• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman awarded MQ-4C work

  24th July 2019

  Northrop Grumman has received an order from the US Naval Air Systems Command for MQ-4C Triton material kits, the Department of Defense announced on 22 …

• Naval Warfare

  Boeing and Airbus sign MoU for RAAF Poseidon through life support

  4th July 2019

  Boeing Defence Australia and Airbus Australia Pacific have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) extending their commitment to the sustainment of the P-8A Poseidon maritime …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: Chinese military kit in Hong Kong, artificial intelligence on the battlefield and all the news

  5th July 2019

  Welcome to Episode 24 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.

• Training

  MetaVR to provide more Reaper training software

  1st July 2019

  The US Army Joint Technology Center and Systems Integration Lab (JSIL) has purchased an additional 86 MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) licenses to provide …

• Naval Warfare

  LCS 17 completes acceptance trials

  28th June 2019

  USS Indianapolis, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 17, has completed acceptance trials at Lake Michigan, the final large milestone before it is delivered to the …

• Naval Warfare

  Malaysia finally moves on fast interceptor craft requirement

  26th July 2019

  Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence published a notice for the acquisition of fast interceptor craft (FIC) for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) on 19 July. Adm …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy issues UUV contract modifications

  19th July 2019

  The US Navy has awarded two Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) contracts. General Dynamics Missions Systems was awarded a contract modification for engineering services in support …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy releases MUSV RFP

  18th July 2019

  The US Navy has released a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV). According to the RFP, the …

• Naval Warfare

  US lawmakers raise concerns about enemy swarms

  17th June 2019

  Worried that the US Navy’s surface ships might be vulnerable to hostile swarms of drones or other unmanned systems, a congressional panel is calling on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell Helicopter receives contract modification

  17th July 2019

  Bell Helicopter has received a contract modification from the US Defense Logistics Agency Aviation for UH-1N and TH-1H helicopter assemblies, the US Department of Defense …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed receives ATACMS contract

  26th June 2019

  Lockheed Martin has received a $561.8 million production contract for Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) surface-to-surface missiles for the US Army and Foreign Military Sales …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AI to push automated C-UAS system

  17th July 2019

  Leonardo will further automate its Falcon Shield counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) platform in the coming years, with the increased introduction of AI one of a number of planned upgrades.   …

• Land Warfare

  French army presented with first Griffon 6x6

  5th July 2019

  The French army has been presented with its first Griffon Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôles (VBMR) 6x6 from the consortium of manufacturers that develop the vehicle, during …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army adjusts SMET robot concept

  24th June 2019

  A tiny name change – from ‘squad’ to ‘small’ – reflects a huge lesson learned in the US Army’s newly named Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) programme. …

• Digital Battlespace

  German army selects SitaWare software for deployable command posts

  3rd July 2019

  The German army has selected Systematic’s SitaWare Headquarters software to enhance the command and control (C2) capabilities of its deployable command posts.  SitaWare will extend …

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 ...