• Defence Notes

  UK ambitions fail to bridge the gap to fiscal reality

  18th February 2021

  In a changing world some things stay the same, such as the MoD’s tendency to overcommit itself financially. Can the ministry avoid lurching from one financial crisis to another in the decade ahead?

• Air Warfare

  Fifth RAF Poseidon touches down at Lossiemouth

  3rd February 2021

  RAF MPA fleet is now over halfway to full strength.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Callen-Lenz Mosquito omission is a tale of the unexpected

  27th January 2021

  In an odd twist, Callen-Lenz has been omitted from Team Mosquito — the industry collaboration contracted to design and manufacture a low-cost, 'loyal wingman' type UAV for the RAF.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-9B to show off its capabilities in UK

  4th February 2021

  A demonstration programme is expected to begin in July 2021.

• Air Warfare

  Egypt solves its SCALP problem

  9th February 2021

  An issue around selling a missile with US components seems to have been solved — either the US relented or MBDA was able to source an alternative.

• Defence Notes

  UK delays FCAS Outline Business Case submission

  7th January 2021

  A key milestone for the UK's Future Combat Air System programme has not yet been met.

• Training

  CAE touted to provide training services for RAF

  27th January 2021

  CAE is to be brought under contract from Boeing Defence UK to provide training services at RAF Lossiemouth for the RAF's Poseidon MRA1 aircraft. A contract award is expected in late February.

• Training

  New Zealand to receive P-8A STE

  8th February 2021

  A P-8A Poseidon Operational Flight Trainer (OFT), Weapons Tactics Trainer and other equipment are scheduled for delivery to RNZAF Base Ohakea in 2023.

• Military Logistics

  F-35 sustainment continues at RAF Marham

  18th January 2021

  BAE Systems acts as industry lead for Lightning Team UK.

• Land Warfare

  UK tests robot for chemical reconnaissance

  19th January 2021

  The fully autonomous Merlin UGV was developed to detect and report chemical agents over large areas in order to protect ground troops and help them to deal with hazardous scenarios. It was successfully tested by the UK MoD.

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit supports UK target acquisition effort

  21st January 2021

  Elbit Systems UK wins place on Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators programme.

• Defence Notes

  UK pushes back on Chinese E-7 spy fears

  19th January 2021

  Links between China and repurposed Boeing 737 aircraft are not thought to represent a national security threat for the UK, despite a national newspaper suggesting otherwise.

• Defence Helicopter

  UK rules out FLRAA as Puma helicopter successor

  21st January 2021

  Publication of the Integrated Review should provide a clear idea of how the UK will renew medium-lift rotary capabilities — but it has opted not to rely on US support.

• Training

  CAE team expands KC-135 training

  13th January 2021

  With a new eight-year extension to its KC-135 training service contract, CAE USA becomes the only incumbent to win a major aircrew training service re-compete in the last decade.

• Defence Notes

  Rolls-Royce to pioneer ‘highly electric architectures’ for Tempest

  8th December 2020

  Fully electric propulsion is unfeasible for the UK's Tempest Future Combat Air System, so Rolls-Royce has come up with an alternative.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B UK

  The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 billion), covering ...

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

  FCAS Loyal Wingman [UK]

  Programme Background FCAS Loyal Wingman Tim Martin reported for Shephard in December 2021 that the international partners involved in the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Tempest programme ...

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

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

  Programme Background Project Mosquito Beginning in 2019, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

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

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M (UK)

  RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 when ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Programme Background 2021 FMS Announcement In October 2018, the US State Department approved a $3.5 billion FMS of 16 CH-47 Chinooks fitted with extended-range fuel tanks ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9As in the RAF's inventory with the new, improved MQ-9Bs. With MQ-9B delivering a UK Sovereign capability for ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

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

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• 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.

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  Engineering and Maintenance Training

  BAE Systems designs and delivers engineering and maintenance training, with the ability to provide a package to address the needs of all personnel ranging from ...

• ISR/special mission, Trainer

  TC-135S/W

  The TC-135S and TC-135W are training aircraft developed by Boeing based on the EC-135 to provide crew training for RC-135S Cobra Ball optical and electronic ...