• Digital Battlespace

  UK MoD extends Niteworks to 2018

  28th August 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has extended its contract with Niteworks for two years beyond its scheduled end date of March 2016, with the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Viper gains first export customer

  28th August 2015

  Pakistan continues to build up its attack helicopter capability and is now to receive new-build aircraft from the US, according to a contract awarded to …

• Naval Warfare

  AN/AQS-20A sonar set for improvements

  28th August 2015

  Raytheon and the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) are working to improve the capabilities of the US Navy’s AN/AQS-20A minehunting sonar, the company announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Helinet deploys downlink for Suffolk police

  27th August 2015

  Helinet Technologies has deployed a customised microwave downlink solution for the aviation section of the Suffolk County Police Department in the state of New York, …

• Digital Battlespace

  KC-10 Extender programme milestone

  27th August 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) received the 150th KC-10 Extender aerial refuelling tanker aircraft from a Northrop Grumman maintenance depot, the company announced on 26 …

• Land Warfare

  Philippine M4 rifle woes

  27th August 2015

  Initial deliveries of a new rifle to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have been found to be defective. This has delayed their distribution …

• Military Logistics

  Australia tests parachute delivery

  27th August 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Australian Army boosted their parachute capabilities in the last month. The official Air Force newspaper announced that the two …

• Military Logistics

  Canadian navy, USCG train together

  26th August 2015

  Crew from the Royal Canadian Navy and US Coast Guard (USCG) have trained together in a recent joint training exercise to improve the inter-operability of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sarcos to unveil snake-like UGV

  26th August 2015

  Sarcos has released details of a new snake-like robotic unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) called the Guardian S, ahead of the National Tactical Officers Association Conference …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-8C beats previous endurance record

  26th August 2015

  The US Navy and Northrop Grumman have demonstrated endurance capabilities with the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, the company announced on 25 August. The MQ-8C …

• Land Warfare

  Polaris MRZR vehicle deliveries

  26th August 2015

  Polaris Defense has started delivering its MRZR off-road tactical vehicle under a contract awarded by the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in July, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US works on underwater UUV recharging

  25th August 2015

  The US Navy is developing ways to use undersea wireless technology for recharging underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs), with the goal of significantly reducing the time …

• Training

  Meggitt wins trainer support contract

  25th August 2015

  Meggitt Training Systems has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Department of National Defence to provide in-service support for the Canadian armed forces' Indirect …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment sustainment orders grow

  25th August 2015

  AeroVironment has announced that it has received ten orders from the US Army since May for RQ-20A Puma AE and RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft system …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CybAero demos UAS power line inspection

  24th August 2015

  A demonstration unmanned helicopter system delivered to Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) by CybAero has conducted several flights over Guangdong Province in southern China, …

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 (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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 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 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 ...

• 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 helicopters - maritime

  Naval Multi Role Helicopters

  The IN is seeking two configurations of future multirole helicopters – one for general use and one for special operations. These two variants will meet ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: RF, IR and acoustic decoys

  Sea Lightning

  Developed by a joint venture between BAE Systems and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Sea Lightning is being offered to the USN for the Block ...

• 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 ...

• 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: COMINT and ELINT systems, Land: COMINT and ELINT systems, Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  LOKI

  The LOKI family is a cross-platform C2 system designed to integrate EW, SIGINT and Electro-Magnetic Spectrum Operations on many distributed platforms. The platform can be ...

• 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 ...

• 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 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...