• Naval Warfare

  HMS Queen Elizabeth sails for jet trials

  27th January 2020

  HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed for flight trials with UK F-35 Lightning jets in UK waters.The joint Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Lightning Force …

• Training

  UK adds long-overdue helicopter aircrew training capacity

  22nd January 2020

  The UK MoD has signed a £183 million ($240 million) Military Flying Training System (MFTS) contract to add capacity to train rotary-wing pilots, filling a long-overdue shortfall. This …

• Naval Warfare

  Tech demonstrations could be part of Prince of Wales 2021 deployment

  30th January 2020

  The first deployment of HMS Prince of Wales (foreground), second of the UK RN’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, in 2021 could see the platform being used …

• Training

  Dstl opens UK's first wargaming centre

  15th January 2020

  The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has opened the UK’s first dedicated, purpose designed wargaming centre. The Defence Wargaming Centre (DWC), located on Dstl’s …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo UK demonstrates Tempest radar tech

  23rd December 2019

  Leonardo UK has demonstrated new radar receiver/warner technology for the Team Tempest programme.The new sensor, which is 1/10th the size of a standard system, demonstrated …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Make or break time for UK defence

  18th January 2020

  For the British Armed Forces, 2020 began with an abrupt start as the aftermath of the strike by the US military on Iranian Qods Force …

• Defence Notes

  Defence Insight: Future market forecast (Air)

  18th December 2019

  The military fixed-wing sector was dominated by aircraft in 2019 with F-35, next-generation fighter aircraft and AWACs awards hitting the headlines.Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is the …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2019: Lockheed outlines F-35 training and maintenance infrastructure

  3rd December 2019

  Running parallel to the physical development of the F-35 fighter programme, platform manufacturer Lockheed Martin is continuing to work to provide the services operating the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  General Atomics confirms Australian SkyGuardian buy

  6th December 2019

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) confirmed on 4 December that it has been advised that the Australian government has selected its MQ-9B SkyGuardian variant to …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2019: DCS&S success for Pitch

  27th November 2019

  BAE Systems owned Pitch Technologies has been awarded a contract from the UK’s DOTC(A) Core System and Services (DCS&S;) prime contractor, Boeing Defence UK, to …

• Training

  UK on path to fulfil fast jet training gap

  21st November 2019

  One of the issues of buying training systems is that stove-piped procurements can lead to an inability to network devices to fulfil a common, overarching …

• Defence Notes

  RAF Typhoons arrive in Iceland

  14th November 2019

  Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons from 1(Fighter) Squadron have arrived in Iceland to carry out the Icelandic NATO Air Policing Mission.The fighters will spend the …

• Training

  Cobham awarded RAF Lakenheath training contract

  14th November 2019

  Cobham will deliver operational readiness training for RAF Lakenheath under a four-year contract announced on 13 November. Training will include aerial gunnery (live fire) and …

• Defence Notes

  RAF given glimpse of new Poseidon maritime patrol era

  31st October 2019

  A formal UK P-8A Poseidon MRA1 handover ceremony between Boeing and the RAF took place  at the manufacturers assembly facility in Seattle on 29 October, in an …

• Training

  Exercise Bersama Lima 19 concludes

  25th October 2019

  Exercise Bersama Lima 19 has come to an end in Malaysia following 17 days of joint exercises between the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) countries of …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M (UK)

  RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 when ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

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

  LANCA (Loyal Wingman): Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Project Mosquito & Cancellation Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9As in the RAF's inventory with the new, improved MQ-9Bs. With MQ-9B delivering a UK Sovereign capability for ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Data links

  Data links | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• 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.

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Sky Shadow-2

  Leonardo’s Sky Shadow-2 electronic attack pod was designed for the Panavia Tornado-GR4A ground attack aircraft in service with the RAF. 

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  Engineering and Maintenance Training

  BAE Systems designs and delivers engineering and maintenance training, with the ability to provide a package to address the needs of all personnel ranging from ...