• Defence Notes

  US F-35 fighters fly first ever combat mission

  28th September 2018

  American F-35 stealth fighters have been used in a combat operation for the first time, a defence official said, marking a major milestone for the …

• Defence Notes

  Harris, L3 merging to form a defence-technology giant

  15th October 2018

  Harris and L3 Technologies, two American companies specialising in military communications and technology, announced their merger on Sunday, giving birth to a giant in the …

• Defence Notes

  Two Koreas agree to remove some border guard posts

  26th October 2018

  The two Koreas on Friday agreed to each remove 11 guard posts along the heavily-fortified border next month with a goal to possibly remove all …

• Military Logistics

  AAR to support Ontic’s military MRO business

  22nd October 2018

  AAR has been appointed by Ontic as an authorised inventory management partner and exclusive distributor in support of its UK military maintenance, repair and overhaul …

• Defence Notes

  US withdrawal from INF upsets China

  30th October 2018

  Since the 1988 signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) between the Soviet Union and US, the Cold War agreement abolished all nuclear and conventional …

• Defence Notes

  China to do 'whatever it takes' to retain Taiwan

  25th October 2018

  China's defence minister warned Thursday that the military would do "whatever it takes" to stop any attempt to "split" Taiwan from the mainland, days after …

• Military Logistics

  Trident Juncture tests NATO’s logistics model

  30th October 2018

  NATO’s Trident Juncture 18 in Norway marks the first use of the alliance’s Joint Logistics Support Group (JLSG) in a live exercise, bringing a range …

• Defence Notes

  ADAS 2018: Philippine fighters enter the fray

  29th September 2018

  Saab attracted attention at ADAS 2018 with the display of a mock-up of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter, one that President Rodrigo Duterte examined in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Power of the purse equals power to platforms

  25th October 2018

  In September, the US Congress passed an $854 billion spending bill that has ramped up military funding and this is likely to increase the finances …

• Digital Battlespace

  AUSA 2018: New generation radio certified

  11th October 2018

  Rockwell Collins has received Type 1 certification from the US National Security Agency for the sixth generation of its ARC-210 RT-2036(C) networked communications airborne radio. …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK looks to US again as Wedgetail leads AWACS race

  3rd October 2018

  Recent speculation that the UK could procure the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft to replace its ageing E-3D Sentry’s looks to have been on the mark after it …

• Defence Notes

  Italy, Sweden, US bid to sell combat jets to Bulgaria

  2nd October 2018

  Italy, Sweden and the US have submitted bids to sell fighter jets to Bulgaria's ailing air force, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. …

• Military Logistics

  Meggitt wins US DLA spares award

  5th October 2018

  Meggitt has signed a five year, $323 million IDIQ agreement with the US Defence Logistics Agency to supply aircraft wheels, brakes and related spare parts, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo steps up Miysis DIRCM testing, eyes more exports

  15th October 2018

  Leonardo’s Miysis directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system has undergone testing by the UK Ministry of Defence in collaboration with Thales UK, demonstrating that a capability …

• Defence Notes

  Russia deploys most advanced air defences at army drills

  13th September 2018

  Russia showcased its most sophisticated air defence system on 12 September, using it to repel a mock attack from the sky as part of what …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Denmark

  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan

  In 2019, Japan requested to be an official partner in the F-35 programme, but this request was rejected by the Pentagon. The F-35 Joint Strike ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (61-75) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2009, the Italian MoD planned to purchase 131 F-35 aircraft, which was later reduced to 90. According to the MoD documentation, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (31-40) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2009, the Italian MoD planned to purchase 131 F-35 aircraft, which was later reduced to 90. According to the MoD documentation, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter (Turkey)

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant sums into ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-X III Phase II (F-35)

  South Korea is purchasing an additional 20 F-35 aircraft for about $3.3 billion under the second phase of F-X III programme, according to the Defense ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Next-Generation Trainer Aircraft - UAE

  The UAE has a requirement for a next-generation fighter aircraft and possible platforms include F-35, F-16V, F/A-18, Rafale and Su-35. The UAE has historically sought ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-32) [Poland]

  Programme Background During MSPO 2021, Lockheed Martin announced details related to F-35A manufacturing for the Polish Air Force. According to J.R McDonald, Lockheed Martin’s VP, business ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan Follow On

  The F-35 full-rate production is expected to be further delayed following an October 2020 US DoD announcement that postponed the simulation tests, originally planned for 2017 ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multirole version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F135

  The F135, designed and developed by Pratt & Whitney, is one of the most advanced fighter engines in the world that delivers more than 40,000lb ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-80

  The AN/APG-80 is an agile beam radar with an AESA antenna designed to continuously search for and track multiple targets within the forward hemisphere of ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Displays

  Panoramic Cockpit Display

  Developed by L3Harris and Elbit Systems America, the Panoramic Cockpit Display (PCD) is a touchscreen MFD integrated into F-35 aircraft. It provides two electronically divided ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F414-GE-400

  The F414-GE-400 is a turbofan engine manufactured by GE Aviation and has various advanced technology features such as a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-130J Super Hercules

  The KC-130J Super Hercules is a tanker variant of the C-130J Super Hercules. It is designed to deliver fuel to several platforms, including helicopters and ...

• Guided munitions

  GBU-53/B StormBreaker

  GBU-53/B StormBreaker is a precision-guided glide bomb developed by Raytheon to equip F-15, F/A-18 and F-35. It is also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II. The StormBreaker includes a ...

• Subsystems: hardware

  Flight Simulation Products

  Bugeye Technologies (BT) manufactures simulated-grade flight grips, controls and avionic displays for fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned crafts. BT's full line of products includes replicated control ...

• Data links

  Multifunction Advanced Data Link

  Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) is a Ku-band data link designed for fifth-generation aircraft. The directional, interflight system is integrated into all F-35 variants, allowing ...