• Land Warfare

  Updated: Formal negotiations start on supply of Australian-built Boxers to Germany

  6th April 2023

  Production of Australian-assembled Boxer 8x8 vehicles has commenced in Queensland, and talks have begun over exporting some back to Germany.

• Air Warfare

  The 5 most significant air stories of 2022

  30th December 2022

  Several key developments emerged in the air domain in 2022, with major announcement coming toward the end of the year - we collected the five most significant ones.

• Naval Warfare

  Cairo adds more American ships to its fleet

  27th March 2023

  The Egyptian Navy recently has taken delivery of three former USN Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy contracts BAE for next-generation aircraft survivability system

  16th December 2022

  BAE's Smart D2 technology supports the USN's conversion from round to square countermeasures.

• Air Warfare

  Thai navy receives back its first modernised Do 228

  6th March 2023

  Thailand is currently upgrading four Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft, and the first has just returned home.

• Training

  Textron to develop new US Navy training aircraft

  1st February 2023

  The new T-54A Multi-Engine Training System turboprops will replace the ageing fleet of T-44 Pegasus (King Air 90) aircraft and provide students with advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training.

• Training

  Draken Europe flies first red air training sortie against Royal Air Force

  21st December 2022

  Draken Europe has conducted the first red air aggressor training sortie with its L-159E honey badger against a Royal Air Force asset.

• Training

  Poland receives last batch of M-346 trainer jets

  20th December 2022

  The country now has a fleet of 16 M-346 advanced jet trainers that are replacing the Polish Air Force's ageing TS-11 Iskra training aircraft.

• Training

  Aeralis and AirTanker partner to explore fast jet pilot training

  31st January 2023

  The MoU signed between Aeralis and AirTanker will assess upcoming contracts in military flying training and also defence operational training and combat air support roles.

• Air Warfare

  Hensoldt develops demonstrator SIGINT pod for Eurodrone

  23rd January 2023

  The company has already demonstrated its C-ESM capabilities in ground and flight tests.

• Land Warfare

  UK upgrades ground refuelling tankers for military aircraft

  10th February 2023

  The LCAR refuelling tankers used by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army Air Corps are being upgraded with new components, allowing a service life extension of 15 years.

• Air Warfare

  Elbit to support anti-missile systems for NATO A330 tanker fleet

  24th January 2023

  The NATO Support and Procurement Agency centre in Luxembourg will support the direct infrared countermeasures system fitted to the Multi-Role Tanker Transport Capability fleet.

• Air Warfare

  Italian Air Force's C-27J Spartan fleet to receive upgrade

  7th March 2023

  Leonardo will upgrade the Italian Air Force's C-27J Spartan fleet with a new avionics configuration, including mission computers, flight management and self-protection systems.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing joins Airbus team in bid for UK New Medium Helicopter

  6th March 2023

  Boeing has teamed up with the Airbus-led H175M Task Force in the $1.15bn New Medium Helicopter programme bid to replace the UK armed forces' ageing Puma fleet from 2025.

• Land Warfare

  Thailand’s first LG1 towed howitzers touch down

  7th February 2023

  The first of Thailand's new 105mm field guns have arrived home, while the country's Defense Technology Institute (DTI) pursues other indigenous programmes such as combat reconnaissance vehicles and an MRAP.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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-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 ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 [USAF]

  Programme Background On 8 August 2023, Teal Drones announced it had received a $2.6 million deal for 172 Teal 2 UAVs, spare parts and training from ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  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, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Other bidders included Sikorsky with HH-60U offer and Sierra Nevada with upgrading offer of UH-60As to UH-60L configuration.In February 2018, Leonardo filed a protest to ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The baseline requirements for Increment 2 of the CCA effort are similar to Increment 1, which is covered in a separate entry on Defence ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15QA Qatar

  Programme BackgroundOn 17 November 2016, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS of 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for an ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Data links

  Data links | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | P-1 EW [Japan]

  Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: maintenance simulators

  F-22 Training Devices

  TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...

• EW Training Support System (Battlelab)

  EW Training Support System is a Training & Simulation Center a leading-edge training facility dedicated to teaching and training personnel in the Electronic Warfare field. ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-1 Jayhawk

  FlightSafety operates and maintains T-1 training devices as part of its CLS contract. Air Education and Training Command uses these high-fidelity simulators and part-task trainers ...

• Training Services

  GFD (Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung) is an Airbus subsidiary providing target demonstration, live EW training, forward air controller training, test and evaluation flights. GFD trains German ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• 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. ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-130H Compass Call

  The EC-130H is an EW aircraft based on the modified C-130H transport aircraft. It is used by the USAF to disrupt enemy command and control communications ...

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• Trainer

  T-38 Talon

  Developed by Northrop Grumman, the T-38 Talon is an advanced trainer aircraft introduced into service in 1961. The T-38 has the same basic airframe as ...

• EW test systems

  ELT A62

  ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  T-38C Talon

  FlightSafety supports nearly 40 T-38 training devices as part of its contract for logistics support for the T-38. The T-38C is a converted T-38A/B that ...

• Subsystems: software, Subsystems: visual

  SimuSphere HD

  SimuSphere HD immerses fast jet pilots in a virtual training environment claimed to be equivalent to real-world flying missions. As part of L3Harris Technologies' HD ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  JPRWRS

  The Joint Portable Radar Warning Receiver Stimulator (JPRWRS) has been developed as a method of providing fixed- and rotary-wing aircrews with a low-cost, open-air threat ...