• Defence Notes

  Can NATO countries succeed in a war against Russia?

  13th June 2024

  Member states have been preparing personnel and inventory for a high-intensity conflict but many challenges remain.

• Defence Notes

  Sweden commits US$684.7 million in equipment and funds to Ukraine

  20th February 2024

  Sweden has announced another package of support for Ukraine, following hot on the heels of Canada’s additional support announced this week and last week’s support from the UK and the EU.

• Digital Battlespace

  Space Dominance: How Laser Technologies are Reshaping Modern Military Operations

  27th May 2024

  High-energy lasers and space-based technologies now play a pivotal role in modern military operations, emphasising their role in enhancing communications, surveillance, and security across multi-domain operations, particularly with the increasingly strategic use of space-based capabilities.

• Digital Battlespace

  Improved Hadron 640 designed to provide expanded capability for police forces

  20th June 2024

  As shown at Eurosatory 2024, the inclusion of Prism AI software into the Hadron 640 has allowed for a wider number of roles with a faster provision of data and information for decision-making in police and crowd security roles.

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: How Russia’s precision strike capability is evolving in Ukraine

  31st May 2024

  From the frontlines to power stations, Russia ability to target high-level targets in Ukraine has evolved significantly, as it expands missile production and deploys new systems to deliver lethal effects.

• Land Warfare

  Arquus displays Drailer multirole wheeled UGV

  21st June 2024

  Drailer has been launched into a busy marketplace populated by tracked vehicles such as Milrem’s THeMIS and the wheeled General Dynamics’s Multipurpose Unmanned Tactical Transport.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2024: Stay ahead of developments with our Show Portal

  16th February 2024

  Shephard will provide updates on the latest news, announcements and launches throughout the Singapore Airshow 2024.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Competition opens to supply thousands of UAS to Ukraine

  4th June 2024

  On 15 February it was announced that the UK and Latvia would jointly lead a capability coalition, which will see thousands of UAS supplied to Ukraine, including first-person view (FPV) UAS.

• Land Warfare

  New Anduril extended range sensor deployed at US–Mexican border

  23rd May 2024

  XRST, part of Anduril’s Sentry family of systems, uses autonomy to better detect, identify and track objects of interest.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall eyes German Army requirement with new artillery rocket system

  19th June 2024

  The GMARS wheeled artillery rocket launcher offers greater mobility than the tracked M270 MLRS and double the firepower of the M142 HIMARS, and can support next-generation munitions. Germany has a requirement for 70 launchers and many other NATO armies are looking to renew or supplement their indirect fire capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  Ecuador turns to local shipyard and international suppliers for military platforms

  15th February 2024

  As Ecuador attempts to combat so-called “terrorist networks”, the country has turned to the US and Turkey for equipment, while domestic construction and acquisition of new naval platforms has remained a slow process.

• Naval Warfare

  SeeByte to continue supporting UK minehunting capability under new contract

  23rd May 2024

  The multi-year award directly will see services first procured in March 2022 continue and will secure the supply, support and evolutionary development necessary to maintain the Royal Navy’s integration with SeeByte software.

• Training

  Norway to train Ukrainian marines and supply support equipment

  16th February 2024

  Norway has been a part of the UK-led Maritime Capability Coalition which has supported the development of a maritime force in the Black Sea, the creation of a Ukrainian Marine Corps, and the provision of river patrol craft to defend coastal and inland waterways.

• Air Warfare

  How the US decision to divert Patriot and NASAMS deliveries to Ukraine will impact NATO countries

  24th June 2024

  Short-term shipments of US-made missiles will be delayed and a new delivery schedule is yet to be defined.

• Land Warfare

  The integration issue: how is Avon Protection overcoming challenges in CBRN protective equipment?

  20th June 2024

  Military forces around the globe are redoubling efforts to replace their chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protective equipment as the threat of personnel facing chemical threats on the battlefield re-emerges.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs ...

• Fighter - electronic warfare

  Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Programme Background According to earlier reports, Berlin had earlier decided to procure 15 EA-18G Growlers over the Eurofighter Typhoon ECR concept, which is expected to be ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon First-Batch [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (1-60) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...