• Naval Warfare

  Royal Australian Navy’s plan for fleet refresh continues in the face of headwinds

  5th August 2025

  Australia has selected the Mogami-class frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to replace Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigates. The decision has been made as the RAN pushes to introduce delayed offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), awaits criticised Hunter-class ships and lives in the shadow of threats to the Collins-class submarine replacement efforts.

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin wins three new DoD naval contracts including on Littoral Combat Ships

  28th February 2025

  Lockheed Martin has won contracts and contract modifications on systems and platforms ranging from missile systems and naval helicopters to Littoral Combat Ships.

• Air Warfare

  Portugal may snub F-35 fighter jets in the face of Trump administration “unpredictability”

  14th March 2025

  A change in the White House’s attitude towards NATO and its European allies may lead to Portugal opting for a non-US option to replace its ageing Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  What capabilities has the US deployed in the Caribbean and South America to engage “drug boats”?

  7th November 2025

  The US arsenal includes amphibious assault and littoral combat ships, cutters, destroyers, landing platform docks, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, drones, ISR aircraft, helicopters and fighters.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: John Cockerill showcases stealth recon vehicle, but is Nimr partnership over?

  19th February 2025

  John Cockerill Defense (JCD) has brought its i-X 4x4 protected reconnaissance vehicle to IDEX 2025. The i-X was developed as a private venture to meet potential demand for a fast, stealthy and highly mobile platform.

• Land Warfare

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle continues its success as the new variant rolls out

  20th March 2025

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is becoming the dominant platform in its class as it replaces most of the massive US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) fleets of HMMWV 4x4s, colloquially known as the Humvee. Shephard dives deep into the JLTV programme background and analyses the latest variants and contracts, including the controversial production switch to AM General and the continued contracts continuing to head Oshkosh's way.

• Air Warfare

  How satcom is shaping the future of fast, accurate warfare (podcast)

  22nd October 2025

  "Speed is the key advantage and accuracy is the key outcome": Amazon Kuiper Government Solutions’ Rick Freeman talks to Shephard’s Georgia Lewis about how space-as-a-service is transforming defence connectivity and access to satellite capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed secures more than $12 billion in contracts for F-35 production and TR-3 upgrades

  9th January 2025

  The contracts include a $678.4-million contract for F-35 modification kits, along with an earlier December 2024 contract worth $11.7 billion for the production and delivery of 145 F-35 Lot 18 aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Milrem teams up with Pearson to develop large uncrewed demining platforms

  17th February 2025

  Milrem, known for its uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), and Pearson with its experience in developing demining and improvised explosive device (IED) defeating engineering solutions, will bring the two capabilities together.

• Land Warfare

  US Army modernisation plans raise big concerns for lawmakers

  25th June 2025

  The termination of programmes such as JLTV and RCV has been harshly criticised by members of the US Congress.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer “confident” as C-390 and A-29 production ramps up in 2025

  31st January 2025

  Embraer chief commercial officer Frederico Lemos said that it was aiming to produce more than 10 of its C-390 multi-mission aircraft a year by 2030, with some A-29 aircraft already allocated and ready for delivery.

• Training

  Cubic tailors mortar simulator for the US Army

  24th December 2024

  The company’s mortar trainer received improvements based on soldier’s feedback.

• Air Warfare

  Israel to equip F-16I fleet with Elbit self-protection upgrade

  27th January 2025

  The $80-million contract for the development and installation of the Advanced Self-Protection Suite on the F-16I further boosts Israeli Air Forces’ (IAF's) fleet survivability.

• Land Warfare

  British Army’s commitment to L118 105mm light gun may be death knell for Light Fires Platform

  15th April 2025

  The UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) was running the programme for the Light Fires Platform (LFP) which was touted as the replacement for the 105mm L118 Light Gun used by the Royal Artillery (RA) regular and reserve units.

