• Air Warfare

  A welcome observer? Workshare wrangles loom as Belgium joins SCAF future fighter effort

  12th September 2023

  Of the three major Western next-generation fighter programmes, the (arguably) French-led SCAF has received the least attention in English-speaking media. As Belgium gains observer status on the programme, what will this mean for the workshare arrangements between France, Germany and Spain?

• Defence Notes

  How Brazil will invest over $10 billion in new defence programmes

  6th September 2023

  A special fund of $10 billion will cover Brazil's acquisition of combat vehicles, aircraft and helicopters, building new warships and submarines and modernisation of legacy systems.

• Naval Warfare

  New Turkish naval mines will be able to distinguish between friend and foe

  9th August 2023

  The Malaman smart bottom mine and Uça guided smart bomb will use acoustic, magnetic and pressure sensors to detect and classify targets.

• Training

  US Navy upgrades its red air aggressor F-16 Vipers

  4th August 2023

  Amentum will maintain US Navy adversary F-16 aircraft and provide full system maintenance and supply chain support to ensure seamless flight operations in all naval bases.

• Naval Warfare

  HHI completes concept design for future South Korean OPV

  19th July 2023

  Using its export designs as a basis, Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed a concept design of an OPV for the South Korean Navy.

• Naval Warfare

  Saab's C718 expeditionary submarine offered for Dutch Navy's sea denial capability

  3rd August 2023

  Swedish shipbuilder Saab Kockums is offering a new expeditionary submarine design as a contender for the Dutch MoD’s Walrus Submarine Replacement Programme.

• Land Warfare

  No plans to increase British Army tank fleet as Challenger 3 programme hits milestones

  10th August 2023

  The Challenger 3 MBT has hit key milestones at RBSL's Telford facility, with the programme progressing to prototype building.

• Land Warfare

  Otokar shows large armed UGV for first time at IDEF

  27th July 2023

  Turkey's Otokar has rolled out a new large UGV which can be fitted with a range of weapons including anti-tank missiles as well as carrying smaller UGVs and UAS.

• Land Warfare

  How the US Army is getting ready to succeed in contested multidomain scenarios

  24th July 2023

  The service has been working on the improvement of strategy, inventory and training in addition to conducting several acquisition, development and modernisation efforts.

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland secretly sent Mi-24 attack helicopters to Ukraine, reports

  11th July 2023

  The Polish Mi-24 attack helicopters are now on their way to Ukraine, according to pictures shared on social media.

• Digital Battlespace

  Kontron unveils new high-performance plug-in card for harsh environments

  5th July 2023

  Kontron introduces the VX307H, a rugged 3U VPX plug-in card designed for high-performance embedded computing in defence and general applications.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: Is the Bayraktar TB2 UAV living up to expectations?

  15th September 2023

  Sold to well over 20 countries and combat-proven in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine and elsewhere, the Bayraktar TB2 has been an export success for its Turkish manufacturer. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the aircraft's design and capabilities and reviews in depth who is buying it and why.

• Land Warfare

  Polaris adds remote weapon station to MRZR Alpha light vehicle

  28th June 2023

  Polaris displayed an MRZR Alpha vehicle fitted with a Kongsberg Protector RS2 remote weapon station (RWS) at the Modern Day Marine (MDM) expo in Washington DC.

• Training

  Paris Air Show: New cockpit voice recorder certified for T-6 trainer aircraft

  20th June 2023

  The US FAA has approved installation of Curtiss-Wright's Fortress CVR25 cockpit recorder to upgrade T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft worldwide.

