• Defence Notes

  FY2022 US budget highlights and UK innovation ecosystem (Podcast)

  4th June 2021

  Welcome to Episode 22 of the third series of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.

• Training

  British Army flags up S&T requirements

  9th June 2021

  The UK's Defence Equipment & Support organisation has highlighted nearly £140 million of planned investment in British Army training requirements.

• Naval Warfare

  Groundhog day for UK naval programmes as NAO criticism continues

  24th June 2021

  The latest annual report from the UK National Audit Office (NAO) attacked the MoD for repeated delays and cost slippages to major projects. However, it noted, the Type 26 frigate programme was a year ahead of schedule.

• Air Warfare

  Germany spends big on Poseidon but at what cost for MAWS?

  25th June 2021

  The funding of five P-8 Poseidon MPA will mean Germany retains critical capabilities once a fleet of P-3C Orions retire — but will the decision cause unrest with France?

• Defence Notes

  German Air Force awards support contract to Serco

  26th May 2021

  Serco has been awarded a contract to support the German Air Force Eurofighter programme.

• Defence Notes

  Marshall looks to bounce back from UK C-130 setback by focusing on international growth

  24th May 2021

  After learning that the UK will take its C-130J fleet out of service 12 years earlier than expected, MRO provider Marshall Aerospace expects to take advantage of international transport aircraft market demand.

• Land Warfare

  Ajax risk to British Army (Analysis)

  8th June 2021

  The leak of parts of a UK government Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) report on the British Army’s Ajax reconnaissance armoured vehicle programme has raised questions about the ability to deliver the family of platforms and what it means for the Army’s future force structure.

• Training

  New joint Hawk squadron heralds mutual benefits for Qatar and UK

  12th April 2021

  The new RAF/QEAF Hawk squadron is bringing major benefits to both parties but especially to the RAF.

• Defence Notes

  COVID-19 and lack of big-money deals hit French exports in 2020

  7th June 2021

  Official figures show that French defence equipment export orders took a big hit last year.

• Defence Notes

  UK Defence Secretary relaunches Fleet Solid Support ships competition

  21st May 2021

  Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has launched a competition to build three new Fleet Solid Support ships.

• Training

  USAF asks for more JTAC training support from L3Harris

  3rd June 2021

  L3Harris continues to procure, field and support upgradeable mission simulation systems that can be used to train Joint Terminal Control personnel in all services.

• Defence Notes

  Disruptive technology holds the key to multi-domain integration, says STRATCOM chief

  27th May 2021

  The UK must innovate and develop a ‘competitive edge’ with AI, quantum computing and other emerging technologies if it is to achieve effective multi-domain integration, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders told the RUSI Strategic Command Conference.

• Naval Warfare

  UK Carrier Strike Group: preparation, interoperability and maintenance (Video)

  17th May 2021

  Behind the maiden deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific are a multitude of efforts carried out by the RN, the MoD and industry to ensure the mission is executed with interoperability between vessels.

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon to meet UK cyber challenge

  17th May 2021

  As internet usage grows exponentially, the threat of cyber warfare activities from criminal organisations or state-supported organisations has increased as well. Raytheon is using is CICs to expand the depth and breadth of skills across industry and meet this challenge

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy names five new Inspiration-Class Type-31 warships

  20th May 2021

  First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin announces the names of five new Type-31 frigates.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Armed Micro Drone [UK]

  On 19 May 2023, the UK MoD published a request for information on armed micro UAV capabilities to help it better understand the marketplace, introduce possible ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Armed Micro Drone [UK]

  On 19 May 2023, the UK MoD published a request for information on armed micro UAV capabilities to help it better understand the marketplace, introduce possible ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | 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: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Quadome

  The Quadome is an AESA Naval Air and Surface surveillance Radar developed by Hensoldt UK. The radar will equip the future Fleet Solid Support ships ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Military UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Data links

  AN/URC-138

  The AN/URC-138 is a Link 16 interoperable terminal originally developed for the Sea Harrier. It has the same Link 16 crypto as JTIDS/MIDS. The system ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warthog

  The Warthog is based on the ST Kinetics Bronco all terrain tracked carrier (ATTC) and was developed to meet a UK MoD urgent operational requirement ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  GenSkill

  Pennant has developed, in consultation with the UK RAF, the GenSkill trainer to introduce students to the hand skills necessary to work on aircraft components. ...