• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned demos come with demanding cost

  21st August 2017

  An increasing number of unmanned demonstrations, similar to the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior in 2016, are on the horizon as end users continue to get …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Endeavor Robotics wins FirstLook contract

  22nd September 2017

  Endeavor Robotics has received a contract from the US government to supply 75 FirstLook UGVs for immediate operational use, the company announced on 19 September. …

• Land Warfare

  AAV SU programme enters production

  22nd September 2017

  SAIC has received approval from the US Marine Corps (USMC) Program Executive Officer Land Systems to enter the production and deployment phase of the Assault …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sea Machines launches ACS for marine vessels

  20th September 2017

  Sea Machines Robotics has released an autonomous control system (ACS) for commercial marine vessels. Called Sea Machines 300, the technology upgrades a vessel’s operating controls …

• Digital Battlespace

  ADF exploring aircraft countermeasures

  21st August 2017

  Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) and Chemring Australia have signed a five-year research agreement to explore new technologies for protecting Australian Defence Force …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: UMS Skeldar announces leasing partnership (video)

  19th September 2017

  UMS Skeldar announced that it has joined forces with JetLease, a private aircraft leasing company, to launch the first global leasing product for its V-200 …

• Digital Battlespace

  USCG patrol boat gets Safran’s BlueNaute system

  18th September 2017

  Safran Electronics and Defense's BlueNaute inertial navigation system has been installed on the first of a number of vessels for the US Coast Guard (USCG), …

• Naval Warfare

  Malaysia launches first LCS

  24th August 2017

  Malaysia’s first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Maharaja Lela, was launched in a formal ceremony on 24 August at the Boustead Naval Shipyard facility in Lumut.  …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Army Land Ceptor configuration unveiled

  18th September 2017

  The British Army’s new air defence system, Land Ceptor, was on display at this year's DSEI exhibition ahead of first deliveries expected in the first …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: That's a wrap (video)

  15th September 2017

  DSEI 2017 brought news from the land, sea and air domains. Shephard's Land Warfare Editor, Grant Turnbull, reviews some of the highlights of the week. 

• Special Operations

  DSEI 2017: USMC special ops look for new UAS

  14th September 2017

  The US Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) will be looking to trial a group two UAV in the near future, Shephard  has learnt. MARSOC …

• Military Logistics

  SEA, TTP to develop battlefield supply technology

  22nd September 2017

  SEA and TTP have been selected to develop technology to improve the efficiency of the delivery of supplies to frontline battlefield assets, it was announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy gets hands on first Scorpene, only five years late

  27th September 2017

  The first of six Scorpene diesel-electric submarines being licence-built for the Indian Navy (IN) by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) was delivered on 21 September. …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems submits Australian frigate bid

  14th August 2017

  BAE Systems has submitted its bid to the Australian government to meet the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigate requirement, the company announced on 10 August.The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA’s AUVs for Asian navy

  13th September 2017

  ECA Group has delivered unmanned mine disposal systems to the navy of an unnamed Asian country, the company announced on 8 September.The naval force is …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

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

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...