• Training

  NMESIS hits the target during exercise

  20th August 2021

  NMESIS will provide the Marine Littoral Regiment with a ground-based anti-ship capability.

• Air Warfare

  USAF engine programmes tell a contrasting story

  27th September 2021

  A winning bidder has been chosen to implement the B-52H Commercial Engine Replacement Program — but a plan to re-engine the F-35A has encountered technical and affordability issues.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems and partners complete overseas support of CSG21

  29th September 2021

  BAE Systems claims success in leading delivery of complex logistics support to Carrier Strike Group 21 on its maiden operational deployment.

• Air Warfare

  Collins gains U-2 sustainment contracts

  8th September 2021

  Collins Aerospace has received three contracts from the USAF to support the U-2 fleet.

• Training

  GAO hammers US Army/Marines driver training

  27th July 2021

  A US Government Accountability Office report highlights a number of shortfalls in how the US Army and US Marine Corps conducts driver training.

• Naval Warfare

  US waits a while longer to lay down the LAW

  30th July 2021

  The USMC and USN are undecided on further armament options for the Light Amphibious Warship, as the programme remains at the concept design stage.

• Land Warfare

  Russia tests new materiel at Zapad 2021 exercise

  17th September 2021

  Unmanned systems such as UGVs, modernised IFVs with remote turrets, and a mine-laying system all appeared in a recent Russian exercise.

• Training

  USN and USMC hit the beach with new LCAC 100

  2nd September 2021

  With the US Navy/USMC SSC LCAC 100 platforms now entering service, a new training centre has been officially opened to train crews at Camp Pendleton.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2021: Arnold Defense notches next stage of Fletcher development

  24th September 2021

  Arnold Defense has announced the next stage of development for their Fletcher rocket launcher.

• Defence Notes

  Aeralis taps into mystery Middle Eastern wealth fund

  16th September 2021

  An initial £10.5 million is being invested from the Middle East in helping Aeralis to progress its eponymous modular aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Nexter ramps up vehicle production under Scorpion programme

  6th October 2021

  Nexter expects to deliver an initial 20 Jaguar EBRC 6x6 vehicles to the French Army this year, followed by the first Serval VBMR multirole 4x4s in 2022.

• Training

  DSEI 2021: 4GD to hone UK urban fighting skills

  16th September 2021

  4GD is delivering Level 2 SmartFacility combat training environments under the Urban Fighting Skills House framework.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2021: CTAI 40mm deliveries ramp up

  14th September 2021

  40mm Case Telescoped Armament System finds uses on land and at sea.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2021: Tekever and Aerovel announce collaboration

  15th September 2021

  Aerovel’s Flexrotor will be incorporated into Tekever’s line of UAS as part of a new collaboration agreement.

• Training

  DSEI 2021: Improbable shines light on the military’s future

  16th September 2021

  Improbable Defence is highlighting its work on the UK's Single Synthetic Environment that will prove to be a game-changer for defence.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  ARV (USMC)

  Programme Background The ARV constitutes one component of a wider USMC effort to develop an interconnected network of manned and unmanned platforms more suited to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV (US - USMC)

  Programme Background The Armored Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme is intended to provide a replacement for the USMC's fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7 (AAV7) tracked ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53K - US Navy

  Programme Background The Marine Corps is replacing its aging CH-53E helicopters with the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Designed as an evolution of the CH-53E, the CH-53K ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Belgium Jaguar Medium Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Belgium Griffon Light Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Light (OPF-L) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. In May 2022, an annual ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B Follow-On UK

  Programme Background  The forthcoming UK Integrated Foreign Policy and Defence Review will shed further light on whether changes to the UK F-35B programme are to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• EO/IR systems

  ATARS

  Operational on USMC F/A-18s, the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) provides high-resolution imagery for real/near-real time reconnaissance and can perform strike and bomb damage ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV

  BAE Systems teamed with Iveco Defence to offer a version of Iveco Defence Vehicle's Superav for the USMC's Armored Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  JAB

  The US Army is leading the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) project to replace legacy M60A1-based bridge launchers in service with itself and USMC with an M1-based ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Jaguar EBRC

  The Jaguar Armored Reconnaissance and Combat Vehicle (EBRC) is a 6x6 armoured reconnaissance vehicle manufactured by a consortium formed of Nexter Systems, Arquus (formerly Renault Trucks Defense) and ...

• Military UGVs

  XM1216 SUGV

  The XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) is a tactical system that can enter and secure areas that are either inaccessible or too dangerous for ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Flyer 60 ALSV

  General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), in partnership with Flyer Defense, developed the Flyer 60 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle (ALSV) in parallel with the ...

• 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 ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Commando Elite

  The 4x4 Commando Elite is an improved derivative of Textron's M1117 Armored Security Vehicle which offers improved mobility, lethality and survivability. The Canadian Army chose ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Type 82

  The Type 82 command and communications vehicle was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to perform specialised roles for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) such ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  LTMPAV Dino 519

  The LTMPAV Dino 519 is an armored vesion of Concept's Dino 319.

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cottonmouth

  The Cottonmouth is a purpose-built 6x6 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle designed by Textron Systems to meet the requirements of the USMC's Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) programme. It ...

• Land: RWS

  LW30/RS6

  The LW30 (since rebranded RS6) is part of the Protector RWS family developed by Kongsberg. Designed to carry a heavier armament than earlier Protector systems, ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  SMAW Mod 0

  Developed to meet the requirements of the USMC, the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW), introduced in 1984, is a development of the IMI B-300. Its ...

• Land: manned turrets

  GD30

  General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has developed a two-person turret designed to accommodate the Northrop Grumman Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon. Called the GD30, little ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1W SuperCobra

  Bell’s AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter was developed from the AH-1T for the USMC. It has been in service since 1986 to the present day, first ...