• Naval Warfare

  Shadow looms over UK amphibious capabilities

  26th October 2017

  The future of the UK’s amphibious capabilities looks increasingly uncertain as the defence minister suggested it may no longer be a strategic priority. At a …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army deploys Kestrel Eye microsatellite

  30th October 2017

  The US Army’s Kestrel Eye microsatellite prototype was deployed into space from the International Space Station (ISS) and activated on 24 October. The microsatellite was …

• Digital Battlespace

  MSSR system receives AIMS certification

  20th October 2017

  Hensoldt’s Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) 2000 I system has received certification from the AIMS Program Office of the US Department of Defense (DoD), the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  D&S 2017: Sky Scout designed for Thai skies

  6th November 2017

  The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has begun the process of inducting an indigenously produced tactical UAV known as the Sky Scout suitable for training, …

• Naval Warfare

  Saab submarines show promise

  24th October 2017

  Saab has witnessed a 10% growth in sales over the first six months of 2017 as it reaps the rewards of rising European and international …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Teledyne Oceanscience launches Z-Boat 1250

  26th October 2017

  Teledyne Oceanscience has released a new remotely operated hydrographic survey vessel called the Z-Boat 1250, the company announced on 23 October. Equipped with a single …

• Training

  Inzpire delivers training to RJAF

  20th October 2017

  Inzpire has delivered a number of tailored training courses to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) at the company’s headquarters in Lincoln, UK, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Reaper Block 5s enter combat

  23rd October 2017

  As the US Air Force (USAF) transitions to new Block 5 MQ-9 Reaper UAS, the aircraft continues to operate in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine civil war spawns new BTR-4 variant

  30th October 2017

  Lessons learnt from Ukraine's bloody civil war in the east has influenced the development of yet another variant of the BTR-4 wheeled 8x8 IFV, which …

• Special Operations

  SOCOM searches for hidden chambers

  19th October 2017

  The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is to conduct a feasibility study to identify a handheld hidden chamber detection technology to support sensitive site exploitation …

• Special Operations

  Exercise reveals Russian special forces vehicles

  20th October 2017

  Russian special forces have displayed some of their latest all terrain tactical ground vehicles as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation’s (CSTO) Collective Rapid …

• Naval Warfare

  Partners picked ahead of Type 31 tango

  18th October 2017

  Key players in the UK’s shipbuilding and design sector have begun picking partners for the maritime dance-off to see who will get to build the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Analysis: The future of the MQ-25 programme

  2nd November 2017

  Northrop Grumman’s withdrawal from the US Navy’s requirement for a Carrier-Based Aerial-Refuelling System (CBARS), also known as MQ-25 Stingray, has highlighted the fragility of the …

• Naval Warfare

  Work begins on second Italian Navy PPA

  9th October 2017

  Fincantieri has begun construction of the second Italian Navy Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA), the company announced on 3 October. The unit will be delivered …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2017: Thai marines see Phantoms in southern insurgency

  30th October 2017

  Satisfied with the performance of a prototype Phantom 380-X 4x4 APC deployed by the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) in the country’s troubled southern border …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (11-33) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-27) [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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to the ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

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

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

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

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, 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 and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, 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, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• 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 ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...