• Naval Warfare

  China launches the first of multiple Type 075 LHDs

  25th September 2019

  China launched its first ever landing helicopter dock (LHD) at the Huangpu-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on the morning of 25 September, greatly furthering the future …

• Defence Notes

  Raytheon and United Technologies to merge

  16th October 2019

  Company shareholders have agreed a merger to combine Raytheon and United Technologies' aerospace businesses into a single entity called Raytheon Technologies Corporation. United Technologies' aerospace …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pilot rescue training onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth

  10th September 2019

  UK Royal Marines and Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) have been carrying out training to recue downed pilots from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Queen …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Pacific 2019: Skeldar looks farther ahead in Australia

  10th October 2019

  UMS Skeldar exhibited a Skeldar V-200 UAV fitted with an eight-camera ViDAR optical radar from Sentient Vision Systems at the Pacific International Maritime Exhibition in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FLIR acquires Aria assets

  4th October 2019

  FLIR Systems has acquired the intellectual property and a number of the operating assets of Aria Insights. Aria – previously known as CyPhy - developed …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2019: Rheinmetall disappointed but not beaten on OMFV

  15th October 2019

  While the US Army remains tight-lipped on the status of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme, Rheinmetall is still pushing for its Lynx KF41 …

• Digital Battlespace

  MAIR missile warning system carried out first flight

  4th September 2019

  Leonardo has carried out the first flight of its Multiple Aperture Infrared (MAIR) missile warning system.When integrated onto an aircraft it provides crews with spherical …

• Naval Warfare

  US authorises SM-3 sale to Japan

  2nd September 2019

  The US government has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Japan of up to 73 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA vessel-based surface-to-air missile systems …

• Land Warfare

  ADEX 2019: Hanwha unveils first prototype of deadly Redback

  16th October 2019

  On the opening day of Seoul ADEX 2019, Hanwha Defense unveiled its first AS21 Redback IFV to the public. Such is the prestige of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kratos wins jet target work

  3rd October 2019

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ Unmanned Systems Division has received a $5 million contract for mission system integration and test tactical jet target drone work …

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania begins NASAMS testing

  8th October 2019

  The Lithuanian Air Force has commenced testing of the NASAMS medium-range air defence system, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence announced on 3 October. Lithuania signed …

• Naval Warfare

  Saturation Fly Away Diving System approved

  11th October 2019

  US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has approved the US Navy’s Saturation Fly Away Diving System (SATFADS) for sustained operations. The approval follows 30ft wet …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUSA 2019: WAMI pod to take to the skies

  16th October 2019

  US engineering and technology company Logos Technologies has unveiled a new Multi-Modal Sensor Pod (MMSP) at AUSA 2019 and outlined plans for the first flight …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  JSK and Kraken join to develop ASW autonomous capability for Canada

  4th October 2019

  JSK Naval Support is collaborating with Kraken Robotic Systems to jointly develop an AUV-based sonar capability that will be offered to the Royal Canadian Navy.  …

• Land Warfare

  Philippine marines rehearse at sea with AAVs

  10th September 2019

  Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) crews trained on their new Korea Amphibious Assault Vehicles (KAAV), acquired from Hanwha Techwin, alongside the USMC in early September. US …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

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

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...