• Land Warfare

  Challenger 3 upgrade includes three phases but ammo requirements remain unclear

  21st April 2022

  There are three distinct phases to the Challenger 3 MBT upgrade plan for the British Army, but the MoD is still considering its 120mm ammunition options.

• Naval Warfare

  UK accesses FMS programme with Tomahawk request

  30th March 2022

  Will the UK emulate US efforts to upgrade its Tomahawk cruise missiles to Block Va and Block Vb configuration?

• Defence Notes

  Blighter launches deployable radar system

  13th April 2022

  Blighter says the A422 Deployable Radar System is light enough to be transported in a vehicle and then carried to a vantage point.

• Defence Notes

  EW community to reunite at AOC Europe 2022

  14th April 2022

  AOC Europe 2022 is returning in 10-12 May at Parc des Expositions, Montpellier in France to reunite the European electronic warfare community under one roof.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: No surprises as BISim wins DVS2

  27th April 2022

  The DVS2 contract win for BISim highlights that games technology has matured to the point where it has totally eclipsed proprietary image-generation systems as a source of visualisation.

• Defence Notes

  Russia-Ukraine war challenges UK force structure assumptions (Opinion)

  25th March 2022

  Barely a year after the publication of the Integrated Review, the UK MoD now finds itself observing a major conflict in Europe, and it will have to draw conclusions on what this means for force structures and presence.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Draken Europe secures RAF aggressor programme

  26th April 2022

  The new Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service for the RAF will use L-159E aircraft from Draken Europe.

• Training

  Australia selects Applied Virtual Simulation for Common Simulation Software

  14th April 2022

  Land Simulation Core 2.0 aims to better enable combined arms training from a range of locations.

• Air Warfare

  Indo-Pacific 2022: Despite grim Reaper decision, GA-ASI retains hope

  10th May 2022

  Naval Group was not present at the Sydney expo after cancellation of its submarine programme, but GA-ASI put in an appearance despite its own Australian setback.

• Digital Battlespace

  UK seeks US-made ballistic missile defence equipment

  18th March 2022

  Less than a month after delaying a BMD radar plan until 2029, the UK MoD is now requesting equipment from Lockheed Martin under the FMS programme.

• Land Warfare

  UK Ajax programme viability remains in limbo

  25th March 2022

  An NAO report pointed out that the future of the British Army’s Ajax programme remains unclear as the MoD continues to face significant issues with the vehicle, in addition to not having a timescale defined for this programme.

• Naval Warfare

  RN explores autonomous vehicles under attack submarine replacement plans

  16th May 2022

  Work on the future SSN(R), the replacement for the Astute-class submarines, continues to progress as planned.

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems to supply FMS Apache fleet with EW kit

  7th April 2022

  US Army brokers deal for BAE Systems to provide its Common Missile Warning System for a fleet of Apache attack helicopters.

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Dagger arrives in Gibraltar

  4th April 2022

  With its sister boat HMS Cutlass, HMS Dagger will patrol territorial waters around Gibraltar and support UK defence exercises.

• Training

  Pitfalls remain with giving Ukraine modern fighter jets

  11th May 2022

  It seems appealing to fast-track pilot training by conducting most flights on simulators and omitting certain procedures if the West were to give more modern aircraft for Ukraine’s air force, but it might prove challenging in practice.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Armed Micro Drone [UK]

  On 19 May 2023, the UK MoD published a request for information on armed micro UAV capabilities to help it better understand the marketplace, introduce possible ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Armed Micro Drone [UK]

  On 19 May 2023, the UK MoD published a request for information on armed micro UAV capabilities to help it better understand the marketplace, introduce possible ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35B Follow-On UK

  The Royal Air Force is planning to acquire 90 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters from 2026, in addition to the 48 aircraft which London had ordered for delivery ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35B Follow-On UK

  The Royal Air Force is planning to acquire 90 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters from 2026, in addition to the 48 aircraft which London had ordered for delivery ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35B Follow-On UK

  The Royal Air Force is planning to acquire 90 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters from 2026, in addition to the 48 aircraft which London had ordered for delivery ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Quadome

  The Quadome is an AESA Naval Air and Surface surveillance Radar developed by Hensoldt UK. The radar will equip the future Fleet Solid Support ships ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Military UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Data links

  AN/URC-138

  The AN/URC-138 is a Link 16 interoperable terminal originally developed for the Sea Harrier. It has the same Link 16 crypto as JTIDS/MIDS. The system ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warthog

  The Warthog is based on the ST Kinetics Bronco all terrain tracked carrier (ATTC) and was developed to meet a UK MoD urgent operational requirement ...

• Air: maintenance simulators

  GenSkill

  Pennant has developed, in consultation with the UK RAF, the GenSkill trainer to introduce students to the hand skills necessary to work on aircraft components. ...