• Land Warfare

  US military accelerates acquisition and adoption of artificial intelligence

  28th July 2023

  Speeding up the procurement process and increasing the integration of data across the Department of Defense are part of the Pentagon's strategy to increase the use of AI and ML.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Korsak Reconnaissance Vehicle [Germany]

  Programme Background According to the BAAINBw, the Korsak must at a minimum meet these criteria: - Platform: Piranha V 6×6 with improved off-road capability and amphibious ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events such ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Next Generation Submarines [Japan]

  Japan is undertaking development studies for its Next Generation Submarine design. The project aims to develop a new platform that is expected to start replacing ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Next Generation Submarines [Japan]

  Japan is undertaking development studies for its Next Generation Submarine design. The project aims to develop a new platform that is expected to start replacing ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  MUM-T Drone [Thailand]

  Programme Background Roadmap In February 2024, the RTAF unveiled its White Paper 2024. Incorporating lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Hamas War, and other events ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [Türkiye]

  Turkey has become the second country to receive the new-generation A400M airlifter, with the first of ten aircraft handed over by Airbus Defence and Space ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Data links

  Data links | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Multirole fighters [Botswana]

  Botswana Defence Force is planning to purchase 10 multirole fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 jets. Both Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 platform ...

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

  DP18A [Thailand]

  Background 2023 According to Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL) officials, speaking to Janes at Defence & Security (D&S;) 2023 in Bangkok, the company was at ...

• 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 ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Kosovo]

  Programme Background Presidential Visit On 26 February 2022, Baykar announced on Twitter that its Ozdeminir National UAV R&D; and Production Campus had been visited by Vjosa ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  AKR-D

  The AKR-D family comprises fire control radar systems designed by Aselsan for naval platforms. They include the Ku-band AKR-D Block-A1 with an instrumented range of ...

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

  AVE-C/D

  The AVE-C/D is a flight control system UAV demonstrator (AVE-C) and stealth UAV demonstrator (AVE-D), forming part of the R&D; programme initiated by the French ...

• Towed guns

  D-30

  Developed for the Soviet Army the D-30 (military designation 2A18) 122mm towed howitzer entered Soviet service in 1963. Artillery Plant 9 estimates that there are ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  FN Airborne Digital Suite

  The FN Airborne Digital Suite is an integrated weapons system designed to provide high levels of operational capability to airborne platforms and reduce pilot workload. ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  SG200-D

  Leonardo's SG200-D radar warning receiver is a UK-specific variant of the Leonardo SEER family. SG200-D is self-protection equipment which detects and identifies emitters in high-density ...

• Land: long-range observation/surveillance/targeting systems

  Long View CR-D

  Launched at Eurosatory 2014, the Long View CR-D (LVCR-D) is based on the combat-proven LVCR. The upgraded LVCR-D adds a diode-pumped laser designator to the ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  D-Tiger

  Thai Defense Industry (TDI) unveiled its D-Tiger 4x4 armoured tactical vehicle at Defense & Security 2022 in Bangkok. The D-Tiger is aimed at export sales, with ...

• Land: RWS

  D-RWS

  The Dual-RWS (D-RWS) is designed to be installed on the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicle fleet. Weighing approximately 350kg, it is ...

• Helicopter guns

  FN D-HMP 250

  The FN D-HMP (Digital Heavy Machine Gun Pod) 250 is a self-contained airborne weapon system armed with a .50 cal FN M3P heavy machine gun, ...

• Helicopter guns

  FN D-HMP 400 LCC

  The FN D-HMP (Digital Heavy Machine Gun Pod) is a self-contained airborne weapon system armed with a .50 cal FN M3P heavy machine gun, compatible ...

• Helicopter engines

  D-136/D-136 Series 1

  The D-136 and D-136 series 1 turboshaft engines are used to power the Mi-26 and Mi-26T Halo twin-engine transport helicopters, the world’s largest rotorcraft. The engine's main ...

• Data links

  MIDS LVT-3 FDL

  For the MIDS LVT-3 Fighter Data Link (FDL) the USAF sought lower volume and cost than Class 1 and 2 JTIDS. The contract was awarded ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  FN D-HUD

  The FN Digital Head-Up Display (D-HUD) is a sighting system designed to improve the accuracy of axial-mounted rockets and machine guns on rotary-wing aircraft. It incorporates ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16C/D Block 25, 30/32, 40/42

  The F-16C/D ('C' one-seat, 'D' two-seat designation) is the second generation of the F-16 Fighting Falcon family. The production of the F-16C/D began in 1983 with ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SOKO SP RR 122mm

  Yugoimport unveiled the prototype of the SOKO SP RR (Self-Propelled Rapid Response) 122mm SPH in 2010. It mounts the D-30J, a locally built version of ...