• Naval Warfare

  HMS Prince of Wales gears up for mixed F-35B, helicopter operations

  26th August 2021

  The UK’s second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, will embark four F-35Bs in September, paving the way for future front-line operations.

• Training

  More MTC work arrives for Boeing

  20th August 2021

  F-15C and F-15E Mission Training Centers will be updated by Boeing under latest contract modification.

• Defence Notes

  Leonardo hails H1 results and eyes continued benefits from FCAS

  30th July 2021

  Italian defence contractor Leonardo claimed a good first half of 2021, with military sales counteracting a decline in its civil aerostructures business hit by COVID-19.

• Digital Battlespace

  How is Information Advantage countering new and emerging threats? (Studio)

  9th September 2021

  In the data-rich information age in which we live, the concept of Information Advantage has become a fundamental shift in how the armed forces prosecute warfare.

• Defence Notes

  UK joins the space race

  30th July 2021

  The UK has joined the growing group of nations that are dedicating more resources to the space domain with the launch of its Space Command.

• Air Warfare

  UK pushes on with Protector fleet expansion

  26th July 2021

  The UK orders 13 more MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs from General Atomics for the RAF, despite criticism over the cost of the programme.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to continue network-centric weapons capabilities work for F-35

  30th July 2021

  Lockheed Martin carries on developing network-enabled weapons and electronic-attack capabilities for F-35 operators in the US and allied air forces.

• Defence Helicopter

  The Protector - 40 Years of the Chinook in the UK (Studio)

  22nd July 2021

  More than a combat workhorse, the Boeing CH-47 Chinook also protects the UK public through disaster relief, COVID-19 response, and more.

• Air Warfare

  Four more Rafales join Qatar Emiri Air Force

  28th July 2021

  Qatar continues to expand its combat aircraft capability with the arrival of four additional Rafales.

• Air Warfare

  UK MoD awards Serco RAF support contract

  13th July 2021

  Serco to more than double employees at RAF Brize Norton as part of MoD support contract.

• Training

  UK pilots Sprint to graduation

  20th July 2021

  Ascent Flight Training provides details of the CAE Sprint flight training device now being used at RAF Valley as part of MFTS.

• Defence Notes

  RAF ready to declare Nexus combat cloud operational

  14th July 2021

  The RAF has hit a new milestone in its bid to successfully develop combat cloud capabilities, and aims to declare a swarming UAV operational capability soon.

• Defence Notes

  Lockheed Martin UK untroubled by RAF C-130J early retirement or F-35 sustainment costs

  19th July 2021

  Lockheed Martin UK will not suffer in any meaningful way from the early retirement of RAF C-130J tactical transport aircraft and has addressed recent criticism of F-35 operating costs.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing leads UK Poseidon maintenance and training effort

  8th July 2021

  £233.5 million contract boosts the RAF submarine-hunter fleet, says MoD.

• Training

  UK-Qatar Hawk squadron spreads its wings

  22nd July 2021

  BAE Systems to support and train new joint Hawk squadron based at RAF Leeming, UK.

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 - naval

  F-35B UK

  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 billion), covering ...

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

  FCAS Loyal Wingman [UK]

  Programme Background FCAS Loyal Wingman Tim Martin reported for Shephard in December 2021 that the international partners involved in the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Tempest programme ...

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

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

  Programme Background Project Mosquito Beginning in 2019, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began the ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 - tactical

  Tier 1 Disposable [UK]

  Programme 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 of ...

• 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 helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Programme Background 2021 FMS Announcement In October 2018, the US State Department approved a $3.5 billion FMS of 16 CH-47 Chinooks fitted with extended-range fuel tanks ...

• 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 ...

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: 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: 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: 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 ...

• ISR/special mission, Trainer

  TC-135S/W

  The TC-135S and TC-135W are training aircraft developed by Boeing based on the EC-135 to provide crew training for RC-135S Cobra Ball optical and electronic ...