• Training

  China invited to participate in US-led naval exercise

  25th January 2018

  China has been invited to participate in a major US-led naval exercise, Chinese officials said on 25 January. The Chinese military took part in the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon falls out of JSTARS Recap programme

  11th January 2018

  Northrop Grumman is expected to be announced as the radar subcontractor for the US Air Force’s JSTARS Recap programme after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airbus succesfully tests self-flying taxi

  2nd February 2018

  Airbus has successfully conducted the first test flights of the Vahana, an electric, pilotless flying vehicle that it hopes will be able to ferry people …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus fires laser-guided rockets from H145M

  2nd February 2018

  Airbus Helicopters has demonstrated the ability to fire 70mm laser-guided rockets (LGR) from its H145M helicopter, the company announced on 31 January. The firings of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia’s East European MRO business grows

  12th January 2018

  Russian Helicopters has reported good growth in its MRO business in Eastern Europe. Towards the end of last year there were two major MRO contracts …

• Military Logistics

  KeyW wins place on TTL support contract

  18th January 2018

  The KeyW Holding Corporation has received a position on the US Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic contract for providing tagging, tracking and …

• Naval Warfare

  Surface Navy 2018: Orbital ATK moving forward with counter-UAS

  11th January 2018

  As Pentagon leaders grapple with ways to counter unmanned aerial systems, Orbital ATK is moving forward with developing an attack capability to down small UAS …

• Special Operations

  DTC launches Special Role Radio

  7th February 2018

  Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) has developed a new Special Role Radio (SRR) for tactical and special operations, the company announced on 5 February. The SRR …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indonesia angles towards Turkey for UCAV requirement

  19th January 2018

  Alongside its participation in an effort to field a domestically designed MALE UAV for surveillance purposes, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) is also planning to jointly …

• Defence Helicopter

  Panama commissions new AW139s

  22nd January 2018

  The president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, formally handed over to the country’s National Air Naval Service (SENAN) two new Leonardo Helicopters AW139Ms at the …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: US Navy must face Chinese ambitions

  8th January 2018

  A new US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report lays out the groundwork needed for the US Navy (USN) to face China’s growing naval power in …

• Defence Notes

  Trump's nuclear policy may spark arms race

  25th January 2018

  The US DoD is set to unveil US president Donald Trump's nuclear policy next week, and critics are already warning it could trigger another arms …

• Digital Battlespace

  SpaceX says Falcon 9 rocket worked fine

  9th January 2018

  SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket worked fine in its launch of a secretive US government satellite, named Zuma, the company said on 9 January after reports …

• Defence Notes

  Airbus’s net profit reached $3.6 billion in 2017

  15th February 2018

  According to Airbus record deliveries, windfall gains from divestments and favourable exchange rates enabled profits to lift off in 2017, even though it booked a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  French armed forces to receive UGVs

  16th January 2018

  ECA Group, CEFA and SCOPEX have received a €30 million contract for the French Defence Procurement Agency's SMINEX programme, ECA Group announced on 10 January.Under …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  The United States Air Force (USAF) is working on the F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft, which is intended to replace F-22s in service and ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  The United States Air Force (USAF) is working on the F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft, which is intended to replace F-22s in service and ...

• Data links

  Data links | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  The United States Air Force (USAF) is working on the F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft, which is intended to replace F-22s in service and ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  The United States Air Force (USAF) is working on the F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft, which is intended to replace F-22s in service and ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  The United States Air Force (USAF) is working on the F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft, which is intended to replace F-22s in service and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Latvia]

  Programme Background In August 2018, the Latvian government approved the acquisition of four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The UH-60Ms are intended for both military and ...

• Transport

  King Air 360 [Nigeria]

  Programme Background On 7 October 2021, Nigeria’s Budget Office published its proposed budget details. The Nigerian Air Force requested 10.86 billion Nigerian Naira (US$26.4 million) ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Light Attack/Trainer Aircraft - Ghana

  In 2013, the Chief of Ghana Air Force stated that A-29 is their preferred platform and this position was also submitted to the Government. In ...

• Trainer

  PC-21 [France]

  Programme  Background The French Air and Space Force has chosen Dassault Aviation and Babcock to provide between nine and 13 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft for Phase ...

• Transport

  C-130J - USAF

  Programme Background The C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop transport aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin to replace aging C-130 variants. The US and FMS ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-2E Replacement - Greece

  The average unit cost is estimated to be around $12 million based on the Czech Republic's $48.5 million deal for the purchase of four L-39NG ...

• Bomber

  B-21 Raider [USA]

  Programme Background Development The US DoD is developing a new long-range bomber called the B-21 Raider, previously known as LRS-B. At least 100 units are ...

• Trainer

  Trainer Aircraft (1-12) [Vietnam]

  Programme Background After years of operating Russian-built military equipment, Vietnam is more willing to procure US-supplied equipment following the lifting of the arms embargo in ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  J/ALQ-8

  Like Israel, Japan elected to outfit its McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15J/DJ combat aircraft with an indigenous self-protection system. This takes the form of Mitsubishi Electric’s J/ALQ-8 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  FAB-T Force Element Terminal

  The Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals - Force Element Terminal (FAB-T FET) is a nuclear-hardened SATCOM solution designed for airborne applications. Produced by Raytheon, ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  25mm PGU-48/B

  The 25mm PGU-48/B is a medium-calibre armour-penetrating round manufactured by American Rheinmetall. The US Air Force uses the PGU-48/B with its F-35 aircraft.

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  25mm PGU-23/U

  The 25mm PGU-23/U is a medium-calibre training round manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. The US Air Force utilises it with its AC-130 and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

• Air: mission management systems

  TBMCS

  Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) is a US joint C2 integrated BMS used to plan and execute air campaigns in theatres of operations worldwide. ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  30mm PGU-13B High Explosive Incendiary

  The 30mm 30mm PGU-13B High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) is a medium-calibre munition manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The US Air Force uses the PGU-13B HEI with ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• Trainer

  T-6A/B Texan II

  The T-6 Texan II is a single-engine trainer aircraft, which was developed from the Pilatus PC-9 to meet the training requirements of USAF and USN ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-4 Phantom II family

  The F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat multirole fighter developed originally by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet USN interceptor requirements. It soon became a unified ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: UAS radar

  Lynx

  The Lynx (AN/APY-8) is a synthetic aperture radar manufactured by General Atomics. It is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for manned and unmanned aircraft. According to ...