• 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 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to extend BACN connectivity

  27th September 2012

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract modification by the US Air Force (USAF) to add beyond-line-of-sight command and control (BLOS C2) capabilities to the …

• Land Warfare

  Modern Day Marine 2012: HDT unveils Storm SRTV

  25th September 2012

  HDT Global used this year's Modern Day Marine exhibition to publicly display its Storm SRTV tactical all terrain vehicle for the first time. Developed with …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF stands up new cyber ops group

  20th September 2012

  As the US Air Force (USAF) sharpens its focus on the cyber mission, the 10th Air Force is opening a new cyber operations unit to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF looks at Sniper as a comms relay

  19th September 2012

  The US Air Force (USAF) is introducing a software upgrade that will enable the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) to become a communications relay for …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF reveals Space Fence thinking

  18th September 2012

  As it nears a down-select on the Space Fence space surveillance system, the US Air Force has outlined the expected makeup of the system. Speaking …

• Digital Battlespace

  Key milestone reached for AOC Weapon System programme

  18th September 2012

  The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) Air Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System modernisation programme has reached a significant milestone following the successful completion of an integrated …

• Military Logistics

  DynCorp to support J-85 aircraft under new contract

  18th September 2012

  DynCorp International (DI) has announced that it has been awarded a contract with the US Air Force (USAF) Air Education and Training Command (AETC) to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF lays out ISR future

  17th September 2012

  The US Air Force's (USAF's) deputy chief of staff for ISR, Lt Gen Larry James, gave delegates at the Air Force Association's Air & Space …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing awarded USAF F-15 radar contract

  31st August 2012

  Boeing has announced that it received a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract for continued support of US Air Force (USAF) F-15 mechanically scanned and Active Electronically …

• Military Logistics

  USAF receives new C-130J Super Hercules

  30th August 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that it has delivered a C-130J Super Hercules to the US Air Force (USAF) Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The company …

• Defence Helicopter

  First NH90 arrives in Afghanistan

  24th August 2012

  The first NH90 to be deployed to Afghanistan has arrived in theatre. The Italian Army aircraft was flown into Herat in the west of Afghanistan …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DCS awarded Global Hawk services task order

  22nd August 2012

  DCS Corp has announced that it has been awarded a task order to provide advisory and assistance services for Global Hawk International Programmes. The task …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris announces USAF Falcon III radio order

  22nd August 2012

  Harris Corporation has announced that it has received an order from the US Air Force (USAF) for the Falcon III multiband, multi-mission handheld radio. The …

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 ...