• Air Warfare

  RTX Raytheon wins billion-dollar contract for F-22 sensors

  2nd September 2024

  The details of the sensor upgrade have yet to be formalised but could involve infrared search and tracking.

• Air Warfare

  Bulgaria’s first F-16 Block 70 takes flight

  29th October 2024

  Bulgaria has ordered a total of 16 F-16 Block 70 fighters, which will be delivered in two batches. Deliveries for the first lot are anticipated to commence in 2025.

• Air Warfare

  Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems

  12th December 2024

  The deal announced on 11 December was an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract and the first task order of $116 million has already been awarded to provide terminals and spares, with follow-on production awards expected.

• Air Warfare

  Japan and South Korea upgrade F-15 fighters to keep them relevant

  24th December 2024

  Japan and South Korea plan major enhancements to their F-15 programmes.

• Air Warfare

  More AMRAAMs approved for Denmark under $744 million deal

  30th October 2024

  There has been a spike in demand for Raytheon’s Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), including a US$1.2 billion Pentagon order for 12 countries as well as US Navy and US Air Force. There have also been approvals this year for sales to Israel, Norway, Romania and Singapore.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force A-10s to exit South Korea in favour of fourth- and fifth-gen fighter jets

  20th November 2024

  The US Air Force will transition away from its ageing A-10 aircraft in 2025, in favour of updating and enhancing its F-16, and introducing F-15EX and F-35 Lightning II jets in the region.

• Air Warfare

  Why is there an “insatiable demand” worldwide for AMRAAM?

  23rd October 2024

  Recent contracts and requests to purchase this capability have been reaching multi-billion levels.

• Land Warfare

  Saab to supply Giraffe radars to US Air Force in Europe

  9th December 2024

  Saab began development of the radar in 2012. Production started in 2014 and Sweden ordered systems in 2020 for SEK2.1 billion as part of a five-year deal.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin bags $3.2 billion US Air Force contract for JASSM and LRASM

  1st October 2024

  Lockheed Martin will supply the missile systems to the militaries of Japan, Finland, Poland and the Netherlands, with work carried out at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Orlando until mid-2032.

• Air Warfare

  How Chinese advancements will impact the future development of the US Air Force fleet

  16th January 2025

  US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that China would continue to be a “problem” for the development of the service’s fleet over the coming decades.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force pushes NGAD decision to Trump administration

  6th December 2024

  NGAD has been on hold since mid-2024, while the branch reassessed the scope and cost of the programme.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris wins $1 billion communications system contract from US Navy

  27th November 2024

  The company will deliver its Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System Terminal (MIDS JTRS) to the US over the next five years.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed secures more than $12 billion in contracts for F-35 production and TR-3 upgrades

  9th January 2025

  The contracts include a $678.4-million contract for F-35 modification kits, along with an earlier December 2024 contract worth $11.7 billion for the production and delivery of 145 F-35 Lot 18 aircraft.

• Defence Notes

  Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard

  1st November 2024

  The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing wins $615 million USAF contract for F-15 electronic warfare system production

  8th January 2025

  Work on the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) kit production is expected to conclude by 2030. It will provide the USAF’s F-15E and F-15EX aircraft with the latest electronic warfare (EW) countermeasure system.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hawk Mk 165 Advanced Jet Trainer- Saudi Arabia

  The fleet will be used to train Saudi pilots before they transition to the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-15 in service with RSAF.  Under the Saudi-British Defence Cooperation Programme, ...

• 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

  Next Generation Fighter Aircraft (Vietnam)

  Programme Background Requirement The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) operates an ageing fleet of Su-22 aircraft as well as Su-27s and Su-30s. According to expert commentary, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 ...

• Frigates

  Type 054A/P (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Contracts Pakistan has ordered four frigates from China under the Type 054AP programme, which refers to the vessels being based on the Peoples ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  TAO Fleet Oiler [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The USN plans to replace 15 legacy T-AO 187-class navy fleet-replenishment oilers with 20 TAO-205, previously known as TAO(X)-class oilers, to provide ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Data links

  Data links | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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.

• Training Services

  Boeing’s training systems and services provide a full range of training activities, including mission planning systems; aircrew and maintenance training devices; training centres; and training ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-22A Raptor

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

• Air: air combat simulators

  Collective Training

  Boeing has delivered and operates three USAF F-15C Mission Training Centers (MTCs), three F-15E MTCs and three F-16 MTCs. The F-22 platform was added into ...

• Subsystems: hardware

  Flight Simulation Products

  Bugeye Technologies (BT) manufactures simulated-grade flight grips, controls and avionic displays for fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned crafts. BT's full line of products includes replicated control ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  DACTS

  The DRS Air Combat Training System (DACTS) has been delivered to military customers worldwide. Customised versions have supported coalition training for the US government and ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-77

  The AN/APG-77 is a low-probability-of-intercept fire control radar for the F-22 Raptor. It is designed to significantly improve capability in air-to-air combat, allowing the pilot ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  IRCM Flares

  Kilgore develops and manufactures a range of airborne IR decoy flares. These are compatible with most available dispenser systems. Standard flare products manufactured include: MJU-7A/B, ...

• 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 ...

• EW test systems

  CRIIS

  The Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS) provides time, space and position information (TSPI) as well as systems evaluation data to support testing for a ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-83 SABR

  The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar being developed by Northrop Grumman using its own ...

• Data links

  Multifunction Advanced Data Link

  Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) is a Ku-band data link designed for fifth-generation aircraft. The directional, interflight system is integrated into all F-35 variants, allowing ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F100-PW-229

  The F100 family of engines, selected by 23 air forces globally, power all of the USAF's F-15 Eagles and a substantial proportion of the global ...

• Subsystems: visual

  SpectraView Front Projection Display System

  Designed to support a variety of training requirements, SpectraView systems provide cost-effective, scalable and flexible options for single, tandem and side-by-side seating configurations. Standard and ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  F-22 Training Devices

  TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...