• Air Warfare

  Embraer evaluates new mission capabilities for C-390 with ISR study to finish by 2026

  10th June 2025

  Alongside its official Maritime Patrol study, Embraer is also evaluating further special missions capabilities for its aircraft, including those in the space domain and with drones, CEO Bosco da Costa Junior told Shephard.

• Naval Warfare

  Belgium and the Netherlands sign up for BAE Systems’ naval gun

  4th November 2024

  The Bofors 40Mk4, a compact and lightweight naval gun system, has been designed for anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare operations to act against air, land and sea-based threats.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy destroyer completes UAV live-fire exercise before heading to the Indo-Pacific

  3rd April 2025

  HMS Dauntless ran a full UAV test to mimic potential real-world threats.

• Land Warfare

  Europe’s air defence boosted by more IRIS-T SLM system orders

  4th August 2025

  The IRIS-T (InfraRed Imaging System - Tail/thrust vector-controlled) SLM (Surface Launched Medium-Range) is a surface-to-air missile system has been developed by Diehl Defence. The system is a key part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) and have been purchased by Sweden for this role.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh Defense starts production on ROGUE-Fires and develops MTVR 4×4 variant

  12th May 2025

  Both ROGUE-Fires and the MTVR demonstrator have been designed for Indo-Pacific mobility and expeditionary operations.

• Air Warfare

  What lessons could Europe learn from air power use in Ukraine?

  3rd July 2025

  The use of air power by both sides in the ongoing conflict has been extensively focused on, influencing policy and procurement around the world. But are the lessons from the front line universally applicable, or should other nations be planning for very different scenarios?

• Air Warfare

  Australia bets big on new systems and local industry in the face of drone wars

  6th June 2025

  Australia has a small but vibrant drone and counter-drone industry ranging from niche dual technology company Grabba Technologies to large multinational like DroneShield. It is these companies and a reshaping of procurement methods to ramp up its drone power.

• 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.

• Training

  Florida firm wins Bell 412 maintenance training contract in El Salvador

  2nd October 2024

  The deal, ECS’s 12th contract under the Enterprise Training Services Contract (ETSC) programme, will run from late-August 2024 to late-August 2025.

• Air Warfare

  UVision declares a “first” with helicopter-launched loitering munition to be displayed at Paris Air Show

  6th June 2025

  UVision’s HERO loitering munition family is widely used. As an air-launched loitering munition, however, it is a new concept which could meet a specific declared need of the US Marine Corps.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine’s fighter fleet boosted with France’s Mirage 2000s and extra Netherlands’ F-16s

  7th February 2025

  The first Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft have finally been delivered to Ukraine, as confirmed by France’s defence minister on 6 February. They will join the F-16s already in service to bolster Ukrainian air defence.

• Naval Warfare

  HII revenues down in 2024, but Mission Technologies arm blooms

  6th February 2025

  The shipbuilder has been dealing with a pre-Covid 19 backlog as well as winning new business.

• Air Warfare

  Gulfstream awarded $991 million contract from US Air Force

  25th November 2024

  The contract will last for seven years and will provide comprehensive maintenance services for the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy sends second destroyer to patrol its own southern border

  26th March 2025

  The USS Spruance will help enforce anti-smuggling and anti-immigration laws.

• Naval Warfare

  NAVSEA invests more in support of mine countermeasure USVs

  15th April 2025

  The new contract with Textron Systems will support software development for uncrewed vessels over the next three years.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  Long Range Patrol Aircraft [The Philippines]

  Programme Background On 10 July 2023, Elbit Systems announced that it had secured a contract for two long-range patrol aircraft. Although the customer was not ...

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

  Thor [Israel]

  Background Various Contracts On 3 December 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced it had purchased “advanced drones and autonomous systems” from Elbit Systems in various ...

• Trainer

  M-346 [Greece]

  Programme Background In April 2021, Elbit Systems was awarded a $1.65 billion contract to set up Hellenic Air Force International Flight Training Centre. The deal includes ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 (Uganda)

  Programme Background In September 2018, The East African reported that Uganda had received 24 Hermes 900 platforms from Elbit Systems. Evidence of the platform being ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Kenya]

  Programme Background Training On 23 August 2024, Baykar posted on social media that trainees from Kenya had completed their Bayraktar TB2 training at the Baykar Flight ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Watchkeeper X (Contracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Watchkeeper X (Uncontracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirement The Naval Acquisition Management Office (NAMO) of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) announced its intention to acquire one MALE UAV system comprising three ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Kondor Naval Helicopters (Poland)

  Programme Background In 2018, the Polish MoD announced its requirement to purchase up to eight naval helicopters to replace in-service SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters. Polish ...

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

  Matrice 300 (Ukraine)

  Programme Background On 11 December 2021, Ukrainian media reported that the Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine had acquired  60 Matrice 300 rotary-wing ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV [Australia]

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air combat Training Centers

  Training centres and networked simulation devices for collective training in a realistic operational context at various levels (squadron, distant, joint, coalition) – Rafale Simulation Center, ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Simulators

  Elbit Systems has developed simulation systems to train personnel in UAV operation, from generic UAV training for initial screening procedures up to full mission, high-fidelity ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Air Combat Training

  Boeing has experience in delivering training for fixed-wing air combat platforms including F-15C/E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, F-22 and MV/CV-22.

• Air: Displays

  F-16 Center Pedestal Display

  Produced by Elbit Systems of America, the F-16 Center Pedestal Display (CPD) provides a high-resolution colour display that replaces several legacy instruments on F-16 aircraft. 

• Air: air combat simulators

  USAF F-16 Training System

  L3Harris Technologies is supporting approximately 180 F-16 pilot and maintenance trainers as part of the USAF’s F-16 Training System. Programme contract options extend through 2019. ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SkyBreaker

  Elbit Systems' SkyBreaker is an airborne Mission Training Centre that enables networked training between various trainees and platforms, including a range of air force platforms. ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  BGSC

  The Battle Group Simulation Center (BGSC) is a commander’s open training tool for doctrine and tactics. BGSC uses AI-based, adaptive-behaviour CGF. Applications include: conventional and ...

• Land: air defence simulators

  Live Training System for Air Defence

  Elbit Systems' Live Training System for Air Defence is integrated on various short- and medium-range air defence systems. The Live Training System provides networked and ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Naval Command Center

  The Elbit Systems Naval Command Center (NCC) provides the infrastructure, systems and functionality required to achieve maritime domain awareness in conjunction with applicable means, evaluating ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  VMTS

  Elbit Systems' Virtual Mission Training System (VMTS) provides realistic training at a reduced cost in a fighter-like environment, claims the company. Using a data link, ...

• 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 ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Major networking projects

  DAP

  Israel’s Digital Army Program (DAP) offers interoperability of tri-service (air, land, sea) platforms and sensors for force-wide collaboration. The system is implemented in the IDF ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Tzofit Training Centre

  In June 2009, Elbit inaugurated the Beechcraft King Air B200 Tzofit Training Centre for IDF pilots. Elbit Systems serves as the project’s prime contractor, while ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...