• Digital Battlespace

  F-35I C4 system enters production

  5th April 2016

  The Command, Control, Communications and Computing (C4) system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the Israeli variant of the F-35 aircraft has completed testing …

• Military Logistics

  Japan’s C-2 aircraft enters service

  5th April 2016

  The Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) announced in March that its new Kawasaki Heavy Industries C-2 cargo aircraft had entered service. The JASDF planned the …

• Defence Notes

  US Navy delivers new APKWS variant

  4th April 2016

  The US Navy has delivered the first fixed-wing aircraft variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) to the marine attack squadron (VMA) 233 …

• Defence Notes

  US Navy funds DDG 124 construction

  4th April 2016

  General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has received a $644.3 million contract modification from the US Navy for the full funding of the construction of the …

• Land Warfare

  US Army IBCTs need tactical mobility

  4th April 2016

  In order to meet the goals of the US Army’s combat vehicle modernization strategy some changes will be taking place. This is in order to …

• Land Warfare

  Challenge for US combat vehicles

  4th April 2016

  Modernising the US Army’s combat vehicles when significant reductions in numbers and budgets are taking place present certain challenges. ‘There was a time when 46 …

• Defence Helicopter

  AAR commences Falkland SAR operations

  4th April 2016

  AAR’s Airlift division has commenced search and rescue (SAR) and support helicopter (SH) operations for the UK Ministry of Defence in the Falkland Islands, the …

• Naval Warfare

  UK, US ships conduct minehunting exercise

  4th April 2016

  Four British ships together with several US ones participated in a four-day minehunting exercise as a warm-up for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise, the UK …

• Digital Battlespace

  DIMDEX 2016: Qatar orders satellite data receiving station

  3rd April 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space has received a contract from the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF) to provide a multi-mission direct satellite data receiving station and image …

• Naval Warfare

  FIDAE 2016: Breathing new life into Orions

  1st April 2016

  Lacking the funds to purchase new and bespoke maritime patrol aircraft, two Latin American militaries are looking to extend the life of their current fleet …

• Defence Notes

  Ingalls to build DDG 123

  1st April 2016

  The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has been awarded a $618 million contract modification by the US Navy to build the Arleigh …

• Defence Helicopter

  FIDAE 2016: Peru’s billion dollar shopping spree

  1st April 2016

  The Peruvian Air Force has set out ambitious plans to modernise its air force over the next five years with one of the main aims …

• Digital Battlespace

  Senses heightened for Apache

  1st April 2016

  The US Army’s AH-64 Apache helicopters are to get the new sensors that will provide them with new capabilities. It has finally been decided that …

• Military Logistics

  Vectrus to support US bases in Kuwait

  1st April 2016

  Vectrus Systems has been awarded a $329 million contract modification for US Army base operations and security support services in Kuwait, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  DefExpo 2016: Thales, BTSL to develop fire control radar

  1st April 2016

  Thales and BEL-Thales Systems (BTSL) have entered into an agreement for the development of the Pharos fire control radar for both gun and missile systems, Thales …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-8) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (9-18) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

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

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• 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 helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

• 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 ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

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

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• Subsystems: software

  LiteFlite II Simulators

  The LiteFlite II was designed to provide a high-fidelity, laptop-based system with white-force/man-in-the-loop capabilities for use with a variety of simulation systems. LiteFlite II represents ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...

• Military - UUVs

  RMMV

  The Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) was a semi-submersible AUV developed as part of the AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Minehunting System (RMS) for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ship ...