• Training

  TH-119 performs successful first flight

  3rd January 2019

  Leonardo has successfully completed the initial flight test of the TH-119 IFR single engine training helicopter at its Philadelphia plant. The test flight included an …

• Military Logistics

  BAE to modernise USS Shoup

  4th January 2019

  BAE Systems has received a $78.8 million contract for the maintenance and modernisation of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Shoup, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  Russia deploys a combat laser system

  9th January 2019

  The Russian MoD has revealed that on 1 December 2018 the so-called combat-experimental alert duty deployed its first ground-based combat laser system. Known as the …

• Training

  L3 receives F-16 training contract

  31st December 2018

  L3 Technologies has been selected by the US Air Force as the prime contractor for the F-16 Simulator Training Program (STP), the company announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed receives contract for PAC-3 missiles

  3rd January 2019

  Lockheed Martin has received a $1.8 billion contract in December for the production and delivery of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF launches first GPS III satellite

  4th January 2019

  The US Air Force launched the first GPS III satellite, Vespucci, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on 23 December. The Lockheed Martin-built …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to support SPY-6 radar integration

  3rd January 2019

  Raytheon received a $114 million contract in December to provide integration and production support for the AN/SPY-6(V) air and missile defence radar. The contract also …

• Naval Warfare

  China 'needs three aircraft carriers' says naval expert

  9th January 2019

  China needs ‘at least three aircraft carriers’ to protect its extensive coastline and its interests abroad, a senior Chinese naval expert said Wednesday.  ‘Our country …

• Military Logistics

  USAF breaks ground on new fire station

  4th January 2019

  The US Air Force's 812th Civil Engineer Squadron broke ground on a new 41,408sq ft fire station on the flightline at Edwards Air Force Base in …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris awarded wideband SATCOM support work

  2nd January 2019

  Harris Corporation received a $218 million follow-on contract from the US Army in December to continue providing mission-essential wideband satellite communications support. Under the Wideband …

• Naval Warfare

  HII to build additional NSCs for USCG

  4th January 2019

  Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division received contracts in December to build additional National Security Cutters (NSC) for the US Coast Guard. The contract …

• Land Warfare

  Turkey requests Patriot missile system

  24th December 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of Patriot MIM-104E guidance enhanced missiles (GEM-T) and PAC-3 missile segment …

• Land Warfare

  Insight: The lay of military land procurement in 2018

  28th December 2018

  Armoured vehicles, tanks and artillery pieces are creeping back to the front of modern warfare and near peer threats now dominate the security landscape many …

• Defence Notes

  US defense chief quits as Trump pulls from Syria, Afghanistan

  21st December 2018

  US Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned Thursday, leading a chorus of protests at home and abroad after President Donald Trump ordered a complete troop pull-out …

• Defence Notes

  Airbus shares plunge on reported US corruption probe

  20th December 2018

  Shares in European aircraft maker Airbus tumbled more than 9% Thursday after French daily Le Monde reported it could face record fines of several billion …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• 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 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Morocco]

  Programme Background The Moroccan Armed Forces have received substantial investment in recent years as the country seeks to maintain parity with its regional rival, Algeria. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Eitan 8x8 [Israel]

  Programme Background Due to the provisions of the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) system, there is a chance that the Eitan could be mass produced ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SIGMA

  The SIGMA is the latest self-propelled howitzer (SPH) developed by Elbit America and Oshkosh Defense. Produced entirely in the US, the SIGMA is intended to ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...