• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New Global Hawks delivered to USAF

  9th January 2013

  Northrop Grumman announced on 7 January that it has delivered two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) to the US Air Force (USAF). The aircraft, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rolls-Royce announces V-22 engine support contract

  4th January 2013

  Rolls-Royce has announced that it will support AE 1107C engines for V-22 aircraft operated by the US Marine Corps (USMC) and the US Air Force …

• 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 …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...