• Naval Warfare

  Thales signs research collaboration MoU

  3rd May 2018

  A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Flinders University in South Australia, ENSTA Bretagne and Thales that will see the organisations work together …

• Land Warfare

  US Army grapples with future operating concepts

  10th May 2018

  As the threat from near-peer adversaries looms once again over Western nations, the US is having to re-learn operating concepts that have laid dormant for …

• Land Warfare

  IDEB 2018: Slovakia 8x8 IFV contract imminent

  17th May 2018

  The Slovakian Ministry of Defence is expected to award Patria with a contract for the production and delivery of a new variant of the company's 8x8 …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed receives Lot 13 GMLRS contract

  10th May 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a $828 million contract from the US Army for Lot 13 production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets and …

• Defence Notes

  US-backed Kurdish fighters resume anti-IS ops

  8th May 2018

  A US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in the week started 7 May launched a new offensive against holdouts from the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, an …

• Digital Battlespace

  CIA faces crippling challenges in China

  17th May 2018

  China’s perfection of facial recognition and gait detection software, integrated into algorithms that have access to millions of profiles of ‘blacklisted’ individuals, would give Cold …

• Military Logistics

  Savi receives military aRFID order

  10th May 2018

  Savi has received an order from a military contractor to deliver active radio-frequency identification (aRFID) tags for a defence customer, the company announced on 7 …

• Defence Helicopter

  UTAS components for CH-53K

  11th May 2018

  UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) will provide components for the US Marine Corps’ CH-53K King Stallion helicopter, the company announced on 9 May. The company will …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Smashing ceilings through wall acquisition

  12th May 2018

  The global stretch of Survitec, which provides G-suits and life preservers for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft and liferafts for the US Navy, has been …

• Defence Notes

  Australia gives defence budget a moderate lift

  10th May 2018

  Australia announced its defence budget for FY2018/19 on 8 May, with the total amounting to A$36.4 billion ($27.2 billion). This figure is in line with …

• Defence Notes

  Pentagon probe finds training, command issues in Niger ambush

  10th May 2018

  A comprehensive probe into 2017’s deadly assault of US and local forces in Niger uncovered a series of avoidable blunders leading up to the attack, …

• Special Operations

  Fibrotex USA receives ULCANS contract

  4th May 2018

  Fibrotex USA has received a contract from the US Army Natick Soldier System Center for the further development, testing and manufacture of the next generation …

• Land Warfare

  IDE delivers upgraded M109 to Hellenic Army

  8th May 2018

  Intracom Defense Electronics (IDE) has delivered the first M109s upgraded with Hybrid GenAirCon to the Hellenic Army following successful live firings, the company announced on …

• Special Operations

  Caribbean Special Tactics Center opens

  1st May 2018

  Special operations units across the Caribbean Sea, Central and South America are set to benefit from increasing levels in cooperation and interoperability with the establishment …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Cattistock completes NATO deployment

  19th April 2018

  Royal Navy minehunter HMS Cattistock has completed a four month deployment in the Baltic Sea with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.The vessel took part …

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 ...