• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IAI adds ASW capability to the maritime Heron (sponsored)

  27th February 2020

  This article is brought to you by IAI. Addressing the increasing role of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in maritime operations, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has …

• Defence Notes

  Flight tests are central for US in hypersonic arms race

  18th March 2020

  The US military is preparing a crucial flight test of a hypersonic weapon this spring, as part of a ramped-up campaign to develop and field …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2020: M777 is going great guns in India

  7th February 2020

  A total of 29 M777A2 towed howitzers have been delivered to India to date, with the weapons being delivered according to schedule. Interestingly, India might also have an option …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems awarded DARPA T-MUSIC contract

  31st January 2020

  BAE Systems will develop new generation mixed-signal electronics capabilities under a contract from DARPA announced on 28 January. The new capabilities could enable US Department …

• Land Warfare

  French armed forces receive new O-NYX night vision goggles

  1st February 2020

  France is increasing efforts to renew the small equipment of its armed forces, with the MoD reporting the delivery of the first batch of new O-NYX …

• Digital Battlespace

  American E-11A BACN aircraft crashes in Afghanistan

  28th January 2020

  The E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft is a rare platform in the USAF, and one of just four in service crashed near Ghazni …

• Digital Battlespace

  Pony Express 1 mission launched

  17th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has launched the Pony Express 1 mission as a hosted payload on Tyvak-0129, a next-generation Tyvak 6U spacecraft, the company announced on 16 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US AFRL's Ultra LEAP UAS in flight demo

  19th December 2019

  The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) has completed a two and a half-day continuous flight demonstration of the Ultra Long …

• Naval Warfare

  Sonardyne positioning systems for South Korea's ASR-II

  5th December 2019

  Sonardyne has announced that its underwater positioning and tracking technology will support search and recovery operations undertaken by the Republic of Korea Navy's (RoKN's) new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FLIR introduces new UAS payload family

  21st November 2019

  FLIR Systems has developed a new family of payloads for the SkyRanger R70 and R80D SkyRaider UAS, the company announced on 19 November. Called the …

• Digital Battlespace

  French Navy looks at step change in data sharing

  13th December 2019

  The French Navy is deepening its ability to share tactical situational awareness data via its Naval Cooperative Surveillance initiative.  The Veille Coopérative Navale (VCN/Naval Cooperative …

• Digital Battlespace

  UAE to order additional GlobalEye

  19th November 2019

  Saab has announced that the United Arab intends to conclude a contract amendment for the purchase of two additional GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo invests in Skydweller Aero

  12th November 2019

  Leonardo has announced its investment in Skydweller Aero, a US/Spanish company specialising in large-scale solar-powered UAS. The initiative will result in the development and deployment …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK MoD selects Wescam MX-15​ system

  5th November 2019

  L3Harris Technologies will supply 40 Wescam MX-15 electro-optical, infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems to the UK Ministry of Defence, the company announced on 5 November. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  German Air Force explores passive aggressive surveillance

  1st November 2019

  The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) is blazing a trail with its interest in passive radar, with the technology promising to enhance its ground-based air surveillance …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Skeldar V-200 (ASW) [Canada]

  Programme Background Contract Award At Euronaval 2022, Shephard reported that UMS Skeldar and Ultra had been awarded a Phase 2 contract on 19 October to provide ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ISTAR UAS project (Canada)

  Programme Background Objective The Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) main significant UAV project is the RCN Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System (RCN ...

• Trainer

  T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) (USA)

  Programme Background Multi-Engine Training System is a USN programme to replace the ageing T-44C Pegasus fleet and modernize multi-engine aircraft training. Multi-Engine Training System provides ...

• Destroyers

  Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class [Canada]

  Development and Procurement Requirements Fifteen frigates are being procured to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 ageing Halifax-class frigates and the now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers with ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan [Pakistan]

  Programme Background On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the PN’s soon-to-retire ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan - Forecast (Pakistan)

  Programme Background On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the PN’s soon-to-retire ...

