• Air Warfare

  Will drone motherships form part of tomorrow’s warfare?

  26th August 2025

  While motherships offer multiple operational advantages, the changes in the character of warfare may bring new tactics to the battlefield, reducing their role.

• Air Warfare

  France and UK to resume and upgrade Storm Shadow/SCALP production

  10th July 2025

  The new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will work on a range of other projects to boost the UK economy and defence industry, including joint development on new high-tech frequency weapons and extended range air-to-air missiles.

• Air Warfare

  FCAS future fighter jet collapse: where does Europe’s next-generation air power go next?

  10th June 2026

  While the New Generation Fighter pillar of the Franco-German-Spanish programme is now officially dead in the water, Germany’s ambition to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet remains – with the country serving as a financially attractive potential partner for other programmes.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall’s Lynx XM30 to go to “shakedown testing” ahead of its delivery to the US Army

  8th May 2026

  The first Lynx XM30 platforms are in the final stages of construction and integration, to be handed over to the US Army in the coming months. Shephard caught up with Rheinmetall to find out more about the programme's progress.

• Air Warfare

  Upgrades and fresh orders reinforce demand for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet (updated 2026)

  8th June 2026

  The French-made aircraft is lining up potentially huge orders in Asia, with the latest F5 platform designed to keep the jet relevant in the modern battlespace until the 2040s.

• Land Warfare

  US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy

  2nd February 2026

  As the US Department of Defense looks to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems to improve homeland security, the DroneHunter acquisition could point to future commercial innovation.

• Air Warfare

  NATO countries test Canadian-made, high-speed “cannibal” drone

  2nd June 2026

  INKAS Anuri CUAS drone has been built to engage consumer, commercial and modified first-person view enemy drones flying at speeds of up to 400 km/h.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: GCAP Electronics Evolution emerges as new consortium for 6th-gen programme

  10th September 2025

  The consortium, known as G2E, is formed of four leading national defence electronics companies: Mitsubishi for Japan, Leonardo UK for the UK and both Leonardo and ELT Group for Italy.

• Defence Notes

  Malaysia’s defence budget sets out major procurement goals for 2026

  16th October 2025

  The country has allocated RM21.70 billion for defence spending next year, with some major procurements set to be initiated across the country’s army, navy and air force.

• Naval Warfare

  Partnerships will be critical for future projects at Latin American shipyards

  21st May 2026

  Multiple Latin American navies are modernising their fleets by prioritising domestically manufactured surface vessels and even submarines via international partnerships.

• Land Warfare

  France mulls new turret options to increase its VBCI IFV’s firepower

  27th March 2026

  The proposed enhancements could better position the French Army’s armoured infantry fighting vehicle for future export campaigns.

• Air Warfare

  Interview: Edge Group eyes Indonesian market for naval and UAV expansion

  27th June 2025

  The UAE’s Edge Group has been positioning itself as a key defence and technology partner to Indonesia, where it has been focusing on naval platforms, UAVs and long-term industrial collaboration.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Pearson Engineering to send AI mine detecting systems into Ukraine

  22nd June 2026

  Pearson Engineering’s Threat-Sense system is designed to use imaging from drones to geolocate scattered mines and support uncrewed systems in defeating the threats.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: As more possible CV90 orders loom, BAE Systems confident on production rates

  12th September 2025

  The company is investing in increasing production while major subcontractors also push to keep up with demand, with Sweden’s recent Request for Information potentially adding another 500 to the order book.

• 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.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Vietnam - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background The Vietnamese Coast Guard are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

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

  V-Bat [Armenia]

  Background Announcment On 9 February 2026, in a press release from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan and JD Vance, US vice-president, ...

• 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 ...

• Frigates

  European Combat Vessel [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Combat Vessel (ECV) is currently a conceptual project that seeks to design a European collaborative multi-mission, modular warship. As of ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia became the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - small

  Indonesia - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background As part of a large scale programme, Indonesia was set to receive eight ScanEagle UAS drone Insitu provided by the US under the Maritime ...

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

  V-Bat [Romania]

  Programme Background Modernisation According to HotNews, a Romanian news outlet reporting on 25 February 2025, the Romanian MoD announced to journalists that it would focus on ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Army Armoured Combat System (A2CS) [Italy]

  Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace 200 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Baltic Joint Naval Procurement [Latvia]

  The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia plan to continue developing their respective navies, regarding them as important elements in the NATO alliance — ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Baltic Joint Naval Procurement [Latvia]

  The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia plan to continue developing their respective navies, regarding them as important elements in the NATO alliance — ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Nordic Mini-UAV [Denmark]

  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. ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Nordic Mini-UAV [Norway]

  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. ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Nordic Mini-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. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• Land: battle management systems, Major networking projects, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DOOB (HARBIYE)

  Defence out of a Box (DOOB, also marketed as HARBIYE) is a C4I system family developed by Havelsan as an integrated defence solution aiming for ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation Engine II

  The Simulation Engine II (SE II) commercial game engine is the first PC-based game engine to be developed by Sonalysts as a commercial product and ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Naval Command Center

  The Elbit Systems Naval Command Center (NCC) provides the infrastructure, systems and functionality required to achieve maritime domain awareness in conjunction with applicable means, evaluating ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Increment 1 Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are set to be implemented under JTRS Increment 1: WNW with OFDM and anti-jam; SRW (ground domain); joint airborne network-tactical edge ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Submarine Simulator

  A multi-domain simulation system for submarines, covering all vessel systems and subsystems: Submarine Tactical Trainer (STT); Submarine Diving and Steering Simulator (SDS) in a cockpit; Surface Navigation Simulator ...

• Air: mission management systems

  I-JOCCS

  Integrated Joint Operational Command and Control Services (I-JOCCS) is designed for interoperability among coalition forces including the UK and US. The capability supports fixed-site installations ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GMS Cross-Domain Systems (CDS) Family

  At AUSA 2024, General Micro Systems (GMS Computing Engines) unveiled four new cross-domain systems (CDS) designed to give air and land forces ultra-secure, real-time gigabit ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-7065

  The ELK-7065 ground and naval HF COMINT direction-finding system was unveiled in 2013, with a compact, lightweight airborne version launched in September 2017. The sensor was ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Domains

  The former JTRS ‘clusters’, that had become separate disjointed programmes, have been replaced with centrally managed domain programme management offices. The construct comprises four JTRS ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Major networking projects

  TNE

  Trusted Network Environment (TNE) is used by the US DoD and federal agencies where multiple coalitions of interest need trusted information brokers to let them ...

• Major networking projects

  GIG

  Global Information Grid (GIG) is a DoD-wide programme, managed by OSD Network Information Infrastructure and integrated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, to support all ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...

• Land: air defence radar

  3D Primary Surveillance Radar

  The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) 3D is part of the Lanza family of 3D radar systems. It has been designed especially for airport and air ...