• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2015: FAA opens the skies, slowly…

  6th May 2015

  As hundreds of companies showcase their unmanned credentials at AUVSI in Atlanta, the US Federal Aviation Administration used the event to announce that three firms …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia commissions first pair of CH-47F Chinooks

  6th May 2015

  The Australian Army commissioned its first pair of Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters at RAAF Base Townsville on 5 May. They will be operated by the …

• Digital Battlespace

  OnTime Networks launches Cloudberry CM-4000 MIL Series

  6th May 2015

  OnTime Networks announced the launch of its new Cloudberry CM-4000 MIL Series military-grade Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches on 4 May. The Cloudberry CM-4000 MIL Series …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AirMap digital map launches for UAS

  6th May 2015

  The US version of the AirMap digital map and airspace database for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operators has launched, giving UAS operators a clearer understanding …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2015: Common USV headed to critical design review

  5th May 2015

  The Textron Systems Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle will head to the critical design review in the next six months in a bid to finalise the …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy christens destroyer USS John Finn

  5th May 2015

  The US Navy christened its newest guided missile destroyer, USS John Finn (DDG 113), at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 2 May. USS John …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK Chinooks deploy in Nepal for relief operations

  5th May 2015

  The UK is sending 3 Royal Air Force (RAF) CH-47 Chinook aircraft to Nepal to assist in the British and Nepalese earthquake response, the government …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2015: Army looks towards the common robot

  4th May 2015

  After putting thousands of UGVs into the field throughout the conflict in Afghanistan, the US Army is now attempting to consolidate, standardise and move towards …

• Naval Warfare

  Philippines inaugurates National Coast Watch Centre

  4th May 2015

  The Philippines inaugurated its National Coast Watch Centre (NCWC) on 28 April 2015. Located at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Manila, this nerve …

• Digital Battlespace

  Exelis, L-3 team for Commando II EW protection

  4th May 2015

  Exelis and L-3 Platform Integration have partnered to develop electronic self-protection capabilities for the US Air Force Special Operations Command’s (AFSOC) AC/MC-130J Commando II aircraft. …

• Naval Warfare

  Damen details new OPV design

  4th May 2015

  Damen has released details of its newest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) at the OPVs & Corvettes Asia Pacific conference in Singapore on 20 April. The …

• Defence Notes

  USA and Japan revise ‘defence guidelines’

  3rd May 2015

  In a long-awaited move, the US and Japan updated their ‘Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation’ during bilateral 2+2 talks in New York on 27 April. …

• Military Logistics

  RAF shakes-up transport aircraft training

  1st May 2015

  The RAF’s transport and tanker aircraft fleet training programme will see significant developments in coming years as the C130J Super Hercules makes room for the …

• Military Logistics

  SRA wins place on INSCOM GISS contract

  1st May 2015

  SRA International has been awarded a position on the US Army Intelligence and Security Command's (INSCOM) Global Intelligence Support Services (GISS) contract, it announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  MDA to continue supporting Canadian RADARSAT-2 systems

  1st May 2015

  MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) will continue to provide operation support for Canada's RADARSAT-2 ground systems, the company announced on 28 April. The agreement is …

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 ...