• Training

  IT2EC 2023: Cubic secures contract extension for British Army AWES training

  20th April 2023

  Cubic Defence UK has been awarded a contract extension to continue supporting and repairing the Area Weapons Effects Simulator (AWES) system for the British Army.

• Land Warfare

  UK looks to Serco to maintain and operate air defence radars

  18th April 2023

  Serco has secured a UK MoD contract worth £32m to maintain air defence radars and provide day-to-day operation of remote radar heads for five years.

• Training

  Simulation and training industry gathers for I/ITSEC 2022

  25th November 2022

  This year's conference theme will be 'Accelerating Change by Transforming Training', and over 300 exhibitors from industry and government are expected.

• Air Warfare

  Approval of Turkish F-16 upgrades brings hope to quest for new jets

  18th April 2023

  Turkey's request for new F-16 jets remains unfulfilled, but the US has approved upgrades to its existing fleet for $259m

• Air Warfare

  General Atomics achieves AI flight milestone with Avenger UAV

  14th April 2023

  General Atomics has used an MQ-20 Avenger to demonstrate collaboration between human and AI pilots over a low-Earth-orbit SATCOM data link.

• Training

  QinetiQ to demonstrate synthetic training for Royal Navy at I/ITSEC 2022

  25th November 2022

  Phase 2 of the PETC immersive training contract for the Royal Navy will see QinetiQ and its industry partners accelerate the demonstration of synthetic collective training and deliver it by next autumn.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo delivers first ECRS Mk2 radar prototype for RAF Typhoon fleet

  21st April 2023

  The new European Common Radar System Mk2 features a multi-functional array that can perform traditional radar functions and EW tasks as well.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems highlights need to invest in skills and infrastructure to de-risk next-gen combat aircraft programme

  19th April 2023

  BAE Systems has won a contract extension worth £656m from the UK MoD to develop the concept and technology for the next generation combat aircraft, part of the Tempest project, but will need to ensure it has the right niche skills and digital and physical infrastructure to successfully deliver.

• Air Warfare

  How can Sweden develop a future air combat capability, freeing it from GCAP ties – for now?

  14th April 2023

  Sweden is exploring ways to upgrade its JAS 39 C/D jets to keep them operationally relevant and is studying future fighter capabilities, potentially including an upgraded Gripen multi-role aircraft in partnership with Brazil's Embraer.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army selects SoarTech autonomous UAS for xTechSearch 7 Competition

  18th April 2023

  SoarTech's is putting forward its Centralized Control of Commercial Drones (C3D) platform, an autonomous system that helps with the logistics and control of small UAS.

• Naval Warfare

  Why the US Navy wants to sell two Littoral Combat Ships after less than ten years in service

  19th April 2023

  The proposed putting up for sale of the two Independence-class LCS will be followed by the disposal of four Freedom-class ships in 2025.

• Land Warfare

  L&T to build prototype of India’s light tank

  19th April 2023

  The Indian Army is desperate to get a light tank so as to improve its deployment of armour into mountainous border areas.

• Land Warfare

  French Army still not committed to Hornet Air Guardian anti-drone concept

  14th April 2023

  Arquus subsidiary Hornet is still trying to convince French and export customers of the value of the Air Guardian remote weapon station's counter-drone capability.

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland expands 120mm mortar buy to 48 with follow-on order

  12th April 2023

  Switzerland has committed to acquire an addtional batch of 120mm mortar systems based on the General Dynamics European Land Systems Piranha IV 8x8 armoured vehicle

• Training

  IT2EC 2023: Get ready to explore the future of military training and simulation in Rotterdam

  17th April 2023

  The IT2EC military training and simulation event returns to Rotterdam in April 2023. Sanjay Khetia, director of PLEXSYS and chairman of IT2EC told Shephard what attendees can expect when visiting the show this year.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• 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 UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  KT-1B Woongbi - Indonesia

  The programme value is estimates as $30 million for the purchase of three KT-1B aircraft. The deliveries are planned to be completed in 2021. The KT-1B ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (1-4) [Belgium]

  Background Strategic Vision 2030 In 2016, the Belgian MoD published its Strategic Vision 2030 report. This report highlighted the need to integrate MALE reconnaissance drones ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) [Canada]

  Background Programme inception The Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) Joint Unmanned Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (JUSTAS) project was established to procure a UAS for the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  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 'Loyal ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A) that will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Kingston Class Replacement [Canada]

  Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Ottawa is seeking a replacement for its Kingston-class OPVs. The programme is still in the very early stages of project ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Kingston Class Replacement [Canada]

  Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Ottawa is seeking a replacement for its Kingston-class OPVs. The programme is still in the very early stages of project ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-4B Nightwatch

  Developed by Boeing based on the 747-200 airliner, the E-4B Nightwatch is a special mission aircraft used as the US National Airborne Operations Centre and is ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus Surface Warship CTT

  In addition to the generic Proteus Action Speed Tactical Trainer (ASTT), Kongsberg can also provide Command Team Trainers (CTT) tailored to the specific needs of ...

• Subsystems: visual

  VTTS

  The Virtual Reality Team Training System (VTTS) allows team members to interact together in one common virtual world. Every trainee uses a workstation consisting of ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  LTMPAV Dino 519

  The Dino 519 is a light tactical multi-purpose armored vehicle (LTMPAV) developed by Team Concept, a Poland-based armored vehicle manufacturer. 

• Sea: tactical training

  SCTT

  The Submarine Combat Team Trainer (SCTT) prepares the submarine combat information centre team for its duties with the aid of simulated combat situations and environmental ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-280 Valor

  Bell Helicopter Textron is developing the V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the JMR-TD FVL project. The US Army announced in August 2014 that Bell would be ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UMT

  IAI’s UAV Mission Training (UMT) system addresses the needs of UAS operational personnel (pilots, observers, payload operators and external pilots) at all training stages. It ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/PRC-148C/D IMBITR

  The AN/PRC-148 Improved Multiband Inter-Intra Team Radio (IMBITR) is a dual-channel, certified networking radio designed to enhance communications. The IMBITR is a variant of the ...