• Minehunters

  New Generation Minehunters/Offshore (NGM/A) (1-4) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements In July 2019, the Italian Navy published an updated version of its 2019-2034 Strategic Planning, outlining the future composition of its fleets ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

• Minehunters

  New Generation Minehunters/Coastal (NGM/C) (6-8) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Four vessels were planned to be NGM/A, a new ocean-going MCMV, and eight NGM/C minehunters, a new coastal MCMV. These will replace ...

• Minehunters

  New Generation Minehunters/Coastal (NGM/C) (1-5) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Four vessels were planned to be NGM/A, a new ocean-going MCMV, while a further eight NGM/C minehunters, a new coastal MCMV. These will ...

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

  Aksungur [Turkish Navy]

  Programme Background First Flight & Contract Award The platform's maiden flight was completed on 20 March 2019, and it was first publicly shown at IDEF ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  eLRV [US]

  Programme Background Purpose The US Army unveiled a new concept for a more deployable IBCT structure at AUSA in October 2014. Built around three main types ...

• Frigates

  Global Combat Ship Programme - Batch 2 - City Class (Type 26)

  Programme Background Requirements The Type 26 fleet will need the flexibility to react to current, and future challenges as they occur, such as combat scenarios, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: sonar systems

  TMS 2000

  The TMS 2000 was developed by Thales. It is a sonobuoy processing system to be used with helicopter and MPA applications. It has been designed ...

• ISR/special mission, Maritime patrol

  C-27J Next Generation MPA

  Developed by Leonardo, the C-27J MPA is the Maritime Patrol version of the C-27J NG transport aircraft. While retaining the key characteristics of the transport ...

• Air: sonar systems, Sea: sonar systems

  ASELBUOY

  ASELBUOY is a NATO A-size passive directional sonobuoy deployed from aircraft and surface ships.  It can operate in 30 m and 150 m depths, providing ...

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

  Ultra

  The Ultra UAV, or HCMC, is a fixed-wing twin-engined cargo-carrying platform manufactured by Windracers. The platform is mainly aimed at the commercial market and has conducted trials ...

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

  ULTRA

  The Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) is a fixed-wing drone from DZYNE Technologies.  It is described as a long-endurance, GPS-harded intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with full ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ELM-2090U

  IAI-ELTA's ELM-2090U UHF Ultra is a land-based long-range early warning radar designed to autonomously detect and simultaneously track Ballistic Missiles (BMs), satellites and airborne targets ...

• Weapon-mounted lights

  X-Series WeaponLights

  X-Series WeaponLights feature an LED emitter focused by a Total Internal Reflection lens to produce a tight beam with extended reach and significant surround light ...

• Weapon sights for day use

  3-12x54 PM II Ultra Bright

  The 3-12x54 PM II Ultra Bright is the first scope within Schmidt & Bender's new PM II Ultra Bright line. With a transmission of 96%, ...

• Data links

  AN/ARQ-59

  The AN/ARQ-59, also known as CDL Hawklink, is an airborne data link which provides C2 and sensor data transfer functions, among others. Manufactured by L3Harris, ...

• Weapon sights for day use

  4-16x56 PM II Ultra Bright

  The 4-16x56 PM II Ultra Bright is the second scope within Schmidt & Bender's new PM II Ultra Bright line. With a transmission of 96%, ...

• Air: sonar systems

  FLASH

  The Folding Light Acoustic System for Helicopters (FLASH) is a low-frequency, wideband dipping sonar. It features a new open-architecture common acoustic processor, with integrated VHF ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  ULTRA-HUD

  Elbit Systems' ULTRA-HUD is a low-profile solution designed for modern cockpits with Large Area Displays in mind. It is suitable for trainer jets and other ...

• Data links

  AN/USQ-167 CDLS

  The AN/USQ-167 Communications Data Link System (CDLS) is the first USN CDL system to support standard CDL interfaces to enable network-centric warfare. It is a ...

• Data links

  SOLO COFM HD & SD Video Downlinks

  DTC offers a number of downlink solutions to support a range of missions, delivering high-resolution video images. There are multiple installation options for fixed-wing, rotary ...

• Maritime patrol

  Falcon

  Following previous MPAs in Dassault's Falcon family, a variant based on the Falcon 900 was launched in 2005. The MPA has a 360° radar in ...