• Military Logistics

  Boeing to deliver logistical support for P-8A operators

  22nd May 2020

  Boeing is to undertake additional integrated logistics support for operators of the P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime patrol aircraft, in a $27.77 million contract modification announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Parrot unveils ANAFI USA

  2nd July 2020

  Parrot Drones on 30 June announced the market launch of a new UAV designed for use by defence organisations as well as first responders and …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF Warfare Center to build 5G network prototype

  29th May 2020

  The USAF Warfare Center and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E;)) announced plans to build a 5G cellular …

• Land Warfare

  US Army seeks head protection

  23rd June 2020

  VisionCorps has obtained a $24.38 million contract from US Army Contracting Command to provide Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) suspension systems. Bids were solicited online …

• Training

  USAF RPA training falls short

  29th June 2020

  According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), ‘the [US] Air Force does not have enough pilots and sensor operators to meet its staffing targets …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Serbia unveils new Chinese-made CH-92A UAV

  8th July 2020

  Serbia has shown off a fleet of new fixed-wing CH-92A UAVs bought from China for the first time. In a 4 July presentation held at …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Philippines expects Hermes 900 UAVs imminently

  26th June 2020

  The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is about to receive its final MALE UAVs from Israel, according to the latest edition of the PAF newsletter Lead …

• Digital Battlespace

  ​US-fielded EW systems to undergo LVC tests

  20th May 2020

  Mercer University in Warner Robins, Georgia, is to provide LVC closed-loop engineering test and evaluation of newly developed EW systems for the USAF, under a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Romanian Pumas light up Mali with BrightNite

  7th July 2020

  The Romanian Air Force’s contribution to the UN-led peacekeeping mission in Mali has been greatly enhanced by the use of four BrightNite-equipped IAR 330 Puma …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to develop missile warning satellites for US Space Force

  20th May 2020

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $2.37 billion contract modification to develop two Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) missile warning satellites for the USAF. The contract …

• Land Warfare

  US begins NGI competition in major overhaul of homeland defence

  22nd May 2020

  The Pentagon has launched a competition for a Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), as an ambitious project to overhaul the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system in the …

• Digital Battlespace

  ​NGG partners complete subsystem preliminary design review

  25th June 2020

  Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace have successfully completed the preliminary design review for first payload subsystem on the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Geosynchronous …

• Military Logistics

  Kongsberg takes full control of Patria Helicopters

  1st July 2020

  Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services on 1 July formally took over Bardufoss, Norway-based Patria Helicopters after buying a minority share held by Finnish defence and aerospace …

• Training

  USN outlines F/A-18 STE enhancements

  8th July 2020

  The USN has unveiled plans for its continued update of F/A-18 and EA-18G synthetic training equipment (STE) over the next four years. With all but …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to provide targeting pods for FMS customers

  20th May 2020

  Lockheed Martin is to produce new and upgraded targeting systems, IR Search and Track (IRST) sensors and navigation pods for the US DoD and a …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Military Aid - $300 Million On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine to "bolster Urkaine's capacity ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  M1165 Special Ops HMMWV [USA]

  Background The HHMWV, or Humvee, has been in US service since 1983. The M1165A1B3 is a special operations variant of the platform.  In 2015, the US ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

• Loitering munitions

  Point Blank [US]

  Programme Background As IAI stated in a 19 January 2023 press release, it had been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Puma LE [Kosovo]

  Background Contract Award On 21 January 2022, the US Department of Defence (DoD) announced that AeroVironment had been awarded an $11.01 million firm-fixed contract for Puma ...

• Loitering munitions

  ALTIUS-600M (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background On 24 February 2023, the US DoD announced that the Biden Administration had released an additional aid package under the Ukraine Security Assistance ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  M1152A1B2/M1165A1B3 HMMWV [USA]

  Background The HMMWV has been in US service since the 1980s. Despite the introduction of newer platforms, the US DoD continues to utilise the platform ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  M1165A1B3 HMMWV [USA]

  Background The HMMWV has been in US service since the 1980s. Despite the introduction of newer platforms, the US DoD continues to utilise the platform ...

• Loitering munitions

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Background Presidential Drawdown Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 million Presidential Drawdown security ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 2 AE [Estonia]

  Programme Background The US DoD announced that it had awarded AeroVironment an $8.868 million firm-fixed-price contract to supply an undisclosed number of RQ-20B Puma AE ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (3-6) [Japan]

  On 30 October 2020, the US DoD announced that it awarded a $342 million contract to Boeing for two Japanese KC-46A tanker aircraft. Work will be performed ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS): Switchblade [US]

  Background DoD contract On 27 August 2024, the US DoD announced that AeroVironment had been awarded a ceiling of $990 million hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 PRTV [USA]

  Background The Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme is intended to provide a replacement for the USMC's fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7 (AAV7) tracked vehicles. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Pistols

  M9

  M9 is the US DoD designation for the military-specification 9mm Beretta 92FS, selected in 1985 to replace the 45cal M1911A1 in US service. Sales to ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Igla/SA-18

  The 9K38 Igla (US DoD designation SA-18, NATO reporting name Grouse ) IR-homing MANPADS was developed by KBM and entered service in 1983 to meet the requirements ...

• Loitering munitions

  Point Blank

  Point Blank Weapon System is a hand-launched electro-optical VTOL-capable loitering munition developed by Isreal Aerospace Industries (IAI). IAI has been awarded a contract by the US ...

• Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  BAT-850

  Pathfinder's BAT-850 VSAT is a carbon fibre, tri-band terminal with auto-acquisition capability. Suitable for flyaway (case-based) and vehicle-mounted applications, it is in service with the ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  URC-300

  The URC-300 is a software-defined radio designed for line-of-sight, ground-to-air communications in particular. Introduced in 2020, it adheres to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards as well ...

• Air: aerial targets

  BQM-177A/i

  The BQM-177A subsonic aerial target (SSAT) was designed for the USN, and the BQM-177i is the export variant. The BQM-177 provides realistic threat emulation for ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Banshee Tactical Radio

  Developed by Fenix Group, the Banshee Tactical Radio (BTR) is a communications system that uses 4G/LTE connectivity to provide secure mesh networking capability on the ...

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  Striker 40/MK47

  General Dynamics is systems integrator for the Striker 40 (MK47 AGL in US service). The complete system comprises the weapon, AN/PWG-1 Lightweight Video Sight and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-231 Skyfire

  The AN/ARC-231 Skyfire is an airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM system. This system supports US DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  9M39 Igla-V

  The 9M39 Igla-V (‘needle’) is a Russian IR homing SAM adapted for helicopter use. It is an air-launched version of the Igla MANPADS, which the ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Global Observer

  The AeroVironment Global Observer HALE UAV was a developmental HALE UAV designed for various civil, commercial and government applications.  Development of the platform began in 2007 ...

• Directed energy weapons

  CLWS

  Developed by Boeing, Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS or CLaWS) is a medium-range, low-power laser C-UAS system. According to the reports, the CLWS prototype has ...

• Weapon sights for day use

  CompM4/M4s

  The US DoD has bought over one million Aimpoint sights since 1997. The US Army is now fielding the CompM4s as the latest version of ...

• Heavy machine guns

  M2HB

  US Ordnance is one of two US M2HB heavy machine gun manufacturers which has received multi-year contracts to supply weapons to the US DoD. The ...