• Training

  Pitfalls remain with giving Ukraine modern fighter jets

  11th May 2022

  It seems appealing to fast-track pilot training by conducting most flights on simulators and omitting certain procedures if the West were to give more modern aircraft for Ukraine’s air force, but it might prove challenging in practice.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Q3D releases new sensor sim capability

  27th April 2022

  New features to the MANTIS viXsen Sensor plug-in allow users to capture temperature and radiance images of the displayed scene for offline analysis.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing to build AH-6i helicopters for Thai army

  24th February 2022

  With cost being a factor, Thailand chose AH-6i helicopters instead of dedicated attack helicopters.

• Land Warfare

  Another batch of Glock-17s reaches French military

  23rd March 2022

  The Glock-17 FR is replacing the PA MAC 50 and PAMAS G1 in French service.

• Naval Warfare

  Blue Shark torpedo is about to gain sharper teeth

  19th April 2022

  South Korea is developing an improved variant of its Blue Shark torpedo, plus it will still order CIWS from the US until a new domestic weapon is available later this decade.

• Defence Notes

  DSA 2022: Denel eyes Asian opportunities with restructuring process almost complete

  28th March 2022

  A revamped Denel aims to make an impact in Malaysia and the broader Southeast Asian market, its interim CEO tells Shephard in an exclusive interview.

• Defence Notes

  Forewarned is forearmed: Poland fast-tracks procurement and surges defence spending

  23rd March 2022

  Long-standing concerns over potential Russian aggression meant that Poland was already positioned to react to the invasion of Ukraine by raising defence spending and procuring new equipment.

• Land Warfare

  Will US Army go hybrid-electric in next JLTV buy?

  18th February 2022

  The US Army has allocated $7.3 billion to purchase 15,425 JLTVs, potentially including hybrid or electric-drive vehicles to reduce fuel consumption.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Golden Eagle quadcopters destined for Ukraine

  7th April 2022

  An unnamed European NATO military is buying 15 quadcopter mini-UAVs for onward transfer to Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  Japan’s army establishes new electronic operations unit

  29th March 2022

  Japan is expanding its number of EW units, plus it is developing high-powered microwave weapons able to counter enemy UAVs.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK and US military researchers trial biofuelled UAV

  1st April 2022

  R&D work on synthetic fuel may help the RAF to achieve its ambitious objective of net-zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2040.

• Defence Notes

  US military aid to Ukraine reaches $1 billion

  2nd March 2022

  President Joe Biden has allocated an emergency $350 million in military aid for Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion, as a supplement to the more than $650 million in defensive assistance that the US provided to Ukraine in 2021.

• Digital Battlespace

  DoD to investigate further use of 5G

  6th April 2022

  In its FY2023 budget request, the DoD called for $250 million to be allocated for 5G projects with the goal to deepen the use of this technology in military applications. Providing low-latency and higher speeds communications are among the goals for the US armed forces.

• Land Warfare

  GIWS waits for green light on SMArt 155 munition Phase 2

  16th March 2022

  The German parliament is expected by mid-2022 to approve the next step in a programme to revive production of the SMArt 155mm artillery projectile.

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2022: MILDEF displays light tactical vehicle for Malaysian airborne and commando units

  30th March 2022

  Malaysian manufacturer MILDEF Technologies showcased its Light Tactical Surveillance Vehicle at DSA 2022.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RfI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...