• Defence Notes

  China set to receive S-400 air defence system from Russia

  16th April 2015

  After prolonged negotiations that have spanned years, it appears China is finally purchasing the Almaz-Antei S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile (SAM) system from Russia. This was …

• Digital Battlespace

  MALD-J completes operational testing

  16th April 2015

  Raytheon and the US Air Force (USAF) have successfully completed operational tests of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy-Jammer (MALD-J), the company announced on 14 April. …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2015: USCG investigates icebreaker options

  15th April 2015

  Options are being examined by the US Coast Guard (USCG) to see whether it is affordable to buy a new heavy icebreaker ship to replace …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2015: Tight schedule for US frigate acquisition

  15th April 2015

  The decision to modify the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to become a frigate means that industry has a short timeframe in which to develop a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAS 2015: ONR displays LDUUV

  15th April 2015

  The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is showing its prototype Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) for the first time at Sea-Air-Space 2015. The …

• Military Logistics

  SAS 2015: TAO X and amphibious procurement closes in

  15th April 2015

  A formal RfP that combines the procurement of the US Navy’s replenishment oiler replacement (TAO X) and future amphibious vessels LHA 08 and LXR is …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2015: Integration focus for US frigate development

  15th April 2015

  The US Navy will focus on integrating new weapon and survivability systems on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to turn it into the new future …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing acquires 2d3 Sensing

  15th April 2015

  Boeing has acquired OMG's wholly-owned subsidiary 2d3 Sensing, which specialises in motion imagery processing of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data generated from aerial platforms. Boeing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Tiger helicopter fires APKWS laser-guided rocket

  15th April 2015

  An Australian Defence Force (ADF) Tiger helicopter has fired the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rocket at a recent demonstration, BAE Systems announced …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE to provide VLS Mk 41 missile canisters to US Navy

  15th April 2015

  BAE Systems has received a contract modification to provide additional Vertical Launching System (VLS) Mk 41 missile canisters to the US Navy, the company said …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Chinese military UAV makers expand into civilian market

  15th April 2015

  State-owned makers of UAVs are rushing into the civilian market, according to a report released by the China Daily on 14 April 2015. Furthermore, defence …

• Military Logistics

  South Korea opens aerial tanker tender

  15th April 2015

  South Korea opened a tender for new air-to-air tankers to equip the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) on 14 April 2015. The force is …

• Military Logistics

  Textron to build two US LCAC vehicles

  15th April 2015

  Textron Systems Marine and Land Systems has been awarded a contract option to build two next-generation Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles, the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  LAAD 2015: Brazilian M113 modernisation nears completion

  15th April 2015

  Modernisation work on the first tranche of 150 M113B armoured personnel carriers for the Brazilian Army is almost complete, BAE Systems officials have revealed to …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2015: New LCACs ramp up

  14th April 2015

  The first new Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vessels built under the US Navy’s Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) programme are set to be delivered. Speaking at …

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 ...

• 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). ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...