• Defence Notes

  Germany injects funding into land, sea and air programmes

  20th April 2021

  Some €600 million is being spent in Germany on a range of defence procurement initiatives.

• Air Warfare

  First Lot 1 production F-15EX set for tests at Eglin

  12th March 2021

  F-15EX will be a ‘key element of our tactical fighter fleet’, says USAF; two out of eight Lot 1 aircraft will be delivered by end of April 2021.

• Naval Warfare

  Becoming a shaft line component provider for navies (sponsored)

  3rd June 2021

  In July 2020, Wärtsilä Marine streamlined its areas of expertise into three businesses focused on engine and fuel technology (Marine Power), software, navigation and simulation (Voyage), and end-to-end manufacturing businesses (Marine Systems). The business formerly known as Wärtsilä Seals & Bearings was brought under the new Marine Systems business line and renamed Wärtsilä Shaft Line Solutions.

• Naval Warfare

  Leonardo to supply guns for Canadian Surface Combatant vessels

  23rd April 2021

  Leonardo will provide Lockheed Martin Canada with four OTO 127/64 LW Vulcano naval guns for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new multirole frigates.

• Training

  SAIC lends simulation expertise to US Army

  8th April 2021

  Five-year deal for SAIC includes delivery of live, virtual and constructive modelling and simulation to the US Army.

• Air Warfare

  India to lease naval helicopters in the interim

  29th April 2021

  With roadblocks in its Naval Utility Helicopter programme, India's Navy sees leasing as a potential stop-gap solution.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan launches first domestically built LPD

  14th April 2021

  Taiwan continues to upgrade its navy with domestically built vessels, and a new LPD is now on the horizon.

• Training

  CAE shakes up the S&T market

  1st March 2021

  CAE has bought the L3 Harris Military Training business that includes Link, L3 Doss and AMI in a move that will provide the Montreal company with added mass as it continues to grow its way out of the COVID-19 crisis.

• Land Warfare

  Modified Msta-S and Orlan-10E go through their paces

  19th April 2021

  Russia hosts another demonstration of the 2S19M1-155 self-propelled howitzer and Orlan-10E UAV for ‘representatives of a foreign customer’.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon picks up new AMRAAM contract

  12th March 2021

  Could the AIM-120 find a place on the next generation of USAF fighters?

• Land Warfare

  Delayed Canadian LAV recce system back on track

  6th May 2021

  The LRSS has suffered delays because of the bankruptcy of a subcontractor to DRS that was supposed to provide the telescopic mast system for the LAV surveillance system.

• Military Logistics

  Osprey makes landmark Mercy landing

  19th April 2021

  MV-22B landing on the flight deck of a US hospital ship is part of a seven-month period of dynamic tests.

• Training

  NFTE builds up a head of steam

  30th March 2021

  As Leonardo and CAE join forces in a JV to operate their International Flight Training School, NATO's Flight Training Europe programme gains traction and is on target to open in 2022.

• Defence Helicopter

  Polish Hoplite replacement plan hits a hitch

  13th April 2021

  Perkoz light helicopter procurement programme is part-suspended less than a year after it was launched.

• Special Operations

  French SOF awaits next VPS 2 batch

  28th April 2021

  An extra 35 special patrol vehicles were ordered for French SOF because of delays in the VLFS programme.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

  Programme Background The F-15EX will be based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Contracted)

  Programme Background USAF is looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDTE configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. F-15EX will replace ageing ...

• 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 ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (USA - Forecast)

  Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

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

  Loyal Wingman (Forecast) [Sweden]

  Programme Background Konceptet Framtidens Stridsflyg (KFS) In May 2024, Saab revealed the initial details of Sweden's Konceptet Framtidens Stridsflyg (KFS), translating to a future fighter aircraft ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The baseline requirements for Increment 2 of the CCA effort are similar to Increment 1, which is covered in a separate entry on Defence ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 [USAF]

  Programme Background On 8 August 2023, Teal Drones announced it had received a $2.6 million deal for 172 Teal 2 UAVs, spare parts and training from ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Other bidders included Sikorsky with HH-60U offer and Sierra Nevada with upgrading offer of UH-60As to UH-60L configuration.In February 2018, Leonardo filed a protest to ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15QA Qatar

  Programme BackgroundOn 17 November 2016, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS of 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for an ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Data links

  Data links | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: maintenance simulators

  F-22 Training Devices

  TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...

• EW Training Support System (Battlelab)

  EW Training Support System is a Training & Simulation Center a leading-edge training facility dedicated to teaching and training personnel in the Electronic Warfare field. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  EX-3 Revenant

  The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USAF KC-135 ATS

  The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-1 Jayhawk

  FlightSafety operates and maintains T-1 training devices as part of its CLS contract. Air Education and Training Command uses these high-fidelity simulators and part-task trainers ...

• Training Services

  GFD (Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung) is an Airbus subsidiary providing target demonstration, live EW training, forward air controller training, test and evaluation flights. GFD trains German ...

• 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.

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• EW test systems

  JTE

  The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-130H Compass Call

  The EC-130H is an EW aircraft based on the modified C-130H transport aircraft. It is used by the USAF to disrupt enemy command and control communications ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  EW Center

  The Electronic Warfare Center is an operational support system for pre-and post-mission activities. The system handles various types of EW functions (ESM, ECM etc), for ...

• Trainer

  T-38 Talon

  Developed by Northrop Grumman, the T-38 Talon is an advanced trainer aircraft introduced into service in 1961. The T-38 has the same basic airframe as ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  JPRWRS

  The Joint Portable Radar Warning Receiver Stimulator (JPRWRS) has been developed as a method of providing fixed- and rotary-wing aircrews with a low-cost, open-air threat ...

• EW test systems

  ELT A62

  ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-38C Talon

  FlightSafety supports nearly 40 T-38 training devices as part of its contract for logistics support for the T-38. The T-38C is a converted T-38A/B that ...