• Defence Helicopter

  'Pashtun Jaguar' tests UK helicopter crews for Afghanistan

  12th March 2012

  Rotary-wing assets from the UK's Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) have taken part in a large exercise to prepare troops heading for Afghanistan. JHC's Exercise Pashtun …

• Defence Helicopter

  FB Heliservices wins UK MOD contract

  6th March 2012

  Cobham has announced that FB Heliservices has announced it has been awarded a four year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to continue …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman completes UK E-3D Sentry repairs

  22nd February 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that repairs to a UK E-3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (UK AWACS) aircraft have been successfully completed ahead of …

• Military Logistics

  Extra C-17 for the RAF

  8th February 2012

  The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to buy another Boeing C-17, strengthening its fleet of transport aircraft to eight. The decision was announced by …

• Military Logistics

  Marshall SV delivers ILS shelters

  6th February 2012

  Marshall SV, part of Marshall Land Systems, has delivered a number of Instrument Land System (ILS) shelters to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) as …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK wary of cyber threat

  19th January 2012

  A UK government official has warned that the NATO air operation in Libya could have been vulnerable to cyber-attack as the mission was so dependent …

• Digital Battlespace

  API unveils new portable communications suite

  10th January 2012

  API Technologies has announced that it has developed a new secure, portable communications suite called the SST Lightweight Liaison Kit. API made the announcement in …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to develop C130J block upgrade

  19th December 2011

  Lockheed Martin has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to develop a new block upgrade for the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Helicopters to play a key role in Olympic security

  16th December 2011

  Helicopters from the British Army and the Royal Air Force have been slated to play a key role in the protection of the 2012 London …

• Defence Helicopter

  HP reflects on Libyan AMPA deployment

  15th December 2011

  Hewlett Packard (HP) has provided details regarding the UK RAF’s deployment of an enhanced version of its Advanced Mission Planning Aid (AMPA) during Operation Ellamy …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RAF Reapers performing to plan in Afghanistan

  1st December 2011

  A senior UK military official has quashed rumours concerning the performance of RAF MQ-9 Reaper UAVs in Afghanistan. According to WG CDR Andrew Jeffrey, SO1 …

• Military Logistics

  Military Logistics 2011: RAF mulls lessons from Libya

  30th November 2011

  While the RAF looks back at the success of its efforts in the skies over Libya, logisticians involved in the operation say they are keen …

• Defence Helicopter

  New contract to end UK military involvement in SAR

  28th November 2011

  The UK Department for Transport has begun the procurement process for a new fleet of SAR helicopters, which will see SAR being provided by contracted …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai Airshow 2011: Pilot gives viewpoint on Libya rescue

  16th November 2011

  The pilot of an MV-22 Osprey who recovered a crewmember from a downed US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle in Libya has spoken publicly about …

• Digital Battlespace

  AOC 2011: Libya presents key EW issues

  15th November 2011

  Operation Ellamy, the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) contribution to the wider NATO mission in Libya, highlighted some important lessons in the realm of electronic warfare …

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 ...