• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky secures US Army contract modification

  11th March 2020

  Sikorsky was awarded a $525.4 million contract modification by US Army Contracting Command on 10 March. This allows Sikorsky to exercise contract options on the …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon provides third-generation FLIR sensor

  19th March 2020

  Raytheon has developed, produced and delivered its first third-generation FLIR sensor system for the US Army. The 3rd Gen FLIR system provides individual troops with …

• Digital Battlespace

  Saab hails X-band AESA trial

  24th April 2020

  Saab completed the first flight trial of its new X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fighter radar on 8 April. The company stated on 24 …

• Special Operations

  NATO to receive mine-detection equipment from Schiebel

  18th March 2020

  NATO has extended its contract for the AN-19/2 Mine Detecting Set from Schiebel, to include an extra 900 units on top of the 1,700 units …

• Defence Notes

  PODCAST: US Navy ruptures, AsPac developments and situational awareness on the modern battlefield

  10th April 2020

  Welcome to Episode 14 of the second series of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert …

• Land Warfare

  Australia receives first LRIP Hawkeis

  2nd April 2020

  In late March, a regular unit of the Australian Army received a batch of low-rate initial-production (LRIP) Thales Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicles - Light (PMV-L) plus …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hughes offers upgrade to US Army‘s Gray Eagle

  12th March 2020

  EchoStar Corporation subsidiary Hughes Network Systems has been awarded a data link modernisation sub-contract by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, to provide Next Gen SATCOMs for …

• Defence Notes

  DoD introduces domestic travel restrictions

  16th March 2020

  The US Department of Defense (DoD) on 15 March announced new domestic travel restrictions for service members and civilian personnel in response to the ongoing …

• Defence Notes

  US Army Europe commander self-isolates after potential COVID-19 exposure

  10th March 2020

  The commander of US Army Europe and several of his staff have placed themselves in self-isolation after attending a recent conference which may have exposed …

• Military Logistics

  Delayed Australian C-27J certification is imminent

  21st April 2020

  The RAAF’s C-27J Spartan tactical transport fleet is yet to achieve full military certification, something originally expected by the end of 2019, which would have …

• Land Warfare

  Czech Republic receives new Pandur II variants

  26th March 2020

  The Czech Republic is improving the mobility and situational awareness of its ground forces through new command/staff and communication (liaison) variants of the 8x8 Pandur II. …

• Land Warfare

  Griffon to pack a punch with MEPAC

  25th March 2020

  The French Army has disclosed how it will deploy its recently ordered Thales (previously TDA) 120mm 2R2M rifled mortars in the Mortier Embarqué Pour l'Appui au Contact …

• Training

  New KC-46 training scheme unveiled

  17th April 2020

  Despite the travails surrounding the USAF's KC-46 Pegasus tanker programme, the training show goes on and has just gathered pace. FlightSafety Services Corporation (FSC), the …

• Training

  US sim business continues at pace

  8th April 2020

  Selling a simulator is one thing but the real long-term benefits come from upgrading that device over its lifetime to keep the training device current …

• Defence Helicopter

  General Electric strikes ventilator and military engine balance

  13th April 2020

  General Electric’s healthcare division claims to have ‘doubled’ ventilator production in the wake of COVID-19 and it is predicting to do so again in June. …

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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH [USA]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - micro

  eBee Vision [US]

  Background Multiple orders In November 2025, the US Army acquired three eBee Vision systems to enhance training operations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. A ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. The development of the Sergeant ...

• 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]

  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 Brigade ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mobile Tactical Cannon [USA]

  Background The US Army began using the M777 in 1995. Since then, it has served as a field artillery piece providing fire support for American ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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) ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round is an 81mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmerman for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round produced by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.