• Naval Warfare

  HII awarded contract to build UUVs for US Navy Lionfish programme

  12th October 2023

  HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) is to supply nine small UUVs (SUUVs) for the US Navy’s Lionfish programme which could lead to acquisition of as many as 200 platforms with a potential value of $347 million.

• Training

  Rheinmetall-led next-gen training solution wins EU backing

  19th October 2023

  The FEDERATES consortium will aim to create a distributed synthetic simulation environment, fostering collaboration in a networked digital ecosystem similar to NATO's MSaaS.

• Naval Warfare

  NZ navy receives three Littoral Manoeuvre Craft

  25th October 2023

  New Zealand's navy has received three high-speed craft purchased specifically to support mine warfare and reconnaissance teams.

• Naval Warfare

  French Navy frigate gap closes as La Fayette-class upgrade programme nears completion

  17th October 2023

  The modernisation programme for three of the French Navy’s five La Fayette-class frigates will ensure the service maintains a minimum force of 15 frigates and destroyers ahead of the introduction of the new new Admiral Ronarc’h-class (FDI) frigates.

• Digital Battlespace

  Interoperability: The Vital Ingredient for NATO’s Future Success (Studio)

  10th October 2023

  The lens of multi-domain operations is sharpening, and software-driven communication choices, deeper integration, and innovative technology are increasingly crucial. Companies like L3Harris are enabling a new age of international collaboration by emphasising NATO-standardised interoperability.

• Defence Notes

  UK watchdog reveals $22 billion hole in military equipment plan

  4th December 2023

  The UK National Audit Office (NAO) has delivered a scathing evaluation of the MoD's Equipment Plan for 2023–33, revealing a nearly £17 billion 'blackhole' in the budget.

• Naval Warfare

  Hensoldt wins order to provide more TRS-3D multi-mode naval radars to US Coast Guard

  25th September 2023

  Hensoldt will deliver another TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode naval radar to be installed on a USC Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) under a $10 million contract which is in addition to the 12 already delivered for the ships.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin's Next Generation Interceptor completes preliminary design review

  17th October 2023

  Lockheed Martin's Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) will offer a new, advanced interceptor to protect the US homeland against long-range ballistic missile threats.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Hanwha K9 Thunder becomes ‘best-selling’ 155mm SP artillery system

  18th October 2023

  Hanwha’s K9 Thunder customers are considering upgrading their equipment to the K9A2 following the South Korean Army’s example.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin awarded contract for 300kW laser weapon systems

  11th October 2023

  Lockheed Martin has secured a contract to develop and deliver up to four 300kW-class laser weapon systems for the US Army's Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) prototype programme.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Quantum Systems expands UAV family with Twister

  23rd October 2023

  The Twister UAV, which has a flight endurance of 75 minutes and a wingspan of 1.25m, was on display for the first time at AUSA in Washington earlier this month.

• Naval Warfare

  Is the end in sight for Canada’s painful Joint Support Ship procurement journey?

  1st November 2023

  The launch of the second of two new Joint Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy has represented steps forward on a project that has suffered huge delays due to supply chain issues and the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Canada's DND.

• Digital Battlespace

  Leidos to support DoD Joint Staff C2 system under $74 million contract

  22nd September 2023

  Leidos has been awarded a five-year, $74 million contract to provide analytical and engineering support for Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) to the US DoD Joint Staff (JS) J6 Joint Assessment Division (JAD).

• Air Warfare

  Four more US Air National Guard wings to receive C-130J Super Hercules

  19th September 2023

  The USAF has selected four Air National Guard Airlift wings as the preferred locations to receive C-130J Super Hercules to replace the ageing C-130Hs.

• Land Warfare

  Boeing-Nammo Ramjet 155 sets new distance as companies plan to add guidance system

  10th October 2023

  The results of the latest test were announced on 9 October and follow a previous record which was set in May last year.

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 ...