• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin plans a major expansion in Canada following the HIMARS acquisition

  9th June 2026

  The HIMARS acquisition could deliver launchers within 18 months while driving new investments in Canadian manufacturing, technology and defence supply chains.

• Land Warfare

  Australia’s DroneShield looks to Europe in a drive to massively increase production

  12th March 2026

  DroneShield has experienced significant growth in a short period of time, more than doubling its personnel to 500 people in the space of 18 months on the back of both military and civil demand.

• Land Warfare

  Norway opts for Hanwha’s Chunmoo for long-range fires under $2 billion deal

  29th January 2026

  The selection of Hanwha’s K239 Chunmoo long-range precision fires system, with a contract expected to be signed on 30 January, makes Norway the second European country to choose the system. It is expected an operational system will be in service within four years.

• Air Warfare

  Spain moves ahead with transport, intelligence and training aircraft modernisation efforts

  6th January 2026

  Confirming its C295 order in late December, the Spanish Ministry of Defence also awarded Airbus with its Hurjet procurement contract and both Airbus and Indra with a contract to investigate a proposed Signals Intelligence aircraft solution by 2028.

• Naval Warfare

  Can Portugal solve NATO’s uncrewed systems development challenge?

  23rd June 2026

  NATO has spent more than a decade building one of the world’s most sophisticated maritime uncrewed experimentation ecosystems, but still lacks a way to translate this testing into alliance-wide operational capability. Portugal now believes it has the answer.

• Naval Warfare

  How the Golden Fleet will change the US Navy acquisition process

  24th February 2026

  The procurement of the future USN Golden Fleet is planned to be less bureaucratic than previous strategies, involving AI-enabled designs and scheduling tools to increase productivity and avoid delays.

• Land Warfare

  Fourth company looks to Texelis Celeris chassis to develop a new 4x4 vehicle

  17th March 2026

  Finnish company SCATA will use the Texelis Celeris chassis for a new vehicle similar to the Serval 4x4 which Texelis is building with KNDS France for the French Army.

• Naval Warfare

  First Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker is “on track” for keel laying in late 2026

  29th October 2025

  Canadian Coast Guard Ship Arpatuuq construction is in the block manufacturing phase. Once built, it will be the largest vessel in the Coast Guard’s inventory.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer bets on US manufacture C-390 Millennium as incentive to lower US tariffs

  5th August 2025

  While Embraer’s Q2 results were not affected by US tariffs and it managed to avoid US President Donald J Trump's additional 40% tariff rate on Brazil, the 10% tariff rate still remains.

• Land Warfare

  The first of 663 BvS10s delivered to Germany, Sweden and the UK

  18th September 2025

  The vehicles are based on the latest version of the BvS10 All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and include variants for troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation, recovery, and command and control. An unarmoured version is being delivered to the US and offered to Canada.

• Naval Warfare

  First Canadian River-class destroyer to have its keel laid in June

  12th May 2026

  Currently at the block fabrication and construction stage, the HMCS Fraser’s keel-laying ceremony is scheduled to take place next month as a step towards increasing the Royal Canadian Navy's anti-submarine and air defence capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  “A new philosophy of defence”: ASELSAN sets out ambitions for the future

  14th November 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to ASELSAN CEO and President Ahmet Akyol about how the business has evolved and expanded over the past five decades, and its aim of becoming a top 30 global defence company by 2030.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: What future remains for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft?

  2nd September 2025

  The surveillance aircraft from Boeing is deployed by various countries, most notably the Royal Australian Air Force; but ongoing setbacks for future customers, who cite rising costs and delays, have thrown the aircraft into the spotlight.

• Land Warfare

  June land forces roundup: Eurosatory shapes month amid Canada’s HIMARS buy and US JLTV progress

  29th June 2026

  This month’s land forces highlights were dominated by the eventful Eurosatory exhibition, particularly in the area of tanks, while separately the JLTV programme took another twist and Canada opted for HIMARS.

