• Defence Notes

  Farnborough 2018: Those UK jets were as fast as lightning (video)

  9th July 2018

  With the first first four F-35B Lightning II jets arriving at RAF Marham on 6 June, Shephard takes a closer look at the UK's latest addition to its fleet.

• Digital Battlespace

  Farnborough 2018: Saab looks to Europe and Asia for GlobalEye orders

  17th July 2018

  Following the formal roll out of its GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C;) aircraft in February, Saab is targeting Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Japan likely first export customer for Fire Scout

  13th July 2018

  As Northrop Grumman showcases its MQ-8C Fire Scout at RAF Fairford during the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the UK for the first time, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protector set to arrive in UK next month

  27th June 2018

  The UK Royal Air Force’s incoming Protector RG Mk.1 UAS is expected to make an appearance at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo, with the …

• Naval Warfare

  UDT 2018: Concerns over depth of UK ASW capability

  22nd June 2018

  A report published by the House of Commons Defence Committee on 18 June warned of several areas where the UK’s armed forces lack the capability …

• Defence Notes

  RAF strikes positive tone with F-35B Lightning arrival

  7th June 2018

  Known as The Dambusters, no 617 Sqn delivered the first four F-35B Lightning II to RAF Marham, Norfolk on the evening of 6 June.Their arrival from Marine …

• Military Logistics

  RAF’s A400M Atlas achieves full aeromedical capability

  25th May 2018

  The Royal Air Force’s (RAF) A400M Atlas has achieved full aeromedical evacuation capability for high dependency and highly infectious patients, following a recent demonstration at …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe 2018: Preparing for radar 'war modes'

  4th June 2018

  For pilots and crew, survival in the air is increasingly reliant on the ability to use electronic warfare tactics and technology to avoid and counter the …

• Defence Notes

  Britain to intensify defence against space 'threats'

  21st May 2018

  Britain will boost the number of defence personnel working in the space sector by a fifth over five years to counter ‘intensifying threats’, UK Defence …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Griffins and Squirrels leave helicopter flying school

  9th May 2018

  The last graduates leave the UK’s Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) on 28 March having trained on the Squirrel HT1/HT2 and Griffin HT1 helicopters at …

• Naval Warfare

  Will more ASW capabilities be added to UK naval fleet?

  23rd May 2018

  As the UK invests in ASW capabilities to meet the growing threats in the naval domain, queries from parliament are rising over the reduction in …

• Military Logistics

  New facility for RAF’s P-8 Poseidon fleet

  24th April 2018

  Work has begun at RAF Lossiemouth on a new £132 million facility which will be home to the UK’s new Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) …

• Training

  Inzpire delivers EDA Helicopter Tactics Course

  25th April 2018

  Inzpire has delivered a European Defence Agency Helicopter Tactics Course at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Inzpire announced on 23 April. The three-week course was attended by crews …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK MoD sees role for military in space industry

  30th April 2018

  As the rapid growth trajectory of the global space industry continues the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is keen to establish a role for the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo begins BriteCloud decoy deliveries to RAF

  2nd April 2018

  Leonardo has begun delivering its BriteCloud decoy to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), the company announced on 28 March. The countermeasure protects fighter jets …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B UK

  The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 billion), covering ...

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

  FCAS Loyal Wingman [UK]

  Programme Background FCAS Loyal Wingman Tim Martin reported for Shephard in December 2021 that the international partners involved in the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Tempest programme ...

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

  Low-Cost Uncrewed Air Systems (LANCA) Follow-On Project [UK]

  Programme Background Project Mosquito Beginning in 2019, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in collaboration with the Royal Air Force (RAF), began the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Project Mosquito [UK]

  Programme Background Inception and Capabilities In 2019, in collaboration with the RAF, the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) released details of its new UAS ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M (UK)

  RAF base at Brize Norton built a new training facility for A400M pilots and crew. The aircraft will look to reach full operation capability by 2022 when ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Tier 1 Disposable [UK]

  Programme Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9As in the RAF's inventory with the new, improved MQ-9Bs. With MQ-9B delivering a UK Sovereign capability for ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Programme Background 2021 FMS Announcement In October 2018, the US State Department approved a $3.5 billion FMS of 16 CH-47 Chinooks fitted with extended-range fuel tanks ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Global Combat Air Programme [Japan]

  In December 2022, the UK, Japan, and Italy announced a new partnership under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a trilateral next-generation fighter ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Praetorian DASS

  The Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft provides protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. It integrates an Electronic Support Measure ...

• Data links

  Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15)

  The Pioneer Express (GRRIP, AN/PSC-15) is a small, lightweight flyaway communications system that allows access to secure and non-secure networks and can be used in ...

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

  Tempest 50

  The Tempest 50 is an American loitering munition and UAV from Firestorm Labs. Uniquely, 50 units of the UAV a month can be produced from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-99A

  The AN/VRC-99A is a programmable, wideband, secure, open-architecture tactical communications system providing virtual circuit and datagram service. These services are designed for reliable, simultaneous, multichannel ...

• EO/IR systems

  RAPTOR

  The Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (RAPTOR), based on Raytheon's DB-110, was developed for the UK RAF Tornado GR4s. RAF specifications required target recognition with ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• 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: air combat simulators

  Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service

  Thales provides its Tornado GR4 Synthetic Training Service (TSTS) through its 100%-owned subsidiary, Ace. The service is a complete suite of synthetic training for Tornado ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  FIASTS

  Thales, through 100%-owned subsidiary Merlin, is delivering a ‘packaged’ training and maintenance system for RAF aircrew through the FsAST Integrated Aircrew Synthetic Training Service (FIASTS). ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Tornado (IDS/ADV)

  The Tornado is a family of two-seat, twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole fighters manufactured by Panavia, a trans-European consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus Space and Defence ...

• Loitering munitions

  Arash (series)

  The Arash is a series of Iranian loitering munitions with varying technical specifications.  The long-range aircraft comes in two near-identical variants, the smaller Arash-1 and the ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A400M Training

  Thales is the principal training provider for the Airbus A400M with a contract to provide FFSs and flat-panel trainers. Four A400M FFS and two flat-panel ...

• Air: Displays

  Tornado Advanced Radar Dsiplay & Information System (TARDIS)

  The Tornado Advanced Radar Display & Information System (TARDIS) is developed by BAE Systems, UK, specifically for the UK's Royal Air Force's (RAF) fleet of ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  Engineering and Maintenance Training

  BAE Systems designs and delivers engineering and maintenance training, with the ability to provide a package to address the needs of all personnel ranging from ...

• ISR/special mission, Trainer

  TC-135S/W

  The TC-135S and TC-135W are training aircraft developed by Boeing based on the EC-135 to provide crew training for RC-135S Cobra Ball optical and electronic ...