• Training

  Belgium joins NFTE

  23rd February 2021

  Will the NATO Flight Training Europe programme succeed where the Advanced European Jet Pilot Training scheme failed?

• Defence Helicopter

  Leonardo confident of securing new Wildcat orders

  5th February 2021

  Leonardo hopes to build on a modest AW159 Wildcat export order record as it pursues 'multiple opportunities' across Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.

• Defence Notes

  Brexit leaves future UK-EU defence relationship undefined

  22nd January 2021

  ​More clarity is needed on how a post-Brexit UK, with its ambitions for ‘Global Britain’, regards mainland Europe in terms of defence and security.

• Naval Warfare

  UK awards maintenance contracts for Stringray and Spearfish

  28th January 2021

  £230 million contract aims to bolster Royal Navy torpedo capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Egypt solves its SCALP problem

  9th February 2021

  An issue around selling a missile with US components seems to have been solved — either the US relented or MBDA was able to source an alternative.

• Training

  4GD enhances SmartFacility training

  2nd February 2021

  SmartFacility is being enhanced with ECFECTUS, a dismounted close combat data collection and analysis system; and ACIES, an integrated-reality single synthetic training environment.

• Digital Battlespace

  Elbit supports UK target acquisition effort

  21st January 2021

  Elbit Systems UK wins place on Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators programme.

• Naval Warfare

  US and UK set final seal on Carrier Strike Group deployment

  20th January 2021

  UK aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to embark with USMC aircraft on board.

• Naval Warfare

  China supports Sudanese patrol boat upgrade

  2nd February 2021

  Sudanese vessels seem to have been fitted with the Norinco CS/AN2 30mm gun mount, as one more sign of Chinese influence.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Callen-Lenz Mosquito omission is a tale of the unexpected

  27th January 2021

  In an odd twist, Callen-Lenz has been omitted from Team Mosquito — the industry collaboration contracted to design and manufacture a low-cost, 'loyal wingman' type UAV for the RAF.

• Naval Warfare

  Bridging the Gulf – private sector moves to fill naval gaps

  2nd March 2021

  Amid widespread cuts to defence budgets, West African countries see private sector as way to boost naval capacity in Gulf of Guinea.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian infantry to get swarms of UAVs

  28th January 2021

  Spurred by UAVs being used in conflicts overseas, the Indian Army is exploring UAV swarms to attack an enemy.

• Defence Helicopter

  UK rules out FLRAA as Puma helicopter successor

  21st January 2021

  Publication of the Integrated Review should provide a clear idea of how the UK will renew medium-lift rotary capabilities — but it has opted not to rely on US support.

• Military Logistics

  Team Leidos extends battery deal with Lincad

  22nd January 2021

  Battery supplier gains 12-month extension to contract that began in 2018.

• Land Warfare

  Pearson launches detect and displace capability for scatterable mines

  2nd February 2021

  New software and hardware for mine detection and clearance is designed to be used together or separately.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

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

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

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

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...