• Defence Notes

  Singapore Airshow 2018: F-35B makes it debut (video)

  29th January 2018

  The USMC first entered the Asia Pacific region with its F-35B 12 months ago when the next generation fighter arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: US and China must work out AI arms controls

  28th February 2018

  Americans have a saying about God and guns, and it goes something like this: ‘God made man, but Winchester made them equal’. In the future, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lithuanians seek Hip replacement

  5th February 2018

  The commander of Lithuania’s Šiauliai Air Base, Lt Colonel Antanas Matutis, has outlined the Lithuanian Air Force’s (LAF) plans to introduce a new utility helicopter …

• Land Warfare

  Canadian battalions prepare to field new soldier system

  14th March 2018

  The first Argus kits, the chosen system for the Canadian Army’s Integrated Soldier System Programme, are scheduled to be deployed with battalions by June 2018. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DroneShield to supply DroneGun to QPS

  5th March 2018

  DroneShield will provide multiple units of its DroneGun system to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to be used during the XXI Commonwealth Games in Queensland …

• Digital Battlespace

  China tests ground-based missile defence system

  6th February 2018

  China said on 6 February that it successfully conducted a test of a ground-based missile defence system amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Concern …

• Military Logistics

  Hensoldt launches new ATC radar

  8th March 2018

  Hensoldt has launched a new air traffic control (ATC) radar called the ASR-NG Deployable, the company announced on 5 March. The rapidly deployable ATC radar …

• Naval Warfare

  Italian Navy readies for next-generation vessels

  1st March 2018

  Leonardo is set to supply parts of its combat suite offering to the Italian Navy (IN), as the service prepares to accept new vessels under …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo’s AWHERO moves towards certification

  1st March 2018

  Leonardo’s AWHERO remotely piloted helicopter is progressing towards certification in 2019, the company announced on 25 February. Leonardo is assembling two new prototypes at its …

• Training

  Ethiopian Air Force opens L-39 sim centre

  9th March 2018

  Considered by many as one of the best trained and equipped air forces in Africa, the Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) has just opened a new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  B200 upgrades cease as Heron TP capabilities grow

  28th February 2018

  No future upgrades are planned for the B200 reconnaissance aircraft currently operated by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), following a decision to transfer its expected …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia awards MCM USV contract

  2nd March 2018

  Steber International, an Australian manufacturer of fibreglass boats, won a contract worth more than A$6 million ($4.7 million) late last year to build five USVs …

• Training

  DSET 2018: Canadian success for C4i

  8th March 2018

  The Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre (CFMWC) has selected C4i Training’s MILSIM constructive training system as part of the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Modelling and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Honeywell introduces RECON HUMS

  1st March 2018

  Honeywell has introduced a new Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) technology, RECON, to help civil and defence helicopter operators ensure aircraft availability while increasing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA Group unveils A18-M AUV for MCM

  2nd March 2018

  ECA Group has introduced a new mid-size autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), A18-M, for mine counter measure (MCM) operations, the company announced on 26 February. The …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...