• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New payload software for AFSOC MQ-9s

  27th January 2016

  The development of a new line of software for the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) will enable the fielding of ‘new payloads’ on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Bluesky and Cyberhawk team up

  27th January 2016

  A teaming arrangement between Bluesky and Cyberhawk will target the unmanned aerial survey and mapping market, a statement from Bluesky announced on 27 January. Bluesky …

• Training

  SAC programme training shifts to UK

  27th January 2016

  C-17 Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) programme aircrew are to be trained at Boeing’s International Training Centre (ITC) in the UK under an $8 million contract …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A refuels F-16 aircraft

  26th January 2016

  The KC-46A tanker undertook its first refuelling flight on 24 January, with 1,600 pounds of fuel offloaded to an F-16 fighter aircraft 20,000ft above Washington …

• Training

  MilSim Asia: AviationLearn delves into unmanned sector

  26th January 2016

  One of the few domestic companies to exhibit at MilSim Asia 2016 in Singapore was AviationLearn, which is delving more deeply into the unmanned sector. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New UAS-UGV teaming demo

  26th January 2016

  Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Sikorsky have participated in a joint autonomy demonstration to prove the capability of new ground-air cooperative missions, CMU announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Baltics modernise land forces

  25th January 2016

  Efforts to modernise the military capabilities of the Baltic countries are being accelerated. Lithuania has announced its plans for a spending increase this year and the …

• Land Warfare

  Bids due for relaunched Danish artillery competition

  25th January 2016

  Elbit, Nexter and Samsung Techwin are expected to register their interest by 9 February in competing for a contract, potentially worth $145 million, to supply …

• Land Warfare

  DARPA targets infantry squad effectiveness

  22nd January 2016

  Raytheon has been awarded a Phase One contract by DARPA to develop new technologies to increase the effectiveness and safety of infantry squads, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German Navy to evaluate ARCIMS

  22nd January 2016

  Atlas Elektronik UK has delivered an ARCIMS USV to the German Naval Technical Centre for evaluation, the company announced on 20 January. The equipment is …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy fires Nulka decoy

  22nd January 2016

  The US Navy has successfully fired the Nulka active missile decoy from its CVN Class aircraft carrier during testing in the Atlantic Ocean, BAE Systems …

• Defence Helicopter

  Belgium to invest €9.2 billion in defence

  22nd January 2016

  The new strategic defence plan for 2030 agreed by the Belgian government on 22 December foresees 9.2 billion euros being invested in its armed forces. …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand boosts its rocket forces

  22nd January 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) showed off its latest DTI-1G truck-mounted multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) to the public for the first time on 18 January. …

• Military Logistics

  Australia spans bridging gaps

  22nd January 2016

  Australia continues to renew its combat bridge inventory under a two-contract deal with WFEL, as announced on 20 January. The Australian Army sought new off-the-shelf …

• Naval Warfare

  Oman's new billion dollar fleet

  21st January 2016

  The recent naming of the fourth and final Al Ofouq patrol vessel destined for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) represents the end phase of …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Timeline In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. However, Germany's defence export ban to Saudi ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan

  In 2019, Japan requested to be an official partner in the F-35 programme, but this request was rejected by the Pentagon. The F-35 Joint Strike ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...