• Defence Notes

  France, Germany break impasse on arms exports

  17th October 2019

  France and Germany agreed on 16 October on an accord governing the export of jointly developed weapons and defence equipment, removing a key stumbling block …

• Naval Warfare

  RAN's third destroyer completes sea trials

  12th November 2019

  The Royal Australian Navy’s third Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD), NUSHIP Sydney, has completed sea trials, the Australian Department of Defence announced on 9 November. Final …

• Naval Warfare

  USS Cincinnati joins US Navy fleet

  10th October 2019

  The US Navy commissioned its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), into service during a ceremony on 5 October in Gulfport, …

• Training

  JF Taylor contracted to support USN training

  8th November 2019

  JF Taylor has been awarded $109.4 million to develop simulation systems and software to support training for the US Navy’s Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test …

• Training

  Meggitt awarded Aerial Weapons Scoring Systems IDIQ

  8th October 2019

  Meggitt announced on 4 October that it has received a $48 million IDIQ contract to supply Aerial Weapons Scoring Systems (AWSS) to the US Army. …

• Naval Warfare

  Naval Group selects Future Submarine propulsion equipment designer

  22nd October 2019

  France's Jeumont Electric has been selected by Naval Group for the design of the main electric propulsion equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s Attack class …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: The contenders line up for FARA, Rheinmetall disappointed but not beaten on OMFV, and talking missiles with Raytheon

  18th October 2019

  Welcome to Episode 39 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

  HMAS Brisbane completes combat system testing

  31st October 2019

  The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Brisbane has completed a live missile engagement in the US with the US Navy’s USS Stockdale.Brisbane’s combat system was tested …

• Naval Warfare

  Egypt's burgeoning submarine fleet draws attention

  11th November 2019

  Israel is likely monitoring Egypt’s growing subsurface capabilities as the latter country seeks to expand its submarine fleet, potentially through the procurement of Chinese-made boats, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2019: Qinetiq takes control with new robot controller

  16th October 2019

  QinetiQ North America has shown its new high-definition universal controller (UC-HD) for the first time at AUSA 2019. The UC-HD is a device with a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo invests in Skydweller Aero

  12th November 2019

  Leonardo has announced its investment in Skydweller Aero, a US/Spanish company specialising in large-scale solar-powered UAS. The initiative will result in the development and deployment …

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems receives howitzer contract modification

  8th October 2019

  BAE Systems Land & Armaments has received a contract modification from the US Army for its work on the Self Propelled Howitzer, Carrier-Ammunition Tracked vehicle, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell-Boeing receives MV-22 upgrade work

  5th November 2019

  Bell-Boeing has received a $146 million contract modification to upgrade nine MV-22 aircraft from the Block B to the Block C configuration for US Naval …

• Defence Notes

  USAF orders SDB rounds for USSOCOM

  8th November 2019

  Boeing has been awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to provide several hundred Laser Small Diameter Bombs, as well as associated warhead shipping containers, to be used …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AOC 2019: Ascent integrates new system onto X-MADIS

  6th November 2019

  Unmanned technology and engineering company Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT) has announced that it has integrated the CM262 optic system into its X-MADIS (eXpeditionary Mobile Air …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects-Short Range (LE-SR) [US Army]

  Background Goal The Army sees LE-SR as a family of systems consisting of an air vehicle, effects payload, mission system applications, and associated support equipment ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• 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 ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [U.S Army]

  As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F and MH-47G ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  APR-39E(V)2

  The AN/APR-39E(V)2 is a digital radar warning receiver manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The receiver is a modernised version of the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver and ...

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

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

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

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Tiltrotors

  TR36TD

  Karem Aircraft was one of four contenders for the US Army's JMR-TD, which is a precursor to the FVL project that will replace the UH-60 ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

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

  Voly 50 (Series)

  The Voly 50 is a VTOL-capable, multi-role, long-haul UAV primarily designed to conduct ISR applications on a small footprint. It has a modular, open-system design.  The UAV was ...