• Defence Notes

  China goes ballistic in South China Sea

  28th August 2020

  China fired four of its most capable conventional ballistic missiles into the South China Sea from bases in mainland China on 26 August. Most commentators saw these …

• Defence Helicopter

  Industry partners ink T55 deal in hot pursuit of German heavy-lift win

  18th September 2020

  Boeing, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce have jointly reached an agreement for T55 engine in-service support as part of a wider CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter offer to …

• Training

  Kavkaz-2020 exercise will involve Belarus

  11th September 2020

  Belarusian troops will join a major Russian military exercise to be held in late September. Russian Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen Alexander Fomin (pictured) told …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leidos to help improve F/A-18 electronic countermeasures

  28th August 2020

  Leidos has been awarded a $58.91 million contract modification by US Naval Air Systems Command, to develop adaptive radar countermeasure software and firmware (ARC SW/FW) …

• Training

  Brazilian Air Force seeks to integrate its simulators

  7th September 2020

  The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is currently running two projects to integrate its simulators and to increase its inventory: Integrated Simulators for Military Air Operations …

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders more Archerfish mine neutralisers

  21st September 2020

  BAE Systems has been awarded a contract worth up to £87 million ($111.69 million) by the US DoD to manufacture and deliver Archerfish mine neutralisers …

• Digital Battlespace

  S2 to work on EM spectrum receiver for USN

  27th August 2020

  DARPA has selected S2 Corporation to build and demonstrate a prototype broadband electro-magnetic (EM) spectrum receiver system. A $9 million contract from the Naval Information …

• Training

  Ukraine shows interest in the Super Tucano

  8th September 2020

  Ukraine may cut its fleet of L-39 Albatros jet trainers in favour of more modern aircraft such as the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano.  The Ukrainian …

• Defence Helicopter

  Montenegro accepts first Bell 505

  18th September 2020

  The Montenegro Air Force accepted its first Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, with another to follow under a €3.3 million ($3.69 million) order with Bell …

• Training

  Reliance to support Atlantic test ranges

  3rd September 2020

  Reliance Test and Technology has received a $78.08 million contract for research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E;), engineering, fleet support and management support services for …

• Land Warfare

  Spain seeks grenade launcher ammunition

  16th September 2020

  The Spanish Army Contracting Board has opened a tender on a €4.87 million ($5.77 million), four-year framework agreement to procure 40x53 mm ammunition for the …

• Training

  4GD delivers to US SOF

  2nd September 2020

  UK-based immersive dismounted close combat training specialists 4GD recently delivered another major project to the SOF community in the US. This US system is a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Fully modernised UH-60V takes flight

  15th September 2020

  The US Army claims to have passed a significant milestone in its $1.1 billion UH-60V Black Hawk programme, with the first flight on 11 September …

• Training

  AFSPECWAR training and support attracts two more companies

  2nd September 2020

  US firms Quantico Tactical and Rapid Response Defense Systems are to provide equipment, training and product support to approximately 3,500 Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) …

• Training

  Training for the Future Capability Profile (Studio)

  1st September 2020

  The world of work is changing, with COVID-19 and emerging technologies accelerating existing trends in defence and wider afield. Raytheon UK believes the training sector …

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 - 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 ...

• 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 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 - 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, ...

• 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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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: 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 ...

• Subsystems: software, Subsystems: visual

  SimuSphere HD

  SimuSphere HD immerses fast jet pilots in a virtual training environment claimed to be equivalent to real-world flying missions. As part of L3Harris Technologies' HD ...