• Naval Warfare

  Indonesia commissions next KCR-60M missile boats and constructs new OPVs

  9th June 2023

  Indonesian is building two OPVs, and two additional missile boats were recently commissioned as well.

• Training

  IBM joins Babcock-Leonardo bid team for Canada’s largest training contract

  1st June 2023

  The 25-year, $3.75 billion contract is currently in the evaluation phase and is expected to be awarded in the autumn of this year with only two remaining contenders.

• Air Warfare

  China’s J-20 fighter hits milestone with suspected first flight with WS15 engines

  7th July 2023

  The consensus amongst the open-source community is that China has test-flown a J-20 powered fully by WS15 engines for the first time.

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show: Hanwha Phasor gears up to launch new multi-orbit SATCOM solution

  19th June 2023

  Hanwha Phasor, a London-based subsidiary of South Korean defence giant Hanwha, is gearing up to launch a new SATCOM solution that offers militaries multi-orbit access from a single panel.

• Training

  Red 6 secures funding for augmented reality system for trainer jets

  15th June 2023

  Trainer jets that will receive Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) include the TF-50, the BAE Hawk T2 and T-7 Red Hawk.

• Air Warfare

  Iraq emerges as customer for Turkish Aselpod airborne targeting system

  21st March 2023

  An Iraqi Air Force Aero L-159 light attack jet has been photographed fitted with an Aselsan Aselpod targeting system, suggesting that Iraq is the export customer announced in by the company in autumn 2022.

• Training

  Exosonic begins trials of UAS testbed for supersonic aerial target programme

  26th May 2023

  Exosonic has commenced trials of its EX-3M Trident UAV, a quarter-scale testbed for the EX-3 Revenant supersonic aerial target drone it is developing for the US Air Force.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: What does the future hold for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft?

  11th September 2023

  The Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A has been adopted by Middle Eastern air forces as well as the European partner nations. Shephard Defence Insight analyses its next-generation radar, cockpit technology and future upgrade plans.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon upgrades KAI FA-50 combat aircraft with PhantomStrike radar

  16th May 2023

  Raytheon is to integrate its PhantomStrike fire control radar on the KAI FA-50 light attack aircraft.

• Training

  Augmented reality integration on trainer aircraft progresses despite no official requirement

  27th June 2023

  Companies such as BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries are pushing forward with implementing the Red 6 augmented reality system onto jet trainers, despite the absence of formal interest from customer air forces so far.

• Land Warfare

  Rafael ready to counter Iran’s hypersonic threats, says company at Paris Air Show

  20th June 2023

  Planning of flight tests and interception trials for the Sky Sonic counter-hypersonic missile system are under way, while Rafael hopes to start full-scale development in the coming months.

• Air Warfare

  Bell awards subcontracts for Canadian Griffon helicopter modernisation

  27th April 2023

  Bell will complete modernisation work on the first nine Canadian Armed Forces CH-146s, with the remainder of the 85 aircraft upgraded by Alpine Aerotech and Heli-One Canada.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia orders GM400α radars to enhance its patchy air surveillance

  23rd June 2023

  Indonesia has inked a long-awaited deal for multiple air surveillance radars that will close gaps in the military's ability to monitor aircraft movements.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurodrone gets Liebherr landing gear

  25th April 2023

  Airbus has chosen Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH to supply the landing gear and hydraulic system for the medium-altitude, long-endurance Eurodrone.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurodrone gets Liebherr landing gear

  25th April 2023

  Airbus has chosen Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH to supply the landing gear and hydraulic system for the medium-altitude, long-endurance Eurodrone.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Maritime patrol

  MELTEM 3 MPA (Turkey)

  Turkey ordered ten ATR 72 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in 2005 under the MELTEM-3 project. The original deal between Alenia (now part of Leonardo) and the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Data links

  Data links | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  The Turkish government announced the TF-X program, also known as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU)- National Combat Aircraft, in 2010 to replace its F-16 fleet. ...

