• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems to supply USMC with NVGs under $500 million deal

  28th November 2023

  Elbit Systems of America has secured a second five-year contract to supply Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggles (SBNVG) to the US Marine Corps.

• Land Warfare

  US successfully tests improved missile defence system and multi-stage separation

  12th December 2023

  The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system has been deployed in multiple locations as the first and only operational missile defence system to defend the US against intermediate and long-range ballistic missile attacks.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: CAE unveils US Air Force digital F-16 cockpit

  30th November 2023

  For the first time CAE exhibited a digital F-16 cockpit integrated with the Simulators Common Architecture Requirements and Standards (SCARS) marking a major step forward in training equipment virtualisation.

• Land Warfare

  Finland orders third batch of Leopard bridge vehicles

  19th December 2023

  Austria, which has been operating Leopard 2 MMBTs and Leopard 2L tracked bridge laying vehicles, will see the new Leopard 2Ls built on the country’s existing Leopard 2A4 tanks.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania joins Sweden in plan to purchase air defence system

  2nd January 2024

  Lithuania has signed an agreement to join Sweden’s short-range air-defence procurement and discussed Sweden’s future involvement in operations when the Nordic country joins NATO and possible demining operations in Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  Poland receives first Gladius UAS battery

  22nd December 2023

  The Polish-designed and manufactured system comprises two WB Group platforms, the FT-5 UAV, which will be used in an ISR capability and the BSP-U, an unknown platform with visual similarities to the Warmate 2.

• Air Warfare

  15 more KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuellers bound for USAF

  29th November 2023

  The US Air Force has ordered more Pegasus KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelling aircraft with advanced communications and data connectivity.

• Defence Notes

  I/ITSEC 2023: FY 2024 budget should not be approved this year, claim US lawmakers

  28th November 2023

  US congressmen also expect reductions in the Pentagon’s defence proposal for the next fiscal year.

• Land Warfare

  NATO orders RBS 70 surface-to-air missiles

  22nd December 2023

  The RBS 70 missile was produced to meet the requirements of the Swedish Army’s short-range air defence needs. The missile was the first weapon of its type to employ laser beam-riding guidance instead of the IR homing guidance system.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: US Navy considers purchase of Vrgineers carbon fibre MR headset for V-22 pilots

  28th November 2023

  The new Vrgineers carbon fibre XTAL 3 CAVU mixed-reality headset will attempt to address calculation bottlenecks via high-performance graphical chip and AI ahead of launch in 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Taiwan completes F-16 upgrade programme as delivery timeline of new jets remains in doubt

  7th December 2023

  The Taiwanese air force has completed its six-year-long F-16 upgrade programme as the country awaits delivery of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets.

• Land Warfare

  Poland to spend billions of dollars on K9 howitzers as it continues massive equipment refresh

  4th December 2023

  The deal between Poland and Hanwha has been valued at US$2.6 billion and is part of a larger agreement for 672 K9 howitzers and 288 Chunmoo MLRS.

• Land Warfare

  US Southern Command seeks industry partners to modernise its ISR inventory

  22nd November 2023

  SOUTHCOM is interested in testing advanced sensors and technologies fitted with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, as well as with renewable energy or alternative power sources.

• Land Warfare

  US Marine Corps outlines next steps to improve synthetic training capabilities

  6th December 2023

  The service has shown an interest in a range of training solutions from individual to battalion levels and plans to award multiple contracts ahead of new programmes set to run from FY2024 to FY2031.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine to get new CV90s from Sweden and Denmark

  21st December 2023

  The additional CV90s committed to Ukraine by Sweden and Denmark are in addition to 50 sent earlier this year and will provide a boost to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20A Puma [Latvia]

  Programme Background The US DoD is financing military modernisation in the Baltic to improve the capabilities of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian militaries. This includes ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Surplus M1126 Stryker APCs (Thailand)

  Programme BackgroundAccording to reports from Thai and US media, the RTA planned to take delivery of 120 Strykers by the end of 2020. These would ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• 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 - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• 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 ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA 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 ...

• 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.

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• 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 ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...