• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI contracted for Gray Eagle support work

  9th September 2019

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded $29.3 million to deliver performance-based logistics support for the US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle programme.  …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed contracted for Trident ballistic missiles

  3rd October 2019

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $494.9 million contract to produce and support Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile systems for the US Navy and …

• Digital Battlespace

  Podcast: Five Eyes Connectivity - Tactical data links

  26th September 2019

  Welcome to Shephard Studio’s special series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat.  Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. In the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2019: Spectra ventures into the Troposphere

  12th September 2019

  Spectra Group has agreed to partner with US company Comtech to provide a Troposcatter communications capability for end users demanding high capability and resilient connectivity …

• Naval Warfare

  China launches the first of multiple Type 075 LHDs

  25th September 2019

  China launched its first ever landing helicopter dock (LHD) at the Huangpu-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on the morning of 25 September, greatly furthering the future …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore employs more AI in air force command post

  11th October 2019

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is employing locally developed AI technology in its command post during Exercise Forging Sabre in Idaho, US. Used …

• Training

  USAF exercises KC-135 training option

  2nd October 2019

  CAE has been awarded a $33 million contract modification that exercises an FY20 option to extend its US Air Force KC‐135 Stratotanker Aircrew Training System …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to continue EWPMT development

  8th October 2019

  Raytheon will continue to develop the US Army’s Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) under a 24 month contract announced on 3 October. EWPMT …

• Training

  Joint Warrior gets underway in UK

  11th October 2019

  More than 3,000 troops from 14 participating nations have arrived in the UK for NATO exercise Joint Warrior. The multinational, biannual military exercise will take …

• Naval Warfare

  Vigor contracted to modernise USN Ticonderoga-class cruisers

  1st October 2019

  Vigor has been awarded a $254.6 million contract to modernise the US Navy’s USS Chosin and USS Cape St George Ticonderoga-class cruisers.  Work will include …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon to deliver Aegis fire control systems

  1st October 2019

  Raytheon has been awarded a $124 million contract modification for the production of MK99 fire control equipment and the execution of modernisation work for the …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin begins Camden facility expansion

  12th September 2019

  Construction has begun on Lockheed Martin’s new facility expansion work in Camden, US, the company announced on 10 September. The $142 million expansion will house …

• Naval Warfare

  JFD zeroes in on Turkish market

  10th October 2019

  JFD has announced a new partnership with Turkey’s Armelsan that will see Armelsan become JFD’s in-country partner in Turkey for defence opportunities. Armelsan is a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Collins awarded contract for USN helicopter visual systems

  2nd October 2019

  Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $24.7 million contract to provide engineering and manufacturing development for the Enhanced Visual Acuity (EVA) system for US Navy …

• Defence Notes

  German probe opens into suspected internal spying at Airbus

  19th September 2019

  German prosecutors have opened an investigation into suspected internal spying by employees of European aviation giant Airbus over two arms projects, sources said on 18 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH [USA]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - micro

  eBee Vision [US]

  Background Multiple orders In November 2025, the US Army acquired three eBee Vision systems to enhance training operations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. A ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Background Platform development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has been ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. The development of the Sergeant ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry Brigade ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mobile Tactical Cannon [USA]

  Background The US Army began using the M777 in 1995. Since then, it has served as a field artillery piece providing fire support for American ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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, ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• 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.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

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

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round is an 81mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmerman for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round produced by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.