• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B makes first flight from Pax River

  30th July 2012

  On 30 July Northrop Grumman announced that the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator had successfully completed its first flight from Naval Air Station …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lebanon makes request for Huey IIs

  27th July 2012

  The government of Lebanon has requested the purchase of Huey II helicopters from the US. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Lebanon wants …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Watchkeeper takes a step forward

  25th July 2012

  Thales has announced on 25 July 2012 that the UK and France have moved a step forward today in demonstrating their commitment to defence cooperation …

• Defence Helicopter

  Marine Corps V-22s arrive in Japan

  23rd July 2012

  The controversial deployment of MV-22 Ospreys to Japan has begun with the arrival of the first 12 aircraft in country. The tiltrotor aircraft arrived by …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin receives MLRS follow-on order

  20th July 2012

  Lockheed Martin has received a $353.2 million US Army follow-on contract for the seventh production lot of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Unitary rockets, …

• Naval Warfare

  Nimitz first to test use of aviation biofuels

  19th July 2012

  The nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was the first ship to receive and test the use of a new blend of hydro …

• Land Warfare

  United Arab Emirates orders 750 M-ATVs

  19th July 2012

  Oshkosh Corporation announced on 19 July that the company has been awarded a contract to provide the United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces with 750 MRAP All-Terrain …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin completes on-orbit testing of first MUOS satellite

  18th July 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced it has completed on-orbit testing of the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, designated MUOS-1, paving the way for the …

• Military Logistics

  US official outlines Afghan drawdown challenges

  18th July 2012

  The military withdrawal from Afghanistan will be a much greater challenge than the Iraq drawdown, according to a key US official. Frank Kendall, the US …

• Land Warfare

  First APMI round fired from Stryker

  17th July 2012

  The first Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative (APMI) round fired from a Stryker vehicle in Afghanistan accomplished a direct hit on a target with the first …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus Military receives civil certification for the C295

  17th July 2012

  Airbus Military has obtained civil certification for its C295 transport aircraft. The company says the responds to the 'evolving requirements' of agencies and operators conducting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rheinmetall Airborne Systems receives German UAV contract extension

  16th July 2012

  Rheinmetall Airborne Systems, a joint venture between Cassidian and Rheinmetall, will continue to support the German Armed Forces in Afghanistan by providing unmanned airborne reconnaissance …

• Digital Battlespace

  CMD3D enters French service

  16th July 2012

  ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) has announced that its CMD3D (air defense management centre in 3D) system has entered service with the French forces. The system provides France …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finmeccanica completes proof of concept testing for NCIRC FOC

  16th July 2012

  The Finmeccanica Cyber Solutions team has completed the testing phase of the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability (NCIRC) - Full Operating Capability (FOC) requirement’s proof …

• Military Logistics

  TechNet South 2012: Panel calls for increased industry involvement in reconstruction

  13th July 2012

  This week’s TechNet Land Forces – South gathering included calls for an increased emphasis on the reconstruction phase of military operations. The appeal for increased …

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 ...