• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Facebook reaches unmanned milestone

  22nd July 2016

  Social media giant Facebook has completed the first full-scale test flight of its high-altitude UAV, Aquila, the company announced on 21 July. The test flight …

• Military Logistics

  Analysis: Groundhog Day for KC-46A

  22nd July 2016

  Only days after it was announced that the US Air Force's KC-46A tanker had successfully completed testing required for an initial production decision, manufacturer Boeing …

• Military Logistics

  KBR bags multiple defence contracts

  22nd July 2016

  KBR has received new defence contracts, including a multi-year contract for the Australian Department of Defence and two contract extensions with the US, it announced …

• Training

  Thales to modernise German shooting simulators

  22nd July 2016

  Thales Deutschland has received an order worth $5.5 million from the German armed forces for the modernisation of its small arms/handheld antitank weapons shooting simulator …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ScanEagle approaches FOC in Singapore

  22nd July 2016

  This year’s Combat Afloat Readiness And Training (CARAT) exercise between Singapore and the US is featuring the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle UAV. The UAV is being …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army REF to assess PARC system

  21st July 2016

  CyPhy Works’ Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) system is to be assessed by the US Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF), with an order for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  French team targets marine mining

  21st July 2016

  A French consortium is working to develop new ways to explore marine resources using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), ECA Group announced on 19 July. Called …

• Land Warfare

  Battelle to build NSCVs for USSOCOM

  21st July 2016

  Battelle has been awarded a five-year, $170 million contract to build and deliver non standard commercial vehicles (NSCVs) for US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the company announced …

• Defence Notes

  US approves SM-2 Block IIIB sale to Japan

  21st July 2016

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIB missiles, equipment, and support to …

• Training

  Farnborough 2016: Air warfare training goes 5th gen (video)

  21st July 2016

  Cubic Corporation CEO and president Bradley Feldmann spoke to Shephard at this year's Farnborough International Airshow about the company's air warfare training solutions and how …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Israeli university orders Seaeye Leopard

  21st July 2016

  Saab will supply its Seaeye Leopard underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to Israel’s University of Haifa under an order announced on 18 July. The ROV …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  North and South Korea pursue UAV tech

  21st July 2016

  Both halves of the divided Korean peninsula are busy pursuing indigenous UAV technology, a situation highlighted by confirmation that North Korea has developed a small …

• Defence Helicopter

  Turkish coup: Helicopters central to failed operation

  20th July 2016

  As the political upheaval continues across Turkey following the attempted coup on 15 July, details have emerged of the aviation assets involved in the failed …

• Naval Warfare

  CXO300 engine trials continue

  20th July 2016

  The Cox Powertrain CXO300 outboard engine, potentially destined for the Royal Navy (RN), is still undergoing trials ahead of a future launch and full production …

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems details new contracts

  20th July 2016

  Elbit Systems will supply thermal imaging observation systems to an unnamed European country under contracts worth a combined $30 million announced on 20 July. Systems …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (1-30) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Data links

  Data links | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

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

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...