• Naval Warfare

  How the Golden Fleet will change the US Navy acquisition process

  24th February 2026

  The procurement of the future USN Golden Fleet is planned to be less bureaucratic than previous strategies, involving AI-enabled designs and scheduling tools to increase productivity and avoid delays.

• Air Warfare

  First confirmed US one‑way drone strike on Iran sharpens Pentagon UAV expansion

  2nd March 2026

  The US is currently escalating its efforts to acquire more than 300,000 low-cost one-way attack drones, with the confirmed use of these platforms against Iran in recent days emphasising their growing use in combat.

• Air Warfare

  Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters

  15th December 2025

  The order for the extra helicopters comes from an agreement penned in December 2023, with the German Army receiving the bulk of the platforms.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutter ramp-up signifies turning point in Polar operations

  17th February 2026

  The USCG recently announced the award of a contract to Davie Defense for the supply of five ASCs, marking a major step in the acquisition programme as the US grows its presence in the Arctic.

• Land Warfare

  GM Defense teams up with NP Aerospace for British Army vehicle requirement

  23rd June 2025

  The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) has three types of vehicles: medium protected, light protected and light mobility (LMV). US company GM Defense and the UK’s NP Aerospace have teamed up to make an offering for the latter. The LMP will replace more than a dozen vehicle types with as few as three or four models.

• Land Warfare

  Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation

  10th July 2025

  The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.

• Naval Warfare

  RTX Raytheon enhances SM-3 and SM-6 production capacity

  16th March 2026

  The expansion of the Redstone facility in Alabama will enable Raytheon to increase production of Standard Missiles in the location by 50% and support Washington in refilling stockpiles after recent operations have depleted the Pentagon’s reserves.

• Land Warfare

  First Czech CV90 MkIV rolled out as part of multi-billion-dollar programme

  29th August 2025

  The Czech Republic CV9030 MkIV has a more powerful 1,000HP engine than the previous variant and an upgraded X300 heavy-duty transmission.

• Naval Warfare

  Could the USCG icebreaker requirement open the door for more inland shipbuilding?

  13th April 2026

  The formation of a Great Lakes shipbuilding alliance could prompt a shift in how the US approaches naval and coast guard construction. But can distributed inland shipyards ease the country’s shipbuilding capacity?

• Land Warfare

  Development of Serbia’s upgraded Pasars-16 air defence system completed but in limbo

  1st October 2025

  The standard Pasars mobile air defence system has been in service with the Serbian Army for several years and was developed by the Serbian Military Technical Institute.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: ST Engineering and ARIS discuss partnership to offer Bronco all-terrain carrier to Italian Army

  12th September 2025

  On the show floor at DSEI 2025, representatives from ST Engineering and ARIS, and retired Italian general Ivan Caruso outlined the background to the teaming agreement with land warfare expert Christopher F Foss.

• Land Warfare

  Europe looks to solve tank procurement challenges with upgraded and new platforms

  28th August 2025

  The UK government in 2019 reflected a common attitude towards main battle tanks (MBTs) across Western Europe as it moved to reduce its fleet from 227 Challenger 2 vehicles to 148, which would be upgraded under a plan that eventually produced the Challenger 3. Now, however, there is an increased interest in platforms new, upgraded and planned across the continent.

• Land Warfare

  Medium knocked out of British Army LMP, with CAVS as heavyweight champion

  9th December 2025

  As the British Army seeks to modernise and consolidate its diverse vehicle fleet, yet another change in direction is underway.

• Naval Warfare

  Iran and the future of amphibious operations: crewed and uncrewed solutions

  1st April 2026

  Amphibious operations are a very unique type of military operation, and global defence industries are developing new solutions to enhance capabilities and efficiency.

• Land Warfare

  Land forces review: British Army vehicle programme stalls and company results land

  26th November 2025

  In the first monthly review of land forces stories, the Shephard team looks back to evaluate the major news events that have impacted the sector. The UK’s Land Mobility Programme was notable but another setback occurred when a market industry day was scrapped.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

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

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

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

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...