• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo set for BriteCloud 55-T tests despite COVID complications

  22nd May 2020

  Leonardo’s US electronics division plans to test the latest variant of its BriteCloud expendable active decoy (EAD), which is designed to equip large fixed-wing military …

• Air Warfare

  Four Russian strategic bombers fly near NATO airspace

  29th April 2020

  The Russian MoD reported on 29 April that two Tu-160 (NATO: Blackjack) strategic missile carriers completed a planned flight in airspace over the Baltic Sea. At …

• Training

  UK NAO highlights training shortfalls

  16th April 2020

  In March, the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) published its 'Defence Capabilities – Delivering What Was Promised' report. For the first time, the NAO concentrated on …

• Land Warfare

  Russia remains reliant on legacy armour amid delays to next-generation systems

  21st May 2020

  Five years after the spectacular public debut of new-generation platforms such as Armata, Kurganets, Bumerang and Koalitsiya-SV at the lavish annual Victory Day parade in …

• Air Warfare

  US orders 78 new F-35 combat aircraft

  1st April 2020

  USN Naval Air Systems Command has placed an order worth $4.7 billion for 78 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from Lockheed Martin. The fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price …

• Training

  NATO holds live-fire air policing drills over Baltic Sea

  27th April 2020

  NATO has held its Exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-1 air policing drill to train air crews in procedures and coordination between partner air forces. Belgian and …

• Air Warfare

  Belgium to be integrated into F-35 Lightning II enterprise

  1st April 2020

  The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a $22.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to integrate Belgium into the F-35 Lightning II enterprise. It …

• Air Warfare

  Taiwan sets sights on four Reapers

  18th May 2020

  The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) in Taiwan is going to order four US-made MQ-9 Reapers in FY2021, a purchase that will cost about …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing switches UK Wedgetail conversion contractor

  20th May 2020

  Boeing has dropped engineering supplier Marshall Aerospace and Defence as its preferred E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C;) conversion contractor and selected STS …

• Defence Notes

  Airbus predicts ‘lasting harm’ from German Tornado replacement acquisition

  23rd April 2020

  Airbus has revealed that a ‘regulated compromise’ will be required in order to prevent German domestic industry suffering ‘lasting harm’ if plans to buy US-made …

• Air Warfare

  Avarint offered DIADS engineering contract

  1st April 2020

  Avarint was awarded a $52.35 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursement, indefinite-quantity engineering service contract by the USAF Test Centre Specialised Contracting Branch. Under the agreement, Avarint will …

• Land Warfare

  Pantsir acquisition reflects broader trend for Serbian air defence

  13th May 2020

  The Serbian military recently unveiled Russian-made Pantsir-S1 (NATO: SA-22 "Greyhound") short-range SAM systems, the last of which arrived in the country in March.  The Pantsir-S1s …

• Air Warfare

  Azerbaijan shows interest in Russian combat aircraft

  21st April 2020

  A group of Azerbajani Air and Air Defence Force specialists visited industrial facilities in Russia earlier this month, according to a 7 April press release from …

• Air Warfare

  Russian A-50 Mainstay intercepted by NATO BAP patrol

  28th April 2020

  The Belgian Air Force on 27 April reported that it had intercepted a Russian A-50 (NATO: Mainstay) AWACS aircraft (pictured) over the coast of Estonia …

• Air Warfare

  Australian Rheinmetall facility to make US F-35 FAP munitions

  25th March 2020

  Australian JV Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions (RNM) will supply the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme with medium-calibre ammunition. Production of the 25mm Frangible Armoured Piercing …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Denmark

  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan

  In 2019, Japan requested to be an official partner in the F-35 programme, but this request was rejected by the Pentagon. The F-35 Joint Strike ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (61-75) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2009, the Italian MoD planned to purchase 131 F-35 aircraft, which was later reduced to 90. According to the MoD documentation, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (31-40) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2009, the Italian MoD planned to purchase 131 F-35 aircraft, which was later reduced to 90. According to the MoD documentation, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter (Turkey)

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant sums into ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Next-Generation Trainer Aircraft - UAE

  The UAE has a requirement for a next-generation fighter aircraft and possible platforms include F-35, F-16V, F/A-18, Rafale and Su-35. The UAE has historically sought ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-32) [Poland]

  Programme Background During 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan Follow On

  The F-35 full-rate production is expected to be further delayed following an October 2020 US DoD announcement that postponed the simulation tests, originally planned for 2017 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35B Follow-On UK

  The Royal Air Force is planning to acquire 90 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters from 2026, in addition to the 48 aircraft which London had ordered for delivery ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35B Follow-On UK

  The Royal Air Force is planning to acquire 90 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters from 2026, in addition to the 48 aircraft which London had ordered for delivery ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multirole version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F135

  The F135, designed and developed by Pratt & Whitney, is one of the most advanced fighter engines in the world that delivers more than 40,000lb ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-80

  The AN/APG-80 is an agile beam radar with an AESA antenna designed to continuously search for and track multiple targets within the forward hemisphere of ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Displays

  Panoramic Cockpit Display

  Developed by L3Harris and Elbit Systems America, the Panoramic Cockpit Display (PCD) is a touchscreen MFD integrated into F-35 aircraft. It provides two electronically divided ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F414-GE-400

  The F414-GE-400 is a turbofan engine manufactured by GE Aviation and has various advanced technology features such as a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-130J Super Hercules

  The KC-130J Super Hercules is a tanker variant of the C-130J Super Hercules. It is designed to deliver fuel to several platforms, including helicopters and ...

• Airborne rockets - guided

  GBU-53/B StormBreaker

  GBU-53/B StormBreaker is a precision-guided glide bomb developed by Raytheon to equip F-15, F/A-18 and F-35. It is also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II. The StormBreaker includes a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...