• Land Warfare

  Active vehicle protection comes to the forefront as Trophy and Iron Fist secure contracts

  16th February 2026

  Experience on the battlefield is accelerating the adoption of active protection systems as technologies continue to evolve to reflect shifting global defence needs.

• Land Warfare

  March land forces roundup: A new war confronts the old drone problem

  2nd April 2026

  The attack by the US and Israel on Iran which began at the end of February presented a Ukraine-like scenario of drone-led warfare – in fact the same drone type in the Shahed – and the problem of how to counter them.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems selected for multi-billion-dollar Norway ship order

  1st September 2025

  BAE Systems is leading the construction of eight Type 26 City-class anti-submarine frigates for the UK Royal Navy (RN) with the first of these expected to enter service in 2027. Norway’s selection of the type makes it the fourth to make the choice alongside Australia, Canada and the UK.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Elbit Systems set to field joint fires systems as it looks to large UK requirements

  15th September 2025

  Elbit Systems UK was awarded the Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators (D-JFI) programme in January 2021, which will integrate with the UK’s army, marines and air force. The parent company has decades of heritage in the UK and is looking to compete for the Watchkeeper drone replacement.

• Defence Notes

  NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems

  2nd December 2025

  During the latest edition of the NATO DiBaX, the alliance tested multiple capabilities to inform requirements for future efforts.

• Naval Warfare

  What capabilities are being tested under AUKUS Pillar 2?

  23rd February 2026

  Collaboration on AUKUS Pillar 2 extends beyond the core trilateral agreement, presenting global opportunities for companies with advanced technologies.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems

  30th December 2025

  The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.

• Land Warfare

  Land forces review: Tanks, trucks and IFVs dominate but woes remain for Ajax

  29th January 2026

  This year has begun with main battle tanks taking the lead while orders for large logistics and support vehicles continued from last year. Additionally, two of the British Army’s most significant contracted vehicle programmes, Ajax reconnaissance vehicle and Challenger 3 tank, continued to make news in January.

• Defence Notes

  Golden Dome for America hits one-year mark but key questions remain on its progress

  26th February 2026

  Integration issues, bureaucracy and undefined policies and authorities could hamper the full implementation of the “shield” to defend the US territory against aerial threats.

• Air Warfare

  Saab receives order to continue future fighter concept studies out to 2027

  16th October 2025

  The order from the FMV is an extension of the original contract signed in March 2024 and covers exploration of both crewed and uncrewed platforms.

• Air Warfare

  PGZ and Anduril to work on Polish variant of Barracuda-500M missile

  28th October 2025

  The memorandum of understanding signed also included a wider strategic plan to co-develop autonomous air systems for the Polish Armed Forces.

• Air Warfare

  Spain air focus: Demand builds with $19.7 billion up for grabs in unawarded contracts

  29th January 2026

  Despite Spain’s modest GDP spend on defence, the country still has a range of fixed-wing and UAV programme requirements as yet unawarded, with a potential US$3.10 billion set to be spent over the next decade.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy outlines future modernisation plans for the USS Blue Ridge

  24th September 2025

  The LCC-19 amphibious command vessel is currently the US Navy’s oldest deployed in-service asset, having been in operation for nearly 55 years.

• Air Warfare

  Denmark to bolster maritime defences as P-8A FMS deal approved by US

  6th January 2026

  The NATO country continues to focus on building up its maritime surveillance and enforcement capabilities as part of a major investment in its Arctic defences.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays

  9th September 2025

  The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M-Luxembourg

  With a MTOW of 3.7t, the H145M can be used for a wide range of tasks, including troop and passenger transport, surveillance, air rescue, reconnaissance ...

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

  RapidRanger [Portugal]

  Background In October 2024, Portugal signed a contract through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the supply of three Thales RapidRanger systems, part ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven B [Portugal]

  Methodology PGO The programme is completed; thereby, by default, it has a PGO of 100% Programme value and quanity required As noted above, the contract, ...

