• Air Warfare

  Bell Textron opens new laboratory to support bid for US Army’s FLRAA

  14th March 2024

  In December 2022, the US Army awarded an initial $1.3 billion contract to Bell Textron for US Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), choosing to proceed with its V-280 Valor bid, and the new site will support this programme.

• Digital Battlespace

  Why the US would struggle to overcome Russia’s nuclear anti-satellite weapon

  11th March 2024

  Russia's move to develop a nuclear anti-satellite weapon has highlighted US anxieties over space combat readiness, challenging the Pentagon's strategic defences in a potential cosmic battleground.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea gets MH-60R helicopter engine and sustainment

  11th March 2024

  The agreement between the US and South Korea included engines, sustainment and logistical support for the MH-60R helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  UK finalises Chinook heavy-lift helicopter deal following years of delays

  15th March 2024

  The UK MoD has finalized a deal for 14 new CH-47 Chinook helicopters after affordability concerns, citing cost reductions and critical reforms for smoother US procurement process.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy’s Fincantieri signs $1.3 billion contract to supply PPAs to Indonesia

  28th March 2024

  The contract will include two PPA units which were originally designed for and ordered by the Italian Navy.

• Training

  Maxar advances US Army’s global terrain simulation

  19th March 2024

  The One World Terrain prototype will become a key part of the US Army’s Synthetic Training Environment to provide soldiers realistic training with geospatial dataset.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea approves more frigates plus SM-3 missiles

  6th May 2024

  South Korea’s six FFX Batch IV frigates are expected to be delivered by 2032 and will full retirement of remaining Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates, and possibly Gwanggaeto-class destroyers.

• Defence Notes

  Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention

  12th March 2024

  As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to increase investments in missile capabilities by 62% in FY2025

  15th March 2024

  The total amount allocated to missile capability purchasing over the next fiscal year will be $6.2 billion and will comprise additional funds for several programmes.

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing wins $440 million contract for 12th Wideband Global SATCOM satellite

  6th March 2024

  Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites have been supporting the US DoD’s warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical C4ISR, battlefield management and combat support information.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates to receive life rafts from Survitec

  27th March 2024

  Babcock has signed a contract with the survival tech company for forty life rafts, which will be extended into 2028.

• Air Warfare

  V-22 Osprey cleared for flight but cause of fatal crash not disclosed

  12th March 2024

  V-22s have been cleared for flight three months after a fatal crash which led to a grounding but processes involved in the clearance mean it will be weeks or even months before full operations return.

• Land Warfare

  Spain orders more than 100,000 mortar rounds

  3rd April 2024

  Rheinmetall has been contracted for hundreds of thousands of rockets, artillery and mortars rounds over the past two years and has expanded capability with new and expanded sites completed or in process.

• Air Warfare

  AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar warning receivers contracted for initial production

  13th March 2024

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/APR-39(V) series of Radar Warning Receivers (RWRs) have been designed to equip a wide array of aircraft. Specifications regarding the waveband have not been revealed but the equipment will likely be able to detect emissions from radars transmitting in wavebands of two gigahertz/GHz to 18GHz.

• Training

  BAE Systems and VRAI collaborate on data-driven pilot training

  10th April 2024

  BAE Systems and VRAI have set out to harness the power of data to redefine fast jet pilot training.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor [US]

  Background The US Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor (LTAMDS) is being acquired from US-based Raytheon.  The United States Army is the primary customer ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground 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 ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Intercept Capability [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) is a new medium-range air defence capability developed from the Israeli Tamir surface-to-air missile and Iron ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Surplus M2A2 ODS Bradley IFV (Greece)

  Programme Background The Greek Army has a long-standing need for new tracked IFVs to replace more than 200 legacy M113 tracked APCs in service with ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (March 2026) [US]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (September 2026) [US]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability [US]

  Leidos' Indirect Fire Protection Capability has been selected to provide medium-range Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) to sit between SHORAD and the high-end Patriot. 

• 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 ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• 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 - 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 ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Lockheed Martin Next Generation Short Range Interceptor

  US-based Lockheed Martin is competing for the US Army's Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) programme with its QuadStar missile.  The programme aims to replace ...

• 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 ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SIGMA

  The SIGMA is the latest self-propelled howitzer (SPH) developed by Elbit America and Oshkosh Defense. Produced entirely in the US, the SIGMA is intended to ...

• 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 ...