• Training

  CAE gains German Air Force ab initio training deal

  1st February 2022

  New facility in Bremen to host academic, simulator and live-flying training to more than 40 student aviators in the first year.

• Digital Battlespace

  Next-Gen OPIR Block 0 moves on after thermal vacuum tests

  11th February 2022

  Raytheon has completed thermal vacuum tests of its sensor payload aboard the next-generation US geosynchronous missile warning satellite.

• Military Logistics

  Singapore Airshow 2022: Boeing to apply data-driven logistics in South Korea

  15th February 2022

  A performance-based logistics approach should ensure operational readiness and reduce operator costs for the South Korean F-15K, CH-47D and B-737 AEW&C fleets, says Boeing.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Reaper takes a Caribbean sojourn

  7th January 2022

  The first Dutch MQ-9A Reaper will be temporarily based on Curaçao for tests.

• Training

  CNATRA sings a new tune with Project Corsair

  30th March 2022

  The USN is embarking on the final step of its revolutionary pilot training syllabus with the launch of Project Corsair.

• Training

  Aeralis supports digital backbone for future UK military aircraft

  11th April 2022

  In Phase 2 of a multiyear contract with the RAF, Aeralis will explore the potential of a new open mission system architecture.

• Air Warfare

  KC-390 order for Brazil fluctuates

  10th February 2022

  Brazil had almost halved its KC-390 order from 28 aircraft to 15, but now it requires 22 in line with new 'budget conditions' for the Brazilian Air Force.

• Air Warfare

  MoD selects Elbit Systems UK to deliver autonomous UAS swarms

  30th March 2022

  Autonomous UAS swarms will be used by the UK MoD for surveillance, with the capability to fly and monitor for up to eight hours.

• Land Warfare

  Saab to demonstrate MSHORAD in ‘near future’

  31st March 2022

  Saab plans to hold live firing demonstrations soon of its Mobile Short Range Air Defence System.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2022: Lockheed Martin targets higher F-35 production for 2022

  16th February 2022

  Lockheed Martin has revealed its F-35 production target for 2022, aiming for a marginal increase over 2021 output.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed picks two sites for LMXT production

  1st February 2022

  Lockheed Martin is pushing for its LMXT tanker aircraft (based on the A330 MRTT) to be selected by the USAF in the KC-Y programme.

• Air Warfare

  Norwegian F-16 fighters fly their last mission

  7th January 2022

  Norway has retired its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, which have been in service since 1980, as its new F-35s join the country's air force.

• Defence Notes

  Armenia minds the gap on loitering munitions and UAVs

  11th April 2022

  Indigenously developed loitering munitions and UAVs took centre stage at the recent ArmHiTec exhibition in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

• Training

  Against the odds: UK T&S industry faces challenges

  25th April 2022

  How has industry consolidation affected the UK training and simulation sector?

• Defence Notes

  South Korea tests L-SAM amongst other missile developments

  1st March 2022

  South Korea's most recent test encompassed a successful launch of the missile that will form the upper layer of Seoul’s multi-layered missile defence network.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Transport, Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Air 7404 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement Australia is thinking ahead to an enlarged transport fleet to replace the current C-130Js. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the second ...

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

  Harpii Szpon (Loyal Wingman) [Poland]

  Programme Background Market Evaluation On 6 November 2023, speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski, the Deputy General Commander of ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (Project Air 6000 Phase 2A/B) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of 18 F-35A aircraft as of March 2020 and the remaining aircraft are expected to ...

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

  Loyal Wingman [Australia]

  Background Older Efforts On 23 April 2021, the US State Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval announcement revealed that Australia had requested to buy up ...

• Data links

  Data links | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  In June 2020, Australia issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Future Lead-In Fighter Training System (LIFTS) in a requirement called Project Air 6002 Phase ...

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

  Project Vixen [UK]

  Programme Background Project Goal The Royal Navy uses Leonardo crewed Merlin (AW101) helicopters fitted with CROWSNEST pods to provide airborne early warning capabilities for carriers. An early ...

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

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

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

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

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

• OPVs

  Arafura Class (Project SEA 1180) (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Australia's new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Arafura-class, will replace the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of Armidale and Cape-class patrol ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...

• Trainer

  King Air trainer

  Textron / Beechcraft King Air trainers are a family twin-engine aircraft based on King Air 90, 100, 200 and 350 utility aircraft. The King Air ...

• AMAS

  AMAS – Australian Minesweeping System – was developed with the assistance of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation and the Royal Australian Navy. It adopts ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  RAAF Hawk Mk 127 FMS

  Under subcontract to BAE Systems, CAE is designing and manufacturing three Hawk Mk 127 full-mission simulators (FMS) for the Royal Australian Air Force that will ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  NGJ

  Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) was selected by the USN in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALQ-210

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/ALQ-210 is an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) outfitting the Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo naval support helicopter. The manufacturer’s official literature says that the product ...

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

  Wanderer

  The Wanderer is a low-altitude, low-cost, long-endurance UAV produced in-house by the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Jericho Disruptive Innovation Group and the Australian Government's Defense Science ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Air-5416 Project Echidna

  BAE Systems’ commenced its work on the Australian Department of Defence’s Air-5416 Project Echidna initiative in 2001. The rationale of the programme was to overhaul ...

• Light attack

  Hawk 200

  The Hawk 200 is a single-seat light attack iteration of the Hawk 100 (see separate entry) and Advanced Jet Trainer or AJT (see separate entry). ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon-XF

  Thales’ Vicon-XF is a countermeasure dispensing system which can equip an array of platforms, primarily large aircraft and rotorcraft, according to the manufacturer’s official literature. ...

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

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat

  Initially, as a multirole system to escort crewed aircraft, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat has been reimagined as a proving platform. Its development began in 2013 and ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 604

  Bombardier Challenger CL-604 MPAs are in service with the Royal Danish Air Force and the Korea Coast Guard. The first of three Danish aircraft entered ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  Predator Mission Trainer (PMT)

  The CAE Predator Mission Trainer (PMT) is an integrated platform that combines the features of CAE's UAS mission trainer with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator-specific ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  AN/ALR-2001

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-2001 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) is thought to be based on Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta Systems division’s EL/M-8382 ESM. The AN/ALR-2001 is ...

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

  Phantom 4 (Series)

  Designed for aerial photograph applications by DJI, the Phantom 4 series of UAVs includes the Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phantom 4 Advanced ...