• Land Warfare

  Sweden orders tactical comms shelters from Conlog

  23rd March 2023

  Sweden has ordered tactical communications shelters with deployable masts for its armed forces from Conlog under a €20 million contract.

• Defence Helicopter

  Turkiye's Gokbey helicopter marks first indigenous engined flight

  4th May 2023

  On April 22, 2023, Turkish Aerospace’s T-625 GOKBEY general-purpose helicopter conducted a test flight with an indigenous TEI-TS1400 engine for the first time.

• Training

  US Air Force boosts readiness with regional training sites

  7th February 2023

  The US Air Force aims to open the first Regional Training Sites by FY2024 that will fully support cross-functional expeditionary training.

• Training

  MASS extends contract to manage UK joint warfare exercises

  19th May 2023

  Defence and training support company MASS has been awarded an extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training (JCAST) contract for UK Strategic Command. The …

• Air Warfare

  Japan approved for more E-2D Hawkeye aircraft

  9th March 2023

  The US has approved a Foreign Military Sale of up to five additional E-2D AEW aircraft, as Japan bolsters its surveillance and monitoring capabilities.

• Special Operations

  SOF Week 2023: What to expect (video)

  7th May 2023

  President and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation Stu Bradin outlines what to expect from SOF Week 2023.

• Land Warfare

  UK set to acquire Archer for interim artillery requirement

  13th March 2023

  The British Army is set to take between six and eight BAE Systems Bofors Archer 155mm self-propelled artillery systems to cover a capability gap caused by donating AS90 howitzers to Ukraine.

• Naval Warfare

  TMKS seeks to leverage Wismar shipyard for F127 bid

  14th March 2023

  German shipbuilder TKMS plans to leverage its new Wismar shipyard for its proposal for the F127 anti-air warfare frigates for the German Navy, using the proven MEKO family design.

• Defence Notes

  ‘Balloongate’ lays bare Chinese hypocrisy over military surveillance (Opinion)

  13th February 2023

  China pretends that it does not spy on others. The recent balloon saga showed up that it not only conducts surveillance of multiple countries, but that it is willing to violate their airspace to do so.

• Naval Warfare

  Italian Navy secures funds for two new FREMMs amid push for a bigger fleet

  28th March 2023

  Italy plans to procure two more FREMM frigates as part of a push to strengthen its naval capabilities amid an increased Russian presence in the Mediterranean.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2023: France weighs air defence needs as global SAMP/T NG production kicks off

  22nd February 2023

  Having signed a global production contract, Eurosam is ready to deliver air defence systems to Paris and Rome in 2025.

• Land Warfare

  UK inks agreement for Swedish Archer guns and buys Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles

  30th March 2023

  The defence ministers of the UK and Sweden have signed a letter of intent for a contract to supply the British Army with 14 Archer self-propelled guns and announced a deal for Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Gulf task force tests AI and uncrewed vessels

  16th January 2023

  USVs linked up with a destroyer and the International Maritime Security Construct in an early January exercise.

• Training

  Kongsberg Digital joins Royal Navy Selborne training programme

  15th February 2023

  Kongsberg will join the Capita-led Team Fisher on Project Selborne, providing a new suite of navigation simulators for training Royal Navy sailors.

• Air Warfare

  Skydweller solar-powered aircraft achieves first autonomous flight

  6th March 2023

  Skydweller Aero's solar-powered solution completed its first fully autonomous flight and is being offered for military intelligence use.

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 ...