• Air Warfare

  Boeing gets another boost with 36 Apaches approved for South Korea amid flurry of FMS deals

  20th August 2024

  The approval of four Foreign Military Sale (FMS) requests this week follows the green light for the sale to Israel of 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft and mid-life update kits for the country’s existing F-15s and other equipment in deals worth $20 billion.

• Training

  US and South Korea train together in North Korean threat readiness

  13th August 2024

  This year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are informed by real-world geopolitics and likely threats.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard might not have surface assets to patrol the Arctic this summer

  13th August 2024

  While the service struggles to maintain its cold-temperature fleet, Russia and China have been increasing their presence in the region.

• Land Warfare

  Three new Foreign Military Sales cases approved by US State Department

  19th August 2024

  The cases each help bolster European and NATO security, with the biggest order by far going to Germany.

• Air Warfare

  F-16 not dead yet in Thailand despite RTAF’s selection of Gripen

  26th September 2024

  Lockheed Martin and Saab have both delivered updated offset proposals to Thailand’s air force with contracts yet to be signed on any deal.

• Air Warfare

  ECRS Mk2 radar makes first flight on Eurofighter Typhoon

  30th September 2024

  The test, part of ongoing developments for the UK Typhoon fleet, was operated at BAE Systems in Lancashire and supported by the radar’s developer, Leonardo UK.

• Air Warfare

  ‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace

  14th October 2024

  In conversation... Bell's Frank Lazzara talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the potential of tiltrotor designs to revolutionize U.S. Army maneuver operations, and how the technology could transform other mission sets across DoD and international armed services.

• Land Warfare

  Croatia to gain new HIMARS equipment in $390 million deal

  2nd September 2024

  Croatia has become the latest NATO ally to request the purchase of HIMARS guided missile launchers.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall looks to strengthen position in US as it bids for $60 billion in contracts

  15th August 2024

  The US has major vehicle contracts looming, a challenge for the small number of large companies, but Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology has identified Rheinmetall America as potential new player.

• Land Warfare

  L3Harris Diamondback autonomous reconnaissance vehicle to begin testing in 2025

  17th October 2024

  L3Harris and Overland AI have unveiled Diamondback, a modular, autonomous reconnaissance vehicle designed for versatile ISR missions in harsh environments.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force tests low-cost method to defeat surface vessels from the air

  14th August 2024

  The demonstration was conducted under the QUICKSINK programme in partnership with the US Navy.

• Land Warfare

  MilDef to supply C4 systems for new Danish artillery systems

  18th September 2024

  The MilDef equipment will support artillery systems ordered in 2023 and delivery will be expected by the end of 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan introduces new landing craft classes to transport army equipment

  12th November 2024

  Japan’s new Nihonbare-class landing craft has highlighted Tokyo’s strategic moves to secure its archipelagic regions. Their introduction could be of interest to Australia as it develops its own amphibious capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Poland signs for 96 Apache attack helicopters

  14th August 2024

  Poland selected the Apache two years ago and recently finalised details of an offset agreement. The Foreign Military Sale (FMS) Letter of Offer and Agreement (LOA) has sealed the deal.

• Land Warfare

  Long-range strike: US announces European hypersonic missile deployment

  8th August 2024

  The US plans to deploy a suite of long-range precision strike missiles, including developmental hypersonics, to counter the advanced precision strike systems of Russia and China. It will form part of the US Army’s Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF) to enhance European long-range fires capabilities and include SM-6 air defence, Tomahawk cruise missiles and HIMARS batteries.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...