• Defence Helicopter

  FVL aims to avoid mistakes of the past

  8th August 2016

  The US military has been in no rush to decide whether it stays entirely with helicopters or adopts more tiltrotors from 2030, but next year …

• Digital Battlespace

  SBIRS GEO 3 satellite on track for launch

  8th August 2016

  The US Air Force’s next Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite is on track for its October launch, having been delivered …

• Military Logistics

  Malays support USMC Herc

  8th August 2016

  A Malaysian company has completed the overhaul of a first Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules aircraft on behalf of the USMC stationed in Japan. The aircraft …

• Military Logistics

  V-22 Osprey in Fleet Battle Experiment

  5th August 2016

  The US Navy has conducted a Fleet Battle Experiment for its future variant CMV-22B Osprey multi-mission, tilt-rotor military aircraft, it announced on 3 August. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New hunting grounds for Silent Falcon

  5th August 2016

  Silent Falcon UAS Technologies, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is looking to harness emerging market opportunities in Latin America and Asia, and revenue in the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Chinese unmanned boats to proliferate

  5th August 2016

  China is expected to deploy increasing numbers of USVs for both civil and military use, if designs from the Research Institute of Unmanned Surface Vehicles …

• Training

  HMAS Ballarat fires at ex-USS Thatch

  5th August 2016

  HMAS Ballarat, an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, has fired six missiles in a sinking exercise (SINKEX) during the Rim of the Pacific …

• Naval Warfare

  France, UK monitor ferry threat

  4th August 2016

  News that armed French security personnel conducted a boarding exercise and embarkation on a Brittany Ferries vessel has brought the terror threat to civil port …

• Military Logistics

  New contract for GD NASSCO-Norfolk

  4th August 2016

  General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk has been awarded a five year maintenance contract from the US Navy for non-nuclear planning and maintenance work on five aircraft carriers, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Second Japanese E-2D ordered

  4th August 2016

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a US Navy contract to start production of a second E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) and surveillance aircraft …

• Training

  NZDF plays leading role in RIMPAC exercise

  4th August 2016

  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) played a leading role in an exercise during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016, commanding Coalition Task Force …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon opens cybersecurity facility

  3rd August 2016

  Raytheon has opened a facility in Augusta, Georgia, to provide cybersecurity capabilities to the US Army Cyber Command as it relocates to Fort Gordon, the …

• Defence Notes

  Lockheed to build R&D lab in Melbourne

  3rd August 2016

  Lockheed Martin has confirmed that Melbourne, Australia, will be the location for its upcoming Science Technology Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory (STELaR Lab).  The multi-disciplinary …

• Land Warfare

  Eitan to field alongside Namer

  2nd August 2016

  The Israel Defense Force unveiled its 8x8 Eitan (Hebrew for ‘steadfast’) APC demonstrator on 1 August 2016.  It is the first wheeled APC developed for …

• Defence Helicopter

  RAN MRH-90 in VERTREP exercise

  2nd August 2016

  An Australian MRH-90 helicopter has conducted Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) operations with a US Navy amphibious transport dock during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• 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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-8) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (9-18) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

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

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• 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 helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

• 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 ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

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

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• Subsystems: software

  LiteFlite II Simulators

  The LiteFlite II was designed to provide a high-fidelity, laptop-based system with white-force/man-in-the-loop capabilities for use with a variety of simulation systems. LiteFlite II represents ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...

• Military - UUVs

  RMMV

  The Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) was a semi-submersible AUV developed as part of the AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Minehunting System (RMS) for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ship ...