• Digital Battlespace

  Ultra Electronics integrates USAF C4 network

  7th September 2011

  Ultra Electronics, DNE Technologies successfully integrated radar and secure voice radio traffic across a US Air Force tactical C4 network at a recent US Department …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF CV-22 to receive Elbit Systems' colour HMDs

  6th September 2011

  Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that its US subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC, has been awarded a contract to supply Boeing Military Aircraft with the …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics awarded $900m for joint USAF contract

  2nd September 2011

  General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a contract from the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) Joint Program Office at Hanscom …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris awarded $12m USAF IT Infrastructure contracts

  1st September 2011

  Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, was awarded four contracts worth a total of over $12 million by the US Air Force's …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems completes successful test of Mk 38 TLS

  31st August 2011

  BAE Systems, Boeing, and the US Navy recently conducted a successful test of the Mk 38 MOD 2 Tactical Laser System (TLS) concept at Eglin …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New aerostat to protect troops in Afghanistan

  29th August 2011

  Carolina Unmanned Vehicles, Inc. (CUV), Raleigh North Carolina, announces an order for a new version of their Lightweight Aerostat System (LAS). The new LAS, being …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin delivers USAF C-5M Super Galaxy

  25th August 2011

  Lockheed Martin completed delivery today of the third production C-5M Super Galaxy to the US Air Force. The sixth C-5M overall to be delivered to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Afghan Air Force continues Mi-17 maintenance training

  24th August 2011

  Defense Technology Inc. announced today that they completed teaching one year of Mi-17 intermediate level maintenance training for the Afghan Air Force. Over thirty Afghan …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed Martin to support USAF C-5 programme

  18th August 2011

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $5.8 million one-year contract from FlightSafety Services Corporation to manage C-5 aircrew training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Block 30 Global Hawks receive USAF IOC

  17th August 2011

  The US Air Force Air Combat Command has declared that the Northrop Grumman-built unmanned RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk has reached its initial operational capability …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI: PCAS reaches first design review

  15th August 2011

  DARPA’s Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme has completed its first Conceptual Design Review with mission systems integrator Raytheon describing aspirations for a ‘cross-service’ capability …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF releases HH-60 Recap RFI

  11th August 2011

  The US Air Force (USAF) has released a request for information (RFI) for its HH-60 Recapitalization (HH-60 Recap) programme, which aims to replace the force’s …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham wins USAF KC-46 tanker engineering subcontracts

  26th July 2011

  Cobham has been awarded two subcontracts by Boeing related to the hose and drogue aerial refuelling system that will be used by the US Air …

• Military Logistics

  Training set to start on USAF's new F-35s

  25th July 2011

  Following the recent arrival of the first AF-9 and AF-8 training aircraft to Eglin AFB, the USAF and Lockheed Martin are on target for flight …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF approves Northrop Grumman's TDC WDM

  25th July 2011

  The US Air Force has approved Northrop Grumman Corporation's Theater Deployable Communications (TDC) Wireless Distribution Module (WDM) for production. TDC WDM provides a line-of-sight extension …

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 ...