• Military Logistics

  Army advances cold weather clothing project

  31st August 2018

  The US Army is moving out with the design of experimental clothing for its Cold Temperature and Arctic Protective System (CTAPS) project. The prototype effort was outlined …

• Defence Notes

  US general urges Gulf Arab unity to counter Iran

  12th September 2018

  US Central Command Chief General Joseph Votel urged feuding Gulf Arab states on 12 September to put aside their differences and unite against Iranian efforts …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First auto-landing of MQ-9 Block 5

  20th September 2018

  The US Air Force has completed the first automated landing of an MQ-9 Block 5, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) announced on 17 September. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  MSPO 2018: Rafael unveil Spike ER2

  4th September 2018

  Precision weapons system manufacturer Rafael is debuting its latest extended range missile - the Spike ER2 - at MSPO 2018.  Marketed as a 'fifth generation' …

• Defence Notes

  Russia launches biggest ever war games

  11th September 2018

  Russia launched on 11 September what it called its largest ever military drills, with hundreds of thousands of troops taking part along with Chinese soldiers …

• Defence Helicopter

  Busy times ahead for Indian Navy test squadron

  24th September 2018

  The Naval Flight Test Squadron (NFTS) of the Indian Navy (IN) celebrated its first anniversary with a seminar on 20 September, and the Goa-based squadron …

• Military Logistics

  MDM 2018: GD Mission Systems advances expeditionary C2 suite

  28th September 2018

  One element of the General Dynamics Mission Systems exhibit at this week’s Modern Day Marine expo was designed to reflect the company’s continuing focus on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Intelsat encrypting Five Eyes as contested operations increase

  18th September 2018

  The safe transference of data is of the upmost importance to civil and military operators alike; however, the conduct of clandestine missions conducted by multinational …

• Defence Notes

  Washington toys with ways to steer India, Turkey away from S-400

  12th September 2018

  Trump administration officials are looking for incentives to steer allies and partners away from buying Russia's S-400 Triumf long-range, surface-to-air missile system and toward US …

• Digital Battlespace

  AAD 2018: Vricon brings 3D mapping technology to Africa

  19th September 2018

  Vricon’s software data mapping technology, 3D Surface Model, can provide military decision-makers with worldwide coverage irrelevant to terrain environments through automation and commercial satellite technology. …

• Defence Notes

  Assad 'has been warned' on Idlib chemical use: Mattis

  12th September 2018

  US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stressed on 11 September that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been well warned against any chemical weapons use in an …

• Land Warfare

  Thai army inducts Skyguard AA system

  31st August 2018

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has accepted a new antiaircraft system into service, the Skyguard 3 fire control radar and 35mm Oerlikon twin-cannon GDF 007, …

• Naval Warfare

  JS Atago completes Aegis combat system test

  19th September 2018

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has successfully used an upgraded Aegis combat system to test its ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities. The Japanese Flight Test …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Laflamme completes first flight tests of LX300

  19th September 2018

  Laflamme Aero has successful completed the first series of flight tests for its LX300 UAS, the company announced on 13 September. The company will continue …

• Land Warfare

  Egypt requests 120mm tank rounds

  20th September 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of M831A1 rounds, M865 rounds and Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot with …

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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

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

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

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

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. 

• 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) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• 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 ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• 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). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• 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 ...