• Land Warfare

  Israel’s Elbit Systems riding high and reports almost a billion dollars in orders to close 2024

  23rd December 2024

  Elbit Systems has signed another US$967 million in orders in the past three months after reporting its land revenues increased by 24% for 3Q2024 compared to 3Q 2023 thanks to increasing ammunition and munition sales in Israel.

• Land Warfare

  New ROGUE-Fires contract moves programme forward

  13th January 2025

  The $29.9 million agreement covers the delivery of 48 platforms.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril’s Barracuda-100M completes latest successful test flights

  16th July 2025

  The munitions variant of the Barrauda-100 autonomous air vehicle is being tested for the US Army’s High-Speed Manoeuvrable Missile (HSMM) testbed programme, with further flight tests expected in 2026.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Skydio X10D becomes first UAS delivered for Tranche 2 US Army Short Range Reconnaissance programme

  8th May 2025

  The drone has equipped a US Army Transforming in Contact (TiC) to provide it with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  Zumwalt-class hypersonic missile plan progresses with demonstration set for 2027

  11th August 2025

  The US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer is a stealth ship originally designed to consist of a fleet of 32 but has been cut back to three. Conceived for a land-attack role, it is now being fitted with a hypersonic missile capability.

• Land Warfare

  IDEF 2025: Turkey’s MKE unveils electric armoured vehicles

  1st August 2025

  MKE’s move into the development of armoured vehicles and turret is a new line for MKE. The company is not only the largest contractor for small arms and ammunition in Tukey but are also prime contractor for artillery and tank barrels as well as the Bora 105mm towed howitzer.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to supply another 1,388 vehicles to German Army

  6th August 2025

  Rheinmetall MAN has already delivered around 7,000 HX military trucks to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and the latest contract for 1,388 vehicles will be completed before the end of the year. Germany’s order reflects similar investments in other countries.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Hyundai unveils 105mm light SPH and 81mm mortar vehicle for ROK Army

  20th February 2025

  Two elements of the South Korean company Hyundai, WIA Business and Hyundai Rotem Group, have joined forces to develop two highly mobile indirect fire systems, the 105mm Light Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) and vehicle-mounted 81mm mortar system.

• Air Warfare

  US Congress limits F-35 procurement

  20th December 2024

  Restrictions cover new purchases of the three variants of the multirole fighter and require the DoD to correct issues in the acquisition programme.

• Land Warfare

  Singapore’s DSTA and Sweden’s FMV to collaborate on land systems

  18th April 2025

  New agreement between Singapore’s DSTA and Sweden’s FMV signals deepening cooperation on land systems, with potential focus on counter-UAS and mobile air defence solutions.

• Training

  Just Released: Military Training Technology Report December 2024 now available to read

  2nd December 2024

  In this latest Shephard technology report, Giles Ebbutt highlights the rise of the first person view (FPV) drone as a powerful asymmetric weapon that can …

• Defence Notes

  What capabilities could the US supply to Saudi Arabia under the $142 billion deal?

  14th May 2025

  Multiple questions involving the largest US Foreign Military Sale in history remain unanswered.

• Land Warfare

  Italy signs $784 million deal for tactical and logistic trucks

  20th December 2024

  The contract is for the supply of a variety of military logistic platforms equipped with tactical cabins and based on the new range of IDV SMR6 trucks (Standard Military Range), which includes 4×4, 8×8 and 10x10 variants.

• Land Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Australia receives first two HIMARS as Lockheed Martin outlines rocket plans

  26th March 2025

  Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) weapon has been designed to use a range of different sized missiles and rockets from the same container which can be quickly switched out.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Class 2 Tactical UAS [Ireland]

  Background EU Tender On 13 March 2024, the Irish Department of Defence released a planning notice on the EU tenders website, confirming that the Irish ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y [Romania]

  Programme Background The Romanian MoD has a long-standing requirement for new rotary platforms, including troop transport, supply and attack configurations. According to the the Romanian Military ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Next Tactical Aviation Capability Set (nTACS) [Canada]

  Programme Background The Royal Canadian Air Force has unveiled its new nTACS programme that aims to replace the RCAFs ageing fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters ...

