• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Block 30 Global Hawks receive USAF IOC

  17th August 2011

  The US Air Force Air Combat Command has declared that the Northrop Grumman-built unmanned RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk has reached its initial operational capability …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI: PCAS reaches first design review

  15th August 2011

  DARPA’s Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme has completed its first Conceptual Design Review with mission systems integrator Raytheon describing aspirations for a ‘cross-service’ capability …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF releases HH-60 Recap RFI

  11th August 2011

  The US Air Force (USAF) has released a request for information (RFI) for its HH-60 Recapitalization (HH-60 Recap) programme, which aims to replace the force’s …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham wins USAF KC-46 tanker engineering subcontracts

  26th July 2011

  Cobham has been awarded two subcontracts by Boeing related to the hose and drogue aerial refuelling system that will be used by the US Air …

• Military Logistics

  Training set to start on USAF's new F-35s

  25th July 2011

  Following the recent arrival of the first AF-9 and AF-8 training aircraft to Eglin AFB, the USAF and Lockheed Martin are on target for flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF approves Northrop Grumman's TDC WDM

  25th July 2011

  The US Air Force has approved Northrop Grumman Corporation's Theater Deployable Communications (TDC) Wireless Distribution Module (WDM) for production. TDC WDM provides a line-of-sight extension …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin completes AN/AAQ-39 deliveries to USAF

  18th July 2011

  Lockheed Martin recently delivered the final AN/AAQ-39 targeting system full production unit to the US Air Force. Q-39 is the electro-optical/infrared targeting system for the …

• Military Logistics

  USAF awards situational awareness contracts to Northrop Grumman for C-130Js and C-17s

  16th July 2011

  The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $65 million contract to provide tactical situational awareness to airlift aircrews, fulfilling an urgent operational …

• Military Logistics

  Rockwell Collins makes final delivery to USAF as part of the C/KC-135 air traffic programme

  13th July 2011

  The U.S. Air Force and Rockwell Collins on Tuesday marked the conclusion of a 100 percent on-time, on-budget program with the final avionics delivery for …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Air Force Global Express' to become E-11

  11th July 2011

  The Bombardier BD-700 Global Express aircraft being used in Afghanistan in the airborne communication node mission is being christened with the designation, E-11. The USAF announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  First IR image sent from USAF SBIRS GEO-1 spacecraft

  8th July 2011

  The first Lockheed Martin-built Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) spacecraft beamed down its first infrared image on June 21 to the SBIRS ground …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins USAF contract

  30th June 2011

  The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract to produce millicomputer replacement (MCR) 1553 processors. The 18-month, direct standalone contract is worth …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics awarded USAF task order

  23rd June 2011

  General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has been awarded a $4.7 million task order to provide airborne advanced geospatial intelligence (AGI) battlespace awareness support to the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PAS 2011: WAAS widens its stare

  22nd June 2011

  ITT is looking to roll out technology used on board the US Air Force's (USAF) 'Gorgon Stare' UAVs to additional platform types, according to company …

• Digital Battlespace

  PAS 2011: Raytheon advances hyperspectral capabilities

  21st June 2011

  Production has begun on the first airborne tactical hyperspectral sensor system developed by Raytheon for the US Air Force (USAF). Raytheon announced at the Paris …

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 ...