• Digital Battlespace

  USSOCOM EW contracts awarded

  5th January 2016

  The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has issued funding to two companies to further develop new electronic warfare equipment for C-130J aircraft, it was announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy says SAR-onara

  4th January 2016

  The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm has officially ended its role in UK search and rescue (SAR) operations, concluding nearly 60 years of service. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thailand conducts H225M CSAR trials

  4th January 2016

  After the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) received a batch of four Airbus Helicopters H225M (EC725) Super Cougar helicopters last year, the type conducted its …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin secures C-130 contract

  4th January 2016

  A multi-year contract announced on 31 December will see Lockheed Martin deliver 78 C-130 Super Hercules aircraft to the US government between 2016 and 2020. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Heron reaches new flight hour milestone

  31st December 2015

  Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Heron 1 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) has marked its 70,000th flight hour in support of operations in Afghanistan, IAI announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  Choppy waters for LCS

  29th December 2015

  The survivability and lethality of the US Navy’s troubled Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme has again been called into question in a GAO report released …

• Training

  MetaVR visuals for SOTACC simulators

  29th December 2015

  Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training simulators at the US military's Special Operations Terminal Attack Controller Course (SOTACC) facility will feature MetaVR’s Virtual Reality Scene …

• Naval Warfare

  Airships have multirole future

  28th December 2015

  Airship producer Aeroscraft says lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft have an advantage over other ISR platforms, particularly in roles such as coastal patrol and port security, as …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy seeks laser weapons

  24th December 2015

  Northrop Grumman has been selected to design and produce a Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) by the US Office of Naval Research, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  France orders more Tiger HAD helicopters

  24th December 2015

  The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters to supply seven additional Tiger HAD attack helicopters, the company announced on …

• Training

  Kongsberg Maritime to acquire SMSC

  24th December 2015

  Kongsberg Maritime is strengthening its maritime simulation capabilities with the acquisition of the Ship Modelling & Simulation Centre (SMSC), a simulation and consultancy company.  SMSC’s …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Vietnam unveils indigenous HALE

  24th December 2015

  Despite outsiders knowing little about Vietnam’s UAV developments, local media revealed in December that the country was developing its largest vehicle yet, a HALE platform. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI delivers final RQ-1 Predator As

  24th December 2015

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has delivered two RQ-1 Predator UAS to the Italian Air Force, the company announced on 22 December. This marks the …

• Naval Warfare

  Canada's HCM project powers ahead

  23rd December 2015

  The Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) project has reached an important new milestone, with First Article Acceptance now achieved, Lockheed Martin Canada announced on 22 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit wins Asia-Pacific ISTAR contract

  23rd December 2015

  Elbit Systems is to supply a tactical airborne intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) solution to an unnamed customer in the Asia-Pacific region. The …

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 ...