• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to extend BACN connectivity

  27th September 2012

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract modification by the US Air Force (USAF) to add beyond-line-of-sight command and control (BLOS C2) capabilities to the …

• Land Warfare

  Modern Day Marine 2012: HDT unveils Storm SRTV

  25th September 2012

  HDT Global used this year's Modern Day Marine exhibition to publicly display its Storm SRTV tactical all terrain vehicle for the first time. Developed with …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF stands up new cyber ops group

  20th September 2012

  As the US Air Force (USAF) sharpens its focus on the cyber mission, the 10th Air Force is opening a new cyber operations unit to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF looks at Sniper as a comms relay

  19th September 2012

  The US Air Force (USAF) is introducing a software upgrade that will enable the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) to become a communications relay for …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF reveals Space Fence thinking

  18th September 2012

  As it nears a down-select on the Space Fence space surveillance system, the US Air Force has outlined the expected makeup of the system. Speaking …

• Digital Battlespace

  Key milestone reached for AOC Weapon System programme

  18th September 2012

  The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) Air Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System modernisation programme has reached a significant milestone following the successful completion of an integrated …

• Military Logistics

  DynCorp to support J-85 aircraft under new contract

  18th September 2012

  DynCorp International (DI) has announced that it has been awarded a contract with the US Air Force (USAF) Air Education and Training Command (AETC) to …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFA 2012: USAF lays out ISR future

  17th September 2012

  The US Air Force's (USAF's) deputy chief of staff for ISR, Lt Gen Larry James, gave delegates at the Air Force Association's Air & Space …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing awarded USAF F-15 radar contract

  31st August 2012

  Boeing has announced that it received a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract for continued support of US Air Force (USAF) F-15 mechanically scanned and Active Electronically …

• Military Logistics

  USAF receives new C-130J Super Hercules

  30th August 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that it has delivered a C-130J Super Hercules to the US Air Force (USAF) Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The company …

• Defence Helicopter

  First NH90 arrives in Afghanistan

  24th August 2012

  The first NH90 to be deployed to Afghanistan has arrived in theatre. The Italian Army aircraft was flown into Herat in the west of Afghanistan …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DCS awarded Global Hawk services task order

  22nd August 2012

  DCS Corp has announced that it has been awarded a task order to provide advisory and assistance services for Global Hawk International Programmes. The task …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris announces USAF Falcon III radio order

  22nd August 2012

  Harris Corporation has announced that it has received an order from the US Air Force (USAF) for the Falcon III multiband, multi-mission handheld radio. The …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham to supply OBIGGS equipment for KC-46 tanker

  3rd August 2012

  Cobham has announced that it has been selected by Boeing to provide On-Board Inert Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) equipment for use on the US Air …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin and ARINC submit D-RAPCON bid

  31st July 2012

  An industry team consisting of Lockheed Martin and Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC) has submitted its proposal for a new, transportable air traffic control (ATC) radar …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  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 (1-2) [USA]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

• 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 ...

• 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-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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight's Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics (GA-ASI).  Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• 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 ...