• Air Warfare

  Cash-strapped Uruguay to acquire new helicopter

  28th July 2021

  The Uruguayan Air Force is likely to buy either a Bell 212 or Bell 412, tapping into Global Peace Operations Initiative funds.

• Training

  Red Flag ups the training ante

  5th August 2021

  The USAF has strengthened its 'red air' capabilities at Nellis AFB with the addition of F-35s flown by trained aggressor pilots.

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky appeal puts German heavy-lift competition in limbo

  15th June 2021

  Germany's heavy-lift helicopter plans have taken another unexpected twist, with future developments hinging on a decision from the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.

• Air Warfare

  Stingray set for carrier test

  3rd August 2021

  If it stays on track for IOC in 2025, the Stingray unmanned refuelling aircraft will have gone from contract to carrier in under seven years.

• Defence Notes

  Parsons team snaps up USAF base defence contract

  22nd July 2021

  USAF installations in Europe and Africa will gain a layered air defence capability.

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic provides interim BMS for Australian Army

  18th June 2021

  SitaWare HQ battle management system software from Danish company Systematic has been provided as an interim capability for the Australian Army. It replaces software provided earlier by Elbit Systems at the battle group level and below, under the Land 200 acquisition programme.

• Naval Warfare

  RN assesses options for next surface-to-surface weapon

  11th August 2021

  The UK RN is scoping out options for its next surface-to-surface guided weapons system but it has yet to move forward with plans for an interim Harpoon anti-ship missile replacement.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army to receive more soldier-borne video terminals

  4th June 2021

  Textron receives a contract to continue providing OSRVT and SPOT video terminal units.

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders additional Aegis modernisation kits and VLS modules

  21st July 2021

  Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Constellation-class frigates will benefit from combat system upgrades.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan navy receives newest ‘carrier killer’

  29th July 2021

  After commissioning a prototypical corvette in late 2014, Taiwan has received the first of the follow-on series.

• Digital Battlespace

  Artificial intelligence and warfare - an introduction (podcast)

  22nd July 2021

  Introducing Shephard Studio’s Artificial Intelligence on the Battlefield podcast, sponsored by our partner Systel.

• Air Warfare

  Malaysia commences hunt for hybrid UAVs

  20th June 2021

  Fixed-wing hybrid UAVs are on the cards for the Malaysian Army, as well as new RPGs and radio-equipped vehicles.

• Air Warfare

  Honeywell to supply navigation technology to Australian DoD

  22nd June 2021

  Honeywell has been selected to provide its TALIN Inertial Land Navigation Technology to the Australian Defence Forces.

• Land Warfare

  Turkey helps Bangladesh to rocket forward

  7th June 2021

  New multiple rocket launchers, light tanks, MRAPs, 40mm automatic grenade launchers and pistols are reaching the hands of the Bangladesh Army.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing bolsters Indian Navy’s Poseidon fleet

  13th July 2021

  Indian Navy expands maritime capabilities with the delivery of the tenth Poseidon P-8I aircraft.

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 ...