• Land Warfare

  Reviving coastal protection: The renewed focus on shoreline defence

  15th May 2024

  The sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva has been among a range of incidents and geopolitical developments in recent years that has brought the issue of coastal defence back into the minds of government and defence decision-makers.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD

  16th April 2024

  A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  C-Worker 15 large USV displayed at Oceanology International 2024

  13th March 2024

  L3 Harris has a list of USVs, including C-Worker 4, 5 and 6, which range in weight from 1,000kg to 4,500kg. Its latest system, C-Worker 15, weighs in at 14,500kg.

• Training

  NATO to conduct largest exercise since end of Cold War

  23rd January 2024

  NATO has announced the launch of its largest exercise in decades in a move that Russia has viewed as an “irrevocable return” of Cold War era positions.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock to supply weapons system for South Korean Jangbogo-III submarine

  31st January 2024

  A total of three Jangbogo-III Batch II class submarines have been ordered as part of the $2.7 billion programme.

• Air Warfare

  Thailand decommissions Pilatus PC-9 training aircraft

  6th February 2024

  All 22 Thai Pilatus PC-9 training aircraft have been retired with the T-6C Texan II fulfilling all training roles for the country’s air force.

• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2024: Bigger bang for Tulpar as Otokar adds 120mm tank gun

  7th February 2024

  Otokar unveiled the Tulpar IFV at Turkey’s IDEF defence exhibition in May 2013. It has been designed to be carried by the A400M strategic transport aircraft and will target customers in the export market.

• Land Warfare

  Pakistan rolls out first locally assembled Haider tank

  11th March 2024

  Pakistan has unveiled the Haider MBT, a symbol of deepening ties with China, at a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

• Air Warfare

  Poland secures mega missile order for $3.5 billion on 25th NATO anniversary

  13th March 2024

  Poland's military modernisation agenda has continued with the approval of multibillion-dollar missile agreements, as the country attempts to demonstrate its commitment to defence amid regional tensions.

• Air Warfare

  Germany expects to receive full CH-47F fleet within eight years

  5th March 2024

  On 1 June 2022, the German MoD announced that it had selected CH-47F Chinook for its €5.2 billion (US$5.6 billion) heavy-lift helicopter procurement. The helicopters will replace a fleet of CH-53G helicopters approaching a service life of 50 years.

• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2024: FNSS unveils new Pars Alpha offering larger gun options and better protection

  5th February 2024

  The new Pars Alpha 8x8 will compete for the Turkish Army’s New Generation Light Armoured Vehicle (NGLAV) programme.

• Air Warfare

  US Army continues pivot to large-scale combat operations from counter-insurgency in the shadow of world events

  27th February 2024

  US Army Aviation has been pivoting to face a different kind of war. On the platform front that has meant investing in proven systems and improving platforms already in service.

• Defence Notes

  How UAE defence giant EDGE Group plans to double its exports

  24th April 2024

  The UAE defence conglomerate has put an aggressive strategy in place to increase its share of exports while navigating the growing gap between East and West.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer readies to ride “strong sales momentum” for C-390 aircraft in Asia

  22nd February 2024

  Embraer’s presence at the Singapore Airshow 2024 with its C-390 has underscored its confidence in the platform’s capabilities and its eagerness to secure additional orders in the region.

• Naval Warfare

  Ecuador turns to local shipyard and international suppliers for military platforms

  15th February 2024

  As Ecuador attempts to combat so-called “terrorist networks”, the country has turned to the US and Turkey for equipment, while domestic construction and acquisition of new naval platforms has remained a slow process.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class (Successor Programme) (1-4) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Dreadnought-class, prior to being named in October 2016, was known as the Successor programme, which was approved by the government in May ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) programme, South Korea is seeking a replacement for the Ganggyeong-class minehunters, which are due to leave service ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (13-22) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II ...

