• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems wins $55 million contract for Netherlands' counter-UAS solution

  21st August 2023

  Elbit Systems has won a $55 million contract to provide the Netherlands with multi-layered ReDrone C-UAS systems, featuring radar, signal intelligence and electro-optical capabilities. Deliveries will be completed by 2027.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Kongsberg expects launch customer for Vanguard multrole ship imminently

  8th September 2023

  Testing and qualification of the Vanguard multirole ship by designer Kongsberg has been completed and the company expects a launch customer shortly. The vessel is optimised to be a 'mothership' for uncrewed systems.

• Digital Battlespace

  Rafael demonstrates BNET tactical communications for Romanian special forces

  13th July 2023

  Rafael showcased the capabilities of its BNET communications system to Romanian special forces in an effort to demonstrate real-time battle management and information gathering in complex operational environments.

• Training

  High-End Defense Training for Multipolar Threats

  13th September 2023

  From US National Intelligence Council reports to defense and foreign policy commentary, much ink has been spilled in the last five years on changing power dynamics in the world order.

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy tries again to procure minehunters, but this time it goes futuristic

  4th September 2023

  The Indian Navy is looking to the future with MCMVs that integrate a lot of autonomous technology. Meanwhile, other construction projects, such as ASWSWCs and survey vessels, are proceeding.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin unveils plans to develop new class of 500kW laser weapon

  31st July 2023

  Lockheed Martin will scale its technology to a 500kW-class laser under a new contract, aiming to optimize efficiency and size while increasing power for high-powered directed energy weapon systems.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Has the Royal Navy cut back its support vessel fleet too far?

  11th September 2023

  This second in Shephard’s three-part series examining the state of the UK RN analyses the fleet of support ships. These important vessels sustain naval forces at sea for long durations and at vast distances, but cuts to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's fleet have left crucial ships retired or sold, prompting concerns for future missions.

• Digital Battlespace

  Riding the Data Wave: How the Military is Harnessing the Power of Data Integration (Studio)

  24th August 2023

  The future battlefield is extending beyond traditional realms; it is blending our physical world with new, digital realms. Success in the future operating environment will be dependent on leveraging a seamlessly integrated, data-driven, multi-domain environment that can efficiently defend against sophisticated technological threats.

• Naval Warfare

  Australian navy receives final Bluebottle USV

  13th June 2023

  Australia's navy now has in its hands all five USVs that it ordered from a Sydney innovator and manufacturer.

• Land Warfare

  Fibrotex develops mobile camouflage systems for US clients

  19th July 2023

  Fibrotex’s camouflage triad will be complete with the development of mobile camouflage systems.

• Naval Warfare

  No easy options: Australia's navy faces complex surface fleet choices

  14th September 2023

  As part of Australia’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR), a report into the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) future surface fleet force structure was directed to be completed separately. Shephard examines its likely outcomes and how Australia might balance capability with affordability

• Digital Battlespace

  SOF Week 2023: USSOCOM to observe high throughput connectivity at sea demonstration

  8th May 2023

  The demo will showcase a layered and integrated communications network featuring mobile ad hoc network, tropospheric scatter, and satellite connectivity.

• Naval Warfare

  Defence AI company Helsing envisions benefits for ASW, amplifying sensor capabilities

  24th July 2023

  According to defence AI company Helsing, the technology could improve how navies conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman achieves design milestone for US Pacific missile tracking

  5th June 2023

  The company's Relay Ground Station-Asia for the US Naval Information Warfare Center, to be stationed in Guam, has passed its preliminary design review.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems Phasa-35 UAS soars into the stratosphere

  17th July 2023

  BAE Systems has achieved the first stratospheric flight of the Phasa-35 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) uncrewed aerial system (UAS). Weighing 150kg, the drone flew to over 66,000ft in altitude and could offer long-endurance ISR and communication capabilities.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-Bat [USN]

  Background Core Requirement Fundamentally, the USN requires a UAV that can be flown from its ships in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment.  ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Corvettes

