• Digital Battlespace

  Australian Army’s BMS gets workout

  20th July 2015

  The Australian Army is gaining greater efficiencies with its Elbit Systems-sourced battle management system (BMS), as demonstrated during the recent Exercise Talisman Sabre in July. …

• Defence Notes

  Kaman receives JPF order

  20th July 2015

  Kaman's Aerospace segment has been awarded a commercial sale purchase order worth $23 million for Joint Programmable Fuzes (JPF), the company announced on 16 July. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aussie Tiger FOC expected by year end

  20th July 2015

  Despite lingering sustainment issues, full operational capability (FOC) of the Australian Army's Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack helicopter is expected to be achieved before year’s end. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Herons fly in civil airspace

  20th July 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flew its pair of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron UAVs in civil airspace from a civil airport for the …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF gets early delivery of second Airseeker

  17th July 2015

  The UK Secretary for Defence, Michael Fallon, confirmed on 16 June that the Royal Air Force would receive its second Airseeker (Rivet Joint) RC-135W SIGINT …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin eyes export market for Legion Pod

  17th July 2015

  A new multi-function sensor pod developed by Lockheed Martin to give aircraft infra-red search and track (IRST) capabilities could soon be exported to foreign customers. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing set to 'Make in India'

  17th July 2015

  Boeing is to collaborate with Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) on aerospace and defence manufacturing for the Indian market, with a framework agreement between the two …

• Military Logistics

  Final NZ MAN truck delivery

  17th July 2015

  The final MAN HX-series trucks for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) were delivered on 25 June and at the same time have started their first overseas deployment. The NZDF has …

• Military Logistics

  Intertrade bags RNLAF PC-7 repair contract

  16th July 2015

  Intertrade, a Rockwell Collins company, has been awarded a repair chain management contract for the Royal Netherlands Air Force's (RNLAF) Pilatus PC-7 trainer fleet, the …

• Land Warfare

  Canada to develop sustainable SF

  16th July 2015

  Canadian Special Forces effects will be in regular demand over the coming years and the service is planning ahead to ensure they can provide them. …

• Land Warfare

  Full capability goal for Canadian SF

  16th July 2015

  Canada’s Special Forces are developing their force strategy and capability for the post-Afghanistan strategic landscape. Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) tabled a new strategy …

• Digital Battlespace

  Tenth GPS IIF satellite takes off

  16th July 2015

  The tenth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite for the US Air Force was launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Osprey team chases further tiltrotor success

  16th July 2015

  The team behind the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor is bullish that the first export sale to Japan is a sign of more international deals – despite …

• Naval Warfare

  MPA options pitch up at RIAT

  16th July 2015

  As final preparations for the Royal International Air Tattoo are made, the aerospace industry’s heavy hitters are lining up with MPA and MSA alternatives to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  2015 RoboBoat competition concludes

  16th July 2015

  The eighth annual RoboBoat Competition took place in Virginia Beach, Virginia with 16 teams from the US, Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea on 7-12 July …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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). ...

• 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 ...