Digital Battlespace

BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme

3rd October 2024

DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.

Land Warfare

Tata to build IFVs in North Africa

3rd October 2024

The Wheeled Amphibious Armoured Platform (WhAP) was designed to meet an Indian Army requirement. Only six have been ordered by India and it is likely the US Stryker may be purchased instead.

Land Warfare

‘A true force multiplier’ – where AI can make the most impact in defence

3rd October 2024

In Conversation... ST Engineering’s Ravinder Singh talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how AI can enhance human performance, the best ways to build trust in the technology among defence customers, and the areas where AI can transform military operations

Naval Warfare

Italian Navy receives first full capability multipurpose combat ship

3rd October 2024

The Pattugliatori Polivalenti d'Altura (PPA or multipurpose combat ship) Thaon di Revel Class class consists of seven multi-role offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Italian Navy. Giovanni delle Bande Nere is the fourth of class.

Air Warfare

Raytheon to develop Next-Gen Jammer upgrade for US navy under $192million deal

2nd October 2024

The development of the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band system and its expansion upgrade will be a joint effort between the Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy to meet emerging electronic warfare threats.

Training

Florida firm wins Bell 412 maintenance training contract in El Salvador

2nd October 2024

The deal, ECS’s 12th contract under the Enterprise Training Services Contract (ETSC) programme, will run from late-August 2024 to late-August 2025.

Training

Hadean completes live-virtual training capability for British Army

1st October 2024

Populating the World of Training is a project run by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and has been designed to bridge the real and synthetic worlds to provide more enhanced training for UK Armed Forces using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Air Warfare

Pratt & Whitney granted $1.3 billion for F135 core upgrade

1st October 2024

The contract award followed on from the preliminary design review of the F135 Engine Core Upgrade in July 2024. Work on the upgrade will be expected to be completed by March 2028.

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.

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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 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

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 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Land: tactical engagement simulators

UOTS

The Urban Operations Training System (UOTS) prepares warfighters to engage in urban environments. UOTS is intended to develop intuitive decision-making skills. Supporting Mission Command, UOTS ...