• Land Warfare

  Will we see a rise in MBT alternatives in future armoured warfare?

  25th November 2025

  In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of militaries procuring alternative vehicles to the traditional tank. The spread of these vehicles appears to be driven by the ever-increasing cost of MBTs and the changing nature of the modern battlefield.

• Land Warfare

  Digital backbone: bringing new capabilities to the UK defence market

  29th August 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to Bittium’s newly appointed general manager for UK defence, Dean Aldridge, about how the company’s tactical communications technologies can empower the British armed forces, and its ambitions for the UK market.

• Air Warfare

  Proteus: forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft

  4th September 2025

  As the home of British helicopters, Leonardo has worked with the UK Ministry of Defence for over a decade to advance technologies underpinning uncrewed rotorcraft. Today, in partnership with DE&S Future Capabilities Innovation and the Royal Navy, Leonardo is spearheading the next step in that journey: from remotely piloted technologies to fully autonomous systems.

• Air Warfare

  Tactical UAS: mission-driven innovation for a new battlefield era

  26th August 2025

  As global conflicts evolve and the limitations of traditional UAS become clear, Aeronautics is redefining the tactical unmanned aerial systems space with platforms that prioritize survivability, flexibility, and mission effectiveness.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea advances next-gen naval concepts for future force needs

  13th June 2025

  HHI and Hanwha Ocean outline highly autonomous and unmanned-enabled designs as the ROKN explores force structure for the 2030s and beyond.

• Naval Warfare

  Eureka Naval Craft and Strategic Marine make pitch to build next-gen Aircat Bengal MC craft

  29th August 2025

  A vessel currently used in the offshore oil and gas sector could act as an alternative to corvettes and frigates, claims US shipbuilder.

• Naval Warfare

  Which countries could the US rely on to progress with its shipbuilding programmes?

  3rd September 2025

  The US Navy and US Coast Guard (USCG) are in critical need of support to build icebreakers, surface vessels and submarines.

• Air Warfare

  How unconventional warfare demands are changing the CUAS and drone development landscape

  14th August 2025

  The use of drones in unconventional ways is accelerating technological advances and countermeasures as military planners try to stay ahead of the drone revolution in military affairs.

• Air Warfare

  Shield AI unveils V-Bat block upgrade

  9th April 2025

  The heavy-fuel engine V-Bat was officially showcased at Sea Air Space, after it was first teased in February 2025.

• Air Warfare

  Spain signs for two Quantum Systems UAS reconnaissance platforms

  7th May 2025

  The Vector and Twister systems will be utilised for medium and short-range ISR missions across the Spanish Armed Forces.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan entrusts USVs with task of deterring a PLA amphibious invasion

  23rd August 2025

  Drawing lessons from Ukraine’s Black Sea experience, Taiwan is investing heavily in unmanned surface vessels to strengthen its asymmetric defence strategy against potential PLA amphibious assaults.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea air focus: $16.64 billion in as-yet-unawarded contracts up for grabs

  4th November 2025

  South Korea’s military air market is the 12th largest in the world when it comes to unawarded procurement programmes, with an estimated US$7.50 billion potentially set to be awarded over the next decade.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea and Singapore partner with Shield AI to develop autonomous flight technologies

  20th March 2025

  Both contracts will see Shield AI work with Korea Aerospace Industries and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on autonomous flight operations for UAVs, leveraging the company’s Hivemind technology.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Drone Evolution eyes UK and export markets with Scimitar FPV drone

  5th September 2025

  Launched at DSEI 2025 for the first time, the first-person-view uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) is available as 10-inch and 7-inch variant, ideal for surveillance or one-way strike missions.

• Naval Warfare

  US and European special operators test Icelandic AI-based solution for marine platforms

  5th May 2025

  Hefring Marine IMAS was designed to optimise vessels’ operation.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) (Group 1-3) [US]

  Background Concept In early February 2026, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) stated that it required the ability to rapidly deploy large quantities of UAS while minimising the ...

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

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IA-63 Pampa III (Follow-On) [Argentina]

  Programme Background After the previous procurement of six AI-63 Pampa III aircraft from 2018 and 2019 agreements, Argentina was left with a further need for 34 aircraft. ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems and ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-Bat [Poland]

  Background Polish involvement Speaking in June 2026, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Shield AI offered Poland a role in the X-Bat programme, with the ...

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

  V-Bat [India]

  Background Make In India The ‘Make In India’ is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the defence context, ...

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

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced a competition on the EU tendering website for the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  In April 2026, AeroVironment (AV) and Shield AI announced that they had been selected to compete for a US$800 million task order to provide Contractor-Owned, ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  In April 2026, AeroVironment (AV) and Shield AI announced that they had been selected to compete for a US$800 million task order to provide Contractor-Owned, ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | X-Bat [Poland]

  Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in June 2026 that Shield AI offered Poland a role in the X-Bat programme. Defence Insight forecasts that Poland could acquire the ...

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

  Shield AI UAVs [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Reported Talks Reporting from the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, the Middle East Eye (MEE) noted that, according to two sources, Saudi Arabia was ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | V-Bat [Poland]

  On 23 June 2026, Poland announced a US$16 million deal with Shield AI to procure a V-Bat system. The platforms will be used by the ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | V-Bat [Poland]

  On 23 June 2026, Poland announced a US$16 million deal with Shield AI to procure a V-Bat system. The platforms will be used by the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Ship-Bourne VTOL UAV [Singapore]

  Background Multi-Role Combat Vessel  The Republic of Singapore Navy will retire its six Victory-class corvettes and replace them with a new platform, the Multi-Role Combat ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The XRQ-73 designation places this aircraft in the experimental ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

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

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Tiltrotors, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  X-76

  The X-76 is an operational crewed aircraft designed to combine the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.  Bell Textron is ...

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

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

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

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar, Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is an airborne radar system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed to track vehicles and foot traffic ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

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

  X-61A Gremlin

  Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, is developing the X-61A Gremlin. This low-cost swarming drone can be outfitted with different payloads, launched by a mothership, recovered ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance radar

  FORESTER

  The Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) is an airborne radar system that provides stand-off, persistent, wide-area surveillance for situational awareness ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  TKN-AI

  TKN-AI is a commander’s periscope intended for guiding a vehicle, and battlefield observation and target acquisition by day and night. It is compatible with T-62, ...