• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: US Marine Corps seek AI capabilities for training purposes

  28th November 2023

  The US Marine Corps is divesting its legacy training systems and simulations to adopt solutions that can enable replicating current and future operating environments with high fidelity.

• Land Warfare

  US Marine Corps outlines next steps to improve synthetic training capabilities

  6th December 2023

  The service has shown an interest in a range of training solutions from individual to battalion levels and plans to award multiple contracts ahead of new programmes set to run from FY2024 to FY2031.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh lands JLTV order from Israel

  1st December 2023

  November was a good month for Oshkosh Defence and JLTV orders, and December has started just as well with the company contracted to supply 75 vehicles to Israel.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems to supply USMC with NVGs under $500 million deal

  28th November 2023

  Elbit Systems of America has secured a second five-year contract to supply Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggles (SBNVG) to the US Marine Corps.

• Land Warfare

  Morocco deploys new version of Abrams MBT

  5th December 2023

  The acquisition of M1A2 SEPv3 tanks by Morocco reflects the high demand for the Abrams platform in the region. The tanks will enhance Morocco’s land forces capabilities and deterrence posture.

• Land Warfare

  New JLTV orders for Oshkosh takes production of JLTV line beyond mid-2025

  6th November 2023

  Oshkosh has produced more than 23,000 JLTVs since the first order in 2015 and the latest contract will add as many as 700 vehicles to orders already placed.

• Naval Warfare

  New US Navy chief of naval operations sworn in after long delay

  3rd November 2023

  The swearing in of Adm Lisa Franchetti had been delayed which has been predicted to have medium-term effects on the service.

• Land Warfare

  US Marines to test Hanwha Arion-SMET II UGV

  24th October 2023

  The three-week demonstrations will take place in December at the Marines Training Center, in O’ahu, Hawaii.

• Land Warfare

  US Southern Command seeks industry partners to modernise its ISR inventory

  22nd November 2023

  SOUTHCOM is interested in testing advanced sensors and technologies fitted with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, as well as with renewable energy or alternative power sources.

• Air Warfare

  US Marines’ XQ-58A Valkyrie UAS completes first test flight

  9th October 2023

  The XQ-58A Valkyrie, developed by Kratos and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (USAFRL), is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, with a total of six planned test flights for the USMC

• Training

  Advancing Defense Readiness: The Strategic Edge of Simulation Training

  28th November 2023

  Enhancing capabilities through simulation training fosters effective advancement and equips forces for evolving environments.

• Air Warfare

  Philippines moves forward with C-130J Super Hercules purchase

  19th October 2023

  The Philippine Government has approved the purchase of three Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules military transport aircraft, marking a reduction from the originally planned acquisition of five aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh Defense wins contract for more uncrewed JLTV anti-ship rocket systems

  5th October 2023

  Oshkosh delivered six of the JLTV-based anti-ship systems to the USMC earlier this year as part of of the USMC's modernisation plans of Force Design 2030.

• Naval Warfare

  Bourgainville LHA launched but future of US Navy amphibious ship procurement remains uncertain

  13th October 2023

  The third America-class Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) ship, Bourgainville (LHA 08), has been launched by Huntington Industries Ingalls (HII) shipyard but this progress comes against the backdrop of a dispute about amphibious ships within Congress and the US defence establishment.

• Training

  NATO exercise sharpens explosive defeating skills in the face of increasing threats

  13th October 2023

  The exercise took place on land and in the marine environment using EOD UGVs, submarine AUVs and special diving equipment to improve and sharpen the skills of participants.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - attack

  AH-1Z

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ACV ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 3) [USA]

  Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ACV ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 2) [US]

  Background The USMC was originally expected to procure 15,400 JLTVs to replace all of its HMMWVs on a like-for-like basis. In 2023, AM General unseated ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 4) [USA]

  Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ACV ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 5) [USA]

  Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ACV ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Mounted (OPF-M) [USMC]

  Programme Background Armed Vehicles In June 2021, Shephard reported that the USMC had selected the HERO-120 for the OPF-M programme. The USMC planned to integrate ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) MALE [USMC]

  Background MUX umbrella Since 2016, the USMC has sought to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions and fly ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) [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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 UAS - tactical

  Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) [USMC]

  Background Joint Army and USMC effort In October 2016, the USMC and Army began the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS) programme to determine ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GATR e850 Outdoor Modem

  Cubic’s GATR e850 is a rugged broadband outdoor modem ideal for mobile/transportable communications, based on the iDirect e850 board set. Features include a waterproof enclosure ...

• Individual assault/anti-tank weapons

  M72 LAW FFE

  The M72 Light Assault Weapon Fire from Enclosure (M72 LAW FFE) was developed by Nammo to meet a USMC requirement for a version of the ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom

  Originally planned as a UH-1N Twin Huey upgrade for the USMC, all but the first ten UH-1Ys now use new-build airframes. This new build prevents ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  SeaOnyx

  The SeaOnyx is an in-development cargo-carrying coaxial rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Ledois in partnership with Phenix Solutions.  In April 2023, Leidos announced it had been awarded an ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV

  BAE Systems teamed with Iveco Defence to offer a version of Iveco Defence Vehicle's Superav for the USMC's Armored Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1W SuperCobra

  Bell’s AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter was developed from the AH-1T for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The helicopter has been in service since 1986 to ...

• Air: mission management systems

  AFATDS

  Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) is a multi-service (US Army/USMC) joint and combined forces fire support battle command system. It provides automated support ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  LAV-25

  General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has produced derivatives of the Piranha series, branded the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV), since the Canadian Army selected the 6x6 Piranha ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USMC KC-130J Training Devices

  CAE delivered a KC-130J cockpit avionics part-task trainer to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. The device is used for classroom training of ground maintenance personnel ...

• EO/IR systems

  NTS/NTSA

  The Night Targeting System (NTS) was a joint Israeli Air Force and United States Marine Corps (USMC) program to provide AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters with ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1 SeaCobra

  Bell developed the 209/AH-1 SeaCobra on the basis of the US Army’s single-engine AH-1G Cobra as the United States Marine Corps (USMC) determined that a ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  SAIC ACV 1.1 prototype

  SAIC unveiled its first prototype for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) 1.1 (Phase 1, Increment 1) project on 21 February 2017. The SAIC prototype is ...

• 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 ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53D Sea Stallion

  The twin-engine CH-53A (S-65) Sea Stallion was developed from 1960 to meet a United States Marine Corps (USMC) requirement for a heavy-lift helicopter. It entered ...