• Defence Notes

  Dramatic changes in store for ADF after Defence Strategic Review is released

  26th April 2023

  There are no major surprises in the Defence Strategic Review, but it presages a major change of direction for Australia's military and approach to defence.

• Air Warfare

  European helicopter modernisation advances in Latvia and Czech Republic

  16th December 2022

  Latvia has received its first UH-60M helicopter, while the Czech Republic has taken delivery of support equipment for its UH-1Y and AH-1Z fleets.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing kicks off MH-139A Grey Wolf production for US Air Force

  9th March 2023

  Deliveries of the first batch of MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters will begin next year.

• Air Warfare

  Bell makes move on FLRAA test lab construction despite ongoing Defiant protest

  27th March 2023

  Bell Textron began laying the foundations for a new testing facility for its V-280 Valor helicopter despite protest over its US Army Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract win.

• Naval Warfare

  Indonesian Navy receives an additional hospital ship

  23rd January 2023

  Another hospital ship joins the ranks of the Indonesian Navy, while the induction of the sixth and final KCR-60M missile patrol boat approaches.

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman expands knowledge base for UH-60V digital helicopter cockpit

  24th November 2022

  Northrop Grumman will provide UH-60V Black Hawk engineering support services as part of a KBR-led contract awarded by the DoD Information Analysis Center.

• Air Warfare

  Indian Army fast-tracks new UAVs and C-UAS jammers

  14th February 2023

  India is quickly pushing UAVs into the hands of troops, with several new tenders issued, as well as other systems to jam enemy unmanned systems.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing joins Airbus team in bid for UK New Medium Helicopter

  6th March 2023

  Boeing has teamed up with the Airbus-led H175M Task Force in the $1.15bn New Medium Helicopter programme bid to replace the UK armed forces' ageing Puma fleet from 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan’s military enhances transport capability to offshore islands

  29th January 2023

  Japan, concerned by the vulnerability of its southwest archipelago, is seeking to boost its military transport capacity to the area.

• Air Warfare

  US Army FARA prototypes 95% complete while FLRAA stays on full halt

  13th February 2023

  Sikorsky and Bell helicopter proposals are drawing close to completion for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lithuania acquires Switchblade 600

  27th December 2022

  The country announced a €45 million ($48 million) agreement with the US Government for the purchase of Switchblade 600 unmanned weapon systems.

• Defence Helicopter

  Italian Army takes its final NH90 helicopter on order

  2nd December 2022

  NHIndustries and Leonardo have completed deliveries of NH90 TTH helicopters to the Italian Army.

• Land Warfare

  Australia delays armoured vehicle replacement decision till 2023

  28th November 2022

  The chances of Land 400 Phase 3 retaining its original look for 450 new IFVs grow more and more strained.

• Defence Helicopter

  Guatemala receives Bell Subaru helicopters

  21st December 2022

  The latest version of the Bell 412 helicopter has improved performance and weight capacity and will support Guatemala in various missions.

• Air Warfare

  Sweden could face ASW capability gap by slashing NH90

  10th November 2022

  As Sweden is set to become a NATO member, its regional ASW and ASuW responsibilities will increase. Phasing out the NH90 gradually will win some time for Stockholm, but soon it will have to make a decision on a new helicopter capability.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk-USA

  The UH-60M Black Hawk is a digitally networked platform with greater range and lift to support maneuver commanders through air assault, general support, command and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Additional UH-60M Procurement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirement In November 2022, General Micael Byden of the Swedish Armed Forces announced that the country would replace its NH90 fleet. At the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawks [Greece]

  Programme Background In October 2023, Greece submitted a formal request to acquire 49 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as replacements for the Army's Bell UH-1s after launching ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (First Contact) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HM-3 Cougar & HM-2 Black Hawk Replacement [Brazil]

  Programme Background As reported by Janes in August 2023, Army Commander General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva stated on 20 July that the Army was aiming ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M (Australia)

  Programme Background Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said, 'The Black Hawk makes perfect sense, and they are much cheaper to fly than what the Taipans ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contact) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk-Saudi Arabia

  At the end of June 2017, Sikorsky had received the green light from the US Army for a five year contract worth $3.8 billion for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M - Jordan

  On 7 July 2020, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS of one UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and related equipment ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 (Japan)

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 Forecast (Japan)

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Alternative [USA]

  Programme Background FARA Programme As covered in more detail in a separate entry on Defence Insight, the US Army initiated the FARA project in 2018 to develop a ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Indonesian Navy PC-60M

  Programme Background Local Indonesian shipyard PT Caputra Mitra Sejati has designed and developed a class of fast patrol boats that have been ordered by the ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60L/M Black Hawk

  The Sikorsky UH-60/S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter that entered US Army service in 1979 as the UH-60A Black Hawk. It was succeeded in 1987 by ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Helicopter engines

  T700-701D

  Designed to be rugged, reliable and maintainable, the T700-701D turboshaft engine powers the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64E. The 701D provides improved durability ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i Black Hawk

  The S-70i is an international variant of Sikorsky's UH-60/S-70. It is produced by Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland and by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The aircraft’s ...

• Air: mission management systems

  CMA-2082MC

  Produced by CMC Electronics, CMA-2082MC provides radio and flight management functions in a single unit. It allows the centralised control of several subsystems, including navigation, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60J/JA

  The UH-60J is a license-built version of Sikorsky's S-70, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan for transport and search and rescue missions. 

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Flight2

  The Flight2 integrated flight and mission management system provides increased situation awareness that enables reduced pilot workload, while enhancing flight safety and improving mission effectiveness. ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  UH-60 Rotor Brake Trainer

  This trainer provides a full-scale device to prepare Black Hawk maintenance personnel to maintain the UH-60M rotor brake system. The trainer consists of a student ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UH-60 Avionics Trainer

  This full-sized trainer provides an environment for training and evaluating utility helicopter service personnel in fault isolation and maintenance of the US Army's UH-60M avionics ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems, Land: Radio and SATCOM

  FlexLink

  FlexLink Adaptive Connectivity Solution is a developmental communications system that emphasises Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) design. Designed by Collins Aerospace, it can create cross-domain networks operating in ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  ROC Army UH-60M OFT

  L3 Link (now L3Harris Technologies) gained ready-for-training certification in 2015 on two UH-60M OFT delivered to the Taiwan Army. These training devices are similar to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W

  The HH-60W Jolly Green II is being developed by Sikorsky, based on the UH-60M Black Hawk, to meet the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme requirements of ...

• Light mortars

  WW90

  Norinco's WW90 crew-served 60mm light mortar is offered to export customers with a choice of two barrel lengths: the WW90-60L with a 1.3m barrel and ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  UH-60 BST

  The Black Hawk Stabilator Trainer (BST) part-task trainer is designed to train the US Army 15T 10/30 maintainer to support the UH-60M tail rotor drive ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  60m Fast Attack Craft

  The 60m Fast Attack Craft (FAC) is a gunboat designed by PT PAL. According to the Indonesian shipbuilder, the 60m FAC can perform ASuW missions and ...