• Land Warfare

  Pearson Pioneer remote minefield breaching system set for trials with NATO countries

  17th June 2024

  Robotic Combat Vehicle-Pioneer (RCV-Pioneer) minefield breaching payload has been shown for the first time at Eurosatory 2024 and will follow the debut of the RCV-Pioneer urban obstacle clearance payload at DSEI 2023.

• Digital Battlespace

  How has Russia progressed with the development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon?

  1st July 2024

  The Pentagon recently confirmed that Moscow launched a LEO satellite that could offer a counter-space capability. Media news outlets also reported that the Kremlin was approaching initial trials.

• Digital Battlespace

  In-orbit imaging a “game-changer” in space situational awareness

  15th August 2024

  As the threats of nuclear weapons in space and the militarisation of the domain persist, an Australian outfit has been developing technology that defence organisations could utilise to identify objects in space to gain a better understand of what they are doing in orbit.

• Digital Battlespace

  The imperative for a vibrant UK space industry

  6th August 2024

  Ahead of a new Shephard Technology Report to be published in September, senior executives from Lockheed Martin Space have underlined the importance of investing in defence space systems by countries like the UK.

• Digital Battlespace

  How to build navigational resilience for your military in a hackable world

  17th September 2024

  If the position or navigation information of your defence assets are compromised, they are as good as useless.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Space Force to launch “hundreds of satellites” to better protect its assets from Russia and China

  5th August 2024

  As part of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM programme, the service intends to operate a swarm of smaller, cheaper LEO satellites.

• Land Warfare

  Israeli Defence Forces aims to make remote-controlled ground systems autonomous

  8th July 2024

  The IDF has turned some of its unmanned M113 APCs into remotely controlled vehicles but it has also been exploring moves towards making the vehicles completely autonomous.

• Air Warfare

  Eurofighter Typhoon electronic combat aircraft set to replace German Tornadoes

  30th November 2023

  Germany has given the green light to replace its Tornado ECR aircraft with Eurofighter Typhoon EK, a dedicated variant for electronic combat and SEAD.

• Digital Battlespace

  Kongsberg contracted to develop remote control communications terminal

  30th April 2024

  The development of the THOR Remote Control Terminal (RCT) has been linked to the delivery of other elements of the THOR communications system such as vehicle radio modules.

• Digital Battlespace

  Norway to receive maritime surveillance satellite data from Kongsberg

  10th April 2024

  Norway's Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace has announced that its subsidiary Kongsberg NanoAvionics will produce three satellites and launch them in 2025.

• Digital Battlespace

  The Growing Role of Satellite Communications in Multi-Domain Operations (Studio)

  10th July 2024

  The landscape of military and humanitarian operations is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the increasing necessity for real-time, secure information sharing across multiple domains. As multi-domain operations and information superiority become central to mission success, the role of satellite communications (SATCOM) is evolving to meet these critical demands.

• Air Warfare

  Poland and Netherlands approved for hundreds of air-to-ground missiles

  25th April 2024

  The AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) is a supersonic, medium-range, air-launched tactical missile compatible with US and allied strike aircraft.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Space Force bets big on the use of AI to improve its capabilities

  18th July 2024

  The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo to develop a digital twin of a space cloud-based supercomputer

  19th February 2024

  Military Space Cloud Architecture (MILSCA) will be able to store more than 100 Terabytes of data generated on Earth and in space on board each constellation satellite with a processing power exceeding 250 TFLOPS (250,000 billion operations per second).

• Training

  How the US Air Force plans to use artificial intelligence to train pilots

  26th June 2024

  AI can accelerate instruction for flying officer and improve their training in several ways.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

• 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 - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk-USA

  The UH-60M Black Hawk is a digitally networked platform with greater range and lift to support maneuver commanders through air assault, general support, command and ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-35M

  Serbia became the 10th export customer of the Mi-35M helicopter, a new-generation Hind derivative, launched in production since 2007, featuring an improved armour protection, more ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  OC-135B Replacement (USAF- Cancelled)

  Programme Background The modification and Treaty Certification works include Digital Visual Imaging System kits, design and development for mission system integration (structural design, interphone communications systems, ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Bell 505 - Montenegro

  The deal between Montenegro and export agency Canadian Commercial Cooperation will see aircraft production take place at Bell’s Mirabel facility before being transited to the ...

