• Military Logistics

  Testing incident causes more KC-46A delays

  18th August 2015

  Boeing has once again been forced to delay the maiden flight of the first fully-equipped KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker, company officials have confirmed to Shephard. …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF extends Cubic's AFRL contract

  18th August 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) has extended Cubic Global Defense's (CGD) contract to support the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) human-centred intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance …

• Training

  Camber for USAF simulation

  14th August 2015

  Camber has been awarded a five-year contract worth $135 million by the US government to provide modelling and simulation and Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) …

• Defence Helicopter

  USAF does a u-turn on Huey replacement

  12th August 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) has made a major u-turn with its plans to replace its UH-1N Iroquois after announcing it will be holding an …

• Military Logistics

  Thales provides D-ILS to USAF

  11th August 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a contract to Thales to provide its Deployable Instrument Landing Systems (D-ILS), the company announced on 10 August. …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF E-3 gets new IFF

  30th July 2015

  The upgrade of the first US Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft with a new interrogation system is complete, as part of the AWACS modernisation …

• Defence Helicopter

  Canada to strengthen SAR system

  27th July 2015

  The Canadian government has announced a series of measures to strengthen its Search and Rescue (SAR) system, including an investment in a satellite system to …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A primed for first flight

  24th July 2015

  Despite rising costs and technical glitches besetting the early stages of the programme, the KC-46A tanker is still expected to achieve its first flight this …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF orders APEx Predator Systems

  14th July 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) Battlefield Airmen Special Projects Office (SPO) has ordered the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) APEx Predator System from Black Diamond Advanced Technology …

• Digital Battlespace

  GPS III satellite competition heats up

  6th July 2015

  The big fight between prime contractors for the US Air Force’s follow-on GPS III satellite contract is taking shape. Thermal vacuum testing is due to …

• Military Logistics

  USAF flight path system contracted

  1st July 2015

  MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has signed an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support the US Air Force (USAF) with a flight path safety system, …

• Digital Battlespace

  SRA to compete for NETCENTS 2 orders

  26th June 2015

  SRA International has been awarded two contracts by the United States Air Force (USAF) under the Network Centric Solutions 2 (NETCENTS 2) multiple award vehicle, …

• Defence Notes

  USAF gets 1,000th CMBRE

  15th June 2015

  Orbital ATK delivered the 1,000th Common Munitions BIT Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE) to the US Air Force (USAF), it announced on 10 June. The CMBRE is …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46 completes survivability tests

  5th June 2015

  The KC-46 tanker has successfully undergone its most detailed weapons survivability test series to date at the Weapons Survivability Lab (WSL) of the US Naval …

• Digital Battlespace

  Cubic to improve SAR capabilities of USAF

  18th May 2015

  Support Systems Associates (SSAI) has awarded a $1.7 million contract to Cubic Global Defense for its AN/ARS-6 Lightweight Airborne Recovery System (LARS) for the US …

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 ...