• Defence Helicopter

  CSRA to modernise H-60 Seahawks

  21st November 2017

  CSRA has received a $38.5 million task order from the US Navy to update various models of the H-60 Seahawk helicopter, the company announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Russian unit rearmed with S-400 SAM

  15th November 2017

  An air defence missile unit of the Russian armed forces’ Eastern Military District (MD) Air and Air Defence Army located in the Primorsky Krai has …

• Land Warfare

  India spikes its missiles

  22nd November 2017

  In what looms as a massive and costly mistake, the Indian government has decided to cancel its selection of Rafael’s man-portable Spike MR antitank guided …

• Training

  EDA helicopter COMAO course completed

  23rd November 2017

  The European Defence Agency’s (EDA's) second helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning course has successfully completed at Royal Air Force (RAF) base Linton-on-Ouse, the EDA …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADEX 2017: General Atomics signs MoU at Korea Airshow

  22nd October 2017

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI), a manufacturer of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), and the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) signed an MoU …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian Army launches hunt for 60 UAVs

  19th November 2017

  The Indian Army is seeking a short-range UAV to boost the ISR capabilities of combat units deployed along the country’s borders with China and Pakistan. …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop Grumman to sustain ADF C-27J

  17th November 2017

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a through life support (TLS) contract for the Royal Australian Air Force's C-27J Spartan airlift fleet, the company announced on …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Show highlights (video)

  15th November 2017

  As the end draws near for the 2017 edition of the Dubai Airshow, Shephard's rotary editor Helen Haxell heads outside of the halls to recap …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ukraine buys more Turkish radios

  20th October 2017

  Ukraine has boosted its cooperation with Turkish industry for the supply of tactical communications equipment, with the country's land forces contracting electronic specialists Aselsan for additional …

• Defence Notes

  Former UK defence chiefs warn of significant capability gaps

  14th November 2017

  Assumptions made by the UK Ministry of Defence during the 2010 and 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Reviews (SDSR) could leave the country exposed to …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: SEA pitches Decksim to international navies

  24th November 2017

  As interest in SEA's Decksim technology increases it will be demonstrating the latest developments to international navies at a meeting of the Maritime International Training Support …

• Land Warfare

  Russia boosts Iskander-M inventory

  27th November 2017

  The Russian Navy has strengthened its tactical ballistic missile (TBM) inventory by adding its first brigade equipped with the new 9K720 Iskander-M (NATO SS-26 Stone) system.The …

• Defence Notes

  Analysis: China hones naval defence systems

  17th November 2017

  Chinese companies have honed their maritime and naval defence systems via experience gained from their land reclamation efforts and base building in the South China …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Day three highlights (video)

  14th November 2017

  It's day three of the Dubai Airshow and Rotary Editor Helen Haxell runs through news from the first day of the UAS summit as well …

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Scorpion in the Arabian sand (video)

  14th November 2017

  Brett Pierson, flight test pilot at Textron Systems, takes Shephard  through the capabilities of the Scorpion and its light attack and ISR mission profiles.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - micro

  Black Hornet 3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Programme Background Russo-Ukraine War Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, UAVs have proved vital to the country's defence. Consequently, as in this programme, the ...

• Military UAS - micro

  FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Background Statement of Intent On 14 June 2024, the Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Serhiy Boyev, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and the Minister of ...

• Military UAS - mini

  ISR Drones (Second Batch) (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background First Batch On 20 March 2024, Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, announced that, following a 19 March Ukraine Defense Contact ...

• Military UAS - mini

  UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Norway]

  Background September 2024 On 3 September 2024, the Norwegian government announced that “Ukraine will get more drones donated to their frontline, and more air defence ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  GA-ASI Drone [Ukraine]

  Programme Background MQ-9A Reaper - April 2022 On 13 April 2022, Forbes reported that Ukraine was talking with GA-ASI to acquire the MQ-9A Reaper. Ukrainian officials ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Loitering munitions

  One-Way Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background 2024/2025 Military Aid Package On 12 January 2024, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Sweden]

  Programme Background As the domestic manufacturer and original operator of the CV90 IFV, Sweden has had a continuous fleet of CV90s in service since the ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) (Phase I) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) provides short-range day and night ISR to US Army units at the squad, platoon and other small ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS [Sweden]

  Programme Background Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden began a process of military modernisation, in line with trends across much of Europe.  The ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Military Aid - $300 Million On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine to "bolster Urkaine's capacity ...

• Military UAS - micro

  5,000 Latvian UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a drone ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Larger UAVs [Estonia]

  Background 2026-2029 Defence Investment On 30 July 2025, the Republic of Estonia’s Minister of Defence, Hanno Pevkur, announced the approval of a development plan allocating more ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Akash-NG missile

  The Akash-NG (New Generation) missile is an advanced surface-to-air missile system developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the country's air ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Ophir 26-105mm f/1.6 LWIR continuous zoom

  Ophir's plethora of IR optics includes a wide range of long-range zoom lenses for every application. Ophir's budget range has been extended to include a ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Vespa-15

  The Vespa-15 is a first-person view (FPV) rotary-wing UAV manufactured by a Ukrainian company.  In May 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Ukraine announced it ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Black Hornet 3

  The Black Hornet 3 is the next generation of the PD-100 Black Hornet, the world’s smallest nano-UAS. This new model of the Black Hornet provides ...

• Military UAS - small

  Kazhan

  The E620 Kazhan is a Ukrainian-made rotary-wing attack drone. It is available in hexacopter and quadcopter configurations and can drop 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortar shells. ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  DM73

  The 120mm × 570 armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) DM73 is a kinetic-energy (KE) round with an enhanced propulsion unit. It is produced by Rheinmetall ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Cetus Lite

  The Cetus Lite is a fixed-wing UAV from Abris Design Group. The company describes the aircraft as a mobile system that is hand-launched. It is ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Cetus Plus

  The Cetus Plus is a fixed-wing UAV from Abris Design Group.  The manufacturer describes it as a universal UAV designed to perform various tasks like photo ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Beetle

  The Beetle is a rotary-wing octocopter from Abris Design Group. According to the manufacturer, the UAV provides photo and video ISTAR and signal relay for first-person ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Linza 3.0

  The Linza 3.0 is a rotary-wing UAV from Quantum Frontline Industries (QFI), a German-Ukrainian joint venture from Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics. The UAV was first delivered ...

• Loitering munitions

  Anubis

  The Anubis is a medium-range loitering munition designed to destroy enemy equipment and strategic targets. Designed and produced by Airlogix, the Auterion Airlogix Joint Venture ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  CB90

  Combatboat (Stridsbåt) 90 (CB90) is a class of small, rapid attack boats designed for raiding and inshore/nearshore coastal protection operations or deploying up to 20 ...

• EO/IR systems

  USG-212

  Described as a plug-and-play turnkey solution, the USG-212 is an EO/IR camera gimbal from Ukrspecsystems. It appears to be out of production. The gimbal has ...

• Main battle tanks

  Type 10

  Mitsubishi developed the 120mm-armed Type 10 MBT to meet the requirements of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and publicly revealed a prototype in February 2008. ...

• Military UAS - small

  P550

  Designed by AeroVironment, the P550 is a fixed-wing UAV that can host reconnaissance, EW or offensive payloads. In an April 2024 statement, AeroVironment stated that ...