• Defence Notes

  Korea decisions - shutting down the DPRK's business

  6th April 2017

  With North Korea responding to international sanctions against its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) development programme with smirks, the US administration has a myriad of …

• Defence Helicopter

  First AS565 MBe Panthers arrive in Indonesia

  29th March 2017

  Two base AS565 MBe Panther platforms have arrived in Indonesia for completion by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), Airbus Helicopters announced on 29 March. The Indonesian …

• Special Operations

  ​Gulf SOF operators refine tactics

  9th April 2017

  Special operations forces from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coalition continue to refine their approach to counter-terrorism (CT) and counter-insurgency (COIN) missions as part …

• Training

  Cubic to continue JRTC support

  20th March 2017

  Cubic Global Defense (CGD) has won a contract worth over $42 million from the US Army Contracting Command to support live, virtual and constructive (LVC) …

• Special Operations

  SOFINS: French Special Forces presents its riverine craft

  28th March 2017

  A key French Army Special Forces (SF) unit is showcasing its Riverine Combat Craft (EFC) at the Special Operations Forces International Seminar (SOFINS) currently taking …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  OceanServer Technology acquired by L3

  6th April 2017

  L3 Technologies has acquired OceanServer Technology, the company announced on 4 April. The business has been renamed as L3 OceanServer and will be integrated into …

• Naval Warfare

  SAS 2017: US Navy outlines fleet priorities

  4th April 2017

  Against ongoing uncertainties surrounding the next US defence budget, the US Navy (USN) has provided some 'ship math' on the current fleet size and priorities …

• Naval Warfare

  Boeing wins P-8A Poseidon aircraft order

  4th April 2017

  Boeing has been awarded a $2.2 billion contract to produce at least 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lockheed, USAF demo manned/unmanned teaming

  12th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), US Air Force (USAF) Test Pilot School and Calspan Corporation have carried out a successful …

• Military Logistics

  US to extend K-BOSSS contract

  21st March 2017

  The US government has published a notice of intent to award a modification contract to extend the existing Kuwait Base Operation and Security Support Services …

• Digital Battlespace

  SRC to continue Sensor Beam programme work

  5th April 2017

  SRC will continue development work on the US Air Force's Sensor Beam programme, the company announced on 4 April. The $95.7 million contract was awarded …

• Defence Helicopter

  German Tigers ready to pounce in Mali

  28th March 2017

  The first of two German Army Tiger attack helicopters assigned to the United Nations-led mission in Mali have arrived in-country and have begun flying.Part of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Exocetus eyes new markets after acquisition

  7th April 2017

  Following on from the acquisition of the rights to the Coastal Glider AUV, officials at Exocetus Autonomous Systems are looking to expand usage in the …

• Military Logistics

  Army teams upgrade US SATCOM

  22nd March 2017

  Tobyhanna Army Depot is highlighting its ongoing efforts to move the military's worldwide communications closer to real time via installation of next-generation satellite communications terminals.As …

• Military Logistics

  SOFINS: ​Airbus DS details A400M milestones

  6th April 2017

  Airbus Defence and Space used the recent SOFINS exhibition to detail the latest achievements of its A400M aircraft and the fact the tactical transporter is …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  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, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...