• Land Warfare

  Ireland predicted to make French connection for vehicle buy

  24th February 2026

  As Ireland looks to replace its RG32M 4x4 armoured patrol vehicles and Piranha III 8x8 armoured personnel carriers, a reported deal with France would rule out other European platforms that were being considered.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Data links

  Data links | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Hungary]

  Programme Background The aircraft for Hungary will be specially configured for tactical transport operations, air-to-air refuelling of the service's Saab Gripen C/D fighters, and medical ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Gripen E [Sweden]

  Programme Background  In June 2020, cross party political talks in Sweden addressing future defence funding have collapsed, following disagreement over whether additional money should be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Programme Background Botswana is seeking to acquire a new multirole fighter to fulfil a gap left by the nations outdated fleet of F-5 aircraft. According to ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Horizon 2 - Multirole Fighter Programme [Philippines]

  Programme Background Requirement The Philippines wants a fighter able to perform score missions such as air-to-air combat, air-to-ground tasks and reconnaissance, including over water. It ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Horizon 3 - Multirole Fighter Programme [Philippines]

  Programme Background Requirement The Philippines retired its F-5 fighters in 2005 and purchased 12 FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea in 2013. However, new fighter ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  Programme Background The E-6 Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Recapitalisation Programme (E-XX) provides for air vehicle replacement and mission systems modernization to augment and eventually ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Fighter Capability Project [Canada]

  Background Canada’s defence policy estimates the acquisition of the aircraft, associated equipment and setup to enable entry into service will cost C$15-19 billion (US$12.9-14.5 billion). However, by ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16 Replacement (5-12) [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirements The new Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) commander ACM Napadej Thupatemi, who took up his post on 1 October 2021, commented that the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39C/D Gripen

  The Gripen is a delta-wing fourth-generation multirole fighter produced by Saab in Sweden. The JAS 39C variants are single-seat and the JAS 39D two-seat. The ...

• EO/IR systems

  DJRP

  The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) is a tactical EO/IR reconnaissance system. It provides simultaneous high resolution and wide field-of-view EO imagery and horizon-to-horizon day/night ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems, Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  BOW

  Saab's BOW family of Radar Warning Receivers (RWRs) and electronic support measures are designed to outfit a diverse array of fixed-wing aircraft. The highly modular ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen

  The Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen is a multirole fighter aircraft developed from earlier Gripen models and the Gripen NG. The latest version was selected by Brazil ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  AVE-C/D

  The AVE-C/D is a flight control system UAV demonstrator (AVE-C) and stealth UAV demonstrator (AVE-D), forming part of the R&D; programme initiated by the French ...

• Air: Displays

  EP-17 Gripen Display System

  The EP-17 Gripen Display System has been developed by SAAB Avitronics, Sweden, specifically for the Gripen multi-role combat aircraft. It integrates on-board sensors, data-links and ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  ESTL

  The Enhanced Survivability Technology (ESTL) is an integrated self-protection pod with missile approach warning (MAWS) manufactured by Saab. It is designed to counter RF and IR ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Raven ES-05

  The Raven ES-05 is an AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo in close collaboration with Saab for the Gripen E/F. It features a repositionable AESA ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18C/D

  The F/A-18 C/D ('KAF-18' in Kuwait) Hornet replaced the original A and B Hornet models, seeking to correct problems with range and acceleration. After success ...

• EO/IR systems

  LITENING

  The LITENING Advanced Targeting Pod is an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system designed to detect, acquire, identify, and track targets over extended ranges.  It supports diverse mission ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16C/D Block 25, 30/32, 40/42

  The F-16C/D ('C' one-seat, 'D' two-seat designation) is the second generation of the F-16 Fighting Falcon family. The production of the F-16C/D began in 1983 with ...

• Air-to-air missiles, Surface-to-air missiles

  IRIS-T/IRIS-T SLS missile

  Diehl BGT Defence has developed the IRIS-T (IR Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) short-range air-to-air missile for use by several NATO and international countries. The missile is also ...

• Trainer

  T-6C/D Texan II

  The Beechcraft T-6C Texan II (UK designation Texan MK1) is a military training aircraft designed for all instruction levels. It is an improved version of ...

• EO/IR systems

  RECCELITE

  The RECCELITE system enables Persistent Wide Area Surveillance and Border Monitoring, providing high-resolution, real-time images over a wide coverage area ‒ from both stand-in and ...

• Land: air defence radar

  MAR

  The Mobile Search Radar (MAR), developed by the Turkish company Aselsan, is a mobile, X-band, short-range 3D search and track radar specifically designed for point ...