• Air Warfare

  Raytheon and Northrop Grumman awarded follow-on contract for hypersonic systems

  18th July 2023

  Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have won a follow-on contract from DARPA to advance air-breathing hypersonic systems. The partnership aims to enhance Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) flight vehicles and deliver critical capabilities for warfighters.

• Air Warfare

  Elbit Systems to equip Philippine maritime patrol aircraft

  11th July 2023

  The Israeli company will integrate maritime patrol mission systems onto an ATR 72 turboprop for the Philippine Air Force.

• Defence Notes

  L3Harris to design satellite payload for tracking hypersonic threats

  30th June 2023

  L3Harris has been contracted to carry out critical design phase work to provide data predictions for an infrared satellite-based sensor to track hypersonic missiles.

• Air Warfare

  GAO report reveals critical F-35 maintenance challenges impacting US fighter readiness

  3rd October 2023

  The US DoD is facing significant obstacles in achieving its sustainment goals for the fleet of approximately 450 F-35 fighters despite plans to expand the fleet to 2,000 over the next two decades.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin selects GE engines for LMXT USAF tanker offering

  8th June 2023

  Lockheed Martin has announced the selection of GE Aerospace's CF6-80E1 turbofan for the LMXT strategic tanker.  The LMXT is Lockheed Martin's solution for the USAF's …

• Land Warfare

  US military bolsters anti-UAS defences with DroneGun order

  21st April 2023

  a $2.2 million order covers the acquisition of DroneGun Mk4 RF effectors and other handheld systems.

• Air Warfare

  US greenlights prospective sale of P-8A Poseidon to Canada

  28th June 2023

  The proposed sale of 16 Boeing P-8A Poseidons to Canada worth $5.9 billion awaits a final decision from Ottawa on its Multi-Mission Aircraft competition.

• Defence Helicopter

  Fokker Services Group accredited for Dutch NH90 base maintenance

  4th July 2023

  Fokker Services Group announced it has been accredited by the Military Aviation Authority of the Netherlands to continue base maintenance work on Dutch NH90 helicopters.

• Naval Warfare

  Denmark inks contract for new patrol vessel design

  23rd June 2023

  The Danish Defence Materiel and Procurement Agency (FMI) has today signed a contract for the design of new patrol ships for the Danish Navy.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea seeks extra F-35A fighters

  15th September 2023

  South Korea is looking for more F-35A fighters to bolster its fleet, as development of the KF-21 Boramae continues apace.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: How will the US Navy keep its EA-18G Growler EW aircraft flying until 2046?

  14th September 2023

  The carrier-based EA-18G Growler entered service in 2010 and is intended to remain in service until 2046. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the key operational technologies on the aircraft and the upgrade path needed to keep it flying and effective for another two decades.

• Naval Warfare

  Italian Parliament greenlights third U212NFS submarine

  31st May 2023

  Italy's Parliament has approved the construction of the third boat under Rome's U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) programme.

• Air Warfare

  Aeronautics launches Orbiter 5 UAV at Paris Air Show touting MALE-like capabilities

  21st June 2023

  At Paris Air Show, Israeli-drone maker Aeronautics launched its latest drone, the Orbiter 5, which blends a tactical platform with MALE-like capabilities.

• Defence Notes

  US to increase investment in deterrence in the Indo-Pacific theatre

  18th August 2023

  The Senate Committee on Appropriations recently proposed an additional $534 million above the $9.1 billion requested in Pentagon’s FY2024 budget proposal to be invested in military capacities in the region.

• Defence Notes

  Lawmakers to provide nearly $700 million in extra funds for US Army ground vehicle programmes

  16th June 2023

  The House Armed Services Committee has proposed allocating additional resources to the Abrams, Stryker, Bradley and PIM programmes and reducing the budget of the OMFV effort.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Project Proteus [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The RN requires an uncrewed helicopter to test the viability of larger uncrewed aircraft for the RN, possibly providing an alternative to crewed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

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

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Baby Shark 260

  The Foxtech Baby Shark 260 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV for commercial and civil operations, which has four spar-mounted rotors to provide vertical lift, a pusher ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

• Military UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

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

  Ultra

  The Ultra UAV, or HCMC, is a fixed-wing twin-engined cargo-carrying platform manufactured by Windracers. The platform is mainly aimed at the commercial market and has conducted trials ...

• EO/IR systems

  VLP-16

  Velodyne's VLP-16 Puck is a small and compact lidar that is power and performance optimised for usage across a variety of applications. This ranges from ...

• Nimbus 1800

  Foxtech's Nimbus 1800 is a tri-copter, lightweight, fixed-wing VTOL UAV designed for civilian and commercial mapping and inspection roles. It has a 2.8kg weight without ...