• Defence Notes

  IRST Block II pod flies on F/A-18 Super Hornet

  16th January 2020

  Boeing and the US Navy have flown an F/A-18 Super Hornet equipped with an Infrared Search & Track (IRST) Block II pod for the first …

• Naval Warfare

  Saudi MMSC programme in motion as SSDS develops​

  15th January 2020

  With the Pentagon's contract modification awarded to Lockheed Martin in late December 2019 for the detailed design and delivery of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) vessels …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters awarded UH-72 support IDIQ contract

  14th January 2020

  Airbus Helicopters will provide performance-based logistics (PBL) support for US military UH-72 aircraft, the US Department of Defense announced on 13 January. Airbus Helicopters was …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing awarded P-8A contract modification

  13th January 2020

  Boeing has received a $42 million contract modification from US Naval Air Systems Command for integrated logistics services and site activation support for the P-8A …

• Naval Warfare

  AQS-24 sonar in new testing

  7th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24 mine hunting sonar has completed initial in-water testing of a next-generation Deploy and Retrieval payload, the company announced on 6 January. During …

• Land Warfare

  Sky Sabre begins to rattle as air defence market heats up

  17th January 2020

  As the ground-based air defence (GBAD) market sees a spike of investment, one new next-generation system is on the verge of entering service. Although the British Army’s …

• Naval Warfare

  Thales systems tested on Mexican vessel

  10th January 2020

  Thales equipment has been put through its paces during Sea Acceptance Trials of the Mexican Navy’s first Pola class vessel. The trials were carried out …

• Naval Warfare

  Pakistan Navy inducts ATR 72 aircraft and Luna NG UAVs

  7th January 2020

  The Pakistan Navy (PN) has inducted two ATR 72 aircraft – one in the Sea Eagle maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) configuration and another as a …

• Military Logistics

  GD NASSCO awarded Harpers Ferry maintenance work

  7th January 2020

  General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) will carry out phased maintenance availability on the US Navy’s USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) landing ship dock. …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems awarded USS Vicksburg modernisation work

  7th January 2020

  BAE Systems is to modernise the US Navy’s USS Vicksburg guided-missile cruiser under a $175 million contract announced on 6 January. The vessel will undergo …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon signs partner for SPY-6 array structures

  15th January 2020

  Raytheon and Major Tool & Machine have signed an exclusive teaming agreement to develop array structures for the US Navy's SPY-6 radar programme.The agreement will …

• Naval Warfare

  Turkey set to increase submarine fleet

  9th January 2020

  The Turkish navy is about to enter a new era of underwater warfare as it prepares to induct a new class of submarine in to …

• Training

  SimActive releases Correlator3D version 8.4

  14th January 2020

  SimActive has released version 8.4 of its Correlator3D photogrammetry solution, the company announced on 14 January. Version 8.4 includes significant acceleration, with speeds that are …

• Training

  BISim, DiSTI sign agreement

  13th January 2020

  DiSTI Corporation has expanded its software VAR contract portfolio to include Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) under an agreement announced on 13 January. Under the agreement …

• Training

  RAN training centre facility expansion complete

  14th January 2020

  A new extension to the Royal Australian Navy Training Systems Centre at Randwick Barracks is complete and ready for the first navy training course to …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Bandit (US)

  Programme Background Goal As stated by Alyson Turri, the AFRL Bandit programme manager, the goal is to "develop an unmanned platform that looks like a fifth-generation ...

• 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 ...

• 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, 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 ...

• 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-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 ...

• Military 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 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  XQ-67A

  In February 2024, GA-ASI first released images of the XQ-67A, a drone developed as part of a contract to support the USAF's Off-Board Sensing Station ...

• Infrastructure - shelters/accommodation

  Medical Shelter System

  The Medical Shelter System has a modular and scalable design and is available in two standard sizes. Field hospital configurations allow for medical systems with ...