• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: 3D Perception delivers Northstar to Lockheed

  29th November 2017

  Projection display specialists, 3D Perception, has now delivered its Northstar visual display system to Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems and completed factory acceptance testing.The Northstar …

• Training

  EDA helicopter COMAO course completed

  23rd November 2017

  The European Defence Agency’s (EDA's) second helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning course has successfully completed at Royal Air Force (RAF) base Linton-on-Ouse, the EDA …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo receives threat simulation contract

  15th November 2017

  Leonardo has been contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide equipment that will simulate radar threats to the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Typhoon gearing for Tornado’s capabilities

  13th November 2017

  The UK Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fleet is poised for new capability upgrades as the aircraft are readied to take on the role currently …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Training

  Serco training contract with CAE extended

  31st October 2017

  Serco’s contract with CAE to deliver helicopter pilot training and provide facilities management services for the Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) at Royal …

• Training

  UK MoD extends CAE helicopter training

  26th October 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investing more than £90 million in helicopter training for Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots, the MoD …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF receives final RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

  3rd October 2017

  L3 Technologies has delivered the third and final RC-135V/W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft to the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF). The three Rivet Joint …

• Training

  MacDill looks to add KC-135 training capacity

  28th September 2017

  The US Air Force’s 6 Air Mobility Wing (AMW) is based at MacDill AFB near Tampa, Florida. The AMW’s air refuelling assets currently comprise 91 …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: Chinook to stay in UK's future fleet

  12th September 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is in talks with the US Army in relation to standing up a new variant of the Chinook, a senior …

• Military Logistics

  RAF’s A400M participates in Mobility Guardian

  21st August 2017

  A Royal Air Force  (RAF) A400M Atlas has taken part in Exercise Mobility Guardian in the US, the RAF announced on 14 August. The exercise …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian achieves new milestone

  23rd August 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAS has completed an FAA-approved flight from Laguna Airfield at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, through national airspace to the …

• Naval Warfare

  US coastal patrol ships test Griffin missiles

  8th August 2017

  US Navy coastal patrol ships assigned to Patrol Coastal Squadron (PCRON) One have carried out proficiency fire testing of their MK 60 Griffin Missile Systems …

• Naval Warfare

  Germany to upgrade P-3C fleet

  3rd August 2017

  Germany will upgrade its eight-strong P-3C fleet in a five-year programme that will keep the aircraft at the backbone of the country’s maritime patrol capability …

• Defence Notes

  Air Power 2017: Flexibility vital for RAF success

  14th July 2017

  Novel partnerships must be improved to ensure the Royal Air Force is equipped to operate in increasingly contested operational environments, a former director of the United …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [UK]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian governments ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  StormFighter [UK]

  Background Project Mosquito and its cancellation Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), ...

• Military UAS - small

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater interoperability ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) [UK]

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [UK]

  Background RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Background Programme goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9A Reapers in the RAF's inventory until they are formally retired in October 2025. The MQ-9B will deliver a UK ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Background Formally known as the Chinook Capability Sustainment Program the UK is planning to replace its 14 oldest CH-47s with 14 new-build CH-47F (ER). The ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (Second Order) [UK]

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 ...

• Transport

  Command Support Air Transport Recapitalisation [UK]

  Programme Background The tender, originally released on 28 October 2021, required industry bidders to put forward aircraft that can achieve a minimum unrefuelled range of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 (Second Batch) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco's military modernisation In 2017, Morocco established a five-year plan to modernise the military equipment of its navy, army and airforce to bring ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Gobi Tempest C-UAS

  Gobi Tempest is a high-speed UAS designed to intercept hostile group 2-3 UAS. The system is manufactured by the French company Harmattan AI; through a ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Sky Shadow-2

  Leonardo’s Sky Shadow-2 electronic attack pod was designed for the Panavia Tornado-GR4A ground attack aircraft in service with the RAF. 

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...