• Defence Helicopter

  Final upgraded Swiss Super Puma delivered

  3rd September 2014

  The final Swiss Air Force TH06 ISR Super Puma was handed over to defence procurement agency Armasuisse at RUAG’s Emmen facility on 29 August.  In …

• Digital Battlespace

  Selex ES expands Gabbiano radar family

  3rd September 2014

  Selex ES unveiled a new addition to its Gabbiano radar family at the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Poland on 3 September, called the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Patria acquires Malmskogen Aerocenter business operations

  2nd September 2014

  Patria Helicopters has acquired the business operations of Malmskogen Aerocenter based in Linköping in Sweden, strengthening Patria Helicopter’s helicopter support capabilities. The company announced the …

• Defence Helicopter

  NAVAIR seeks new V-22 engine

  2nd September 2014

  The Pentagon has launched an effort to find a drop-in replacement engine for all variants of the US military’s V-22 Ospreys. On 26 August, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DRDC works on over-the-horizon UUV operations

  2nd September 2014

  A SeaRobotics Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) has been integrated with a SeeByte open-architecture payload called SeeTrack Neptune, as part of research work into over-the-horizon UUV …

• Naval Warfare

  QinetiQ awarded small boat threat research contract

  2nd September 2014

  QinetiQ will conduct research work for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to improve the way vessels are able to coordinate their defences against …

• Digital Battlespace

  Honeywell signs Global Xpress hardware agreement

  1st September 2014

  Honeywell Aerospace will provide hardware for government and military customers of Inmarsat’s commercial global, high-speed connectivity Global Xpress services. The two companies have signed an …

• Naval Warfare

  Record numbers die in Mediterranean boat tragedies

  29th August 2014

  The number of migrants and refugees who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe has reached record levels this year, according to the …

• Military Logistics

  A400M airlifter refuels F/A-18 Hornet in flight

  28th August 2014

  Airbus Defence and Space has reported that the A400M airlifter has performed successful air-to-air refuelling (AAR) tests with an F/A-18 Hornet jet. The test campaign …

• Land Warfare

  Saab receives USSOCOM Carl-Gustaf contract

  28th August 2014

  Saab has received a follow-on contract from the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for the Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system valued at up to $187 million …

• Defence Helicopter

  DARPA advances Boeing’s Phantom Swift

  28th August 2014

  Boeing’s ‘Phantom Swift’ prototype for DARPA’s VTOL Experimental Aircraft (X-Plane) programme has advanced to the next stage of development.  Valued at $130 million, the VTOL X-Plane …

• Defence Notes

  German Army structural reforms forge ahead

  28th August 2014

  The German Army is pushing drastic reforms that will see a downsized force continue to retain a warfighting capability whilst focusing on low-medium intensity operations. …

• Naval Warfare

  DSIT awarded nuclear plant security contract

  28th August 2014

  DSIT Solutions will supply an underwater security system to protect an unnamed European nuclear power facility under a new contract announced on 26 August.  The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New UAS pilot training course launched in Canada

  27th August 2014

  A new unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilot training course has been launched by Spectral Aviation and the UAS Centre of Excellence in Quebec. The course …

• Naval Warfare

  Somali pirates bide their time

  27th August 2014

  A former hostage held for more than four years by Somali pirates believes that attack levels in the Indian Ocean will rise again if ship-owners …

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 - 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 - 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 - 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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• 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 - USVs

  MUSV (1-83) [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 ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...