• Training

  British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four

  7th November 2024

  Three of the bidding consortia have dropped out of the competition to become STP for the British Army Collective Training Service.

• Land Warfare

  Boxer continues swinging with the announcement of three key milestones in the next four months

  19th September 2024

  The UK’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme appears set for a busy four months of success as the Boxer continues to deliver and be delivered. In an announcement at DVD 2024, the UK Boxer programme is set to see its final prototype vehicle, the first UK-produced serial vehicle, and initial conversion training by the British Army start by January 2025.

• Land Warfare

  US services test wearable tech to improve soldier’s performance

  25th November 2024

  Developed by the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, the Lightning Platform is an app to assess warfighters’ physiology, metabolism and mental and cognitive status.

• Naval Warfare

  Saab Sea Giraffe to protect Swedish Navy

  20th December 2024

  The Swedish manufacturer will supply its Sea Giraffe 1X naval radar in a range of configurations.

• Air Warfare

  Kazakhstan welcomes its first A400M

  11th December 2024

  The A400M was handed over at a ceremony in Almaty, after a flight from Airbus’ A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain.

• Land Warfare

  UK MoD extends Army training programme with Saab

  28th October 2024

  Saab signed an initial three-year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in April 2024 for the provision of support to live simulation systems with ILT-D (instrumented live training), valued at £60 million. The new contract has been extended to include Oman.

• Air Warfare

  Brazil’s Super Tucano A-29 mid-life upgrade go-ahead expected by early 2025

  12th November 2024

  The Brazilian Air Force is working with Embraer to bring fifth-gen capabilities to 68 of its A-29 Super Tucano training and light attack aircraft, following an agreement at the Paris Air Show in 2023.

• Air Warfare

  Romania signs $7.2 billion deal to buy 32 F-35A jets

  22nd November 2024

  The Romanian government has formalised a deal to purchase 32 F-35A aircraft from the US. The jets will not be expected to be operational in Romania until 2030.

• Naval Warfare

  Fincantieri signs R&D and training agreement with Pakistan Navy

  22nd November 2024

  A Memorandum of Understanding signed during an event in Karachi between the Italian shipbuilder and the Pakistan Navy covered naval training, research and development, and project-based collaboration.

• Air Warfare

  Poland set for $7.3 billion F-16 upgrade

  24th October 2024

  Poland’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request is for a range of radar, electronic warfare (EW) and missile and bomb test systems to upgrade its fleet of 48 F-16s.

• Naval Warfare

  Italian Navy finally takes delivery of Trieste

  10th December 2024

  The largest ship built in Italy in the post-war period has been delivered, and is expected to significantly boost Italy’s Amphibious Task Group.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus to deliver 19 H135 training helicopters to Royal Canadian Air Force

  4th November 2024

  The agreement includes H135 acquisition, support and services, support for the development of a ground-based training solution and advanced engineering support. Deliveries for the aircraft are expected to commence in the first half of 2026.

• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ wins US Army aerial target training contract worth up to $95 million

  28th October 2024

  The contract will see QinetiQ provide aerial target systems, including MQM-185Bs, to simulate aerial threats for the US Army.

• Land Warfare

  Australian tank delivery schedule moved earlier

  8th November 2024

  Australia has ordered 75 ex-US Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) upgraded to the M1A2 System Enhancement Package version 3 standard (SEPv3) to expand and replace its existing fleet of 59 M1A1 tanks.

• Naval Warfare

  NATO Allies share maritime mine-clearing techniques to combat a growing international menace

  25th September 2024

  The US and many other countries came together to share mine-clearing protocols at Exercise Sea Breeze in the Black Sea, aiming to make navigation pathways safer.

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 ...

• Trainer

  PC-21 [Spain]

  Programme Background In January 2020, Pilatus was awarded a contract worth more than €200 million to provide the Spanish Air Force with 24 PC-21 Trainer ...

• Trainer

  Trainer Aircraft (1-12) [Vietnam]

  Programme Background After years of operating Russian-built military equipment, Vietnam is more willing to procure US-supplied equipment following the lifting of the arms embargo in ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  A-29 Super Tucano Afghanistan

  Media reports suggest that with the hourly cost of $1000, the A-29 is a successful platform for counter-insurgency missions. Its operational capability from unprepared airstrips, ...

