• Defence Notes

  German Air Force orders more Meteor missiles

  27th December 2019

  The German Air Force has ordered additional Meteor missiles from MBDA, the company announced on 20 December. The order, placed on 16 December, was issued …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indonesia rolls out indigenous MALE UAV

  3rd January 2020

  On 30 December, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) rolled out the first prototype of an indigenously developed MALE UAV that has been christened the Elang Hitam …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon working on Competency Aware Machine Learning

  14th January 2020

  Raytheon has received a $6 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to developing machine learning technology, the company announced on 13 …

• Defence Notes

  IRST Block II pod flies on F/A-18 Super Hornet

  16th January 2020

  Boeing and the US Navy have flown an F/A-18 Super Hornet equipped with an Infrared Search & Track (IRST) Block II pod for the first …

• Air Warfare

  5GAT in engine run testing

  21st January 2020

  Sierra Technical Services has carried out engine run testing on the 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT), the company announced on 20 January.STS is developing 5GAT …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New year’s resolution for CUSV and its Milestone C

  15th January 2020

  A ‘variety of circumstances’ were factors in Textron Systems’ Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) missing its Milestone C target in 2019, with the system now being …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon awarded FAB-T contract modification

  21st January 2020

  Raytheon has received a contract modification for its work on the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) production contract. The $36.8 million modification was …

• Digital Battlespace

  American E-11A BACN aircraft crashes in Afghanistan

  28th January 2020

  The E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft is a rare platform in the USAF, and one of just four in service crashed near Ghazni …

• Naval Warfare

  Tech demonstrations could be part of Prince of Wales 2021 deployment

  30th January 2020

  The first deployment of HMS Prince of Wales (foreground), second of the UK RN’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, in 2021 could see the platform being used …

• Military Logistics

  Delta Digital Video converters approved for FRP

  15th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has approved full rate production for Delta Digital Video to deliver multiple Model VSC/900 Universal Video Format Converters for use in the Electronic …

• Training

  Kratos to upgrade Aussie Chinook training systems

  24th December 2019

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received a Chinook training system upgrade contract from the Australian Department of Defence, the company announced on 19 December. …

• Naval Warfare

  Revealed: How Turkey is modernising its Barbaros-class frigates

  15th January 2020

  A new graphic has been released revealing how the modernisation of Turkey’s Barbaros-class frigates will enhance the capabilities of the vessels. Turkey’s Presidency of Defence …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2019: Treality SVS wins C-130 display contract

  4th December 2019

  Xenia, Ohio-headquartered Treality SVS has won a contract to provide two glass mirror collimated visual CD Series systems for C-130H and C-130J full motion trainers …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to continue Joint STARS support

  13th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman has received a $302 million contract from the US Air Force to continue providing support for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin to continue SEWIP support

  15th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $13.9 million Design Agent engineering services contract by the US Navy, the company announced on 14 January.The contract will …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  OC-135B Replacement [USA]

  Programme Background The modification and Treaty Certification works include Digital Visual Imaging System kits, design and development for mission system integration (structural design, interphone communications systems, ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Combat Helicopter (India - Air Force)

  Programme Background Requirement India's requirement for light attack helicopters capable of operating at high altitudes became apparent during the 1999 Kargil War. Originally planned to reach ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Orlan-10 [Russian Navy]

  Background Frigate Augmentation Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country planned to augment its Admiral Gorshkov class frigates with indigenously developed Orlan-10 ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Combat Helicopter (India - Army)

  Programme Background Requirement India's requirement for light attack helicopters capable of operating at high altitudes became apparent during the 1999 Kargil War. Originally planned to reach ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition [Switzerland]

  Background Announcement In a February 2023 interview with Swiss news outlet CH-Media, Swiss army chief Thomas Süssli stated that the country was considering acquiring loitering munitions ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Shahed-171 (ANSU-200) [Venezuela]

  Background Independence Day Parade Venezuela operates the ANSU-200, a UAV with many visual similarities to the Shahed-171, which Defence Insight believes is a domestically produced ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  S-400 [India]

  Background India is modernising its air defence by procuring  S-400 LRSAM systems (Triumf Missile System), which are planned to be used by the Air Force.  The fifth system ...

• Destroyers

  Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (1-3) [Canada]

  Background Requirements Fifteen frigates are being procured to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 ageing Halifax-class frigates and the now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers with next-generation surface ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Ground Master 403 Radar [Egypt]

  Background In 2020, Egypt ordered four of France-based Thales Ground Master 403 radars, the mobile member of their GM400 radar family.  At least one of the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Data links

  Data links | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mangart 25 [Slovenia]

  Background Mangart 25 originated from a Slovenian national development project for a lightweight remotely controlled air-defence system. The development contract was signed with Valhalla Turrets ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: aerial targets

  Lakshya

  The Lakshya is an aerial target developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for training fighter pilots in air-to-air combat or ground-based air ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  StreamCaster Mini 4210

  The StreamCaster Mini 4210 (SM4210) is a single-channel data radio (SCDR) that can create MANET mesh networks. It is currently in use with the US ...

• Air: mission management systems

  FireStorm

  FireStorm is an integrated targeting and mission management system for air-to-ground operations such as close air support, ground targeting and call for fire. It is ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AW129

  The AW129 Mangusta (Mongoose, service designation) is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter originally developed for the Italian Army and subsequently developed into a multirole combat ...

• Air: mission management systems

  CMA-9000

  The CMA-9000  Flight and Radio Management System (FMS/RMS) is manufactured by the Canadian firm CMC Electronics. It is designed for a wide range of commercial, ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Chukar III

  The Chukar III, based on Northrop Grumman’s BQM-74E developed for the USN, is a high subsonic aerial jet target for export customers.

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Sprite

  The Sprite is a USV developed by QinetiQ and designed for live-fire training exercises. 

• Air: aerial targets

  Banshee Whirlwind

  Originally made by Meggitt Target Systems, a company QinetiQ acquired in 2016, the Banshee is an aerial target and the first drone in the Banshee series.  ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Badger UGV-T

  Badger is a remotely controlled, lightly armoured, all-terrain vehicle designed to exercise anti-armour combat systems. No permanent installations are required; Badger is transportable to and ...

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Albatros-T

  The Aselsan Albatros-T is a high-speed, unmanned, surface-target boat manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to be used as a moving target in shooting drills.

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

• Air: aerial targets

  DO-SK6

  The DO-SK6 is a modular design tow body adaptable for various functions.

• Naval: RF/IR/acoustic decoys

  Integrated Decoy System

  Rafael's integrated ship-defence decoy system features real-time decoy deployment, fixed and/or rotating launchers and a computerised decoy controller that can be integrated with a ship’s ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Integrated Combat System

  The Integrated Combat System (ICS) is a combat management system being developed for the US Navy. The project, currently led by Lockheed Martin, aims to ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 TOFT

  L3Harris Technologies has delivered two F/A-18C Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFTs) built for the Kuwait Air Force (KAF). The high-fidelity TOFTs replace the KAF’s F/A-18 ...