• Digital Battlespace

  USAF orders advanced AESA radar for F-15EX

  10th June 2021

  AN/APG-82(V)1 just ordered by USAF is believed to be vastly more reliable than legacy radar on the F-15.

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin receives major SBIRS support contract

  8th June 2021

  SBIRS supports missile warning, missile defence, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence.

• Defence Notes

  FY2022 budget request delivers air power spending hit

  2nd June 2021

  Unsurprisingly, fifth-generation fighter funding dominates air power spending in the latest US defence budget request, but the retirement of over 200 US Air Force aircraft and a one-year delay to MH-139A helicopter plans are among the more eye catching subplots this time around.

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic provides interim BMS for Australian Army

  18th June 2021

  SitaWare HQ battle management system software from Danish company Systematic has been provided as an interim capability for the Australian Army. It replaces software provided earlier by Elbit Systems at the battle group level and below, under the Land 200 acquisition programme.

• Defence Notes

  Ukroboronprom’s new radar station has passed state tests

  10th June 2021

  Ukroboronprom’s new 80K6KS1 radar station has successfully passed Ukrainian state tests.

• Digital Battlespace

  Dell picks up major DoD enterprise software deal

  7th June 2021

  DoD Enterprise Software Agreement provides licenses for military users to access Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

• Naval Warfare

  Improving seal reliability (sponsored)

  28th June 2021

  Since ship propulsion shifted from sails to propellers, preventing seawater from getting into the hull via the stern tube has been one of the most fundamental engineering challenges of designing and operating vessels. Without reliable sealing, even the simplest marine operation can become time consuming, costly and complex. Today there are new challenges to reliability, including greater forces at play and an environmental focus on preventing fluids from escaping the hull as well as getting in. But the stern tube seal remains a basic building block of safe and secure sailing.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing completes historic unmanned air-to-air refuelling test

  10th June 2021

  Boeing and the US Navy have demonstrated the first successful test of unmanned air-to-air refuelling.

• Digital Battlespace

  MDA unlocks key challenge to advanced ballistic missile tracking

  18th June 2021

  The US is progressing with its HBTSS project, having overcome an important obstacle.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army to receive more soldier-borne video terminals

  4th June 2021

  Textron receives a contract to continue providing OSRVT and SPOT video terminal units.

• Digital Battlespace

  DEWC Systems takes MOESS sensor development to next stage

  21st June 2021

  The MOESS programme intends to deploy a sovereign Australian tactical electromagnetic sensor capability, installed on a constellation of CubeSats. DEWC is developing a sensor that can conduct radar electronic support in defence-relevant radio frequency bands used by assets such as ships and aircraft.

• Digital Battlespace

  Global 6000 to join BACN fleet

  3rd June 2021

  US airborne communications gateway capability will include the Bombardier Global 6000.

• Digital Battlespace

  Multi-beam antenna undergoes US trials

  3rd June 2021

  The US Army and USAF are exploring how optical beamforming antenna technology can be used to transmit data at high speed over commercial and military satellites.

• Land Warfare

  US Army stabilises in FY2022 budget

  3rd June 2021

  Modernisation of the US Army is taking place on a static budget, so it is slowing down procurement in some traditional areas to benefit its priority programmes for future systems and capabilities.

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF and industry research cognitive algorithms for contested environments

  4th June 2021

  The CASCADE initiative seeks to create ‘unique and innovative techniques and algorithms’ for USAF ISR platforms.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [USA]

  Background The UH-60M Black Hawk is a digitally networked platform with greater range and lift to support manoeuvre commanders through air assault, general support, command ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawks [Greece]

  Programme Background In October 2023, Greece submitted a formal request to acquire 49 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as replacements for the Army's Bell UH-1s after launching ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 [Japan]

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M (National Guard) [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Broader order The Saudi Arabian UH-60M order in 2017 was part of a broader contract with the US Army, which covered 257 total helicopters ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  UH-72B [US Army]

  Background UH-72A replacement The 2026 order comes as preparations are underway to remove 220 older UH-72A models from initial pilot entry training. The UH-72B is ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60A [Portugal]

  Programme Background At the end of February 2025, the Portuguese Minister of National Defence said that as part of the Portuguese Army's Support, Protection & ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412 Replacement (1-9) [Norway]

  Programme Background Although Norway has a long-stated ambition of reducing its helicopter fleet to a single type in order to reduce costs and simplify support ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Additional UH-60M Procurement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirement In November 2022, General Micael Byden of the Swedish Armed Forces announced that the country would replace its NH90 fleet. At the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Latvia]

  Programme Background In August 2018, the Latvian government approved the acquisition of four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The UH-60Ms are intended for both military and ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Mexico]

  Programme Background In April 2016, Mexico finalised an order for seven additional UH-60M platforms. At the time of procurement, the Mexican Air Force already had ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M [Jordan]

  Methodology PGO As this programme is complete, the PGO is 100%. Units required One UH-60M unit is required through this programme. Unit cost Using the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M [Australia]

  Programme Background Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said, 'The Black Hawk makes perfect sense, and they are much cheaper to fly than what the Taipans ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HM-3 Cougar & HM-2 Black Hawk (Replacement) [Brazil]

  Programme Background As reported by Janes in August 2023, Army Commander General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva stated on 20 July that the Army was aiming ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60L/M Black Hawk

  The Sikorsky UH-60/S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter that entered US Army service in 1979 as the UH-60A Black Hawk. It was succeeded in 1987 by ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Argus Digital Modems

  Commtact’s line of digital transmitters is designed for UAV applications. Using the technology of its Argus family of digital modems the company can tailor wireless ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)

  The UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) was created as a result of cooperation between Leonardo Helicopters, the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness, and the Italian ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i Black Hawk

  The S-70i is an international variant of Sikorsky's UH-60/S-70. It is produced by Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland and by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The aircraft’s ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 212/UH-1N Twin Huey

  The UH-1N Twin Huey is a twin-engine, medium utility helicopter developed in 1968-69 from the single-engine Bell 205/UH-1H by Bell and Pratt & Whitney Canada. ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

  Northrop Grumman produces a family of avionics for Bell H-1-series helicopters.

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  IDM

  The Improved Data Modem (IDM) is described as a flight-proven, off-the-shelf system that provides an open-architecture, multipath approach to situation awareness in the cockpit. The ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom

  Originally planned as a UH-1N Twin Huey upgrade for the USMC, all but the first ten UH-1Ys now use new-build airframes. This new build prevents ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS)

  Developed by Collins Aerospace, the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) is based on the Flight2 open system architecture design and includes an advanced hardware, software ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 205/UH-1 Iroquois

  The Bell 205/UH-1 Iroquois is a single-engine, medium utility helicopter developed from the Bell 204/UH-1 for the US Army. The platform first flew in August ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  UH-2

  The UH-2 (formerly known as UH-X) is a utility helicopter developed by Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) in cooperation with Bell to meet the Japan Ground ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60J/JA

  The UH-60J is a license-built version of Sikorsky's S-70, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan for transport and search and rescue missions. 

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Helicopter Mission Systems

  Elbit Systems' helicopter modernisation activities are focused on upgrading existing utility and attack platforms, supplying systems for latest-generation aircraft, converting utility and assault helicopters into ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Flight2

  The Flight2 integrated flight and mission management system provides increased situation awareness that enables reduced pilot workload, while enhancing flight safety and improving mission effectiveness. ...