• Defence Helicopter

  AHS Forum 73: Boeing puts MH-139 in spotlight

  15th May 2017

  With the recent release of another draft RFP for the US Air Force UH-1N replacement programme, Boeing is highlighting its decision to offer a variant …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: QuantaDyn delivers JTC TRS to USAF

  12th May 2017

  In January, the US Air Force awarded the Joint Terminal Control Training and Rehearsal System (JTC TRS) Low Rate Production (LRP) programme to QuantaDyn. This …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: USAF graduates first enlisted RPA crew

  10th May 2017

  The whole question of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has raised heated debate about who should fly them; officer pilots or non-commissioned officer non-pilots. Due to …

• Military Logistics

  USAF gets processed M50 masks

  8th May 2017

  The United States Air Force (USAF) military personnel have started receiving processed and approved M50 gas masks that are evaluated as 99.99 percent serviceable through …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: LMCO scores twice

  8th May 2017

  Orlando, Florida-based Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS), has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract for the F-16 A/B Block 15 training system. The $24.3 …

• Special Operations

  ​SOFIC 2017: Underground Analysis

  8th May 2017

  According to the Naval Postgraduate School's Defense Analysis Department and the US Army Asymmetric Warfare Group's (AWG's) Subterranean Working Group, the proliferation of subterranean structures …

• Military Logistics

  First KC-10 CLS returned to USAF service

  8th May 2017

  L3 Technologies has returned to service the first KC-10 aircraft under the US Air Force's (USAF) contractor logistics support (CLS) programme, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon fires up EW for Australia

  4th May 2017

  Fresh from a successful test demonstrating a single-ship geolocation capability, Raytheon is promoting its upgraded AN/ALR-69A(V) aircraft radar warning receiver (RWR) to export markets such …

• Military Logistics

  Updated ALIS for F-35 sites

  3rd May 2017

  Lockheed Martin has received approval to install the updated version of the F-35's Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) software at US Air Force (USAF) and …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy works on P-8A aerial refuelling

  2nd May 2017

  The US Air Force (USAF) has carried out the first operational aerial refuelling of the navy's P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft with its KC-135 tanker.Establishing …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to upgrade USAF’s AOC WS

  2nd May 2017

  Raytheon has received a contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to sustain and modernise its Air and Space Operations Centre Weapon System (AOC WS), …

• Military Logistics

  Travis AFB receives final upgraded KC-10

  26th April 2017

  Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in California has received the 59th and final upgraded KC-10 Extender aerial refuelling tanker aircraft, bringing the six-year upgrade project …

• Military Logistics

  Services express F-35 sustainment strategy concerns

  20th April 2017

  While US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy leaders are clearly excited to receive the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, they identify lingering concerns surrounding the …

• Digital Battlespace

  UltiSat wins CTC task order

  18th April 2017

  UltiSat has received a COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity (CTC) task order from the Defense Information Systems Agency to provide C-band and Ku-band bandwidth capacity to the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lockheed, USAF demo manned/unmanned teaming

  12th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), US Air Force (USAF) Test Pilot School and Calspan Corporation have carried out a successful …

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 ...