• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman says no to prime role on US Air Force NGAD fighter programme

  28th July 2023

  'We're not planning to respond to the NGAD request for proposal as the prime,' Northrop Grumman's CEO said, revealing the company's decision to opt out of heading up the USAF's Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.

• Air Warfare

  Germany green-lights Israel’s use of Heron TP combat UAV on Hamas

  12th October 2023

  The Heron TP UAVs Germany is leasing from Israel's IAI are likely equipped with precision-guided missiles designed for rapid and spatially limited effect against vehicles or positions.

• Training

  Exercise Iron Titan clears new UK Apache for frontline duty

  25th October 2023

  Exercise Iron Titan focused on improving interoperability, tactics and C2 procedures while evaluating new equipment.

• Air Warfare

  US approves $5.6 billion F-35 jet sale to Czech Republic

  30th June 2023

  The F-35 deal for the Czech Republic will include a spare Pratt & Whitney engine, weapon systems, electronic warfare and communications kit and other equipment.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force takes delivery of laser weapons

  15th June 2023

  Raytheon Technologies have delivered the fourth combat-ready laser weapon to the USAF.

• Air Warfare

  Canada orders 14 Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft

  1st December 2023

  Canada will purchase 14 Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft to replace its ageing CP-140 Aurora fleet, joining Australia, New Zealand, US and UK as an operator of the aircraft type.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems coalition aims to bring barrel manufacture back to UK

  12th December 2023

  The UK’s Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) requirement will replace the country’s three-decade-old AS90 howitzers and has three bidders already in place.

• Land Warfare

  Adaptable Architecture: How Vehicle Communications are Evolving for the Modern Battlespace

  12th June 2024

  In Conversation... General Dynamics Mission Systems' Dr Emeka Egbogah talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the communications challenges facing armoured vehicle crews and the need for an open-architecture modular system to meet their constantly evolving needs.

• Training

  HAL delivers India’s first LCA twin-seat trainer

  5th October 2023

  India has received the first twin-seat trainer version of the Tejas aircraft manufactured by HAL.

• Defence Notes

  US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025

  12th March 2024

  The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: GDLS introduces a new version of the Stryker armoured vehicle with robotic capabilities

  7th October 2023

  The StrykerQB has a hybrid diesel-electric power pack, has been designed to provide silent movement and watch, and has been developed with exportable electric power.

• Training

  Leonardo ups the ante on M345 trainer jet pitch to Slovakia

  6th September 2023

  Leonardo has cemented partnerships with Slovak defence companies LOTN, VRM and Slavia Production Systems in an effort to bolster a proposal to supply its M345 jet trainer to Slovakia as the country's air force transitions to an F-16 fighter fleet.

• Air Warfare

  GKN Aerospace to help Airbus to deliver Dutch H225M multirole helicopters

  3rd August 2023

  GKN Aerospace has signed an MoU with Airbus Helicopters to provide support for the H225M helicopters intended for Dutch special forces.

• Training

  International forces collaborate in Exercise Ulchi to enhance Northeast Asia's security

  22nd August 2023

  Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 23 underscores international cooperation in strengthening defence capabilities, as US and South Korean military units and several UN Command member states engage in training.

• Defence Notes

  How the Pentagon is using quantum technology to improve its military capabilities

  29th August 2023

  The US DoD has been conducting several initiatives in the area of quantum science, the study of the smallest possible units of matter and energy, and intends to deepen the efforts in FY2024 as it watches China make advances in defence.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

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

  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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. ...

• ISR/special mission

  EA-37B Compass Call

  The EA-37B (also known as EC-37B) is a Compass Call EW aircraft based on the commercial G550 platform. The USAF is now transitioning the EW capabilities previously ...

• 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-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 ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Subsystems: software, Subsystems: visual

  SimuSphere HD

  SimuSphere HD immerses fast jet pilots in a virtual training environment claimed to be equivalent to real-world flying missions. As part of L3Harris Technologies' HD ...