• Defence Notes

  US shoots down Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic, debris recovered

  8th February 2023

  The US shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon and initiated efforts to recover the debris from the Atlantic Ocean. Analysis of the debris could inform US export control measures and provide insight into China's supply chain.

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon satellite network will help track hypersonic threats

  3rd March 2023

  Raytheon Technologies  has received an award worth over $250 million to design, develop and deliver a seven-vehicle networked missile tracking satellite constellation from the US Space Development …

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2023: US extends M1 Abrams tank support for MENA operators

  15th February 2023

  General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded additional Foreign Military Sales funds to extend technical support work for M1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, Morocco, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2023: Kuwait seeks new medical capabilities for armed forces

  15th February 2023

  A potential Foreign Military Sales transaction could see Kuwait acquire and integrate a $250 medical information systems for its armed forces.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to receive first AM General JLTVs in Q3 2024

  13th February 2023

  An $8.66 billion follow-on contract has been awarded by the US Army for production of over 20,000 vehicles.

• Land Warfare

  UK inks agreement for Swedish Archer guns and buys Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles

  30th March 2023

  The defence ministers of the UK and Sweden have signed a letter of intent for a contract to supply the British Army with 14 Archer self-propelled guns and announced a deal for Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.

• Air Warfare

  US to deploy drones for chemical and biological threat detection

  14th February 2023

  Teledyne FLIR's SkyRaider UAS will fly autonomous missions to replace handheld sensors used for detecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

• Air Warfare

  Textron delivers special mission Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Belize

  6th March 2023

  The Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft delivered to the Belize Ministry of National Defense and Border Security will fulfil multiple mission sets.

• Air Warfare

  US Army FARA prototypes 95% complete while FLRAA stays on full halt

  13th February 2023

  Sikorsky and Bell helicopter proposals are drawing close to completion for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2023: General Atomics showcases SkyGuardian UAV with Emirati weapons

  20th February 2023

  Pictures showing Halcon weapons on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian indicate that a stalled UAE programme to purchase the UAS is back on.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon Technologies powers Japan’s defence upgrade with innovative counter-strike and air dominance solutions (Studio)

  13th March 2023

  Raytheon Technologies aims to upgrade the counter-strike and air dominance capabilities of Japan and other Asia-Pacific partners in light of a challenging security environment.

• Land Warfare

  Persisent Systems to roll out regional network for US Air Force bases

  3rd March 2023

  Persistent Systems will deliver Infrastructure-based Regional Operation Network (IRON) functionality across three major USAF missile bases to improve situation awareness for security forces.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore firms up option for eight more F-35Bs

  8th March 2023

  With Singapore confirming eight more F-35B fighters, it will eventually have a fleet of 12, plus the possibility of more being added later.

• Air Warfare

  MD Helicopters ramps up production as Nigerian order lands

  8th March 2023

  MD Helicopters is expanding its production line to fulfil a Nigerian Army order for 12 Cayuse Warrior Plus scout/attack helicopters.

• Defence Notes

  Triton UAS connects sea and air assets in interoperability demo

  16th February 2023

  Northrop Grumman has used a Triton UAV to test network gateway technology designed to connect US Navy combat aircraft and surface vessels.

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 ...