• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus confident AI will dominate the future of air power

  7th November 2018

  Artificial intelligence (AI) and greater interoperability of airborne and ground based systems will soon dictate the way in which future air combat programmes unfold. That’s …

• Digital Battlespace

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: Quantum radars, laser weapons and technology galore

  8th November 2018

  China likes to talk up its technological prowess, often in a peremptorily way, but at least there was evidence of the directions the country is …

• Training

  US Army enhances BAT technology

  10th December 2018

  The US Army has enhanced the UH-60 Black Hawk aircrew trainer (BAT) with the development of the Collective Aircrew Proficiency Environment (CAPE) to jointly train …

• Land Warfare

  Morocco requests Abrams tank upgrades

  4th December 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of enhancements to Morocco's Abrams tanks, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency …

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock completes Mk8 Mod 1 firing trials

  30th October 2018

  Babcock International has detailed progress on its five year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver an upgraded 4.5in Mk8 Mod 1 …

• Defence Notes

  Dillon Aerospace develops new gatling gun

  11th December 2018

  Dillon Aerospace is developing a new three-barrel, .50 calibre gatling gun, with the first prototype nearing completion, the company told Shephard. The 503D will be …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI’s C-GCS in first flight test

  3rd December 2018

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has successfully completed the first test of its Certifiable Ground Control Station (C-GCS), the company announced on 28 November. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Regulation disappointment for Thales at Autonomous Warrior

  13th December 2018

  Despite flying high in France, the Thales Spyranger was left stuck in the Salisbury mud during the Autonomous Warrior Land exercises (AW(L)18) after coming up …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG completes first PDM of C-27J Spartan

  7th December 2018

  The US Coast Guard has completed the first programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on a C-27J Spartan medium range surveillance aircraft. The PDM cycle included a …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea Venom firing latest in series of UK-France missile developments

  17th December 2018

  As work continues on the joint UK-France programme to develop a next-generation cruise and anti-ship missile system, the smaller but equally crucial Sea Venom has …

• Defence Helicopter

  Egypt requests AH-64E helicopter FMS

  30th November 2018

  The US government has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of ten AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to Egypt, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Skeldar V-200 selected for ESMA contract

  3rd December 2018

  UMS Skeldar will supply two Skeldar V-200 UAS to Nordic Unmanned to fulfil a European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) framework contract valued at €14 million, …

• Land Warfare

  India to upgrade M-46 howitzers

  1st November 2018

  As India looks to standardise its artillery pieces the MoD has signed a contract for the transformation of 300 M-46 towed howitzers. The state-owned Ordnance Factory …

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE Systems introduces Smart D2 system

  12th October 2018

  BAE Systems has developed a new next-generation threat management technology, Smart D2, designed to dispense countermeasures and defend military aircraft, the company announced on 8 …

• Defence Notes

  AOC 2018: Directed energy solutions for high-tech threats

  30th November 2018

  Directed energy (DE) weapons, such as high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-power microwaves, are possible solutions to higher technology asymmetric threats.  While the latter has been …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (1-30) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Data links

  Data links | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  The Turkish Air Force is modernising its fleet, focusing on Eurofighter Typhoons to complement its F-16s and the in-development Kaan fighter. Türkiye plans to acquire ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...