• Digital Battlespace

  Airborne info sharing tests start

  17th August 2016

  Simulation testing is set to begin for DARPA’s Dynamic Network Adaptation for Mission Optimization (DyNAMO) project for new airborne information sharing system to allow the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New threat, new solutions - anti-UAS systems

  25th August 2016

  As DARPA moves to announce an RfI on the development of counter-UAS systems, attention is ever more fixated on the struggle to prevent access to …

• Training

  ThoroughTec targets As-Pac market

  16th August 2016

  ThoroughTec Simulation will be using Land Forces 2016 to target armoured fighting vehicle simulation requirements in the Asia-Pacific market, the company announced on 16 August. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Tern two for NG in Phase 3

  20th June 2016

  Northrop Grumman will build a second prototype UAV for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), it has been revealed. In an announcement on 17 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CODE programme moves ahead

  7th June 2016

  US DARPA's Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) programme is moving ahead, awarding Phase 2 system integration contracts to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, it announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sikorsky demos S-76 autonomous flight

  1st June 2016

  Sikorsky has successfully demonstrated a 30 mile autonomous flight of its Sikorsky S-76 medium-size commercial utility helicopter, it announced on 31 May. The demonstration completes …

• Digital Battlespace

  DRS to enhance FPAs for DARPA

  25th May 2016

  DARPA has awarded a contract to DRS Technologies to improve its infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) as part of the Lambda Scale programme, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA targets undersea navigation

  18th May 2016

  BAE Systems has received a contract from DARPA to develop an undersea navigation system to enhance the US Navy’s ability to provide precise global positioning …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAS 2016: Liquid pushes Wave Glider

  23rd May 2016

  The latest version of California-based Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider unmanned surface vessel – the SV3 is the company’s new flagship product. Speaking at the Navy …

• Land Warfare

  DARPA greenlights eight firms for GXV-T

  28th April 2016

  DARPA has awarded contracts for its Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) programme to eight organisations, it announced on 26 April. The contracted organisations are: Carnegie Mellon …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aurora flies subscale LightningStrike

  20th April 2016

  Aurora Flight Sciences has successfully conducted the first flight of a subscale vehicle demonstrator (SVD) of its LightningStrike vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) X-Plane for DARPA …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Quad A 2016: US Army eyes revolutionary UAS

  29th April 2016

  The US Army is planning to set out fresh requirements in the mid-2020s for a runway-independent UAS, with the service potentially eyeing revolutionary designs that …

• Training

  ASTi to enhance RAF Ch-47 trainers

  20th April 2016

  Advanced Simulation Technology (ASTi) equipment will be fitted on a suite of CH-47 Mk6 Chinook helicopter weapons system trainers for the British Royal Air Force …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA’s ALIAS completes first flight test

  11th April 2016

  A research effort associated with DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme has conducted flight tests of a plug-and-play system designed to enable aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned ACTUV becomes Sea Hunter

  8th April 2016

  DARPA’s prototype anti-submarine warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) was christened on 7 May in Portland.  It marks the next development stage for the programme …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement According to DARPA, the objective of the LongShot programme is "to disrupt the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems ...

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

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract Award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat, specifically the V-Bat 400, aircraft to enhance the maritime intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced on the EU tendering website a competition sounding the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

• 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 - 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 - 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [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 F-5E/F fighters in the ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

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

  LongShot

  The LongShot is a developmental air-launched platform intended to increase the survivability of friendly crewed aircraft. In February 2021, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ...

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

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

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

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar, Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is an airborne radar system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed to track vehicles and foot traffic ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

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

  X-61A Gremlin

  Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, is developing the X-61A Gremlin. This low-cost swarming drone can be outfitted with different payloads, launched by a mothership, recovered ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...