• Military Logistics

  Second KC-46A takes flight

  4th March 2016

  Boeing has conducted the first flight of the second KC-46A tanker aircraft, it announced on 3 March. The flight took off from Paine Field and …

• Training

  ROCAF Invests in F-16 MTC

  4th March 2016

  The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) is currently undergoing a period of turmoil with budgetary pressures and political intervention from the People’s Republic of …

• Land Warfare

  GD to produce M&P pistol barrels

  3rd March 2016

  General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has received a multi-year contract from Smith & Wesson to manufacture and supply hammer forged, military-grade gun barrels for …

• Military Logistics

  Australia aims for new ammo

  3rd March 2016

  The Australian Army is seeking new 155mm ammunition for its howitzers according to an RfT released on 26 February. The Future Artillery Ammunition (FAA) requirement …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2016: Era Group considers AW609 for EMS

  2nd March 2016

  Era Group is working with Finmeccanica Helicopter Division to further develop the AW609 tiltrotor for EMS missions, following the signing of an agreement at Heli-Expo. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2016: Vector introduces new crash-resistant fuel tank

  2nd March 2016

  Vector Aerospace has presented a new crash-resistant fuel tank retrofit solution for the AS350 and EC130. The design for the fuel tank was in co-operation with Robertson …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thai army buys, and eyes, Russian helicopters

  2nd March 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) received two Mil Mi-17V-5 helicopters in late 2015, boosting its inventory to five. Furthermore, it plans to buy more to …

• Digital Battlespace

  DLS gets MIDS JTRS Lot 4 award

  2nd March 2016

  Data Link Solutions (DLS) will supply the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) to US and coalition forces under a $51.8 …

• Digital Battlespace

  PAR receives cyber R&D contract

  2nd March 2016

  PAR Government Systems, a PAR Technology subsidiary, has been awarded a three-year, six-month $3.4 million cyber research and development contract by the US Air Force …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2016: Revamped SW-4 unveiled (video)

  1st March 2016

  The company formerly known as AgustaWestland has revealed a rebranded and revamped SW-4 at Heli-Expo in Louisville. While still produced by Finmeccanica Helicopter Division’s Polish …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2016: Airbus eyes US and Chile for H215

  1st March 2016

  Airbus Helicopters is due to begin an extensive marketing campaign this year centred on its 9t H215 helicopter, with the platform touring both North and …

• Military Logistics

  Newport continues carrier RCOH planning

  1st March 2016

  Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has been awarded a $185.2 million contract option by the US Navy to assist with planning refuelling …

• Digital Battlespace

  Three firms selected for manpack contract

  1st March 2016

  The US Army has selected three companies - Harris, General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins - to compete for a potential ten-year, $12.7 billion contract to …

• Training

  USMC simulator to get more weapons

  1st March 2016

  Cubic Global Defense (CGD) has been awarded contracts worth $3.7 million to integrate new weapons into the US Marine Corps’ (USMC's) Squad Immersive Training Environment …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems details FSSR contract

  1st March 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded an $11 million contract by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop Full-Spectrum Staring Receiver (FSSR) technology, the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• 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, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• 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.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

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

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...