• Air Warfare

  Turkiye’s strong desire to buy F-16 from US persists, defying previous statements

  1st June 2023

  Turkiye's renewed interest in the long-gestating F-16 deal, despite geopolitical hurdles and a potential ban on adding indigenous weapons, highlights the significance of this strategic acquisition for Ankara's military capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine to receive Rheinmetall LUNA NG recon drones

  14th August 2023

  Ukrainian defence forces will this year receive Rheinmetall LUNA NG short-range reconnaissance UAS, an order described by the company as ‘worth a low double-digit million Euro amount’.

• Training

  Textron completes T-6C Texan II deliveries to Tunisia

  17th August 2023

  The eighth and last Beechcraft T-6C Texan II aircraft has arrived in support of Tunisian Air Force pilot training at No 13 Squadron at Sfax Air Base in Tunisia.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo AW249 prototype performs tests in Spain

  8th August 2023

  The aircraft carrying out hot weather tests in Spain represents the second iteration of the AW249 NEES Fenice attack helicopter.

• Air Warfare

  CAE delivers first magnetic anomaly detectors for Japanese maritime patrol aircraft fleet

  2nd June 2023

  CAE has delivered the first MAD-XR magnetic anomaly detectors for installation in new P-1 maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

• Naval Warfare

  First Royal Navy Type 31 frigate to hit the water this year

  2nd June 2023

  The first of the Royal Navy’s future Inspiration-class Type 31 frigates, HMS Venturer, is scheduled to hit the water this year.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2023: BAE outlines land-based roles for Bofors 40mm naval gun

  13th September 2023

  BAE Systems Bofors is proposing a land-based version of its 40mm Mk 4 naval gun, for installation on 8x8 or ATV platforms, for use against ground and aerial targets.

• Defence Notes

  US provides a further $325 million worth of arms and equipment to support Ukraine, taking total to $43.9 billion since invasion

  22nd September 2023

  The US on 21 September announced another $325 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine, including missiles, air defence systems, ammunition and vehicles in support of the Eastern European country’s operations against the Russian invasion.

• Naval Warfare

  Poland finds space for submarines on its defence shopping list

  1st June 2023

  Poland will kick off proceedings for the purchase of new submarines later this year under Warsaw’s Orka project, the country’s Defence Minister has confirmed.

• Defence Notes

  Over half of NATO members to miss the mark on defence spending

  20th July 2023

  Although the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been driving military expenditure upward worldwide, only 11 out of 30 NATO countries are expected to meet or exceed the 2% mark in 2023.

• Naval Warfare

  Are Australia’s SSN ambitions ‘sub-optimal’? (Opinion)

  20th March 2023

  Some describe Australia's SSN plans as marking the country's coming of age, but there are still too many questions whether it will work out the way planners imagine.

• Air Warfare

  US DARPA looks for ways to CAPTURE spy balloons

  14th August 2023

  DARPA has launched a rapid development programme to find solutions to intercept slow-moving, high-altitude aerial systems which enter US airspace, and seize their payloads, a response to Chinese surveillance balloons which crossed the continental US earlier this year.

• Training

  DSEI 2023: BAE Systems and Hadean continue to collaborate on military training

  12th September 2023

  Under a new enterprise licence, BAE Systems will be able to exploit modern AI and Large Language Model integrations of the Hadean Platform for Defence.

• Air Warfare

  Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force begins trials with MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAS

  17th May 2023

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has joined the Japan Coast Guard in flying the MQ-9B UAV for maritime surveillance purposes.

• Naval Warfare

  SeaFuture 2023 puts spotlight on Italian naval programmes

  20th June 2023

  The recent SeaFuture event highlighted some of Italy's most important submarine, surface ship and naval aviation procurements. Shephard Defence Insight puts these latest programme developments in detailed context.

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]

  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 system ...

• 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: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  Air-5416 Project Echidna was an initiative launched in 2001 by BAE Systems for the Australian DoD. Its goal was to overhaul the self protection systems ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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). ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  M Solar-X

  First revealed in August 2020, in February 2024, at its symposium, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) showcased the M Solar-X. This solar-powered fixed-wing drone was ...