• Naval Warfare

  Surface Navy 2018: US Navy tees up budget plans

  10th January 2018

  As the US Department of Defense prepares to release a series of strategic plans and its fiscal year 2019 budget request, the navy says it …

• Digital Battlespace

  SpaceX says Falcon 9 rocket worked fine

  9th January 2018

  SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket worked fine in its launch of a secretive US government satellite, named Zuma, the company said on 9 January after reports …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy seeks Vindicator II targets

  9th January 2018

  The US Navy is looking to acquire the Vindicator II target solution from Qinetiq Target Systems Canada as part of a sole source procurement. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pentagon issues USN V-22 flight test funding

  8th January 2018

  The US DoD has awarded Bell-Boeing a $23 million contract to support the work currently being carried out by both manufacturers on the USN's V-22 …

• Special Operations

  Tactical vests sought for USASOC dogs

  16th January 2018

  The US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) is seeking equipment to protect its Ranger canines in combat operations around the world.  In a recent USASOC request for …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: 2018 is China’s Year of the Dog

  10th January 2018

  The coming Year of the Dog could be the year of the ‘running dog’ for the US in the Asia-Pacific. Never before have we seen …

• Military Logistics

  US Army ‘Reboots’ for Jungle Operations

  10th January 2018

  Against a backdrop of the recent jungle boot selection by US Special Operations Command and jungle boot testing by the United States Marine Corps, the …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: US Navy must face Chinese ambitions

  8th January 2018

  A new US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report lays out the groundwork needed for the US Navy (USN) to face China’s growing naval power in …

• Naval Warfare

  Surface Navy 2018: US surface fleet looks to learn from harsh lessons of 2017

  9th January 2018

  In what will likely be the final public speech before his retirement from the US Navy, VADM Thomas Rowden, commander of surface forces, described some …

• Training

  Qatar boosts Hawk trainer purchase

  17th January 2018

  Qatar intends to increase its purchase of Hawk training aircraft from BAE Systems, the country's defence minister has announced. Speaking at the Royal United Services …

• Digital Battlespace

  SpaceX launches secret Zuma mission

  8th January 2018

  SpaceX successfully launched a secretive US government payload called Zuma on a Falcon 9 rocket on 7 January. The rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, …

• Defence Notes

  US suspends military drills with South Korea

  4th January 2018

  The decision to delay joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Winter Olympics was made for practical reasons, rather than as a political …

• Military Logistics

  Airborne Systems receives E-MMPS contract

  10th January 2018

  Airborne Systems North America has received a contract to supply the Enhanced Multi-Mission Parachute System (E-MMPS) to the US Marine Corps, the company announced on …

• Training

  More details emerge on ASI's CFTD success

  9th January 2018

  Although awarded in October 2017, more details have now emerged concerning the CH-53E Sea Stallion Containerised Flight Training Device (CFTD) programme won by Tampa-based Aero …

• Defence Helicopter

  Political turbulence affects the helicopter business

  11th January 2018

  A week is a long time in politics and this is especially true when you consider politics stopping play in the aerospace and defence industry …

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 ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle [USA]

  Background The JLTV, HMMWV, and ISV constitute the US Army’s Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) fleet. The US Army has evaluated the ISV as part of ...

• 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, ...

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 ...