Air Warfare

Boeing upgrades Australian P-8A Poseidon MPAs

15th April 2024

The upgrade contract could be extended beyond 2030 to cater for the additional two new P-8A Poseidons the Royal Australian Air Force was set to receive in the coming years.

Naval Warfare

Royal Navy to receive DragonFire laser system

12th April 2024

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) made the decision to accelerate the laser programme from the demonstrational stage to an operational laser weapon.

Training

First ARTEMIS F-5 arrives in US for training programme

12th April 2024

The Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (ARTEMIS) programme has involved upgraded cockpit, avionics and supporting aircraft architecture. A total of 22 additional F-5s were procured from Switzerland to support ARTEMIS.

Land Warfare

Rheinmetall wins $145 million contract for subsystems to replace howitzers sent to Ukraine

2nd April 2024

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) was developed in the mid-1980s to meet a German Army requirement to replace its M109 SPHs and 185 were delivered. Export orders from Greece (24), Italy (70, of which 68 were produced locally) and the Netherlands (57) increased production to more than 330 systems.

Naval Warfare

Brazil’s Navy launches third Riachuelo attack submarine

28th March 2024

The ceremony was attended by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Land Warfare

Hero-120 loitering munitions to be made in US

27th March 2024

Hero-120, a loitering munition system fitted with a 4.5kg warhead, has been designed to carry out strikes against mid-range targets. In June 2021, the US Marine Corps announced the Hero-120 had been selected for its Organic Precision Fire Mounted (OPF-M) programme.

Air Warfare

Boeing starts construction on first final assembly facility outside North America

27th March 2024

The site will manufacture the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the first combat aircraft manufactured, engineered and designed in Australia in more than 50 years.

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

Frigates

Frégate Européen multi-missions (FREMM) - Aquitaine Class

Programme Background The FREMM class frigates are intended to be the main backbone of the French Naval force in various fields of warfare at sea. ...

Fighter - multirole

Global Combat Air Programme (Japan)

Programme Background The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued a RfI in August 2020 to support the F-X project. The document stipulated that applicants ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-9B (Tri-Service) [India]

Programme Background Inception & The Indian Navy In 2016, reports emerged suggesting India was looking to acquire the MQ-9A Reaper. The two parties developed this requirement, and in ...

Tiltrotors

V-22 Osprey (USN)

Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

Tiltrotors

V-22 Osprey [Japan]

Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

Tanks

Harimau Medium Tank (Indonesia)

Programme Background According to plans outlined for Phase 3 of the Indonesian Army's modernisation programme, 106 Harimau will be procured between 2020 and 2024. This ...

Frigates

Future Frigates [Chile]

Programme Background Requirements The Chilean Navy currently operates eight second-hand frigates with a substantial history of procuring ex-Dutch and ex-Royal Navy second-hand vessels. This includes ...

Tanks

T-90S Licensed Production (Forecast) (India)

Reportedly, the extension of India's licence to produce the T-90S could allow for the production of an additional 460 T-90S for the Indian Army. Based ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

A400M [Belgium]

The Belgian A400M fleet will be operated from Melsbroek military airbase which is part of Brussels Airport. The 15th Air Transport Wing is building a new ...

Military helicopters - attack

AH-64E Apache-India-Army Forecast

The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches that Air Force procured by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede ...

Fighter - multirole

Global Combat Air Programme (UK)

Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

APCs/IFVs - tracked

AAV7A1 RAM/RS (Japan - 2nd Batch)

Programme Background The Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) has procured the AAV7A1 RAM/RS to equip its Amphibious Assault Brigade formed in 2018. Tasked with ...

Fighter - multirole

F-35A (Poland)

Programme BackgroundDuring MSPO 2021, Lockheed Martin announced details related to F-35A manufacturing for the Polish Air Force. According to J.R McDonald, Lockheed Martin’s VP, business development ...

Air: air combat simulators

Air Combat Training

Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

Data links

MDM-2X02N

The MDM-2X02N is a tactical data link modem that combines the functionalities of a Link 11 DTS and Link 22 signal processor controller (SPC) into ...

Data links

MLT 2920

The MLT 2920 Multi Link Terminal is a Link 11/22 compatible data link solution. Supplied by Elbit Systems Deutschland, it comprises one Link 11 modem ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Kaman-22

Unveiled in February 2021, the Kaman-22 is the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Forces (IRIAF) flagship UAV. With a payload capacity of 300kg and seven hardpoints, ...

Trainer

T-7A Red Hawk

Unveiled in 2016, the Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk is a twin-seat trainer aircraft powered by a General Electric F404 engine. The first mass-produced unit was revealed in ...

Transport

An-22

The largest transport aircraft of the time, the An-22 Antei (NATO reporting name Cock) is a heavy military transport aircraft developed by Antonov in the ...

Air: AEW/fire control radar

RP-22 Sapfir 21

The RP-22 Sapfir 21 is an upgraded Sapfir for late-1960s MiG-21 fighters. 

Anti-ship missiles

P-270 Moskit

The P-270 Moskit is a Soviet anti-ship missile designated as SS-N-22 (Sunburn) by NATO. It was not till after the end of the Cold War ...

Air: Integrated cockpit systems

Cobham Glass Cockpit

The glass cockpit developed by the British manufacturing company Cobham is a synthetic vision cockpit system currently onboard a few variants of the SH-53 Sea ...

Sea: naval fire control radar

Type 911

The Type 911 is a lightweight, I-bad fire control system developed by Marconi, which is now part of BAE Systems. These radars were originally developed ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MD-22

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the near-space hypersonic technology testbed MD-22 at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2022. Capable of speeds of Mach 7, the ...

Air: Integrated cockpit systems

CCD-226T

The CCD-226T avionics suite has been developed by Russian manufacturer Ulyanovsk Instrument Manufacturing Design Bureau (UKBP). The avionics suite forms an integral part of Russian-built ...

Land: Radio and SATCOM

Greenerwave LEO/GEO Terminal

Greenerweave's LEO/GEO Terminal is a Ku-band SATCOM solution which benefits from the manufacturer's proprietary technology to reduce manufacturing costs and power requirements. Unveiled in March ...

ISR/special mission

IL-22

The IL-22 Bison (NATO reporting name Coot-B), also known as IL-18D-36, is a special mission aircraft designed as an airborne command post for the Soviet Air Force.  ...

Air: AEW/fire control radar, Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance radar

Searchwater 2000

The Searchwater 2000 is an airborne early warning (AEW) radar. It was selected for the upgrade of the UK RN's AEW Sea King fleet to ...