• Military Logistics

  F-35A OBISC opened at RAAF Williamtown

  10th July 2017

  The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) first F-35A Joint Strike Fighter facilities have opened at RAAF Base Williamtown, the Australian Department of Defence announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  CMTL to continue providing satellite services to USMC

  7th July 2017

  Comtech Telecommunications has received a $14.5 million contract modification to continue to support the US Marine Corps’ (USMC's) tactical satellite communications network, the company announced on 5 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Diminished returns for UK equipment

  7th July 2017

  A reduction in platform numbers is a recurring theme in the UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations publication, with the headline loss being a 37% …

• Defence Notes

  First firing for MBDA’s Sea Venom

  7th July 2017

  MBDA’s Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile has successfully completed its first firing at the Île du Levant test range in France, the company announced on 4 …

• Defence Helicopter

  CH-53K flight testing moves to Patuxent River

  7th July 2017

  The CH-53K King Stallion has completed its first long-range test flight from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, as it …

• Training

  First Phenom 100 delivered for UKMFTS

  7th July 2017

  Embraer has delivered the first of five Phenom 100 jets to Affinity Flight Training Services for the UK’s Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) programme, the …

• Defence Notes

  IAI, KSSL sign MoU

  7th July 2017

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and India-based Kalyani Strategic Systems (KSSL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their joint venture activities. The new …

• Training

  RAAF upgraded Hawks begin training

  7th July 2017

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has commenced flights on the upgraded Hawk Advanced Jet Traineraircraft, with the Initial Operating Capability for the Lead-In Fighter …

• Military Logistics

  Denel's Africa Truck in capability demo

  6th July 2017

  Denel's Africa Truck demonstrator vehicle participated in the South African Air Force’s (SAAF) recent air power capability demonstration, the first time ever that the truck …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NS Mayport to get Triton FOB hangar

  6th July 2017

  Hensel Phelps Construction will construct a new Triton Forward Operating Base Hangar at US Naval Station (NS) Mayport, Florida, under a $36 million contract from …

• Training

  Qinetiq to upgrade UK MoD Hebrides radars

  6th July 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Qinetiq have announced a joint invest of £16.8m for two new BAE Systems tracking radars at MoD Hebrides, Qinetiq announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Korea’s final Wildcats bare operational claws

  6th July 2017

  The final four of South Korea’s eight Leonardo AW159 Wildcat naval helicopters were formally declared operational on 5 July. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) …

• Land Warfare

  India test fires QRSAM

  6th July 2017

  India has successfully test-fired the indigenously-developed Quick Reaction Surface-To-Air Missile (QRSAM) at the Chandipur integrated test range off the Odisha coast, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA completes phase one of FLA programme

  5th July 2017

  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has completed phase one of its Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) programme following a series of obstacle-course flight tests …

• Military Logistics

  USMC receives final JPADS

  5th July 2017

  The Marine Corps Systems Command has delivered the last of 162 Joint Precision Airdrop Systems (JPADS) to the US Marine Corps (USMC). JPADS is used to deliver …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Latvia]

  Programme Background In August 2018, the Latvian government approved the acquisition of four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The UH-60Ms are intended for both military and ...

• Transport

  C-130J [USA]

  Programme Background The C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop transport aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin to replace aging C-130 variants. The US and foreign ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF

  Background The programme’s early competitive phase included three different airframe designs. Boeing submitted one design, Lockheed Martin submitted another, and McDonnell Douglas submitted a third ...

• Transport

  King Air 360 [Nigeria]

  Programme Background On 7 October 2021, Nigeria’s Budget Office published its proposed budget details. The Nigerian Air Force requested 10.86 billion Nigerian Naira (US$26.4 million) ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Light Attack/Trainer Aircraft - Ghana

  In 2013, the Chief of Ghana Air Force stated that A-29 is their preferred platform and this position was also submitted to the Government. In ...

• Bomber

  B-21 Raider [USA]

  Programme Background Development The US DoD is developing a new long-range bomber called the B-21 Raider, previously known as LRS-B. At least 100 units are ...

• Trainer

  Trainer Aircraft (1-12) [Vietnam]

  Programme Background After years of operating Russian-built military equipment, Vietnam is more willing to procure US-supplied equipment following the lifting of the arms embargo in ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RemoEye-006A [Bolivia]

  Background Ceremony In June 2013, the Bolivian air force inducted its first two UAVs into service, with the models, FAB 0001 and FAB 0002, being ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Barak MX [Thailand]

  Background Thailand is procuring the Barak MX air defence system, which will be operated by the Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Security Force Command. The system ...

• CUAS - jammers

  Airbase Air Defence Systems CUAS [US]

  Background The US Air Force's Budget Documentation for FY 2027 included $1.529 billion for Air Base Air Defence, part of which was to be used for ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 [Jordan]

  Background Requirement The Jordanian Air Force has a requirement for training helicopters that are to be used in the King Hussein Air College. The country currently ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado Replacement (F-35A) [Germany]

  Background Requirement In March 2020, it emerged that the German government was considering  30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to replace 45 nuclear-capable Tornados. The remaining 40 Tornados ...

• 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-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  J/ALQ-8

  Like Israel, Japan elected to outfit its McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15J/DJ combat aircraft with an indigenous self-protection system. This takes the form of Mitsubishi Electric’s J/ALQ-8 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  FAB-T Force Element Terminal

  The Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals - Force Element Terminal (FAB-T FET) is a nuclear-hardened SATCOM solution designed for airborne applications. Produced by Raytheon, ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  25mm PGU-48/B

  The 25mm PGU-48/B is a medium-calibre armour-penetrating round manufactured by American Rheinmetall. The US Air Force uses the PGU-48/B with its F-35 aircraft.

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  25mm PGU-23/U

  The 25mm PGU-23/U is a medium-calibre training round manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. The US Air Force utilises it with its AC-130 and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

• Air: mission management systems

  TBMCS

  Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) is a US joint C2 integrated BMS used to plan and execute air campaigns in theatres of operations worldwide. ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  30mm PGU-13B High Explosive Incendiary

  The 30mm 30mm PGU-13B High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) is a medium-calibre munition manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The US Air Force uses the PGU-13B HEI with ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CLS-200

  The CLS-200 is part of the Yates Electrospace Corporation Silent Arrow family. It is a powered cargo-carrying one-use UAV, based on the company's GD-2000 glider.  In ...

• Trainer

  T-6A/B Texan II

  The T-6 Texan II is a single-engine trainer aircraft, which was developed from the Pilatus PC-9 to meet the training requirements of USAF and USN ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-4 Phantom II family

  The F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat multirole fighter developed originally by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet USN interceptor requirements. It soon became a unified ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Loitering munitions

  Sureshastra

  The Sureshastra, or Smart Unmanned Munitions System (S-UMS), is a jet-powered, catapult-launched loitering munition manufactured by Veda Aeronautics.  In 2023, the Indian Air Force (IAF) acquired ...