• Digital Battlespace

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Typhoon gearing for Tornado’s capabilities

  13th November 2017

  The UK Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fleet is poised for new capability upgrades as the aircraft are readied to take on the role currently …

• Training

  Serco training contract with CAE extended

  31st October 2017

  Serco’s contract with CAE to deliver helicopter pilot training and provide facilities management services for the Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) at Royal …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Training

  UK MoD extends CAE helicopter training

  26th October 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investing more than £90 million in helicopter training for Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots, the MoD …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF receives final RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

  3rd October 2017

  L3 Technologies has delivered the third and final RC-135V/W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft to the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF). The three Rivet Joint …

• Training

  MacDill looks to add KC-135 training capacity

  28th September 2017

  The US Air Force’s 6 Air Mobility Wing (AMW) is based at MacDill AFB near Tampa, Florida. The AMW’s air refuelling assets currently comprise 91 …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: Chinook to stay in UK's future fleet

  12th September 2017

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is in talks with the US Army in relation to standing up a new variant of the Chinook, a senior …

• Military Logistics

  RAF’s A400M participates in Mobility Guardian

  21st August 2017

  A Royal Air Force  (RAF) A400M Atlas has taken part in Exercise Mobility Guardian in the US, the RAF announced on 14 August. The exercise …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian achieves new milestone

  23rd August 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAS has completed an FAA-approved flight from Laguna Airfield at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, through national airspace to the …

• Naval Warfare

  US coastal patrol ships test Griffin missiles

  8th August 2017

  US Navy coastal patrol ships assigned to Patrol Coastal Squadron (PCRON) One have carried out proficiency fire testing of their MK 60 Griffin Missile Systems …

• Naval Warfare

  Germany to upgrade P-3C fleet

  3rd August 2017

  Germany will upgrade its eight-strong P-3C fleet in a five-year programme that will keep the aircraft at the backbone of the country’s maritime patrol capability …

• Defence Notes

  Air Power 2017: Flexibility vital for RAF success

  14th July 2017

  Novel partnerships must be improved to ensure the Royal Air Force is equipped to operate in increasingly contested operational environments, a former director of the United …

• Defence Notes

  Air Power 2017: CAS highlights partnerships

  12th July 2017

  As the Royal Air Force (RAF) looks forward to its centenary in 2018, the Chief of the Air Staff has highlighted partnerships as key for …

• Defence Notes

  Air Power 2017: RAF looks to regain competitive edge

  12th July 2017

  Having 'lost its competitive edge' in air warfare, the Royal Air Force (RAF) needs to exploit technologies such as cloud computing and airborne communications networks, a …

• Training

  RAF’s Grob 120TP ready to fly

  18th July 2017

  The Royal Air Force's (RAF's) Grob 120TP trainer aircraft has achieved Military Release to Service. The Grob 120TP is part of a suite of new …

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 ...