• Naval Warfare

  US Navy commissions USS Billings

  5th August 2019

  The US Navy commissioned USS Billings (LCS 15) on 3 August in Key West, Florida. Billings is the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) to …

• Naval Warfare

  MSPO 2019: Questions hang over pace of Black Sea modernisation

  21st August 2019

  Romania and Bulgaria, two of NATOs youngest members, are in desperate need of modernising their naval fleets – broadly a result of security sector deterioration …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems receives Virginia payload tube order

  29th July 2019

  BAE Systems will produce more payload tubes for the US Navy’s Block V Virginia-class attack submarines under a follow-on contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat …

• Naval Warfare

  USS Gerald R Ford propulsion mods completed

  14th August 2019

  The US Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) have completed the maintenance and repair of the propulsion plant for the USS Gerald R …

• Land Warfare

  Northrop Grumman announces M-SHORAD award

  6th August 2019

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract for the US Army’s Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) directed energy prototyping initiative, the company announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  Elevator woes linger on new US carrier, as ‘nightmare weapon’ concerns raised

  2nd August 2019

  The US Navy is struggling to fix technical problems with the advanced weapons elevators on the first Ford-class aircraft carrier, according to a key senator. …

• Naval Warfare

  Upgraded MK 45 guns for US Navy

  29th July 2019

  BAE Systems will upgrade five Mk 45 naval gun systems to the Mod 4 configuration for the US Navy, the company announced on 22 July. Under …

• Military Logistics

  RFA Tideforce joins the fleet

  1st August 2019

  The UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary has commissioned the fourth and final Tide class replenishment vessel, RFA Tideforce, into its fleet. The 39,000 tonne vessel will …

• Military Logistics

  Future of UK shipyard hanging by a thread

  9th August 2019

  Troubled Belfast-based marine engineering and former shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff (H&W;) is running out of time to secure its future, days after the site …

• Naval Warfare

  Egypt requests fleet support

  1st August 2019

  The US government foreign military sales programme will be used to provide follow-on ship support to Egypt, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 30 …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal launches future USS Oakland

  24th July 2019

  Austal USA has launched the US Navy’s future USS Oakland (LCS 24) at its ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship …

• Military Logistics

  USS Michigan begins refit work

  30th July 2019

  The US Navy’s USS Michigan has begun a 17-month Extended Refit Period (ERP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Michigan will undergo …

• Land Warfare

  New Zealand picks up pace with vehicle replacements

  2nd August 2019

  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is buying a batch of 4x4 all-terrain vehicles (ATV), as well as forging ahead with plans to acquire more …

• Naval Warfare

  Canada issues Halifax support contracts

  22nd July 2019

  Chantier Davie and Seaspan Victoria Shipyards have been awarded contracts for the maintenance of the first group of Canada’s Halifax-class frigates. The contracts, worth $500 …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan launches eighth and final BMD destroyer

  18th July 2019

  Japan Marine United launched a new 8,200t escort warship at its Yokohama shipyard on 17 July – christened Haguro and bearing the pennant number 180 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 792-SSN 811)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) [Spain]

  Programme Background The S-80A SSK design for the Spanish Navy is based on the Franco-Spanish S-80 Scorpene design that both countries decided to cooperate on ...

• Military UAS - mini

  ECAC/2022/199 (South Africa)

  Programma Background Two Tenders In March 2023, DefenceWeb reported that the South African Army's tender ECAC/2022/154 was put on hold because bidders did not meet critical ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER -Canada

  Programme Background Canadian Special Forces was looking to procure ISR aircraft to support their missions both overseas and domestically.  There were few Canadian suppliers to sell ...

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

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Programme Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challange The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Underwater Launched UAV (ULUAV) (India)

  Programme Background MoU At the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 event in New Delhi, two private-sector Indian defence firms, the Bangalore-based UAS developer NewSpace Research and Technologies ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | TF-2000 Class-Milgem Project [Turkey]

  The Milgem project for the Turkish Navy was to consist of four Ada-class corvettes, four TF-100-class frigates and four TF-2000-class destroyers. The TF-2000 Air Defence ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 18

  The Type 18 periscope was designed to provide USN Los Angeles- and Seawolf-class submarines with a broad spectrum of optical, EO, RF intercept and targeting ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 8 Mod 3

  The Type 8 Mod 3 is an updated version of the Type 8-series periscopes. The Type 8B/J Mod 3 provides extremely high-frequency low-data-rate communications capability ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Los Angeles Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) have been the mainstay of the US sub-surface fleet since the 1970s. Known as the ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Optronic masts and periscopes

  The company’s MWIR imagers have been selected to provide new thermal imaging modules for the non-hull-penetrating Model 90 Universal Modular (optronic) masts for USN Virginia-class ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Seawolf Class

  The Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) was developed to follow the Los Angeles-class submarines as a faster and more substantially armed replacement. General Dynamics Electric ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class

  The USN’s Virginia-class SSNs are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats are replacing the old Los Angeles-class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  AN/BYG-1

  The AN/BYG-1 is a submarine command and control system designed for analysing and tracking ship contacts, providing situational awareness and weapons employment. The system adheres ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Archer

  The Archer is an FPV-style loitering munition from Neros. Certified by BlueUAS, the drone is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, Californa.  In February 2025, 6,000 ...

• Sea: tactical training

  688(I) Hunter Killer

  The 688(I) Hunter Killer was developed by Sonalysts, released in 1997 and published by Electronic Arts. In this platform-level game, the player takes command of ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Shang Class (Type 093)

  China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) class of six Type 093 Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) are the service’s first real deployable SSN force. The ...

• Model 326 Enhanced Fire Attack

  The Model 326 Enhanced belly tank/refill hose system holds 20% more water than the original Model 326, and is approved to fly at speeds up ...

• Major networking projects

  WGS

  Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites are elements of a high-capacity system. WGS supports the US DoD’s warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical C4ISR, ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast Programme

  The AN/BVS-1 is the sensor mast system for USN Virginia-class attack submarines, the first of which entered service in 2004. It is the first class ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 100

  The OMS 100 is a non-hull-penetrating optronic mast designed to offer shipbuilders more freedom in positioning the operations centre. A rotating sensor head is housed ...

• Data links

  MPDL

  The Multi-Payload Data Link (MPDL) is a system for airborne applications. It is based on the TMA 6000 series. The main applications are broadband LoS ...