• Digital Battlespace

  Nvidia aiming to exploit massive data hauls

  17th July 2013

  Nvidia has launched the Geospatial Intelligence (GeoInt) Accelerator designed to generate faster processing speed of surveillance data, the company has stated. Sumit Gupta, GM for accelerated …

• Defence Helicopter

  RAN RMI 2 programme delivers Bell 429 upgrade

  17th July 2013

  The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Bell 429 helicopter has been upgraded to allow operations at an internal gross weight of 7,500lbs as part of the …

• Digital Battlespace

  USN awaits MUOS-2 launch

  17th July 2013

  The second satellite of the five-strong Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation will be launched on 19 July, Lockheed Martin has announced. Due to lift-off …

• Defence Helicopter

  REBTECH completes Estonia NVG modifications

  17th July 2013

  REBTECH has announced that it has completed the modification of all aircraft lighting on four Robinson R44 helicopters for the Estonian Air Force. The lighting …

• Digital Battlespace

  Third AEHF makes final preparations before launch

  17th July 2013

  The USAF has announced that it has transported its third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations (CCAFS) ahead …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon mixes up international ISR offerings

  16th July 2013

  The future of airborne ISR will come from the ‘optimisation’ of modular and flexible systems, say Raytheon officials. According to executives from the company’s airborne …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon considers UGV solution for C-IED mission

  16th July 2013

  Raytheon has revealed details of its SafeRoute concept, which comprises a UGV equipped with counter-IED technology for autonomous route-clearing operations. Addressing the media on 16 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Cobham acquires full ownership of FBH

  16th July 2013

  Cobham announced on 15 July the acquisition of Bristow Helicopter’s 50% share in their FBH joint venture for £74 million. The move is aimed at …

• Military Logistics

  Canadian subs struggling for full operational capability

  15th July 2013

  The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) has admitted that only a single Victoria-class submarine is ‘fully-operational’ with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), despite signing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Eurocopter demonstrates low-noise helicopter landings

  15th July 2013

  Eurocopter has demonstrated new landing procedures that significantly reduce a helicopter’s perceived sound footprint as part of the Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator programme. The …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy Poseidon passes evaluation milestone

  15th July 2013

  The US Navy’s new P-8A Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) has passed its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E). The maritime surveillance aircraft was found …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Malfunction sees X-47B abort final carrier landing

  12th July 2013

  A malfunction on board the X-47B UAV forced the air vehicle to abort its third test-landing on the US Navy aircraft carrier, USS George H W Bush, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  iRobot announces US Army PackBot FasTac UGV contract

  12th July 2013

  iRobot will supply its PackBot FasTac unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to the US Army following the award of a $30 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Germany selects EC645 T2 LUH for special forces

  11th July 2013

  The German Federal Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Eurocopter’s EC645 T2 Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) for Germany’s Special Forces Command. The MoD has signed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Spanish Navy first customer for Skeldar UAV

  11th July 2013

  The Spanish Navy has confirmed that it will be the first customer to operate Saab’s Skeldar V-200 VTOL UAV. Saab announced that it had been …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...