• Air Warfare

  Germany selects consortium to develop key SCAF technologies and ‘remote carriers’

  1st November 2023

  A signed contract between Airbus, FCMS and MBDA will focus on technology maturation, with an emphasis on complementary basic technologies for NGWS and the Future Combat Air System use from 2040.

• Training

  KAI, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and LIG Nex1 to develop naval training solutions

  3rd November 2023

  The Korean defence consortium will aim to provide modern naval training solutions for current and future warships domestically and abroad.

• Naval Warfare

  ThayerMahan wins Office of Naval Research contract to expand capability of autonomous USV

  1st November 2023

  The company has proven success in undersea operations but has been pushing to improve capability and further demonstrate its systems' ability to provide surveillance.

• 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

  Romania cancels Gowind corvette buy, but needs swift new solution for Black Sea security

  22nd August 2023

  The Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MoND) has confirmed that plans to acquire four Gowind 2500 corvettes from French shipbuilder Naval Group have been cancelled.

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky lands $2.7 billion contract for CH-53K helicopters, eight for Israel and 27 for USMC

  25th August 2023

  The USN has awarded Sikorsky a $2.7 billion contract for the production and delivery of 35 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, split between the USMC and Israel, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

• Training

  Kratos wins $16 million Australian UH-60M Black Hawk trainer contract

  31st October 2023

  The contract has covered three different UH-60 Black Hawk trainers that will be used by the ADF Rotary Wing Aircraft Maintenance School in Queensland.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan unveils new FFM frigate with advanced anti-air warfare capabilities

  15th November 2023

  Japan’s ATLA procurement and logistics organisation was present in strength at the Indo-Pacific 2023 exhibition in Sydney from 7-9 November indicating an uplift in the country’s engagement with Australia.

• Training

  US Air Force's largest exercise bolsters combat readiness and joint force integration

  26th July 2023

  Amidst a complex threat environment, this year's Red Flag exercise prioritises joint force operations, agility and aerial refuelling capabilities while preparing for nation-state and non-state actor threats.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Quantum Systems expands UAV family with Twister

  23rd October 2023

  The Twister UAV, which has a flight endurance of 75 minutes and a wingspan of 1.25m, was on display for the first time at AUSA in Washington earlier this month.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: Guardiaris unveils the new generation of its Small Arms Mobile Trainer

  1st December 2023

  SAMT, a laserless, plug-and-play mobile system, can incorporate small arms, anti-tank weapons, military vehicles and remote weapon stations.

• Naval Warfare

  Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?

  28th November 2023

  With funding from the European Defence Fund and partner countries, the European Patrol Corvette programme has an opportunity to become the standard bearer for defence procurement and potentially offer a route forward for naval shipbuilding in Europe.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock wins new contract to support UK Royal Navy Phalanx weapon system

  30th October 2023

  The Phalanx is used on multiple Royal Navy platforms, including the Albion-class landing platform dock, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Type 45 Class destroyer and Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

• Land Warfare

  US Army picks Elbit for JETS II prototype development

  27th October 2023

  The JETS II prototype will be designed to help soldiers prosecute threats in operational environments quickly.

• Air Warfare

  Clear skies ahead: Royal Air Force Typhoons to receive advanced radar and EW upgrade

  5th July 2023

  The ECRS Mk2 radar brings advanced electronic warfare capabilities and potential weapon integration opportunities to the Royal Air Force's multi-mission fighter.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Timeline In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. However, Germany's defence export ban to Saudi ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan

  In 2019, Japan requested to be an official partner in the F-35 programme, but this request was rejected by the Pentagon. The F-35 Joint Strike ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...