• Air Warfare

  US Air Force completes latest AMRAAM missile configuration audit

  20th April 2023

  The AIM-120D-3 advanced medium range air-to-air missile features modernised hardware, including 15 upgraded circuit cards developed with model-based systems engineering initiatives.

• Naval Warfare

  Netherlands to arm ships and submarines with Tomahawk missiles

  10th April 2023

  The Royal Netherlands Navy will equip submarines and some of its ships with American Tomahawk missiles to strengthen its maritime strike capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin takes $172 million contract modification for F-35 Block 4 jets

  17th April 2023

  Lockheed Martin secures $172.1 million contract modification to increase manufacturing capacity and retrofit F-35 aircraft with advanced hardware and system modifications.

• Defence Notes

  Why China seeks to penetrate the First Island Chain (Opinion)

  16th July 2023

  In a risky scenario for the US and its Pacific allies, China has both political and military reasons to conquer and capture Taiwan.

• Naval Warfare

  NAVDEX 2023: DSIT to supply ASW kit for undisclosed NATO navy

  1st March 2023

  DSIT, a subsidiary of Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, has been selected by a European shipyard to equip a NATO navy with its anti-submarine warfare solutions.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy solicits Raytheon and Lockheed for carrier-suitable hypersonic weapon

  29th March 2023

  The USN has awarded two contracts to Raytheon Missiles and Defence and Lockheed Martin for initial development of a carrier-suitable long-range, high-speed weapon known as Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO).

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy orders new San Antonio LPD as class's future remains uncertain

  3rd April 2023

  The USN has awarded HII a $1.3 billion contract for the detail design and construction of the third Flight II San Antonio-class LPD, LPD-32, while question marks loom over the future of the class.

• Air Warfare

  US buys 21 tactical resupply drones for navy and marines

  12th April 2023

  Survice Engineering has been awarded $8 million contract for 21 TRV-150C Tactical Resupply Uncrewed Systems.

• Naval Warfare

  US commissions latest Littoral Combat Ship, as Austal execs face fraud charges

  3rd April 2023

  On April 1, the USN commissioned the latest Austal USA-built Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32), shortly after a federal grand jury indictment charging three Alabama men with orchestrating an accounting fraud scheme at the shipbuilder.

• Air Warfare

  MQ-28 Ghost Bat ‘could fit the bill’ for UK's Loyal Wingman capability needs, says Boeing

  26th May 2023

  The affordability of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat will play a crucial role in determining its suitability for the UK's defence needs. With studies under way to determine the affordability threshold, discussions also focus on the contribution this capability could make to the domestic industrial base.

• Naval Warfare

  SOF Week 2023: JFD ready to hand over first Shadow Seal tactical diving vehicle

  9th May 2023

  JFD's first production Shadow Seal semi-submersible tactical diving vehicle is due to be handed over to US partner Blue Tide Marine as the company seeks to demonstrate it to potential customers in the Americas.

• Air Warfare

  Norway chooses MH-60R Seahawk as NH90 replacement

  14th March 2023

  Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks could conduct anti-surface warfare and search and rescue operations alongside UAVs such as the Skeldar V-200 for Norway.

• Training

  Standing NATO Maritime Group conducts training at sea

  3rd April 2023

  The demonstration of interoperability and maritime security capabilities in Souda Bay reinforces NATO's commitment to ensuring regional stability and safety in the Mediterranean.

• Naval Warfare

  The US Navy's 2024 budget request in five charts

  22nd March 2023

  In early March, the Biden administration submitted a proposal to Congress that would see the US DoD funded to the tune of $842 billion, around a quarter of which will go to the US Navy.

• Naval Warfare

  Finns to begin building new corvettes this year

  4th April 2023

  After problems in the design phase, Finland is set to start production of a new fleet of four new Pohjanmaa-class ships later this year.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

  Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawks [Norway]

  Programme Background NH90 NFH cancellation  The Norwegian government announced the termination of the NH90 NFH helicopter contract for 14 NH90s with NHIndustries in June 2022. Seahawk Acquisition ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey (USN)

  Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

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

  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 UAS - fixed-wing

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Navy) [US]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Taiwan operates seven MD500 helicopters, acquired in 1977, from ex-US Chi Yang-class (Knox) frigates that are being decommissioned after 40-year service life. The ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Selected) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

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

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCAC 100 Class (SSC) [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The major role of the SSC will be deployment from landing ships in support of USN and USMC operations and the transport ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-3 Sea King

  The SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine, amphibious, multirole helicopter developed for the USN as a shipborne ASW platform. The initial prototype made its first ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  SH-2G Super Seasprite

  The SH-2G Super Seasprite is an upgraded version of the SH-2F and has Kaman’s patented servo flap main rotor control system.  Designed to meet the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  S-61T

  Developed as an ASW platform for the USN, the S-61 first flew in 1959. Although it has now been phased out of USN service, more ...

• Military - USVs

  Sea Hunter

  Sea Hunter is an autonomous Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) developed by Leidos for the US Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR). The USN designates the 40m long trimaran ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-22 ALFS

  The AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the USN MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter. It is designed by Raytheon and ...

• Military - USVs, Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Milkor ASW

  The Milkor ASW vessel is intended to perform underwater operations against submarine threats. In addition to this, the boat can also be prepared to operate ...

• Multipurpose missiles

  RPK 6/7

  The RPK family of missiles is developed and produced in Russia, specifically designed for ASW. The RPK-6, also known as Vodopad (Водопад, 'waterfall'), is a ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  ITAS

  Northrop Grumman is a major producer of tactical information management systems for maritime patrol, ASW, ASuW, SAR and related applications. The Northrop Grumman AN/ASN-150 and ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-13F

  The AN/AQS-13F is a long-range active scanning sonar designed by L3Harris for ASW operations.

• Frigates

  Bergamini Class (FREMM)

  The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian, European, multipurpose frigate design FREMM (European multi-mission Frigate/Fregata europea multi-missione). For Italy, the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  2800 ASW Patrol Boat

  The 2800 ASW Patrol Boat, developed by Couach, is a vessel designed for ASW operations. Unveiled at the 2022 World Defence Show, the vessel can be ...

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer

  The Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer expands the Action Speed Tactical Trainer’s sonar capability with new sonar simulations to create a dedicated ASW trainer. Various ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class FFG(X)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...