• Air Warfare

  Portugal signals interest in establishing A-29N final assembly line

  18th December 2025

  As the launch customer for the NATO-configured variant, Portugal also took delivery of the first five A-29N aircraft from its order for 12, placed in 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Attack drones versus CUAS – the future of warfare or just another trend?

  17th August 2026

  Demand signals for counter-drone technology are strong and the market is becoming crowded, but is this really the beginning of a new phase of warfare or will commentators be talking about something else 10 years from now?

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force to increase JASSM anti-interference and accuracy capabilities

  24th March 2026

  The USAF is conducting market research to inform the procurement process for a new GPS/GNSS M-code receiver for the JASSM.

• Naval Warfare

  Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA

  11th June 2026

  The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.

• Land Warfare

  Next-generation Franco-German tank under threat as France opts for interim solution

  14th April 2026

  The French Army’s upgraded Leclerc main battle tank is expected to begin retiring before the end of the 2030s and the government is looking to adopt an interim solution ahead of a next-generation tank.

• Air Warfare

  Evolving for the future fight

  5th November 2025

  Built on a 60-year heritage of providing the Department of Defense with solutions to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum.

• Air Warfare

  “Dramatic leaps in processing capability”: how GDMS–UK is evolving mission systems for the modern battlespace

  2nd February 2026

  In Conversation... Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to Sam Steggall, GDMS–UK’s Senior Director – Air and Naval UK, about the company’s extensive and proven in-country capability to deliver complex avionics solutions and its key role on major Royal Air Force and Royal Navy aircraft programmes.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: Boeing emphasises uncrewed teaming capability plans for F-15EX

  17th November 2025

  The F-15EX is being promoted by the manufacturer as an ideal platform to pair with uncrewed systems.

• Land Warfare

  Australia’s SM-2 land trial could reshape ADF medium-range air defence plans

  27th July 2026

  The first ground launch of the SM-2 could offer Canberra a path to expand its missile defence capability by adapting systems already fielded across the ADF.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to accelerate the replenishment of SM-6 stocks as demand continues to surge

  5th May 2026

  The Naval Sea Systems Command exercised a US$335 million modification to a contract with RTX Raytheon to support increasing the production of Standard Missiles 6 by 2030. Shephard spoke with the company president about how the company has scaled to meet demand.

• Air Warfare

  US Marine Corps unveils first standardised drone platform for training and general use

  23rd July 2026

  The USMC is moving to make the Neros Archer FPV its primary drone while it rapidly expands attack-drone capabilities across the Fleet Marine Force.

• Land Warfare

  US Marine Corps provides US$900 million for prototypes as vehicle refresh motors on

  10th April 2026

  General Dynamics Land Systems and Textron Systems are competing to replace the US Marine Corps’ fleet of light armoured vehicles. The companies have been awarded contracts to provide prototypes of three different vehicle variants.

• Defence Notes

  GAO highlights the need for more commercial data and availability improvements

  9th October 2025

  The US Government Accountability Office recently released two reports; one into the availability of selected equipment and another looking at how the government gets data and intellectual property rights through contracting.

• Naval Warfare

  Ireland releases maritime strategy as it looks to new naval bases and stronger partnerships

  27th February 2026

  Ireland has a maritime area ten times the size of its land mass but has a limited naval capacity and faces an ongoing threat to critical underwater infrastructure. A new strategy is looking to address the challenge.

• Naval Warfare

  The unanswered design question at the heart of India’s P75I submarine programme

  14th July 2026

  ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is edging toward an India submarine deal, but an unverified claim of a radically new hull design – at odds with the proven lineage it has marketed to Canada – has yet to be resolved.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate (2017) [Poland]

  Background Order In November 2017, Poland ordered 100 sets of Warmate loitering munitions, each consisting of ten platforms, for a reported 100 million Polish Zloty ($26.49 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry Brigade ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Combat General Purpose Vehicle [Netherlands]

  Programme Background The Dutch military is currently modernising its armoured vehicle fleet. The Combat General Purpose Vehicle (CGPV) programme is one of several procurement programmes currently ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 [Austria]

  Background As part of a government-to-government arrangement with Sweden, Austria signed an EUR 85 million ($94.59 million) contract with BAE Systems Hägglunds for the delivery ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley (December 2024) [USA]

  Background The US began upgrading its Bradley fleet to the A4 standard in June 2018, with the first upgraded platform being delivered in June 2020. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley (November 2025) [USA]

  Background The US began upgrading its Bradley fleet to the A4 standard in June 2018, with the first upgraded platform being delivered in June 2020. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley (September 2024) [USA]

  Background The US began upgrading its Bradley fleet to the A4 standard in June 2018, with the first upgraded platform being delivered in June 2020. ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley (September 2025) [USA]

  Background The US began upgrading its Bradley fleet to the A4 standard in June 2018, with the first upgraded platform being delivered in June 2020. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  6x6 APC [Philippines]

  Programme Background Programme Background The Philippine Army has identified an urgent need for new wheeled APCs, after the Battle of Marawi exposed shortcomings in its ...

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

  Mini-UAVs [Czech Republic]

  Background Tactical UCAV Halted The effort to acquire mini-UAVs is directly linked to the Czech MoD's now-delayed procurement programme for tactical or MALE drones, such as the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 (Batch 1) [Slovakia]

  Background Requirements The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently lumbered with an ageing inventory of legacy platforms that are not interoperable with its allies and do ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 (Batch 2) [Slovakia]

  Background Requirements The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently lumbered with an ageing inventory of legacy platforms that are not interoperable with its allies and do ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer [Portugal]

  Background The Portuguese Army currently operates a medium mechanised brigade equipped with the M113 as its primary APC. However, they are increasingly outdated and are ...

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

  5,000 Latvian UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a drone ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Army BCT Modernisation Program Increment 1

  The US Army brigade combat team (BCT) modernisation strategy will build a mix of mobile, networked BCTs that can gain leverage from mobility, protection, information ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Initial Maneuver - SHORAD

  Unveiled at AUSA 2019, Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is a multipurpose platform, based on the Stryker IFV, which moves and maneuvers in ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CATS CTC

  The CATS Combat Training Centre (CTC) trains armed forces in simulated opposition. Features: direct-fire weapon effect simulation with laser engagement systems; area weapon effect simulation ...

• Construction vehicles

  HMEE

  The JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE) was originally designed to support the US Army’s Stryker brigade combat teams and has been proven on operations ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  JAB

  The US Army is leading the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) project to replace legacy M60A1-based bridge launchers in service with itself and USMC with an M1-based ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  Collective Combat Training

  Thales offers a global simulation and training approach that links together various simulators to perform the full spectrum of military operations (offence, defence, stability and ...

• Land: battle management systems

  FüInfoSys Heer

  FüInfoSys Heer (Army Command and Control Information System) is the first common, integrated and mobile system of its kind in the German Army. It is ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  GAMER Deployable CTC

  Saab’s GAMER Deployable Combat Training Center (CTC) is an instrumented training system, enabling a military to train on home bases and deploy worldwide for training ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle

  The tracked M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV), developed in parallel with the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), equips reconnaissance units within the US ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation-based Embedded Training Software Package

  This software package is installed in the Stryker Interim Armoured Vehicle (IAV), supporting US Army brigade combat team training requirements. It has been in service ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  EWPMT

  Raytheon’s Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) is a US Army programme which began in 2014, designed to support electronic warfare officers and provide ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Combat-NG

  Combat-NG is an artillery fire control and C4I system designed for deployment from platform to brigade level, managing various aspects of operation. The system is ...