• Defence Notes

  Saudi Arabia to receive first F-15SA

  14th December 2016

  The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is set to receive this week the first batch of F-15SA aircraft from Boeing Defense. The US congress was …

• Digital Battlespace

  Increased bandwidth ready for launch

  8th December 2016

  The eighth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite was launched on the evening of 7 December and highlights an ongoing requirement for increased bandwidth. This latest WGS …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2016: USAF intel sees app-ortunities

  27th November 2016

  The US Air Force is trialling new ways to train its intelligence personnel, including app-based, mobile training that is more suited to the high-tech millennials …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF orders Thales landing systems

  11th November 2016

  Thales has been awarded an order from the US Air Force (USAF) for three Deployable-Instrument Landing Systems (D-ILS) for military airfield environments, the company announced …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2016: JTAC sim finds target

  21st November 2016

  Following its success in securing a contract on the US Air Force’s Joint Terminal Control Training and Rehearsal System (JTC TRS) programme, Virginia-based QuantaDyn is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Zhuhai 2016: Stealth aircraft on China’s radar

  10th November 2016

  China displayed its technological prowess with a number of air surveillance radars at the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China. Among them were ‘cutting-edge’ radars - …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris to sustain USAF EW tech

  27th October 2016

  Harris Corporation has been awarded a four-year, $55 million contract to sustain electronic warfare technology used on large US Air Force (USAF) aircraft, the company …

• Defence Notes

  Indo Defence 2016: Four-way dogfight for F-5 replacement

  24th October 2016

  The race is still on for the Indonesian Air Force’s (TNI-AU) F-5E fighter replacement programme. Despite the air force expressing strong interest in the Sukhoi …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USAF, Battelle target UAS ice protection

  13th October 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) is exploring ice protection technology for UAS under a cooperative research and development agreement with Battelle Memorial Institute. The technology …

• Military Logistics

  L-3 starts work on KC-10 support contract

  12th October 2016

  L-3 Communications’ Vertex Aerospace division has started work to support the US Air Force (USAF) KC-10 aircraft fleet, the company announced on 11 October. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  GPS OCX completes test milestone

  17th October 2016

  Raytheon has reached a new milestone in the development of the US Air Force's (USAF) Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX), …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to build more GPS III satellites

  30th September 2016

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded $395 million in contract options by the US Air Force (USAF) for the production of the ninth and tenth Global …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham to make USAF pilot breathing sensors

  23rd September 2016

  Cobham has been notified that it will be awarded a US Air Force (USAF) contract for the development of the Aircrew Mounted Physiologic Sensing System (AMPSS 2.6), …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF lab gets first Agile Condor pod

  22nd September 2016

  A new on-board processing pod system called Agile Condor has been delivered by SRC to the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), the company announced …

• Training

  CAE details new defence contracts

  15th September 2016

  CAE has won defence contracts worth a combined CAD$120 million (USD$91.6 million) to provide a range of training services and simulation product upgrades for global …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...