• Defence Notes

  A full year of continuing resolutions would be ‘devastating’ for defence plans, warns US senator

  8th December 2023

  The chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations alerted that a full year of continuing resolutions would force the Pentagon to freeze 330 new programmes including the B-21 stealth bomber, C3BM developments and shipbuilding projects.

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing secures $271 million to advance modernisation of US Special Operations' MH-47G Chinook

  11th December 2023

  Boeing has clinched a major contract modification to further its backing of the US Special Operations Command’s MH-47G Chinook aircraft modernisation effort.

• Air Warfare

  Canada buys weaponised MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones

  21st December 2023

  The deal signed between Canada and General Atomics included ground control stations and initial weapons for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, with deliveries expected to commence in 2028.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine receives 14th MV-4 mine clearance vehicle with four more on the way

  11th January 2024

  Dok-ing’s MV-4 is a tracked UGV designed to clear anti-personnel mines and is survivable against anti-tank mines. It is a smaller system, which is able to operate in areas inaccessible to larger platforms.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia delays Mirage procurement, upgrades Sukhoi and F-16 fleet instead

  5th January 2024

  Indonesia's procurement of 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar has been delayed due to financial constraints, redirecting funds towards upgrading its existing fleet of Sukhoi Su-30 and Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Poland places $381 million order for Jelcz tracks

  22nd December 2023

  South Korea’s Hanwha Defence confirmed in November 2022 that Poland had placed an order for 218 K239s and 23,000 rockets in a contract estimated at US$6.1 billion. In February 2019 the Polish government announced its intention to sign a contract for HIMARS worth $414 million.

• Land Warfare

  Kongsberg to supply more air defence systems to Lithuania

  14th December 2023

  The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) was originally developed by Kongsberg and Raytheon to meet the requirements of the Royal Norwegian Air Force but is now in service with 13 countries.

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems receives funding as part of US drive to boost chip manufacture

  11th December 2023

  The US Government has been pushing to improve semiconductor and micro-chip manufacture within its borders – a key policy of the Biden government – and the funding will boost BAE Systems’ capabilities in the field.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed rolls out first Belgian F-35 but software hitch delays homecoming

  11th December 2023

  Lockheed Martin has unveiled Belgium’s inaugural F-35, however, Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software setbacks have kept the fighter in the US which has impacted deployment and training plans.

• Air Warfare

  Can Finland’s F-35 maintenance strategy ensure defence readiness?

  21st December 2023

  As Finland gears up to receive its Lockheed Martin F-35A fleet, a meticulous focus on advanced maintenance strategies has taken centre stage, offering the prospect of enhanced defence preparedness in an evolving security landscape.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to upgrade Romanian air defence artillery systems

  2nd January 2024

  Romania is one of several countries near Ukraine and Russia which have recently signed contracts for improved air defence equipment alongside Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

• Land Warfare

  DroneShield unveils new DoD-tested ruggedised tactical controller

  19th December 2023

  DroneShield has produced C-UAS solutions ranging from handheld DroneGun jammer to the larger detect-and-defeat device DroneSentry-X.

• Naval Warfare

  Austal USA awarded $867 million for three hospital ships

  22nd December 2023

  The US Navy’s new Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) will be designated Bethesda Class EMS and first of class will be called USNS Bethesda.

• Training

  US Army to increase soldiers' AI use with new app

  12th December 2023

  Game-If-AI uses artificial intelligence and gamification techniques to train skills and competencies to build, interact with or manage systems.

• Air Warfare

  Poland receives first batch of FA-50GF Fighting Eagle jets

  2nd January 2024

  Poland's acquisition of 48 FA-50 advanced trainer and light fighters from KAI has culminated in the formal display of a dozen FA-50 Block 10 jets by the Polish Air Force.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 [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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH [USA]

  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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle [USA]

  Background The JLTV, HMMWV, and ISV constitute the US Army’s Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) fleet. The US Army has evaluated the ISV as part of ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...