• Training

  New training vessel joins PLA Navy

  27th February 2017

  A new training ship named Qi Jiguang joined China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on 21 February with a commissioning and naming ceremony held at …

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo to work on RWUAS CCD Phase 2

  2nd March 2017

  Leonardo UK will work on the Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System, Capability Concept Demonstrator (RWUAS CCD) Phase 2 programme under a contract with the UK …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Harris to develop BVLOS network for UAS

  1st March 2017

  Harris Corporation will develop a network to enable beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations for UAS, the company announced on 28 February.The work will be carried out under …

• Military Logistics

  Lincad to power Leonardo laser target designator

  9th March 2017

  Lincad will supply batteries for Leonardo's Type 163 Laser Target Designator under a supply agreement announced on 9 March.The agreement will see Lincad provide batteries, …

• Naval Warfare

  Rolls-Royce wins USCG OPC propulsion contract

  1st March 2017

  Rolls-Royce will deliver propulsion equipment for the US Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) under a contract with the Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New payloads for WASP aerostat

  3rd March 2017

  The US Department of Defense's (DoD's) Winch Aerostat Small Platform (WASP) tactical aerostats will now be capable of hosting simultaneous communications and optical payloads following …

• Military Logistics

  UK to upgrade Scottish military bases

  27th February 2017

  Scottish military bases will be upgraded under a £1.7 billion funding package announced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 24 February.A number of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2017: Cobham launches UK training academy

  6th March 2017

  As exhibitors undergo final preparations for Heli-Expo 2017, Cobham announced the launch of its helicopter training academy in Basingstoke, UK. The company has been delivering …

• Land Warfare

  Ukroboronprom to restore armoured vehicles

  3rd March 2017

  Ukroboronprom's Zhytomyr Armoured Plant is to restore a batch of BTR 3 armoured vehicles, the company announced on 28 February.The vehicles will be repaired and …

• Special Operations

  ​Cameroon's reconnaissance unit takes on Boko Haram

  28th February 2017

  Cameroon's elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) is again on the offensive with Operation Thunder 2 launching on 26 February in Nigeria, targeting Boko Haram positions.Hours …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2017: Ninox cashes in on UAV service boom

  28th February 2017

  Ninox Robotics, established in late 2014, is one of only four to five companies offering clients turnkey services with longer-endurance, fixed-wing UAVs. Indeed, as such, …

• Naval Warfare

  MCA seeking unmanned capability

  7th February 2017

  The UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is exploring the possible use of UAS under the Maritime RPAS Pathfinder project that would see systems complementing …

• Defence Notes

  IDEX 2017: Highlights of the week (video)

  23rd February 2017

  As the biennial IDEX and the associated NAVDEX show in Abu Dhabi closes its doors for another two years exhibitors and visitors alike will take …

• Digital Battlespace

  Kelvin Hughes details Malaysian deliveries

  15th February 2017

  Kelvin Hughes has begun delivering radar equipment for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's (MMEA) new coastal patrol vessels, the company announced on 14 February.The company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SkyRanger UAS flies BVLOS

  28th February 2017

  Aeryon's SkyRanger UAS has carried out a beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight at the Foremost UAS Range in Canada, the company announced on 24 February.The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [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 ...

• 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 (1-8) [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 (9-18) [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 - 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 helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

• 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 ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

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

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Subsystems: software

  LiteFlite II Simulators

  The LiteFlite II was designed to provide a high-fidelity, laptop-based system with white-force/man-in-the-loop capabilities for use with a variety of simulation systems. LiteFlite II represents ...

• 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 ...

• Military - UUVs

  RMMV

  The Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) was a semi-submersible AUV developed as part of the AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Minehunting System (RMS) for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ship ...