Air Warfare

Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems

19th April 2024

Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.

Digital Battlespace

Jacobs wins MoD cyber-security support contract

19th April 2024

The deal with Jacobs will run until November 2027 and will see the company deliver a range of digital and IT specialist professional services to Defence Digital.

Land Warfare

Japan orders THeMIS UGVs

18th April 2024

Milrem’s Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, multimission, hybrid UGV. The current fifth-generation model incorporates knowledge gained during tests in the US, Europe and the Middle East, as well as during field-deployment in Mali in the French-led Operation Barkhane.

Land Warfare

NATO orders more 155mm ammunition

17th April 2024

The contract, in the triple-digit million euro range, includes high explosive extended range projectiles, modular charges, fuzes and primers.

Air Warfare

Lockheed beats out Northrop on $17 billion US missile contract

16th April 2024

The Next Generation Interceptor and accompanying radars will play a key role in protecting the US against long-range ballistic missile threats.

Land Warfare

US deploys Mid-Range Capability missile defence system to the Philippines

16th April 2024

Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile defence system has leveraged Lockheed Martin’s expertise with two in-service USN systems: the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) and the Aegis Weapon System.

Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

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 ...

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 ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

Programme 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 ...

Military UAS - tactical

Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) [USA]

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

APCs/IFVs - tracked

AMPV (USA)

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

APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

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 - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

Programme Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous ...

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 ...

Loitering munitions

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

Programme Background Contracted Units As covered in a separate programme entry, the US Army first procured AeroVironment's Switchblade 300 over a decade ago, beginning the service's ...

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 - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) (Tranche 2) / 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 - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Black Hornet 3 / Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) [USA]

Programme Background Requirement The Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) provides short-range day and night ISR to US Army units at the squad, platoon and other small ...

Loitering munitions

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

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

Loitering munitions

Loitering Munitions [Switzerland]

Programme Background Announcement In a February 2023 interview with Swiss news outlet CH-Media, Swiss army chief Thomas Süssli stated that the country was considering acquiring loitering ...

Military helicopters - multirole

Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

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 ...

Self-propelled guns

M109

The M109 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer was developed from 1952-61 to meet US Army requirements. The original M109, equipped with an M126 155mm/23cal cannon, entered ...

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 ...

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. 

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 ...

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.

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 ...

Infrastructure - bridges

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 ...

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). ...

Infrastructure - bridges

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 ...

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 ...