• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: Varjo launches XR-4 mixed-reality headsets

  28th November 2023

  The new Varjo XR-4 mixed-reality headset, unveiled at I/ITSEC in Florida, provides what its developer termed 'higher image quality' and it can be used in offline secure training environments.

• Training

  Exclusive: Full list of British Army $1 billion collective training programme bidders revealed

  23rd November 2023

  Internal documents obtained by Shephard have revealed a covert line up of companies, including Elbit Systems, joining the competition for the British Army Collective Training System (ACTS, previously known as CTTP).

• Training

  Dubai Airshow 2023: First Bell 505 training helicopters delivered to Royal Jordanian Air Force

  17th November 2023

  Jordan ordered ten helicopters 12 months ago and joins Montenegro and the army and navy of South Korea as military operators of the 505.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: AI and VR training platforms set to steal limelight in Orlando

  17th November 2023

  Modelling, simulation and training technologies event I/ITSEC will showcase innovations in AI, VR and AR, including Taqtile’s Manifest platform, RTI’s Connext platform and ARA’s CB-TASC project.

• Training

  Boeing and Red 6 make moves on airborne augmented reality training

  21st November 2023

  Boeing and augmented reality training specialist Red 6 have achieved notable progress in integrating advanced technology into training aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to upgrade Austria’s Skyguard air defence system

  12th December 2023

  Rheinmetall's Oerlikon Skyguard, the air defence system developed for the protection of stationary high value assets such as air fields, bridges, industrial installations and military command and control centres, will undergo a multimillion dollar upgrade.

• Air Warfare

  Japan to spend $224 million on advanced air missiles from US

  18th December 2023

  The US has greenlit a potential Foreign Military Sale of more than 100 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Japan.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed rolls out first Belgian F-35 but software hitch delays homecoming

  11th December 2023

  Lockheed Martin has unveiled Belgium’s inaugural F-35, however, Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software setbacks have kept the fighter in the US which has impacted deployment and training plans.

• Naval Warfare

  Canada unveils connector barges for shore access of its naval fleet

  15th November 2023

  The Royal Canadian Navy’s Sea-to-Shore Connector project has been designed to allow ship-borne vehicles, troops and equipment to be delivered ashore more rapidly.

• Air Warfare

  Sky high diplomacy: Saudi Arabia's fighter jet puzzle entangles Eurofighter, Rafale and global alliances

  16th January 2024

  Saudi Arabia faces a juncture in aerial diplomacy as Germany's approval of a potential Eurofighter Typhoon deal introduces fresh possibilities and uncertainties, prompting the kingdom to weigh the Eurofighter against the appealing alternative of the Dassault Rafale.

• Training

  Indian Army special forces get new vertical wind tunnel for training

  8th November 2023

  The Indian Army's Special Forces Training School (SFTS) has inaugurated its first Vertical Wind Tunnel.

• Air Warfare

  Enhancing military pilot training: Overcoming challenges in integrating VR and MR technologies

  9th November 2023

  While VR has gained popularity in military pilot training for its cost-effectiveness and risk mitigation, MR technologies are yet to overcome obstacles similar to what VR faced in its earlier stages.

• Land Warfare

  Latvia makes its largest defence investment in air defence system

  13th December 2023

  Latvia and Estonia have committed to purchasing Diehl IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence systems with the system set to provide a substantial boost to Latvia’s air defence capabilities.

• Training

  British Army aims to attract new talent via multi-million-pound higher education contract

  22nd November 2023

  The British Army has awarded a nine-year contract to Henley Business School to deliver a degree pathway in Leadership and Strategic Studies for its officers and senior soldiers as part of its talent development strategy.

• Land Warfare

  Estonian UGV trial demonstrates work done and work to be done

  22nd December 2023

  Eleven companies and 20 countries took part in a major two-day trial of large UGVs at the Estonian Military Academy in late June to evaluate the technology capabilities and produce a report on the event's findings.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program [Canada]

  Background The FAcT requires to graduate 120 pilots, 40 combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators per year with 15% fluctuation. Training services are ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  PC-21 (Project Air 5428) [Australia]

  The new PTS, including aircraft, flight training simulators and learning environments is being acquired from a single capability contractor, Team 21, which consists of Lockheed ...

• Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle [Bahrain]

  Background Training According to US State Department Foreign Military Training data, in 2018, eight Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF) personnel took part in training courses to operate ...

• Trainer

  Basic Trainer Aircraft - Sweden

  Programme Background Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) announced a request for tender for the procurement of basic trainer aircraft on the eAvrop online portal on ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-2E Replacement - Greece

  The average unit cost is estimated to be around $12 million based on the Czech Republic's $48.5 million deal for the purchase of four L-39NG ...

• Trainer

  T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) [USA]

  Programme Background Multi-Engine Training System is a USN programme to replace the ageing T-44C Pegasus fleet and modernize multi-engine aircraft training. Multi-Engine Training System provides ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Military UAS - micro

  FPV Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Single-Source Notice In March 2025, the US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) released a single-source contract to acquire an unspecified quantity of first-person view (FPV) drones ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) (TH-57 Replacement)

  Programme Background Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-6C (Tunisia)

  Programme Background Requirement The Tunisian Air Force has a requirement for light aircraft in order to replace its ageing SF-206 and L-59T trainers. The country ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Kenya]

  Programme Background Training On 23 August 2024, Baykar posted on social media that trainees from Kenya had completed their Bayraktar TB2 training at the Baykar Flight ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Next Generation Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft [Austria]

  Background Requirements Austria is replacing the Saab 105 training fleet, which was retired from service in 2020. Austria's 2019 White paper calls for replacing it with a ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Barak MX [Slovakia]

  Background In 2023, the Slovak Ministry of Defence recommended negotiating with Israel for BARAK MX under the first stage of Slovakia’s air-defence-capability programme. The final ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Virus SW 80 [India]

  The contract also included training of a large number of technicians and engineers from all three branches of Indian MoD. Training was conducted by the ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: air combat simulators

  Collective Training

  Boeing has delivered and operates three USAF F-15C Mission Training Centers (MTCs), three F-15E MTCs and three F-16 MTCs. The F-22 platform was added into ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  Virtual Training

  RUAG’s virtual simulation units provide training for commanders, gunners and/or vehicle drivers. The configuration of the units is flexible. They allow individual as well as ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  AFV Training

  Thales provides armoured vehicle, gunnery and driving simulators to a number of armies. For example, the French Army has been supplied with 33 Leclerc MBT ...

• Subsystems: software

  Training Software

  Courseware is the basis of Meggitt Training Systems’ military simulation training systems and is provided in CGI, marksmanship and judgemental video formats. Standard packages are ...

• 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 ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Training

  Resource UAS offers a range of UAV training, from foundation courses to live flying on a range of aircraft. Each can be tailored to suit ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  BCTM Training

  To meet the need for more realistic embedded training within the US Army’s Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM) programme, DRC (now Engility) developed training support ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  C2 Training

  Saab provides doctrinal-based simulation that enables trainees to dynamically execute plans and orders from their own C2 system. Commander and staff can perceive and comprehend ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  Embedded Training

  BAE Systems uses embedded training technology in its Bradley A3 Virtual Range Demonstrator. Operators and commanders can train while in the vehicle using an onboard ...

• Subsystems: software

  Global Teach

  Global Teach training management systems provide support for educational processes. Inovex’s military-adapted training management system oversees training processes from planning to controlling, independently from the ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  Small Arms Trainer

  Meggitt manufactures the FATS line of simulators used by the US Army, USMC, USAF, USN, USCG, British Army, Australian Army and other military and government ...

• 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 ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Flight Training for Pilots

  Saab is able to support an organisation with services and training media for all stages of flight training, including ab-initio and medical G-force training, as ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Land: fire support simulators

  Forward Observer Training Simulator

  The Forward Observer Training Simulator programme is designed to be used as a standalone system or as part of a Howitzer Crew Training Simulator with ...