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-10) [NATO]

  Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's Alliance ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Anafi UKR [Finland]

  Background Announcment On 18 December 2025, the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command announced it would acquire the Parrot Anafi UKR under a EUR 15 million ($17.88 ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  MRZR D4 [Belgium]

  Background In September 2025, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) awarded Polaris a framework agreement to supply vehicles across the alliance. This framework is intended to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  CLRV [Luxembourg]

  Background Requirement The Luxembourg MoD wants to replace the Luxembourg Army's fleet of 42 AM General M1151 HMMWV Up-Armoured (UA) and 48 KMW Dingo 2 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Patroller (Armed) [Greece]

  Background Unarmed purchase The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced in June 2023 that Greece had contracted four unarmed Patroller MALE UAVs from Safran ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirement Under the Gryf programme, the Polish MoD identified the need for an indigenously produced MALE UAV to provide ISTAR and strike capabilities at ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Patroller (Unarmed) [Greece]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 20 June 2023, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced at the Paris Air Show that Greece had signed a contract with ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector [Belgium]

  Background Contract award In December 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the purchase of new reconnaissance and surveillance drones to support troops in Romania and Lithuania ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (1-9) [NATO]

  Programme Background Following operations in Libya and extensive analyses by the European Defence Agency (EDA), it was agreed at the NATO Summit in 2012 that ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Programme Background Following operations in Libya and extensive analyses by the European Defence Agency (EDA), it was agreed at the NATO Summit in 2012 that ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VTLB [Portugal]

  Background The Portuguese Army planned to allocate funds for the procurement of 167 VTLBs during the Military Programming Law running from 2015 until 2026. These ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Nordic Micro-UAV [Finland]

  Background Nordic Micro Procurement The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had signed two procurement agreements in October 2025. One of these ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  MIM-104E PAC-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical ballistic missile (GEM-T)

  An upgrade to the PAC-2 missile, the Guidance Enhanced Missile TBM (GEM-T) is designed to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or enemy aircraft in ...

• Major networking projects

  JBMC2

  Formerly overseen by US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), Joint Battle Management Command and Control (JBMC2) brings together several different programmes and initiatives to support improved ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Deployable Joint Fires Trainer (DJFT)

  MVRsimulation’s DJFT is a portable joint fires training solution designed to provide a quick deploy capability for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Forward Observers to train ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships, Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Joint Support Ship

  Navantia Australia's Joint Support Ship design was unveiled at Pacific 2019. The platform is intended to fulfil the Royal Australian Navy's requirements for new multirole ...

• Data links

  Joint Tactical Terminal

  Leonardo's Joint Tactical Terminal (JTT) family of products provides Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) capability to air, land and naval platforms. According to the manufacturer, over 1,200 ...

• EO/IR systems

  Mantis i23

  AeroVironment's Mantis i23 EO/IR payload is designed to conduct ISR from the Raven UAV. The system features a laser illuminator in addition to its 5MP daylight ...

• Patrol boats

  Coastal Patrol Vessel

  In March 2024, Vera Navis unveiled a trimaran vessel design concept, which is being developed as a solution for the future class of Coastal Patrol Vessels ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-8C Joint STARS

  The E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (STARS) is an ISR aircraft based on the 707-300 airliner. It is fitted with an 8-meter-long, canoe-shaped radome ...

• Major networking projects

  ACT

  Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is leading at strategic command level the transformation of NATO’s military structure, forces, capabilities and doctrine. It is working to enhance ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Land: fire support simulators

  IDF

  Development of the CFFT system in support of the US Army led to the Indirect Fires Training (IDF) line of products focusing on joint fires ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey

  The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Bell and Boeing in a joint venture. The platform has tiltrotor technology to combine a helicopter's vertical performance with ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is being established as common infrastructure for DCGS to provide a cost-effective, interoperable, net-centric enterprise solution ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  Joint Warfare Training Center

  This system provides multi-level simulation of joint forces operations (Air Force, Army and Navy) for training of tactical proficiency of divisions', brigades' and battalions' commanding ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Joint Battle Command - Platform

  Joint Battle Command - Platform (JBC-P) is a networked mission command information system designed for the US Army and USMC. It can provide real-time blue ...