• Military Logistics

  RAF opens new Atlas aircraft hangar

  7th February 2018

  The Royal Air Force (RAF) has opened a new hangar for its A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, the UK Ministry of Defence announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF eyes the skies in Shetland

  30th January 2018

  The Royal Air Force (RAF) is getting a new remote radar facility at Saxa Vord, Unst, Shetland, to support the tracking of unidentified military and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protector deliveries yet to be finalised as IOC looms

  25th January 2018

  As development of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian continues with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) announcing the first SATCOM taxi of the system, the timeline for first deliveries of …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus delivers 15th A400M to Germany

  18th January 2018

  Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the 15th A400M multi-role military transporter aircraft to the German Air Force, the company announced on 15 January. Germany …

• Training

  MASS supports Eagle Warrior exercise

  17th January 2018

  MASS has supported the Royal Air Force (RAF)-led exercise Eagle Warrior at the RAF College in Cranwell, the company announced on 12 January. More than …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK to launch new radar against 'severe' Russian threat

  27th January 2018

  Britain's defence minister Gavin Williamson said a new radar off Scotland's Shetland Islands would help tackle the 'severe and real' threat from Moscow. In a …

• Defence Helicopter

  British Army’s Lynx officially retired

  18th January 2018

  The British Army has officially retired its Lynx helicopter fleet after almost 40 years in service, the army announced on 16 January. Lynx entered into …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK's ISR gaps to be plugged by new platforms

  19th January 2018

  The UK's capability to collect intelligence from airborne platforms will be affected by the impending retirement of the Sentinel R1 and Tornado, but other platforms …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters to support RAF’s Puma Mk2

  2nd January 2018

  Airbus Helicopters and the UK Ministry of Defence have signed a follow-on support arrangement contract to provide support to the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Puma …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Qatari Typhoon buy looms as an RAF threat

  22nd December 2017

  Qatar and the UK have signed a contract for the provision of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft for the Qatari Air Force. This deal takes the …

• Training

  Inzpire supports Exercise Iron Dragon

  12th December 2017

  Inzpire has designed and delivered an experimental synthetic training exercise to 3rd Division (UK) headquarters at the Royal Air Force Air Battlespace Training Centre (ABTC) …

• Military Logistics

  RAF Marham transformation underway

  28th November 2017

  Works to prepare RAF Marham for the arrival of the F-35B next year are underway under Project Anvil, the Royal Air Force announced on 27 …

• Training

  EDA helicopter COMAO course completed

  23rd November 2017

  The European Defence Agency’s (EDA's) second helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning course has successfully completed at Royal Air Force (RAF) base Linton-on-Ouse, the EDA …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: 3D Perception delivers Northstar to Lockheed

  29th November 2017

  Projection display specialists, 3D Perception, has now delivered its Northstar visual display system to Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems and completed factory acceptance testing.The Northstar …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo receives threat simulation contract

  15th November 2017

  Leonardo has been contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide equipment that will simulate radar threats to the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail - UK (Second Order)

  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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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: 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: 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  LANCA / Mosquito

  The Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) is a developmental 'Loyal Wingman' UAS that the RAF and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) hoped would support its crewed ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Eurofighter HMSS

  Eurofighter Typhoon’s Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) provides pilots with enhanced situational awareness, data display and sensor/effector cueing. Developed by BAE Systems, it is in ...