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

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

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

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Programme Background Retirement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be retired ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35B (1-12) [Singapore]

  Programme Background Singapore is renowned as a discerning and demanding customer, so its selection of the F-35 must be seen as a vote of confidence ...

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

  Tactical Drone System (SDT) [France]

  Programme Background Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme The French Army launched the SDT programme to replace the Sagem (now Safran) Sperwer Intermediate Tactical Drone System ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Programme Background  In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Family of UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background RfP The Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information about different platforms that would enable the force to "standardise" its UAV ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan Follow On

  The F-35 full-rate production is expected to be further delayed following an October 2020 US DoD announcement that postponed the simulation tests, originally planned for 2017 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15SA Saudi Arabia

  The aircraft deal includes 170 APG-63(v)3 AESA radar sets, 193 F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines, 100 M61 Vulcan Cannons, 338 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems amongst ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Next Generation Trainer [Slovakia]

  Programme Background As Slovakia is set to receive 14 Lockheed Martin F-16Vs by the end of 2023, the Slovak Air Force (Vzdušné sily Slovenskej Republiky: ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Field Artillery Training Systems

  The ICE Field Artillery Training Systems for the M109A6 Paladin and M270/M270A1 MLRS provides instrumented real-time data and performance monitoring during training and live-fire missions. ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  ITAS-TESS

  The Improved Target Acquisition System – Tactical Engagement Simulation System (ITAS-TESS) is a laser-based system designed to conduct simulated weapons engagement during crew and collective ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  TESS

  The Tactical Engagement Simulation System (TESS) is a transparent training instrumentation system designed for the AH-64 Apache Longbow Force-on-Force collective training for live aerial gunnery ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  I-HITS

  The Initial Homestation Instrumentation Training System (I-HITS), developed for the US Army, provides high-fidelity, scalable CTC training capabilities for missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint ...

• Subsystems: software

  Tactical Simulation Tool Suite

  Saab's Tactical Simulation Tool Suite is a software package for creating entity simulations and complex tactical scenarios. The software can be used as a standalone ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Area Weapons Effects Simulation

  Cubic’s indirect fire and Area Weapons Effects Simulators (AWES) determine the extent of simulated injuries and damage sustained by soldiers and vehicles in a combat ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CATS CTC

  The CATS Combat Training Centre (CTC) trains armed forces in simulated opposition. Features: direct-fire weapon effect simulation with laser engagement systems; area weapon effect simulation ...

• Subsystems: visual

  G10 Image Generator

  Incorporating multiple CPU and GPU processing cores, the latest Generation10 (G10) Image Generators offer 54 billion textured pixels-per-second (peak) per channel. Using leading-edge graphics technologies, ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation

  From physics-based dynamics and intelligent entity behaviours to tactical and operational missions, Presagis simulation software tools address the rigorous challenges of M&S; applications. Its simulation ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  MANWORN II DPU

  The MANWORN II Dismounted Player Unit (DPU) is a flexible position location tracking system suitable for individual through brigade-level training. MANWORN II DPU features GPS ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Helicopter Cabin/Door Gun Trainer

  The airborne cabin/door gun training system was jointly developed with Saab. It uses existing weapon installations enabling any flight to be used as a training ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Magnet

  Magnet is an infantry micro-tactical weapon training system with AAR capability. It is based on a control system and laser engagement technology, which enables the ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Q CIEW

  Q CIEW is a family of COMINT and EW (CIEW) systems focused on counter-terror and counter-insurgency operations in a land environment, supported by naval, air ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  LETS

  The US Army maintains a large fleet of locomotives and rail vehicles throughout the US to facilitate the movement of equipment and supplies and provides ...

• Land: air defence simulators

  Rapier Air Defence PTT

  In service with the British Army, the Rapier Air Defence Field Standard A and B part task trainer (PTT) gives students target alerting, identification, tracking ...