• Defence Notes

  Lockheed Martin, Pilatus Aircraft team for AIR 5428

  3rd October 2013

  A new team is in the running for the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 5428 pilot training system (PTS) programme, with the announcement that Lockheed Martin …

• Defence Helicopter

  Karem Aircraft to design tiltrotor for JMR TD

  3rd October 2013

  A fresh contender has joined the race to design the US military’s next-generation of rotorcraft. Karem Aircraft has been awarded a design contract for phase …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army EMARSS programme transfers to PEO Aviation

  2nd October 2013

  The US Army’s Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) programme has been transferred to the US Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation, where …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce to open Global Hawk engine service facility

  2nd October 2013

  Rolls-Royce is to serve the US Air Force’s Global Hawk UAV engine fleet from a new engine depot facility to be opened at Tinker Air …

• Land Warfare

  General Dynamics details ammunition orders

  2nd October 2013

  General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems will supply a variety of ammunition products and a munition system to the US military under a range of …

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders Mantis i23 gimbaled sensor payloads

  2nd October 2013

  The US Army has ordered Mantis i23 gimbaled sensor payloads from AeroVironment for its fleet of RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The contract, worth …

• Land Warfare

  Turkey selects Chinese missile defence system

  2nd October 2013

  In an unexpected move, Turkey has selected a Chinese firm as the preferred bidder for its Turkish Long Range Air and Missile Defence System (T-LORAMIDS) …

• Land Warfare

  US ships 60mm mortars to Afghan Army

  2nd October 2013

  The US Army’s Watervliet Arsenal in New York has completed the refurbishment of 902 M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar Systems for the Afghan National Army …

• Land Warfare

  Denel awarded South African Badger ICV contract

  1st October 2013

  Denel has won a contract to manufacture over 200 Badger infantry combat vehicles (ICV) for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) over the next …

• Defence Helicopter

  Kratos to build maintenance trainers for CH-53K

  1st October 2013

  Sikorsky has issued an $8.5 million contract to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for the design and development of maintenance training systems for the CH-53K …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneMetrex conducts UAV mapping operation

  1st October 2013

  DroneMetrex has provided aerial mapping services with its TopoDrone-100 UAV system for a new recycling and waste management client in Australia. According to the company, …

• Defence Notes

  US market remains challenging for Qinetiq

  1st October 2013

  Qinetiq’s US divisions are suffering from a reduced US defence budget, and the impact of sequestration remains uncertain, the company has stated. As a result, Qinetiq is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan requests E-767 AWACS Mission Computing Upgrade

  30th September 2013

  Japan is seeking to acquire an E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Mission Computing Upgrade (MCU) from the US under a foreign military sale …

• Land Warfare

  Canadian government ‘stuck in a rut’ over armoured vehicles

  30th September 2013

  With a potential contract award thought to be imminent, the Canadian Close Combat Vehicle (CCV) programme has drawn a new round of criticism and calls …

• Naval Warfare

  Griffin missile tested for maritime protection capabilities

  27th September 2013

  The Griffin missile has successfully engaged fast-moving small boats from various platforms in a series of tests to demonstrate the missile’s application to the maritime …

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) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 - 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 - 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, 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 ...