• Training

  Exercise Cope North under way in Guam

  26th February 2020

  The Royal Australian Air Force has deployed aircraft to take part in Exercise Cope North in Guam. Thirteen aircraft in total - 11 F/A-18A/B Classic …

• Air Warfare

  RAF completes Exercise Red Flag

  14th February 2020

  The UK’s F-35 Lightning Force has concluded Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base in the US.Royal Air Force 617 Squadron deployed F-35 jets …

• Military Logistics

  Funding boost for RAAF Base Tindal

  24th February 2020

  The Australian government has announced a $1.1 billion programme of work for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Tindal. Along with $495 million already invested …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan roars ahead with Li-ion batteries

  7th March 2020

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned its first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery-powered submarine on 5 March. This makes Japan the first nation in the world to …

• Digital Battlespace

  DefExpo 2020: India crafts a suite of special mission aircraft

  6th February 2020

  In India the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on several projects to give the Indian Air Force (IAF) dedicated special mission aircraft …

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin, BEL sign MoU for F-21

  11th February 2020

  Lockheed Martin will explore industrial opportunities for its F-21 programme with Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding. …

• Naval Warfare

  EMALS and AAG cleared for US Navy aircraft on CVN 78

  14th February 2020

  The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) have been cleared for shipboard launch and recovery of all currently deployed US Navy …

• Air Warfare

  Poland acquires F-35 multirole fighter aircraft

  31st January 2020

  The delivery timeline for the Polish MoD's procurement of the F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft was revealed at the signing ceremony for the 32 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Power up: PLA fields upgraded Z-10 attack helicopters

  19th February 2020

  A picture that appeared on the Chinese Internet on 8 February has revealed that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has introduced an upgraded variant of …

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin receives F-35​ lot 15 modification

  11th February 2020

  Lockheed Martin has received funding for long lead materials for F-35 lot 15, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 7 February. The funding …

• Air Warfare

  F-35s carry out night landings on HMS Queen Elizabeth

  12th February 2020

  The first night landings on HMS Queen Elizabeth have been carried out by four F-35 Lightning jets in UK waters. Operational training being carried out …

• Land Warfare

  Serbia receives first Pantsir-S1 from Russia

  25th February 2020

  The Serbian Ministry of Defence has received the first of six Pantsir-S1 missile defence systems from Russia, as agreed in a 2019 contract. The delivery was …

• Naval Warfare

  Damen begins LST 100 build for Nigerian Navy

  19th February 2020

  Damen Shipyards Sharjah in the UAE has commenced construction of the LST 100 landing craft for the Nigerian Navy with a keel-laying ceremony. The LST …

• Digital Battlespace

  Fifth-generation platforms do not equate to fifth-generation capability: RAAF

  12th February 2020

  Despite the technological leap that fifth-generation military capabilities can bring to the modern battlespace, potential countermeasures to individual platforms ensure that a networked approach is …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia requests LRASM for F-18s

  10th February 2020

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Australia of Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs). Announced by …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Horizon 2 - Multirole Fighter Programme [Philippines]

  Programme Background Requirement The Philippines wants a fighter able to perform score missions such as air-to-air combat, air-to-ground tasks and reconnaissance, including over water. It ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Halcon I [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon) are already engaged with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multi Role Combat Aircraft [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) continues its quest to acquire a new multirole combat aircraft. Under the country’s Forces Goal 2030 plan, which ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15SA Saudi Arabia

  The aircraft deal includes 170 APG-63(v)3 AESA radar sets, 193 F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines, 100 M61 Vulcan Cannons, 338 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems amongst ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V (9-16) [Bulgaria]

  Programme Background In April 2022, the US State Department approved a potential FMS worth $1.673 million to procure eight F-16Vs to Bulgaria. The aircraft are ...

• Fighter - multirole

  H-X Fighter Programme (Finland)

  Programme Background In June 2020, Finnish MoD announced that the Hornet fleet life extension programme is neither cost-effective solution nor sufficient in terms of Finland’s ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Denmark

  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Quadriga [Germany]

  Programme Background Under Project Quadriga, Berlin is seeking a replacement for its 33 Typhoon Tranche 1. Furthermore, Germany is offering its Tranche 1 fleet to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

  Programme Background Five prototypes will be manufactured for developmental tests. Indian Air Force will buy 36 AMCA Mark-I aircraft from 2029-30. The Mark-I configuration will ...

• AEW&C

  Airbus A330 AWACS (India)

  Programme Background India is planning to increase its AEW&C; capabilities with indigenous radar systems. IAF has requested to procure six Airbus 330 airliner to host ...

• Frigates

  FFX Batch III - 1 [South Korea]

  Programme Background The new Chungnam-class (FFX Batch III) will consist of six new improved anti-aircraft detection vessels to replace the ageing escort and patrol ships ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-83 SABR

  The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar being developed by Northrop Grumman using its own ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Block 70/72

  The F-16 Block 70/72, also referred to as the F-16V, is a fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft. It is the latest version of Lockheed Martin's F-16 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Raven ES-05

  The Raven ES-05 is an AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo in close collaboration with Saab for the Gripen E/F. It features a repositionable AESA ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-63(V)2

  The AN/APG-63(V)2 is a significant radar upgrade for the U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft. This upgrade replaces the mechanically-scanned antenna (MSA) with an AESA antenna,  ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-82(V)1

  The AN/APG-82(V)1 is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar system that combines the AN/APG-79 processor with the AESA antenna of the AN/APG-63(V)3. The system ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-68

  The AN/APG-68 is a pulse-Doppler radar with increased range, modes, and resolution compared to the APG-66 radar. The F-16C/D Block 25 was the first Fighting ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  USAF F-16 Training System

  L3Harris Technologies is supporting approximately 180 F-16 pilot and maintenance trainers as part of the USAF’s F-16 Training System. Programme contract options extend through 2019. ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16C/D Block 50/52/52+

  A member of the F-16 Fighting Falcon family, the F-16C/D Block 50/52 ('C' single-seat, 'D' dual-seat) is a third-generation multirole fighter that was rolled out ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-76

  The AN/APG-76 is a Ku-band multimode radar system providing high-resolution synthetic aperture radar capabilities with moving target indicator overlays. The system was developed primarily for ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16C/D Block 25, 30/32, 40/42

  The F-16C/D ('C' one-seat, 'D' two-seat designation) is the second generation of the F-16 Fighting Falcon family. The production of the F-16C/D began in 1983 with ...

• Air: Displays

  F-16 Center Pedestal Display

  Produced by Elbit Systems of America, the F-16 Center Pedestal Display (CPD) provides a high-resolution colour display that replaces several legacy instruments on F-16 aircraft. 

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-79

  The AN/APG-79 is an agile beam radar with a solid-state digital array that scans at nearly the speed of light, enabling detection and tracking of ...

• 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: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-77

  The AN/APG-77 is a low-probability-of-intercept fire control radar for the F-22 Raptor. It is designed to significantly improve capability in air-to-air combat, allowing the pilot ...