Australia Renames “Loyal Wingman" as MQ-28A Ghost Bat
Australia has renamed Loyal Wingman as MQ-28A Ghost Bat to indicate it as the military designator for the first Australian-produced military combat aircraft.
Australia News
Unmanned Systems
Unmanned Systems
Boeing is awarded the contract for Land 129 Phase 3
Australia has contracted Insitu Pacific Pty Ltd to supply the Australian Army with 24 'Integrator' tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems.
Navy / Maritime
Australia Boosts its Defence Personnel one third by 2040
Australia will boost its defence force personnel by 30 per cent by 2040, as the most significant military build-up in peacetime.
Navy / Maritime
Australia launches 2nd of six Evolved Cape-class patrol boat
Australian shipyard Austal Ltd. launched on 4 March 2022, the second Evolved Cape-class patrol boat bound for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Modernisation
Air
Australia gets Protection for Aerial Platforms
The State Department approved a possible FMS to Australia of LAIRCM Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) for an estimated cost of $122 million.
Space
Engine and Transmission
Gilmour Tests in Australia ‘Most powerful rocket engine
Gilmour Space Technologies has completed a 75-second test-fire of its new rocket engine. The company plans to launch it in Queensland in 2022.
Navy / Maritime
Regional / Strategy
Australia and Japan Sign Defence Pact Amid China Concerns
Australia and Japan will sign a treaty to strengthen defence and security cooperation amid China's rising military power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Regional / Strategy
AUKUS Sets the Details of the Cooperation Program by 2022
The U.S., UK and Australia have committed to finalising a work program by 2022 after delegates concluded their first AUKUS meetings at the Pentagon.
Land
Australia Signs AS9 Huntsman Contract with ROK
Australia ordered a fleet of approximately $1 billion worth of Hanwha’s Huntsman AS9 self-propelled artillery systems from the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Air
Australia Replaces its MRH-90 Taipan with Black Hawks
The Australian Army decided to replace its current European fleet of 47 MRH-90 «Taipan» multi-role helicopters with U.S. Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.
Air
RAAF Retires Fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornet Fighter Jets
The Royal Australian Air Force has officially retired the F/A-18A/B the Hornet fighter jet fleet, the Classic Hornet after more than 400,000 flight hours .
Navy / Maritime
Western Powers Show Flag near China
Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States have completed combined military exercises in Asian waters.
Weapon / Missile
VRA and Thales Ink Deal On Spike ATGM Manufacture
Varley Rafael Australia (VRA) announced the MoU with Thales Australia to explore future Australian production of RAFAEL’s SPIKE family of guided weapons.
Weapon / Missile
The Australian Army Works on 6.8 mm Calibre Rifle
The Australian Army Headquarters (AHQ) is developing the next-generation atomic weapon with a calibre of 6.8 mm.
Global Defence Trend Brief
- 15:00 US Army expands long-range precision fires production planning - The US Army is increasing investment in production capacity for long-range precision fires programme...
- 15:00 European air defence modernisation shifts toward integrated networks - European governments are increasingly linking national air defence assets into broader integrated ne...
- 15:00 China strengthens unmanned maritime surveillance capabilities - China continues expanding its portfolio of maritime surveillance drones to improve situational aware...
- 15:00 Japan accelerates hardened infrastructure development - Japan is investing in hardened facilities, protected storage sites and dispersed operating locations...
- 15:00 Autonomous underwater systems gain role in critical infrastructure security - Navies are increasingly deploying autonomous underwater vehicles to monitor and protect undersea cab...
- 15:00 Counter-drone systems increasingly combine kinetic and electronic effects - Military organisations are fielding layered counter-drone architectures that integrate electronic wa...
- 15:00 Hypersonic weapon proliferation drives demand for space-based tracking - Defence agencies are accelerating development of space-based sensor constellations capable of provid...
- 15:00 Military logistics automation becomes mainstream procurement priority - Armed forces are expanding procurement of autonomous logistics vehicles and AI-assisted supply syste...
- 15:00 Collaborative combat aircraft concepts reshape force structure planning - Air forces are increasingly designing future force structures around combinations of crewed aircraft...
- 15:00 Industrial resilience becomes strategic requirement for defence suppliers - Governments are placing growing emphasis on supply-chain security, surge production capability and m...
- 09:00 US Air Force expands Collaborative Combat Aircraft testing - The US Air Force is increasing flight testing and integration work for Collaborative Combat Aircraft...
- 09:00 European defence spending increasingly targets ammunition resilience - European governments are directing additional defence funding toward ammunition production, stockpil...
- 09:00 China advances military satellite constellation deployment - China continues expanding military satellite constellations designed to enhance communications, navi...
- 09:00 Japan strengthens distributed missile force posture - Japan is expanding deployment of mobile missile units and support infrastructure across remote islan...
- 09:00 Autonomous surface vessels gain importance in fleet operations - Navies are integrating autonomous surface vessels into surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime sec...
- 09:00 Counter-drone procurement shifts toward scalable architectures - Military organisations are increasingly procuring counter-drone systems built around open architectu...
- 09:00 Hypersonic defence programmes focus on persistent target custody - Defence agencies are prioritising sensor networks capable of maintaining continuous tracking of mano...
- 09:00 AI-assisted command systems gain momentum in military planning - Armed forces are accelerating adoption of AI-assisted command-and-control systems designed to improv...
- 09:00 Collaborative autonomy emerges as key defence technology trend - Military planners increasingly view teams of autonomous systems operating cooperatively as a major f...
- 09:00 Production capacity increasingly shapes defence export competitiveness - Countries evaluating defence acquisitions are placing greater weight on supplier production capacity...
