• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-One selected for RAF Puma HC2 engine support

  11th February 2013

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected Heli-One for a long-term Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) arrangement for the Puma HC2 helicopter fleet’s Makila 1A1 …

• Defence Notes

  RAF augments Brimstone missile stocks

  18th January 2013

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with MBDA to increase the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Brimstone missile stocks. The £14 million …

• Military Logistics

  New Rolls-Royce service centre opens at RAF Marham

  14th January 2013

  A new Rolls-Royce Service Delivery Centre has opened at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Marham in Norfolk, UK. The new centre officially opened …

• Defence Helicopter

  Upgraded RAF Chinook operational in Afghanistan

  9th January 2013

  The first upgraded Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook Mk4 helicopters deployed to Afghanistan in late November, less than six months after their introduction to frontline …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK MoD issues Sea King helicopter support contract

  28th December 2012

  AgustaWestland has been issued a £260 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide Sea King Integrated Operational Support (SKIOS) from 1 …

• Defence Notes

  Thales simulators support RAF Tornados

  21st December 2012

  Thales UK-ACE has been playing a key simulation and training role in support of a Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado fast jet squadron detachment handover …

• Defence Helicopter

  Puma HC1 completes last sortie at RAF Benson

  14th December 2012

  The Royal Air Force (RAF) has announced that the Puma HC1 has flown its last sortie at RAF Benson. The HC1 fleet is currently undergoing …

• Defence Notes

  I/ITSEC 2012: UK extends DSALT contract

  6th December 2012

  QinetiQ used the I/ITSEC conference in Orlando, Florida, to announce that it has been awarded an 18-month extension to its Distributed Synthetic Air Land Training …

• Military Logistics

  First RAF Typhoon undergoes major BAE Systems maintenance

  5th December 2012

  BAE Systems has announced that it has completed the first ever ‘major’ maintenance on a Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon aircraft, after the aircraft had …

• Defence Helicopter

  AFA 2012: AFSOC works to solve CV-22 engine issues

  18th September 2012

  The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is working on a number of measures to prevent the fine Afghan sand from damaging the engine …

• Defence Helicopter

  Eurocopter hands over first Puma Mk2 UK MoD

  13th September 2012

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has received the first Puma Mk2 helicopter, marking an important milestone in the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) upgrade programme. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Shadows reach 10,000 operational flying hours

  7th September 2012

  The RAF's fleet of five Shadow R1 reconaissance aircraft have clocked up 10,000 flying hours. The milestone was marked at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire by …

• Military Logistics

  CAE announces military simulation contracts

  22nd August 2012

  CAE has announced that it has won a number of military contracts from Airbus Military, BAE Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for …

• Defence Helicopter

  FBHeliservices to provide helicopter flight training to Albanian MoD

  31st July 2012

  FBHeliservices has won a two-year contract to provide helicopter flight training to the Albanian Ministry of Defence, it has emerged. FBH's instructors will provide multi-engine …

• Military Logistics

  Farnborough 2012: Snap-On displays new tool system

  13th July 2012

  Snap-On Industrial has showcased the fully Automated Tool Control (ATC) system for the first time in the UK at the Farnborough International Airshow. ATC serves …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [UK]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian governments ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  StormFighter [UK]

  Background Project Mosquito and its cancellation Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), ...

• Military UAS - small

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater interoperability ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) [UK]

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [UK]

  Background RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Background Programme goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9A Reapers in the RAF's inventory until they are formally retired in October 2025. The MQ-9B will deliver a UK ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Background Formally known as the Chinook Capability Sustainment Program the UK is planning to replace its 14 oldest CH-47s with 14 new-build CH-47F (ER). The ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (Second Order) [UK]

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 ...

• Transport

  Command Support Air Transport Recapitalisation [UK]

  Programme Background The tender, originally released on 28 October 2021, required industry bidders to put forward aircraft that can achieve a minimum unrefuelled range of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 (Second Batch) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco's military modernisation In 2017, Morocco established a five-year plan to modernise the military equipment of its navy, army and airforce to bring ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Gobi Tempest C-UAS

  Gobi Tempest is a high-speed UAS designed to intercept hostile group 2-3 UAS. The system is manufactured by the French company Harmattan AI; through a ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Sky Shadow-2

  Leonardo’s Sky Shadow-2 electronic attack pod was designed for the Panavia Tornado-GR4A ground attack aircraft in service with the RAF. 

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...