• Training

  General Atomics helps train Marines for MQ-9A Reaper as service struggles to meet UAV operator requirements

  4th April 2023

  General Atomics is conducting high-level training exercises with the US Marine Corps using its MQ-9A Reaper as the service experiences training problems under arrangements that could lead to a potential long-term partnership.

• Land Warfare

  US Marine Corps advances amphibious reconnaissance capabilities

  20th February 2023

  BAE Systems successfully tested Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ Stalker and Indago sUAS on an Amphibious Combat Vehicle C4/UAS variant.

• Air Warfare

  Turkey considers ditching F-16 Block 70 request in favour of non-US alternative

  16th March 2023

  Turkish officials are signalling dissatisfaction and contemplating abandoning plans to purchase F-16 Block 70s from the US as the deal stalemates, and the country faces hard economic decisions.

• Naval Warfare

  Argentina turns to local industry in naval modernisation push

  23rd March 2023

  Local companies will build a new landing ship and floating dock, modernise in-service corvettes and develop a naval surveillance radar.

• Naval Warfare

  Edge Group extends reach to Brazil with agreement to develop naval missiles

  19th April 2023

  Edge Group and the Brazilian Navy will collaborate to develop new long-range anti-ship and supersonic missiles.

• Land Warfare

  Canada accelerates acquisition of anti-tank, C-UAS and air defence capabilities

  10th March 2023

  The purchase of new systems for deployment in Eastern Europe will be conducted as urgent operational requirements with contracts being awarded by 2024.

• Defence Notes

  What's new in the updated version of the US Marines Force Design 2030

  9th June 2023

  The most recent Force Design 2030 document introduces adjustments in terms of capabilities, doctrine, structure and training focusing on improving readiness.

• Air Warfare

  IDEX 2023: Collins Aerospace partners with Saudi firm on UAS development

  22nd February 2023

  Collins Aerospace will integrate a number of its mission systems and software with SRB Aerial Systems' UAS platforms under a memorandum of understanding that is hoped to evolve into a long-term strategic partnership.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE and Innovaero debut Strix, Australia’s first domestic armed VTOL UAS

  1st March 2023

  At the Avalon Airshow, BAE Systems Australia debuted Australia’s first domestically designed, built and armed VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) uncrewed air system (UAS), the Strix.

• Land Warfare

  DroneShield counter-UAS systems to gain enhanced identification capabilities

  13th February 2023

  Integration of Pierce Aerospace's Flight Portal ID suite will give DroneShield end-users previously unavailable UAS identification capabilities and better situational awareness.

• Air Warfare

  IDEX 2023: Tekever gains perspective with new surveillance technology

  23rd February 2023

  Tekever has successfully integrated GAMASAR, the synthetic aperture radar system produced by the company, to its AR5 UAS.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2023: Israeli hydrogen-powered heavy lift UAS to fly by summer

  22nd February 2023

  Heven Drones expects the first flights with the hydrogen fuel-powered H2D 55 UAS to take place next July.

• Air Warfare

  Why Israel is adding unique new capabilities to its F-35 combat aircraft fleet

  18th May 2023

  Israel has recently tested a number of unique new capabilities for its F-35 fleet, including an extended-range fuel capacity and a precision penetration bomb that can be carried internally by the aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine awaits Brazilian approval to purchase 450 Guarani armoured vehicles

  23rd May 2023

  Kyiv is primarily interested in the ambulance variant of the platform, with vehicles planned to be deployed by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

• Naval Warfare

  NAVDEX 2023: Rafael showcases maritime UAS defence with Typhoon RWS

  20th February 2023

  The Israeli defence company has improved its Typhoon RWS with the ability to defeat small and medium UAS.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  ISTAR UAS project (Canada)

  Programme Background Objective The Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) main significant UAV project is the RCN Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System (RCN ...

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

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Programme Background Tender Notice & Timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

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

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract AwardIn 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan to ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  DEF129 Nano UAS [Australia]

  Programme Background DEF129 The Australian Ground Service has combined various army procurement efforts under the DEF129 programme to increase the abundance and proliferation of UAVs ...

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

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Mini) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a mini-UAS capable ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Micro) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a micro-UAS capable ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20 Puma (Belgium)

  Programme Background Requirement The Belgian MoD outlined plans to procure more mini and tactical UAS in its Strategic Vision for Defence published in 2016. According ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

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

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 2 AE (Germany)

  Programme Background The Germany navy had an urgent requirement for three UAS required for reconnaissance and identification in maritime operations. A platform was required that ...

• AEW&C

  Airbus A330 AWACS (India)

  Programme Background India is planning to increase its AEW&C; capabilities with indigenous radar systems. IAF has requested to procure six Airbus 330 airliner to host ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Mini UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: air defence radar

  MPDR 12

  The MPDR 12 is a high-data-rate (60rpm) pulse-Doppler radar with good clutter rejection performance. Teamed on Gepard with a Siemens pulse-Doppler tracking and FCR. Used ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPS-550K

  SPS-550K is a medium- to long-range 3D air and surface surveillance radar. It employs digital multi-beam forming, pulse-Doppler and medium pulse repetition frequency techniques to ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Grifo S

  The Grifo-S fire control radar is the most powerful version of the Grifo radar family for combat aircraft, featuring a 560W air-cooled travelling-wave tube-based transmitter ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  N011

  The N011 is an updated version of the N001 for more advanced Su-27 family aircraft featuring both air-to-air and air-to-ground (terrain following/avoidance and mapping) modes ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  MM/SPS-702

  Developed by Leonardo, MM/SPS-702 is an air and surface search radar. The SPS-702 features Moving Target Indicator (MTI),  Pulse Doppler Radar and IFF interrogator.

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  N019 Sapfir-29

  The N019 Sapfir-29 is a pulse-Doppler fire control radar with look-down/shoot-down capability developed for the MiG-29. Dedicated to air-to-air combat, it has three pulse repetition ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  RDI

  The RDI is an optimised pulse-Doppler radar installed on Mirage 2000B and C models used in the air superiority role. The slotted flat-plate antenna features ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Kopyo

  The Kopyo is a multi-mode coherent pulse-Doppler radar aimed at the MiG-21 upgrade market. It uses a slotted flat-plate antenna and digital signal processing. Air-to-air ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Zaslon AM

  Zaslon AM is a variant with upgraded data-processing systems for all in-service MiG-31s. 

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  NR-100

  The NR-100 is a man-portable pulse-Doppler radar designed to detect and track moving people and vehicles, providing targeting information for infantry weapons. 

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-66

  The AN/APG-66 is a coherent pulse-Doppler fire control radar originally developed for the F-16, now adapted to platforms including Hawk 200, PBN Defender, Skyhawk, T-39N and ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  N001

  The N001 is a mechanically scanned pulse-Doppler fire control radar associated with the Su-27, -30 and -33 fighters. The system features single-target engagement capability. 

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Zaslon M

  Zaslon M is a further upgrade to the Zaslon series, including the addition of a larger 1.4m-diameter phased-array antenna. Performance is reported to be 50-100 ...

• Air: weather radar

  TWR-850/WXR-840/WXR-80

  The TWR-850/WXR-840/WXR-80 weather radar systems use Doppler-based turbulence and weather detection for faster analysis and a solid-state transmitter for optimum pulse width for different ranges ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  EL/M-2238 STAR

  EL/M-2238 Surveillance Threat Alert Radar (STAR) is an S-band, pulse-Doppler, 3D, surface and air search radar for naval platforms. The STAR has three antenna variants: ...