• Military Logistics

  Avalon 2015: RAAF to trial tanker with allied aircraft

  27th February 2015

  Following a successful remediation program, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) expects to conduct boom refuelling trials with its Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) …

• Defence Notes

  Avalon 2015: USAF confident F-35 will meet targets

  25th February 2015

  The re-baselining of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter programme has been successful and ongoing improvements in areas such as support and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RAAF trains aircrew on US Air Force MQ-9 UAS

  25th February 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has started training aircrew and support staff on US Air Force (USAF) MQ-9 Reaper UAS operations in the US, …

• Digital Battlespace

  US budget: Key space programmes overhauled

  5th February 2015

  As the space domain becomes increasingly contested and adversaries beef up their space capabilities, the US military wants to accelerate space-based surveillance programmes and also …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing to deliver CSEL radios to USAF

  20th January 2015

  Boeing will deliver an additional 336 Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) radios, and upgrade the system’s global base station network for the US Air Force, …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF designates Combat Rescue Helicopter HH-60W

  28th November 2014

  The US Air Force has designated the Combat Rescue Helicopter as the HH-60W, it was announced on 25 November. The aircraft will be referred to …

• Digital Battlespace

  I/ITSEC: USAF to simulate new EW technologies

  26th November 2014

  The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Sensors Directorate is looking to simulate new electronic warfare (EW) technologies to verify their value in an increasingly intertwined …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus D&S awarded USAF Eagle Vision contract

  25th November 2014

  Airbus Defence and Space (D&S) will perform work on the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) five Eagle Vision stations to reduce footprint and antenna dish size, …

• Military Logistics

  Airshow China: Y-20 transport aircraft debuts

  12th November 2014

  The developmental Chinese Y-20 transport aircraft debuted at the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai on 11 November. The aircraft made its …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USAF Global Hawks touch down after Japan deployment

  20th October 2014

  The first two Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawks to successfully operate alongside commercial airliners at a civil-military airport have returned to base after …

• Digital Battlespace

  MUOS-Manpack PRC-155 connects C-17 with operations centre

  13th October 2014

  A Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite communications (SATCOM) demonstration has been conducted to connect an in-flight US Air Force (USAF) C-17 aircraft with a …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon’s 3DELRR radar selected by US Air Force

  7th October 2014

  Raytheon will develop a new expeditionary radar for the US Air Force (USAF) that will detect, identify and track drones, missiles and aircraft under a …

• Defence Helicopter

  NAVAIR seeks new V-22 engine

  2nd September 2014

  The Pentagon has launched an effort to find a drop-in replacement engine for all variants of the US military’s V-22 Ospreys. On 26 August, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USAF RQ-4 Global Hawk expands operational area

  15th August 2014

  The US Air Force has expanded the operational area of its RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle into the Pacific to support US Pacific Command …

• Military Logistics

  New C-17 Training Center delivered to USAF

  1st August 2014

  Boeing has delivered a new comprehensive training centre for the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the Memphis Air National Guard base in Tennessee. The centre …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [USAF]

  Background First order Following a development that began in 1998, in October 2002, the USAF ordered the first four MQ-9s of the production series. In ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20B Puma [USAF]

  Background Requirement According to Trace Stevenson, the AeroVironment (AV) Vice President and product line general manager, the USAF Security Forces required a small UAV to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground 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 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme’s requirements are based on the USAF’s belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  Background In 2010, the USAF announced the replacement of the HH-60G with a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), and in 2012, the request for proposals ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX (2025-2026) [USA]

  Methodology Units required Based off the FY2027 USAF budget request, between FY2025 and FY2026, the U.S. Air Force received funding for 40 F-15EX platforms. Congress ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A Add-On [USA]

  Background In July 2025, the former Chief of Staff for the US Air Force (USAF) Gen David Allvin confirmed that the USAF has authorised the procurement of ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Background  Competing bids In competition with the Boeing/Leonardo bid was Sikorsky with a HH-60U offer, and Sierra Nevada with an upgrading offer of UH-60As to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background According to the FY2021 USAF budget request documents, the USAF procured 103 JLTVs in FY2019, 146 in FY2020 and 142 in FY2021. In 2023, ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) [USA]

  Background The U.S. Air Force originally planned the KC-Y programme as a follow-on acquisition of an estimated 179 tankers to bridge the gap between the delayed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-37A [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF was using C-20B transport aircraft, variant of civilian Gulfstream III, to provide worldwide airlift for DoD and government officials. With the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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: 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

  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: 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

  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 - mini

  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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wasp III

  Produced from 2007 until 2012, the Wasp III was a hand-launched UAV produced by AeroVironment. The platform was powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and featured two camera ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours ...

• 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 ...