• Defence Notes

  Israel's Rafael buys UK defence firm Pearson Engineering in strategic expansion

  28th September 2022

  The acquisition of Pearson Engineering by Israeli firm Rafael could see UK manufacturing of the Trophy active protection system for the Challenger 3 MBT — but how well does the deal sit with the UK government's defence industrial strategy?

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin exploring opportunity to perform M270 recapitalisation and sustainment work in UK

  9th September 2022

  Shephard has learned that Lockheed Martin is exploring opportunities to perform recapitalisation work on British Army's M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) at Ampthill under plans being assessed and pending US DoD and UK MoD approval.

• Naval Warfare

  Maritime first is the right defence posture for the UK

  22nd September 2022

  The RN seemed the apparent winner when the Integrated Review was first published. Despite the war in Ukraine reminding the West of the importance of solid land and air capabilities, a maritime or navy-first defence posture is still the best option for the UK.

• Land Warfare

  India seeks new sniper rifles with restricted RfP

  2nd November 2022

  India's requirement for nearly 5,000 sniper rifles has moved forward with the issue of a restricted RfP to local vendors.

• Air Warfare

  Indian Army fast-tracks the acquisition of hundreds of UAVs

  27th October 2022

  Three different RfPs in close succession reveal the Indian Army's desperation to get UAVs into the hands of soldiers.

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army continues to dream of light tanks

  20th October 2022

  India will adopt an indigenously designed light tank - or adopt one from overseas - to equip army forces in mountainous areas.

• Defence Notes

  Defence: what to expect from the next Brazilian president

  15th November 2022

  Future Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face challenges in the defence domain and is expected to focus on improvement of national defence industrial capabilities.

• Training

  Cubic to highlight immersive experiences at I/ITSEC 2022

  23rd November 2022

  Products integrated solutions provider Cubic will showcase at I/ITSEC 2022 will include its most recent Immersive Indirect Fire Training system and other live, virtual and constructive (LVC) systems.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Meshing UAS gives smaller systems strategic capabilities, Textron says

  14th November 2022

  This year marks Textron's second year at the US Army's Project Convergence, bringing two uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and three uncrewed ground vehicles to demonstrate collaborative teaming.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  How cargo containers for UAVs can improve resupply capabilities

  22nd November 2022

  Describing its technology as akin to shipping containers for UAVs, TB2 Aerospace believes its cargo system for drones could yield benefits for tactical resupply.

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon advances development of a solution for the US Army’s TITAN programme

  25th October 2022

  Raytheon has reached the second stage of the TITAN prototyping phase and is working on software development to gather information from multiple sensors.

• Defence Notes

  The Disintegrating Review: where next for the UK?

  21st September 2022

  The UK is not short of strategic documents outlining ambitious plans for its armed forces, but the ever-changing threat landscape poses a different set of questions.

• Land Warfare

  Australia’s enhanced NASAMS air defence system comes together

  11th November 2022

  More pieces have been assembled for Australia's NASAMS air defence system, while Spike LR2 missiles move forward too.

• Land Warfare

  UK artillery seeks greater range and accuracy

  21st September 2022

  The Integrated Review and MoD Command Paper underlined the value of improving the British Army’s artillery capabilities — but the UK will have to break a trend of failed procurements to succeed in future.

• Land Warfare

  US, Dutch, and Czechs partner to supply T-72B tanks to Ukraine

  7th November 2022

  The US and Netherlands will each provide funding for 45 T-72B tanks from stocks in the Czech Republic to Ukraine under the trilateral agreement.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Programme Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK - Option]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Programme Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Bulldog FV432 Mk 3 Replacement [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement Serving in several iterations since 1963, the FV432 Mk3 'Bulldog' remains operational and deployed as command vehicles, ambulances, and recovery vehicles within the British Army. Although ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  French Operational Pocket Drone / DrOP (France)

  Programme Background French UAV Procurment / DrOP Under its 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (LPM), France aims to introduce 1,200 new UAVs into service with the ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) (Project NYX) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Buffalo MPCV

  The Buffalo Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) is in service with the armed forces of Canada, France, Italy, Pakistan, the UK and the US and has ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cougar 6x6

  The Cougar 6x6 has its origins as a South African vehicle manufactured by Force Protection, a company eventually purchased by General Dynamics. Mine-protected vehicles manufactured ...

• Main battle tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...