• Air Warfare

  Saab strengthens AEW&C bid with Korea Aerospace Industries agreement

  3rd October 2024

  Saab’s proposal for South Korea is its GlobalEye aircraft. This MoU between the two companies is the latest update in Saab’s bid for South Korea’s competition for a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  The Philippines strengthens maritime defences amid rising tensions in South China Sea

  28th April 2025

  The Philippine Navy is fast-tracking its maritime modernisation with new warships, unmanned platforms, and international shipbuilding partnerships to bolster its regional deterrence posture.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan multiplies mine-layer vessel and UAV inventories to deter PLA

  25th April 2025

  Taiwan is strengthening its deterrence against the PLA through an asymmetric arsenal that includes fast mine-laying vessels and domestically developed UAVs.

• Land Warfare

  Long-range strike: US announces European hypersonic missile deployment

  8th August 2024

  The US plans to deploy a suite of long-range precision strike missiles, including developmental hypersonics, to counter the advanced precision strike systems of Russia and China. It will form part of the US Army’s Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF) to enhance European long-range fires capabilities and include SM-6 air defence, Tomahawk cruise missiles and HIMARS batteries.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing gets another boost with 36 Apaches approved for South Korea amid flurry of FMS deals

  20th August 2024

  The approval of four Foreign Military Sale (FMS) requests this week follows the green light for the sale to Israel of 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft and mid-life update kits for the country’s existing F-15s and other equipment in deals worth $20 billion.

• Air Warfare

  L3 Technologies awarded $587 million contract for next stage of new Growler jammer

  11th September 2024

  The Next Generation Jammer-Low Band (NGJ-LB) is part of a larger NGJ system that will augment and ultimately replace the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System on the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Germany and Finland suspect “hybrid sabotage” of undersea infrastructure

  20th November 2024

  Without naming a culprit, the defence ministers of both nations expressed concern about “deliberate” severing of undersea internet cables.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA shows Orchestrike swarming missile system progress at Farnborough

  22nd July 2024

  MBDA demonstrated Orchestrike, a collaborative combat solution designed to help overcome complex air defence challenges, at Paris Air Show in 2023 and is showing the progress made since then at Farnborough International Airshow.

• Defence Notes

  What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?

  14th May 2025

  Multiple questions involving the largest US Foreign Military Sale in history remain unanswered.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan to boost surface fleet with new destroyers and missile ships

  18th July 2024

  Japan is enhancing its naval capabilities with the construction of the 13DDX advanced destroyer and Aegis System Equipped Vessels (AESV), aiming to strengthen its air and missile defence amid increasing security threats, particularly in East Asia.

• Air Warfare

  Assessing Saab’s future as an independent combat aircraft developer

  27th December 2024

  Can Sweden’s Saab continue to go it alone in the fighter jet market, or could it boost its profile by forging new partnerships?

• Air Warfare

  Typhoon remains “at heart of UK defence” despite claims production has stopped

  19th November 2024

  BAE Systems Air business has reaffirmed its commitment to the Typhoon programme as union representatives from the company urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril and GA-ASI propel forward in US Air Force CCA programme’s next phase

  25th April 2024

  Anduril and GA-ASI have raced ahead in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative, securing contracts with the US Air Force to build production representative flight test platforms.

• Air Warfare

  “We need GCAP” to face evolving threats says RAF chief

  14th November 2024

  The UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) chief of the air staff discussed the current state of the RAF and its need to be “match fit” for a changing warfare threat.

• Land Warfare

  US to invest nearly $600 million in Israeli defence in 2025

  8th January 2025

  Jerusalem’s air defence capabilities procurement efforts will receive up to $190 million.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract AwardIn 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan to ...

• 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 ...

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

  Long-Range Drones [Norway]

  Programme Background Andøya Ambition On 3 April 2023, the Norwegian MoD released a statement confirming its plans for Andøya, the northernmost island in its Vesterålen archipelago. In addition ...

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

  MQ-4C Triton (Contracted) [Australia]

  Programme Background Three Contracted Units In June 2018, the Government provided Second Pass (Tranche 1) Approval to procure the first of six air vehicles, supporting ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D (France)

  Programme Background In July 2020, France revealed its intention of buying a fleet of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft with a $2 billion potential FMS deal, ...

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

  MQ-4C Triton (Option) [Australia]

  Programme Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated ...

• Data links

  Data links | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

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

  Embarked VTOL UAV [South Korea]

  Programme Background VTOL Development In January 2024, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it would commence development of a VTOL-capable rotary-wing UAV that ...

• 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 - small

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Programme Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a "leap-ahead" in long-endurance, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

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

  AN/ASQ-236

  The AN/ASQ-236 (Dragon's Eye) is an AESA radar pod manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is intended as a surveillance radar, capable of all-weather precision geo-location ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-83 SABR

  The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar being developed by Northrop Grumman using its own ...

• Major networking projects

  IBCS

  The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) is a C2 system designed to integrate current and future sensors. The system also improves ...

• Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPQ-1 TESAR

  The Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar (TESAR), developed by Northrop Grumman, is primarily designed for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the Predator. 

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW)

  The Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial ...

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

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is an airborne radar system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed to track vehicles and foot traffic ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR

  AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is a multi-mission system designed to support worldwide expeditionary requirements. It provides detection and tracking capabilities and offers traffic ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Defensive Management System-Modernisation

  The Defensive Management System-Modernisation (DMS-M) is the overarching effort to substantially enhance the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit strategic bomber’s Integrated Self-Protection System (ISPS) which includes ...

• 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 ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

  Northrop Grumman produces a family of avionics for Bell H-1-series helicopters.

• Loitering munitions

  Jackal

  The Jackal is a turbojet loitering munition designed by Northrop Grumman in partnership with AeroVironment.  It features an open architecture that provides the capability to support ...

• 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 ...

• AEW&C, Maritime patrol

  E-2 Hawkeye

  The E-2 Hawkeye AEW&C; aircraft has gone through several iterations and can be operated from land, as with Egypt and Mexico, or from a carrier, ...