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

  Puma 2 AE [Estonia]

  Programme Background The US DoD announced that it had awarded AeroVironment an $8.868 million firm-fixed-price contract to supply an undisclosed number of RQ-20B Puma AE ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (9-12) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II ...

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

  Wing Loong II [Nigeria]

  Programme Background First Order On 5 November 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Chief, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, stated that the force was set to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Cloud Leopard II 8x8 [Taiwan]

  Programme Background The Cloud Leopard II will offer greater strategic mobility, as well as enhanced protection and lethality, than the legacy tracked and wheeled vehicles ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  KSS-III Batch II (4-6) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline In March 2019, the construction of the first KSS-III Batch II was approved. On 30 March 2023, Hanwha Ocean laid the keel of ...

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

  Wing Loong II (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Negotiations On 6 October 2018, the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) announced it would acquire 48 Wing Loong II UAVs in a social media post. ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (5-8) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW 212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B ...

• Trainer

  T-6 Texan II [Japan]

  Programme Background  In January 2025, Textron Aviation confirmed that the T-6C Texan II was selected as the new trainer aircraft for the Japanese Air Self-Defence ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (1-4) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II fast attack ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  KSS-III (Boats 7-9) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline The new KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho-class submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) are a significant advance on the earlier KSS-II and ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

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

  Wing Loong II (Morocco)

  Programme Background OkDiario Report On 2 October 2022, the Spanish newspaper OkDiario reported, quoting "Spanish military intelligence", that Morocco had acquired an unknown quantity of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  UGM-133 Trident II

  The UGM-133 Trident II, also known as the Trident D5, is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed and produced by Lockheed Martin for the United ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Vanguard Class

  The UK Royal Navy’s Vanguard class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) provide the UK with its continuous-at-sea deterrent (CASD) coverage and have done so since 1994 ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Ohio Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) – known as the SSBN 726-class – provide the US with its sea-based nuclear deterrent. It ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Columbia Class

  The USN’s new Columbia-class SSBN, also known as the SSBN 826-class, is planned to replace the existing Ohio-class boats as the cornerstone of the US ...

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

  Trident TL

  The Trident TL is a low-cost, foldable, ground- or air-launched UAS. Designed for commercial and federal agency use, this system uses autonomous navigation for launch, ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 140TD2

  The Trident 140TD2 is a compression-ignition engine designed for MALE platforms. Based on the Trident 100TD2, it is a lightweight, four-cylinder design that is intended ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 8 Mod 3

  The Type 8 Mod 3 is an updated version of the Type 8-series periscopes. The Type 8B/J Mod 3 provides extremely high-frequency low-data-rate communications capability ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 180TD2

  The Trident 180TD2 is a compression-ignition engine designed for heavier UAVs up to the 2t class. The design is intended to improve efficiency, while being ...

• Guided munitions

  Ninja

  The Ninja is a free-fall guided munition from Astra Systems. It can be launched from manned or uncrewed platforms and uses GPS-INS guidance when airborne.  Several warhead ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Tryzub Laser

  Ukraine's Tryzub (Trident) laser was revealed during the European Defence Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defence Industry conference in 2025. Video footage from ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  EX-3M Trident

  The EX-3M Trident is an open-architecture, high-speed, developmental fixed-wing UAV. Manufactured by Exosonic, the UAV commenced flight trials of a demonstrator in May 2023, with the actual drone conducting its ...

• EFASS 20.4m Hangar

  The 20.4m hangar was the first of the Expeditionary Forces Aircraft Shelter System (EFASS) range of soft-walled temporary buildings to be designed to meet the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Spear

  The Spear is a loitering munition manufactured by Astra Systems. It is designed for air-to-ground and ground-to-ground attack operations. The system uses electric propulsion, giving it ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 100TD2

  The Trident 100TD2 is a compression-ignition engine that is capable of operating on various types of heavy fuel. It is claimed to offer up to ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class

  The UK is building four new Dreadnought-class SSBNs for the Royal Navy that will take over the nuclear deterrent role from the existing four Vanguard-class submarines. ...