• Military Logistics

  HMS Westminster completes refit

  5th October 2016

  The Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster has completed an extensive refit programme at Portsmouth Naval Base, BAE Systems announced on 3 October. A …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australian RCIED capabilities to grow

  5th October 2016

  EPE announced on 5 October that it has signed a trilateral agreement in principle to establish depot-level repair, spiral upgrade and advanced manufacturing at its …

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland scraps H225M buy

  5th October 2016

  The Polish government has cancelled its proposed plan to buy 50 H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus Helicopters, media reports indicate. Uncertainty has surrounded the $3.5bn …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thailand orders additional H225Ms

  5th October 2016

  Airbus Helicopters will deliver a further two H225M Caracal (EC725) multi-role utility helicopters to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) under an order announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Royal Australian Navy tests ScanEagle

  5th October 2016

  A team from the Royal Australian Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) unit has been deployed to Christmas Island to test the limits of the Boeing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2016: VTOL meets fixed-wing (video)

  4th October 2016

  Textron Systems is showcasing its Hybrid-quad Aerosonde variant at AUSA 2016 in Washington DC ahead of testing to both military and commercial customers in October. The …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2016: Polaris steps on the gas (video)

  4th October 2016

  Polaris is showcasing its MRZR-D at AUSA in Washington DC. With orders from USSOCOM and a promise of orders from the US Marine Corps, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2016: Army furthers unmanned teaming (video)

  4th October 2016

  While the US Army continues to field both the Gray Eagle and Shadow V2 UAS, the service is also looking to expand manned-unmanned teaming, known …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed to produce more M-DSA kits

  4th October 2016

  Lockheed Martin will produce additional Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) upgrade kits and spares for US Army Apache helicopters under a $49.3 million contract announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2016: Apache to widen embrace

  4th October 2016

  The US Army continues to advance the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability of the AH-64E Apache as it looks to the next evolution of its attack …

• Military Logistics

  VSE to support FMTV reset

  4th October 2016

  VSE Corporation has been awarded an Equipment Related Services task order under the TACOM Strategic Services Solutions contract to support the reset of Family of Medium …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2016: ACE joins the club

  4th October 2016

  The US Army has launched a new effort studying the next-generation engine technologies it will need under its Future Vertical Lift vision, selecting Advanced Turbine …

• Military Logistics

  A330 MRTT Enhanced takes flight

  4th October 2016

  The Airbus Defence and Space (D&S) new standard A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft has successfully undertaken its maiden flight, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2016: L-3 brings the light

  4th October 2016

  Demands from military users across Africa, South America and the Middle East have led to L-3 Wescam’s development and launch of its new MX-8 multi-sensor …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2016: Abrams prototype testing underway

  4th October 2016

  Prototypes of the upgraded variants of the Abrams main tank are being tested by the US Army and General Dynamics Land Systems is looking forward …

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 ...