• Defence Helicopter

  Insight: Awards and delays dominate air power in 2018

  27th December 2018

  A number of key military contract awards and programme delays throughout 2018 showed that the air domain continues to move along a series of peaks …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to support SPY-6 radar integration

  3rd January 2019

  Raytheon received a $114 million contract in December to provide integration and production support for the AN/SPY-6(V) air and missile defence radar. The contract also …

• Digital Battlespace

  A-50 early warning aircraft upgraded

  4th January 2019

  Rostec and the Beriev Aircraft Company have completed the upgrade of Russia's A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft to the A-50U version, Rostec announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris awarded wideband SATCOM support work

  2nd January 2019

  Harris Corporation received a $218 million follow-on contract from the US Army in December to continue providing mission-essential wideband satellite communications support. Under the Wideband …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon secures UK Shadow deal

  7th January 2019

  UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a £250 million deal to support the RAF’s intelligence-gathering Shadow aircraft fleet, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to replace Royal Navy V/UHF systems

  2nd January 2019

  Thales has received a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence for the design, manufacture, installation and in-service support of V/UHF communications replacements (VCR) across …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore inducts artillery C2 system

  3rd January 2019

  The Singapore Army has quietly introduced an artillery C2 system that digitises target acquisition and the calling of artillery fires. The Defence Science and Technology …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy to evaluate MultiTrak reader

  17th December 2018

  Venture Research has received a contract to supply mobile passive RF identification (pRFID) systems to the US Navy for use at four sites. The contract …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneShield receives order from Zain Group

  28th December 2018

  DroneShield has received an order from Kuwait’s Zain Group for its counter-UAS equipment, the company announced on 18 December. The order follows DroneShield’s announcement of …

• Land Warfare

  Turkey requests Patriot missile system

  24th December 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of Patriot MIM-104E guidance enhanced missiles (GEM-T) and PAC-3 missile segment …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing delivers final upgraded AWACS to NATO

  27th December 2018

  Boeing has delivered the final E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft upgraded with avionics and a digital cockpit to NATO in Manching, Germany, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PAE ISR selects MPU5 for Resolute Eagle

  27th December 2018

  PAE ISR has selected Persistent Systems’ MPU5 Wave Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology for its Resolute Eagle UAS platform, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems receives RFMLS contract from DARPA

  30th November 2018

  BAE Systems has received a $ 9.2 million contract from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Radio Frequency Machine Learning System …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cohort acquires Chess Technologies

  18th December 2018

  Cohort has acquired a majority stake in Chess Technologies, a UK-based integrated fire control and tracking systems provider for military vehicles and naval ships. Chess …

• Digital Battlespace

  Serco receives CANES task orders

  18th December 2018

  Serco has received task orders totalling $46 million as part of the US Navy's Consolidated Afloat Networks Enterprise Services (CANES) IDIQ multiple-award contract. Under the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Counter-Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) Framework Agreement [UK]

  Background The UK intends to place a Closed Framework Agreement for the procurement of Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS). It requires solutions to detect, track, identify, record/communicate, and ...

• Static/towed guns

  Ground-Based, Medium-Calibre Gun Weapon System [US]

  Background In September 2026, the USAF issued a request for information (RFI) for a ground-based air defence system (GBAD) centred on a medium-calibre gun. This RFI ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [USAF]

  Background First order Following a development that began in 1998, in October 2002, the USAF ordered the first four MQ-9s of the production series. In ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20B Puma [USAF]

  Background Requirement According to Trace Stevenson, the AeroVironment (AV) Vice President and product line general manager, the USAF Security Forces required a small UAV to ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX [Iraq]

  Programme Background Between 2009 and 2015 Iraq was supplied with at 26 Bell 407s as part of the reconstruction of the Iraqi Air Force. The ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 (2025-2026) [USA]

  Methodology Units required Based off the FY2027 USAF budget request, between FY2025 and FY2026, the U.S. Air Force received funding for 40 F-15EX platforms. Congress ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  RF-4C

  The RF-4C is a tactical reconnaissance aircraft developed based on the F-4 Phantom II by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet the requirements of the USAF ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-4 Phantom II family

  The F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat multirole fighter developed originally by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet USN interceptor requirements. It soon became a unified ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  SurSAR

  The Surveillance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SurSAR) is a coherent surveillance and imaging radar developed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is derived from UPD-8/9 systems ...

• EW test systems

  CEESIM

  The Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) family of simulators is designed for use in development, T&E;, maintenance and training support of airborne, land, shipboard and ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS)

  The F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS) is an integrated defence system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed for the F-15, F-15K and F-15E ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SECT

  The Simulator for Electronic Combat Training (SECT) is a device that blends high-fidelity equipment, environmental and EW simulation with a computer-based training engine, auto-evaluation and scoring ...

• Data links

  MIDS LVT-3 FDL

  For the MIDS LVT-3 Fighter Data Link (FDL) the USAF sought lower volume and cost than Class 1 and 2 JTIDS. The contract was awarded ...

• Land: battle management systems

  C4I Connect

  C4I Connect is a voice communications system for battlefield C2. It is a large-scale, divisional/regional system that manages voice sessions in the tactical battle area, ...

• Air: mission management systems

  9Air C4I

  9Air C4I provides an air C2 capability ranging from air operations level to real-time execution in a mobile environment. It is a net-centric system that ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALR-94

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-94 electronic countermeasures (ECM) system forms a key part of the self-protection suite of the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor combat ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALR-56C

  The AN/ALR-56C is a radar warning receiver manufactured by BAE Systems. It is designed to share data regarding radar threats with the aircraft's BAE Systems' ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/ALQ-165 ASPJ

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/ALQ-165(V) Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ) is a widely used radar jammer and is deployed on an array of combat aircraft. The system ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  RF-7800W

  The RF-7800W-OU440 high-capacity LoS radio has an IP design that operates from 4.4-5GHz. This provides connectivity at distances over 50km and extending WANs and LANs ...

• Air: mission management systems

  DACCS

  Divisional Artillery Command and Control System (DACCS) integrates division artillery C4I with battalion C4I, making fire control an integral part of the C4I distribution network. ...