• Training

  CAE to support US Army High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System training

  24th August 2023

  CAE will provide flight training services for the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 full flight simulator at CAE Dothan Training Center.

• Air Warfare

  US approves Spain's $2.8 billion Patriot purchase

  6th October 2023

  Spain set to add four Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Unit to its armoury, along with four AN/MPQ-65 radar sets and four AN/MSQ-132 engagement control stations.

• 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.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ukraine approves artifiicial intelligence-enabled Saker drone for use in combat

  8th September 2023

  The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has greenlit the Saker Scout drone complex, featuring advanced AI-driven target detection and engagement capabilities, for combat deployment.

• Air Warfare

  Japan receives its full complement of Global Hawks

  4th July 2023

  All three of Japan's Global Hawk HALE UAVs have now come home to roost in the Asian nation.

• Training

  Adacel joins CAE team to pursue Australian future air mission training project

  15th August 2023

  Air traffic control training and simulation solution provider Adacel has joined the CAE-led Team AUStringer in response to the Australian AIR 5428 Phase 3, Future Air Mission Training System (F-AMTS) effort.

• Training

  Black Construction wins additional $11 million funds for US fire training range

  21st August 2023

  Black Construction has been awarded an $11 million contract modification from the US DoD to design and construct a live-fire training range complex.

• 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.

• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2023 in review: Ukraine, AI and the real world

  20th September 2023

  DSEI 2023 took place in the shadow of the largest European land war in more than seven decades and a growth in conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) with limited UK immediate defence programme opportunities; many of the new products and exhibitors' announcements reflected this.

• Training

  UK trains hundreds of Ukrainian marines

  14th August 2023

  Ukrainian marines were trained by Royal Marines and British Army Commandos to conduct small boat amphibious operations, including beach raids.

• Land Warfare

  Poland signs contract for Javelin anti-tank weapon production

  8th September 2023

  Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) have signed an MoU to explore Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) production in Poland, securing future production and strengthening strategic partnerships.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: What does the future hold for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft?

  11th September 2023

  The Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A has been adopted by Middle Eastern air forces as well as the European partner nations. Shephard Defence Insight analyses its next-generation radar, cockpit technology and future upgrade plans.

• Air Warfare

  Georgia air force base set to host F-35 fighters as Congress debates A-10 Warthog retirement

  28th June 2023

  Amidst ongoing deliberations in Congress regarding the retirement of a portion of its A-10 Warthog fleet, the US Air Force has initiated the replacement of the A-10 with the F-35 at Moody AFB.

• Training

  Textron completes T-6C Texan II deliveries to Tunisia

  17th August 2023

  The eighth and last Beechcraft T-6C Texan II aircraft has arrived in support of Tunisian Air Force pilot training at No 13 Squadron at Sfax Air Base in Tunisia.

• Training

  NATO, Latvia team up to test 5G for military comms solutions

  4th September 2023

  A Latvian-NATO operational technology exploration scheduled for October will involve trials with virtual and augmented realities, uncrewed vehicles, sensors and applications within a tactical 5G bubble.

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 ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Loyal Wingman (Forecast) [Sweden]

  Programme Background Konceptet Framtidens Stridsflyg (KFS) In May 2024, Saab revealed the initial details of Sweden's Konceptet Framtidens Stridsflyg (KFS), translating to a future fighter aircraft ...

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

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Requirements The baseline requirements for Increment 2 of the CCA effort are similar to Increment 1, which is covered in a separate entry on Defence ...

• 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) (Increment 1) [USAF]

  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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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.

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• EW test systems

  ELT A62

  ELT A62 product family deals with multiple sensors of EW equipment suites. ELT A62 is a training system for EW personnel that can be sea-, ...

• 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 ...