• Digital Battlespace

  Australia displays E-7A Wedgetail

  13th June 2016

  The Australian Air Task Group's (ATG) E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft was displayed at Australia’s main air operating base in the Middle …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rockwell delivers 1,400 RSRs to USAF

  7th June 2016

  Rockwell Collins has made delivery of 1,400 Remote Secure Receivers (RSR) under a follow-on order from the US Air Combat Command (ACC) and US Air …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46 schedule shifts right

  30th May 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) has moved the Milestone C formal production decision on the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus military aerial refuelling and transport aircraft programme …

• Training

  Textron wins JSECST, retrofit kit orders

  27th May 2016

  AAI Corporation, operating as Textron Systems Electronic Systems, has been awarded two delivery orders worth $11.5 million for Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Testers (JSECST) …

• Defence Notes

  SOFIC 2016: USAF wants laser gunships

  27th May 2016

  US Air Force Special Operations Command is looking for industry assistance in integrating lasers on AC-130 series gunships. Speaking at SOFIC in Tampa, Florida, Lt …

• Military Logistics

  Coulson to install RADS in C-130s

  24th May 2016

  Coulson Aviation has been awarded a US Air Force (USAF) contract to design, develop and install up to seven 3,500-gallon Retardant Aerial Delivery Systems (RADS) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Orbital bags proximity sensor order

  23rd May 2016

  Orbital ATK has been awarded a $16 million order for its DSU-33D/B proximity sensors, with deliveries to begin in mid-2016, it announced on 19 May. …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing to continue C-32A, C-40BC support

  19th May 2016

  Boeing has disclosed details of a seven-year, $319 million US Air Force (USAF) contract received in March to continue maintaining the USAF's C-40BC and C-32A …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin delivers C-130J aircraft to US

  13th May 2016

  Lockheed Martin has delivered two C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft to the US, the company announced on 12 May. An HC-130J long range surveillance/search and …

• Military Logistics

  USAF reserve starts KC-135 upgrade

  12th May 2016

  The 507th Air Refueling Wing of the US Air Force (USAF) will be the first to receive KC-135 Block 45 upgrade, it was announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris to upgrade US MRAP radios

  6th May 2016

  Harris Corporation has been awarded a $12 million order to upgrade the tactical radios used by the US Air Force (USAF) for multiband communications in …

• Military Logistics

  KC-135s support KC-46A testing missions

  5th May 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) KC-135 Stratotanker is supporting testing and evaluation missions of the new Boeing KC-46 Pegasus military aerial refuelling and transport aircraft. A KC-135 …

• Training

  ITEC 2016: USAF TPS upgrades to VR-Vantage

  4th May 2016

  Calspan has completed the upgrade to the US Air Force Test Pilot School’s (USAF TPS) Flight Sciences Simulator (FSS) with VT MÄK’s VR-Vantage IG image …

• Digital Battlespace

  All hail the immortal app?

  4th May 2016

  A Raytheon BBN Technologies-led team has been awarded a contract sponsored by the US Air Force (USAF) to develop methods to make mobile applications viable …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky details CRH progress

  4th May 2016

  Sikorsky has successfully executed the air vehicle preliminary design review (PDR) for the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, it announced on 2 May. The training …

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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...