• Defence Notes

  DoD plays it safe on air power spending

  12th February 2020

  The proposed US DoD FY2021 defence budget runs at a shortfall of $800 million for aircraft and associated systems compared to last year’s figures. In total, …

• Training

  Leidos to upgrade US Common Driver Trainer​ systems

  17th January 2020

  Leidos is to produce technical refresh and concurrency hardware/software upgrade capabilities for the US Army's Common Driver Trainer (CDT) systems, the company announced on 16 …

• Naval Warfare

  Tech demonstrations could be part of Prince of Wales 2021 deployment

  30th January 2020

  The first deployment of HMS Prince of Wales (foreground), second of the UK RN’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, in 2021 could see the platform being used …

• Defence Helicopter

  First modified MV-22 Osprey delivered to USMC

  11th December 2019

  Boeing and Bell Textron have delivered the first modified MV-22 Osprey to the US Marine Corps (USMC). Bell Boeing is upgrading block B aircraft to …

• Naval Warfare

  UK carrier roadmap plots route to 2021 deployment

  11th December 2019

  With the formal commissioning into service of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales the UK Royal Navy has two aircraft carriers in its fleet for …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Queen Elizabeth reforms carrier battle group

  4th December 2019

  The Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabethhas reformed its carrier battle group for combined NATO/anti-submarine warfare training in the Western Atlantic. The vessel rejoined HMS Northumberland, …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2019: Decision made on initial CMV-22 trainers for US Navy

  27th November 2019

  The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office (JPO), Amarillo, Texas, has been awarded a $14.32 million firm-fixed-price order for the design, fabrication, installation, test and delivery …

• Military Logistics

  DSEI Japan 2019: JGSDF purchases Mule light vehicles

  20th November 2019

  Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) exhibited its Mule Pro-FXT(EPS) multipurpose 4-wheeled light vehicle at DSEI Japan 2019, after the company signed a contract with the Acquisition, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Cobras slither into the Philippines

  27th November 2019

  On 26 November a pair of AH-1S Cobra helicopters arrived aboard a transport aircraft at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, these having been donated …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AOC 2019: Ascent integrates new system onto X-MADIS

  6th November 2019

  Unmanned technology and engineering company Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT) has announced that it has integrated the CM262 optic system into its X-MADIS (eXpeditionary Mobile Air …

• Digital Battlespace

  CMS receives USMC troposcatter contract

  12th November 2019

  Cubic Mission Solutions has received a ten-year, $325 million IDIQ contract from the US Marine Corps to provide 172 Next Generation Troposcatter (NGT) systems. Cubic …

• Land Warfare

  USMC continues AMV LRIP awards

  6th November 2019

  Iveco announced on 4 November that within the framework of the recently awarded US Marine Corps contract to BAE Systems the two companies will deliver …

• Military Logistics

  BAE Systems to supply more ACVs to USMC

  31st October 2019

  BAE Systems will supply the US Marine Corps with additional Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) under a $120 million contract announced on 30 October. This is …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: USMC commandant’s guidance turns from sandbox to Asia

  16th October 2019

  It took a while, but the USMC officially woke up to China a few months ago. The new Marine Corps Commandant Gen David Berger’s formal …

• Land Warfare

  Kongsberg tasked with MUMS work

  15th October 2019

  Kongsberg will finalise and deliver a secure, network based, Multi-User Multi-Station (MUMS) capability for the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC), the company announced …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Mounted (OPF-M) [USMC]

  Programme Background Armed Vehicles In June 2021, Shephard reported that the USMC had selected the HERO-120 for the OPF-M programme. The USMC planned to integrate ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Future Procurement (USMC) [US]

  Programme Background The USMC is expected to procure 10,859 JLTVs to replace all of its HMMWVs on a like-for-like basis. Since the USMC has already ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) [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 ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Micro VTOL [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 ...

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 2) [USMC]

  Background MUX Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions, and fly ...

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

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [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 ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  US Navy has ordered 122 F-35B aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 202 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 10 and 17 per year ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 1) [USA]

  Programme Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles.  Development of the ACV ...

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

  Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS) / Medium ULS-A [USA]

  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 their ...

• ARV (USMC) [USA]

  Programme Background The ARV constitutes one component of a wider USMC effort to develop an interconnected network of manned and unmanned platforms more suited to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GATR e850 Outdoor Modem

  Cubic’s GATR e850 is a rugged broadband outdoor modem ideal for mobile/transportable communications, based on the iDirect e850 board set. Features include a waterproof enclosure ...

• Individual assault/anti-tank weapons

  M72 LAW FFE

  The M72 Light Assault Weapon Fire from Enclosure (M72 LAW FFE) was developed by Nammo to meet a USMC requirement for a version of the ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom

  Originally planned as a UH-1N Twin Huey upgrade for the USMC, all but the first ten UH-1Ys now use new-build airframes. This new build prevents ...

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

  SeaOnyx

  The SeaOnyx is an in-development cargo-carrying coaxial rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Ledois in partnership with Phenix Solutions.  In April 2023, Leidos announced it had been awarded an ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV

  BAE Systems teamed with Iveco Defence to offer a version of Iveco Defence Vehicle's Superav for the USMC's Armored Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  LAV-25

  General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has produced derivatives of the Piranha series, branded the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV), since the Canadian Army selected the 6x6 Piranha ...

• Air: mission management systems

  AFATDS

  Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) is a multi-service (US Army/USMC) joint and combined forces fire support battle command system. It provides automated support ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1 SeaCobra

  Bell developed the 209/AH-1 SeaCobra on the basis of the US Army’s single-engine AH-1G Cobra as the USMC determined that a twin-engine attack helicopter would ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  USMC KC-130J Training Devices

  CAE delivered a KC-130J cockpit avionics part-task trainer to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. The device is used for classroom training of ground maintenance personnel ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1W SuperCobra

  Bell’s AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter was developed from the AH-1T for the USMC. It has been in service since 1986 to the present day, first ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  SAIC ACV 1.1 prototype

  SAIC unveiled its first prototype for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) 1.1 (Phase 1, Increment 1) project on 21 February 2017. The SAIC prototype is ...

• EO/IR systems

  NTS/NTSA

  The Night Targeting System (NTS) was a joint Israeli Air Force and United States Marine Corps (USMC) program to provide AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters with ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS

  Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control developed the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher to provide the US and allied armies with a ...

• 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 ...