Defence Notes

SDB increases capability of RAAF F-35A

21st August 2019

The capability of the Royal Australian Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighters has quadrupled since the introduction of the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), according …

Uncrewed Vehicles

US Army acquires Raven UAV for security forces assistance brigades

20th August 2019

AeroVironment has received a $45.2 million contract to provide the RQ-11B Raven UAV for the United States Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB). The award …

Training

Saab to provide Belgium with army training systems

20th August 2019

Saab has signed a contract with the Belgian ministry of defence for deliveries of training systems for the army.  The order value is some SEK160 …

Training

Atkins joins Aeralis trainer aircraft project

19th August 2019

Atkins has announced that it is collaborating with aircraft designer and manufacturer Aeralis to develop a new family of training jet aircraft. They will jointly …

Defence Helicopter

Bell 407GXi issued FAA instrument rating

19th August 2019

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an instrument flight rules (IFR) supplemental type certificate for the Bell 407GXi, a requirement for the helicopter …

Training

USN orders training systems for E-2D AEW&C aircraft

16th August 2019

Collins Aerospace Simulation and Training Solutions has been awarded a $31.13 million contract modification to deliver training systems for the US Navy’s Northrop Grumman E-2D …

Military Logistics

USAF A-10 completes wing replacement programme

15th August 2019

The US Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft has completed an eight-year wing replacement programme, with the last of 173 new wing …

Naval Warfare

Italy's Cavour carrier enters dock for F-35B integration work

15th August 2019

The Italian navy’s Cavour aircraft carrier has entered the Edgardo Ferrati drydock at Taranto to undergo maintenance and modernisation work to enable it to be …

Training

VRSG software integrated into USAF T-1A trainer fleet

14th August 2019

MetaVR's Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) has been integrated into the US Air Force’s T-1A Jayhawk twin-engine jet trainer fleet, part of an embedded training …

Special Operations

First phase of Australia's Project Greyfin gets the go ahead

12th August 2019

The Australian government has approved the first stage of Project Greyfin, which will procure new equipment for the country’s special forces. The first stage provides …

Digital Battlespace

Raytheon awarded AN/ALE-50 order

12th August 2019

Raytheon has been awarded a contract for Lot 14 full-rate production of 82 F/A18 CD-108B/ALE-50(V) control, dispenser, decoy, countermeasures integrated multi-platform launch controllers. The $29.7 …

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 ...