• Air Warfare

  UPDATED: FCAS is ‘on the way to first flight’, says Airbus

  20th December 2022

  The Franco-German Future Combat Air System programme is moving onto Phase 1B, where Dassault, Airbus, Indra and Eumet will develop a demonstrator.

• Air Warfare

  Saab naval air traffic control radar enters next production phase

  10th November 2022

  Saab has received a contract from the US Navy for an additional two Shipboard Air Traffic Radar sets to equip aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious ships.

• Training

  First T-6C trainers arrive in Thailand

  17th November 2022

  Deliveries have commenced of new trainer aircraft for Thailand's air force.

• Air Warfare

  First T-6C Texan II arrives for Tunisian Air Force

  10th November 2022

  The T-6C Texan II delivered is the first of the eight training aircraft the Tunisian Air Force is set to receive under a US Foreign Military Sales contract.

• Air Warfare

  Brazil becomes first 4th gen plus jet operator in South America

  21st December 2022

  Brazil became the first South American country to operate a fourth-generation-plus advanced combat jet by inaugurating its first Gripens.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2022: The new programmes at the forefront of US Army training

  1st December 2022

  Openness and transparency are to the fore as the US Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) seeks closer ties with industry to deliver major projects.

• Air Warfare

  How the US Army’s FLRAA decision can affect other helicopter programmes

  14th December 2022

  Following the award of the US Army’s largest helicopter procurement in decades to the Bell V-280, questions remain as to what this means for the US's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition and helicopter procurement elsewhere.

• Naval Warfare

  HII to build new America-class Amphibious Assault Ship for US Navy

  28th October 2022

  HII has already built two America-class LHAs, USS America (LHA 6) and USS Tripoli (LHA 7), with a third, USS Bougainville (LHA 8) under construction.

• Air Warfare

  India searches for foreign partners to build engines

  19th October 2022

  Sourcing engines for home-grown military platforms and weapons is proving a thorn in the side of India.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  How autonomous architectures can push utility of UAVs to new heights

  8th December 2022

  Autonomous architectures can help UAS teams operate in contested airspace and reduce workload burdens.

• Air Warfare

  India begins work on C295 transport assembly facility

  1st November 2022

  It is now full speed ahead for India's C295W transport aircraft programme, as construction of a final assembly line for the twin turboprop begins.

• Air Warfare

  Bell V-280 Valor wins FLRAA Black Hawk replacement contract

  6th December 2022

  The US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract awarded to Bell marks the US Army’s largest helicopter procurement in 40 years. Here is everything you need to know about the programme.

• Training

  UK Wildcat helicopter weapons training and digitisation reaches next stage

  8th November 2022

  The Wildcat Integrated Support and Training programme has reached its next stage with implementation of a Weapons Loading System trainer at the Royal Navy's Yeovilton base. The MoD is also experimenting with digitisation of the AW159 Wildcat helicopter.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing keeps Australian Chinooks flying, and excitedly awaits Apaches

  7th October 2022

  Boeing Defence Australia is heavily involved in helicopter maintenance in Australia, and that will only accelerate when Apaches are introduced.

• Digital Battlespace

  Ukraine's Radionix seeks Turkish partners for airborne electronic warfare

  2nd November 2022

  Ukraine's Radionix, which supplies upgrade packages for Russian-made fast jets and air defence missile systems, used the SAHA event in Istanbul to pursue partnership opportunities with Turkish industry.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Loyal Wingman [France]

  Programme Background Rafale F5 Companion During a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) at Saint-Dizier Air Base in October 2024, France's Minister of ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-Saudi Arabia- Contracted

  The helicopters will increase the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command's interoperability with the US and advance the development of the country's heavy-lift helicopter capability.

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook

  As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F and MH-47G ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  Programme Background Timeline The military aviation capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces have been actively expanded — and Belgrade was confirmed to be negotiating with ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Data links

  Data links | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Rafale (1-12) [Serbia]

  As President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in April 2022, Serbia is planning to buy 12 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation. A contract worth almost $3 billion ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW-4

  The SW-4 is aimed at the basic and advanced pilot training, troop transport and ISR missions. Its Polish designation is Puszczyk. The SW-4s are based ...

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

  Akinci [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Erdogan Visit On 17 July 2023,  President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah for the first stop of his Gulf tour. The following day, ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-Saudi Arabia

  In addition to this, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended range fuel system, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW159 Philippines

  The AW159s arrived in Manila, but transported to Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite for reassembly. Subsequently they will be based there as part of ...

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

  ScanEagle 2 (Indonesia Aid) [US}

  Background Foreign Military Financing (FMF) The US first offered the Indonesia Military (TNI) a grant under Foreign Military Financing (FMF) that covered ScanEagle UAVs and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPQ-1 TESAR

  The Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar (TESAR), developed by Northrop Grumman, is primarily designed for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the Predator. 

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indication (GMTI) sensor for UAVs and manned platforms that support tactical operations. ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  GE Aviation Avionics

  GE Aviation's advanced avionics suite comes with a high performance software package installed on a number of civil and military aircraft. It's open architecture  platform ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AR682R

  The AR682R has been developed to power UAVs which require up to 120bhp. It is based on the proven AR642 core that was designed to ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  AE50R

  The AE50R is an aviation gasoline single rotary engine with an output of 40.4kW. The engine is certified according to European Aviation Safety Agency Part ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Nighthawk

  Aviation Industry Corporation of China displayed its new Nighthawk UAV at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2012. Nighthawk is designed for tactical ...

• Snow Owl

  Snow Owl is a MALE UAV that was developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Guizhou Aviation Aircraft Co. The UAV is claimed to have ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CH-47F CAT

  The CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT) is a high-fidelity hands-on training system that provides task training through the simulation of all avionics systems in integrated ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army Aviation School

  CAE is the prime contractor for the German Army’s Night-Time Low-Level Flight Training Facility, commonly known as the German Army Aviation School, at Bückeburg. This ...

• Air: mission management systems

  HERGIS

  The HERGIS C2 system provides network-centric warfare capabilities to German Army Aviation, integrating the service into the overall FüInfoSys Heer army C2 system. At all ...

• Trainer

  L-15/JL-10 Falcon

  The L-15 Falcon is a supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  PEN 55V

  The PEN 55V is a small rotary-wing cargo-carrying UAV manufactured by Pen Aviation. 

• Subsystems: software

  Terrain Databases

  With Terrain Databases generated by the Saab Digital Map Generation System, correlated geo databases are provided to aircraft systems, operational support systems, aviation training systems ...

• Air: mission management systems

  HawkEye 7200A

  The HawkEye 7200 is a portable tracking and SATCOM solution, designed for aviation, marine or mobile assets. The GNSS receiver provides continuous satellite-based tracking, autonomous ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Defence Force MRH90 Training

  As prime contractor for the ADF's MRH90 training programme, CAE has provided two MRH90 full-flight mission simulators (FFMS), training facilities and engineering and support services. ...