• Defence Notes

  Head of US Marines Osprey unit sacked

  2nd February 2018

  The US Marines Corps have sacked the commander of its Japan-based Osprey squadron ‘due to loss of trust,’ US officials said on 2 February, following …

• Defence Notes

  West 2018: DoD acknowledges ‘risk imbalance’

  6th February 2018

  In his opening keynote address at West 2018, co-sponsored by AFCEA International and the US Naval Institute, Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense, acknowledged what …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG receives HC-130J with MSS+

  5th February 2018

  L3 Technologies has delivered the first production HC-130J aircraft integrated with the next-generation Minotaur Mission System Suite (MSS+) to the US Coast Guard (USCG), the …

• Military Logistics

  USMC’s P-19R achieves IOC

  9th February 2018

  The US Marine Corps’ (USMC) P-19 Replacement (P-19R) Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting vehicle programme has achieved initial operating capability (IOC), Oshkosh Defense announced on 6 …

• Land Warfare

  New British Army 'lab' looks to leverage commercial tech boom

  5th February 2018

  The British Army is hoping to expedite the fielding of innovative technologies from the commercial sector with the establishment of a new innovation and experimentation …

• Land Warfare

  With Russia and China in mind, US nuclear review calls for low-yield weapons

  2nd February 2018

  The Pentagon has unveiled the official version of its Nuclear Posture Review, which calls for a revival of nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles and a less powerful …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DARPA transfers ACTUV prototype to ONR

  5th February 2018

  DARPA has completed the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) programme and transferred the technology demonstration vessel to the Office of Naval Research (ONR). …

• Digital Battlespace

  Meggitt to supply TMS to GDLS

  2nd February 2018

  Meggitt Defense Systems has received a contract from General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to provide Thermal Management Systems (TMS) for the M1A2 SEPv3 and M1A2 …

• Defence Notes

  French defence spending spike to hit NATO target

  8th February 2018

  France has announced plans to boost defence spending by more than 40%, bringing it into line with NATO targets after complaints from US President Donald …

• Naval Warfare

  Cyprus, Turkey spar after warships block gas drilling

  12th February 2018

  Cyprus has insisted Turkey had breached ‘international law’ on 11 February after Ankara's warships blocked an Italian drilling ship on course to explore for gas …

• Defence Notes

  Russian warplane flies within metres of US jet

  30th January 2018

  A Russian fighter jet flew perilously close to a US Navy reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea on 30 January, officials said, a manoeuvre the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New UAS eyed for USCG's National Security Cutters

  8th February 2018

  After several fits and starts, the US Coast Guard (USCG) is finally moving forward with plans to acquire a mid-range UAS capability to launch off …

• Defence Helicopter

  Body part recovered after Japanese military helicopter crash

  6th February 2018

  Japanese authorities announced on 6 February that they had recovered a body part during the search for a crew member missing in a deadly military …

• Defence Notes

  Russia dismisses evidence of Iran-made missiles to Yemen

  31st January 2018

  Russia on 31 January dismissed evidence presented by the US and UN experts that Iran had supplied missiles to Yemen's Houthi rebels as inconclusive, signalling …

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit’s in-fill radar and tower system certified

  6th February 2018

  Elbit Systems of America’s in-fill radar system and tower has been certified by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency for operational use, it …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• 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, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• 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 - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH [USA]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Morocco]

  Programme Background The Moroccan Armed Forces have received substantial investment in recent years as the country seeks to maintain parity with its regional rival, Algeria. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SIGMA

  The SIGMA is the latest self-propelled howitzer (SPH) developed by Elbit America and Oshkosh Defense. Produced entirely in the US, the SIGMA is intended to ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• 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 ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...