• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA awards machine learning analytics contract to BAE Systems

  22nd April 2020

  BAE Systems has been awarded a new contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop machine learning analytics services as part of …

• Defence Notes

  UK Defence Committee puts MoD’s procurement practices in the firing line

  12th May 2020

  The UK MoD’s procurement practices came in for stinging criticism during a meeting of the parliamentary Defence Committee on 12 May, with suggestions that serious …

• Land Warfare

  US donates demining equipment to Ecuador

  5th May 2020

  Ecuador will increase its capabilities to protect its citizens against landmines and unexploded ordnance, after the US government donated manual demining and medical equipment. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italy reveals Egyptian AW149 and AW189 mega order

  21st May 2020

  An Italian Foreign Ministry report on 2019 arms exports has finally lifted the lid on a highly lucrative military helicopter deal between Leonardo and Egypt. …

• Naval Warfare

  PLAN deploys to the Gulf of Aden

  29th April 2020

  The Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on 28 April that it has deployed its 35th task force from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) …

• Special Operations

  Dry Combat Submersible needs a transporter

  8th May 2020

  US Naval Special Warfare Command, as a component of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), is seeking a transportation device to support the mobility requirements of …

• Naval Warfare

  US destroyer could have brought COVID-19 on board during counter-narcotics operation

  6th May 2020

  The USN guided missile destroyer USS Kidd, recently returned to San Diego after an outbreak of COVID-19 on board, could have brought the coronavirus onto …

• Defence Notes

  Quebec requests medical assistance from CAF

  20th April 2020

  Quebec has requested medical personnel and resources from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to ease the COVID-19 spread in long-term care facilities. Liaison and reconnaissance …

• Naval Warfare

  China accuses USS Barry of incursion into territorial waters

  29th April 2020

  In the latest instance of Sino-US maritime tensions, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) has accused the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Barry …

• Military Logistics

  Technical issues linger with KC-46, says CRS

  28th April 2020

  The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) last week released the latest update of its background document for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft (pictured). New information …

• Naval Warfare

  German U-33 enters dry dock after suspected leak

  29th April 2020

  The German Bundeswehr has reported that a Class 212A U-33 submarine (pictured) from 1st Submarine Squadron entered a dry dock in Kiel, Germany on 28 …

• Naval Warfare

  USN hovercraft programme steers past rocky waters

  5th May 2020

  The Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) programme cleared a major hurdle in April, when the USN awarded Textron a $386 million contract for a new batch of …

• Special Operations

  Study calls for more flexibility from US special forces on CT operations

  14th April 2020

  Counter-terrorism (CT) operations conducted by special operations forces (SOF) must require ‘more than just the application of military power’, according to a report by the …

• Naval Warfare

  COVID-19 prompts Poland to reassess naval plans

  30th April 2020

  The Polish MoD will have to reshape its Technical Modernization Plan and re-evaluate some of its procurement goals, due to the economic crisis that is …

• Naval Warfare

  Field Aerospace awarded USN KRACEn contract

  28th April 2020

  Field Aerospace confirmed on 27 April that it secured a 10-year Kits, Recovery, Augmentation, Components and Engines (KRACEn) multiple award contract (MAC) worth $6.1 billion …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  PROSUB - SSN [Brazil]

  Programme Background Following the successful delivery of the four Riachuelo-class SSK, which is due to all enter service between 2020 and 2023, the construction of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  The US Navy wants to procure a new class of medium-sized supply ships aimed at refuelling, rearming, and resupplying naval assets. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

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

  Naval Collaborative Combat Air Vehicle (N-CCAV) [India]

  Programme Background CATS Warrior The Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned, uncrewed and crewed family of aircraft in development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Command Insertion Craft (CIC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Navy is seeking a replacement for its fleet of LVPs Mk5 amphibious landing craft. The vessels entered service in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Air Launched Effects (ALE) [UK]

  Programme Background Acquisition Pipeline First published on 13 June 2022, the Acquisition Pipeline is a forward look at potential procurement activity undertaken by the UK MoD.  ...

• Aircraft carriers

  CVX (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirements HHI was awarded a contract for the conceptual design of the LPX-II in October 2019. The project now aims to build a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Hybrid Tiger

  Manufactured by the Naval Research Laboratory, the Hybrid Tiger is an electric UAV. As its name suggests, the platform features a hybrid power generation unit. ...

• Air: UAS radar

  RASAR

  The real-time, autonomous, synthetic aperture radar (RASAR) is a self-contained radar designed for installation under the wing of UAS for counter-IED and FOPEN (Foliage Penetration) missions. It is ...

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

  SA-400 Jackal

  The SA-400 Jackal is a heavy-payload-capability, long-endurance VTOL UAS that had its first flight in 2013. It is an optionally piloted vehicle, so it can ...

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

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

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

  ShadowHawk

  The ShadowHawk is a VTOL UAV that can be transported and launched/recovered within a small area. The ShadowHawk is able to maintain aerial surveillance at ...

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Shyena/TAL

  Shyena, also known as TAL (The Advanced Light Torpedo), is an Indian lightweight anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (affiliated to ...

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

  Havoc

  Havoc is a MALE modular payload UAS designed for customers with varying missions and payload requirements. Features include tool-less assembly, rolling take-off and landing and ...

• Military - USVs

  MAST

  The Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) was developed by ASV Global and Roke Manor Research under funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It ...

• Subsystems: software

  SWARM

  CHI Systems worked with Lockheed Martin on a programme for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to build software models that imitate human behaviour, and ...

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

  Bat

  Northrop Grumman is developing the Bat family of medium-altitude, multi-mission UAS. The company announced two variants of the UAS (3.7m and 4.3m) and a rotary-wing ...

• Light UGVs

  Dragon Runner

  The Dragon Runner UGV, manufactured by QinitiQ, has two versions: the Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) and the slightly larger Dragon Runner 20 (DR20). All Dragon ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Light UGVs

  Jackal

  Launched in September 2014, Clearpath Robotics' Jackal is a small, portable, integrated and weatherproof UGV. It has been built on a metal chassis and has four wheels ...

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

  Skate

  The Skate is a small, man-packable VTOL UAV designed for performing short-range ISR at the tactical level. A thrust-vectoring system provides a near-VTOL capability, enabling ...