• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2019: Commercial space innovation presents military challenges

  11th September 2019

  The most innovative communications and military computing equipment now comes from the commercial sector, rather than military R&D; labs, Dr Stuart Eves, Consultant and Director at …

• Military Logistics

  A400M performs dry contacts with H225M

  24th September 2019

  The Airbus A400M has carried out its first air-to-air refueling contacts with a helicopter in flight trials over the south of France. Over the course …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  HAWK30 takes flight

  17th September 2019

  The HAWK30 solar high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) UAS undertook its first flight on September 11, 2019 at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, AeroVironment …

• Defence Helicopter

  Combat Rescue Helicopter gains Milestone C

  25th September 2019

  The US Air Force (USAF) has issued a Milestone C decision for the Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, clearing the way for low …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems announces SMC support team

  23rd September 2019

  BAE Systems has announced its team for its US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise – Systems and Engineering and Integration programme …

• Land Warfare

  Questions raised as Bradley replacement becomes one-horse race

  9th October 2019

  The US Army’s contest to develop an Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) launched in earnest at the beginning of October but drew only a single …

• Military Logistics

  MSV(L) prototype construction begins

  18th September 2019

  Vigor has laid the keel for the US Army’s new landing craft, the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) (MSV(L)) at its Aluminum Fabrication Facility in Vancouver, …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2019: 'New' space race calls for UK strategy rethink

  9th September 2019

  In the face of a global ‘space race’ the UK is being urged to better define its role in the domain and confirm how many …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ultra Gigasat selected to be part of Raytheon troposcatter team

  6th September 2019

  Gigasat, part of Ultra Electronics Communication and Integrated Systems (CIS) has been selected to be part of a Raytheon team providing a troposcatter communications system …

• Digital Battlespace

  Podcast: Five Eyes Connectivity - Cyber

  26th September 2019

  Welcome to Shephard Studio’s special series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat.  Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. In the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leidos to provide US Army ISR aircraft support

  18th September 2019

  Leidos will provide aircraft ISR support services to the US Army under a new task order announced on 16 September. The single award task order, …

• Digital Battlespace

  AEHF-5 in transfer orbit

  12th August 2019

  The Lockheed Martin-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-5) protected communication satellite is in transfer orbit after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2019: SEA unveils trainable decoy launcher system

  12th September 2019

  SEA has launched a trainable decoy launcher system (TDLS) to protect surface platforms from missile and torpedo threats at DSEI. The company, partnering with Chess …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin begins Camden facility expansion

  12th September 2019

  Construction has begun on Lockheed Martin’s new facility expansion work in Camden, US, the company announced on 10 September. The $142 million expansion will house …

• Defence Helicopter

  Engines ordered for CH-53K

  11th September 2019

  GE Aviation will supply engines for the US Marine Corps under a $143.6 million contract modification awarded by the US Department of Defense. The company …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Medium-Range Loitering Munition with LEO Satellite Data Link [South Korea]

  Background New Project In April 2025, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced a new project titled “Development of Medium-Range ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long Range One-way Platforms [US]

  Solicitation In October 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) released a solicitation for long-range, one-way platforms. The DIU noted recent conflicts highlighted the asymmetric impact of low-cost, ...

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

  Seeker 400 - First Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

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

  Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) GUARD [Ireland]

  Background Problem As stated on the project’s website in 2022, Ireland is the “softest target in the EU for smugglers” due to its 3171km of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (4-5) [Denmark]

  In January 2025, Denmark announced the acquisition of "three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity" and "satellite capacity" worth over ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (1-3) [Denmark]

  On 18 August 2022, the Danish MoD announced a plan to invest up to $5.5 billion to replace a large number of platforms of the ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Arctic Frigates Procurement/Thetis Class Replacement (1-3) [Denmark]

  On 18 August 2022, the Danish MoD announced a plan to invest up to $5.5 billion to replace a large number of platforms of the ...

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

  Micro UAV [Argentina]

  Background Tender The EA and MoD in April 2021 announced Public Tender 0090/2021 (UOC: 84/135), which saw the General Directorate of Material begin the process of ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 NFH-Italy

  Programme Background  The Italian Navy has taken delivery of its first NH90 NFH helicopter in Full Operational Capability (or Step B) configuration in November 2013. ...

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

  CH-4 (First Batch) [Pakistan]

  Programme Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

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

  CH-4 (Second Batch) [Pakistan]

  Background First Batch According to the Pakistan Exim Trade Info website, five CH-4 aircraft were delivered to the country on 15 January 2021. According to a satellite ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirement Following a 2019 skirmish with India, Pakistan placed newfound importance on EW and ISR, primarily due to the significant advantage gained during that ...

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

  Wing Loong II [Pakistan]

  Background Original Effort On 6 October 2018, the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) announced on social media that it would acquire 48 Wing Loong II UAVs. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Space: radar systems

  RISAT-1

  Radar Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a microwave remote-sensing satellite carrying an SAR payload operating in C band (5.35GHz), which enables imaging of surface features during both ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  OceanTRx 4MIL

  The OceanTRx 4MIL is a ruggedised maritime SATCOM solution featuring simultaneous multi-band communication and advanced antenna management capabilities.  It was introduced at the Euronaval 2022 ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Osprey u8 HGL

  Launched in 2023, Kymeta Osprey u8 HGL is a hybrid Geostationary/Low-Earth Orbit terminal that provides satellite communications on the move. Notably, it can be mounted ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT)

  Orbit's Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) is a family of stabilised VSAT systems suitable for installation on smaller vessels and airborne platforms including uncrewed vehicles. 

• Military Satellites - ISR

  Radarsat-2

  Owned and operated by MDA, Radarsat-2 was launched in late 2007 as a follow-on radar satellite to Canada’s Radarsat-1. The satellite's resolution ranges from a ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  SURFSAT-L

  Produced by Thales, SURFSAT-L is a SATCOM terminal designed for medium to large surface vessels. According to the manufacturer, it is designed to achieve a ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MONDO Satellite Terminal

  The Multi Orbit Network, Dual Operation (MONDO) Satellite Terminal is a developmental SATCOM solution that provides continuous communication links on GEO, LEO and MEO networks. ...

• Military Satellites - ISR

  Helios

  The Helios system consists of the Helios 2A and Helios 2B satellites, the latter of which was launched in December 2009, five years after Helios ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Multi-Orbit Tactical Terminal

  Intelsat Multi-Orbit Tactical Terminal (MOTT) is a ruggedised terminal with a low-profile design. The vehicle-mountable terminal features an electronically steered array antenna, edge computing capabilities ...

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• Space: radar systems

  ESA Sentinel-1

  Sentinel-1 is a planned constellation of four satellites with two already in orbit and two on order. They carry a payload of a C-band SAR ...

• Space: radar systems

  NISAR

  The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint programme between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to build and launch an observation ...

• Space: radar systems

  TerraSAR-X and ​TanDEM-X

  TerraSAR-X and the more advanced TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for digital elevation measurement) are designed to operate closely together to generate an accurate 3D image of ...

• Military Satellites - ISR

  KH-11

  The first of 16 KH-11 satellites was launched in 1976, and five remain in service, with the latest launch believed to have been in August ...