• Defence Helicopter

  First USAF Ospreys arrive in UK

  30th June 2013

  The first US Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to be permanently based in the UK have arrived at RAF Mildenhall, England. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to work on GPS solution for USAF

  24th June 2013

  Northrop Grumman will continue work to improve geo-registration accuracy for positioning and pointing applications for the US Air Force under a phase two inertial navigation …

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show 2013: MALD-J completes operational testing

  18th June 2013

  Operational testing of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy – Jammer (MALD-J) system for the USAF was completed in May following 16-months of trials. Raytheon announced at …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon wins USAF Global Hawk logistics contract

  17th June 2013

  Raytheon will provide contractor logistics support to the ground station elements for the US Air Force's fleet of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAIC to support Air Combat Command RPVs

  14th June 2013

  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) will provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services in support of the Air Combat Command (ACC) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) under …

• Military Logistics

  Wyle to modernise USAF C-5 aircraft life rafts

  10th June 2013

  Wyle will update the 25-person life rafts used aboard the US Air Force C-5 transport aircraft under a new $850,000 contract announced on 6 June. …

• Land Warfare

  Boeing furthers Ground-Launched SDB

  24th May 2013

  Boeing is moving forward with development of the ground-launched variant of its Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), which it believes fills a gap for long-range precision …

• Naval Warfare

  Beechcraft wins new JPATS T-6 training aircraft deal

  14th May 2013

  Beechcraft will supply 35 T-6 training aircraft to the US military under a new contract announced on 10 May. The $210 million contract, part of …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing delivers USAF C-17 training centre

  7th May 2013

  Boeing has delivered the first C-17 Globemaster III airlifter training centre to the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as part of a …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin awarded USAF C2 modernisation contract

  18th April 2013

  Lockheed Martin has been selected by the US Air Force to upgrade the command and control (C2) system that allows Joint Force Air Component Commanders …

• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman pushes SABR for USAF F-16

  17th April 2013

  Northrop Grumman continues its efforts to provide its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the US Air Force’s F-16 aircraft, outlining the advanced mapping capabilities …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2013: Bell unveils next-generation tiltrotor

  11th April 2013

  Bell Helicopter has introduced the V-280 Valor tiltrotor aircraft as its offering for the Joint Multi Role (JMR) technology demonstrator phase of the US Army’s …

• Military Logistics

  JBT Corporation to support USAF 25K loaders

  4th April 2013

  JBT Corporation will support the US Air Force’s fleet of Halvorsen 25K loaders under a new contract announced on 3 April. The company has been …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk exchanges radar data with Joint STARS

  7th March 2013

  The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft has successfully exchanged radar data with the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce to continue USAF C-130J fleet support

  11th February 2013

  Rolls-Royce will support the US Air Force (USAF’s) C-130J transport aircraft fleet in 2013 under a new contract announced on 11 February. The $97.3 million …

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 ...