  Tuo Chiang Class (Batch I) [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Requirements The multi-purpose corvette Tuo Chiang-class is made up of an initially smaller corvette and the first-in-class ROCN Tuo Chiang (not included in this programme value), followed by ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Data links

  Data links | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Persistent Surveillance / High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) [Japan]

  Programme Background Drone Appetite Released in December 2022, the Defence Buildup Programme (DBP) called on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to replace some human assets with ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R [Spain]

  Programme Background On 16 March 2022, the US State Department approved an FMS to Spain for eight MH-60R helicopters and associated equipment and weaponry for $950 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  First-Person View (FPV) UAV [USMC]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) In December 2025, a US government procurement website posted an RFI concerning a USMC acquisition of 10,000 drones, mostly first-person view ...

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

  Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS) [India]

  Background Order In January 2026, ThePrint reported that the Indian Army had placed an order worth Rs 168 crore ($20 million) with NRT for the ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters Block 2 (South Korea)

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) was seeking additional naval helicopters under its Maritime Operations Helicopter Batch 2 (MOH2) project. It represented a ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton - Germany (Cancelled)

  Programme Background Germany requested to buy four MQ-4C Triton HALE UAVs from Northrop Grumman. On 5 April 2018, the US State Department announced that it ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Indago

  Indago is a small quadrotor UAV with VTOL. It is equipped with a large-screen handset and is marketed as 'whisper-quiet' with a noise level of ...

• Light UGVs

  Dragon Runner

  The Dragon Runner UGV, manufactured by QinitiQ, has two versions: the Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) and the slightly larger Dragon Runner 20 (DR20). All Dragon ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MPU5

  The MPU5 (WR-5100) has been described as a smart MANET radio, designed for connectivity, interchangeable frequency module, stream HD video and integrated Radio over IP functionality. ...

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

  Sentinel

  First displayed at DSEI 2023, Sentinel is a tethered drone from Drone Evolution. Designed to support various applications, such as increased ISR, EW and communications, ...

• Data links

  MiMMC

  Microsat Man-Packable Mission Command (MiMMC) is a satellite-based BLoS communications system providing the ability to extend mission command applications including voice, video and data transfer ...

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

  Orion HL

  The Elistair Orion Heavy Lift (HL) is a rotary-wing tethered UAV designed for use as a persistent relay solution to form part of a secured mobile network. ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SOVERON VR

  Designed by Rohde&Schwarz;, the SOVERON VR is a ruggedised vehicle SDR that supports the V/UHF band. Notably, it comes with a built-in amplifier and a cosite ...

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

  Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS)

  The Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS) is a solar-powered UAV developed by NewSpace Research & Technologies (NRT).  An evolution of the High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS), ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle

  Bluebottle is a persistent, autonomous, uncrewed surface vessel from Ocius Technology in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SOVERON HR

  The SOVERON HR5000 is a multiband handheld radio that supports two voice channels and IP data transmission in parallel. Developed by Rohde&Schwarz;, it is in ...

• EO/IR systems

  AWAPSS

  The AWAPSS is an airborne surveillance system developed by BAE Systems. It is designed to perform persistent day-and-night surveillance. The system integrates advanced electro-optical (EO) ...

• Medium UGVs

  Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT)

  The Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) UGV is designed to be a multirole, rugged, small-unit forcemultiplier. Able to operate in remote-controlled, tethered or tele-operated modes, it ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Orion

  The Orion is a twin-engine UAS capable of flying for over 100h at a time with large payloads. The system has a length of 40.2m, ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MIPR

  The Military IP Radio (MIPR) is described as a next-generation tactical IP radio designed to deliver high-speed broadband data communication to the battlefield. Modular and ...

• Major networking projects

  BACN/RAIDER

  Battlefield Airborne Communications Node/Rapid Attack Information Dissemination Execution Relay (BACN/RAIDER) is a MANET experiment in which a BACN radio network gateway aboard an RB-57 Canberra ...