• Land Warfare

  US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy

  2nd February 2026

  As the US Department of Defense looks to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems to improve homeland security, the DroneHunter acquisition could point to future commercial innovation.

• Land Warfare

  Team LionStrike fleshes out UK Land Mobility Programme bid

  13th May 2026

  At an industry press day this week, Shephard's Christopher Foss looked more closely at Team LionStrike's line-up.

• Air Warfare

  August crewed air review: KC-390 momentum builds as demand in the tanker market grows

  2nd September 2026

  The KC-390 is building a growing international operator base, but competition in the transport and tanker market is increasingly likely to depend on interoperability, commonality and the strength of supporting ecosystems. Meanwhile, Boeing’s KC-46 and Airbus’s A330 also gained ground in August.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus Helicopters sees defence portfolio’s “strong momentum” continue into 2026

  28th January 2026

  The aerospace company’s 2025 performance figures revealed significant orders from various European armed forces and a boost in demand for its uncrewed offerings.

• Air Warfare

  Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success

  22nd June 2026

  The one-way-effector uncrewed aerial vehicle has also been tested by the British Army, following on from its contract award notice in February 2026.

• Air Warfare

  UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for UK air power?

  30th June 2026

  The DIP sees £8.6 billion earmarked for the Global Combat Air Programme, with heavy emphasis on uncrewed systems procurement and a national CCA programme, despite pushed forward helicopter retirements and questions over what shape future ISR capabilities could take.

• Land Warfare

  German Army to receive third-generation Dingo protected patrol vehicles this year

  3rd July 2025

  More than 1,200 Dingo 1 and Dingo 2 models have been built and deployed by some 10 countries. The latest Dingo 3 pulls through from user inputs and, like earlier versions, is also based on a UNIMOG chassis.

• Air Warfare

  UK MoD awards Leonardo with £1 billion New Medium Helicopter contract

  2nd March 2026

  The £1 billion contract has secured jobs at Leonardo’s Yeovil site and will provide the British forces with 23 new medium-lift helicopters.

• Naval Warfare

  UK DIP: Royal Navy bets on defence technology over bigger fleets

  7th July 2026

  The Royal Navy’s transition towards a hybrid fleet could prove to be less about building more hulls and more about delivering the autonomous technologies, AI and digital integration that will support future maritime operations.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock onshores 85% of Canada’s submarine supply chain as it eyes future CPSP programme

  30th July 2026

  By moving most of the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarine supply chain into Canada, Babcock Canada is driving to strengthen sovereign sustainment capabilities while preparing to compete to maintain the future Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.

• Air Warfare

  UK’s New Medium Helicopter deal finalisation on horizon, alludes Leonardo CEO

  26th February 2026

  A potential announcement within days could end speculation around the UK Ministry of Defence’s procurement direction for the NMH programme.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine and NATO look to industry to boost capability plans

  5th June 2026

  The Ukraine-Russia war has highlighted the force-multiplying capability of innovation and adaptation of industry and individual companies. NATO is attempting to introduce this flexibility while Ukraine is accelerating these efforts and looking for industrial support.

• Air Warfare

  US pledges to become “AI-first warfighting force” as navy hits new autonomy milestone

  14th January 2026

  A memo released on Monday outlines three key areas where the Pentagon can accelerate its adoption of artificial intelligence, including paths to finding new ways to integrate AI in combat, while the US Navy continues to push ahead with AI-enabled autonomy.

• Air Warfare

  USMC advances MV-22B Osprey safety and reliability upgrades

  31st August 2026

  The US Marine Corps is testing a redesigned input quill assembly and plans to transition its MV-22B fleet to improved gearboxes by January 2033 as it prepares to operate the tiltrotor through 2055.

• Land Warfare

  Information advantage: what is a data fabric and why is it essential for armed forces?

  9th September 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard's Gerrard Cowan talks to Systematic’s Chris Harris about the vital importance of data fabrics in the networked battlespace, and how this capability can already be provided by existing technology.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMPT Terminator

  Despite having earlier rejected the BMPT vehicle, the Russian MoD tested BMPT prototypes in Syria, where the vehicles performed well in combat conditions. This culminated ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Data links

  Data links | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aksungur [Kyrgyzstan]

  Programme Background In January 2023, Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the Central Asian country's Presidential Press Service head, stated that Kyrgyzstan had bought "modern military equipment such as ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Eurodrone (Forecast) [Japan]

  Programme Background Japan's Application The Letter of Approval (LOA) for observer status in the programme was presented to the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Hidenao Yanagi, by Joachim ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90M Proryv (New-Build)

  The first contract for the T-90M was disclosed in August 2017. Comprising 30 tanks in total, it covered the upgrade of 20 T-90As to T-90M ...

• Military UAS - mini

  SA2 & SA7 [New Zealand]

  Background Uncrewed Range As reported by Shephard, in February 2026, Syos Aerospace announced that it had been contracted by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to ...

• Military UAS - mini

  X10D (Base defence) [USAF]

  Background Contract award On 8 April 2026, Skydio announced that it had been awarded a $9 million contract by the US Air Forces Central (USAFCENT), the air component ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  EBRC Jaguar [Luxembourg]

  Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU missions in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  BMPT

  UVZ developed the BMPT Fire Support Combat Vehicle, nicknamed Terminator by the company, after studying the Russian Army's performance during the Chechen War. Designed to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Borisoglebsk-2

  The vehicle-mounted Borisoglebsk-2 EW system performs frequency scanning for hostile RF emissions. Produced by JSC Sozvezdie, it can perform both electronic surveillance and RF suppression. ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  İhtar

  The İhtar is an anti-drone system manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to counter mini and micro-UAS threats in urban and rural environments. It detects and tracks ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  TOS-2 Tosochka

  Russia unveiled the TOS-2 Tosochka MLRS at the 2020 Victory Day Parade. Like its TOS-1A predecessor, it is intended to neutralise and suppress enemy positions ...

• Self-propelled guns

  PLC-161

  The PLC-161 (also known as PLC161) is a 4x4 truck-mounted 122 mm self-propelled howitzer that was first identified in July 2020. Few specific details concerning ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Palantin

  The Russian Army’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation Palantin is a truck-mounted COMINT and communications jamming (COMJAM) system. Official information released by Russia’s MoD states that ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Gnat

  The Gnat is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, multi-mission UAS that has been produced in several different variants. Although originally intended for export customers, the platform was ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)

  The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) long-range air defence system, previously known as the S-300PMU-3, was developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau ...

• Major networking projects

  SITCEN

  The Situation Centre (SITCEN) is the central agency for providing situational awareness within NATO HQ. It is responsible for receiving, exchanging and disseminating political, economic ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ASOC

  Under a contract awarded to Lockheed Martin by the USAF Electronic Systems Center in May 1997, the company is providing Air Sovereignty Operations Centers (ASOCs) ...

• Land: manned turrets

  B05Ya01 Berezhok

  KBP Tula developed the B05Ya01 Berezhok turret (also referred to as a 'combat module') to provide an upgrade option for the legacy Soviet BMP-1 and BMP-2 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K

  The Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K (Typhoon-K) is a 4x4 MRAP vehicle manufactured in Russia by Remdiesel, a subsidiary of Kamaz.  Originally developed in 2010 as a private ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Command View C4I

  In operation with many of the world’s military forces, Command View is designed to access and integrate different sources of data and present it to ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Iskander-M/E/K

  The Iskander-M (NATO reporting name: SS-26 'Stone') is a short-range ballistic missile. It was the second attempt by Russia to replace the Skud after its ...