Digital Battlespace

Northrop Grumman wins USAF C2 contract

14th March 2012

Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been selected by the US Air Force (USAF) for the Air and Space Operations Centre (AOC) Weapon System …

Military Logistics

UK requests new C-17A Globemaster engines

8th March 2012

The UK has requested 20 F-117-PW-100 engines from the US government as part of the United States Air Force (USAF)/Boeing Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership programme …

Military Logistics

C-130 fuel saving test flights to begin

7th March 2012

Rolls-Royce has announced that it will soon commence flight tests of an engine upgrade for the T56 turboprop engine for the C-130H transport aircraft, with …

Digital Battlespace

General Dynamics to continue USAF cyber defence work

6th March 2012

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has announced that it has been awarded a contract to continue its cyber network defence, operations and exploitation support of …

Digital Battlespace

Raytheon's MMPU terminal receives production award

29th February 2012

Raytheon has announced that the Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network Program Upgrade (MMPU) Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) terminal being developed for the US …

Uncrewed Vehicles

AeroVironment awarded USAF Switchblade order

17th February 2012

AeroVironment has announced that it has received an order from the United States Air Force (USAF) for Switchblade loitering munition systems and services.  The company …

Defence Notes

USAF selects Cubic P5CTS/TCTS

3rd February 2012

Cubic has been awarded a new contract for its P5 Combat Training System/Tactical Combat Training System (P5CTS/TCTS) by the US Air Force Range Instrumentation Systems …

Uncrewed Vehicles

Pentagon cancels Global Hawk Block 30 programme

27th January 2012

The US Department of Defence (DOD) has announced that it is planning to cancel the Global Hawk 30 programme in favour of the Lockheed Martin …

Digital Battlespace

USAF exercises options for WGS satellites

19th January 2012

The US Air Force (USAF) has exercises its option for Boeing’s Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite contract, that will see the company produce satellites 8 …

Defence Helicopter

DRS ICAS to upgrade HH-60G Pave Hawk

17th January 2012

DRS has announced that its ICAS business unit has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force (USAF) for the Improved Altitude Hold and …

Digital Battlespace

Raytheon wins USAF field service support contract

12th January 2012

Raytheon has announced that it has been awarded a follow-on contract to provide the US Air Force (USAF) with Contractor Field Service (CFS) support for …

Military Logistics

First C-130 AMP aircraft delivered

6th January 2012

Boeing has announced that the first C-130 to receive the Warner Robins Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) upgrade has been delivered to Little Rock Air Force …

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

RQ-20B Puma (USAF)

Programme Background Requirement According to the AeroVironment Vice President and product line general manager, Trace Stevenson, the USAF Security Forces requires a small UAV to ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)

Programme Background Procurement & Inventory According to the USAF FY2019 Budget Estimate document, the USAF set aside funds to acquire 433 MQ-9 Reapers by the end of ...

APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Air Force)

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 of ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Japan]

Programme Background Vision The USAF envisages several UAVs working alongside a single-crewed aircraft, such as the future sixth-generation fighter or the F-35. Each uncrewed platform ...

AEW&C

E-7A Wedgetail (USA - Forecast)

Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

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 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USAF]

Programme Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

AEW&C

E-7A Wedgetail (USA)

Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

KC-46A (USA)

Programme Background The first four Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) KC-46A aircraft were delivered to McConnell AFB in Kansas in January 2019. As of December 2020, a ...

Fighter - multirole

F-15EX - USAF (Contracted)

Programme Background USAF is looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDTE configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. F-15EX will replace ageing ...

Fighter - multirole

F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

Programme Background The F-15EX will be based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability ...

Light attack, Trainer

T-X / T-7A Red Hawk [USAF]

Programme Background Goal The T-X programme aims to acquire a two-seat jet trainer aircraft to replace its Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon. The programme could be worth ...

ISR/special mission

EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

Programme Background The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin EC-130H ...

APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

JLTV Future Procurement (US Air Force)

Programme Background According to the FY2021 USAF budget request documents, the USAF procured 103 JLTVs in FY2019, 146 in FY2020 and 142 in FY2021. The ...

Fighter - multirole

F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

USAF has ordered 400 F-35 aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 240 out of 1377 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 48 per year ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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: 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 ...

Fighter - air superiority

F-22A Raptor

F-22A Raptor is a fifth-generation stealth air superiority fighter with limited air-to-ground attack capability. It was developed by Lockheed Martin to meet the requirement of the ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Air: AEW/fire control radar

AN/APG-83 SABR

The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is being developed as an upgrade option for the F-16. It is designed to replace the existing AN/APG-66 ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

KC-135 Stratotanker

The KC-135 entered service in 1957 with the USAF, which plans to keep the type flying beyond 2040 when it will be replaced by the ...

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. ...

Data links

MIDS JTRS

The ViaSat Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminal combines the network-centric communications capability with a real-time operating picture. The four-channel ...

Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Hexa

The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot ...

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 ...