• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore employs more AI in air force command post

  11th October 2019

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is employing locally developed AI technology in its command post during Exercise Forging Sabre in Idaho, US. Used …

• Land Warfare

  Artificial Intelligence for the Army’s Big Six Modernisation Priorities

  8th October 2019

  The US Army’s modernisation priorities will fuel a massive expansion in the data generated by soldiers, units and military platforms. It has become clear that …

• Training

  BISim to launch VBS4

  22nd October 2019

  Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is set to launch the latest iteration of its highly successful Virtual Battlespace visualisation product, VBS4, planning to unveil the system …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing Australia teams with DCRC for AI

  25th September 2019

  Boeing has announced that it will partner with Australia’s Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre (DCRC) to develop advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems announces SMC support team

  23rd September 2019

  BAE Systems has announced its team for its US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise – Systems and Engineering and Integration programme …

• Defence Notes

  Is machine learning and artificial intelligence a force multiplier? (sponsored)

  3rd September 2019

  This video article is brought to you by L3Harris. L3Harris’ Stuart Gardiner explores how these techniques can be used in modern warfare to counter adversaries …

• Naval Warfare

  DARPA researching marine creature responses for subsurface surveillance

  24th September 2019

  Bioluminescent plankton, black sea bass and snapping shrimp: just some of the living resources the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hopes to tap …

• Digital Battlespace

  Podcast: Five Eyes Connectivity - Cyber

  26th September 2019

  Welcome to Shephard Studio’s special series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat.  Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. In the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast …

• Special Operations

  What is AFWERX, the USAF’s new cultivator of innovation?

  6th September 2019

  The US Air Force's new AFWERX technology accelerator is now seeing several of its projects mature into viable prototypes that are being passed over for …

• Defence Helicopter

  China finally signs AHL contract

  29th August 2019

  China and Russia, after a long passage of time, have finally signed a commercial contract to jointly develop the Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) helicopter, a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Chinese shipbuilder launches ‘combat-ready’ JARI USV

  23rd August 2019

  The No. 716 Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) launched a long-awaited USV on 21 August, according to an announcement on the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Hughes awarded SATCOM R&D contract

  25th July 2019

  Hughes Network Systems has been awarded an $11.8 million military satellite communications (SATCOM) research and development contract by the US Army, the company announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AI to push automated C-UAS system

  17th July 2019

  Leonardo will further automate its Falcon Shield counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) platform in the coming years, with the increased introduction of AI one of a number of planned upgrades.   …

• Defence Notes

  Seoul announces major defence boost in 2020-24 plans

  15th August 2019

  The South Korean Ministry of National Defense's (MND) latest Defense Mid-Term Plan covering the five-year period from 2020-24 foresees an ambitious increase in spending.  The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Royal Navy tasks team to add AI to UUVs

  1st July 2019

  The Royal Navy is exploring the addition of using artificial intelligence (AI) to task autonomous submersibles to hunt underwater mines. BAE Systems’ Applied intelligence business …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-Bat 128 (Brazil)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, Sheild AI announced on its website that it had signed a contract with VSK Tactical which included the 'purchase of [the] V-Bat ...

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

  Skyborg [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Intention Skyborg is one of three USAF Vanguard programs outlined in the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 initiative. The program intends ...

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

  Loyal Wingman (Forecast) [Germany]

  Programme Background Need Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated in Jue 2024 that the "German Air Force has expressed a clear need for ...

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

  V-Bat 128 [Colombia]

  Programme Background Procurement In August 2024, The Rio Times reported that the Columbian Navy had begun to equip its four Type FS 1500  frigates with the V-Bat ...

• OPVs

  Next Generation OPVs (NGOPVs) Procurement [India]

  Programme Background Timeline On 20 December 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders (MDL) to construct six Next Generation Offshore ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Replicator 1 [US]

  Programme Background Announcement & Requirement In late August 2023, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the Replicator programme, an effort to galvanise an industry which ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter Family [UAE]

  Programme Background IDEX Contract Announcement On 21 February 2023, EDGE announced that its subsidiary, HALCON, had been awarded an AED 1.1 billion ($272.29 million) contract to supply ...

