• Digital Battlespace

  New Zealand looks to SEA for ANZAC frigate communication system upgrade

  3rd July 2023

  The New Zealand MoD has awarded SEA a £26 million contract for the phase two build and installation of the communication system upgrade on two Royal New Zealand Navy ANZAC frigates.

• Land Warfare

  British Army exploring tech lessons from Ukraine

  5th July 2023

  The UK is looking at how technologies used in the war in Ukraine and the country's support of Ukrainian forces can be rapidly introduced into British Army service.

• Training

  Exosonic begins trials of UAS testbed for supersonic aerial target programme

  26th May 2023

  Exosonic has commenced trials of its EX-3M Trident UAV, a quarter-scale testbed for the EX-3 Revenant supersonic aerial target drone it is developing for the US Air Force.

• Air Warfare

  US courts secret bids for next generation air dominance fighter jet project

  22nd May 2023

  On 18 May, The US Air Force released a classified solicitation to industry for a contract to work on the service’s future fighter jet being developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project.

• Air Warfare

  China’s J-20 fighter hits milestone with suspected first flight with WS15 engines

  7th July 2023

  The consensus amongst the open-source community is that China has test-flown a J-20 powered fully by WS15 engines for the first time.

• Training

  Gaming the System: Project OdySSEy’s Synthetic Training Revolution (Studio)

  7th September 2023

  In the rapidly evolving, data-driven future environment, BAE Systems is leading the integration of game-changing systems that are revolutionising how military forces train. Project OdySSEy is bringing together simulation, supercomputing, data analytics and augmented reality to revolutionise the future of military training.

• Digital Battlespace

  Kontron unveils new high-performance plug-in card for harsh environments

  5th July 2023

  Kontron introduces the VX307H, a rugged 3U VPX plug-in card designed for high-performance embedded computing in defence and general applications.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed calls for ‘forward-looking approach’ on F-35 engine at Paris Air Show

  22nd June 2023

  Lockheed Martin emphasises the need for more power and cooling, suggesting a potential requirement for an Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) performance-related improvement, a programme that was recently revived by the House Armed Services Committee.

• Digital Battlespace

  Second European Syracuse military satellite launched

  7th July 2023

  The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, has been launched, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces.

• Training

  Northrop Grumman fields Polish battle command system trainer

  28th June 2023

  Northrop Grumman has delivered an Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) trainer for Poland two years ahead of schedule.

• Land Warfare

  UK's Project Morpheus land forces communications programme falling short

  26th July 2023

  The UK's existing Bowman system will continue to soldier on, as while other aspects of the wider LETacCIS comms programme progress, Morpheus currently does not have an agreed initial operational capability date.

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show: Hanwha Phasor gears up to launch new multi-orbit SATCOM solution

  19th June 2023

  Hanwha Phasor, a London-based subsidiary of South Korean defence giant Hanwha, is gearing up to launch a new SATCOM solution that offers militaries multi-orbit access from a single panel.

• Digital Battlespace

  Details released of US Navy UGV radio deal

  6th July 2023

  Persistent Systems will supply 600 MPU5 radios to the USN for installation onto EOD UGVs with deliveries expected to start next year.

• Digital Battlespace

  Estonia adds more Thales radars to boost air defences

  26th June 2023

  Estonia is to acquire two of the latest Thales GM400a radars to reinforce the Baltic state's air sovereignty.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA, Italian Navy detail development of Teseo Mk2/E missile

  8th June 2023

  The new missile, which incorporates land-attack capabilities, is the latest evolution of the Otomat/Teseo anti-ship weapon family and is set to replace the legacy Mk2/A version in service with the Italian Navy.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G Lebanon

  The Armed MD 530G Scout Attack Helicopter features next-generation all-glass cockpit that includes: two Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680 6” x 9” LCD primary displays, Tek Fusion ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX

  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted that the proposed sale of five Bell 407GX helicopters will help compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  RQ-20B Puma (USAF)

  Programme Background Requirement According to the AeroVironment Vice President and product line general manager, Trace Stevenson, the USAF Security Forces requires a small UAV to ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)

  Programme Background Procurement & Inventory According to the USAF FY2019 Budget Estimate document, the USAF set aside funds to acquire 433 MQ-9 Reapers by the end of ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Air Force]

  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 of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Maritime Multi-Mission System (J3MS)/SIGINT Ship [Italy]

  The Italian Navy is now conducting de-risk studies to replace Elettra with a new Joint Maritime Multi-Mission System (J3MS) ship. The vessel will feature a ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Joint Maritime Multi-Mission System (J3MS)/SIGINT Ship [Italy]

  The Italian Navy is now conducting de-risk studies to replace Elettra with a new Joint Maritime Multi-Mission System (J3MS) ship. The vessel will feature a ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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' ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W

  The HH-60W Jolly Green II is being developed by Sikorsky, based on the UH-60M Black Hawk, to meet the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme requirements of ...