• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins BACN contract modifications

  24th July 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded two US Air Force (USAF) contract modifications to continue operating and maintaining the Battlefield Airborne Communications …

• Military Logistics

  Fifth C-5M Super Galaxy delivered to USAF

  24th July 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that on 20 July 2012 it delivered the fifth production C-5M Super Galaxy to the US Air Force (USAF) at Robins …

• Military Logistics

  C-130 AMP aircraft delivered to USAF

  23rd July 2012

  Boeing has announced that, along with the US Air Force's Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, it has delivered the second C-130 Avionics Modernization Programme (AMP) …

• Land Warfare

  Germany furthers C-RAM system

  23rd July 2012

  Following the delivery of the Skyshield MANTIS C-RAM air defence system to the Luftwaffe in June, Rheinmetall has confirmed that the system will not enter …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall outlines infantry weapon strategy

  23rd July 2012

  A Rheinmetall executive has outlined the company's infantry armament strategy, which has identified the range limitations of current infantry rifles as one issue the company …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin receives MLRS follow-on order

  20th July 2012

  Lockheed Martin has received a $353.2 million US Army follow-on contract for the seventh production lot of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Unitary rockets, …

• Defence Notes

  SDB II scores direct hit

  20th July 2012

  Raytheon's GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) programme has successfully engaged and hit a moving target during a flight test at the White Sands Missile …

• Naval Warfare

  Nimitz first to test use of aviation biofuels

  19th July 2012

  The nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was the first ship to receive and test the use of a new blend of hydro …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky delivers 500th 'M' model Black Hawk

  19th July 2012

  Sikorsky delivered the 500th H-60M Black Hawk in a special ceremony at the company's plant in Stratford, Conneticut on 18 July. The deliveries to date …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin completes on-orbit testing of first MUOS satellite

  18th July 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced it has completed on-orbit testing of the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, designated MUOS-1, paving the way for the …

• Military Logistics

  Thrane & Thrane chosen for C-130J Hercules communication upgrades

  18th July 2012

  Thrane & Thrane has been awarded a £15.9 million contract to provide satellite communication components for the US Air Force's fleet of C-130J Hercules aircraft, …

• Military Logistics

  US official outlines Afghan drawdown challenges

  18th July 2012

  The military withdrawal from Afghanistan will be a much greater challenge than the Iraq drawdown, according to a key US official. Frank Kendall, the US …

• Military Logistics

  General Dynamics awarded contract for mobile shelter units

  18th July 2012

    General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products was awarded a $6.1 million order by the US Army to produce more than 25 Army Standard Family …

• Defence Helicopter

  Qatar gets ready for helicopter air-to-air combat

  17th July 2012

  Qatar may be looking to equip its next generation attack helicopter fleet with an air-to-air capability, it has emerged. In an unusual move – followed …

• Land Warfare

  First APMI round fired from Stryker

  17th July 2012

  The first Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative (APMI) round fired from a Stryker vehicle in Afghanistan accomplished a direct hit on a target with the first …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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) ...

• 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.

• 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 ...