• Digital Battlespace

  Japan launches first military comms satellite

  26th January 2017

  An H-IIA rocket carrying the Kirameki-2 X-band satellite was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre on 24 January. It is the Japan Self-Defence Force’s (JSDF) …

• Defence Notes

  Fourth Astute class boat named

  20th December 2016

  The fourth submarine of the Royal Navy’s Astute class has been officially named Audacious during a ceremony at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. …

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard pays for its SINS-2

  30th January 2017

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded a contract to FLIR Maritime for the Scalable Integrated Navigation System (SINS)-2 to be installed in over 2,000 …

• Land Warfare

  Polish RAK to deliver this year

  30th January 2017

  The first deliveries of the 120 mm self-propelled mortar RAK system for the Polish Armed Forces will take place in the fourth quarter of 2017. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Korea counters neighbour with UAV tech

  23rd January 2017

  Earlier this month the Ministry of National Defense in South Korea announced plans to field a laser-based counter-UAV system by 2020. Seoul estimates that North …

• Land Warfare

  L3 awarded M783 mortar fuze modification

  23rd January 2017

  L3 Technologies will supply an unnamed international customer with the M783 Point Detonating/Delay (PD/DLY) Mortar Fuze under a $32 million contract modification announced on 19 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ARL demonstrates hoverbike prototype

  20th January 2017

  The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and industry partners have carried out a demonstration of the in-development unmanned hoverbike technology prototype to Department of Defense …

• Digital Battlespace

  MASS to continue providing Atalanta network

  24th January 2017

  Cohort company MASS will continue to provide the Classified Mission Network for Operation Atalanta until December 2018, the company announced on 23 January. The European …

• Digital Battlespace

  Nebo enhances Russian early warning

  18th January 2017

  Russia’s Air and Space Forces (RuASF) early warning capabilities were strengthened in 2016 through the commissioning of five Nebo-M long-range multi-band radar systems.  It is …

• Naval Warfare

  White Paper calls for USN shipbuilding increase

  19th January 2017

  The US Senate Armed Services Committee has in a new white paper called for an increase in shipbuilding for the US Navy with additional submarines …

• Military Logistics

  RAAF C-27J Spartan achieve IOC

  20th December 2016

  The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) C-27J Spartan fleet has achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC), the Department of Defence announced on 16 December. Four of …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF receives E-3 with cockpit upgrade

  23rd January 2017

  The US Air Force (USAF) has received back into service the first E-3 Sentry aircraft to undergo the DRAGON cockpit modification programme, the USAF announced …

• Training

  CAE wins new in defence contracts

  18th January 2017

  CAE has detailed a number of new contracts from defence customers in France, Spain and the US worth a combined CAD$175 million.  The agreements include …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Frequentis’ LIS in NASA UAS test

  19th January 2017

  Frequentis' Location Information Service (LIS) provided situational awareness for ground control stations during NASA’s latest UAS Traffic Management (UTM) flight tests in Nevada, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Elbit Systems receives BrightNite order

  17th January 2017

  Elbit Systems will supply its multi spectral BrightNite system to an unnamed NATO air force, the company announced on 17 January. The 30 month contract …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

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

• 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, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (1-30) [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, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Data links

  Data links | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

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 and 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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-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 ...