• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Information holds the key in modern warfare

  6th March 2018

  General Gordon Messenger, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in the UK, has given a candid interview to the Times in which he sets out …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia awards MCM USV contract

  2nd March 2018

  Steber International, an Australian manufacturer of fibreglass boats, won a contract worth more than A$6 million ($4.7 million) late last year to build five USVs …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA Group unveils A18-M AUV for MCM

  2nd March 2018

  ECA Group has introduced a new mid-size autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), A18-M, for mine counter measure (MCM) operations, the company announced on 26 February. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Puma II AE for Canada’s MCDVs

  5th March 2018

  AeroVironment’s Puma II AE maritime miniature UAS has been selected for fielding aboard the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Patroller to play key role in OCEAN2020

  13th February 2018

  Safran’s Patroller UAS will play a central role in the OCEAN2020 project being led by Leonardo. The European Defence Fund programme aims to develop a …

• Military Logistics

  Marine Corps seeks to augment logistics vision

  8th March 2018

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) is looking for qualified contractor support for its emerging and evolving next generation logistics support concepts after interest was identified …

• Military Logistics

  Saab to continue ANZAC-class support

  28th February 2018

  Saab Australia has received an order from the Australian government to continue the sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Anzac-class frigates, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Colombian Navy fields Falcon ROV

  1st March 2018

  The Colombian Navy (ARC) has acquired a single Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV and it is now operational with the Diving and Rescue Department (DEBUSA). The …

• Naval Warfare

  Finland requests Mk 41 VLSs

  26th February 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of four Mk 41 Baseline VII Strike-Length Vertical Launching Systems (VLS) …

• Digital Battlespace

  RUAG to provide TAN router to NATO

  2nd March 2018

  RUAG Defence has received a contract to provide its Tactical Access Node (TAN) to NATO, the company announced on 22 February. The order marks the …

• Naval Warfare

  French Navy champions maritime security in Pacific

  27th February 2018

  As the only European nation with a permanent naval presence in Asia-Pacific, the French Navy takes maritime security in the region seriously. FS Vendemiaire, a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore leverages unmanned and AI tech

  2nd March 2018

  The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has begun live trials of more unmanned, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to overcome the island-state’s constraints and …

• Defence Helicopter

  For US Army aviation Chinook comes out winner, other fleets ramp down

  23rd February 2018

  US Army leaders have billed their FY19 budget request as a jumping-off point for the FY20 budget, one they say will contain major changes to …

• Naval Warfare

  German Navy frigate begins in-port trials

  27th February 2018

  The German Navy’s third F125 class frigate, the Sachsen-Anhalt, has sailed for the first time from the shipyard in Hamburg, Thyssenkrupp announced on 22 February. …

• Training

  RBDF’s Full Mission Bridge Simulator passes FAT

  2nd March 2018

  The NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator jointly developed by VSTEP, Damen Shipyards and Alphatron Marine for the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) has successfully passed …

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 ...