Defence Notes
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Defence Notes
Read the latest general defence news and company announcements from our team of expert journalists and analysts, giving you the 'so what' behind the latest headlines.
Air Warfare
UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year
Further tests will be carried out on the existing fleet, ahead of the Royal Air Force’s anticipated transition from MQ-9A Reaper aircraft to the MQ-9B Protector by the end of 2025.
Defence Notes
What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?
Multiple questions involving the largest US Foreign Military Sale in history remain unanswered.
Naval Warfare
Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system
A total of 28 active surface ships will receive the upgrades to their weaponry to help them combat the growing threat from UAVs.
Defence Notes
Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up
The company’s Q1 2025 results showed a 20% increase in new orders and a 15% increase in revenue across the business.
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Naval Warfare
Will the US be able to make its shipbuilding industry “great again”?
9th May 2025
The White House and Congress have been increasing efforts to support the national maritime industry.
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Land Warfare
How Ukraine’s wartime innovators are redefining tactical communication
9th May 2025
A Ukrainian company in a race against Russian jammers has been demonstrating how the country’s innovative start-ups have been beating the West at its own game.
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Defence Notes
Rheinmetall vehicle sales almost double as European companies see continued growth
8th May 2025
Results for Q1 2025 have been strong across the board for many defence companies in Europe with forward-looking statements and predictions for the full year also looking good.
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Digital Battlespace
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
7th May 2025
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.
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Air Warfare
Ukraine to receive more F-16 spares and training support from the US and Czech Republic
7th May 2025
The US and Czech Republic have pledged different support packages, with the latter agreeing to jointly open a new F-16 training centre in partnership with a ‘coalition of the willing’.
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Uncrewed Vehicles
SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America
6th May 2025
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
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Air Warfare
Embraer affirms “limited” US tariff impact with 72% growth in defence revenues for Q1 2025
6th May 2025
The growth in Q1 2025 was supported by strong C-390 Millennium sales, according to the company’s CEO. Of the US$1.1 billion revenue increase, defence aircraft sales accounted for 13% of the total.
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Air Warfare
Saudi Arabia approved for $3.5 billion AMRAAM buy ahead of Trump visit
6th May 2025
The possible sale for 1,000 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), comes ahead of President Trump’s visit to the country later in the month.
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Air Warfare
US services test Raytheon ASTARTE AI-enabled software system
6th May 2025
The solution was evaluated by the US Army and Air Force during the Project Convergence Capstone 5.
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Defence Notes
Why is the defence market “exploding exponentially” for autonomous targeting capabilities?
5th May 2025
Solutions that identify, engage and destroy targets with minimal or no human intervention are becoming critical on tomorrow’s battlefield.
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Special Operations
SOF Week 2025: Global threats and industry opportunities in focus (video)
5th May 2025
At SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, Stu Bradin, President and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation (GSOF), underscored the increasing operational demands placed on special operations forces (SOF) as global tensions mount.
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Air Warfare
F-15EX and shipbuilding win big in proposed $150 billion US defence funding boost
1st May 2025
The legislation outlined additional budget to enhance air, land and naval platforms, including next-generation air and uncrewed naval programmes.
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Defence Notes
Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds
25th April 2025
First quarter 2025 results have been dropping for companies in the past week but many of the US results come with a health warning in their forward-looking aspects about the potential impact of actions by the Trump administration.
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Naval Warfare
Interview: DSTA collaborates with Leonardo, Thales and Safran for naval C-UAS
25th April 2025
In an exclusive interview with Shephard, DSTA chief Ng Chad-son outlines how the agency is reshaping defence tech development through deeper collaboration with industry partners, from AI-enhanced radar to smart naval munitions.
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Defence Notes
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
24th April 2025
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
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Naval Warfare
How the Force Design 2028 will impact US Coast Guard acquisitions
24th April 2025
The FD 2028 strategy intends to reduce the bureaucracy in procurement processes while speeding up the field of assets.
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Naval Warfare
HALO programme decommissioned by US Navy in favour of LRASM upgrades
22nd April 2025
The programme was due to be at full operational capability in the US Navy by 2031, but has been pulled over cost and timeline concerns.
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Air Warfare
Why is the US far behind Russia and China in the space warfare domain?
21st April 2025
While Beijing and Moscow have been working on anti-satellite weapons at an accelerated speed, Washington still does not have capabilities to defeat them, with one US legislator describing the situation as “the Cuban Missile Crisis in space”.
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Naval Warfare
Naval modernisation accelerates amid geopolitical tension and tech evolution
14th April 2025
The global naval market is undergoing a notable transformation, with growth driven by both escalating geopolitical tensions and the emergence of innovative technologies. Across NATO, but particularly in Europe, navies are accelerating modernisation efforts, spurred by renewed threats and persistent capability gaps.
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![What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?]()
What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?
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![UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year]()
UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year
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![Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system]()
Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system
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![Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up]()
Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up
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![UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year]()
UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year
-
![What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?]()
What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?
-
![Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system]()
Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system
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![Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up]()
Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up
