• Air Warfare

  Ghost Bat drone makes first deployment in latest milestone

  25th June 2025

  In the past 18 months, Boeing’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat uncrewed aerial system (UAS) has achieved several milestones including teaming with manned aircraft, achieving 100 flight hours and training of first military pilot.

• Defence Notes

  Details revealed on Germany’s big spending plans

  28th October 2025

  In May this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the government plans to position Germany as “Europe's strongest conventional army”. A new blueprint outlines how this is going to occur through massive investment.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: First mobility trials completed for British Army Challenger 3 tanks

  11th September 2025

  The mobility trials saw the Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) tested at a variety of locations in the UK, covering a combined 760km across a variety of terrains including road and cross country.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy seeks industry partners to address pressing research needs

  10th June 2025

  The Office of Naval Research will host an Industry Engagement Day in August aiming at building new partnerships and advancing its science and technology initiatives in multiple areas.

• Naval Warfare

  Hanwha commits $5 billion to improving Philadelphia shipyard

  28th August 2025

  Hanwha Group said the cash would be dedicated to boosting the Philadelphia-based shipyard’s capacity and output.

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI nets MQ-9B order from Denmark, with Belgium poised for additional buy

  23rd July 2025

  The acquisition of the MQ-9B UAVs will work to strengthen both Denmark's and Belgium’s defences as well as boost the countries’ contribution to NATO, with Norway also a potential country on the list to buy the aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy's next-gen aircraft contract award expected this week

  25th March 2025

  The F/A-XX programme is the US Navy’s answer to improving air superiority against the rising threat of China in the Indo-Pacific.

• Land Warfare

  Land forces review: howitzers in the spotlight and Germany spends big to close the year

  5th January 2026

  December saw several milestones on the howitzer front with billions of dollars worth of orders placed and Germany committing to more 6×6 and 4×4 vehicles. Taiwan was also approved for equipment orders worth $11 billion even as the year came to an end with China encircling the country as part of an exercise.

• Air Warfare

  Sweden signs contract for $552 million Gripen E/F sale to Thailand

  26th August 2025

  The confirmed order now makes Thailand the third country to operate the Gripen E/F aircraft, after sales to Sweden and Brazil.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing beats out Lockheed to scoop NGAD $20 billion contract

  21st March 2025

  Designated ‘F-47’, the sixth-generation fighter will serve as a replacement for Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor, currently in service with the USAF.

• Air Warfare

  US Army progresses with the Flight School Next project

  4th June 2025

  A special procurement notice for the Flight School Next was issued this week as potential suppliers step up their efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Why is the US far behind Russia and China in the space warfare domain?

  21st April 2025

  While Beijing and Moscow have been working on anti-satellite weapons at an accelerated speed, Washington still does not have capabilities to defeat them, with one US legislator describing the situation as “the Cuban Missile Crisis in space”.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer eyes industrial partnerships as it maintains “strong” European C-390 momentum

  10th June 2025

  The company’s Defence and Security CEO said that C-390 momentum was strong in the continent, as the manufacturer looks to lock down critical strategic European campaigns, industrial partnerships and ongoing orders.

• Land Warfare

  The science of soldier safety: How Team Wendy Is reinventing the modern military helmet

  8th June 2026

  When soldiers head into the field, the helmet on their head can mean the difference between life and death. But while helmets may look simple from the outside, the technology inside them is anything but. Few companies illustrate this better than Team Wendy, whose newest bump helmet — the RECON™ Tactical — shows just how far modern head protection has come.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Still no order from British Army or Germany for RCH 155 Boxers

  11th September 2025

  The first customer for the RCH 155 artillery system on the Boxer platform is Ukraine, which has already started to take delivery of the first of 54 systems from KNDS Deutschland. There is still no contract from Germany or the UK, while Hanwha continues to say it can supply its K9 system at short notice.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  Background In 2010, the USAF announced the replacement of the HH-60G with a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), and in 2012, the request for proposals ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX (2020) [USA]

  Programme Background The F-15EX is based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX [USA]

  Programme Background The United States Air Force (USAF) was looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDT&E; configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 [USAF]

  Programme Background On 8 August 2023, Teal Drones announced it had received a $2.6 million deal for 172 Teal 2 UAVs, spare parts and training from ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme’s requirements are based on the USAF’s belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Background  Competing bids In competition with the Boeing/Leonardo bid was Sikorsky with a HH-60U offer, and Sierra Nevada with an upgrading offer of UH-60As to ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Electronic Warfare (EW) UAV [US Army]

  Background Army evaluations In May 2026, the US Army evaluated CX2’s Wraith rotary-wing UAV during Exercise Ivy Mass at Fort Carson. The evaluation was conducted in support ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-X / T-7A Red Hawk [USAF]

  Background On 27 September 2018, it was announced that the Boeing-Saab team had been awarded a contract for the programme. The initial contract was worth $813 million ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Data links

  Data links | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (1-2) [USA]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: maintenance simulators

  F-22 Training Devices

  TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...

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

  EX-3 Revenant

  The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USAF KC-135 ATS

  The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-1 Jayhawk

  FlightSafety operates and maintains T-1 training devices as part of its CLS contract. Air Education and Training Command uses these high-fidelity simulators and part-task trainers ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• EW test systems

  JTE

  The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-130H Compass Call

  The EC-130H is an EW aircraft based on the modified C-130H transport aircraft. It is used by the USAF to disrupt enemy command and control communications ...

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• Trainer

  T-38 Talon

  Developed by Northrop Grumman, the T-38 Talon is an advanced trainer aircraft introduced into service in 1961. The T-38 has the same basic airframe as ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-38C Talon

  FlightSafety supports nearly 40 T-38 training devices as part of its contract for logistics support for the T-38. The T-38C is a converted T-38A/B that ...

• EW test systems

  ELT A62

  ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

• Subsystems: software, Subsystems: visual

  SimuSphere HD

  SimuSphere HD immerses fast jet pilots in a virtual training environment claimed to be equivalent to real-world flying missions. As part of L3Harris Technologies' HD ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  JPRWRS

  The Joint Portable Radar Warning Receiver Stimulator (JPRWRS) has been developed as a method of providing fixed- and rotary-wing aircrews with a low-cost, open-air threat ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  KC-46A ATS

  FlightSafety supports the USAF aircrew training program for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. The program delivers a multi-faceted training package to the USAF from design, ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  C-17 Globemaster III MTS

  TRU Simulation and Training C-17 Maintenance Training System (MTS) supports training needs for this complex computerised aircraft. The MTS provides skill development for more than 1,100 ...