• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2019: Flying Sea Glider programme nears the end

  2nd May 2019

  A US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) programme to explore the technological feasibility of a swing-role UAV/UUV platform will enter flight and underwater tests in the …

• Training

  ITEC 2019: Germany closes Tornado gap

  15th May 2019

  The German Air Force (GAF) and navy was one of the largest customers for the Panavia Tornado aircraft and although the latter has disposed of …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy christens USNS Guam

  29th April 2019

  The US Navy christened its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel, USNS Guam (T-HST 1), in Okinawa, Japan, on 27 April. USNS Guam is an aluminium …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo DRS receives MFOCS II order

  8th April 2019

  Leonardo DRS has received its first production delivery order from the US Army for the Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS) II, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Mordaunt outlines vision for the Royal Navy

  15th May 2019

  On her two-week anniversary as UK Secretary of State for Defence, Penny Mordaunt, made her first speech during the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference …

• Naval Warfare

  US nixes plan to retire aircraft carrier early

  2nd May 2019

  Facing heavy congressional resistance, the Trump administration has cancelled its proposal to send the US Navy’s USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) aircraft carrier into early …

• Land Warfare

  India approves order for hundreds of T-90MS tanks

  16th April 2019

  The Cabinet Committee on Security in India approved the acquisition of 464 T-90MS MBTs from Russia in early April 2019.  The procurement for the Indian Army …

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders gunner display systems

  8th April 2019

  Palomar Display Products has received a $40.7 million contract add-on modification to deliver gunner display systems for the US Army's M1 Abrams tank, the company …

• Military Logistics

  Jacobs to renovate AFMC headquarters

  9th April 2019

  Jacobs has received an IDIQ contract for architect and engineering services to renovate the US Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) headquarters buildings at Wright-Patterson Air …

• Digital Battlespace

  CMS to support New Zealand’s NEA programme

  22nd April 2019

  Cubic Mission Solutions has received a contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence to deliver C2 capabilities for the New Zealand Army's land forces …

• Land Warfare

  LAAD 2019: M109A5+ howitzer ready for Brazilian Army

  3rd April 2019

  BAE Systems is showcasing the M109A5+ self-propelled howitzer at LAAD 2019 in Brazil which it will soon deliver to the Brazilian Army to meet its …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: China, Latin America and the Monroe Doctrine

  17th April 2019

  The Congressional Research Service released a report titled ‘China’s Engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean’ on 11 April, and it raised serious concerns over …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia speeds up transport fleet communications

  30th April 2019

  Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) has announced that it would roll out broadband on more of the country's C-130J Hercules aircraft fleet. Honeywell will provide …

• Naval Warfare

  HII delivers eighth NSC to USCG

  3rd May 2019

  Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the eighth Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC), Midgett, to the US Coast Guard (USCG), the company …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: US Army procurement priorities, Airbus' pitch for the US Navy and the future of the European space business

  5th April 2019

  Welcome to Episode 11 of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert of future podcasts here.

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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

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

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

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

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• 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 ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• 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). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• 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 ...