• Naval Warfare

  Thailand buys submarines to keep up with the Joneses

  27th August 2020

  COVID-19 may have severely dented Thailand’s defence budget, but the procurement of two additional S26T diesel-electric submarines for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) from China …

• Defence Helicopter

  Decision time looms for Israeli CH-53D replacement

  21st August 2020

  The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is drawing closer to a decision on which platform will replace its fleet of 23 aging CH-53D Yas'ur helicopters (pictured) with …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army gears up for new round of RQ-7B Shadow Block III tests

  13th August 2020

  The US Army will soon move to a RQ-7B Shadow Block III Follow-On Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E;) phase as it looks to bolster capabilities …

• Defence Notes

  ​DLA Energy picks ten for fuel contracts

  3rd August 2020

  The US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy has awarded a series of contracts worth a combined total of almost $1.8 billion to deliver various types …

• Land Warfare

  US Army awards General Dynamics Land Systems S-MET development contract

  16th July 2020

  The US Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $249 million contract on 15 July for the development of the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET), …

• Military Logistics

  MARAD scrapes the barrel for sealift-capable hulls

  21st July 2020

  The US Maritime Administration (MARAD), which is responsible for the support of strategic sealift capability to the USN, has ‘the bare minimum’ of vessels required …

• Training

  USN outlines F/A-18 STE enhancements

  8th July 2020

  The USN has unveiled plans for its continued update of F/A-18 and EA-18G synthetic training equipment (STE) over the next four years. With all but …

• Land Warfare

  Stalled OMFV programme resumes forward movement

  27th July 2020

  The US Army has released a draft RfP under the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme, in its fourth attempt to move ahead with plans …

• Defence Notes

  F-15EX emerges as unlikely USAF hero

  16th July 2020

  Backed by a huge $22.9 billion IDIQ contract from the USAF, Boeing is embarking on a partnership that could ultimately lead to a maximum of …

• Land Warfare

  Australia orders additional EF88 rifles

  16th July 2020

  The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is to receive an extra 8,500 EF88 bullpup rifles under an order announced by the Department of Defence on 13 July. Defence Minister …

• Air Warfare

  GE to build engines for F-15EX

  3rd July 2020

  General Electric (GE) is to provide an undisclosed number of of F110-GE-129 engines to power USAF F-15EX fighter aircraft, under a $101.3 million contract from the …

• Defence Notes

  US to harden Guam against Chinese attack

  23rd July 2020

  The US is seeking to station Aegis Ashore on Guam, its westernmost territory, by 2026. The purpose is to give ballistic missile protection for the strategically important …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  General Atomics to supply two more Reapers

  23rd June 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has received a $26.87 million contract from US Naval Air Systems Command to provide two MQ-9A Reaper unmanned air systems (UASs). The …

• Defence Notes

  Senate panel authorises defence spending at Trump-requested level

  13th June 2020

  The Senate Armed Services Committee on 11 June approved its mark-up of the Pentagon’s FY2021 defence policy bill, authorising $740 billion for national defence spending …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia announces trident of Tritons

  20th June 2020

  Australia announced on 18 June that it had firmed up an order for a third Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAV. Under current Project Air 7000 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E APACHE [USA]

  Programme Background According to the FY2021 Defense Budget, the US Army procured 81 new-build AH-64E Apaches.The FY2021 Army budget shows 61 prior-year new-build AH-64Es and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Fighter - naval

  F/A-18E/F [USA]

  Programme Background The original plan for each of the U.S. Navy's nine carrier air wings was to host 12-aircraft squadrons of Block III Super Hornets along ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Navy) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army’s Lethal Miniature ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  USAF has ordered 400 F-35 aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 240 out of 1377 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 48 per year ...

• 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 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 ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C (FY2021-2025) [USA]

  Background In order to achieve their ultimate goal of 340 F-35C fighters, the U.S. Navy contracted a total of 101 platforms between FY2021 and FY2025. ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (FY2021-2025) [USA]

  Background According to U.S. budget documents throughout the decade, the U.S. Navy intends to acquire 324 F-35B STOVL aircraft. Prior to 2020, the U.S. Navy ...

• Patrol boats

  Fast Response Cutters (USCG Domestic Programme) (55-58)

  Programme Background The Fast Response Cutters (FRC's) are being procured to replace the 49 ageing Island-class patrol boats for the US Coast Guard (USCG). The ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35C (FY2026-2030) [USA]

  According to the U.S. Navy budget documents, the service aims to acquire 369 F-35 Carrier Variant platforms. Prior to FY2020, the service had ordered 118 ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35C (FY2026-2030) [USA]

  According to the U.S. Navy budget documents, the service aims to acquire 369 F-35 Carrier Variant platforms. Prior to FY2020, the service had ordered 118 ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35C (FY2026-2030) [USA]

  According to the U.S. Navy budget documents, the service aims to acquire 369 F-35 Carrier Variant platforms. Prior to FY2020, the service had ordered 118 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  StreamCaster Mini 4210

  The StreamCaster Mini 4210 (SM4210) is a single-channel data radio (SCDR) that can create MANET mesh networks. It is currently in use with the US ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VPK Reconnaissance Vehicle Prototype

  In 2021, Russian vehicle manufacturer Military-Industrial Company (VPK) has demonstrated a new armoured amphibious vehicle. While the new platform is yet to gain an official ...

• Air: aerial targets

  BQM-167A

  The BQM-167 is a subscale aerial target used to provide a threat-representative target drone to support training missions. It is manufactured by Composite Engineering (CEi), a subsidiary ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  VH-92A

  The VH-92A is a special transport helicopter developed by Sikorsky based on the S-92 to meet the United States Marine Crops (USMC) requirement to replace ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-60J/K

  The SH-60J is a license-build version of Sikorsky's S-70, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare.

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey

  The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Bell and Boeing in a joint venture. The platform has tiltrotor technology to combine a helicopter's vertical performance with ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Flyer 72/GMV 1.1

  The Flyer 72 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle (ALSV) was developed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), in partnership with Flyer Defense, to meet ...

• Transport

  PC-12

  The PC-12 is a single-engine, turboprop, light cargo and passenger aircraft that has accumulated more than four million flight hours since the type first flew in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)

  BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) was developed in response to a US Army requirement for a platform to replace the ageing M113 APCs in ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/PRC-162

  The AN/PRC-162 is a two-channel software-defined radio that has been selected for the US Army’s Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit programme. The SDR is ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-15J/DJ

  The F-15J and F-15DJ "Peace Eagle" are variants of the F-15 Eagle air-superiority tactical fighter aircraft manufactured by Mitsubishi for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.  

• Frigates

  Mogami Class (30FFM)

  The Mogami-class 30FFM frigate, previously commonly referred to as the 30DX for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), is intended to replace the existing Asagiri- and ...

• Land: RWS

  RIwP

  The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) is a modular remote weapons station designed by Moog to counter a wide spectrum of threats ranging from enemy infantry ...