• Naval Warfare

  Philippine Navy looks to old and new vessels to beef up its fleet

  25th July 2025

  The Philippines has turned to regional neighbours Japan and South Korea in a effort to boost its naval fleet with new and ex-Japanese ships. The bonds between the countries is an acknowledgment of the rising power of China and the continued manoeuvres of the Asian giant throughout the region.

• Land Warfare

  Poland signs US$6.7 billion deal for more K2 tanks and aims for new industrial capability

  4th August 2025

  The Polish Government sees the latest contract as a big step towards an indigenous capability while also further transitioning from Russian-designed tanks to NATO compliant force.

• Defence Notes

  Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts

  14th August 2025

  More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.

• Naval Warfare

  Beyond GPS: How LEO satellites are changing the game in naval navigation

  10th October 2025

  Satellite navigation is increasingly critical for global maritime defence, and Low Earth Orbit satellites are rapidly overtaking the traditional and more widely used Medium Earth Orbit option as they are less susceptible to jamming or spoofing.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS

  16th September 2025

  While the Australian government insists the investment is predominantly aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities, the upgrade also bodes well for the AUKUS pact which Australia’s defence minister said “is going well”.

• Land Warfare

  Europe’s air defence boosted by more IRIS-T SLM system orders

  4th August 2025

  The IRIS-T (InfraRed Imaging System - Tail/thrust vector-controlled) SLM (Surface Launched Medium-Range) is a surface-to-air missile system has been developed by Diehl Defence. The system is a key part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) and have been purchased by Sweden for this role.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine’s ground robot army still finding its feet

  31st October 2025

  Ukraine’s quest to replace soldiers with robots is hitting technical snags. Shephard spoke with industry leaders about difficulties in the field and what solutions are in the pipeline.

• Land Warfare

  New version of Altay tank to be delivered “soon” with Turkish engine for later iterations

  19th August 2025

  The first of the Altay T1 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) will have a South Korean power pack while later Altay T2s will be fitted with the locally made BMC BATU engine.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korean shipbuilders showcase export ambitions amid ongoing KDDX delays

  12th June 2025

  Hyundai and Hanwha recently unveiled advanced frigate and submarine designs while South Korea eyes new export markets and resolves internal rivalries

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)

  15th September 2025

  Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield.

• Land Warfare

  Companies look to tank-launched guided projectiles for non-line-of-sight effects

  29th December 2025

  While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.

• Defence Notes

  US forces’ heads lay out their needs and requirements before Senate committees

  22nd May 2025

  The new US administration has introduced or outlined plans for substantial change across the Department of Defence (DoD) and its branches. Several branch heads faced up to Senate Committees to outline needs and challenges.

• Land Warfare

  HIMARS arrive in Hawaii as first multinational launch in Australia takes place

  18th July 2025

  The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher is in high demand with Lockheed Martin doubling speed of manufacture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As orders are racked up in Europe, the Indo-Pacific region is seeing the increasing presence of the system.

• 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.

• Land Warfare

  MyDefence delivers counter-drone system to US Army ahead of livefire exercise

  11th July 2025

  The Soldier-Kit system consists of detector, jammer, tablet and wideband antenna and is being evaluated as part of Project Flytrap 3.0 counter uncrewed aerial system (CUAS) exercise.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Data links

  Data links | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block II [South Korea]

  Background South Korea launched a plan to convert its Cheongung-I systems to the M-SAM Block II configuration. It was announced in July 2025 that it ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang [South Korea]

  Background South Korea will produce the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I (Cheongwang) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The laser weapons will be deployed and ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Special Mission Brigade) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block III [South Korea]

  Background South Korea's Defense Project Promotion Committee approved the basic strategy for the development of M-SAM Block III (Cheongung Block III). The system will modernise South Korea's ...

• 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 ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (North Macedonia)

  Programme Background In its Long-Term Defence Capabilities Development Plan (LTDCDP) published in 2019, the North Macedonian MoD outlined plans to acquire Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Mistral 3 [North Macedonia]

  Background North Macedonia signed a contract for the procurement of Mistral 3 short-range air defence systems. The systems will modernise the Army and are expected ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-7 (Nodong-1)

  The Hwasong-7 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-6. It has the NATO reporting name Scud D. It was designed with ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-6

  The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-5, which itself is based on the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. Its NATO reporting ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

• Artillery rockets

  K33

  K33 is a 130 mm unguided artillery rocket developed by South Korean Hanwha for the K136 Kooryong MLRS and currently in use with the K239 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetbyol-4

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August  One drone, which appears to be called the Saetbyol-4, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

• Light UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetlbyol-9

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the 2023 Weapons and Equipment Exhibition in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone, the Saetlbyol-9, or Morning Star-9,  ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang

  The Anti-Aircraft Laser Weapon System, Block-I (Cheongwang) is a laser weapon system developed by Hanwha Aerospace. The system can strike small drones and multicopters at ...

• Corvettes

  Hainan Class (Type 037)

  The Hainan-class (Type 037) class is a range of corvette-sized vessels, mostly in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which cover a range ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  HY-2/C-201

  The HY-2/C-201, NATO reporting name CSS-C-3 Seersucker, is a Chinese liquid-fuel rocket-powered anti-ship cruise missile developed as an evolution of the earlier HY-1 missile. The ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

  The SSM-700K Haeseong, also known as the C-Star, is a surface-launched, anti-ship cruise missile. It was designed as a replacement for the Hae Ryong anti-ship ...