• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin looks to future of GPS

  28th March 2016

  The Lockheed Martin GPS III programme has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, the company remains confident that it will meet the August 2016 available-for-launch …

• Naval Warfare

  US coastal force seeks 'intimidating' patrol boat

  28th March 2016

  The US Navy's Coastal Riverine Force (CRF) is looking to replace up to 160 of its 25ft and 34ft force protection boats with a larger …

• Defence Helicopter

  Norway's AW101 takes flight

  25th March 2016

  The first of 16 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters being built for the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MoJ) has successfully performed its maiden flight …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A delays unlikely to have big impact

  24th March 2016

  A possible delivery delay of seven months for the US Air Force’s next-generation KC-46A is unlikely to have a long-term effect on the service’s tanker …

• Training

  Italy orders nine Aermacchi M-346s

  24th March 2016

  Finmeccanica has signed a $337 million contract with the Italian Ministry of Defence for another nine Aermacchi M-346 advanced training aircraft for the Italian Air …

• Military Logistics

  US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together

  23rd March 2016

  The Turkish Air Force and the US Air Force (USAF) have flown their KC-135 Stratotankers in formation over the Nevada test and training range, the …

• Training

  Australia demos air-land integration

  22nd March 2016

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Australian Army have conducted a firepower and combat team quick attack demonstration as part of Exercise Jericho …

• Land Warfare

  CTAI delivers 40mm cannon to UK

  22nd March 2016

  CTA International (CTAI), a joint venture between BAE Systems and Nexter Systems, has delivered the first production standard Cased Telescoped Cannon System to the UK …

• Naval Warfare

  US tests AN/SPQ-9B’s PDD capability

  22nd March 2016

  The upgraded Periscope Detection and Discrimination (PDD) capabilities of the AN/SPQ-9B anti-ship missile defence radar have been successfully tested by the US Navy, it was …

• Defence Notes

  UK, Ukraine sign defence deal

  21st March 2016

  The UK and Ukraine have signed a new 15-year defence agreement, the UK government announced on 18 March. The agreement includes cooperation in the field …

• Training

  UAV pilot training struggles continue

  21st March 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) is continuing to fall behind with the management of its unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilots and further action is needed, …

• Training

  Beechcraft receives NFTC contract

  21st March 2016

  Textron Aviation subsidiary Beechcraft Defense has been awarded a five-year contract by CAE to provide service support for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dual control Mi-28NE enters production

  21st March 2016

  Russian Helicopters’ Rostvertol has commenced serial production of the Mi-28NE combat helicopter with dual controls, the company announced on 16 March. The dual controls will …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus to sell Defence Electronics

  21st March 2016

  Airbus Group has reached an agreement for the sale of its Defence Electronics business to KKR for around $1.23 billion, the company announced on 18 …

• Land Warfare

  Size matters in Nordic consolidation

  18th March 2016

  In a further move in the ongoing consolidation of the Nordic defence industry, Kongsberg has agreed to purchase 49.9% of vehicle manufacturer Patria from the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

  Programme Background The F-15EX will be based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX - USAF (Contracted)

  Programme Background USAF is looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDTE configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. F-15EX will replace ageing ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-Y Tanker Aircraft (USA)

  Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (USA - Forecast)

  Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 [USAF]

  Programme Background On 8 August 2023, Teal Drones announced it had received a $2.6 million deal for 172 Teal 2 UAVs, spare parts and training from ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Other bidders included Sikorsky with HH-60U offer and Sierra Nevada with upgrading offer of UH-60As to UH-60L configuration.In February 2018, Leonardo filed a protest to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The baseline requirements for Increment 2 of the CCA effort are similar to Increment 1, which is covered in a separate entry on Defence ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (1-2) [USA]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15QA Qatar

  Programme BackgroundOn 17 November 2016, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS of 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for an ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Data links

  Data links | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: maintenance simulators

  F-22 Training Devices

  TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...

• EW Training Support System (Battlelab)

  EW Training Support System is a Training & Simulation Center a leading-edge training facility dedicated to teaching and training personnel in the Electronic Warfare field. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  EX-3 Revenant

  The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USAF KC-135 ATS

  The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-1 Jayhawk

  FlightSafety operates and maintains T-1 training devices as part of its CLS contract. Air Education and Training Command uses these high-fidelity simulators and part-task trainers ...

• Training Services

  GFD (Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung) is an Airbus subsidiary providing target demonstration, live EW training, forward air controller training, test and evaluation flights. GFD trains German ...

• 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.

• EW test systems

  JTE

  The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-130H Compass Call

  The EC-130H is an EW aircraft based on the modified C-130H transport aircraft. It is used by the USAF to disrupt enemy command and control communications ...

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• Trainer

  T-38 Talon

  Developed by Northrop Grumman, the T-38 Talon is an advanced trainer aircraft introduced into service in 1961. The T-38 has the same basic airframe as ...

• EW test systems

  ELT A62

  ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-38C Talon

  FlightSafety supports nearly 40 T-38 training devices as part of its contract for logistics support for the T-38. The T-38C is a converted T-38A/B that ...

• Subsystems: software, Subsystems: visual

  SimuSphere HD

  SimuSphere HD immerses fast jet pilots in a virtual training environment claimed to be equivalent to real-world flying missions. As part of L3Harris Technologies' HD ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  JPRWRS

  The Joint Portable Radar Warning Receiver Stimulator (JPRWRS) has been developed as a method of providing fixed- and rotary-wing aircrews with a low-cost, open-air threat ...