• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky lands $2.7 billion contract for CH-53K helicopters, eight for Israel and 27 for USMC

  25th August 2023

  The USN has awarded Sikorsky a $2.7 billion contract for the production and delivery of 35 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, split between the USMC and Israel, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

• Defence Notes

  USMC adapts to new strategic realities caused by Chinese actions and ambitions

  23rd August 2023

  Returning to its roots in many senses, the USMC is working hard to transition to expeditionary operations in the Western Pacific region.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin successfully tests next-generation artillery rocket

  4th September 2023

  Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the extended range and precision of its next-generation Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) rocket in a successful flight test, bringing it closer to fielding for the US Army.

• Air Warfare

  F-35 Lightning II: key facts about the world's most popular fifth-generation fighter jet

  18th September 2023

  This growing family of F-35 operators exemplifies the power of collective effort, fostering stronger diplomatic ties and contributing to the evolution of modern aerial warfare on a global scale.

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2023: Northrop Grumman rolls out BattleOne integrated command and control package

  13th September 2023

  Northrop Grumman's BattleOne concept aims to transcend domain and national boundaries to produce an overarching command and control capability with integrated artificial intelligence.

• Air Warfare

  GAO report reveals critical F-35 maintenance challenges impacting US fighter readiness

  3rd October 2023

  The US DoD is facing significant obstacles in achieving its sustainment goals for the fleet of approximately 450 F-35 fighters despite plans to expand the fleet to 2,000 over the next two decades.

• Land Warfare

  USMC experiments with Mission Master UGVs in Australia

  6th August 2023

  The USMC trialled Mission Master UGVs during the recent Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 in Australia.

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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 - 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 2) [USMC]

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

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...