• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Fire Scout UAV reaches 5,000 flight hours in Afghanistan

  14th August 2013

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has surpassed 5,000 flight hours in support of operations in Afghanistan since its first deployment in 2011. Prime contractor …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin awarded PAC-3 Missile contract

  14th August 2013

  Lockheed Martin will provide hardware and services associated with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment programme under a $308 million contract modification received from …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: Unmanned M-ATV up next for Oshkosh

  14th August 2013

  Oshkosh has revealed plans to integrate its TerraMax autonomous technology into its MRAP- ATV (M-ATV) platform in response to US Army and USMC requirements. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: Triton aims for 11-hour endurance mark

  14th August 2013

  The US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton will attempt an 11-hour flight on 14 August as part of ongoing tests, programme managers have revealed. Addressing a media …

• Digital Battlespace

  ROK goes international to counter HEMP threat

  13th August 2013

  The Republic of Korea (ROK) has initiated steps to counter the growing threat of a high-altitude electro-magnetic pulse (HEMP) attack from the Democratic People’s Republic …

• Land Warfare

  Canadian Army receives first TAPVs for training

  13th August 2013

  The first four pre-production Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPVs) for the Canadian Army have been shipped to locations in the US and Canada for testing …

• Digital Battlespace

  E-2D Advanced Hawkeye enters full-rate production

  13th August 2013

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft will move into full-rate production following the award of a $617 million contract to Northrop Grumman by the US Navy …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to supply M-TADS/PNVS to South Korea

  13th August 2013

  Lockheed Martin will supply Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) systems for South Korea’s AH-64E Apache helicopter fleet under a new contract …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUVSI 2013: Sikorsky goes public with 'Matrix'

  13th August 2013

  Sikorsky has officially introduced its latest unmanned research and development (R&D) programme, the Matrix autonomous technology demonstrator, at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2013: ‘Wave Relay’ unveiled for UAV swarm ops

  13th August 2013

  Persistent Systems is integrating a MANET communications capability onto an undisclosed US customer’s UAV for use in ‘swarm’ applications, company officials have revealed. Speaking to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman CIRCM completes Preliminary Design Review

  12th August 2013

  Northrop Grumman’s Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) has completed Preliminary Design Review (PDR), marking the end of the company's technology demonstration programme.  Northrop Grumman is developing …

• Digital Battlespace

  New systems flown on EA-18G Growler

  9th August 2013

  The Boeing EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft has demonstrated new sensor system upgrades in a US Navy flight to show how the enhanced technologies …

• Defence Helicopter

  Apache sensor marks one million hours of flight

  9th August 2013

  Lockheed Martin’s Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system for the AH-64D Apache has completed one million hours of flight-time, the company …

• Military Logistics

  First Austrian C-130K avionics upgrade complete

  8th August 2013

  Marshall Aerospace and Defence has completed the avionics upgrade of the first of three C-130K aircraft for the Austrian Air Force. Following the upgrade work …

• Digital Battlespace

  Analysts warn against reliance on Chinese weather satellites

  8th August 2013

  The US Department of Defense (DoD) is in danger of relying on Chinese state-owned satellites for future meteorological service requirements should a suitable alternative fail …

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 ...