• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin submits GPS IIIF proposal

  19th April 2018

  Lockheed Martin has submitted its proposal for the US Air Force's GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) programme, it was announced on 17 April. The …

• Military Logistics

  USAF tests fire trucks in cold weather

  5th April 2018

  The US Air Force’s (USAF) fire service has tested the discharge systems of firefighting agents on the force's fire trucks, the USAF announced on 3 …

• Training

  UASF testing SPYDR device

  4th April 2018

  The US Air Force (USAF) Life Cycle Management Center’s Agile Combat Support Directorate has awarded a contract to Spotlight Labs for testing of the company’s …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSA 2018: Indonesia receives final Apache Guardians

  11th April 2018

  The Indonesian Army received its five remaining AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters on 29 March. Photos of the arrival and unloading of the helicopters from a …

• Defence Helicopter

  US accelerates CV-22 stationing in Japan

  4th April 2018

  Five Bell-Boeing CV-22 Ospreys belonging to the USAF were unloaded from a ship at the port of Yokohama in Japan on 4 April.  This is significant because the …

• Defence Helicopter

  US government closes in on third V-22 multi-year

  10th April 2018

  The Pentagon is preparing to finalise and sign off on a third multi-year (MY3) Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey contract, with the deal expected to be completed …

• Military Logistics

  India seals contract for final C-17A

  5th April 2018

  India has finally inked a $262 million contract for the final ‘white tail’ Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft, with notification occurring on 30 March. …

• Military Logistics

  USAF tests new HUD for C-17 Globemaster III

  14th March 2018

  The US Air Force's 418th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) is completing testing on a new head-up display for the C-17 Globemaster III. The USAF is …

• Training

  Lockheed awarded AFSOC contract

  20th March 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a contract from the USAF to provide training support services for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Telos secures NETCENTS-2 task order

  8th March 2018

  Telos has secured a five-year, $108 million task order under the US Air Force’s (USAF) Network-Centric Solutions-2 (NETCENTS) contract, the company announced on 5 March.The …

• Defence Notes

  China to build 'world's fastest' wind tunnel

  20th March 2018

  China has announced it is building the world's fastest wind tunnel to develop a new generation of super-fast airplanes, but it could also be used …

• Defence Helicopter

  Seven US personnel killed in Iraq helicopter crash: official

  16th March 2018

  Seven US military personnel were killed when the helicopter carrying them crashed during a routine transport mission in western Iraq, a US Department of Defense …

• Training

  USAF plans T-X base roll-out

  23rd February 2018

  The US Air Force (USAF) has detailed where it will begin the roll out of the Advanced Pilot Trainer (T-X) aircraft when it enters service …

• Training

  USAF to get enhanced training courseware

  2nd March 2018

  US company Alpha-Omega Change Engineering (AOCE) has been awarded a $8.5 million firm, fixed-price contract modification, known as Phase 1, to produce additional training courseware for …

• Defence Notes

  Directed energy weapons key for ballistic missile defence

  8th March 2018

  Despite the US military’s rocky relationship with directed energy, top Pentagon leaders made the case to Congress for eventually folding high powered lasers into the …

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 ...