• Air Warfare

  Wedgetail takes part in first USAF-RAAF operational integration exercise

  27th May 2022

  The USAF tested the operational integration capabilities of the RAAF's E-7A Wedgetail during the recent Black Flag 22-1 exercise.

• Training

  Affinity Capital Works demonstrates electric flight to UK MoD

  4th May 2022

  The Elbit Systems and KBR joint venture, Affinity Capital Works, has begun a series of zero-emission flight tests for the UK MoD.

• Air Warfare

  New UK strategic agreement focuses on next-generation airborne countermeasures

  9th May 2022

  The evolving threat posed by guided missiles has prompted the RAF and UK MoD to sign a strategic partnering agreement with Chemring Countermeasures UK.

• Defence Notes

  Something’s got to give (Opinion)

  6th July 2022

  UK defence policy lacks coherence as the gap between rhetoric and reality remains as wide as ever, while the government remains focused on self-preservation instead of giving clear direction.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems targets 2025 entry to service for all-electric T-650 UAV

  26th May 2022

  BAE Systems has laid out ambitious plans for the T-650 heavy lift UAV.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Ascent shakes up Shawbury and eyes overseas students

  27th April 2022

  Will the RAF follow the example of the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm by venturing into rotary-only training at Shawbury?

• Defence Notes

  UK lines up ECRS Mk2 flight test campaign for ‘back end’ of 2023

  27th May 2022

  Eurofighter Typhoon European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) flight tests are soon to go ahead, after years of research and development.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Winner will take all on British Army CTTP contract in 2025

  6th May 2022

  A major milestone has been achieved under the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) for the British Army. The winner of the single-sourced contract will be selected in 2025.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Draken Europe secures RAF aggressor programme

  26th April 2022

  The new Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service for the RAF will use L-159E aircraft from Draken Europe.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: No surprises as BISim wins DVS2

  27th April 2022

  The DVS2 contract win for BISim highlights that games technology has matured to the point where it has totally eclipsed proprietary image-generation systems as a source of visualisation.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: RN training lacks 'necessary level of complexity' but fosters lofty virtual ambitions

  27th April 2022

  Despite lagging behind the RAF in programme terms, the RN is aspiring to bolster the amount of synthetic collective training it delivers under FOST.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northwest UAV reveals its NW-44 engines featured in Skylark 3 Hybrid demonstration

  25th April 2022

  Elbit Systems demonstrated their new hybrid Skylark 3 featuring Northwest UAV’s NW-44 Multi-Fuel Engine.

• Training

  Aeralis supports digital backbone for future UK military aircraft

  11th April 2022

  In Phase 2 of a multiyear contract with the RAF, Aeralis will explore the potential of a new open mission system architecture.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK and US military researchers trial biofuelled UAV

  1st April 2022

  R&D work on synthetic fuel may help the RAF to achieve its ambitious objective of net-zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2040.

• Training

  Pitfalls remain with giving Ukraine modern fighter jets

  11th May 2022

  It seems appealing to fast-track pilot training by conducting most flights on simulators and omitting certain procedures if the West were to give more modern aircraft for Ukraine’s air force, but it might prove challenging in practice.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

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

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M (UK)

  RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 when ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9As in the RAF's inventory with the new, improved MQ-9Bs. With MQ-9B delivering a UK Sovereign capability for ...

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

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

  Background Project Mosquito & Cancellation Beginning in 2019, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Data links

  Data links | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

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

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• 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.

• Air: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  Engineering and Maintenance Training

  BAE Systems designs and delivers engineering and maintenance training, with the ability to provide a package to address the needs of all personnel ranging from ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  LANCA / Mosquito

  The Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) is a developmental 'Loyal Wingman' UAS that the RAF and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) hoped would support its crewed ...