Defence Notes

Raytheon receives $768 million for AMRAAM production

6th January 2020

Raytheon has received a contract from the US Department of Defense for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Production Lot 33. The $768.2 million contract, awarded on …

Defence Helicopter

US AFGSC names MH-139A helicopter

3rd January 2020

US Air Force Global Strike Command named the MH-139A helicopter ‘Grey Wolf’ during a naming ceremony at Duke Field on 19 December, 2019.The helicopters have …

Military Logistics

Rheinmetall to modernise more Buffalo vehicles

3rd January 2020

Rheinmetall will modernise a further 21 Buffalo armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs) for the Royal Netherlands Army under an order announced on 19 December for the …

Naval Warfare

Argentinian Navy gets first new OPV

30th December 2019

The first of four OPV 87 offshore patrol vessels has been delivered by Naval Group to the Argentinian Navy. The vessel has undergone a ten-month …

Digital Battlespace

Argentina requests P-3C support equipment

27th December 2019

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale of P-3C equipment, support and services to Argentina.   The $78 …

Training

Kratos to upgrade Aussie Chinook training systems

24th December 2019

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received a Chinook training system upgrade contract from the Australian Department of Defence, the company announced on 19 December. …

Digital Battlespace

Leonardo UK demonstrates Tempest radar tech

23rd December 2019

Leonardo UK has demonstrated new radar receiver/warner technology for the Team Tempest programme.The new sensor, which is 1/10th the size of a standard system, demonstrated …

Training

CAE awarded German NH90 training contract

20th December 2019

CAE Elektronik has signed a contract with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency to provide the German Navy with a training solution for the incoming …

Naval Warfare

General Dynamics Mission Systems awarded SSBN follow-on contract

20th December 2019

General Dynamics Mission Systems has received a follow-on, omnibus contract from the US Navy for fire control systems and subsystems aboard US Navy and UK …

Defence Notes

Podcast: Revolutions in Vertical Flight S1 E3 - The Tiltrotor

20th December 2019

Welcome to Shephard Studio’s podcast series on Revolutions in Vertical Flight, sponsored by our partner Bell. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. The Revolutions in Vertical Flight …

Defence Notes

Podcast: Revolutions in Vertical Flight S1 E6 - the Future of VTOL Innovation

20th December 2019

Welcome to Shephard Studio’s podcast series on Revolutions in Vertical Flight, sponsored by our partner Bell. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. The Revolutions in Vertical Flight …

Training

Aero completes L-159T1​ training aircraft maintenance

18th December 2019

All L-159T1 training aircraft have been redelivered to the Czech Air Force following maintenance overhaul  by Aero Vodochody Aerospace.The air force’s Čáslav 21st Tactical Air …

Special Operations

US Air Force contracts for AN/PRC-161 radios

18th December 2019

ViaSat has received a $93 million IDIQ contract from the US Air Force for AN/PRC-161 radios, the US Department of Defense announced on 16 December. …

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USAF]

Programme Background Requirements The programme's requirements are based on the USAF's belief that it requires mass to compete effectively with an adversary in symmetrical warfare. However, ...

Fighter - multirole

F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

Programme Background The F-15EX will be based on the 2-seat F-15QA (Qatar) configuration upgraded with USAF-only capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability ...

Fighter - multirole

F-15EX - USAF (Contracted)

Programme Background USAF is looking to procure 144 F-15EX fighter aircraft, including two RDTE configurations and six low-rate initial production aircraft. F-15EX will replace ageing ...

Transport/tanker aircraft

KC-Y Tanker Aircraft (USA)

Programme Background The USAF is replacing its fleet of 396 KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, built in the 1950s and 60s, and 59 KC-10 Extenders, which entered service ...

Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Teal 2 [USAF]

Programme Background On 8 August 2023, Teal Drones announced it had received a $2.6 million deal for 172 Teal 2 UAVs, spare parts and training from ...

AEW&C

E-7A Wedgetail (USA - Forecast)

Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

Military helicopters - multirole

MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

Other bidders included Sikorsky with HH-60U offer and Sierra Nevada with upgrading offer of UH-60As to UH-60L configuration.In February 2018, Leonardo filed a protest to ...

AEW&C

E-7A Wedgetail (1-2) [USA]

Programme Background Shephard notes that this entry covers the two rapid-prototype E-7 aircraft, whose contract was signed in August 2024. A second programme entry covers the ...

ISR/special mission

P-1 EW [Japan]

Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

Fighter - multirole

F-15QA Qatar

Programme BackgroundOn 17 November 2016, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS of 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for an ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

RQ-20B Puma (USAF)

Programme Background Requirement According to the AeroVironment Vice President and product line general manager, Trace Stevenson, the USAF Security Forces requires a small UAV to ...

Fighter - electronic warfare

Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

Air: Radio and SATCOM

Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-1 EW [Japan]

Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Data links

Data links | P-1 EW [Japan]

Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Air: Head-up displays

Air: Head-up displays | P-1 EW [Japan]

Japan is advancing its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through the development of an EW version of the domestically produced Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. The ...

Air: maintenance simulators

F-22 Training Devices

TRU Simulation + Training F-22 MTD programme includes three training devices that provide USAF students at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with maintenance training on landing gear, ...

EW Training Support System (Battlelab)

EW Training Support System is a Training & Simulation Center a leading-edge training facility dedicated to teaching and training personnel in the Electronic Warfare field. ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

EX-3 Revenant

The EX-3 Revenant is a developmental fixed-wing aircraft being developed by Exosonic. It is a Mach 1.2 supersonic UAV designed to be a 5th-generation representative, modular, autonomous ...

Air: transport/tanker simulators

USAF KC-135 ATS

The KC-135 Aircrew Training System (ATS) programme delivers initial qualification, requalification, continuation and upgrades training for USAF KC-135 aircrews, including pilots, co-pilots and boom operators. ...

Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

T-1 Jayhawk

FlightSafety operates and maintains T-1 training devices as part of its CLS contract. Air Education and Training Command uses these high-fidelity simulators and part-task trainers ...

Training Services

GFD (Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung) is an Airbus subsidiary providing target demonstration, live EW training, forward air controller training, test and evaluation flights. GFD trains German ...

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.

EW test systems

JTE

The Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) is a multi-threat, high-fidelity simulator with realistic ERP levels, which simulates single- and double-digit surface-to-air and anti-aircraft artillery radar systems. ...

Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

EW Center

The Electronic Warfare Center is an operational support system for pre-and post-mission activities. The system handles various types of EW functions (ESM, ECM etc), for ...

ISR/special mission

EC-37B Compass Call

The EC-37B is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously housed on EC-130H ...

ISR/special mission

EC-130H Compass Call

The EC-130H is an EW aircraft based on the modified C-130H transport aircraft. It is used by the USAF to disrupt enemy command and control communications ...

Air: air combat simulators

JPRWRS

The Joint Portable Radar Warning Receiver Stimulator (JPRWRS) has been developed as a method of providing fixed- and rotary-wing aircrews with a low-cost, open-air threat ...

EW test systems

ELT A62

ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

Trainer

T-38 Talon

Developed by Northrop Grumman, the T-38 Talon is an advanced trainer aircraft introduced into service in 1961. The T-38 has the same basic airframe as ...

Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

T-38C Talon

FlightSafety supports nearly 40 T-38 training devices as part of its contract for logistics support for the T-38. The T-38C is a converted T-38A/B that ...