• Digital Battlespace

  L-3 wins US Navy CDL Hawklink contract

  24th September 2012

  L-3 Communications Communication Systems-West (CS-West) has been selected for the 2012 to 2017 full-rate production contract of CDL Hawklink. L-3’s Ku-Band CDL Hawklink system is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Sweden to receive Selex Elsag battlefield radios

  24th September 2012

  Selex Elsag has announced that it has been selected by CELAB Communications, on behalf of Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, to supply a communication system …

• Defence Notes

  AAD 2012: Saab continues commitment to SA

  20th September 2012

  Saab is investing R&D funding into its South African division, including improving the sensor capability of its Land Electronics Defence System (LEDS) for combat vehicles. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Swedish radar used to protect London skies during Olympics

  20th September 2012

  The Swedish Armed Forces played a key role in the low-level aerial surveillance of the airspace around London during the Olympics, it has been revealed. …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF stands up new cyber ops group

  20th September 2012

  As the US Air Force (USAF) sharpens its focus on the cyber mission, the 10th Air Force is opening a new cyber operations unit to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF looks at Sniper as a comms relay

  19th September 2012

  The US Air Force (USAF) is introducing a software upgrade that will enable the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) to become a communications relay for …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy to receive JTT-rs with security enhancements

  19th September 2012

  Raytheon has announced that it will provide the US Navy with Joint Tactical Terminal Senior (JTT-Sr) radios that are compatible with the new Common Interactive …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF reveals Space Fence thinking

  18th September 2012

  As it nears a down-select on the Space Fence space surveillance system, the US Air Force has outlined the expected makeup of the system. Speaking …

• Digital Battlespace

  Key milestone reached for AOC Weapon System programme

  18th September 2012

  The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) Air Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System modernisation programme has reached a significant milestone following the successful completion of an integrated …

• Military Logistics

  DynCorp to support J-85 aircraft under new contract

  18th September 2012

  DynCorp International (DI) has announced that it has been awarded a contract with the US Air Force (USAF) Air Education and Training Command (AETC) to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: F-35 HMDs to undergo further testing

  17th September 2012

  The two helmet-mounted display (HMD) systems now under development for the F-35 Lightning II will undergo flights tests on a dedicated aircraft to overcome remaining …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF lays out ISR future

  17th September 2012

  The US Air Force's (USAF's) deputy chief of staff for ISR, Lt Gen Larry James, gave delegates at the Air Force Association's Air & Space …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rockwell Collins selected for UAV cyber security programme

  17th September 2012

  Rockwell Collins has revealed that it has been selected as the prime contractor for the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) portion of the High-Assurance Cyber Military …

• Digital Battlespace

  Falcon III AN/PRC-117G radio becomes JTRS-certified

  14th September 2012

  Harris Corporation has announced that it has received Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) certification for its Falcon III AN/PRC-117G multiband manpack radio operating SRW v1.01.1, …

• Digital Battlespace

  SmartNode Pod linked with US Army HARC system in demo

  14th September 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has successfully completed a series of ground and flight tests in which its SmartNode Pod was linked with the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• CUAS - jammers

  NEROD RF [France]

  Background France has procured an unconfirmed number of MC2's NEROD RF C-UAS rifles ("fusils brouilleurs") for short-range counter-drone use. In a 2024 Senate report, it ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Counter-Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) Framework Agreement [UK]

  Background The UK intends to place a Closed Framework Agreement for the procurement of Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS). It requires solutions to detect, track, identify, record/communicate, and ...

• Static/towed guns

  Ground-Based, Medium-Calibre Gun Weapon System [US]

  Background In September 2026, the USAF issued a request for information (RFI) for a ground-based air defence system (GBAD) centred on a medium-calibre gun. This RFI ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX [Iraq]

  Programme Background Between 2009 and 2015 Iraq was supplied with at 26 Bell 407s as part of the reconstruction of the Iraqi Air Force. The ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

• 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 ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  RF-4C

  The RF-4C is a tactical reconnaissance aircraft developed based on the F-4 Phantom II by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet the requirements of the USAF ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-4 Phantom II family

  The F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat multirole fighter developed originally by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) to meet USN interceptor requirements. It soon became a unified ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  SurSAR

  The Surveillance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SurSAR) is a coherent surveillance and imaging radar developed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is derived from UPD-8/9 systems ...

• EW test systems

  CEESIM

  The Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) family of simulators is designed for use in development, T&E;, maintenance and training support of airborne, land, shipboard and ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS)

  The F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS) is an integrated defence system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed for the F-15, F-15K and F-15E ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SECT

  The Simulator for Electronic Combat Training (SECT) is a device that blends high-fidelity equipment, environmental and EW simulation with a computer-based training engine, auto-evaluation and scoring ...

• Data links

  MIDS LVT-3 FDL

  For the MIDS LVT-3 Fighter Data Link (FDL) the USAF sought lower volume and cost than Class 1 and 2 JTIDS. The contract was awarded ...

• Land: battle management systems

  C4I Connect

  C4I Connect is a voice communications system for battlefield C2. It is a large-scale, divisional/regional system that manages voice sessions in the tactical battle area, ...

• Air: mission management systems

  9Air C4I

  9Air C4I provides an air C2 capability ranging from air operations level to real-time execution in a mobile environment. It is a net-centric system that ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALR-94

  BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-94 electronic countermeasures (ECM) system forms a key part of the self-protection suite of the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor combat ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  AN/ALR-56C

  The AN/ALR-56C is a radar warning receiver manufactured by BAE Systems. It is designed to share data regarding radar threats with the aircraft's BAE Systems' ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/ALQ-165 ASPJ

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/ALQ-165(V) Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ) is a widely used radar jammer and is deployed on an array of combat aircraft. The system ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  RF-7800W

  The RF-7800W-OU440 high-capacity LoS radio has an IP design that operates from 4.4-5GHz. This provides connectivity at distances over 50km and extending WANs and LANs ...

• Air: mission management systems

  DACCS

  Divisional Artillery Command and Control System (DACCS) integrates division artillery C4I with battalion C4I, making fire control an integral part of the C4I distribution network. ...