• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky lands $2.7 billion contract for CH-53K helicopters, eight for Israel and 27 for USMC

  25th August 2023

  The USN has awarded Sikorsky a $2.7 billion contract for the production and delivery of 35 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, split between the USMC and Israel, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

• Naval Warfare

  CAES awarded $200 million contract to provide USN with large ship radar modules

  24th August 2023

  CAES has secured a $200 million contract from Raytheon to provide radar module assemblies for the USN's advanced AN/SPY-6 radars.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: How PhantomBlu comms tech could mean an end to radio silence at sea

  15th September 2023

  Blu Wireless's PhantomBlu millimetre-wave communications nodes could put an end to the need to maintain radio silence to avoid detection or interception while supporting high data rates for C2 purposes.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: How the P-8 Poseidon has conquered the maritime patrol aircraft market

  6th September 2023

  Shephard Defence Insight analyses the success story of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft that has captured international interest, detailing its variants, operators and unit cost.

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for USS Tang

  17th August 2023

  The keel was laid for the 32nd Virginia-class submarine USS Tang on 17 August, a Block V variant of the type and the third boat with this name for the USN.

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2023: Northrop Grumman rolls out BattleOne integrated command and control package

  13th September 2023

  Northrop Grumman's BattleOne concept aims to transcend domain and national boundaries to produce an overarching command and control capability with integrated artificial intelligence.

• Naval Warfare

  Textron awarded UAS contract for Littoral Combat Ships

  11th August 2023

  The US Navy (USN) is expanding the airborne surveillance capabilities of three of its Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) with the addition of new UAS capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  France and Italy's Horizon-class destroyers to receive mid-life upgrade

  1st August 2023

  The Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has awarded Naviris and Eurosam a €1.5 billion ($1.65 billion) contract for the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of the French Navy’s Forbin-class destroyers and Italian Navy’s Orrizonte-class destroyers.

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders 135 heavy dump trucks from Mack Defense

  24th August 2023

  Mack Defense has won an order for 135 additional M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs) for the US Army with the vehicles largely conducting construction and maintenance missions for infrastructure assets, such as airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools

• Training

  US Navy upgrades its red air aggressor F-16 Vipers

  4th August 2023

  Amentum will maintain US Navy adversary F-16 aircraft and provide full system maintenance and supply chain support to ensure seamless flight operations in all naval bases.

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders nine more Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers

  3rd August 2023

  The USN will receive nine more DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyers, six from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and three from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, under a deal likely to be worth around $1.8 billion each ship.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: What does the future hold for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft?

  11th September 2023

  The Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A has been adopted by Middle Eastern air forces as well as the European partner nations. Shephard Defence Insight analyses its next-generation radar, cockpit technology and future upgrade plans.

• Air Warfare

  Chinese air power – analysing the bigger picture

  14th September 2023

  Admitted by the US to be a ‘pacing threat’, the development of Chinese air power will continue to be a core measure of Beijing’s military capability.

• Air Warfare

  GAO report reveals critical F-35 maintenance challenges impacting US fighter readiness

  3rd October 2023

  The US DoD is facing significant obstacles in achieving its sustainment goals for the fleet of approximately 450 F-35 fighters despite plans to expand the fleet to 2,000 over the next two decades.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leidos to manage US Navy uncrewed surface vessels under $95 million deal

  22nd August 2023

  Leidos has won a $95 million contract from the USN to manage and maintain the Overlord and Medium USVs, an effort which will accelerate the integration of autonomous vessel capabilities.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey (USN)

  Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (13-76) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four ...

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

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Navy) [US]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  Programme Background At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (10-12) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-3

  The AN/SPY-3 is a multifunction naval radar developed and manufactured by Raytheon. Its intended uses include horizon and surface search, navigation, periscope detection, discrimination, and ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-6(V)1 (AMDR)

  Raytheon's Air and Missile Defence Radar (AMDR), now officially designated as AN/SPY-6(V)1 is a three-dimensional AESA naval surveillance radar designed to simultaneously defend against ballistic missiles, hypersonic ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  EA-18G Growler

  The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite. It ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Raven ES-05

  The Raven ES-05 is an AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo in close collaboration with Saab for the Gripen E/F. It features a repositionable AESA ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-63(V)2

  The AN/APG-63(V)2 is a significant radar upgrade for the U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft. This upgrade replaces the mechanically-scanned antenna (MSA) with an AESA antenna,  ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Grifo E

  The Grifo-E is an advanced fire-control radar developed by Leonardo, featuring Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology for enhanced situational awareness. It employs Active Electronically Scanned ...

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  RBE2

  The AESA RBE2 is the first AESA radar produced in Europe for combat aircraft. The active phased array replaces the passive array in the RBE2 currently ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Vixen-1000E

  The Vixen 1000E is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar designed for fighter and interceptor aircraft, incorporating a roll-repositionable antenna with a ±100º field ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-82(V)1

  The AN/APG-82(V)1 is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar system that combines the AN/APG-79 processor with the AESA antenna of the AN/APG-63(V)3. The system ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Giraffe 4A

  The Giraffe 4A is a multi-function S-band AESA radar system combining air surveillance, ground-based air defence, and weapon locating capabilities in a single platform.