• Special Operations

  Global SAR units take to the sky

  30th November 2018

  Search and Rescue (SAR) units from around the world gathered in Israel to share concepts of operation, tactics, techniques and procedures with senior service officials …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Endeavor, Howe and Howe partner on RCV programme

  5th November 2018

  Endeavor Robotics has teamed with Howe and Howe Technologies as it positions itself to support the US Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme, the company …

• Training

  Saab, Lockheed Martin update VTESS code

  5th November 2018

  Saab, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has received a change order to the previously awarded Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (VTESS) contract to provide modernised …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing KC-46A Tanker Completes Phase Two Certification

  4th December 2018

  Boeing’s KC-46 tanker programme on 3 December completed its planned Phase II receiver certification flight testing following three weeks of flights with F-15E aircraft out …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ​AOC 2018: Blackbird detects among the Crows

  28th November 2018

  Software and hardware engineering company, TCI is promoting its Blackbird drone detection and geolocation system at the Association of Old Crows conference in Washington DC, …

• Defence Notes

  EDEX 2018: Egypt close to IOMAX Archangel deal

  6th December 2018

  US based IOMAX has confirmed it is currently in discussions with the Egyptian Air Force for a potential sale of 12 Archangel Border Patrol Aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army demos ALIAS technology

  5th November 2018

  US Army pilots have carried out a series of demonstrations of technology developed by Sikorsky and DARPA, Lockheed Martin announced on 29 October. The flights …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: Boeing unveils details of T-X GBTS

  28th November 2018

  Boeing has used I/ITSEC to unveil details of its T-X Ground Based Training System (GBTS) that is being provided under the terms of the $813 …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: The stakes rise in Pacific’s ‘Great Game’

  27th November 2018

  The South Pacific region is shaping up as a massive maritime chessboard upon which China and the US are beginning to manoeuvre with greater geopolitical …

• Land Warfare

  Norinco drives hard for AFV and artillery exports

  14th November 2018

  Norinco, China’s giant conglomerate that produces AFVs for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), exhibited a wide array of vehicles at Airshow China 2018, and this …

• Military Logistics

  Kier to prepare RAF Lakenheath for US F-35s

  22nd November 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £160 million contract to Kier VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver new infrastructure to prepare Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath …

• Digital Battlespace

  StratasCorp awarded MSC C4 contract

  29th November 2018

  StratasCorp Technologies has received a contract for C4 afloat operations and sustainment support for capabilities on the US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet of …

• Defence Helicopter

  Egypt requests AH-64E helicopter FMS

  30th November 2018

  The US government has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of ten AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to Egypt, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army kicks off Network Integration Evaluation event

  2nd November 2018

  The US Army has started Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 18.2 at Fort Bliss, Texas, which will run from 1-12 November. The field event, which is hosted …

• Naval Warfare

  USS Tulsa arrives for commissioning

  28th November 2018

  The future (LCS) USS Tulsa Littoral Combat Ship has arrived at Naval Base San Diego from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, ahead of …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - micro

  eBee Vision [US]

  Background Multiple orders In November 2025, the US Army acquired three eBee Vision systems to enhance training operations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. A ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. The development of the Sergeant ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  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 Brigade ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mobile Tactical Cannon [USA]

  Background The US Army began using the M777 in 1995. Since then, it has served as a field artillery piece providing fire support for American ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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) ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round is an 81mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmerman for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round produced by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.