• Defence Notes

  Japan develops new weapon technologies such as railguns

  18th November 2018

  The Japanese MoD’s import of expensive American weapons such as Aegis Ashore, F-35As, MV-22B Ospreys and AAV7s is squeezing the budget for procurement and R&D; …

• Special Operations

  Policymakers look to SOF future

  3rd November 2018

  US policymakers will be provided with the opportunity to question the future role of Special Operations Forces as part of a series of legislative reviews …

• Naval Warfare

  Ballistic reaction to faulty boomer welds prompts fixes

  8th November 2018

  BWX Technologies is improving its welding and inspection processes to prevent a recurrence of the defects it found in several missile tubes it made for …

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA eyes low-earth orbit for Blackjack programme

  6th November 2018

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking a range of proposals for a new programme that will build a constellation of small, …

• Defence Notes

  Serbia president says army being 'dramatically strengthened'

  12th November 2018

  Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on 10 November said the country's army was being ‘dramatically’ strengthened. Vucic was speaking as he attended a major military exercise …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kratos opens new production facility

  9th November 2018

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has opened a new unmanned aircraft production facility in the Will Rogers Business Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Endeavor, Howe and Howe partner on RCV programme

  5th November 2018

  Endeavor Robotics has teamed with Howe and Howe Technologies as it positions itself to support the US Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  L3 Technologies to demo NGJ-LB

  6th November 2018

  L3 Technologies has been selected to demonstrate existing technologies for the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB), which will fly on the E/A-18G …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army demos ALIAS technology

  5th November 2018

  US Army pilots have carried out a series of demonstrations of technology developed by Sikorsky and DARPA, Lockheed Martin announced on 29 October. The flights …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris delivers sixth GPS III navigation payload

  8th November 2018

  Harris Corporation has delivered the sixth of ten contracted advanced navigation payloads to Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force’s GPS III satellite programme. The …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG receives Terrell Horne FRC

  7th November 2018

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) received its 31st Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Terrell Horne, in Key West, Florida, on 31 October. This will be the …

• Training

  FlightSafety to build USMC training devices

  8th November 2018

  FlightSafety International has been selected by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division to design and manufacture flight training devices for the AH-1Z and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Insight: Can the US win legacy fleet battle ahead of FVL transition?

  1st November 2018

  As the US military continues to build momentum on its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme, more and more attention is being afforded to how it …

• Defence Notes

  Insight: Where will Sino-Philippine defence ties end up?

  2nd November 2018

  When the Philippines hosted the third iteration of the ADAS defence and security exhibition in Manila from 26-28 September, eight Chinese companies registered to exhibit, …

• Land Warfare

  S-400’s export drive gains momentum

  8th November 2018

  Russia’s Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) long-range SAM system is proving a big hit on the international market and currently dominates the country’s defence exports.  …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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, ...

• 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 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 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 ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor [US]

  Background The US Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor (LTAMDS) is being acquired from US-based Raytheon.  The United States Army is the primary customer ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Intercept Capability [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) is a new medium-range air defence capability developed from the Israeli Tamir surface-to-air missile and Iron ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (March 2026) [US]

  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 (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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (September 2026) [US]

  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 ...

• 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 - tracked

  AMPV [US]

  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 ...

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 ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability [US]

  Leidos' Indirect Fire Protection Capability has been selected to provide medium-range Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) to sit between SHORAD and the high-end Patriot. 

• 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 ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• 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.

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Lockheed Martin Next Generation Short Range Interceptor

  US-based Lockheed Martin is competing for the US Army's Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) programme with its QuadStar missile.  The programme aims to replace ...

• 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 ...