• Defence Notes

  UK Indo-Pacific tilt risks obscuring importance of Middle East

  27th April 2021

  The special naval relationship between the UK and US could be jeopardised if the former focuses too much on the Indo-Pacific region by drawing resources away from the strategically important Arabian Gulf.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Legal issue prompts USMC to buy contractor-operated Reapers

  14th April 2021

  A pair of MQ-9As can no longer be operated and owned by General Atomics for strike and targeting missions in the CENTCOM area of operations.

• Training

  US Navy closes AIC training gap

  20th April 2021

  The US Navy has been facing challenges as to how it trains its Air Intercept Controllers. The arrival of ASCOT appears to have solved the issue.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon picks up new AMRAAM contract

  12th March 2021

  Could the AIM-120 find a place on the next generation of USAF fighters?

• Air Warfare

  India to lease naval helicopters in the interim

  29th April 2021

  With roadblocks in its Naval Utility Helicopter programme, India's Navy sees leasing as a potential stop-gap solution.

• Naval Warfare

  USN selects industry partner to modernise combat systems

  7th April 2021

  The USN wants to insert COTS technologies and open architecture designs into combat systems used by its surface vessels.

• Air Warfare

  Thailand receives more Russian-built helicopters

  7th April 2021

  Russian Mi-17V-5 and American S-70i Black hawks are among the newest helicopters in Thai military service.

• Air Warfare

  Controlling the Skies - Fighter Aircraft Central to AsPac Defence Spending (Studio)

  19th March 2021

  The evolution of adversary capabilities is one of the major factors driving Asia-Pacific countries to upgrade their ageing fighter aircraft fleets.

• Air Warfare

  USAF weighs up concerns and contenders for B-52H engine replacement

  12th April 2021

  Three bidders are vying for a lucrative contract to replace more than 600 engines powering the B-52H but the USAF faces a tricky decision.

• Defence Notes

  Chinese maritime militia boldly intrude in Philippine EEZ

  30th March 2021

  China poured more than 200 boats into a reef in the South China Sea, alarming the Philippines.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unexpected UK MQ-9 Reaper buy looks to prevent unmanned capability gap

  9th April 2021

  A US DoD contract has revealed that the UK has agreed to buy an additional MQ-9 Reaper. The thinking behind this may be associated with a need to maintain unmanned operational output ahead of the introduction of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

• Air Warfare

  Controlling the Skies - Air Dominance Solutions for the Asia Pacific (Studio)

  18th March 2021

  Air dominance must be achieved against the backdrop of multi-domain operations for militaries across the Asia-Pacific.

• Air Warfare

  First Lot 1 production F-15EX set for tests at Eglin

  12th March 2021

  F-15EX will be a ‘key element of our tactical fighter fleet’, says USAF; two out of eight Lot 1 aircraft will be delivered by end of April 2021.

• Air Warfare

  Independent technical assessment to recommend fix for F-35 programme

  12th March 2021

  The F-35 programme faces the double challenge of an independent technical baseline review and renewed political scrutiny.

• Defence Notes

  Air power leaks leave Command Paper to tell old news

  22nd March 2021

  On air force issues, much of what is in the UK's new Command Paper has previously been leaked to the media.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V (Jordan)

  Programme Background On 3 February 2022, the US State Department announced that it has approved a potential sale of 12 F-16 C Block 70 aircraft,  four ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V (1-8) [Bulgaria]

  Programme Background Requirement Bulgarian MoD plans to procure 16 new-built fighter aircraft to replace its fleet of 15 Russian-manufactured MiG-29 fighters. Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-16 Replacement (1-4) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Air Force is seeking a new aircraft to replace its fleet of F-16s. The procurement process will be initiated by an initial ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-16 Replacement (1-4) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Air Force is seeking a new aircraft to replace its fleet of F-16s. The procurement process will be initiated by an initial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-16 Replacement (1-4) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Air Force is seeking a new aircraft to replace its fleet of F-16s. The procurement process will be initiated by an initial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-16 Replacement (1-4) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Air Force is seeking a new aircraft to replace its fleet of F-16s. The procurement process will be initiated by an initial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-16 Replacement (1-4) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Air Force is seeking a new aircraft to replace its fleet of F-16s. The procurement process will be initiated by an initial ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

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

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V (9-16) [Bulgaria]

  Programme Background In April 2022, the US State Department approved a potential FMS worth $1.673 million to procure eight F-16Vs to Bulgaria. The aircraft are ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir (F-35A) [Israel]

  Programme Background 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Block 70 (Bahrain)

  Programme Background In 2018, the US government awarded a $1.12 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to produce 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for Bahrain, which ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Add-On [Denmark]

  Programme Background The Danish Government announced a new USD$8.7 billion investment plan into Arctic Security including the procurement of 16 F-35A aircraft. These new platforms are ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16 Block 52 Pakistan

  Programme Background The 2016 FMS was proposed to the US Congress as a way to help increase Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: air combat simulators

  USAF F-16 Training System

  L3Harris Technologies is supporting approximately 180 F-16 pilot and maintenance trainers as part of the USAF’s F-16 Training System. Programme contract options extend through 2019. ...

• Air: Displays

  F-16 Center Pedestal Display

  Produced by Elbit Systems of America, the F-16 Center Pedestal Display (CPD) provides a high-resolution colour display that replaces several legacy instruments on F-16 aircraft. 

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• Air: air combat simulators

  Iraqi Air Force F-16 FMT/WTT

  L3Harris Technologies has built two F-16 Block 52 Full Mission Trainers (FMTs), two F-16 Block 52 Weapon Tactics Trainers (WTTs), two brief/debrief systems and one ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  USAF F-16 ATD– JHMCS

  L3Harris Technologies has provided its simulated Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and Advanced Helmet Mounted Display (AHMD) on the USAF’s F-16 Aircrew Training Device programme. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  I-HUD2

  The I-HUD2 is a modernised display for the F-16 platform, which is based on the base F-16 HUD in service with the US Air Force ...

• 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 ...

• Data links

  MIDS-LVT(1) (ViaSat)

  MIDS-LVT(1) adds Link 16 communications to airborne and maritime platforms. It provides all operational modes of the Link 16 waveform, and implements the required MIDS ...

• Data links

  MIDS LVT(1) (EuroMIDS)

  MIDS-LVT(1) adds Link 16 communications to airborne and maritime platforms. It provides all operational modes of the Link 16 waveform, and implements the required MIDS ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  USAF F-16 MTC

  L3Harris Technologies has delivered seven F-16 Mission Training Centers (MTC) to the USAF and is currently on contract to deliver three additional MTC systems to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16A/B Block 1, 5, 10, 15, 20

  The F-16 Fighting Falcon programme started as a low-cost, highly manoeuvrable day fighter to complement the higher-cost, heavier McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter. ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  F-16 and F/A-18 Simulators

  HRS manufactures simulators and trainers with fully functional instrument panels, cockpit displays, stick and throttle grips with controllers, visual image generation and integration of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Block 70/72

  The F-16 Block 70/72, also referred to as the F-16V, is a fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft. It is the latest version of Lockheed Martin's F-16 ...

• 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: air combat simulators

  ACT

  The Air Combat Training (ACT) simulator system is a high-fidelity package that enables the training of F-16 pilots in single-ship proficiency skills as well as ...