• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: USAF joins Red Flag Alaska from Japan

  19th November 2018

  Another milestone has recently been reached on the road to achieving a total I-LVC training environment, when for the first time two F-16 simulators from …

• Defence Notes

  Iran confirms recent missile test amid Western criticism

  11th December 2018

  Iran confirmed on 11 December that it had carried out a recent test of a medium-range ballistic missile after Western powers sharply criticised a 1 …

• Land Warfare

  Egypt seeks 120mm tank rounds

  30th November 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of M831A1 and M865 rounds and Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot with …

• Training

  Calian to continue to deliver training support

  23rd November 2018

  Calian Group will contract to continue delivering training and support services to the Canadian Department of National Defence and the Canadian Army Simulation Centre (CASC) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japan delays Osprey introduction due to local resistance

  5th December 2018

  The Japanese MoD is delaying delivery of its first MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors because of opposition from local citizenry where the aircraft were supposed to be …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PAE ISR to participate in RASP-B programme

  7th December 2018

  PAE ISR has been selected by the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to participate in the Robotic Aircraft Sensor Program – …

• Military Logistics

  USAF logisticians look beyond ‘War Wagons’

  11th December 2018

  The US Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is looking for next-generation logistics trailers that would be used to support Aircraft Battle Damage Repair (ABDR) operations. …

• Defence Notes

  Russia deploys two bombers to Venezuela for exercises

  11th December 2018

  Two Russian long-range strategic bombers landed in Venezuela on 10 December for what the government said were air force exercises aimed at strengthening the defence …

• Special Operations

  US Naval Special Warfare seeks new tactical wetsuits

  5th December 2018

  US Naval Special Warfare Command is interested in wetsuit designs capable of insulating operators during underwater transit while strong enough to withstand follow-on tactical environments.  …

• Land Warfare

  Indonesia improves air defence with Skyshield and ForceShield

  22nd November 2018

  Beginning in late 2019, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) will receive a second batch of Oerlikon Skyshield air defence systems from Rheinmetall.  Meanwhile, deliveries of …

• Defence Notes

  Japan mulling purchase of 100 US stealth fighters

  27th November 2018

  Japan is considering buying up to 100 F-35 stealth fighters from the US for more than $8.8 billion as it seeks to counter China's growing …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon receives KuRFS radar contract

  7th November 2018

  Raytheon has received a $191 million contract from the US Army for its Ku-band radio frequency (KuRFS) radars. KuRFS is an advanced electronically scanned array …

• Naval Warfare

  USS Detroit begins testing of SSMM

  5th December 2018

  The US Navy has begun initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E;) of the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM) on Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Detroit. The …

• Defence Notes

  US intel chief to brief NATO on US withdrawal from INF treaty

  28th November 2018

  US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said on 27 November that he is heading to Europe to explain to allies Washington's decision to pull …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan to establish Space Monitoring Unit in 2022

  10th December 2018

  Japan’s MoD will establish a Space Monitoring Unit within the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) in FY2022, its mission to track space debris and hostile …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• 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 - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• 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.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

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

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...