• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall teams with US Army DEVCOM to explore OMFV weaponry

  26th August 2021

  American Rheinmetall Vehicles has announced a partnership with US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Centre (DEVCOM AC) to conduct a series of R&D efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Bell restarts Venom production to meet Czech order

  20th July 2021

  Commonality of parts with the AH-1Z has allowed Bell to maintain important component supply chains for UH-1Y manufacturing.

• Air Warfare

  Australia looks for more sting in its Wasp replacement

  29th July 2021

  The Australian Army wants to introduce a new small UAV within the next 2-3 years.

• Air Warfare

  Australia looks for more sting in its Wasp replacement

  29th July 2021

  The Australian Army wants to introduce a new small UAV within the next 2-3 years.

• Land Warfare

  OMFV shows more signs of life

  27th July 2021

  The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle programme is moving forward at a deliberate pace, after five industry teams received Phase 2 digital concept design contracts.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing expresses optimism for ‘robust’ Asia-Pacific opportunities

  27th July 2021

  Boeing is bullish about the future of its aircraft, helicopters and UAVs in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Training

  Textron supports Tunisian Texans

  14th June 2021

  Tunisia will receive eight T-6C training aircraft in 2022.

• Land Warfare

  Venezuela refurbishes legacy vehicles to maintain army capabilities

  12th July 2021

  Starved of funding, the Venezuelan Army is repairing and refurbishing obsolete Western-supplied vehicle fleets to maintain a meaningful capability.

• Air Warfare

  Bell pushes on with V-280

  25th June 2021

  Team Valor is applying lessons learned from a multiyear flight-test programme and Soldier Touchpoint events, in preparation for an RfP from the US Army for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army to receive more soldier-borne video terminals

  4th June 2021

  Textron receives a contract to continue providing OSRVT and SPOT video terminal units.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Textron Systems delivers Ripsaw M5 to US Army

  3rd June 2021

  Textron Systems has delivered another Ripsaw M5 vehicle to the US Army to support their RCV Medium Program.

• Special Operations

  USSOCOM picks five for Armed Overwatch demos

  14th June 2021

  Five teams take a share of the $19.3 million pot for Phase III prototype demonstrations.

• Defence Helicopter

  AH-1Z flight tests Link 16 hardware and software

  8th June 2021

  Bell Textron and Northrop Grumman integrate new data link into Viper.

• Military Logistics

  Helicopter advanced boresights receive attention

  14th May 2021

  Textron is modernising 100 advanced boresight equipment units on three types of helicopter.

• Land Warfare

  US Army UGV ramps up after overcoming complications

  8th June 2021

  After a project re-compete, GDLS is now increasing deliveries to meet US Army requirements for a robotic mule to support its infantry units.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  Nightwarden (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

• Military UAS - small

  Aerosonde (Qatar)

  Programme Background The Qatar MoD has established the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center to carry out ISR missions for the Qatar Armed Forces. Among its roles ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) will provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It is intended to ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-6C (Tunisia)

  Programme Background Requirement The Tunisian Air Force has a requirement for light aircraft in order to replace its ageing SF-206 and L-59T trainers. The country ...

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

  Iraq Federal Police 4x4 Patrol Vehicle

  The failure of this Iraqi Federal Police requirement for an additional 300 vehicles to translate into a contract may be related to issues encountered with ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (Jordan)

  Programme Background Requirement The Jordanian Air Force has a requirement for training helicopters that are to be used in the King Hussein Air College. The country ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (South Korea - Army)

  Programme Background Requirement South Korea operates an ageing fleet of Bell UH-1s and MD 500s for training purposes. The country has already replaced a part of ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 (South Korea - Navy)

  Programme Background Requirement South Korea operates an ageing fleet of Bell UH-1s and MD 500s for training purposes. The country has already replaced a part of ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCAC 100 Class (SSC) [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The major role of the SSC will be deployment from landing ships in support of USN and USMC operations and the transport ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  ARV (USMC)

  Programme Background The ARV constitutes one component of a wider USMC effort to develop an interconnected network of manned and unmanned platforms more suited to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7B Shadow v2 Block III (USA)

  Programme Background The first iteration of the Shadow UAS, the Shadow 600, was first introduced in 1992 and since then Textron has had a longstanding ...

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

  DEF129 Tactical UAS [Australia]

  Programme Background Programme Announcement The Australian Army announced the Project Land 129 Phase 3 programme in 2017. This announcement led to the release of an industry ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde HQ SUAS

  The Aerosonde Hybrid Quadcopter (HQ) SUAS is the VTOL version of the Aerosonde SUAS. It combines the capabilities of a multi-rotor platform with the efficiency ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.7

  Jointly developed by AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, a unit of Textron Systems, and Aerosonde, the Aerosonde Mk 4.7 is a fixed-wing UAV. First demonstrated in 2009, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cottonmouth

  The Cottonmouth is a purpose-built 6x6 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle designed by Textron Systems to meet the requirements of the USMC's Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) programme. It ...

• Air: mission management systems

  iCommand 2.5

  The iCommand 2.5 is the latest version of the iCommand integrated command suite, designed by Textron Systems Advanced Information Solutions. The system has been designed ...

• Medium/general-purpose machine guns

  7.62mm CT MMG

  Since June 2014, the US Army has awarded contracts totalling $7.7 million to Textron Systems to develop a 7.62mm version of the 5.56mm light machine ...

• Military UGVs

  Ripsaw M3

  The Ripsaw M3 is a tracked UGV developed by Textron Systems in partnership with Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Systems. The vehicle has been developed ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505

  The Bell 505 is a light, single-engine helicopter initially designed for the utility, executive/passenger and law enforcement markets produced by Bell Textron. The Montenegrin Air ...

• Maritime patrol

  Cessna Maritime Patrol

  The Cessna 'special mission' Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a variant of the Cessna Citation Longitude business jet developed by Textron aviation. Textron has stated the onboard systems, ...

• EW test systems, Air: air combat simulators

  PRTS

  The Portable Range Threat Simulator (PRTS) is a modular package that adds long-range capabilities to Textron Systems' Radar Signal Simulator. 

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7B Shadow v2 Block III

  The RQ-7B Shadow v2 Block III is an upgraded UAS developed by Textron Systems. Compared to previous versions, it has a quieter, more reliable and more powerful ...

• Military UGVs

  Ripsaw M5

  The Ripsaw M5 has been developed to meet the requirements of the US Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme for a family of new UGVs. ...

• EW test systems, Air: air combat simulators

  MAST

  The Man-Portable Aircraft Survivability Trainer (MAST) replicates the visual and spectral effects of a shoulder-fired IR missile threat to stimulate UV-based aircraft survivability equipment systems ...

• UAS: communication systems

  Synturian

  At AUSA 2016, Textron Systems launched its range of new UAV support technologies called Synturian. Synturian is a family of lightweight multi-vehicle/multi-platform/multi-domain control and collaboration ...

• Trainer

  T-6C/D Texan II

  The Beechcraft T-6C Texan II (UK designation Texan MK1) is a military training aircraft designed for all instruction levels. It is an improved version of ...