• Naval Warfare

  US Navy aircraft carrier weapon crews to receive ballistic shields

  5th September 2022

  Lateral and centre panel assemblies will provide advanced protection for crewed weapon stations aboard USN nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

• Land Warfare

  UK joins allies in providing air defence capability to Ukraine

  14th October 2022

  New air-to-air and surface-to-air systems pledged to Ukraine by the West will help to protect its key cities and infrastructure, but Kyiv will need more to be fully protected from the ongoing missile attacks, expert says.

• Air Warfare

  MH-60 Romeos flirt in India for the first time

  29th July 2022

  The first pair of MH-60Rs has arrived on Indian soil, with a third expected in a month's time.

• Naval Warfare

  Autonomous capabilities open doors for expeditionary fast transport to undertake new missions

  17th August 2022

  The addition of autonomous capabilities to the Austal-built future Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) 13, USNS Apalachicola, allows the ship to undertake new missions, including that of an adjunct magazine providing VLS capability.

• Training

  Sikorsky receives order for VH-92 presidential helicopter training device

  2nd September 2022

  Sikorsky is producing and installing an extra VH-92A Flight Training Device.

• Air Warfare

  Rolls-Royce nets US contracts worth $1.8 billion over five years

  6th September 2022

  The two DoD contracts awarded to Rolls-Royce will cover the service of USN and USMC aircraft engines over the next five years.

• Naval Warfare

  Bath Iron Works to install large launch modules for hypersonic missiles on USS Zumwalt

  19th August 2022

  Large Missile Vertical Launch System launch modules would enable USS Zumwalt to fire anti-ship hypersonic missiles.

• Defence Notes

  PLA ‘sand castles’ in the South China Sea have vulnerabilities (Opinion)

  10th November 2022

  China has a formidable-looking set of military bases on reclaimed reefs in the Spratly and Paracel Islands, but it could be that they have feet of clay/sand.

• Training

  CAE to provide platform and systems training for Royal Australian Navy

  2nd September 2022

  CAE Australia will deliver integrated solutions to support transformation of RAN training

• Defence Notes

  SAIC contracted for US Navy network support

  26th August 2022

  Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) has been awarded a $163 million USN contract to support the shore networks for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific Shore Networks Branch.

• Naval Warfare

  The Future of Anti-Submarine Warfare (sponsored)

  26th July 2022

  In the past decade, the perceived underwater warfare threat has grown and most modern navies now face increasingly stricter procurement budgets.

• Naval Warfare

  India maintains busy tempo of laying down and launching ships

  8th September 2022

  Naval corvettes, frigates and coast guard interceptor programmes are all under way in India via various shipyards.

• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat awarded $99 million order for US Navy tactical radios

  22nd August 2022

  Viasat has been awarded a $99 million contract for Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminals by the US Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR).

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy looks for longer range and endurance to solve wide-area mission planning

  13th August 2022

  The US Navy is engaged in a number of efforts to identify rapid acquisition strategies for new maritime based aircraft and technologies, including wide area mission capable UAVs.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to receive Mid-Range Capability weapon system this year

  15th August 2022

  Lockheed Martin is progressing with the Mid-Range Capability effort and plans to hand over a prototype at the end of the 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 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 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 - 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 - 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AN/AQS-13F

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

• Air: sonar systems

  HELRAS DS-100

  The Helicopter Long Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) DS-100 is a helicopter dipping sonar designed by L3Harris for ASW operations.

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• EO/IR systems

  IRST

  IRST is a passive, long-range IR search and track (IRST) sensor system that detects and tracks airborne threats in electronic attack and heavy countermeasure environments. ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Warship Simulator

  Multiple warship simulators can be integrated into the same system for single and multi-domain complex warfare scenarios: ASuW, ASW, AAW, force protection, RAS/FAS, helideck operations. ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Italian Navy AW101 FMS

  Under subcontract to Leonardo Helicopters, CAE developed an AW101 FMS for the Italian Navy. This includes a full-mission flight simulator for training pilots and the ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Boat Crew & Gunnery Trainer

  The Boat Crew & Gunnery Trainer consists of an immersive training environment that places sailors in a geo-typical or geo-specific virtual world in order to ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  IRCM Flares

  Alloy Surfaces’ family of visually covert Special Material Decoy IRCM are designed to protect rotary-wing aircraft, fighters and transport aircraft from MANPADS and IR-guided air-to-air ...