• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland Aberdeen supply centre officially opens

  17th March 2015

  AgustaWestland has officially marked the opening of its new Regional Supply Centre in Aberdeen, Scotland, the company announced on 16 March. The facility has been …

• Defence Helicopter

  Netherlands beefs up its Apaches

  17th March 2015

  The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has developed a new set of modifications and operational techniques to turn its AH-64D Apaches into an ISTAR platform …

• Digital Battlespace

  Five US Navy E-2D Hawkeyes set for maiden deployment

  17th March 2015

  A total of five E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes have been assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Northrop Grumman announced on 12 March. The five …

• Defence Notes

  LIMA 2015: Indonesia gathers capabilities under one banner

  17th March 2015

  For the first time, Indonesia’s defence industry has gathered its capabilities together under the umbrella of the Indonesia Pavilion at LIMA 2015. The pavilion is …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2015: Fincanteri sizes up Aussie frigate programme amid Asia expansion

  17th March 2015

  Italian shipbuilder Fincanteri is eyeing up the SEA 5000 Future Frigate programme in Australia that will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) eight ANZAC-class frigates. …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2015: Saab on standby for SEA 1000

  17th March 2015

  Although outside of Australia’s SEA 1000 submarine replacement programme, Saab Kockums is waiting to make a competitive bid. Gunilla Fransson, senior VP and head of …

• Digital Battlespace

  Chemring integrates SmartLink with TACCOMS

  16th March 2015

  Chemring Technology Solutions has integrated portable network-in-a-box SmartLink with the TACCOMS software application for a complete tactical command, control, communication and coordination (C4) capability. The …

• Military Logistics

  Clermont-Ferrand workshop certified for A400M maintenance

  16th March 2015

  The AIA CF industrial aerospace workshop in Clermont-Ferrand, France, was certified for base and on-line maintenance of the Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft on 11 March. …

• Military Logistics

  US to modify UK airdrop platform

  16th March 2015

  The US Army is interested in domestically sourcing energy-dissipating airbags for use on the UK’s Medium Stressed Platform (MSP) cargo aerial delivery platform. The airbags …

• Naval Warfare

  First steel cutting of eighth Italian FREMM frigate

  16th March 2015

  Italy has begun building its eighth FREMM frigate under the FREMM joint initiative programme. The first steel cutting ceremony of the eighth Italian FREMM frigate …

• Defence Helicopter

  LIMA 2015: Bell aims military and civil helicopters at Malaysia

  16th March 2015

  Bell Helicopter has two static exhibits at LIMA this year – a UH-1Y and a 429 WLG. The former belongs to the United States Marine …

• Defence Helicopter

  LIMA 2015: MBDA pushes Sea Venom and CAMM

  15th March 2015

  The Malaysian Armed Forces currently field a number of MBDA weapon systems and, based on these previous successes, the European missile house is exhibiting a …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2015: MMEA receives shot in the arm with donated Australian vessel

  14th March 2015

  The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is a key partner in the LIMA show series, and it puts on dynamic sea-based displays in the waters …

• Digital Battlespace

  No R&R for RAF ISTAR

  13th March 2015

  There are ‘significant challenges’ operating in contemporary environments, says the UK RAF ISTAR command. The RAF had been looking forward to 12 months of ‘recuperation …

• Military Logistics

  SAIC awarded US defence logistics contract

  13th March 2015

  Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has been awarded a logistics support contract from the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the company said on 12 March. …

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 ...