• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy follows US Navy lead, invests in VR training to mitigate watchkeeping skill fade

  19th March 2025

  VR naval training is growing more accepted as it maintains bridge skills in a safe, virtual environment.

• Land Warfare

  First NATO exercise of 2025 set to begin with others to quickly follow

  6th January 2025

  Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 (STDT25) kicks off a slate of six land and sea exercises NATO is conducting in the first half of this year.

• Naval Warfare

  US shipbuilding struggles to keep pace with China

  22nd January 2025

  The small production capacity of US shipyards has generated multiple delays in US Navy programmes.

• Air Warfare

  F-15EX and shipbuilding win big in proposed $150 billion US defence funding boost

  1st May 2025

  The legislation outlined additional budget to enhance air, land and naval platforms, including next-generation air and uncrewed naval programmes.

• Land Warfare

  Successful firing in next stage of US hypersonic missile tests

  13th December 2024

  The US Army and US Navy are working together on the development of the hypersonic missile which will have a speed of Mach 5.

• Air Warfare

  Co-operation continues as tri-national F-35s break new ground in Pacific exercise

  22nd April 2025

  The February exercise marked a milestone in multinational cooperation with fifth-generational air warfare capabilities, but will it continue considering shifting US politics?

• Air Warfare

  Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems

  12th December 2024

  The deal announced on 11 December was an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract and the first task order of $116 million has already been awarded to provide terminals and spares, with follow-on production awards expected.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris moves forward with aerial, CUAS and software solutions

  10th April 2025

  L3Harris Technologies is investing in new systems and software for maritime operations and modernising the US Navy’s fleet of MPAs

• Naval Warfare

  What capabilities has the US deployed in the Caribbean and South America to engage “drug boats”?

  7th November 2025

  The US arsenal includes amphibious assault and littoral combat ships, cutters, destroyers, landing platform docks, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, drones, ISR aircraft, helicopters and fighters.

• Naval Warfare

  Constellation class approaching design maturity, while initial vessel delay reaches three-year mark

  16th December 2024

  The US Navy is looking for a second shipyard to build frigates at speed.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Australian Navy’s plan for fleet refresh continues in the face of headwinds

  5th August 2025

  Australia has selected the Mogami-class frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to replace Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigates. The decision has been made as the RAN pushes to introduce delayed offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), awaits criticised Hunter-class ships and lives in the shadow of threats to the Collins-class submarine replacement efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon receives $590 million for Growler jammer

  6th December 2024

  In January 2020, Raytheon was awarded a $403 million System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTA) contract for the New Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) which is designed for use on Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy’s next-generation sensor for Super Hornets achieves Initial Operating Capability

  5th February 2025

  The full rate production decision is scheduled for first-half 2025 and this will authorise the US Navy (USN) to fully outfit its carrier-based F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons with InfraRed Search-and-Track (IRST) Block II.

• Naval Warfare

  Virginia and Columbia-class submarine programmes sign long-term parts deals

  10th January 2025

  Parts from both US and Australian manufacturers will be used to build two critical submarine classes.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy testing mid-ocean missile restocking system in case of conflict with China

  4th December 2024

  US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has revealed plans to mitigate the difficulties of a war in the western Pacific.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

• 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 ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class Alternative [USN]

  Programme Background The FFG(X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with a plan for ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawks [Norway]

  Programme Background NH90 NFH cancellation  The Norwegian government announced the termination of the NH90 NFH helicopter contract for 14 NH90s with NHIndustries in June 2022. Seahawk Acquisition ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey (USN)

  Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

• 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 ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (13-76) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Navy) [US]

  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 of ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (10-12) [USN]

  Background Initial Requirements -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Taiwan operates seven MD500 helicopters, acquired in 1977, from ex-US Chi Yang-class (Knox) frigates that are being decommissioned after 40-year service life. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCAC 100 Class (SSC) [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The major role of the SSC will be deployment from landing ships in support of USN and USMC operations and the transport ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-3 Sea King

  The SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine, amphibious, multirole helicopter developed for the USN as a shipborne ASW platform. The initial prototype made its first ...

• Military - USVs

  Sea Hunter

  Sea Hunter is an autonomous Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) developed by Leidos for the US Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR). The USN designates the 40m long trimaran ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-22 ALFS

  The AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the USN MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter. It is designed by Raytheon and ...

• Military - USVs, Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Milkor ASW

  The Milkor ASW vessel is intended to perform underwater operations against submarine threats. In addition to this, the boat can also be prepared to operate ...

• Multipurpose missiles

  RPK 6/7

  The RPK family of missiles is developed and produced in Russia, specifically designed for ASW. The RPK-6, also known as Vodopad (Водопад, 'waterfall'), is a ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-13F

  The AN/AQS-13F is a long-range active scanning sonar designed by L3Harris for ASW operations.

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  ITAS

  Northrop Grumman is a major producer of tactical information management systems for maritime patrol, ASW, ASuW, SAR and related applications. The Northrop Grumman AN/ASN-150 and ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class FFG(X)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Frigates

  Bergamini Class (FREMM)

  The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian, European, multipurpose frigate design FREMM (European multi-mission Frigate/Fregata europea multi-missione). For Italy, the ...

• Sonobuoys

  AN/SSQ-62F

  The AN/SSQ-62F is a Directional Command Active Sonobuoy System (DICASS) sonobuoy used for detecting and localizing submarines in preparation for attack, it is made by ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  2800 ASW Patrol Boat

  The 2800 ASW Patrol Boat, developed by Couach, is a vessel designed for ASW operations. Unveiled at the 2022 World Defence Show, the vessel can be ...

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer

  The Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer expands the Action Speed Tactical Trainer’s sonar capability with new sonar simulations to create a dedicated ASW trainer. Various ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-2G Super Seasprite

  The SH-2G Super Seasprite is an upgraded version of the SH-2F and has Kaman’s patented servo flap main rotor control system.  Designed to meet the ...