• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Textron Systems joins UAS Denmark

  27th May 2015

  Textron Systems announced on 26 May that it will become part of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Denmark industry network, where it will participate in …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia (video): Sagem highlights maritime optronic systems

  27th May 2015

  Sagem talked to Shephard at this year’s IMDEX Asia about the company’s current offering of optronic systems for both surface and sub-surface vessels. Pierre-Olivier Nougues, …

• Defence Notes

  China releases strategic White Paper

  27th May 2015

  China launched its defence White Paper this week, the ninth since 1998, with the focus on key strategic issues such as its relationship with the …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia (video): Exhibition round-up

  26th May 2015

  Shephard Media editor-in-chief Tony Skinner discusses the most notable events at this year’s IMDEX Asia exhibition, which took place in Singapore between 19-21 May. Among …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky S-97 Raider completes first flight

  26th May 2015

  The Sikorsky S-97 Raider prototype helicopter has completed its first flight, Sikorsky Aircraft announced on 22 May. The flight took place at Sikorsky's Development Flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia declares Wedgetail fully operational

  26th May 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has declared its six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Early Warning Aircraft fully operational. The type’s ‘entire capability’, from the actual …

• Defence Helicopter

  HAL conducts flight trials for ALH's EASA certification

  26th May 2015

  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) recently conducted noise measurement flight trials of the Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter for European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Microflown shows off 3D acoustic sensors

  26th May 2015

  First-time exhibitors Microflown Maritime displayed a range of 3D acoustic situational awareness systems suited for the defence and security market at this year’s IMDEX Asia. …

• Naval Warfare

  Australian Navy launches first AWD

  26th May 2015

  The Royal Australian Navy launched the first of three Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs), Hobart, alongside the Port River wharf in Adelaide on 23 May. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thales selected for UK's Merlin airborne surveillance helicopters

  26th May 2015

  The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and prime contractor Lockheed Martin have selected the Thales Searchwater radar and Cerberus mission system for the Royal Navy’s …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE delivers two AWD blocks in Australia

  26th May 2015

  BAE Systems has delivered two Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) blocks to Osborne, South Australia, it announced on 26 May. The blocks were manufactured at its …

• Land Warfare

  Navistar touts SOTV-B for counter insurgency ops

  25th May 2015

  Navistar Defense has showcased its Special Operations Tactical Vehicle- Blended (SOTV-B) armoured vehicle at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, highlighting the vehicle's …

• Military Logistics

  Honeywell to supply engines for Indonesian NC212 aircraft

  25th May 2015

  Honeywell is supplying 11 TPE331 turboprop engines to PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) for use on domestically-built Indonesian military transport aircraft. The engines will be fitted …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Cape-class construction nears end

  22nd May 2015

  Construction of the final vessel of the eight Cape-class patrol boats for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was being concluded, according to Austal …

• Military Logistics

  BAE Systems to upgrade UK Watchman radars

  22nd May 2015

  BAE Systems has been awarded a £7 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade four Watchman radars as part of the Marshall …

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 ...