• Trainer

  T-6 Texan II [Japan]

  Programme Background  In January 2025, Textron Aviation confirmed that the T-6C Texan II was selected as the new trainer aircraft for the Japanese Air Self-Defence ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Light Attack/Trainer Aircraft - Ghana

  In 2013, the Chief of Ghana Air Force stated that A-29 is their preferred platform and this position was also submitted to the Government. In ...

• Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle [Bahrain]

  Background Training According to US State Department Foreign Military Training data, in 2018, eight Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF) personnel took part in training courses to operate ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Slovakia]

  Background FMS approval Earlier in April 2018, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS deal of 14 F-16V aircraft for ...

• Trainer

  Basic Trainer Aircraft - Sweden

  Programme Background Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) announced a request for tender for the procurement of basic trainer aircraft on the eAvrop online portal on ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Programme Background Botswana is seeking to acquire a new multirole fighter to fulfil a gap left by the nations outdated fleet of F-5 aircraft. According to ...

• Transport

  Dornier Do-228 (Additional Aircraft) [India]

  Programme Background: On 10 March 2023, India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the procurement of six additional Dornier 228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force. ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  UH-72B [US Army]

  Background UH-72A replacement The 2026 order comes as preparations are underway to remove 220 older UH-72A models from initial pilot entry training. The UH-72B is ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 TTH [Qatar]

  Background Contract timeline In 2018, the contract for Qatar's NH90 fleet was signed. This contract also included 12 H125 training helicopters, detailed in a separate ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 NFH [Qatar]

  Background Contract timeline In 2018, the contract for Qatar's NH90 fleet was signed. This contract also included 12 H125 training helicopters, detailed in a separate ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW-149 [Poland]

  Background Requirement In 2020, Poland announced the launch of the Perkoz programme to acquire 32 support helicopters to replace its fleet of Mi-2 aircraft stationed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  TH22 helicopter training device

  The TH22 is a piston rotary-wing training simulator with a single-engine piston and dual-control cockpit trainer based on the Robinson R22. Its combination of ergonomics, ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Integrated Training Systems

  IAI provides a range of integrated training packages to support pilot training and meet the requirements of complex battle scenarios. 

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UH-60 Black Hawk Training Devices

  FlightSafety offers UH-60A/L pilot training on their Black Hawk Level D simulator at West Palm Beach, Florida. The UH-60A/L pilot training features the company’s exclusive ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  C-2A OFT

  The C-2A OFT replicates the physical and performance characteristics of the C-2A carrier-qualified cargo aircraft. The OFT includes a functional cockpit mock-up surrounded by a ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  IM3PUT

  Corsair’s Integrated Multi-Mission Multi-Platform UAS Trainer (IM3PUT) is a reconfigurable, ITAR-safe generic UAS pilot and sensor training system. Pilot and sensor operator stations function off ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Aviator FTD

  L3Harris Technologies' Aviator Flight Training Device (FTD) line has a type-specific flight deck, offering the form, fit, feel and function of the actual aircraft. The ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Rafale Simulator

  Thales, Sogitec and Dassault Aviation have together developed two pilot training centres to support the training of Rafale fighter pilots. The Saint-Dizier Rafale simulation centre ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  German Air Force Tornado Simulators

  CAE has designed and manufactured all Tornado combat and aircraft flight simulators for the German Air Force and continues to provide upgrades and on-site training ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Motion Cueing System

  Frasca's Motion Cueing System is a compact motion system designed to increase pilot training efficiency by providing vestibular and proprioceptive feedback. This results in realistic motion ...

• Land: fire support simulators

  I-FACT

  Meggitt's Indirect Fire Forward Air Control Trainer (I-FACT) supports training for forward observers, naval gunfire observers, fire support planning and joint tactical close air support. ...

• 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 ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ATS

  The Aircrew Training Simulator (ATS) is a reconfigurable suite built to train student navigators and full aircrews. ATS supports mission planning, execution and debrief training ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Royal New Zealand Air Force T-6C GBTS

  CAE was contracted in 2014 by Beechcraft to develop and support a comprehensive T-6C Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. ...