• Naval Warfare

  Ingalls Shipbuilding obtains LHA 9 modification

  20th April 2021

  Huntington Ingalls Industries has received an advance procurement contract modification from the USN for LHA 9.

• Land Warfare

  Marine Corps explores potential of ship-killing NMESIS

  7th April 2021

  USMC eyes a fleet of robotic JLTVs armed with long-range missiles to sink ships.

• Military Logistics

  Exoskeleton technology closer than ever to hitting the market

  15th April 2021

  Sarcos Defence, a subsidiary of Sarcos Robotics, could be ready to deliver the Guardian DX defence robot as early as Q3 next year.

• Air Warfare

  Interview: Commander Air, HMS Queen Elizabeth (Studio)

  15th April 2021

  The capabilities of the F-35B Lightning II is a critical component of the UK’s new carrier strike capability, according to Cdr Edward Phillips, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commander Air.

• Air Warfare

  Stratotanker pod upgrade points towards ABMS

  14th April 2021

  Modified KC-135s will play their part in developing a military Internet of Things for the US.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to improve Arctic mobility

  15th April 2021

  Following the publication of its strategy paper 'Regaining Dominance in the Arctic', the US Army is pushing ahead with efforts to improve mobility. It is moving ahead with the Cold weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) project to address shortfalls in manoeuvre capability.

• Air Warfare

  Japan to deploy F-35Bs at Nyutabaru

  6th April 2021

  F-35B fighters belonging to both the US and Japan will be stationed on Japanese soil.

• Defence Notes

  UK Indo-Pacific tilt risks obscuring importance of Middle East

  27th April 2021

  The special naval relationship between the UK and US could be jeopardised if the former focuses too much on the Indo-Pacific region by drawing resources away from the strategically important Arabian Gulf.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia narrows field for the next naval UAV

  25th March 2021

  The Australian navy's effort to adopt a new shipborne UAV takes a step forward.

• Defence Helicopter

  USMC thinks hard about cutting CH-53K King Stallion numbers

  12th March 2021

  The USMC is weighing up whether or not to reduce CH-53K heavy-helicopter numbers but a decision on that front has not been taken in line with schedule.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan mulls a successor to Oosumi-class transport vessels

  19th March 2021

  The JMSDF will have to replace its Oosumi-class transport vessels, but their replacement does not seem to have been given the priority it deserves.

• Training

  US report delivers wake-up call for CAS training

  11th March 2021

  The GAO has criticised the way that the US DoD undertakes its close air support training, noting a lack of monitoring and using contractor aircraft that do not represent in-service platforms.

• Defence Notes

  NATO eyes 5G but proceeds with caution

  19th March 2021

  NATO is exploring the potential of 5G for fast and effective military communication through secure networks. However, the alliance lacks a specific policy and strategy for 5G, and a balance must be struck between the opportunities and threats that the technology presents.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK investment in Switchblade loitering munitions revealed

  17th March 2021

  UK interest in loitering munitions is growing, with confirmation in a new US DoD contract that it has invested in the AeroVironment Switchblade weapons system.

• Land Warfare

  USMC receives first test ACV-C

  18th February 2021

  Command variant of Amphibious Combat Vehicle is designed to enhance situational awareness for USMC.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Procurement (USMC) [US]

  Programme Background The USMC is expected to procure 10,859 JLTVs to replace all of its HMMWVs on a like-for-like basis. Since the USMC has already ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 2) [USA]

  Programme Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 3) [USA]

  Programme Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 4) [USA]

  Programme Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ...

• 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, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Mounted (OPF-M) [USMC]

  Programme Background Armed Vehicles In June 2021, Shephard reported that the USMC had selected the HERO-120 for the OPF-M programme. The USMC planned to integrate ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) [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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 2) [USMC]

  Background MUX Since 2016, the USMC has sought to acquire a UAV that can be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions, and fly ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  US Navy has ordered 122 F-35B aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 202 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 10 and 17 per year ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 1) [USA]

  Programme Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles.  Development of the ACV ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GATR e850 Outdoor Modem

  Cubic’s GATR e850 is a rugged broadband outdoor modem ideal for mobile/transportable communications, based on the iDirect e850 board set. Features include a waterproof enclosure ...

• Individual assault/anti-tank weapons

  M72 LAW FFE

  The M72 Light Assault Weapon Fire from Enclosure (M72 LAW FFE) was developed by Nammo to meet a USMC requirement for a version of the ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom

  Originally planned as a UH-1N Twin Huey upgrade for the USMC, all but the first ten UH-1Ys now use new-build airframes. This new build prevents ...

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

  SeaOnyx

  The SeaOnyx is an in-development cargo-carrying coaxial rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Ledois in partnership with Phenix Solutions.  In April 2023, Leidos announced it had been awarded an ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  LAV-25

  General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has produced derivatives of the Piranha series, branded the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV), since the Canadian Army selected the 6x6 Piranha ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV

  BAE Systems teamed with Iveco Defence to offer a version of Iveco Defence Vehicle's Superav for the USMC's Armored Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1W SuperCobra

  Bell’s AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter was developed from the AH-1T for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The helicopter has been in service since 1986 to ...

• Air: mission management systems

  AFATDS

  Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) is a multi-service (US Army/USMC) joint and combined forces fire support battle command system. It provides automated support ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USMC KC-130J Training Devices

  CAE delivered a KC-130J cockpit avionics part-task trainer to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. The device is used for classroom training of ground maintenance personnel ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1 SeaCobra

  Bell developed the 209/AH-1 SeaCobra on the basis of the US Army’s single-engine AH-1G Cobra as the United States Marine Corps (USMC) determined that a ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  SAIC ACV 1.1 prototype

  SAIC unveiled its first prototype for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) 1.1 (Phase 1, Increment 1) project on 21 February 2017. The SAIC prototype is ...

• EO/IR systems

  NTS/NTSA

  The Night Targeting System (NTS) was a joint Israeli Air Force and United States Marine Corps (USMC) program to provide AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters with ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS

  Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control developed the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher to provide the US and allied armies with a ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...