• Trainer

  KT-1T - Turkey

  In 2007, Turkey bought 40 KT-1 aircraft under a $400 million deal that puts average unit cost estimate around $10 million per platform.The first five ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-B - Turkey

  Programme Background The Anka is a MALE UAV used by the Turkish Armed Forces. The system is able to perform day and night in all ...

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

  Anka-S (Additional Units) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background First Three Drones Following years of exploring MALE UAVs and a few failed efforts, the RMAF clarified it wanted to acquire the three ...

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

  Anka-S (Second Batch) [Turkey]

  Programme Background First Batch Based on comments by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Turkish media in 2018, Shephard believes that Türkiye acquired 26 Anka-S drones ...

• Trainer

  Hurjet (1-17) [Türkiye]

  Programme Background The Turkish Executive Committee of Defence Industry (SSIK) has officially given the green light to mass production of the Hürjet trainer and light ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Kruk / AH-64E Apache [Poland]

  Programme Background In May 2019, Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the Polish deputy defence, released some details on the helicopter programme. Part of Poland's broader defence modernisation plan, the tender ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Malaysia released an RfI in early January 2019 seeking light combat aircraft capable of some air-to-air and full air-to-ground missions. The requirement is ...

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

  Aksungur [Algeria]

  Programme Background Algerian media outlets reported in early October 2022 that the Algerian Air Force had acquired six Aksungur UAVs from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). Forecast Methodology ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Trainer

  Hurjet

  The Hurjet is an advanced jet trainer being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Cooperation to meet the requirements of the Turkish ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Turna

  The Turna is a high-speed target drone system that was indigenously designed and produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries and entered the inventory of the Turkish armed ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  PD170

  The PD170 is a turbodiesel engine initially developed to meet the engine requirement of Turkish Aerospace Industries' indigenous Anka UAV. Development began in December 2012 ...

• Subsystems: visual

  Medallion-6000

  The Medallion-6000 series is the latest member of the CAE Medallion image generator family. It combines the feature set and image quality of previous Medallion ...

• Helicopter engines

  CTS800

  The CTS800, the result of the LHTEC partnership between Honeywell and Rolls-Royce, provides power across a range of military and civil aircraft, including several versions ...

• Loitering munitions

  Kargi

  The Kargi is an in-development loitering munition that Lentatek has developed in collaboration with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), Aselsan and Turkish Aerospace ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  T70

  The T70i is a 10t utility helicopter in a military configuration that is suitable for CSAR and offshore operations. The platform is currently under development ...

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

  Aksungur

  The Aksungur is a twin-engined MALE UAS manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the Turkish Armed Forces. TAI completed the platform's maiden flight on 20 March ...

• Fighter - air superiority, Fighter - multirole

  Kaan

  Kaan (previously called TF-X and MMU) is a fifth-generation stealth-twin engine air superiority fighter jet in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and BAE Systems as its subcontractor. The ...

• Air: UAS radar

  ANKA SATCOM Radome

  The ANKA SATCOM Radome is a structural component developed by the Turkish defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi. It is designed for the protection of Ku-band ...

• Trainer

  Hurkus

  Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defence Industries signed an agreement with Turkish Aerospace Industries in March 2006 for the Hurkus Turkish Basic Training Aircraft development programme. Three ...

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

  Rotary Wing Cargo UAV

  Displayed at Paris Air Show 2023, the Rotary Wing Cargo UAV is a cargo-carrying and ISR drone manufactured by Turkish Aerospace (TAI). Powered by a ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Multirole Heavy Combat Helicopter

  The Multirole Heavy Combat Helicopter is an attack helicopter being developed by Turkish Aerospace to meet the operational requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces, including air-to-ground ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AW129

  The AW129 is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter originally developed for the Italian Army and subsequently developed into a multirole combat platform for the ...

• Helicopter engines

  TS1400

  The TS1400 turboshaft engine is designed to power the T625 multirole helicopter developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The project started on 7 February 2017 under the ...