• Defence Notes

  The centre of gravity of ‘Axis of Evil 2.0’ shifts eastwards (Opinion)

  14th September 2023

  Russia might be at the tip of the spear in terms of authoritarian aggression, but it has plenty of backers in the shape of countries like China, Iran and North Korea. Others, like India, try to duplicitously sit on the fence.

• Digital Battlespace

  Collins Aerospace completes MS-110 reconnaissance system flight testing and prepares for deliveries

  18th July 2023

  Collins Aerospace has completed successful flight testing of the MS-110 Multispectral Airborne Reconnaissance System, paving the way for its deployment and delivery to international operators.

• Naval Warfare

  India gifts missile corvette to Vietnam amidst deepening ties

  17th July 2023

  Cementing the two countries' defence partnership, India has donated a second-hand warship to Vietnam.

• Training

  Indra begins delivery of fighting vehicle sim to Spanish Army

  17th May 2023

  The delivery of the combat vehicle training systems includes a first section simulator made up of four vehicle simulators to several Spanish Army bases.

• Land Warfare

  New Russian 8x8 armoured vehicle breaks cover at Army-2023 event

  21st August 2023

  Russia's VPK (Military Industrial Company) presented a new 8x8 platform during the Army-2023 show near Moscow earlier in August. While the vehicle was displayed under the designation BTR-82A (Advanced), Shephard has established that it is not an upgraded version of the venerable BTR-82 platform, but a completely new design.

• Land Warfare

  NZ Army to more closely align with Australian Army via Plan ANZAC

  14th June 2023

  The New Zealand Army has decided to closely align itself and cooperate far more closely with its Australian counterpart.

• Land Warfare

  US Army looks to enhance its command post capabilities

  5th July 2023

  The US Army recently issued a draft of an RfP for the Command Post Integrated Infrastructure Increment 1 effort to update the command post capabilities of its FMTV platforms.

• Training

  MASS extends contract to manage UK joint warfare exercises

  19th May 2023

  Defence and training support company MASS has been awarded an extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training (JCAST) contract for UK Strategic Command. The …

• Land Warfare

  Estonia, Latvia kick off joint procurement of Iris-T air defence missiles

  24th May 2023

  Estonia and Latvia have selected the Diehl IRIS-T as their preferred solution for the joint procurement of a medium-range air defence system.

• Defence Helicopter

  South Korean marines receive final Marineon helicopters

  19th July 2023

  The ROK Marine Corps now has a full complement of indigenously built MUH-1 Marineon helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  Chinese air power – analysing the bigger picture

  14th September 2023

  Admitted by the US to be a ‘pacing threat’, the development of Chinese air power will continue to be a core measure of Beijing’s military capability.

• Land Warfare

  Germany buys additional BvS10 all-terrain vehicles

  24th April 2023

  Germany is procuring an additional 227 ultra-mobile, all-terrain BvS10 vehicles from BAE Systems through a framework agreement.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IMDEX 2023: Aeronautics sees growing interest in maritime UAV integration

  4th May 2023

  Israeli UAV maker Aeronautics, known for its Orbiter family of systems, has told Shephard that the company sees great potential in the maritime space and navies’ growing interest in integrating drones into the domain globally.

• Land Warfare

  Netherlands orders General Dynamics floating bridges

  24th July 2023

  General Dynamics European Land Systems has received an order from the Royal Netherlands Army for three Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) floating bridge systems.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia invests in Mirages to plug a fighter shortfall

  16th June 2023

  Indonesia's air force goes back in time to acquire ex-French, ex-Qatari Mirage fighter jets.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Vietnam - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background The Vietnamese Coast Guard are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

• Military UAS - small

  Indonesia - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background As part of a large scale programme, Indonesia was set to receive eight ScanEagle UAS drone Insitu provided by the US under the Maritime ...

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

  V-Bat [Romania]

  Programme Background Modernisation According to HotNews, a Romanian news outlet reporting on 25 February 2025, the Romanian MoD announced to journalists that it would focus on ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Finland]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AICS [Italy]

  Programme Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Norway]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

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

  FCAS Loyal Wingman [UK]

  Programme Background FCAS Loyal Wingman Tim Martin reported for Shephard in December 2021 that the international partners involved in the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Tempest programme ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (4) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Estonia]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Netherlands]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Sweden]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• Land: battle management systems, Major networking projects, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DOOB (HARBIYE)

  Defence out of a Box (DOOB, also marketed as HARBIYE) is a C4I system family developed by Havelsan as an integrated defence solution aiming for ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation Engine II

  The Simulation Engine II (SE II) commercial game engine is the first PC-based game engine to be developed by Sonalysts as a commercial product and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Increment 1 Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are set to be implemented under JTRS Increment 1: WNW with OFDM and anti-jam; SRW (ground domain); joint airborne network-tactical edge ...

• 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 ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Submarine Simulator

  A multi-domain simulation system for submarines, covering all vessel systems and subsystems: Submarine Tactical Trainer (STT); Submarine Diving and Steering Simulator (SDS) in a cockpit; Surface Navigation Simulator ...

• Air: mission management systems

  I-JOCCS

  Integrated Joint Operational Command and Control Services (I-JOCCS) is designed for interoperability among coalition forces including the UK and US. The capability supports fixed-site installations ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GMS Cross-Domain Systems (CDS) Family

  At AUSA 2024, General Micro Systems (GMS Computing Engines) unveiled four new cross-domain systems (CDS) designed to give air and land forces ultra-secure, real-time gigabit ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-7065

  The ELK-7065 ground and naval HF COMINT direction-finding system was unveiled in 2013, with a compact, lightweight airborne version launched in September 2017. The sensor was ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Domains

  The former JTRS ‘clusters’, that had become separate disjointed programmes, have been replaced with centrally managed domain programme management offices. The construct comprises four JTRS ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Major networking projects

  TNE

  Trusted Network Environment (TNE) is used by the US DoD and federal agencies where multiple coalitions of interest need trusted information brokers to let them ...

• Major networking projects

  GIG

  Global Information Grid (GIG) is a DoD-wide programme, managed by OSD Network Information Infrastructure and integrated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, to support all ...

• Counter-UAS systems, EO/IR systems, Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...

• Data links

  Joint Tactical Terminal

  Leonardo's Joint Tactical Terminal (JTT) family of products provides Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) capability to air, land and naval platforms. According to the manufacturer, over 1,200 ...