• Military Logistics

  MAGPIE maintenance trainer in development

  22nd January 2018

  Charles River Analytics is developing a game-based virtual aircraft maintenance trainer for the US Air Force (USAF) that will allow for larger class sizes and …

• Digital Battlespace

  SpaceX launches secret Zuma mission

  8th January 2018

  SpaceX successfully launched a secretive US government payload called Zuma on a Falcon 9 rocket on 7 January. The rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, …

• Training

  Exercise Gunfighter Flag concludes

  6th January 2018

  Exercise Gunfighter Flag has recently concluded at the US Air Force’s 110,000 acre Mountain Home AFB range complex in Idaho. Designed to train participants in joint-service …

• Military Logistics

  Transport Command demonstrates new management system

  20th December 2017

  United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) recently completed a successful proof of principle (PoP) logistics effort that fused a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Transportation Management System (TMS) capability …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF completes FMRT on GPS III, OCX

  20th December 2017

  Factory mission readiness testing (FMRT) has been completed on the US Air Force's first GPS III Space Vehicle 01 (GPS III SV01) and the Operational Control …

• Defence Helicopter

  First Apaches touch down in Indonesia

  19th December 2017

  The Indonesian Army’s (TNI-AD) first three Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters arrived in country on 18 December. Indonesia ordered eight of the attack helicopters under …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon's GPS receiver tested aboard B-2

  7th December 2017

  The US Air Force (USAF) has tested its next-generation military-code Global Positioning System (GPS) using a Raytheon receiver aboard a B-2 Spirit aircraft, the company …

• Training

  General Dynamics receives USAF DMOC contract

  11th December 2017

  General Dynamics Information Technology has received the Distributed Mission Operations Center (DMOC) – Infrastructure, Development and Engineering support contract from the US Air Force, the …

• Military Logistics

  First KC-46A delivery inches closer

  6th December 2017

  The first KC-46A tanker aircraft scheduled for delivery to the US Air Force (USAF) has successfully completed its first flight and airborne testing, Boeing announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat, USAF complete Mini Crypto PPR

  11th December 2017

  Viasat has completed a production readiness review (PPR) of the Mini Crypto programme, for the development of an embeddable cryptographic module for military handheld devices …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore launches bug bounty programme

  12th December 2017

  Under a computer bug bounty programme, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has appointed American white hat hacker firm HackerOne to test the Ministry of Defence’s …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed assembles third GPS III satellite

  29th November 2017

  Lockheed Martin has fully integrated the US Air Force’s (USAF's) third GPS III satellite into a complete space vehicle, the company announced on 27 November. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rockwell’s ARC-210 radio for USAF F-16

  1st December 2017

  Rockwell Collins will equip a US Air Force F-16 aircraft with its next-generation ARC-210 RT-2036(C) networked communications airborne radio, the company announced on 29 November. …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop continues E-8C JSTARS support

  22nd November 2017

  Northrop Grumman has received a 12-month, $349.6 million contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for continued Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR) of the E-8C …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Dreams of open architecture continue for USAF

  29th November 2017

  The US Air Force continues to strive towards commonality within its training systems and to this end will release an RfP for its Simulator Common …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9A Reaper [USAF]

  Background First order Following a development that began in 1998, in October 2002, the USAF ordered the first four MQ-9s of the production series. In ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20B Puma [USAF]

  Background Requirement According to Trace Stevenson, the AeroVironment (AV) Vice President and product line general manager, the USAF Security Forces required a small UAV to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The programme’s requirements are based on the USAF’s belief that mass is necessary to compete effectively against an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  Background In 2010, the USAF announced the replacement of the HH-60G with a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), and in 2012, the request for proposals ...

• AEW&C

  E-7A Wedgetail (1-2) [USA]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-Y tanker aircraft [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15EX (2025-2026) [USA]

  Methodology Units required Based off the FY2027 USAF budget request, between FY2025 and FY2026, the U.S. Air Force received funding for 40 F-15EX platforms. Congress ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first five Low Rate Initial Production lots were contracted for a total of 67 aircraft for $10.94 billion. The initial contract signed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A Add-On [USA]

  Background In July 2025, the former Chief of Staff for the US Air Force (USAF) Gen David Allvin confirmed that the USAF has authorised the procurement of ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  US Air Force Air Base Defence Missile Defence [US]

  Background The US Air Force's (USAF) Air Base Air Defence Missile Defence (ABAD MD) programme is part of the Air Force Physical Security System and sits ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Background  Competing bids In competition with the Boeing/Leonardo bid was Sikorsky with a HH-60U offer, and Sierra Nevada with an upgrading offer of UH-60As to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background According to the FY2021 USAF budget request documents, the USAF procured 103 JLTVs in FY2019, 146 in FY2020 and 142 in FY2021. In 2023, ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) [USA]

  Background The U.S. Air Force originally planned the KC-Y programme as a follow-on acquisition of an estimated 179 tankers to bridge the gap between the delayed ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-37A [USA]

  Programme Background The USAF was using C-20B transport aircraft, variant of civilian Gulfstream III, to provide worldwide airlift for DoD and government officials. With the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  EX-3 Revenant

  The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• Air: aerial targets

  QF-16 FSAT

  The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

• Major networking projects

  C2 ConstellationNet

  According to David Tillotson, director of C4ISR architecture AF/XI, in a report to Congress: 'The ConstellationNet is the communications network – air, space and terrestrial ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USAF KC-135 ATS

  The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS 10.2 Upgrade

  Raytheon’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Block 10.2 upgrade allows intelligence data to be posted to the network for immediate use by analysts and warfighters, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight’s Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-10 Extender

  The KC-10 Extender is a tanker/transport aircraft developed for the USAF by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). It was derived from the company’s three-engine ...

• EW test systems

  JTE

  The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wasp III

  Produced from 2007 until 2012, the Wasp III was a hand-launched UAV produced by AeroVironment. The platform was powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and featured two camera ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 flight hours ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...