• Defence Notes

  Farnborough 2022: L3Harris reaffirms focus on optimising UK C4ISR

  22nd July 2022

  The aerospace and defence technology provider is ready to support the UK land, air and naval forces with communication and digitisation technologies in the coming years.

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland set to sign 32-aircraft AW149 contract

  30th June 2022

  Poland will host a ceremony to mark a contract for AW149 helicopters, with a 32-aircraft deal representing a major boost to the country's military modernisation efforts.

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2022: Leonardo to end AW149 Italian production and focus on UK, Polish needs

  19th July 2022

  Leonardo has outlined long-term AW149 helicopter production plans, which will see an end to production of the 8t aircraft at the manufacturer's Vergiate facility in Italy.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing looks to India for Super Hornet success after European setbacks

  17th July 2022

  Boeing is setting its sights on finally securing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block III export success with a new campaign in India.

• Training

  Is the British Army training for the right fight? (Opinion)

  22nd July 2022

  Analysts and experts will scrutinise the conflict in Ukraine for years to come, but the past few months have certainly been enough to highlight some of the gaps in the British Army’s capabilities. Are the lessons learned in the east being applied correctly?

• Training

  ST Engineering Antycip and Nova Systems to accelerate RAF synthetic training

  7th June 2022

  The Capability Concept Demonstrator is based on a four-cockpit simulator system and will explore low-cost mission training solutions for the RAF.

• Air Warfare

  Bangladesh awaits final Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft

  4th July 2022

  Bangladesh has been receiving a sprinkling of new aircraft, including Do 228s and C-130Js, while the same is true of air defence radars.

• Defence Notes

  Defence trends indicate an increased need for EMC/EMP filters, says MPE

  27th May 2022

  As military platforms and assets become increasingly reliant on data and digital applications, the need to protect them is also growing. Naval assets have shown the largest increase in demand.

• Training

  RAF Typhoon synthetic training system reaches milestone

  31st May 2022

  The delivery of the first two TFST devices is expected by the end of the year, but RAF pilots will only start training on them in 2023. The new devices feed into the RAF’s larger objective to share common synthetic entity models across the force.

• Defence Notes

  Analysis of Tempest technologies paves way for new Eurofighter Typhoon cockpit

  30th May 2022

  BAE Systems has revealed in-depth plans of how it plans on delivering new crossover combat air technologies for the Eurofighter Typhoon and FCAS programmes.

• Air Warfare

  Air Warfare magazine: RAF modernisation; Middle East UCAVs; and more

  31st May 2022

  Read the latest edition of Air Warfare for free in our app or on your desktop.

• Air Warfare

  Japanese F-3 to be jointly developed with the UK

  17th May 2022

  Japan looks set to turn to the UK, instead of the US, for partnership help in developing its future F-3 fighter.

• Defence Notes

  Technical trouble forces UK to delay SPEAR 3 first firing

  21st June 2022

  Technical issues are preventing the UK from meeting its original timeline to test-fire the MBDA SPEAR 3 weapon set for entry into service on F-35B fighter jets.

• Defence Notes

  US commits more forces to Europe as NATO members approve new strategic concept

  30th June 2022

  In the face of the biggest crisis in European security for decades, NATO has strengthened its resolve and will expand to include Sweden and Finland.

• Air Warfare

  Wedgetail takes part in first USAF-RAAF operational integration exercise

  27th May 2022

  The USAF tested the operational integration capabilities of the RAAF's E-7A Wedgetail during the recent Black Flag 22-1 exercise.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

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

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M (UK)

  RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 when ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

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

  LANCA (Loyal Wingman): Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Project Mosquito & Cancellation Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9A Reapers in the RAF's inventory until they are formally retired in October 2025. The MQ-9B will deliver a UK ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Data links

  Data links | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

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

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Sky Shadow-2

  Leonardo’s Sky Shadow-2 electronic attack pod was designed for the Panavia Tornado-GR4A ground attack aircraft in service with the RAF. 

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  Engineering and Maintenance Training

  BAE Systems designs and delivers engineering and maintenance training, with the ability to provide a package to address the needs of all personnel ranging from ...