• Defence Notes

  SGA14: Increased Asian defence spending ahead of Singapore Airshow

  5th February 2014

  The growth of Asian defence budgets has accelerated in 2013 with military procurement rising further, according to the Military Balance 2014 released on 5 February.  …

• Naval Warfare

  Nigeria’s HIOSL receives Damen patrol vessel

  5th February 2014

  Damen has delivered a new FCS 3307 Patrol vessel to Nigeria’s Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Limited (HIOSL) following the completion of sea trials in the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK sheds light on Taranis

  5th February 2014

  The UK MoD and BAE Systems have finally shed some light on the secretive Taranis UCAV demonstrator test programme, although the development remains highly classified. …

• Naval Warfare

  SGA14: Selex prepares for Singapore MPA

  5th February 2014

  As industry awaits the anticipated release of an RfP for Singapore’s future maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) requirement, Selex ES is ready to respond to it …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing receives Combat Survivor Evader Locator order

  4th February 2014

  The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a $24 million contract for the supply of an additional 2,550 Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) radios. The …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin eyes civil logistics market again

  4th February 2014

  Lockheed Martin is seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify a civil variant of the C-130J Super Hercules. If the type design …

• Naval Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: DCNS updates on Indian sub programme

  4th February 2014

  French shipbuilder, DCNS, has announced that the first Scorpene submarine built under licence by Mazagon Docks (MDL) will be commissioned in 2015. Issued in a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BoldIQ software enhances Silent Guardian HALE UAV performance

  4th February 2014

  Bye Aerospace and BoldIQ have joined forces to enhance the performance of the former’s Silent Guardian HALE UAV at half the cost, the companies have …

• Defence Helicopter

  UK MoD accelerates Crowsnest airborne warning programme

  3rd February 2014

  The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy will have operational Crowsnest early warning systems by 2019 following the renegotiation of …

• Military Logistics

  Newest MRTT arrives at RAF Brize Norton

  3rd February 2014

  The seventh Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has been delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of the Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Iraq requests AH-64E Apache helicopter FMS

  29th January 2014

  The US government will consider a request from Iraq to purchase 24 AH-64E Apache Longbow attack helicopters at an estimated cost of $4.8 billion. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales wins French network-centric operations study

  29th January 2014

  Thales has been awarded a contract to conduct a strategic study that will inform decisions on systems architecture for future network-centric operations by the French …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin achieves laser development milestone

  29th January 2014

  The 30-kilowatt electric fibre laser under development by Lockheed Martin has been successfully demonstrated by the company, marking a significant milestone on the path to …

• Defence Helicopter

  AgustaWestland wins £760 million in UK contracts

  29th January 2014

  AgustaWestland has won two contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) worth an estimated £760 million, it was announced on 29 January. The first …

• Defence Helicopter

  Kratos announces MH-60 training device award

  28th January 2014

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will supply a number of MH-60 training devices to US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) under a single $35 million …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [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 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 (9-18) [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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-8) [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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  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 helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters

  The three maritime operations helicopters will be used for logistics and personnel transport, alongside transportation of PASKAL naval special forces in operations in the area. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...

• Military - UUVs

  RMMV

  The Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) was a semi-submersible AUV developed as part of the AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Minehunting System (RMS) for the USN’s Littoral Combat Ship ...