• Defence Notes

  Brunei’s defence budget rises

  15th March 2016

  Brunei’s defence budget will grow nearly 5% in 2016-17, as announced by the Brunei Legislative Council last week. The total defence budget amounts to BN$564.7 …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK Wildcats in Exercise Clockwork

  14th March 2016

  Four Royal Marines Wildcat multi-role helicopters of the commando helicopter force from 847 naval air squadron have completed a six-week stint in Norway for Exercise Clockwork, …

• Training

  RAN to get engine room simulator

  14th March 2016

  Kongsberg Maritime has been awarded a contract by the Australian Department of Defence to develop and deliver a new K-Sim Engine simulator to the Royal …

• Defence Helicopter

  Inzpire mission system achieves IOC

  14th March 2016

  Inzpire's GECO Mission Support System (MSS) for the UK's Puma helicopter force has achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC), it announced on 11 March. The GECO …

• Training

  NATO Cold Response exercise complete

  14th March 2016

  The British Royal Navy’s HMS Iron Duke has completed the Cold Response two-week multinational exercise with NATO forces, the navy announced on 11 March. Since …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing introduces Echo Voyager UUV

  14th March 2016

  Boeing has introduced the UUV Echo Voyager, it announced on 10 March. The 51ft long vehicle can operate autonomously for months at a stretch with …

• Military Logistics

  Navantia replenishment ships for Australia

  14th March 2016

  Navantia has scooped a bid to build two off-the-shelf auxiliary oiler and replenishment (AOR) ships for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under Project Sea 1654 …

• Military Logistics

  China inducts wave of support ships

  11th March 2016

  There has been a recent flurry of support ships being inducted into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), including three landing ship tank (LST) vessels …

• Military Logistics

  Saab to support Swedish Gripens

  11th March 2016

  Saab will perform support and maintenance work for Sweden’s Gripen aircraft under an order received from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV), the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  Avon receives order for M50 masks

  11th March 2016

  Avon Protection has been awarded a $42 million contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for the supply of 166,623 M50 chemical, biological, radiological …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New markets, more pilots for Sky-Futures

  11th March 2016

  Unmanned aerial system (UAS) inspection provider Sky-Futures will expand its pilot numbers and technological base, following the signing of a ‘strategic partnership’ with Bristow Group. …

• Training

  UK meets Ukraine training target

  11th March 2016

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has already met its target of training 2,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces in the financial year ending …

• Training

  US, Japan participate in Multi Sail 2016

  11th March 2016

  The US Navy’s Task Force (CTF) 72 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) are currently participating in the annual …

• Training

  Kratos USD sees business grow

  10th March 2016

  Despite the clamour for virtual training to replace live training as a cost-saving measure, live training often forms the pinnacle of the extended training process. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus DS awarded COMSATBw contract

  10th March 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space has received a $160 million contract from the German armed forces procurement agency for the continued operation of the SATCOMBw satellite …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 (1-10) [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 (11-33) [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 - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-27) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

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

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

• 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 - USVs

  MUSV [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements In March 2026, the US announced it would be replacing its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) programme with a Medium Uncrewed Surface ...

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 ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• 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 ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...