• Air Warfare

  Slovakia eyes C-390 Millennium aircraft purchase in early 2025

  11th December 2024

  The Slovak Ministry of Defence (MoD) also signed a Letter of Intent with the Brazilian MoD for deeper industrial collaboration between the two nations.

• Air Warfare

  Kazakhstan welcomes its first A400M

  11th December 2024

  The A400M was handed over at a ceremony in Almaty, after a flight from Airbus’ A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain.

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch

  10th December 2024

  The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.

• Training

  British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four

  7th November 2024

  Three of the bidding consortia have dropped out of the competition to become STP for the British Army Collective Training Service.

• Land Warfare

  USMC narrows down field for light loitering munition requirement

  15th April 2024

  The US Marine Corps selected a team of UVision and Mistral to meet a requirement for Organic Precision Fires Mounted (OPF-M) loitering munition in 2021. It has now awarded contracts for the soldier carried light (OPF-L) version after the success of similar systems in Ukraine highlighted the potential for such weapons.

• Air Warfare

  Israel signs US$5.2 billion agreement for 25 F-15 jets

  7th November 2024

  The Israeli defence ministry said the deal would enable the Israeli Air Force to ‘maintain strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East’.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan’s record defence budget proposals prompt major reorganisation for navy

  2nd October 2024

  Despite a record budget proposal, Japan’s military force has continued to face staffing problems, while the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force readies itself for a major upheaval of its surface fleet.

• Digital Battlespace

  Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy

  3rd January 2025

  Israel will continue to develop autonomy for its weapons and platforms as it brings together defence personnel, academia and industry.

• Air Warfare

  Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems

  12th December 2024

  The deal announced on 11 December was an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract and the first task order of $116 million has already been awarded to provide terminals and spares, with follow-on production awards expected.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan reinvigorates its asymmetrical approach to naval warfare

  22nd November 2024

  The threat from China has prompted Taiwan’s naval forces to shift from traditional naval structures to a more balanced strategy blending asymmetric defences with conventional platforms.

• Digital Battlespace

  L3Harris on track to deliver Viper Shield in 2025

  17th June 2024

  L3 Harris had a busy 2023 as it passed several milestones in the development of its Viper Shield. Both 2024 and 2025 are looking to be just as lively as delivery of production items nears.

• Air Warfare

  US approves deal for $1.7 billion upgrade of Indian Navy MH-60R helicopters

  4th December 2024

  The equipment sale for the helicopters includes 30 Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System Terminals (MIDS JTRS) for the Indian Navy.

• Land Warfare

  KNDS continues tests of potential gun for future Main Ground Combat System

  11th June 2024

  The Ascalon gun is designed to allow for a quick change between 140mm and 120mm barrels and is being designed as a concept for the development of the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) main weapon.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA shows Orchestrike swarming missile system progress at Farnborough

  22nd July 2024

  MBDA demonstrated Orchestrike, a collaborative combat solution designed to help overcome complex air defence challenges, at Paris Air Show in 2023 and is showing the progress made since then at Farnborough International Airshow.

• Air Warfare

  US Army cancels FARA helicopter programmes to fund UAS and Black Hawk procurement

  9th February 2024

  The cancellation of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) has reflected a shift in focus towards uncrewed systems in response to evolving battlefield dynamics and lessons learned from recent conflicts.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• 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 ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C Carrier Variant

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

• Fighter - naval

  Future Naval Fighter China

  The PLAN started development work in 2011 for the Type 075 with the aim of increasing the "vertical" amphibious assault capability, with the mountainous East ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  US Navy has ordered 122 F-35B aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 202 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 10 and 17 per year ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Japanese Future Amphibious Vehicle

  Programme Background The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade currently operates a fleet of 58 BAE Systems Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7A1s (AAV7A1s) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Surface-to-air missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  RIM-174 Standard ERAM SM-6 Block I/IA

  The SM-6 (RIM-174 Standard ERAM) is a surface-to-air supersonic missile launched from cruisers and destroyers, capable of successfully engaging crewed and uncrewed, fixed- or rotary-wing ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Cumulus One

  Cumulus One is an autonomous fixed-wing drone manufactured by Sky-Watch. The aircraft’s structure is made from carbon fibre and Kevlar. The system has mission planning ...

• EO/IR systems

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder

  Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with Laser Rangefinder is a surveillance system with a laser rangefinder. Performance includes 1/3in charge-coupled device colour sensor, NTSC or PAL format. Resolution ...

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• Military - UUVs

  Roving Bat

  The Roving Bat is a multipurpose, hybrid ROV and crawler for close inspection and cleaning operations of immersed vertical structures such as a ship's hull. ...

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-Proteus

  Proteus is a dual-mode UUV capable of operation in either manned or autonomous modes. Primary missions are MCM, sensor development and vehicle research. 

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a JMR-TD aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal to build a demonstrator ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Tiltrotors

  TR36TD

  Karem Aircraft was one of four contenders for the US Army's JMR-TD, which is a precursor to the FVL project that will replace the UH-60 ...