• Naval Warfare

  HMS Queen Elizabeth begins second sea trials

  2nd November 2017

  HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base to begin the second phase of her sea trials, the Royal Navy announced on 30 October. …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Military Logistics

  Austal completes acceptance EPF-9 trials

  7th November 2017

  Austal has successfully completed acceptance trials on USNS City of Bismarck Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF-9), the company announced on 3 November. The trials on the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UVision, Firstec sign South Korea agreement

  20th October 2017

  UVision Air has signed a follow-on agreement with South Korea’s Firstec for the marketing and supply of its loitering munition systems, the company announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed to progress with German P-3C upgrade

  3rd November 2017

  Lockheed Martin has confirmed that it has been awarded a $158.5 million contract for the second phase of the German Navy P-3C Mission System Refresh …

• Digital Battlespace

  Gentex receives LEP Threat Spectacles contract

  8th November 2017

  Gentex has been contracted by the US Navy to develop Laser Eye Protection (LEP) Threat Spectacles for pilots. The contract will see the company design, …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: C-Guard to protect Philippine frigates

  1st November 2017

  Denmark-based Terma Group will equip the Philippine Navy’s future frigates with its C-Guard decoy launchers, which will assist in the protection of the strategic assets. …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG completes Rescue 21 system

  2nd November 2017

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has accepted into service the final tower in its Rescue 21 system, the USCG announced on 31 October. The acceptance …

• Defence Helicopter

  FAA certifies optionally-piloted UH-1H

  6th November 2017

  The FAA has granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate to Aurora Flight Sciences’ optionally-piloted UH-1H helicopter, the company announced on 1 November. Aurora's UH-1H was initially …

• Digital Battlespace

  CAE looks to miniaturise sub detection tech

  3rd November 2017

  The Royal Canadian Navy will assess a new miniaturised magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system from CAE, following approval from the government. Testing of the new …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: Thailand to host ASEAN fleet review

  30th October 2017

  To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, Thailand is hosting an ASEAN International Fleet Review 2017 for the first time on 20 November. The fleet …

• Naval Warfare

  D&S 2017: Indonesian Navy receives second SIGMA

  31st October 2017

  A second SIGMA 10514-class guided-missile frigate built in Indonesia was handed over to the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) on 30 October. Defence Minister Ryamizard Rycacudu and …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Thailand's top five defence programmes (video)

  2nd November 2017

  Ahead of Defense and Security 2017, hosted in Bangkok Thailand, Shephard takes a look at some of the host nation's top five ongoing defence programmes. 

• Naval Warfare

  Russia’s Baltic Fleet receives new patrol boat

  1st November 2017

  The Russian State Acceptance Board has signed an acceptance act for a new Raptor (Project 03160) high-speed patrol boat for the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Knifefish UUV completes contractor trials

  30th October 2017

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has completed contractor trials for the US Navy’s Knifefish mine countermeasure (MCM) UUV programme, the company announced on 26 October. Knifefish …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  Background Requirements At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [India]

  Background 2020 MoU On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (16-76) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D [USA]

  Programme Background The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defence ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Background Timeline As of April 2024, the USN had begun analysis for its CCA effort, with the initial effort focused on studying payloads, sensors and required ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (10-15) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (1-9) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, ...

• OPVs

  Hisar Class (1-2) [Turkey]

  Background Requirements The thoughts behind the acquisition of this type of OPV, which comes in a baseline and a convertible variant, is an OPV that ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military - USVs

  MUSV [USN]

  Background Requirements In March 2026, the US announced it would be replacing its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) programme with a Medium Uncrewed Surface Vessel ...

• 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 ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Frigates

  FF(X) Frigate

  The FF(X) frigate is a vessel derived from Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HHI) National Security Cutter (NSC). It was designed in response to the cancellation of ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class (FFG)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• OPVs

  Hisar Class

  Turkish Military Factory and Shipyard Management company ASFAT has built two Hisar-class OPVs at Istanbul Naval Shipyard for the Turkish Navy. Four more platforms are on order, but the ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...