• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US airspace gradually opening up to UAS

  21st November 2014

  The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making progress on the development of regulatory framework to enable the safe integration of small UAS into National …

• Land Warfare

  General Dynamics, ST Kinetics target US military market

  20th November 2014

  General Dynamics and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) subsidiary Advanced Material Engineering (AME) have teamed to manufacture 40mm air burst ammunition for the US military …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to upgrade French military IFF transponders

  20th November 2014

  Thales is to upgrade the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders in use on a number of air and sea platforms of the French armed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Netherlands examines SOF Air concept

  19th November 2014

  The Netherlands Defence Helicopter Command (DHC) has begun working up plans to establish a Special Operations Forces (SOF) Air capability, officials have revealed to Shephard. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Vector to provide MRO support for French Navy Lynx

  19th November 2014

  Vector Aerospace UK will provide structural maintenance and technical support for the French Navy's Lynx Mk4 helicopter fleet under a five year agreement announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leidos runs at-sea testing for autonomous vessel prototype

  19th November 2014

  A prototype maritime autonomy system developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) programme has completed 42 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Sensonor gyro module to stabilise SIMBAD RC

  18th November 2014

  MBDA’s SIMBAD RC twin launcher system will benefit from Sensonor’s STIM210 gyro module’s increased stabilisation capabilities, to mitigate the effects of wave motion on vessels …

• Naval Warfare

  Indra awarded two Brazilian port VTMS contracts

  17th November 2014

  The Brazilian ports of Vitoria and Santos will be equipped with new Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) by Indra under two contracts announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia signs HATS contract

  17th November 2014

  Future pilots with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) can look forward to an easier transition to advanced helicopters such as the ARH Tiger and MRH90 …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army explores manned/unmanned teaming for utility helicopters

  17th November 2014

  The US military is exploring the application of manned/unmanned teaming capabilities for its fleet of Black Hawk utility helicopters.  According to a request for information …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy receives 200th MH-60R Romeo helicopter

  17th November 2014

  The US Navy’s submarine-hunting MH-60R Romeo helicopter fleet continues to grow, with Lockheed Martin delivering the 200th aircraft to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven-Two (HSM-72). …

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO ACCS set for full deployment

  13th November 2014

  Testing for the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) programme has now been completed by ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS), with the system’s ability to operate in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airshow China: Rise of the robots

  13th November 2014

  It is generally unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that attract the lion’s share of attention at Airshow China, this year held from 11-16 November.  However, unmanned …

• Defence Helicopter

  US to sell guided rockets to Iraq

  13th November 2014

  The US State Department has approved the sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) guided rocket systems to Iraq, it was announced on 12 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Airshow China: Domestic aerostats aloft in Zhuhai

  12th November 2014

  A sizeable aerostat that has already been deployed on internal security operations was displayed by the East China Research Institute of Electronic Engineering (ECRIEE) at …

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 ...