• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2016: USAF introduces first HH-60G OLR helicopter

  30th June 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) has introduced the first of 21 HH-60G Pave Hawk Operational Loss Replacement (OLR) helicopters, it was announced on 28 June. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris to provide EW payloads to US Navy

  29th June 2016

  Harris has been awarded a $27 million order to provide maritime electronic warfare (EW) payloads for the US Naval Research Laboratory’s Advanced Decoy Architecture Project …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon GPS OCX ticking along

  29th June 2016

  Raytheon has achieved a new milestone in the development of the US Air Force's (USAF) Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System, or GPS …

• Digital Battlespace

  AN/TPQ-53 radar tracks UAS

  29th June 2016

  The AN/TPQ-53 counter-fire radar has demonstrated its ability to identify and track UAS and pass that information to a command and control (C2) node, providing …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy installs AN/SPY-6 radar at ARDEL

  28th June 2016

  An AN/SPY-6 radar has been installed at the US Navy's Advanced Radar Development Evaluation Laboratory (ARDEL) at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), it was …

• Digital Battlespace

  MUOS-5 responding to ground control

  28th June 2016

  Lockheed Martin's fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-5) satellite has been successfully launched into space and is responding to the US Naval Spacecraft Operations Control …

• Digital Battlespace

  Per Vices new SDR for radar applications

  27th June 2016

  Per Vices has introduced a new software defined radio for radar applications called Crimson the Next Generation (Crimson TNG). Crimson TNG is a high performance …

• Defence Helicopter

  MD 530F shipment arrives in Kabul

  27th June 2016

  A shipment of five additional rotorcraft from MD Helicopters arrived in the Afghan capital on 17 June.  The MD 530F Cayuse Warrior scout helicopters will …

• Naval Warfare

  MDA to deliver Polar Epsilon 2 to Canada

  22nd June 2016

  MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates has signed a CAD 48.5 million ($37.8 million) contract with the Canadian government for the delivery of Polar Epsilon 2 (PE2) …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems to supply LockNESS maritime defence system to US

  22nd June 2016

  BAE Systems has received a $3.9 million contract for the development of a customised variant of the company’s Lock-on Naval Electro-optic/infrared Sensor System (LockNESS) maritime …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon achieves two milestones in development of GPS OCX

  22nd June 2016

  Raytheon has cleared both a critical design review and a qualification milestone as part of its development of the US Air Force's (USAF) Global Positioning …

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory: New SIGINT for UK SF

  21st June 2016

  UK Special Forces are understood to have become the first customer for L-3 Linkabit’s latest tactical signals intelligence (SIGINT) system, the PRD-13(V)3 which provides an …

• Land Warfare

  Safran wins Middle East Uliss 30XP contract

  21st June 2016

  Safran Electronics & Defense has received a contract from an undisclosed Middle East customer for the supply of Uliss 30XP topographic positioning systems for an …

• Defence Helicopter

  GECO Puma MSS FOC on track

  17th June 2016

  Inzpire Ltd has announced that the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) two Puma squadrons, part of Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), are shortly to announce final operating …

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: VULCANO gets more precise

  17th June 2016

  Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s VULCANO weapon system will feature Rockwell Collins’ NavFire Precision Positioning Service (PPS) GPS, according to a 13 June company statement from Rockwell Collins. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Counter-Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) Framework Agreement [UK]

  Background The UK intends to place a Closed Framework Agreement for the procurement of Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS). It requires solutions to detect, track, identify, record/communicate, and ...

• Static/towed guns

  Ground-Based, Medium-Calibre Gun Weapon System [US]

  Background In September 2026, the USAF issued a request for information (RFI) for a ground-based air defence system (GBAD) centred on a medium-calibre gun. This RFI ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [USAF]

  Background First order Following a development that began in 1998, in October 2002, the USAF ordered the first four MQ-9s of the production series. In ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20B Puma [USAF]

  Background Requirement According to Trace Stevenson, the AeroVironment (AV) Vice President and product line general manager, the USAF Security Forces required a small UAV to ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX [Iraq]

  Programme Background Between 2009 and 2015 Iraq was supplied with at 26 Bell 407s as part of the reconstruction of the Iraqi Air Force. The ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Military UAS - MALE

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

  Background Requirements The programme’s requirements are based on the USAF’s belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  Background In 2010, the USAF announced the replacement of the HH-60G with a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), and in 2012, the request for proposals ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX (2025-2026) [USA]

  Methodology Units required Based off the FY2027 USAF budget request, between FY2025 and FY2026, the U.S. Air Force received funding for 40 F-15EX platforms. Congress ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  RF-4C

  The RF-4C is a tactical reconnaissance aircraft developed based on the F-4 Phantom II by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet the requirements of the USAF ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-4 Phantom II family

  The F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat multirole fighter developed originally by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet USN interceptor requirements. It soon became a unified ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  SurSAR

  The Surveillance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SurSAR) is a coherent surveillance and imaging radar developed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is derived from UPD-8/9 systems ...

• EW test systems

  CEESIM

  The Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) family of simulators is designed for use in development, T&E;, maintenance and training support of airborne, land, shipboard and ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS)

  The F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS) is an integrated defence system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed for the F-15, F-15K and F-15E ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SECT

  The Simulator for Electronic Combat Training (SECT) is a device that blends high-fidelity equipment, environmental and EW simulation with a computer-based training engine, auto-evaluation and scoring ...

• Data links

  MIDS LVT-3 FDL

  For the MIDS LVT-3 Fighter Data Link (FDL) the USAF sought lower volume and cost than Class 1 and 2 JTIDS. The contract was awarded ...

• Land: battle management systems

  C4I Connect

  C4I Connect is a voice communications system for battlefield C2. It is a large-scale, divisional/regional system that manages voice sessions in the tactical battle area, ...

• Air: mission management systems

  9Air C4I

  9Air C4I provides an air C2 capability ranging from air operations level to real-time execution in a mobile environment. It is a net-centric system that ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALR-94

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-94 electronic countermeasures (ECM) system forms a key part of the self-protection suite of the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor combat ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALR-56C

  The AN/ALR-56C is a radar warning receiver manufactured by BAE Systems. It is designed to share data regarding radar threats with the aircraft's BAE Systems' ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/ALQ-165 ASPJ

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/ALQ-165(V) Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ) is a widely used radar jammer and is deployed on an array of combat aircraft. The system ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  RF-7800W

  The RF-7800W-OU440 high-capacity LoS radio has an IP design that operates from 4.4-5GHz. This provides connectivity at distances over 50km and extending WANs and LANs ...

• Air: mission management systems

  DACCS

  Divisional Artillery Command and Control System (DACCS) integrates division artillery C4I with battalion C4I, making fire control an integral part of the C4I distribution network. ...