awarded a contract worth up to £87 million ($111.69 million) by the US DoD to manufacture and deliver Archerfish mine neutralisers …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  LongShot [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement According to DARPA, the objective of the LongShot programme is "to disrupt the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Programme Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a "leap-ahead" in long-endurance, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-Knifefish

  The Bluefin-21 UUV is being developed for the Surface Mine Countermeasure UUV (SMCM UUV) programme to equip the USN’s Littoral Combat Ships. 

• Sea: procedural training

  UUV Training Simulator

  The Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Training Simulator teaches users how to operate and control a UUV, specifically with reference to mine hunting. The UUV is ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  LongShot

  The LongShot is a developmental air-launched platform intended to increase the survivability of friendly crewed aircraft. In February 2021, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ...

• Military - UUVs

  Echo Voyager

  In March 2016, Boeing Defense, Space & Security introduced the Echo Voyager UUV. It is a 51ft (15.5m) long vehicle that can operate autonomously for ...

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Riptide Mk II

  At Oceanology International 2018, Riptide Autonomous Solutions presented its second-generation micro-UUV – the Mk II. The Riptide Mk II UUV has a maximum speed of ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  UUV-3500

  The Klein UUV-3500 side-scan sonar family is composed of the mid-depth (3000m) high-resolution, low-power, dual-frequency and the deep (6000m) variant which is a higher power ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military - UUVs

  Iver

  Iver is a family of commercially developed, low-cost AUVs designed to carry out coastal applications such as sensor development, surveying, research and environmental monitoring. 

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Military - UUVs

  Talisman L

  The Talisman Littoral (L) UUV uses the mission system of the larger Talisman M and repackages it into a two-man portable system for port and ...

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

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

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

  X-61A Gremlin

  Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, is developing the X-61A Gremlin. This low-cost swarming drone can be outfitted with different payloads, launched by a mothership, recovered ...