• Air Warfare

  Final flight test of latest AMRAAM missile successful

  11th July 2023

  The USAF and Raytheon have concluded testing of the AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM variant, ensuring increased functionality, performance, and production capabilities for warfighters.

• Naval Warfare

  Why the durable MEKO warship design remains popular with navies

  8th September 2023

  The MEKO design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) can be found in many navies around the world and the number of countries that are purchasing MEKO ships is growing. Shephard provides an overview of the latest MEKO offerings and how this type of vessel has remained successful on the international markets over the decades.

• Air Warfare

  F-35 Lightning II: key facts about the world's most popular fifth-generation fighter jet

  18th September 2023

  This growing family of F-35 operators exemplifies the power of collective effort, fostering stronger diplomatic ties and contributing to the evolution of modern aerial warfare on a global scale.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force XQ-58A Valkyrie completes AI-powered test flight

  4th August 2023

  Developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Valkyrie's AI and machine learning agents demonstrated their capability to solve tactically relevant challenges during airborne operations.

• Naval Warfare

  The Philippines has ended its flirtation with China – so what next for the country’s navy?

  11th September 2023

  For decades, largely as a result of historical ties, the US was the only Western country with a strong interest in the Philippines and its navy. Over the past year, other nations have turned their attention to the archipelago. The question is why now? And what is the impact of this shift on the Philippine Navy?

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army boosts its air defences with new C2 system and missiles

  28th June 2023

  The Indian Army is introducing a new C2 system to oversee its air defences, one that can network with the Indian Air Force.

• Naval Warfare

  HHI completes concept design for future South Korean OPV

  19th July 2023

  Using its export designs as a basis, Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed a concept design of an OPV for the South Korean Navy.

• Naval Warfare

  TAGOS-25 surveillance ship design advances

  11th August 2023

  The design of seven new TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ships for the USN's Military Sealift Command (MSC) is being developed by shipbuilder Austal USA.

• Digital Battlespace

  Details released of US Navy UGV radio deal

  6th July 2023

  Persistent Systems will supply 600 MPU5 radios to the USN for installation onto EOD UGVs with deliveries expected to start next year.

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army relaunches search for self-propelled air defence systems

  12th July 2023

  The war in Ukraine has underlined the need for mobile air defence. Unfortunately, India is making little progress in its own efforts so far.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA, Italian Navy detail development of Teseo Mk2/E missile

  8th June 2023

  The new missile, which incorporates land-attack capabilities, is the latest evolution of the Otomat/Teseo anti-ship weapon family and is set to replace the legacy Mk2/A version in service with the Italian Navy.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman says no to prime role on US Air Force NGAD fighter programme

  28th July 2023

  'We're not planning to respond to the NGAD request for proposal as the prime,' Northrop Grumman's CEO said, revealing the company's decision to opt out of heading up the USAF's Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.

• Training

  Augmented reality integration on trainer aircraft progresses despite no official requirement

  27th June 2023

  Companies such as BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries are pushing forward with implementing the Red 6 augmented reality system onto jet trainers, despite the absence of formal interest from customer air forces so far.

• Training

  Paris Air Show: New cockpit voice recorder certified for T-6 trainer aircraft

  20th June 2023

  The US FAA has approved installation of Curtiss-Wright's Fortress CVR25 cockpit recorder to upgrade T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft worldwide.

• Training

  Collins Aerospace to deliver full-rate production for US Navy air combat training

  30th May 2023

  The air-to-air and air-to-ground Tactical Combat Training System aims to replace the US Navy's legacy equipment.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey (USN)

  Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

• MPVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Navy) [US]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (Selected) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCAC 100 Class (SSC) [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The major role of the SSC will be deployment from landing ships in support of USN and USMC operations and the transport ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-3

  The AN/SPY-3 is a multifunction naval radar developed and manufactured by Raytheon. Its intended uses include horizon and surface search, navigation, periscope detection, discrimination, and ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-79

  The AN/APG-79 is an agile beam radar with a solid-state digital array that scans at nearly the speed of light, enabling detection and tracking of ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  EA-18G Growler

  The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite. It ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Raven ES-05

  The Raven ES-05 is an AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo in close collaboration with Saab for the Gripen E/F. It features a repositionable AESA ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-63(V)2

  The AN/APG-63(V)2 is a significant radar upgrade for the U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft. This upgrade replaces the mechanically-scanned antenna (MSA) with an AESA antenna,  ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Grifo E

  The Grifo-E is an advanced fire-control radar developed by Leonardo, featuring Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology for enhanced situational awareness. It employs Active Electronically Scanned ...

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Vixen-1000E

  The Vixen 1000E is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar designed for fighter and interceptor aircraft, incorporating a roll-repositionable antenna with a ±100º field ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  TRS-4D

  The TRS-4D is a three-dimensional multi-functional naval surveillance radar produced by German manufacturer Hensoldt. The radar is primarily designed for surveillance and target acquisition. The ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  RBE2

  The AESA RBE2 is the first AESA radar produced in Europe for combat aircraft. The active phased array replaces the passive array in the RBE2 currently ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: UAS radar

  PicoSTAR

  The PicoSTAR radar is designed to provide a compact, lightweight, integrated AESA radar and EO capability for UAVs and other small fixed- or rotary-wing platforms. ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: UAS radar

  PicoSAR

  The PicoSAR is a compact multi-mode Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) surveillance radar weighing 10 kg, suitable for UAS, fixed-wing, and helicopter platforms.

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-82(V)1

  The AN/APG-82(V)1 is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar system that combines the AN/APG-79 processor with the AESA antenna of the AN/APG-63(V)3. The system ...