• Air Warfare

  Space domain “has never been more critical” to US security, says US chief of space operations

  12th April 2024

  The increasing relevance of space in warfare scenarios and the proliferation of threats have been pushing the US Space Force towards modernising and investing in new capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  Teledyne FLIR introduces Rogue 1 recoverable loitering munition system

  7th May 2024

  The company’s next generation of loitering munition allows for safe drone recovery and re-use and can be fitted with three types of warheads.

• Land Warfare

  Israel ramps up Arrow-4 development following Iranian attack

  19th April 2024

  Israel’s Ministry of Defense has fast-tracked the development of the Arrow-4 ballistic missile interceptor in response to recent Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

• Digital Battlespace

  Space Dominance: How Laser Technologies are Reshaping Modern Military Operations

  27th May 2024

  High-energy lasers and space-based technologies now play a pivotal role in modern military operations, emphasising their role in enhancing communications, surveillance, and security across multi-domain operations, particularly with the increasingly strategic use of space-based capabilities.

• Digital Battlespace

  Spectra Group showcases the GENSS tactical radio at SOF Week, enhancing global special operations communications

  9th May 2024

  Spectra Group introduced the GENSS tactical radio at SOF Week, designed to enhance global special operations with versatile, secure communication across multiple bands and satellite connectivity.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden orders more CV90s to replace vehicles donated to Ukraine

  21st May 2024

  As the domestic manufacturer and original operator of the CV90 IFV, Sweden has had a continuous fleet of CV90s in service since the 1990s. Consisting of a wide variety of variants and upgrade standards, Sweden is reported to have 459 CV90s following the donation of 50 CV90 40Cs donated to Ukraine in 2023.

• Land Warfare

  PAC-3E uses Aegis to intercept live target

  21st May 2024

  The MIM-104F Phased Array Tracking to Intercept of Target (Patriot) Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude, all-weather air defence missile designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Ecuador turns to local shipyard and international suppliers for military platforms

  15th February 2024

  As Ecuador attempts to combat so-called “terrorist networks”, the country has turned to the US and Turkey for equipment, while domestic construction and acquisition of new naval platforms has remained a slow process.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems to deliver Common Missile Warning Systems to foreign allies

  6th February 2024

  BAE Systems has secured an FMS contract from the US Army for AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems, expanding its deployment beyond the US services.

• Air Warfare

  Bell Textron and Boeing’s Aurora selected for next phase of DARPA’s X-Plane

  29th May 2024

  The Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) project, a joint DARPA/US Special Operations Command effort to design, build and fly an X-plane, will attempt to demonstrate the key technologies and integrated concepts that enable a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence.

• Digital Battlespace

  German military introduces central command and new cyber branch

  5th April 2024

  The German defence minister claimed the reforms would mean the 2025 military budget would require an additional €6.5 billion (US$7 billion).

• Training

  SkyAlyne awarded $8.2 billion contract for Canada’s Future Aircrew Training programme

  31st May 2024

  A multi-billion-dollar contract will see a joint initiative between CAE and KF Aerospace provide state-of-the-art aircrew training for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI to develop new ABAD pod for MQ-9A

  15th May 2024

  A collaboration between General Atomics and US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will seek to equip the MQ-9A Reaper with enhanced threat detection and protection against Radio Frequency and Infrared threats.

• Air Warfare

  Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems

  19th April 2024

  Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.

• Land Warfare

  US approves support of Ukrainian Hawk missile systems

  10th April 2024

  The decades-old HAWK system has undergone substantial improvements since its introduction into service.

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) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 - 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

  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 - 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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) ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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). ...

• 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 ...