• Defence Helicopter

  Indian MoD moves naval heli programme forward

  7th November 2017

  Heralding one of the biggest helicopter programmes in South Asia, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accorded 'acceptance of necessity' …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Thailand's top five defence programmes (video)

  2nd November 2017

  Ahead of Defense and Security 2017, hosted in Bangkok Thailand, Shephard takes a look at some of the host nation's top five ongoing defence programmes. 

• Naval Warfare

  Russia’s Baltic Fleet receives new patrol boat

  1st November 2017

  The Russian State Acceptance Board has signed an acceptance act for a new Raptor (Project 03160) high-speed patrol boat for the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  FAA certifies optionally-piloted UH-1H

  6th November 2017

  The FAA has granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate to Aurora Flight Sciences’ optionally-piloted UH-1H helicopter, the company announced on 1 November. Aurora's UH-1H was initially …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Knifefish UUV completes contractor trials

  30th October 2017

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has completed contractor trials for the US Navy’s Knifefish mine countermeasure (MCM) UUV programme, the company announced on 26 October. Knifefish …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADEX 2017: A Sea Sword to slay the enemy

  20th October 2017

  The Sea Sword is a USV being developed by LIG Nex1 in South Korea. A scale model of the second-generation type was exhibited at Seoul …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales looks to enhance SMART-L BMD functions

  30th October 2017

  Thales is analysing logged data from the recent Formidable Shield ballistic missile defence (BMD) exercise to see if modifications made to its SMART-L Multi Mission (MM) radar can …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: Malaysian navy adjusts command regions

  30th October 2017

  The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) formalised the relocation of its Region 2 Command from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan on 17 October. The relocation actually began …

• Naval Warfare

  Polish submarine fleet run aground

  30th October 2017

  The Polish Navy may be forced to decommission its only Kilo-class submarine, ORP Orzel , as a result of an incident while the vessel was …

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Coast Guard's first L&T-built OPV is launched

  31st October 2017

  Larsen and Toubro (L&T;) has launched the first of seven offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard, the company announced on 27 October. …

• Naval Warfare

  Ukrainian coast guard to bolster fleet

  1st November 2017

  Ukraine will purchase up to 25 new high-speed patrol boats for the National Coast Guard as part of Project Jura, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Liquid Robotics, NOAA to protect marine ecosystems

  23rd October 2017

  Liquid Robotics has signed a multi-year agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA’s) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) for the protection of …

• Naval Warfare

  KA350ER enhancement kit demo'd

  31st October 2017

  Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has successfully demonstrated the King Air 350 Extended Range (KA350ER) Mission Enhancement Kit in Huntsville, Alabama, the company announced on 26 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Commercial UAV Expo 2017: Wine industry mulls drone use

  26th October 2017

  The potential target market for the use of drones by vineyards and in viticulture management was an area that could see significant growth in future, …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: Japan now to donate TC-90s to Philippines

  30th October 2017

  After a recent change made to Japanese laws, Tokyo will now donate five second-hand TC-90 (a Beechcraft King Air variant) aircraft to the Philippines.  Under …

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 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 ...

• 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 ...