• Defence Notes

  Saudi air defences intercept two missiles over Riyadh

  9th May 2018

  Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles over the capital Riyadh on Wednesday, state television Al-Ekhbariya said. Two explosions were heard in the city, …

• Naval Warfare

  LCS Lightweight Tow system testing moves ahead

  9th May 2018

  The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules programme has completed the at-sea testing of the AN/SLQ-61 Lightweight Tow (LWT) Torpedo Defense Mission Module …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF baseline SBIRS constellation complete

  4th May 2018

  The US Air Force's (USAF's) fourth Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite has transmitted its first images back to Earth, Lockheed …

• Military Logistics

  Serco to continue supporting NESS

  2nd May 2018

  Serco has received an IDIQ contract to provide life cycle sustainment, acquisition and integration support to the US Navy for anti-terrorism/force protection Naval Electronic Surveillance …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Wildcat time shaved in simulator delivery

  16th May 2018

  One of the major challenges facing manufacturers of training systems is the delivery of synthetic training equipment to coincide with operators receiving their operational airframes. …

• Naval Warfare

  Insight: China breaks promises and militarises South China Sea reefs

  3rd May 2018

  News has emerged from a US television network, likely leaked by US intelligence sources, that China has installed two missile types onto three of its reclaimed …

• Land Warfare

  USMC to field Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle

  11th May 2018

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) is adopting the Mk13 Mod 7 as its primary sniper rifle, the USMC announced on 9 May. The bolt-action rifle …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lockheed announces first US customer for VCSi

  3rd May 2018

  Aurora Flight Sciences has become the first US customer to purchase Lockheed Martin’s new Vehicle Control Station (VCS) software product, Lockheed announced on 1 May. …

• Military Logistics

  Yokota Air Base receives final C-130Js

  2nd May 2018

  Lockheed Martin has delivered the final two C-130J-30 Super Hercules airlifters assigned to the US Air Force installation at Yokota Air Base in Japan, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hatchet hits target in unmanned testing

  1st May 2018

  Orbital ATK is on target to reach technology readiness level (TRL) 7 with its Hatchet munition by the end of 2018. Previously, Orbital ATK and its …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2018: Swift closes on Japan joint venture

  2nd May 2018

  Swift Engineering is looking to close on a joint venture that will enable it to conduct commercial UAS service operations in Japan, while also beginning …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: ANG to acquire PRISim Suite PortableTrainers

  10th May 2018

  Cubic Global Defense (CGD), in partnership with Federal Resources, has been awarded a contract to supply the US Air National Guard (ANG) with 95 L750 …

• Naval Warfare

  Unfazed by frigate tracking, France expresses Asian commitment

  7th May 2018

  The French frigate FS Vendemiaire was tracked by a Chinese frigate in the South China Sea while transiting from Hong Kong to Brunei, following a …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing receives DLA F/A-18 support contract

  30th April 2018

  Boeing has received a five-year $427 million contract from the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to provide and manage consumable material for F/A-18 depot maintenance, …

• Defence Notes

  US stands by Afghans after deadly day for journalists

  1st May 2018

  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday the US would stand by the Afghan people and the Kabul government, a day after attacks killed dozens of …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20A Puma [Latvia]

  Programme Background The US DoD is financing military modernisation in the Baltic to improve the capabilities of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian militaries. This includes ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Surplus M1126 Stryker APCs (Thailand)

  Programme BackgroundAccording to reports from Thai and US media, the RTA planned to take delivery of 120 Strykers by the end of 2020. These would ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache-Follow-On [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

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

• 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 ...

• Frigates

  Second-hand LCS [Greece]

  Programme Background Timeline In January 2024, Tasos Chatzivasileiou, a Member of the Hellenic Parliament and Secretary General of the Standing Committee of National Defence and Foreign ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Eagle V 4x4

  According to documents released by the Danish Ministry of Defence, a total of 233.6 million Danish Krone (US$34.669 million) were allocated to this programme. 62.1 ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Morocco]

  Programme Background The Moroccan Armed Forces have received substantial investment in recent years as the country seeks to maintain parity with its regional rival, Algeria. ...

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 ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA 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 ...

• 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.

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...