From France to Romania, there has been a clear shift away from expensive, vulnerable MALE UAVs in April towards lower-cost, expendable systems. Hard lessons from Ukraine and Iran have driven this shift.
After months of delays, Rheinmetall has inked a €300 million deal with Germany for its FV-014 drone this week as part of a wider framework contract worth €2.4 billion for loitering munition procurement. Shephard looks at how the as-yet-unawarded funds could be spent.
While Denmark appears to be more committed to UAVs than most of its Nordic neighbours, its procurement efforts are likely to be split between American-made systems for its larger requirements and Nordic partnerships for smaller platforms.
Norway first scoped the requirement in 2022, and included it in a defence strategy document in 2023. The announcement of a new framework agreement appears to have breathed fresh life into the effort.
1st April 2026
The effective use of the Shahed-136 in the Iran war has highlighted the need for countries to acquire a domestically produced, low-cost, long-range loitering munition, with the US, Turkey and European nations all at various stages of developing a similar capability.
25th February 2026
While several UAV programmes remain unawarded in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is forecast to be the biggest spender with its potential MQ-9B and Gambit deals overshadowing others in the region.
25th February 2026
The US launched the Gauntlet test in February as part of its accelerated attack drone procurement effort while also exploring various naval capabilities that could lead to procurements down the line. Shield AI’s V-Bat, meanwhile, has been stirring up global interest.
23rd February 2026
There is currently no industry standard in the ratio of uncrewed to crewed aircraft. Because collaborative combat aircraft vary widely in capability and crewed-uncrewed teaming availability, while country-specific requirements vary, it is unlikely that a single CCA configuration will meet all operational needs.
20th February 2026
Striking the right balance between cost and capability is likely to become more crucial in the increasingly competitive collaborative combat aircraft market. Shephard’s special CCA market report examines where the opportunities lie for suppliers.
17th February 2026
With $9.18 billion in uncontracted programmes — including a potential multi-billion-dollar MQ-9B deal — Saudi Arabia’s UAV sector is poised for significant further growth and industrial expansion.
27th January 2026
The first month of 2026 has seen activity in the MALE, rotary-wing, and loitering munition UAV markets, with significant investments and commitments from Germany, Turkey, the UAE and the US. At the same time, questions over loitering munition performance in Ukraine highlight the growing scrutiny alongside rising demand.
27th January 2026
While an estimated $37.99bn is still to be awarded across the Asia-Pacific uncrewed aerial vehicle market, the balance of potential future spending is unevenly split between various countries, with significant opportunities to be found in the collaborative combat aircraft space.
22nd January 2026
The success of the Bayraktar TB2 stems from it fulfilling a niche of providing reasonable capabilities at a low cost, leading to its acquisition by more than 30 countries including many in Africa; but there are reasons to be cautious about its potential future prospects.
20th January 2026
As the US Marine Corps continues to push loitering munitions as a core battlefield tool, Shephard looks at how the latest contract award factors into future potential purchases.
30th December 2025
One of the key trends seen in December has been the rise in indigenous investment within the UAV market, particularly across certain countries, with Germany, Australia and the US focusing on their commitments to sovereign development.
19th December 2025
With a rising defence budget and equipment list, Poland’s air market is set to grow as the country continues to modernise its transport and helicopter fleets while seeking out uncrewed aerial vehicles and loitering munitions.
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