• Digital Battlespace

  Australia’s Currawong project on track

  8th April 2019

  Release 3 of the Project Currawong integrated battlefield telecom network for the Australian Army, which will include ‘headquarters on the move’ carried in a Bushmaster, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit Systems to acquire Harris’ Night Vision business

  10th April 2019

  Elbit Systems of America has signed a definitive agreement with Harris Corporation for the acquisition of Harris’ Night Vision business, Elbit Systems announced on 5 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Hughes awarded PTES work

  18th April 2019

  Hughes Network Systems has received a contract from Boeing to develop mission management, system control, networking and ground hub capabilities. The company will participate in …

• Military Logistics

  KBRwyle receives USAF aircraft support contracts

  18th April 2019

  KBRwyle has received two contracts from the US Air Force Installation Contracting Agency under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center's Defense Systems Technical Area …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army selects QNA for CRS(I) programme

  20th March 2019

  QinetiQ North America (QNA) has been selected by the US Army for its Common Robotic System-Individual (CRS(I)) programme, the company announced on 15 March. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Plane glass for plain protection

  26th March 2019

  With ground-based attacks during theatre operation a real threat to military helicopters, Israel-based OSG has developed an ultra-light ballistic window that protect these aircraft, the …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy completes testing of Q-20C

  11th April 2019

  The US Navy has completed developmental testing of the Q-20C variant of the AN/AQS-20C towed mine-hunting sonar system, NAVSEA announced on 8 April. The Q-20C …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ultra Electronics awarded NGSSR work

  9th April 2019

  Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems has received a $27.98 million contract for the development and production of the US Navy’s Next Generation Surface Search Radar (NGSSR) …

• Training

  Australia’s HATS achieves IOC

  3rd April 2019

  The Australian Defence Force’s Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) has successfully achieved initial operating capability (IOC), the Australian Department of Defence announced on 1 April. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triumph components for MQ-25

  9th April 2019

  Triumph Group has received a contract from Boeing to supply hydraulic system components for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refuelling programme, the company announced on 4 …

• Training

  ADF issues final acceptance of CH-47F CAT

  4th April 2019

  The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has completed all evaluation testing of Kratos’ CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainers (CAT), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced on 1 …

• Defence Notes

  Clashes rage in Libya despite UN truce call

  8th April 2019

  Fighting raged south of Libya's capital on 7 April despite a UN call for a two-hour ceasefire, as forces of strongman Khalifa Haftar and the …

• Training

  DSET 2019: US Army trials new training approach

  20th March 2019

  The summer of 2019 will see the US Army Aviation Training Center of Excellence (USAATCE) at Fort Rucker, Alabama, start a new pilot training experimental …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: South African Army chief on budget issues; ITEC committee chair on simulation and training trends

  29th March 2019

  Welcome to Episode 10 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.

• Naval Warfare

  UK explores potential for large unmanned naval submersible

  18th April 2019

  The UK MoD has launched a two-stage competition to examine the utility of UUVs for the Royal Navy based on an existing platform.  This comes …

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 ...