• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New payload software for AFSOC MQ-9s

  27th January 2016

  The development of a new line of software for the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) will enable the fielding of ‘new payloads’ on …

• Military Logistics

  New rescue boat for US military dredge

  27th January 2016

  The US Army has taken delivery of a SOLAS 670 rescue boat from Willard Marine for deployment aboard the USACE Dredge McFarland vessel. The rescue …

• Naval Warfare

  India steps up maritime surveillance

  27th January 2016

  India is tightening its monitoring of strategic entry points into the Indian Ocean after it emerged the Indian Navy (IN) deployed for the first time …

• Defence Helicopter

  Oil and gas saga hits Airbus orders

  26th January 2016

  The flatlining oil price continues to depress the helicopter market, Airbus Helicopters reporting a mere two orders for its H225 heavy-lift aircraft in 2015, a …

• Naval Warfare

  Kuwait orders new vessels

  26th January 2016

  The Kuwait Ministry of Defence has ordered new vessels from Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), the company announced on 24 January. The company has signed …

• Training

  MilSim Asia: AviationLearn delves into unmanned sector

  26th January 2016

  One of the few domestic companies to exhibit at MilSim Asia 2016 in Singapore was AviationLearn, which is delving more deeply into the unmanned sector. …

• Land Warfare

  DARPA targets infantry squad effectiveness

  22nd January 2016

  Raytheon has been awarded a Phase One contract by DARPA to develop new technologies to increase the effectiveness and safety of infantry squads, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German Navy to evaluate ARCIMS

  22nd January 2016

  Atlas Elektronik UK has delivered an ARCIMS USV to the German Naval Technical Centre for evaluation, the company announced on 20 January. The equipment is …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy fires Nulka decoy

  22nd January 2016

  The US Navy has successfully fired the Nulka active missile decoy from its CVN Class aircraft carrier during testing in the Atlantic Ocean, BAE Systems …

• Training

  MilSim Asia: Stacks of simulation software in Singapore

  22nd January 2016

  There was a general consensus at MilSim Asia 2016 in Singapore that simulation still has a long way to go in terms of its utilisation …

• Naval Warfare

  Oman's new billion dollar fleet

  21st January 2016

  The recent naming of the fourth and final Al Ofouq patrol vessel destined for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) represents the end phase of …

• Naval Warfare

  Croatia extends coast watch system

  21st January 2016

  Saab has been awarded a contract for the supply of coastal surveillance and border protection systems to Croatia, the company announced on 20 January. The …

• Training

  CACI to continue ACE-IOS support

  21st January 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a contract to CACI International to support its Air, Space and Cyberspace Constructive Environment - Information Operations Suite …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Contract award for more French Reapers

  21st January 2016

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded a $43.7 million contract for the production of a MQ-9 Reaper for the French Air Force as part …

• Land Warfare

  Hawkei undergoes fatigue testing

  20th January 2016

  The second phase of fatigue testing on Australia’s new Hawkei vehicles has now begun at at Thales Australia’s manufacturing facility in Bendigo, Victoria. The eight …

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 ...