• Defence Notes

  USAF begins search to provide F-35A with more punch

  9th January 2020

  The USAF is looking to give a considerable anti-access/area denial capability boost to its fifth-generation fighter jet. It also plans to develop ‘future advanced capabilities’ …

• Land Warfare

  Australia selects Spike LR2​ missile system

  5th February 2020

  The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has selected the Rafael Spike LR2 missile system as its new Long Range Direct Fire Support Weapon capability. To be …

• Training

  RAF F-35s fly for Exercise RED FLAG

  24th January 2020

  Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35 Lightning aircraft from 617 Squadron have departed from RAF Marham to take part in Exercise RED FLAG at Nellis Air …

• Training

  PLA is forced to alter its recruitment cycle

  30th January 2020

  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recently implemented important changes to the PLA’s recruitment processes, moving its intake of conscripts from once per year to twice, …

• Air Warfare

  Testbed aircraft key to Israel’s enhanced F-35

  28th January 2020

  As the introduction of Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35 Adir fighter aircraft begins to gather pace, the pending arrival of a testbed aircraft will spur …

• 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 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2020: Schiebel explores ASW innovations

  11th February 2020

  Austrian company Schiebel is exploring anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles among potential new applications for its Camcopter S-100 UAV platform. Neil Hunter, director of business development …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin to continue SEWIP support

  15th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $13.9 million Design Agent engineering services contract by the US Navy, the company announced on 14 January.The contract will …

• Training

  RAAF completes US-based F-35A training mission

  20th January 2020

  Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II pilots, maintainers and aircraft have begun returning to Australia from Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in the …

• Training

  Royal Navy trains Omani personnel in flight deck operations

  21st January 2020

  Royal Navy aircraft handlers from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose have carried out flight deck training of personnel from the Royal Navy of Oman. During …

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines train alongside Norwegian stealth corvette

  4th February 2020

  Royal Marines taking part in Arctic training in Norway have carried out an exercise alongside a Norwegian stealth missile ship. The exercise in the fjords …

• Air Warfare

  Poland acquires F-35 multirole fighter aircraft

  31st January 2020

  The delivery timeline for the Polish MoD's procurement of the F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft was revealed at the signing ceremony for the 32 …

• Air Warfare

  5GAT in engine run testing

  21st January 2020

  Sierra Technical Services has carried out engine run testing on the 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT), the company announced on 20 January.STS is developing 5GAT …

• Naval Warfare

  UK RN could host C-UAS jammers

  10th February 2020

  The UK RN could add a counter-UAS (C-UAS) capability to its vessels, as the MoD looks to find a way to defeat the potential threat …

• Training

  Leidos to upgrade US Common Driver Trainer​ systems

  17th January 2020

  Leidos is to produce technical refresh and concurrency hardware/software upgrade capabilities for the US Army's Common Driver Trainer (CDT) systems, the company announced on 16 …

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 - 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 - 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 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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  EW Center

  The Electronic Warfare Center is an operational support system for pre-and post-mission activities. The system handles various types of EW functions (ESM, ECM etc), for ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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: 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 ...