• Training

  ITEC 2019: Kratos unveils first MQM-178 built in Oklahoma

  1st May 2019

  Kratos Defense has formally unveiled the first MQM-178 Firejet aerial target to be built in its new manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City. Kratos’ CEO, Eric …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Defence allies seek commercial collaborations

  1st May 2019

  The US Army, USSOCOM and New Zealand Defence Force are looking to the commercial unmanned industry to provide them with new technologies to support their …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Flying Sea Glider programme nears the end

  2nd May 2019

  A US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) programme to explore the technological feasibility of a swing-role UAV/UUV platform will enter flight and underwater tests in the …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia 2019: China launches first LMS for Malaysia

  23rd April 2019

  Malaysia launched the first Littoral Mission Ship (LMS), Keris, at the Shuangliu base of Wuchang Shipbuilding Industrial Group in Wuhan, China on 15 April. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PHASA-35 solar UAV to begin test flights

  9th April 2019

  Technology manufacturer Prismatic is to commence prototype flight testing on its PHASA-35 (Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft) HALE UAV programme before the end of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned Systems Asia 2019: Urban mobility urged to avert ‘dire’ straits

  12th April 2019

  The successful integration of optionally manned and unmanned systems into urban areas will require sustained collaboration with regulatory bodies in order to prove the safety …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Turkish Aerospace prepare for Anka Aksungur production

  3rd April 2019

  Turkish Aerospace is ready to commence production of its newest MALE UAV – Anka Aksungur – at the beginning of 2020, as it awaits firm …

• Digital Battlespace

  New radar for USMC Blackjacks

  12th April 2019

  Utah based company Imsar will supply its NSP-5 radar system to the Blackjack Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which is currently operated by the US Navy …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Natural disaster market sparks geo-reference technology growth

  8th April 2019

  The need for disaster relief agencies to carry out unmanned aerial surveillance of affected areas has prompted a growth in requests for access to geo-referencing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned Systems Asia 2019: Indonesia follows regional trend with ubiquitous ScanEagle

  5th April 2019

  Indonesia will become the latest country in the Asia-Pacific region to integrate ScanEagle UAVs into its aerial operations, following a contract modification award on 29 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  LIMA 2019: Malaysia expresses a liking for large UAVs

  28th March 2019

  Malaysia issued a rather general RfI for a MALE UAV last December, and three OEMs from China, Turkey and the US exhibited their potential solutions …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  LIMA 2019: Grin, Reaper, for regional opportunities abound

  26th March 2019

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is sensing many opportunities around the Asia-Pacific region for its MQ-9 UAV family, starting with a Malaysian requirement for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Survey of India orders Trinity+ UAVs

  19th March 2019

  Ansari Precision Instruments (API)-Roter Group, in partnership with Germany’s Quantum Systems, has received a $3 million order from Survey of India to provide Trinity+ survey …

• Naval Warfare

  UK Royal Navy presence in Gulf to get unmanned boost

  2nd April 2019

  Not two months on from announcing a programme to introduce a new class of Littoral Strike Ships for the Royal Navy, UK Defence Secretary Gavin …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK Coastguard to step up unmanned integration efforts

  3rd April 2019

  The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is set to begin a drone trial ‘in the coming weeks’ as part of plans to evaluate and …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Programme Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challange The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore ...

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

  Carrier-UAV: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

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

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Mini UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  Mini UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates ...

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

  Micro UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates to the land exploration ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Thor [Israel]

  Background Various Contracts On 3 December 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced it had purchased “advanced drones and autonomous systems” from Elbit Systems in various ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV (Malaysia)

  Programme Background Tender Issued As reported by Shephard, on 18 June 2021, Malaysia issued a tender for fixed-wing hybrid VTOL UAVs.  Requirement The tender stated that Malaysia required ...

• Military UAS - small

  Penguin C (Latvia)

  Programme Background In 2018, the Latvian MoD signed an agreement with Latvian companies UAV Factory and Atlas Aerospace to procure UAVs for the LNAF. Under ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Family of UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background RfP The Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information about different platforms that would enable the force to "standardise" its UAV ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

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

  UAV-2 Gavilan [Ecuador]

  Background Domestic Development Development of the UAV-2 Gavilan by CIDFAE began in 2009, with the FAE unveiling the UAV in 2014. Reportedly, the FAE has five ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

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

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

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

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

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

  AR2 Carcará

  The AR2 Carcará is a hand- or catapult-launched mini-UAV designed to support search and rescue, surveillance and patrol operations in amphibious and maritime environments. It is ...

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

  AR4

  The AR4 is a hand-launched mini-UAS designed for rapid mobile deployment. Manufactured by Tekever, the UAS is suitable for both military and commercial ISTAR applications.  A ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  VTOL UAV

  The Defence Technology Institute launched the VTOL UAV R&D; project in cooperation with the Naval Research and Development Office, Royal Thai Navy and private sector ...

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

  MCOM UAV

  The Mundo Compuesto (MCOM) UAV is a fixed-wing UAV designed to provide surveillance during both day and night for military and security force users. It uses ...

• Universal UAV

  Universal UAV is designed for multiple missions in the field of surveillance and reconnaissance, monitoring forest fires or fisheries. It consists of a carbon-fibre composite ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  UAV TRS

  Celestia’s UAV Tactical Recovery System (TRS) assures controlled and safe landing of a UAV at a pre-designated GPS location. It can be deployed on command ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Simulators

  Elbit Systems has developed simulation systems to train personnel in UAV operation, from generic UAV training for initial screening procedures up to full mission, high-fidelity ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Training

  Resource UAS offers a range of UAV training, from foundation courses to live flying on a range of aircraft. Each can be tailored to suit ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  QTP-UAV

  The Quad Tilt Prop UAV (QTP-UAV) is an electric platform that is designed to provide VTOL capability with high-speed horizontal flight.