• Land Warfare

  Romania stays the course with Piranha V

  27th July 2020

  Romania will maintain its programme to acquire the Piranha V 8x8 APC, as the NATO member state continues plans to modernise the Romanian Army's wheeled …

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia bewilders yet again with Typhoon request

  27th July 2020

  Indonesia continues to surprise in its aircraft acquisition efforts. Earlier this month it was the proposed purchase of eight Bell-Boeing MV-22B Ospreys that raised eyebrows, …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems joins alliance to enhance GPS innovation

  7th August 2020

  The US-based GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA) welcomed its sixth official member on 6 August when BAE Systems joined. Radiation-hardened electronics from BAE Systems  currently provide …

• Defence Notes

  IDF demands extra funding with Iran in its sights

  6th August 2020

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proposing a funding boost for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), citing ongoing tensions with Iran and its proxies in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK holds landmark MUM-T flight

  21st July 2020

  QinetiQ has completed the UK’s first manned/unmanned aircraft team (MUM-T) demonstration, featuring a manned H125 helicopter and semi-autonomous UAV. The event took place on 19 …

• Air Warfare

  COVID-19 delays Malaysian helicopters and surveillance aircraft

  6th August 2020

  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays to delivery of the first three MD 530G helicopters ordered by Malaysia, said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri in parliament …

• Digital Battlespace

  QPS integrates FarSounder sonar

  13th August 2020

  QPS integrates FarSounder sonar Netherlands-based Quality Positioning Services (QPS) has integrated Argos Forward Looking Sonars (FLS) from US company FarSounder into its Qinsy survey software …

• Air Warfare

  Production begins of first F-35 for Denmark

  7th August 2020

  Lockheed Martin has begun production in the US of the first F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft for the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), Danish Defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  PacStar supports US Army scalable communications programme

  8th July 2020

  PacStar on 8 July announced a contract to support the US Army Expeditionary Signal Battalion - Enhanced (ESB-E) tactical communications programme. The value of the …

• Military Logistics

  Sikorsky to deliver engineering services support for King Stallion

  12th August 2020

  Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky is to provide engineering services for CH-53K King Stallion logistics support products under a new $25.13 million delivery order, the DoD announced …

• Training

  AI proves its mettle in AlphaDogfight

  21st August 2020

  The third and final competition in the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) AlphaDogfight Trials has now taken place to evaluate how AI algorithms …

• Digital Battlespace

  ThinKom to start shipboard tests of Ka-band antenna for USN

  7th August 2020

  The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), has awarded ThinKom Solutions a seven-month contract to provide its commercially available phased-array antenna for USN shipboard communications. ThinKom announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  LIMWS moves on to first production lots

  16th July 2020

  BAE Systems has received $179 million in contract awards from the US Army as part of the Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) Quick Reaction …

• Military Logistics

  Singapore Army trials exoskeleton

  16th July 2020

  The Singapore Army has confirmed it is in the process of trialling exoskeletons, revealed in a video shown on Singapore Armed Forces Day. The logo …

• Digital Battlespace

  Horizon obtains US patent for Xtender

  5th August 2020

  Horizon Technologies has been issued a US patent for its Xtender SIGINT technology. This is the second registered patent to be awarded to the UK-based …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...