• Digital Battlespace

  Textron selects LiteHUD for Scorpion jet

  31st January 2017

  BAE Systems will supply its LiteHUD head-up display for Textron AirLand’s multi-mission Scorpion jet, the company announced on 30 January. The initial order will support the …

• Training

  Netherlands orders ADMS

  31st January 2017

  Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) has received a contract to deliver Advanced Disaster Management Simulators (ADMS) to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). The simulators will …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris divests government IT services business

  30th January 2017

  Harris Corporation is selling its government IT services business to an affiliate of Veritas Capital under a definitive agreement announced on 27 January. Harris’ government …

• Military Logistics

  USAF orders more KC-46A tanker aircraft

  30th January 2017

  Boeing will supply 15 additional KC-46A tanker aircraft, spare engines and wing air refuelling pod kits to the US Air Force under a $2.1 billion …

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard pays for its SINS-2

  30th January 2017

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded a contract to FLIR Maritime for the Scalable Integrated Navigation System (SINS)-2 to be installed in over 2,000 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Bittium announced Finnish forces order

  30th January 2017

  Bittium will deliver Bittium Tough Mobile LTE smartphones to the Finnish defence force under a contract announced on 27 January. The company will also deliver …

• Defence Notes

  Ten recommendations for Taiwan-US mil relations

  30th January 2017

  Taiwan fears becoming the golden peanut between two rogue elephants, said one Taiwan-based defence analyst, referring to the risk that the island will be caught …

• Digital Battlespace

  F-16V upgrade kicks off in Taiwan

  29th January 2017

  At the beginning of 2017, four Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16A/B Block 20 fighters began undergoing upgrades under Taiwan’s Feng Zhan (Phoenix Rising) …

• Special Operations

  Support sought for SOF dive shelters

  28th January 2017

  The US Navy is preparing to issue a request for proposals (RfP) to cover technical services for its inventory of Dry Deck Shelters (DDS).  The US …

• Training

  T-X contenders begin to evaporate

  28th January 2017

  With the request for proposal documents issued in late December for the US Air Force’s 350 aircraft T-X programme, Raytheon and Leonardo have decided they …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters shines light on sales

  27th January 2017

  Despite facing the toughest market conditions since 2008, Airbus Helicopters is putting a brave face on its 2016 results, pointing to an increase in both …

• Defence Notes

  Philippines eyeing arms from China, Russia

  27th January 2017

  Since Rodrigo Duterte’s investiture with the presidency, the Philippines has been seeking to diversify its international sources of weapons. As a result of political overtures, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B trucks it across US

  27th January 2017

  One of the most iconic unmanned systems ever to fly is being moved from its home at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to a Northrop …

• Digital Battlespace

  DGI 2017: Australia improves GEOINT collection

  27th January 2017

  With the trends in geointelligence (GEOINT) moving towards the gathering of open source data and the exchange of unclassified information, Australia is developing its data …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Certifiable Predator B becomes SkyGuardian

  27th January 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is to rebrand its next-generation Type Certifiable Predator B (TCPB) as SkyGuardian. The new name steers clear of the …

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 ...