• Defence Notes

  Saudi Arabia eyes large procurement spend as it boosts 2025 defence budget to $78 billion

  11th February 2025

  The new figure is an increase from US$75.8 billion in 2024 and showcases the country’s focus on its Saudi Vision 2030 to achieve a diversified and sustainable economy, reducing the Kingdom’s dependency on oil.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• LTVs - 4x4

  Light Utility Vehicle [Canada]

  Programme Background The Canadian Army currently employs two platforms in what it terms its Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW) fleet, the Mercedes G-Wagon and the Chevrolet Silverado. ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Future Procurement [US Navy]

  Programme Background According to the FY2021 budget request, the USN funded three JLTVs in FY2018, eight in FY2019, 19 in FY2020 and 25 in FY2021. ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Light Forces Enhancement [Canada]

  Programme Background The LFE programme was first launched in 2020 with the intention of providing the Canadian army with new light mobility platforms that could ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV [US Army - Second Order]

  Programme Background Oshkosh was awarded a contract to produce up to 16,901 JLTVs for the US Army and USMC programmes of record in August 2015.  ...

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

  Xtender [US]

  Programme Background Previous Procurement In early 2021, the US Department of Defence awarded a contract to XTEND for the platform in partnership with Isreal's MoD. ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft [Singapore]

  Programme Background Deployed from Changi West airbase, and jointly operated by the RSAF and Republic of Singapore Navy, the ageing Fokker 50 fleet is primarily ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  eLRV [US]

  Programme Background Purpose The US Army unveiled a new concept for a more deployable IBCT structure at AUSA in October 2014. Built around three main types ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 2nd Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 3rd Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 4th Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 5th Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

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

  Aksungur [Turkish Air Force]

  Programme Background First Flight & Contract Award The platform's maiden flight was completed on 20 March 2019, and it was first publicly shown at IDEF ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 1st Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle

  The General Motors (GM) Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is a fully-integrated military platform based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 mid-sized truck chassis with Roll ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Electric Military Concept Vehicle

  The Electric Military Concept Vehicle (e-MCV) is General Motors (GM) Defense's concept vehicle designed for the US Army's ongoing electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV) programme. Based on ...

• Land: air defence radar

  9S18M1E

  The 9S18M1E is a mobile, 3D, frequency-agile coherent pulse radar designed to detect and identify air threats and feed target data to the Buk-M1E AD ...

• Military vehicle engines

  6V53

  The 6V53 is a six cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that stems from the GM Diesel Series 53 engine launched in 1957. The 6V53 has a ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful)

  The 2K12 Kub, known by its NATO reporting name SA-6 Gainful, is a Soviet-era mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to provide ground forces with low ...

• Self-propelled guns, Self-propelled missile systems

  Tunguska

  KBP Instrument Design Bureau began development of the 2K22 Tunguska tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile system in 1970 to provide the Soviet Army with ...

• Medium UGVs

  SURUS

  General Motors unveiled its Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS) – a large, multipurpose, hydrogen-electric UGV – at the AUSA exhibition in Washington, DC, in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  CombatGuard

  IMI Systems unveiled its new CombatGuard, a 4x4 armoured combat vehicle designed to provide a high level of off-road mobility, at Eurosatory 2014. It is ...

• Subsystems: software

  Network Defense Trainer

  The Scalable Network Defense Trainer is an LVC simulation system for delivering realistic hands-on cyber training. It enables students to experience cyber attacks launched against ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Talisman [Defense Initiatives]

  The Talisman is an integrated self-protection system developed by Defense Initiatives of Belarus. It is designed to equip combat aircraft and is thought to be ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Ground

  GenCOM Defense Ground provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Naval

  GenCOM Defense Naval offers an automatic situational awareness picture achieved through integration with single or multiple CESM-DF arrival sensors deployed on an array of naval ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Air

  GenCOM Defense Air provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ADC3

  IAI's Air Defense Command, Control and Communication (ADC3) was developed to meet the air defence mission requirements of Israeli Defense Forces.

• Air: mission management systems

  TAIKS Fire Support C3 System

  TAIKS is the tactical element of AFSAS (see separate entry) that integrates fire support units and target acquisition systems with each other and other functional ...