• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CTTSO embraces counter-drone capabilities

  7th April 2020

  Reporting to the US Assistant Secretary of Defense Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC), the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) is tasked with identifying and developing …

• Naval Warfare

  USN braced for further COVID-19 incidents as 10% of Roosevelt crew test positive

  9th April 2020

  Testing of the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is nearing completion following the decision to order the vessel to port in Guam …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway receives first Black Hornet vehicle recce system

  30th March 2020

  The first Black Hornet nano-UAV vehicle reconnaissance system (BH VRS) has been delivered to Norway. A spokesperson for manufacturer FLIR told Shephard that the VRS unit …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon to carry out RAM Block 2/2A FMS

  31st March 2020

  Raytheon has secured a new $146.08 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2/2A Guided Missile Round Pack and spare replacement parts …

• Naval Warfare

  USN issues upgrade contract for Tactical Tomahawk Block IV missiles

  30th March 2020

  The USN has awarded Raytheon a $493.44 million contract for modernisation and recertification of the Tactical Tomahawk (TACTOM) Block IV all-up round missile. A new …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to continue support for UK ballistic missiles

  2nd April 2020

  Lockheed Martin will be providing engineering, technical support services and deliverable materials for the RN’s ballistic missile programme, under a new cost-plus-fixed-fee level-of-effort contract worth …

• Naval Warfare

  DoD delivers update on virus-stricken aircraft carrier

  2nd April 2020

  Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly briefed the press on 1 April on developments aboard the coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Modly confirmed 93 positive …

• Training

  UK trials platoon collective VR - again

  12th March 2020

  Following last year’s VR in Land Training (VRLT) trials, conducted by the British Army between January and May in conjunction with BISim, the UK MoD …

• Naval Warfare

  Venezuelan Navy OPV sinks after collision with passenger ship

  2nd April 2020

  Venezuelan Navy OPV Naiguatá (GC-23) sank on 30 March after colliding with a Portuguese-registered Colombian passenger ship, RCGS Resolute. The incident occurred at approximately 00:45, some …

• Defence Notes

  Germany's new law will allow faster defence procurement

  15th April 2020

  The German Armed Forces are counting on a new ally to help them overcome problems in buying urgently needed military equipment: the 'Law on Accelerated …

• Naval Warfare

  HII launches Fort Lauderdale amphibious transport dock

  1st April 2020

  Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) launched the USN’s new San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) on 28 March in Pascagoula, Mississippi. A rail …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aussie Seahawk starts LHD trials

  7th April 2020

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has begun flight trials of the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter off the coast of Queensland. The trials, involving the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) …

• Land Warfare

  China exports first HJ-12 ATGMs

  30th March 2020

  Norinco announced on its official WeChat account on 25 March that it had begun its first export deliveries of the man-portable HJ-12E ATGM to an …

• Defence Notes

  COVID-19 vaccine approved for trials, says Chinese military

  18th March 2020

  The Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on 18 March that a vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus, developed by the Academy of Military Medical …

• Naval Warfare

  RN’s new River-class sets sail for new home

  30th March 2020

  The RN’s new River-class Batch 2 OPV, HMS Tamar, departed from the BAE Systems shipyard on the River Clyde on 27 March, destined for its …

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 ...