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

  Maritime UAS (MUAS) [USCG]

  Programme Background Contract Award In June 2024, the USCG awarded Shield AI an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract to supply UAVs for its cutter vessels. The contract, which ...

• ISR/special mission

  Strategic Intelligence Aircraft [France]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced that the strategic intelligence aircraft program CUGE Universal EW Capability began ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV Drones [Moldova]

  Programme Background Lithuanian Drones Lithuania's Minister of National Defense, Laurynas Kasciunas, announced that Lithuian-produced thermal night vision devices and FPV drones had begun being delivered to Moldova during ...

• Minehunters

  Pulau Rengat Class MCMV Replacement [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AI) currently operate two ageing Dutch-built Pulau Rengat-class MCMVs, which entered service in March 1988. These are now fast approaching ...

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers (13DDX) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements At CNE 2024, Vice Admiral Shinichi Imayoshi, Director General of Naval Systems at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), revealed that enhancing ...

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

  Air Launched Effect (ALE) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

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

  Loyal Wingan [Japan]

  Programme Background Drone Appetite Released in December 2022, the Defence Building Program (DBP) called on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to replace some human assets with uncrewed ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Mi2 Challenge (USN)

  Programme Background Requirements The USN wants a UAV to be flown in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment; since it would be launched ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  АI-24

  The Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop aircraft engine was initially designed and manufactured in the late-1950s. Manufacturing was later moved to Motor Sich, a Ukraine based manufacturer ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-222-25

  Manufactured by Ukraine’s Motor Sich, the AI-222 is a high thrust-to-weight ratio turbofan engine family developed to power Russian Air Force advanced trainers and light ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  TKN-AI

  TKN-AI is a commander’s periscope intended for guiding a vehicle, and battlefield observation and target acquisition by day and night. It is compatible with T-62, ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-20M

  The Ivchenko AI-20 is a Soviet turboprop engine developed in the 1950s. Although the engines were originally designed for civil cargo aircraft servicing medium- and ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Hivemind

  Developed by Shield AI, Hivemind is an ecosystem of tightly integrated AI software tools and interfaces that leverages several factors to deliver  intelligent and resilient autonomy ...

• Transport

  An-32

  The An-32 (NATO reporting name Cline) is a light military transport aircraft that can be operated in hot temperatures (up to 50°C) and from mountain ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  GA-10FPV-AI

  The GA-10FPV-AI is a Lithuanian FPV quadcopter drone manufactured by Granta Autonomy. The drone can carry a 3kg payload and operate in GNSS-denied environments. In September 2024, Granta Autonomy ...

• Subsystems: software

  Cyborg

  Cyborg represents the latest migration of SDS’ simulation products to more highly realistic, physics-based applications applicable for most gaming, entertainment or simulation training applications.  Cyborg ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  INTeACT

  Developed by BAE Systems, INTeACT is a next-generation combat management system for surface vessels with a dedicated software development kit (SDK). Notably, it includes AI-powered ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Dauntless

  Dauntless is an immersive VR simulator. The successor to the company's VIRTSIM system (see separate entry), Dauntless leverages CryEngine game technology to provide high-resolution graphics ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Torch-X Maritime

  Produced by Elbit Systems, the Torch-X Maritime is a combat management system which combines mature COTS components into an open-architecture C4I suite. Notably, the system ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Sakar Scout

  The Sakar Scout is a rotary-wing platform with AI capabilities for autonomous missions.  The Ukrainian drone was approved for combat by the Ukrainian MoD, according to ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  WJ-6

  The WJ-6 is a turboprop engine manufactured by  China National South Aero-engine Company in Zhuzhou, China. It is a license-built version of Ivchenko-Progress' AI-20, developed ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Torch-X Mounted

  Elbit Systems Torch-X Mounted is a battle management solution that notably includes fire control capability and AI-powered decision support tools. According to news sources, the ...