• Digital Battlespace

  Widespread use, but Link 16 integration challenges remain

  4th June 2019

  While Link 16 has revolutionised air operations, easing command and control and enhancing situational awareness, challenges still exist regarding its implementation.  The Link 16 tactical …

• Naval Warfare

  US lawmakers aim to ease ‘Buy America’ restrictions on new frigate

  10th June 2019

  To avoid a potential snag in the competition to build the US Navy’s future guided missile frigate (FFG(X)) a congressional panel has approved a proposal …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Dutch army receives two THeMIS UGVs

  31st May 2019

  Milrem Robotics has delivered two THeMIS UGVs to the Robot and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Unit of the 13th Light Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo to supply PicoSAR for Canada’s Skeldar

  3rd June 2019

  Leonardo has signed a multi-million euro contract with QinetiQ to provide a number of PicoSAR active electronically scanned array radars, the company announced on 29 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Parrot launches ANAFI Thermal UAS

  24th April 2019

  Parrot has launched ANAFI Thermal, an ultra-compact and lightweight UAS equipped with thermal imaging capabilities for civil operations, the company announced on 16 April. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lithuania to buy counter-UAS equipment

  30th April 2019

  The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has announced the purchase of counter-UAS solutions for the Lithuanian armed forces. The acqusition is being made under a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  PHASA-35 solar UAV to begin test flights

  9th April 2019

  Technology manufacturer Prismatic is to commence prototype flight testing on its PHASA-35 (Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft) HALE UAV programme before the end of the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Re-engined Chinook to fly in 2019

  10th June 2019

  Boeing, in co-operation with the US Army and GE, will fly a Chinook with two GE T408 engines in 2019 in an effort to examine …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Airbus eyes up maiden VSR700 prototype flight

  10th June 2019

  Airbus is building towards its first flight of the VSR700 rotary-wing TUAS prototype this year - an occasion that will see the vehicle tested without a …

• Digital Battlespace

  US rebrands information warfare activities

  5th June 2019

  Two recent service announcements reflect an ongoing rebranding of cyber and information warfare activities across the US Department of Defense. The latest announcement, made by …

• Naval Warfare

  Combat system concentration for Lockheed Martin after FFG(X) withdrawal

  30th May 2019

  Following the decision by Lockheed Martin to withdraw from the US Navy’s FFG(X) process, the company will focus its efforts on the programme’s future combat …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAVOS introduces new GCS

  3rd June 2019

  UAVOS has introduced a new Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS) 3, fully compatible with the UAVOS autopilot, the company announced on 29 May. In its …

• Naval Warfare

  Israeli Navy INS Magen corvette officially named

  27th May 2019

  The Israeli Navy’s first Sa'ar 6 corvette, INS Magen, has been officially named in Kiel, Germany, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems announced on 23 May. Thyssenkrupp Marine …

• Digital Battlespace

  New weapons, countermeasures for Australian jets

  11th April 2019

  The Australian government has approved Project Air 6000 Phase 3 to acquire a range of new weapons and countermeasures for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighters …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Inmarsat makes UAV play as emerging partnerships take-off

  30th May 2019

  The UK mobile satellite provider Inmarsat is seeking to increase its civil UAV sector footprint having established a set of five new partnerships with drone …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...