• Digital Battlespace

  Japan’s AWACS fleet to receive upgrades

  23rd May 2018

  The US Air Force (USAF) Life Cycle Management Center has awarded a $208 million contract to Boeing to upgrade the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s …

• Military Logistics

  AECOM receives J-Tech II contract from USAF

  24th May 2018

  AECOM’s subsidiaryJT4 has received a 15-year contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for Joint Range Technical Services (J-Tech II), the company announced on 23 …

• Digital Battlespace

  GDIT receives USAF cloud services contract

  11th May 2018

  General Dynamics Information Technology has received a $9 million sole-source contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for Cloud Hosted Enterprise Services (CHES), the company …

• Military Logistics

  USAF orders T-38C modification kits

  18th May 2018

  CPI Aerostructures has received purchase orders from the US Air Force to provide structural modification kits for the T-38C Pacer Classic III aircraft structural modification …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: USAF special forces issue stand-off munitions challenge

  24th May 2018

  When it comes to stand-off precision guided munitions (SOPGM), US Air Force special forces is challenging industry to bring forward new munitions and solve technical …

• Training

  USAF receives new A-29s for training mission

  8th May 2018

  The US Air force has received a new batch of A-29s Super Tucanos at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The aircraft will support the 81st …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: FlightSafety adds to KC-46A aircrew training

  9th May 2018

  The US DoD has announced that FlightSafety Services Corporation (FSSC) has been awarded a $35 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the KC-46A …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: JSOC to reveal technology interest areas

  16th May 2018

  The US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has revealed a hit-list of technology interest areas due to be exploited over the course of 2018 in …

• Digital Battlespace

  AN/ALR-69A (V) receivers ordered by USAF

  2nd May 2018

  Raytheon has received an IDIQ contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to deliver the AN/ALR-69A (V) all-digital radar warning receiver, the company announced on …

• Military Logistics

  US Air Force worries over ‘brittle’ supply chain

  17th May 2018

  Some US Air Force senior logisticians are worried over the ‘brittleness’ of the service’s supply chain.  That was one of the key messages delivered at …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF baseline SBIRS constellation complete

  4th May 2018

  The US Air Force's (USAF's) fourth Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite has transmitted its first images back to Earth, Lockheed …

• Training

  Global air forces to integrate training for fifth gen aircraft

  27th April 2018

  Increasing numbers of air forces are looking towards integrating live, virtual and constructive domains in an effort to re-balance their training to accommodate fifth-generation aircraft …

• Land Warfare

  Med-Eng’s EOD 10 bomb suit for USAF

  16th April 2018

  Med-Eng has received a five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to provide its EOD 10 bomb suit for the …

• Military Logistics

  Rockwell awarded KC-135 work

  12th April 2018

  Rockwell Collins has received multiple repair contracts from the US Air Force (USAF) to support Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) components on the KC-135 tanker …

• Military Logistics

  US Air Force exploring C2 modules for C-17

  16th April 2018

  The US Air Force is developing a programme designed to optionally enhance the C2 infrastructure aboard selected C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. Designated as the C-17 Roll-On Conference …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  RQ-20B Puma (USAF)

  Programme Background Requirement According to the AeroVironment Vice President and product line general manager, Trace Stevenson, the USAF Security Forces requires a small UAV to ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)

  Programme Background Procurement & Inventory According to the USAF FY2019 Budget Estimate document, the USAF set aside funds to acquire 433 MQ-9 Reapers by the end of ...

• MPVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Air Force]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• 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, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF Future Procurement

  The USAF is planning to order 1137 F-35As between FY2026 and FY2048 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase will be at a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A (USA)

  Programme Background The first four Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) KC-46A aircraft were delivered to McConnell AFB in Kansas in January 2019. As of December 2020, a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• 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. ...

• Major networking projects

  C2 ConstellationNet

  According to David Tillotson, director of C4ISR architecture AF/XI, in a report to Congress: 'The ConstellationNet is the communications network – air, space and terrestrial ...

• Air: aerial targets

  QF-16 FSAT

  The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS 10.2 Upgrade

  Raytheon’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Block 10.2 upgrade allows intelligence data to be posted to the network for immediate use by analysts and warfighters, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  SPX

  The SPX drone is a fixed-wing UAV manufactured by RapidFlight. It features a modular payload bay and is fitted with RapidFlight's Common Avionics 2.0 modular interface. ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-10 Extender

  The KC-10 Extender is a tanker/transport aircraft developed for the USAF by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). It was derived from the company’s three-engine ...

• 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. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk

  The Global Hawk is a HALE UAV manufactured by General Atomics (GA-ASI).  Primarily designed to carry ISTAR payloads, the platform has accumulated more than 200,000 ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  R-HUD

  The Replacement Heads-Up Display (R-HUD) is a Primary Flight Reference system designed to replace legacy HUD units on C-17 aircraft. Manufactured by Elbit Systems of ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Flat Panel Control Indicator

  BAE Systems Flat Panel Control Indicator (FPCI) is designed to replace legacy Navigation Control Indicators in F-15C/D aircraft. It features a new AMLCD display and ...

• Bomber

  B-2 Spirit

  The B-2 Spirit is a multirole stealth bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the USAF. The Spirit is a flying wing aircraft, meaning that it ...