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

  EVO Max 4T [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Ukraine On 6 October 2023, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Miniter of Digital Transformation, announced that the Army of Drones sent nearly 2,000 EVO Max ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hürkuş-C Advanced Armed Trainer (Turkey)

  The Hurjet-C development programme funding was included in the Hurkus-B procurement contract awarded by  the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries in December 2013.  The Hurjet will ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H-47ER Chinook [UK]

  Programme Background 2021 FMS Announcement In October 2018, the US State Department approved a $3.5 billion FMS of 16 CH-47 Chinooks fitted with extended-range fuel tanks ...

• 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

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• ISR/special mission

  MC-27J - Algeria

  Programme Background Algeria has a long standing ISR aircraft requirement to support its Beech 1900 fleet comprised of six aircraft. The new ISR fleet is ...

• 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 ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER ISR - Kuwait

  Feb 2018: The US State Department has approved an estimated $259m potential foreign military sale of King Air 350ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V (9-16) [Bulgaria]

  Programme Background In April 2022, the US State Department approved a potential FMS worth $1.673 million to procure eight F-16Vs to Bulgaria. The aircraft are ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Vixen-1000E

  The Vixen 1000E is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar designed for fighter and interceptor aircraft, incorporating a roll-repositionable antenna with a ±100º field ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems, Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Arexis

  Arexis is an ECM, ISR and radar warning receiver (RWR) concept developed by Saab to support fighter aircraft requirements. It provides situational awareness for self-protection through its RWR, and tactical support ...

• Land: air defence radar

  KRONOS Power Shield Land

  This system is an L-band digital AESA anti-TBM radar. It is the land-based version of the naval KRONOS Power Shield, also known as KRONOS Ground ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Smart-L MM/F

  The SMART-L MM/F (Multi-Mission Fixed) is a next-generation, long-range, multi-mission radar developed by Thales for air and space surveillance and ballistic missile detection. It features ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  Ground Fire Radar

  Thales unveiled its Ground Fire Radar family, a range of multifunction ground radars, on 19 June 2017 at the Paris Air Show. Using AESA technology, ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Nebo-SVU

  The Nebo-SVU is an air defence radar distributed by Rosoboronexport in Russia and is currently used by the Russian Army and the Iranian Army. It ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  KRONOS Power Shield

  The KRONOS Power Shield is an early warning naval radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is primarily designed for ballistic missile defence and surveillance. The main ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Sea: coastal surveillance radar

  Three-Dimensional Perimeter Surveillance Radars

  RADA's Three-Dimensional (3D) Perimeter Surveillance Radars, which include the RHS-14, RHS-44, RHS-74 and the RHS-84, provide border and perimeter surveillance through detection, classification and tracking ...

• Land: air defence radar, Sea: naval fire control radar

  All-Threat Tactical Air-Surveillance radar

  RADA’s All-Threat Tactical Air Surveillance radar systems, which include the RPS-12, RPS-42, RPS-72 and RPS-82, detect all types of aerial vehicles (including UAVs of all ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Viper Shield AN/ALQ-254(V)1

  L3Harris, in partnership with Lockheed Martin and the USAF, are developing an all-digital EW suite, which is custom design to be the baseline on advanced ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-63(V)2

  The AN/APG-63(V)2 is a significant radar upgrade for the U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft. This upgrade replaces the mechanically-scanned antenna (MSA) with an AESA antenna,  ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Raven ES-05

  The Raven ES-05 is an AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo in close collaboration with Saab for the Gripen E/F. It features a repositionable AESA ...

• Air: surveillance radar, Sea: naval fire control radar

  SF 500

  Sea Fire 500 (SF 500) is a multifunction radar providing simultaneous long-range air and surface surveillance, target acquisition and tracking and fire control (ASTER missiles ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  CENK 600-N

  The CENK 600-N is a two-dimensional long-range volume search radar manufactured by Aselsan. The radar is part of Aselsan’s Multi-Function Radar Systems Suite.

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-73

  The AN/APG-73 is an X-band multimode radar system designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, featuring programmable digital processors, memory capacity, and electronic countermeasures capabilities ...