• Naval Warfare

  Independence variant LCS in SSMM testing

  30th July 2019

  The US Navy has carried out a successful structural test firing of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM) at the Point Mugu …

• Special Operations

  Spooky returns from final combat deployment

  22nd July 2019

  The US Air Force Special Operations Command’s last AC-130U Spooky gunship has completed its final combat deployment, the US Air Force announced on 18 July.The …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: How China’s fingerprints are all over Talisman Sabre

  25th July 2019

  This month more than 34,000 troops completed Exercise Talisman Sabre. Apart from its sheer scale, what is remarkable about the biennial exercise is the degree …

• Land Warfare

  Poland elects to upgrade T-72 tanks

  26th July 2019

  PGZ consortium and ZM Bumar-Łabędy are to refurbish and upgrade the Polish Army’s T-72 tanks under a contract with the Polish Ministry of Defence announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Iran caught UK by surprise in Gulf: audio company

  23rd July 2019

  The man behind the audio recording of Iran's seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf says the episode played out over a 20-40 minute …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman awarded MQ-4C work

  24th July 2019

  Northrop Grumman has received an order from the US Naval Air Systems Command for MQ-4C Triton material kits, the Department of Defense announced on 22 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Provectus becomes part of Rheinmetall

  26th July 2019

  Rheinmetall has taken over Canadian robotics specialist Provectus, the company announced on 26 July. The move will enhance Rheinmetall’s technological capabilities in the field of …

• Naval Warfare

  Malaysia finally moves on fast interceptor craft requirement

  26th July 2019

  Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence published a notice for the acquisition of fast interceptor craft (FIC) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) on 19 July. Adm …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin details HIMARS orders

  18th July 2019

  Lockheed Martin’s recent contract from the US Army for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers includes orders for Poland's first acquisition of HIMARS launchers. Other …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin led team gets MBMM protoype award

  23rd July 2019

  Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have been awarded a $7.2 million prototype agreement by the US Defense Innovation Unit to …

• Digital Battlespace

  L3Harris named on US Army cyber contract

  19th July 2019

  L3Harris Technologies has been named on the US Army’s R4 Electronic and Cyber Warfare IDIQ contract. The R4 programme aims to develop and maintain the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy issues UUV contract modifications

  19th July 2019

  The US Navy has awarded two Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) contracts. General Dynamics Missions Systems was awarded a contract modification for engineering services in support …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal launches future USS Oakland

  24th July 2019

  Austal USA has launched the US Navy’s future USS Oakland (LCS 24) at its ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy releases MUSV RFP

  18th July 2019

  The US Navy has released a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV). According to the RFP, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter receives contract modification

  17th July 2019

  Bell Helicopter has received a contract modification from the US Defense Logistics Agency Aviation for UH-1N and TH-1H helicopter assemblies, the US Department of Defense …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• 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, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• 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 - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

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

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Morocco]

  Programme Background The Moroccan Armed Forces have received substantial investment in recent years as the country seeks to maintain parity with its regional rival, Algeria. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Eitan 8x8 [Israel]

  Programme Background Due to the provisions of the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) system, there is a chance that the Eitan could be mass produced ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SIGMA

  The SIGMA is the latest self-propelled howitzer (SPH) developed by Elbit America and Oshkosh Defense. Produced entirely in the US, the SIGMA is intended to ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• 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 ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...