• Training

  Last Red Hawk test aircraft handed over as Saab shifts manufacturing to US

  21st June 2022

  The last T-7A Red Hawk development jet received its aft section from Sweden and was joined with the forward fuselage. All future subassembly production work will now take place at Saab’s new facility in Indiana.

• Training

  Vrgineers donates VR Pilot trainer to Ukraine

  7th June 2022

  Vrgineers donates a portable pilot trainer to Ukraine, emphasising their utility in transitioning from eastern to western platforms.

• Naval Warfare

  The PLA Navy and its carrier conundrum (Opinion)

  13th July 2022

  China may have launched its third carrier but it has yet to learn much about operating and becoming proficient with them.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Rafael to implement laser technology in air defence portfolio

  15th June 2022

  Rafael is looking to complement its wide range of air-defence capabilities with laser technology and continues to work on assessing future threats.

• Defence Notes

  NAVAIR awards annual F-35 engine sustainment contract

  27th May 2022

  Raytheon is sustaining the F135 engine and will also provide common F-35 programme support activities under a new contract modification.

• Training

  USAF ACMI pods to undergo encryption upgrade

  13th May 2022

  Cubic is to install NSA-certified encryption for its P5 Combat Training System ACMI pods

• Air Warfare

  Persistence pays off with ARRW hypersonic test

  18th May 2022

  The ARRW air-launched hypersonic missile test programme has had its share of delays and mishaps, but Lockheed Martin and the USAF have finally conducted a successful boosted flight test.

• Training

  Production of Red Hawk is on track after first aircraft rollout, says Boeing

  12th May 2022

  The first production-standard T-7A will undergo ground check and flight tests before being handed over to the USAF.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Air National Guard adopts Scorpion HMD for F-16 pilots

  12th May 2022

  The Scorpion HMD will ultimately become ‘the common HMD’ solution for Air National Guard and USAF Reserve F-16 pilots, Thales claims.

• Training

  USAF simulator division opens Sims Holodeck

  10th May 2022

  The new Innovation Lab will allow the force to explore novel training solutions while creating a space to engage with industry partners.

• Air Warfare

  US awards initial spares contract for F-35 Lot 16 aircraft

  17th May 2022

  The latest F-35 contract modification for Lockheed Martin follows a deal covering ‘ancillary mission equipment requirements’ for Lot 15 and Lot 16 aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon gains StormBreaker lifecycle support contract modification

  18th May 2022

  StormBreaker already equips F-15E fighter aircraft and the glide bomb is also undergoing developmental and operational testing with the F-35B.

• Defence Notes

  Boeing pushes for F-15EX ‘predictability of demand’ as budgeting unsettles production

  11th May 2022

  As the USAF tinkers with F-15EX production plans, Boeing could be faced with difficult industrial base decisions.

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF raises contract ceiling for DB-110 reconnaissance pod

  9th May 2022

  Major modification raises ceiling of DB-110 airborne ISR pod contract to beyond $1 billion.

• Air Warfare

  Canberra promises to multiply MQ-28A Ghost Bats

  17th May 2022

  The current Australian government is promising to accelerate development of the Loyal Wingman project for the RAAF.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• 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, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  The USAF is looking to procure tanker aircraft to bridge the gap between the delayed KC-46 fleet and the future Advanced Air Refueling Tanker (known also ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• Air: aerial targets

  QF-16 FSAT

  The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

• Major networking projects

  C2 ConstellationNet

  According to David Tillotson, director of C4ISR architecture AF/XI, in a report to Congress: 'The ConstellationNet is the communications network – air, space and terrestrial ...

• 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. ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS 10.2 Upgrade

  Raytheon’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Block 10.2 upgrade allows intelligence data to be posted to the network for immediate use by analysts and warfighters, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight's Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-10 Extender

  The KC-10 Extender is a tanker/transport aircraft developed for the USAF by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). It was derived from the company’s three-engine ...

• 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. ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Wasp III

  Produced from 2007 until 2012, the Wasp III was a hand-launched UAV produced by AeroVironment. The platform was powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and featured two camera ...

• 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 ...