• Digital Battlespace

  Harris receives $85 million USAF Falcon contract

  21st December 2012

  Harris Corporation will provide the US Air Force (USAF) with Falcon multiband manpack tactical radios and accessories under a new $85 million indefinite delivery, indefinite …

• Digital Battlespace

  I/ITSEC 2012: USAF recasts training priorities

  5th December 2012

  A US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) representative has outlined a shift in focus for the service towards less aircrew training and more consideration of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ground based sense and avoid capabilities evaluated

  16th November 2012

  Raytheon has announced that as part of its work with the US Air Force (USAF) to integrate unmanned aerial Systems (UAS) into the US National …

• Naval Warfare

  Boeing advances F/A-18E, F-15E training simulation

  15th November 2012

  Boeing is working on a three-year contract with the US Air Force Research Laboratory to adapt innovative training technologies for the F-15E Eagle and the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems QF-4 programme milestone reached

  12th November 2012

  BAE Systems has announced the successful conversion of its 300th F-4 Phantom fighter jet into an unmanned flying drone for the US Air Force (USAF). …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris announces USAF Falcon III manpack order

  6th November 2012

  Harris Corporation will provide the US Air Force (USAF) with an additional supply of Falcon III multiband manpack tactical radios under a $10.8 million order …

• Military Logistics

  C-130J Super Hercules variants gain certification

  2nd November 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that in October its HC-130J Combat King II and MC-130J Commando II aircraft have been certified as ‘effective, suitable and mission …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin wins Jordanian airspace management contract

  30th October 2012

  Lockheed Martin will carry out work to modernise the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s national air command, control and communications infrastructure under a foreign military sales …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BACN-equipped Global Hawk delivered to USAF

  24th October 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it delivered a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)-equipped Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF) four months …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF releases Combat Rescue Helicopter RfP

  23rd October 2012

  The United States Air Force has officially begun its search to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter. In the RfP for the $6.8 billion …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin introduces DiamondShield C2 system

  23rd October 2012

  Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new command and control (C2) platform that provides warfighters a wide range of intuitive decision-support aids, allowing them to plan …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46 refuelling boom enters production

  18th October 2012

  This week will see Boeing begin assembly of the refuelling boom for the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) KC-46 tanker aircraft. The KC-46 Boom Assembly Center, …

• Digital Battlespace

  FAB-T programme moves forward

  10th October 2012

  Boeing has revealed that the US Air Force (USAF) has recently completed a combined preliminary design review and critical design review of the company’s Family …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems to help develop USAF dismount detection radar

  28th September 2012

  BAE Systems has revealed that it has been selected by Raytheon to help the US Air Force (USAF) develop its Dismount Detection Radar (DDR). In …

• Digital Battlespace

  AOC 2012: Electronic protection seen as ‘smoke alarm’ of EW

  27th September 2012

  Several service panelists at this week’s Association of Old Crows (AOC) international symposium and convention in Phoenix, Arizona offered similar analogies to characterise Electronic Protection …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  RQ-20B Puma (USAF)

  Programme Background Requirement According to the AeroVironment Vice President and product line general manager, Trace Stevenson, the USAF Security Forces requires a small UAV to ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)

  Programme Background Procurement & Inventory According to the USAF FY2019 Budget Estimate document, the USAF set aside funds to acquire 433 MQ-9 Reapers by the end of ...

• MPVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Air Force]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (1-2) [USA]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-Y Tanker Aircraft (USA)

  Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (USA - Forecast)

  Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first four Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) KC-46A aircraft were delivered to McConnell AFB in Kansas in January 2019. As of December 2020, a ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Contracted)

  Programme Background USAF is looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDTE configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. F-15EX will replace ageing ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

  Programme Background The F-15EX will be based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  EX-3 Revenant

  The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USAF KC-135 ATS

  The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

• Major networking projects

  C2 ConstellationNet

  According to David Tillotson, director of C4ISR architecture AF/XI, in a report to Congress: 'The ConstellationNet is the communications network – air, space and terrestrial ...

• Air: aerial targets

  QF-16 FSAT

  The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS 10.2 Upgrade

  Raytheon’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Block 10.2 upgrade allows intelligence data to be posted to the network for immediate use by analysts and warfighters, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight's Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-10 Extender

  The KC-10 Extender is a tanker/transport aircraft developed for the USAF by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). It was derived from the company’s three-engine ...

• EW test systems

  JTE

  The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics (GA-ASI).  Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...