• Training

  B-2 Spirit sim gains latest IG upgrade

  2nd October 2020

  Under contract to Northrop Grumman, visual system specialist Quantum3D has completed an overhaul of a B-2 Spirit simulator at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma County. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protector takes to the skies

  28th September 2020

  The first MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPAS for the RAF (designated Protector RG Mk1) successfully completed its first flight in the US on 25 September, the UK …

• Land Warfare

  USAF invests heavily in SBD I

  25th September 2020

  Boeing has been awarded a $2.2 billion contract for the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb Increment I (SDB I) weapon programme, the Department of Defense has …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Russia jumps on the MUM-T bandwagon

  25th September 2020

  One of the most interesting developments from the Army 2020 exhibition last month was the unveiling by Kronstadt Group of the Grom UCAV as Russia’s …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment raises loitering munition stakes

  5th October 2020

  UAS manufacturer AeroVironment has released a new extended range variant of the company's Switchblade loitering munition series — designated Switchblade 600.

• Air Warfare

  Afghanistan welcomes final batch of A-29s

  17th September 2020

  The Afghan  Air Force (AAF) has received its final four A-29 Super Tucano turboprop aircraft out of 26 ordered from the US.  ‘The AAF now …

• Defence Notes

  Mali coup brings the blues for Barkhane

  6th October 2020

  The recent coup in Mali raises further questions over the future of the French-led mission against jihadis in the Sahel

• Digital Battlespace

  DoD orders more than 11,000 software-defined radios

  23rd September 2020

  Raytheon Technologies company Collins Aerospace is providing the US armed forces with 11,313 of its AN/ARC-210(V) software-defined radios (SDRs), under a $316.73 million contract modification from …

• Air Warfare

  USAF seeks answer to ‘money question’ after first NGAD prototype flight

  17th September 2020

  The USAF has secretly flown a full-scale prototype of a Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft, developed and built using digital design techniques and technologies. The service …

• Digital Battlespace

  USN to test MS-177A long-range imaging sensor

  16th September 2020

  Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $19.9 million contract by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), to build and provide a MS-177A long-range multi-spectral imaging …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF completes another ABMS experiment

  8th September 2020

  The second Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) On-Ramp Experiment for the USAF was completed on 3 September with the backing of US Space Command, Strategic Command …

• Training

  US renews combat training system support contract for allies

  11th September 2020

  Cubic Defense Applications is to continue logistics support on its P5 Combat Training System (CTS) for multiple non-US customers, under a new $193.3 million contract …

• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman to refresh US nuclear arsenal

  9th September 2020

  A team led by Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $13.29 billion engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract by the USAF, to deliver the Ground …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics to build wide-band radomes for F-16s

  16th September 2020

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $17.54 million contract to produce wide-band radomes for USAF F-16 aircraft that are equipped with AESA radars. …

• Military Logistics

  USAF chases a zero-carbon future

  8th September 2020

  USAF innovation testbed AFWERX is seeking industry input on future solutions for resilient energy production, transmission, use, and storage. Submissions to participate in the Reimagining …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [USAF]

  Background First order Following a development that began in 1998, in October 2002, the USAF ordered the first four MQ-9s of the production series. In ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20B Puma [USAF]

  Background Requirement According to Trace Stevenson, the AeroVironment (AV) Vice President and product line general manager, the USAF Security Forces required a small UAV to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Military UAS - MALE

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

  Background Requirements The programme’s requirements are based on the USAF’s belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  Background In 2010, the USAF announced the replacement of the HH-60G with a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), and in 2012, the request for proposals ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX (2025-2026) [USA]

  Methodology Units required Based off the FY2027 USAF budget request, between FY2025 and FY2026, the U.S. Air Force received funding for 40 F-15EX platforms. Congress ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A Add-On [USA]

  Background In July 2025, the former Chief of Staff for the US Air Force (USAF) Gen David Allvin confirmed that the USAF has authorised the procurement of ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Background  Competing bids In competition with the Boeing/Leonardo bid was Sikorsky with a HH-60U offer, and Sierra Nevada with an upgrading offer of UH-60As to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background According to the FY2021 USAF budget request documents, the USAF procured 103 JLTVs in FY2019, 146 in FY2020 and 142 in FY2021. In 2023, ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) [USA]

  Background The U.S. Air Force originally planned the KC-Y programme as a follow-on acquisition of an estimated 179 tankers to bridge the gap between the delayed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-37A [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF was using C-20B transport aircraft, variant of civilian Gulfstream III, to provide worldwide airlift for DoD and government officials. With the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• Air: aerial targets

  QF-16 FSAT

  The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

• 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. ...

• Major networking projects

  C2 ConstellationNet

  According to David Tillotson, director of C4ISR architecture AF/XI, in a report to Congress: 'The ConstellationNet is the communications network – air, space and terrestrial ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS 10.2 Upgrade

  Raytheon’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Block 10.2 upgrade allows intelligence data to be posted to the network for immediate use by analysts and warfighters, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight’s Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-10 Extender

  The KC-10 Extender is a tanker/transport aircraft developed for the USAF by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). It was derived from the company’s three-engine ...

• 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. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wasp III

  Produced from 2007 until 2012, the Wasp III was a hand-launched UAV produced by AeroVironment. The platform was powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and featured two camera ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...