• Defence Helicopter

  PLA shows wide-body Z-8 and new helicopter missile

  25th August 2020

  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has begun fielding a wide-body variant of the Z-8 helicopter built by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC). By midyear, approximately six of …

• Training

  JP9711-1 clears PDR hurdle

  28th July 2020

  The Australian Department of Defence’s JP9711-1 Core Simulation Capability (CSimC) has taken a major step forward by passing its Preliminary Design Review (PDR).  The CSimC …

• Special Operations

  US Army picks Airbus to modernise special operations aircraft

  10th August 2020

  Airbus DS Military Aircraft Inc has received a maximum $10 million contract for sustainment and modernisation of five C-212-200 aircraft operated by US Army Special Operations …

• Defence Notes

  Cyprus and France implement defence pact

  7th August 2020

  A military cooperation deal between Cyprus and France came into effect on 1 August. The Cyprus-France Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in April 2017, covers enhanced …

• Digital Battlespace

  ​USN orders integrated air and missile defence radars from Raytheon

  20th July 2020

  US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Missiles & Defense a $125.88 million contract modification to provide six Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) low-rate initial …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leidos gains more work on Saturn Arch

  6th August 2020

  US Army Contracting Command on 5 August awarded Leidos an $11.92 million contract modification for continued system operations, sustainment services and test and training services …

• Air Warfare

  Second Israeli F-35 squadron is now operational

  10th August 2020

  The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has assigned operational status to its second F-35I Adair squadron, following a final fitness inspection last week. Having undergone six …

• Training

  SCARS moves out of the blocks

  29th June 2020

  An L3 Harris Link Training and Simulation-led team has won the battle to secure the USAF's prestigious Simulator Common Architecture Requirements and Standards (SCARS) contract.  …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop continues AESA SABR upgrade for F-16s

  22nd June 2020

  Northrop Grumman is to provide more AESA radars for USAF F-16 aircraft under a $18.73 million contract modification, the DoD announced on 19 June. Work …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ball to help develop IRREL improvements

  10th July 2020

  Ball Aerospace is to assist USAF efforts to improve its Infrared Radiation Effects Laboratory (IRREL), under a $7.68 million contract announced by the DoD on …

• Land Warfare

  Lynx procurement plan typifies Hungarian ambitions

  24th August 2020

  The potential procurement of KF41 Lynx IFVs by the Hungarian government for €2 billion (US$2.4 billion), signalled on 17 August in an agreement with Rheinmetall, is significant …

• Training

  USAF rises to training challenge with plan to network simulators

  19th June 2020

  At this year’s Training and Simulation Industry Symposium (TSIS), held virtually for the first time on 16-18 June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USAF …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army gears up for new round of RQ-7B Shadow Block III tests

  13th August 2020

  The US Army will soon move to a RQ-7B Shadow Block III Follow-On Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E;) phase as it looks to bolster capabilities …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Army invests in UGVs with new contracts

  11th August 2020

  Australia has announced significant investment of A$12.2 million ($8.7 million) in industry contracts for autonomous vehicles and emerging technologies. The money will go on experimentation, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Netherlands introduces EW-modified Bushmaster

  2nd July 2020

  The Royal Netherlands Army confirmed on 1 July that it has converted one of its in-service Bushmaster 4x4 vehicles into an EW variant. The Multirole EW …

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 ...