• Naval Warfare

  Is Australia’s plan for the surface fleet viable?

  21st February 2024

  Australia’s long-awaited Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review has recommended significant changes to the future make-up of the country’s surface fleet. It has received sharp criticism from some experts who claim the recommendations have not gone far enough, while others have described it as an attempt to run before being able to walk.

• Air Warfare

  First donated F-16s arrive in Ukraine but more pilot training will be ‘critical’

  7th August 2024

  Denmark and the Netherlands were the first Western nations to promise donated aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  AUKUS members seek solutions to integrate their ground capabilities

  25th March 2024

  The three countries plan to explore technologies to strengthen their collaboration in various land-related areas including artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, EW, hypersonic, quantum computing and logistics.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit receives $600 million contract for Australian Redback IFV subsystems

  26th February 2024

  Hanwha Defense Australia was chosen as the preferred bidder for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in July 2023 with contract signature for 129 Redback IFVs in November last year and includes major Elbit subsystems.

• Land Warfare

  US-provided ATACMS missiles given green-light for use inside Russian territory

  19th November 2024

  Ukraine has now reportedly used the missile on Russia territory following US approval, but will the UK and French Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles follow?

• Air Warfare

  RTX Raytheon wins billion-dollar contract for F-22 sensors

  2nd September 2024

  The details of the sensor upgrade have yet to be formalised but could involve infrared search and tracking.

• Air Warfare

  Australia increases Ukraine support and deploys Wedgetail to Germany

  30th October 2023

  Australia has committed AUD910 million (US$579 million) to Ukraine after increasing its contribution with the provision of more equipment.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force eyes multi-orbit SATCOM capabilities

  17th September 2024

  The service is interested in the benefits it can provide such as network throughput, low latency, and resiliency for encrypted and non-encrypted communications.

• Air Warfare

  First three F-16V fighter jets head to Bahrain

  7th March 2024

  Bahrain, long an operator of F-16s within the Gulf Cooperation Council, will become the first customer to adopt the newest and most advanced configuration of the renowned Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter.

• Training

  General Atomics to develop autonomous air training

  1st August 2024

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is working on several UCAV programmes as well as a new autonomous training effort.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems to upgrade Mk 45 control systems on Anzac-class frigates

  9th January 2024

  BAE Systems has been refreshing the Mk 45 guns on the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates for more than a decade and a new contract will take it to Mod 4 standard.

• Defence Notes

  Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention

  12th March 2024

  As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.

• Air Warfare

  Brunei orders six H145M helicopters following UK’s lead

  2nd May 2024

  The news Airbus H145M medium helicopters will replace the Royal Brunei Air Force’s BO105 fleet.

• Air Warfare

  FIA 2024: Looking to sixth-generation fighters and the New Medium Helicopter programme

  18th July 2024

  Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2024 is the even-year event where the biggest and the best present their efforts, and while the possibility of a roll-out or surprise curtain reveal remain slim, there are big programmes still being competed for.

• Training

  How the US Air Force plans to use artificial intelligence to train pilots

  26th June 2024

  AI can accelerate instruction for flying officer and improve their training in several ways.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  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

  Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B

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

• 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 ...

• 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

  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, 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 ...

• Trainer

  Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (Project Air 6002 PH1) - Australia

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (7-8) [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 ...

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

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of ...

• Destroyers

  Hobart Class (Sea 4000)

  Programme Background The Hobart-class consists of three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ships replaced the Adelaide-class frigates. Built by a ...

• Frigates

  Project SEA 5000 Phase 1 (1-3) [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline Under Australia's Sea 5000 Future Phase I Programme, the Royal Australian Navy was planned to receive nine new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates to replace ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [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. The contract ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Tier 2 Frigates Procurement [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Tier 2 Frigates Procurement [Australia]

  The February 2024 Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review recommends that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) acquire at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ...

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: 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 ...

• 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-to-air missiles

  AIM-132 ASRAAM

  The Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) is an advanced heat-seeking weapon designed and manufactured in the UK. The ASRAAM is in service with the RAF ...

• 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). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...