• Digital Battlespace

  FlyingFish gains another NATO end-user

  22nd March 2022

  Airborne interception system is designed to intercept the kind of telecommunication methods currently being used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Dagger arrives in Gibraltar

  4th April 2022

  With its sister boat HMS Cutlass, HMS Dagger will patrol territorial waters around Gibraltar and support UK defence exercises.

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman enhances USN Hueys

  9th March 2022

  The USN has contracted Northrop Grumman to improve the avionics of its AH-1Z and UH-1Y fleets in order to keep the platform flying.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: No surprises as BISim wins DVS2

  27th April 2022

  The DVS2 contract win for BISim highlights that games technology has matured to the point where it has totally eclipsed proprietary image-generation systems as a source of visualisation.

• Naval Warfare

  UK to supply Ukraine with unspecified anti-ship missiles

  12th April 2022

  The commitment to provide Ukraine with anti-ship missile systems came following a surprise visit to Kyiv by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday, 9 April.

• Naval Warfare

  Proposed US Navy FY2023 budget cuts 24 ships, funds nine

  29th March 2022

  The proposed navy budget of $773 billion for the Department of Defense marks a $30.7 billion increase compared to enacted spending for FY 2022.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thales obtains type certification for Spy’Ranger 330

  22nd April 2022

  Type certification enables the French Army to deploy the SMDR1 mini-UAS2 reconnaissance system to overseas theatres of operations without requiring specific flight approvals.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Debut deployment and future capabilities spark MQ-8C export interest

  24th February 2022

  Now that the MQ-8C Fire Scout has entered service and with a variety of new capabilities potentially being integrated on the aircraft, export orders could soon be on their way.

• Naval Warfare

  Blue Shark torpedo is about to gain sharper teeth

  19th April 2022

  South Korea is developing an improved variant of its Blue Shark torpedo, plus it will still order CIWS from the US until a new domestic weapon is available later this decade.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: 4GD to deliver smart urban warfare training targets to the British Army

  28th April 2022

  Intelligent training adversary will add a layer of tactical performance analysis to the SmartFacility currently operated by the British Army.

• Naval Warfare

  HII launches tenth National Security Cutter

  4th April 2022

  The penultimate Legend-class National Security Cutter for the US Coast Guard was launched on 3 April.

• Training

  What to expect at IT²EC 2022 (Sponsored)

  8th March 2022

  IT²EC will bring the military training and simulation community together under one roof at the ExCel Centre, London, on 26-28 April 2022, to once again share knowledge and gain insights into training, simulation and education.

• Training

  Rafael ABS solution to provide unified training

  4th May 2022

  A comprehensive LVC training solution from Rafael allows for complex training scenarios at all levels of operation.

• Training

  USAF issues Bandit design contract for UAV-based red air training

  15th March 2022

  As part of the Bandit programme, Blue Force Technologies will mature a high-performance UAV design for adversary air training with US pilots.

• Land Warfare

  NZ, awaiting new Bushmasters, sells surplus NZLAVs to Chile

  21st April 2022

  New Zealand has been looking to sell off surplus-to-requirement NZLAVs for some time, even more so as it awaits its first Bushmasters later this year.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (11-33) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-27) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• 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 UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to 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 - 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...