• Defence Notes

  India takes first delivery in controversial French jet deal

  8th October 2019

  India received on 8 October the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets ordered from France in 2016 in a multi-billion-dollar deal that Paris hopes will …

• Land Warfare

  Philippines inaugurates rocket, missile and aviation units

  3rd October 2019

  The Philippine Army activated three new units at Fort Magsaysay on 3 October, symbolising the growing capabilities and aspirations of the service. They included rocket …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army carries out UH-60V testing

  1st October 2019

  The US Army has concluded operational testing of the UH-60V Black Hawk helicopter cockpit upgrade. The UH-60V Black Hawk capability will be a retrofit for …

• Naval Warfare

  NZ retires half its inshore patrol vessels

  21st October 2019

  Although just ten years old, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) retired two inshore patrol vessels (IPV) – HMNZS Pukaki (P3568) and HMNZS Rotoiti (P3569) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2019: US Army unconcerned by FTUAS hybrid flight kit permutations

  16th October 2019

  The US Army has confirmed it doesn't consider hybrid flight kit licensing authority arrangements to be an issue for its Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) programme, …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce to support T56 turboprops

  3rd October 2019

  Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract with a ceiling value of $109.3 million to deliver support for the T56 family of aircraft turboprop engines.   This …

• Training

  Great expectations for L-39NG jet trainer

  7th October 2019

  Aero Vodochody Aerospace, the Czech Republic’s largest aviation manufacturer, has confirmed that the development programme of the L-39NG jet trainer and light attack aircraft is …

• Naval Warfare

  Thai navy’s new OPV enters service

  3rd October 2019

  A new OPV entered Royal Thai Navy (RTN) service on 27 September, with the modernised design giving more punch and performance. As well as being …

• Naval Warfare

  Pacific 2019: Australian frigates sit in a timing ‘sweet spot’

  9th October 2019

  The Project Sea 5000 Phase 1 programme delivering nine Future Frigates to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is in something of a sweet spot in …

• Defence Notes

  IAI reaches F-35 aircraft wing milestone

  27th September 2019

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has delivered the 100th F-35 wing to Lockheed Martin at a ceremony held at the company’s wing assembly line on 26 …

• Land Warfare

  Opinion: Japan’s enduring jointness jumble

  24th September 2019

  On paper the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) is a formidable force. For example, the national army is replete with the latest-generation main battle tank, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo announces US support centre plans

  27th September 2019

  Leonardo will build a comprehensive customer support centre adjacent to Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida in an aim to strengthen its bid for …

• Military Logistics

  First Global 6000 delivered to German Air Force

  23rd September 2019

  Bombardier has delivered the first Global 6000 jet to the German Air Force, the company announced on 17 September.This is the first of three jets …

• Naval Warfare

  Northrop Grumman receives P-8 support order

  20th September 2019

  Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems has received an order for electronic surveillance in support of the P-8 aircraft programme from the US Defense Logistics Agency Aviation. …

• Training

  Meggitt wins US Army AWSS programme

  26th September 2019

  Meggitt Defense Systems has been awarded a $48.5 million contract for the US Army’s Aerial Weapons Scoring System (AWSS) enhancement programme. This so-called hybrid contract (cost-plus-fixed-fee …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Loyal Wingman UCAV [French Air Force]

  Programme Background Rafale F5 Companion During a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) at Saint-Dizier Air Base in October 2024, France's Minister of ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-Saudi Arabia- Contracted

  The helicopters will increase the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command's interoperability with the US and advance the development of the country's heavy-lift helicopter capability.

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [U.S Army]

  As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F and MH-47G ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  Programme Background Timeline The military aviation capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces have been actively expanded — and Belgrade was confirmed to be negotiating with ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Data links

  Data links | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW-4

  The SW-4 is aimed at the basic and advanced pilot training, troop transport and ISR missions. Its Polish designation is Puszczyk. The SW-4s are based ...

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

  Akinci [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Erdogan Visit On 17 July 2023,  President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah for the first stop of his Gulf tour. The following day, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW159 Philippines

  The AW159s arrived in Manila, but transported to Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite for reassembly. Subsequently they will be based there as part of ...

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

  ScanEagle 2 (Indonesia Aid) [US}

  Background Foreign Military Financing (FMF) The US first offered the Indonesia Military (TNI) a grant under Foreign Military Financing (FMF) that covered ScanEagle UAVs and ...

• Trainer

  PC-21 [France]

  Programme  Background The French Air and Space Force has chosen Dassault Aviation and Babcock to provide between nine and 13 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft for Phase ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPQ-1 TESAR

  The Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar (TESAR), developed by Northrop Grumman, is primarily designed for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the Predator. 

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  GE Aviation Avionics

  GE Aviation's advanced avionics suite comes with a high performance software package installed on a number of civil and military aircraft. It's open architecture  platform ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AR682R

  The AR682R has been developed to power UAVs which require up to 120bhp. It is based on the proven AR642 core that was designed to ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AE50R

  The AE50R is an aviation gasoline single rotary engine with an output of 40.4kW. The engine is certified according to European Aviation Safety Agency Part ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Nighthawk

  Aviation Industry Corporation of China displayed its new Nighthawk UAV at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2012. Nighthawk is designed for tactical ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army Aviation School

  CAE is the prime contractor for the German Army’s Night-Time Low-Level Flight Training Facility, commonly known as the German Army Aviation School, at Bückeburg. This ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CH-47F CAT

  The CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT) is a high-fidelity hands-on training system that provides task training through the simulation of all avionics systems in integrated ...

• Snow Owl

  Snow Owl is a MALE UAV that was developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Guizhou Aviation Aircraft Co. The UAV is claimed to have ...

• Air: mission management systems

  HERGIS

  The HERGIS C2 system provides network-centric warfare capabilities to German Army Aviation, integrating the service into the overall FüInfoSys Heer army C2 system. At all ...

• Trainer

  L-15/JL-10 Falcon

  The L-15 Falcon is a supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  PEN 55V

  The PEN 55V is a small rotary-wing cargo-carrying UAV manufactured by Pen Aviation. 

• Subsystems: software

  Terrain Databases

  With Terrain Databases generated by the Saab Digital Map Generation System, correlated geo databases are provided to aircraft systems, operational support systems, aviation training systems ...

• Air: mission management systems

  HawkEye 7200A

  The HawkEye 7200 is a portable tracking and SATCOM solution, designed for aviation, marine or mobile assets. The GNSS receiver provides continuous satellite-based tracking, autonomous ...

• Major networking projects

  Nodal Switch

  A modular, IP-based voice communications system designed to support applications where factors such as reliability, performance, size and weight are considerations. The underlying IP architecture ...