• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2019: Lebanese Air Force adapts for terrorism fight

  12th February 2019

  Lebanon has had to increase the capabilities of the its armed forces in a bid to stop the rise of terrorism in the country, according …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2019: Day one highlights (video)

  29th January 2019

  As ADECS closes its doors on day one, Simon Williams, chairman at Clarion, Defence and Security, tells Shephard that the standard and quality of debate …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK Merlin Mk4/4a programme hit by delays

  7th February 2019

  The UK's ongoing AW101 Merlin Mk4/4a delivery programme has been delayed beyond its original end date of December 2020 after manufacturer Leonardo and the MoD …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan requests Aegis weapon systems

  31st January 2019

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of Aegis weapon systems, Multi-Mission Signal Processors (MMSP) and C2 Processor …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DGAC approves Skeyetech UAS operations

  8th February 2019

  Azur Drones has received approval from the French Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) to operate its fully-automated Skeyetech UAS in Europe, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2019: Helicopter issues hamper Jordanian air force

  13th February 2019

  According to the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s (RJAF) Brig Gen Pilot, Adham Belal Asendar, the service’s helicopters do not currently have weapons integrated with surveillance …

• Naval Warfare

  Polish OPV undergoes final sea trials as Bulgaria programme faces delay

  6th February 2019

  The latest OPV destined for the Polish Navy, ORP Slazak, recently began final sea trials ahead of a handover to the service, the final leg …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: Open skies for unmanned maritime operations?

  15th January 2019

  While the maritime environment is arguably an easier one for unmanned systems to operate in due to a relatively low amount of airspace traffic and …

• Military Logistics

  Second Leonardo DRS HED for USCG cutter

  18th January 2019

  Leonardo DRS will supply Eastern Shipbuilding with a second hybrid electric drive (HED) system for the US Coast Guard’s (USCG's) next Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), …

• Naval Warfare

  Diligence still on the cutting block

  7th February 2019

  The UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary's (RFA) former support vessel Diligence, put up for sale in 2016, appears to be struggling to find suitors after an …

• Defence Notes

  Washington to send more troops to Poland, says US ambassador

  13th February 2019

  The US plans to expand its troop presence in Poland beyond the current 4,000-strong contingent deployed to counter a resurgent Russia, Washington's ambassador to Warsaw …

• Special Operations

  JFD launches Shadow/B defence rebreather

  31st January 2019

  JFD has launched a flexible, back-mounted defence rebreather capability called Shadow/B for military combat divers, the company announced on 29 January. Shadow/B, combined with a …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy takes another step toward common logistics hulls

  9th January 2019

  Building on the results of a May 2018 RfI and subsequent ‘industry day’ opportunity, the US Navy is taking another step toward the development and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kawasaki establishes new UK subsidiary

  6th February 2019

  Kawasaki Heavy Industries has launched a subsidiary in Aberdeen, Scotland, called Kawasaki Subsea (UK) Limited, to support the production, sale and post-sale servicing of AUVs, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MBDA’s Brimstone for UK Protector

  29th January 2019

  MBDA has received a contract for the integration of the Brimstone high-precision strike missile onto the Royal Air Force’s (RAF's) Protector RG Mk1 aircraft, the …

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, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, 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 - rotary-wing, 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 - rotary-wing, 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...