• 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.

• 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.

• 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

  Defence AI company Helsing envisions benefits for ASW, amplifying sensor capabilities

  24th July 2023

  According to defence AI company Helsing, the technology could improve how navies conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.

• 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.

• 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.

• Naval Warfare

  How serious a threat is North Korea's nuclear-armed navy?

  8th September 2023

  As well as splurging on ballistic weapons, North Korea has been developing submarines and surface combatants capable of firing nuclear-tipped missiles. Largely based on outdated designs, do they nonetheless pose a serious regional threat?

• 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

• 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.

• Defence Notes

  Is the Pentagon ready to confront biological threats?

  4th September 2023

  The Pentagon recently released its Biodefense Posture Review and has also requested over $1 billion in its FY2024 budget proposal to fund capabilities and readiness to face chemical and biological threats.

• 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.

• 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.

• Naval Warfare

  HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding launches latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

  16th August 2023

  Ingalls Shipbuilding has launched the USN's third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), bringing it one step closer to service entry.

• Defence Notes

  Ukraine and Taiwan? What the US will spend Biden's extra 40.1 billion defence dollars on

  23rd August 2023

  The additional budget proposal addresses critical needs for emergency funding for the Pentagon, partners and allies.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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 ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawks [Norway]

  Programme Background NH90 NFH cancellation  The Norwegian government announced the termination of the NH90 NFH helicopter contract for 14 NH90s with NHIndustries in June 2022. Seahawk Acquisition ...

• Military - USVs

  MUSV [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements In March 2026, the US announced it would be replacing its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) programme with a Medium Uncrewed Surface ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey (Navy and Marine Corps) [USA]

  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 helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Taiwan operates seven MD500 helicopters, acquired in 1977, from ex-US Chi Yang-class (Knox) frigates that are being decommissioned after 40-year service life. The ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

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

  Background 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Navy) (Batch 2) [US]

  Background According to the FY2021 budget request, the USN funded three JLTVs in FY2018, eight in FY2019, 19 in FY2020 and 25 in FY2021. In ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 2) [US]

  Background The USMC was originally expected to procure 15,400 JLTVs to replace all of its HMMWVs on a like-for-like basis. In 2023, AM General unseated ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-3 Sea King

  The SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine, amphibious, multirole helicopter developed for the USN as a shipborne ASW platform. The initial prototype made its first ...

• Military - USVs

  Sea Hunter

  Sea Hunter is an autonomous Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) developed by Leidos for the US Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR). The USN designates the 40m long trimaran ...

• Military - USVs, Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Milkor ASW

  The Milkor ASW vessel is intended to perform underwater operations against submarine threats. In addition to this, the boat can also be prepared to operate ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-22 ALFS

  The AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the USN MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter. It is designed by Raytheon and ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-13F

  The AN/AQS-13F is a long-range active scanning sonar designed by L3Harris for ASW operations.

• Multipurpose missiles

  RPK 6/7

  The RPK family of missiles is developed and produced in Russia, specifically designed for ASW. The RPK-6, also known as Vodopad (Водопад, 'waterfall'), is a ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk-48 Mod 6AT ADCAP

  The Mk-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) is the improved version of the Mk-48 family. Development started with the Mk-48 Mod 5 and continues to the present ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-3 Orion

  Lockheed Martin's P-3 Orion aircraft is a multi-mission maritime aircraft originally developed for use with the United States Navy (USN). The aircraft is optimised for ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  ITAS

  Northrop Grumman is a major producer of tactical information management systems for maritime patrol, ASW, ASuW, SAR and related applications. The Northrop Grumman AN/ASN-150 and ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class (FFG)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Sonobuoys

  AN/SSQ-62F

  The AN/SSQ-62F is a Directional Command Active Sonobuoy System (DICASS) sonobuoy used for detecting and localizing submarines in preparation for attack, it is made by ...

• Frigates

  Bergamini Class (FREMM)

  The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian, European, multipurpose frigate design FREMM (European multi-mission Frigate/Fregata europea multi-missione). For Italy, the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  2800 ASW Patrol Boat

  The 2800 ASW Patrol Boat, developed by Couach, is a vessel designed for ASW operations. Unveiled at the 2022 World Defence Show, the vessel can be ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-2G Super Seasprite

  The SH-2G Super Seasprite is an upgraded version of the SH-2F and has Kaman’s patented servo flap main rotor control system.  Designed to meet the ...