• Defence Notes

  UK P-8A ahead of schedule

  17th May 2019

  For a free 24 hour trial to read this and all our other Premium News Click Here The first UK RAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol/multi-mission aircraft is …

• Defence Helicopter

  PDAS flies on V-280 Valor

  19th April 2019

  Lockheed Martin's Pilotage Distributed Aperture Sensor (PDAS) system has flown aboard Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor tiltrotor aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK MoD signs off on Gazelle support contract

  21st May 2019

  The UK MoD has issued Airbus Helicopters UK (AHUK) with a new £6.1 million three-year support contract covering its fleet of 24 Gazelle AH Mk1 …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG commissions Benjamin Bottoms FRC

  7th May 2019

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) commissioned its 32nd Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC), Benjamin Bottoms, in San Pedro, California, on 1 May. Benjamin Bottoms is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop releases SeaFIND inertial navigation system

  9th May 2019

  Northrop Grumman has released a next generation maritime inertial navigation system: the Sea Fiber Optic Inertial Navigation with Data Distribution (SeaFIND), the company announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  China rebukes US over warship sail-by in Taiwan Strait

  23rd May 2019

  China said on 23 May that it had lodged a protest with Washington after two US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait amid rising tensions …

• Naval Warfare

  HII delivers eighth NSC to USCG

  3rd May 2019

  Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the eighth Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC), Midgett, to the US Coast Guard (USCG), the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  Orbit announces new MPT 87 airborne terminal

  9th May 2019

  Orbit Communication Systems has introduced a new airborne Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) 87 designed to provide multi-role capability for military and government users. The advanced MIL-STD …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  QinetiQ to deliver UAS for Canadian armed forces

  10th May 2019

  QinetiQ has received a CAD$51 million contract to deliver UAS services for the Canadian armed forces, the company announced on 7 May. The services will …

• Naval Warfare

  RAFAEL’s unique 360° multi-layer defence solution for the maritime domain (sponsored)

  1st May 2019

  RAFAEL’s unique system portfolio comes together to provide a tailor-made and cost-effective suite of its multi-layer defense, addressing current and future naval threats in littoral …

• Training

  European Spartan 2019 C-27J exercise kicks off

  17th May 2019

  Five European C-27J Spartan military aircraft operators are participating in the fourth edition of the European Spartan exercise at Otopeni airbase in Romania, the European …

• Naval Warfare

  JFD completes subsea mating trials on Indian DSRV

  13th May 2019

  JFD has successfully completed subsea mating exercises for the second of two submarine rescue flyaway systems delivered to the Indian Navy, the company announced on …

• Training

  ITEC 2019: Germany closes Tornado gap

  15th May 2019

  The German Air Force (GAF) and navy was one of the largest customers for the Panavia Tornado aircraft and although the latter has disposed of …

• Training

  ITEC 2019: More RAN bridge business for Kongsberg

  9th May 2019

  Kongsberg Digital has signed a contract for a delivery of two new K-Sim Full Mission Bridge (FMB) simulators for delivery to the Royal Australian Navy’s …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Saab Seaeye receives Sabertooth order

  10th May 2019

  Saab Seaeye has received a second order from Modus for its Seaeye Sabertooth AUV, the company announced on 7 May. The 3000m rated Sabertooth will …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) MALE [USMC]

  Background MUX umbrella Since 2016, the USMC has sought to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions and fly ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (11-33) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-27) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - small

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Military UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to the ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Military - USVs

  TUFAN

  TUFAN is a is a kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed by ASELSAN in partnership with ARES Shipyard for offensive operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The platform combines ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...