• Training

  ITEC 2016: USAF TPS upgrades to VR-Vantage

  4th May 2016

  Calspan has completed the upgrade to the US Air Force Test Pilot School’s (USAF TPS) Flight Sciences Simulator (FSS) with VT MÄK’s VR-Vantage IG image …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky details CRH progress

  4th May 2016

  Sikorsky has successfully executed the air vehicle preliminary design review (PDR) for the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, it announced on 2 May. The training …

• Military Logistics

  KC-135s support KC-46A testing missions

  5th May 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) KC-135 Stratotanker is supporting testing and evaluation missions of the new Boeing KC-46 Pegasus military aerial refuelling and transport aircraft. A KC-135 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris to upgrade US MRAP radios

  6th May 2016

  Harris Corporation has been awarded a $12 million order to upgrade the tactical radios used by the US Air Force (USAF) for multiband communications in …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF orders first lot of AN/DAS-4

  3rd May 2016

  A first lot production contract awarded to Raytheon by the US Air Force will see the company start production of the AN/DAS-4 Multi-Spectral Targeting (MTS) …

• Digital Battlespace

  All hail the immortal app?

  4th May 2016

  A Raytheon BBN Technologies-led team has been awarded a contract sponsored by the US Air Force (USAF) to develop methods to make mobile applications viable …

• Training

  Quad A 2016: Army fixed-wing training on course

  29th April 2016

  New facilities are being built by CAE USA to train more than 600 US Army and US Air Force (USAF) fixed-wing pilots a year. The site …

• Training

  ITEC 2016: Polish Air Force Links up

  2nd May 2016

  L3 Link continues to add to its burgeoning F-16 portfolio that now sees the Polish Air Force select the company to provide support for its …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG orders new C-130J

  26th April 2016

  Lockheed Martin has received a $61.3 million contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for the production of a C-130J long range surveillance aircraft for …

• Defence Notes

  Lockheed receives JASSM-ER order

  25th April 2016

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $116.8 million contract by the US Air Force (USAF) for continued production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range …

• Military Logistics

  StandardAero to upgrade T56 engine

  18th April 2016

  StandardAero has received a $43 million contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to upgrade the Rolls-Royce T56-A-15 engines that power the force’s fleet of …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon, USAF test GPS OCX

  14th April 2016

  Raytheon has successfully completed the first qualification test milestone for the US Air Force's (USAF) Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX), …

• Military Logistics

  Lockheed flight tests C-130 airframe mods

  19th April 2016

  Lockheed Martin has begun flight testing several aerodynamic modifications – including winglets – for the C-130 Hercules in a bid to increase the efficiency of …

• Military Logistics

  US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together

  23rd March 2016

  The Turkish Air Force and the US Air Force (USAF) have flown their KC-135 Stratotankers in formation over the Nevada test and training range, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin looks to future of GPS

  28th March 2016

  The Lockheed Martin GPS III programme has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, the company remains confident that it will meet the August 2016 available-for-launch …

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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 (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-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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-83 SABR

  The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is being developed as an upgrade option for the F-16. It is designed to replace the existing AN/APG-66 ...

• 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. ...

• Data links

  MIDS JTRS

  The ViaSat Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminal combines the network-centric communications capability with a real-time operating picture. The four-channel ...

• 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 ...

• EO/IR systems

  Q-39

  The AN/AAQ-39 is the EO/IR fire control system operational on Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130U gunships. The Q-39 targeting system consists of a large-aperture ...

• 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 ...