• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Questions remain regarding captured RQ-170

  9th December 2011

  Images of an alleged US Air Force RQ-170 Sentinel UAV have been aired on television following claims that Iran has captured the ‘low-observable’ and highly-secretive …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins E-3 AWACS simulator award

  5th December 2011

  Northrop Grumman has announced that under a contract awarded by Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA), it will be providing a Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) system …

• Defence Notes

  Elbit Systems of America to upgrade USAF WAC HUDs

  5th December 2011

  Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a five-year, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to upgrade the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) Block 30 and Block …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing to upgrade US F-15C trainers

  30th November 2011

  Boeing has received a contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to upgrade the visual systems in three F-15C Mission Training Centres (MTC) with the …

• Defence Notes

  Raytheon's MALD-J to begin production

  29th November 2011

    Raytheon’s Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J ) variant is to begin low rate initial production following a Milestone C decision by the US …

• Military Logistics

  BOWST aerial refuelling simulator ready for training

  29th November 2011

  Quantum3D and CymSTAR have announced that their Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer (BOWST) aerial refuelling simulator has been declared ready-for-training by the United States Air …

• Digital Battlespace

  AOC 2011: USAF expresses concern over Africa and South America cyber 'peers'

  15th November 2011

  Technology leaps are creating new, international 'peers' in the realm of EW and cyberspace, according to Lt Gen William Lord, Chief of Warfighting Integration and …

• Digital Battlespace

  AOC 2011: EMS strategy critical to DoD operations

  14th November 2011

  The US Department of Defense (DoD) requires an Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) strategy in order to best take advantage of EW operations, a senior official stated …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ball Aerospace wins USAF UAV data exploitation contract

  11th November 2011

  Ball Aerospace has announced the receipt of contracts worth $17 million from the US Air Force (USAF) for the development and integration of enhanced operational …

• Digital Battlespace

  MILCOM 2011: USAF calls for improved network integration by air, land and sea

  9th November 2011

  Commander of the US Air Force (USAF) Electronic Systems Center, Lt Gen Charles Davis, outlined the 'gut issues' facing the Department of Defense (DoD) in …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin wins USAF radar contract

  7th November 2011

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to begin modernizing 29 long-range radars which provide advanced warning and air …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF cryptographic units to be updated by Raytheon

  7th November 2011

  Raytheon has won a contract from the US government to modernise the US Armed Forces cryptographic units under the VINSON/ANDVT Crypto Modernization (VACM) programme. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF officially designates aircraft flying Battlefield Airborne Communications Node system

  4th November 2011

  The two different aircraft platforms that fly the Northrop Grumman Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system have been officially designated by the US Air Force …

• Military Logistics

  LORD announces successful C-130 flight test

  6th October 2011

  LORD Corporation -- a leader in the management of vibration, noise and motion control -- has completed extensive testing of pre-production hardware of their In-Flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing returns E-4B to USAF service

  3rd October 2011

  The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States' four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers …

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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• 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, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  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. ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• 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 ...