World Defense Show 2026: L3Harris to achieve full-rate production of Viper Shield soon

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• What opportunities remain for European airborne early warning requirements?

  With a pending NATO AWACS replacement on the horizon, the demand and market opportunities for airborne early warning aircraft remain strong as countries look to bolster their capabilities, with industry eyeing gaps in the market.

• NHI’s NH90: Europe’s multirole helicopter strives to maintain relevance (updated 2026)

  Developed in response to NATO’s needs, NHIndustries’ NH90 remains a cornerstone of European and Middle Eastern fleets – with upgrades planned to extend and improve the capabilities of the versatile and capable platform.

• April Drone Digest: Why militaries are rethinking high-end drones

  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.

• Bundeswehr launches loitering munition spending spree with $2.16 billion unassigned

  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.

• FY2027 budget request highlights shift in USAF’s future aerial refuelling priorities

  The USAF’s Next-Generation Aerial Refuelling Programme is coming under scrutiny in the wake of the Pentagon’s FY2027 budget request, signalling a change in how the force could prioritise the modernisation of its tanker fleet.

• Can laser-guided rockets and light aircraft help tackle the CUAS cost-curve?

  While the move to integrate lower-cost missiles onto more combat aircraft is long overdue, there is also an opportunity for cheaper turboprop platforms to perform CUAS roles.