• Air Warfare

  First two T901 improved engines delivered for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters

  30th June 2024

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army’s effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk and Apache fleets.

• Air Warfare

  Collins Aerospace wins $19 million contract to upgrade RAF CH-47 Chinooks

  13th November 2024

  The Chinook cockpit upgrade will enhance the UK RAF’s Chinooks’ collaboration with the US and improve operational effectiveness and safety, Collins have claimed.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force discloses causes of 2023 CV-22 Osprey accident in Japan

  7th August 2024

  The investigation report pointed to a gearbox failure and management issues as the main causes of the accident.

• Land Warfare

  L3Harris developing a twin arm for its T7 UGV

  20th June 2024

  The L3Harris UGV dual arm would have substantial applications in the security and police areas.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment to display eVTOL P550 at AUSA 2024

  4th October 2024

  AeroVironment’s portfolio will grow thanks to the eVTOL P550 aimed at battalion-level tactical forces.

• Air Warfare

  Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk given boost as Greece and Australia share fleet updates

  29th October 2024

  Australia and Greece are among a group of nations who have recently placed orders for UH-60M Black Hawks to replace their ageing fleets and boost their armed forces’ operational capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Shield AI to provide V-BAT UAS to US Coast Guard

  3rd July 2024

  The V-BAT series aircraft is a single-engine ducted fan platform that can launch and recover from a hover and fly on wing in horizontal flight. It can operate as a flexible platform capable of performing Group 2 to Group 5 UAS missions and beyond.

• Air Warfare

  Bell and Leonardo to cooperate on tiltrotor technology

  29th February 2024

  The partnership between Leonardo and Bell has signalled a step towards advancing next-generation rotorcraft capabilities as the two company's embark on NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) Concept Study.

• Land Warfare

  US Army increases efforts to plug capability gaps in self-propelled artillery inventory

  26th September 2024

  The service has been working on the modernisation of its in-service systems and planning the acquisition of advanced howitzers.

• Land Warfare

  Long-range strike: US announces European hypersonic missile deployment

  8th August 2024

  The US plans to deploy a suite of long-range precision strike missiles, including developmental hypersonics, to counter the advanced precision strike systems of Russia and China. It will form part of the US Army’s Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF) to enhance European long-range fires capabilities and include SM-6 air defence, Tomahawk cruise missiles and HIMARS batteries.

• Land Warfare

  US Army completes truck airdrop test

  4th April 2024

  The US Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) consists of 17 models including cargo, tractor, van, wrecker, tanker and dump truck variants. The FMTV can also be produced unarmoured, with no ITAR restrictions, for international militaries.

• Air Warfare

  Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives

  14th October 2024

  Italy’s ELT Group involvement in airborne electronic warfare initiatives, including developing systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon and future sixth-generation combat aircraft, has been focused on integrated sensing, non-kinetic effects and communications.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing outlines new Integrator standard

  9th July 2024

  The Integrator is a multi-mission, long-endurance UAS designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Intended to prioritise user flexibility, the platform has six modular payload bays, allowing users to customise the loadout to suit mission requirements.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo’s cutting-edge uncrewed technology preparing for flight

  8th July 2024

  Further to learnings and technology developed through the first two phases of the RWUAS programme, Leonardo is now creating a 2-3t demonstration aircraft that will have modularity at its core.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) will provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It is intended to ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Programme Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• 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 ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

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

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

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

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

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

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Tiltrotors

  TR36TD

  Karem Aircraft was one of four contenders for the US Army's JMR-TD, which is a precursor to the FVL project that will replace the UH-60 ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-280 Valor

  Bell Helicopter Textron is developing the V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the JMR-TD FVL project. The US Army announced in August 2014 that Bell would be ...

• Baby Shark 260

  The Foxtech Baby Shark 260 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV for commercial and civil operations, which has four spar-mounted rotors to provide vertical lift, a pusher ...