• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PAS 2011: Northrop Grumman expects Block 30 Global Hawk IOC soon

  20th June 2011

  Northrop Grumman expects the US Air Force to declare initial operational capability (IOC) with the Block 30 aircraft in the next couple of months, despite …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris Corporation receives $9.4m order from USAF

  20th June 2011

  Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received a $9.4 million order from the US Air Force for additional Falcon III AN/PRC-117G …

• Military Logistics

  Goodrich to begin C-130 retrofit for USAF

  17th June 2011

  Goodrich Corporation has successfully completed development and qualification efforts for the new carbon brake and boltless wheels for the US Air Force's fleet of C-130 …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF receives 300 General Dynamics Sectera Edge Smartphones

  17th June 2011

  General Dynamics C4 Systems is delivering300 rugged Sectera Edge Smartphones to the US Air Force. For use by senior leadership at the air staff and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UV Europe 2011: NATO concern over airborne surveillance capability

  16th June 2011

  NATO is threatened with a substantial shortfall in airborne surveillance should the UK retire its Sentinel Airborne Stand-Off Reconnaissance (ASTOR) fleet in 2013, a senior …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics to develop back-end processor for USAF

  10th June 2011

  The US Air Force has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $7.8 million contract to develop an Open System Architecture (OSA) common back-end digital …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing on track as it looks to further P-8

  8th June 2011

  The last of the six test aircraft that are the lead in for the US Navy's (USN's) P-8 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) programme is currently …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing plays it cool on USAF tanker

  8th June 2011

  Boeing officials continue to be confident that they will be able to meet the tight time lines for delivering the next generation KC-46 air tanker …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins USAF JMPS contract

  8th June 2011

  Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a $19 million contract from the US Air Force to enhance and maintain the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing awarded additional C-130 contracts by USAF

  3rd June 2011

  Boeing today announced that it has received a $61 million US Air Force contract for two more C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits and two …

• Military Logistics

  USAF MOP integration success

  27th May 2011

  The USAF is attributing the successful integration of its Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) onto its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to its weapons load trainer, because …

• Military Logistics

  L-3 awarded US Navy, Air Force C-12 logistics contracts

  26th May 2011

  L-3 Communications announced today that its Systems Field Support (SFS) division has been awarded contracts with a total potential value of more than $300 million …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman begins work on USAF DWSS

  26th May 2011

  Northrop Grumman Corporation has received authorization and funding to proceed on a Department of Defense weather satellite system projected for launch in 2018. The Defense …

• Digital Battlespace

  LM team delivers JTRS to USAF C-130 Integration Lab

  23rd May 2011

  The United States Air Force (USAF) C-130 Systems Integration Laboratory has received an initial Small Airborne Joint Tactical Radio from the Lockheed Martin Airborne, Maritime/Fixed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman X-47B team honoured by USAF

  17th May 2011

  The US Air Force has recognized for operational excellence the US Navy/Northrop Grumman Corporation flight test team that successfully conducted first and subsequent flights of …

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 ...