• Defence Notes

  ISDEF 2017: Leopard latest in Capture's big cat family

  12th June 2017

  Capture unveiled its new Leopard pan and tilt system at the ISDEF 2017 exhibition in Tel Aviv on 6 June. The tracking system platform manufacturer …

• Digital Battlespace

  Airborne pay-as-you-go ISR on offer

  2nd June 2017

  Thales has announced it will integrate its Searchmaster 400 radar on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 turboprop as part of a cooperation agreement with Canadian …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Harris to support BVLOS UAS flight operations

  10th May 2017

  Harris Corporation has been selected by Grand Sky Airfield Operations to provide its RangeVue system to support beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS flight operations, the …

• Defence Notes

  Amidst threats, Seoul eyes defence budget hike

  9th June 2017

  South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has requested a record defence budget of KRW43.7 trillion ($38.7 billion) for next year. Although yet to be …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Europe: Leonardo launches low-cost RF protection (video)

  8th June 2017

  Leonardo has unveiled a new integrated electronic warfare survivability product, which combines sensing and countermeasure solutions. Known as BriteEye, the new product is being exhibited …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin eyes CSC work

  5th June 2017

  Lockheed Martin Canada has been awarded a contract to replace the combat management system on board the Chilean Navy’s three Type 23 frigates, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  L3 Wescam details new MX orders

  2nd June 2017

  L3 Wescam has racked up a number of new orders for its MX-series of electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems within the Canadian market, the company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Iris DO-278A Assurance approved

  9th May 2017

  Kongsberg Geospatial's Iris UAS airspace situational awareness application will be offered as a certifiable display to meet the requirements of the DO-278A Assurance standard for …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon’s VDS selected for US Navy LCS

  29th May 2017

  Raytheon will provide the new Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class under a $27.9 million contract announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Pakistan receiving extra Saab Erieyes

  2nd June 2017

  An undisclosed customer who bought three airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from Saab is confirmed to be the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Saab made an …

• Digital Battlespace

  L3 Wescam enters the MatriX

  19th May 2017

  L3 Wescam has introduced a new range of MatriX intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system kits for fixed-and rotary-wing platforms, the company announced on 16 May. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Saudi AWACS radar upgrade complete

  25th May 2017

  A series of upgrades to improve the capabilities of Saudi Arabia’s E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft has been completed by Boeing, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  S-100 completes flight trials in Norway

  25th May 2017

  Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS has completed a series of flight trials at Andøya Test Center (ATC) in Norway, the company announced on 23 May. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Lessons to learn from manned aviation

  10th May 2017

  Commercial unmanned operations could benefit by analysing safety and regulatory requirements of manned aviation and incorporating some process into their business, according to Jon Damush, …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: Ballooning market for ISR aerostats (video)

  18th May 2017

  Florida-based company Drone Aviation is showcasing its range of tethered drones and balloons at this year's SOFIC in Tampa, Florida. Speaking to Shephard, Art Hughes explains a …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• ISR/special mission

  MC-27J [Algeria]

  Programme Background Algeria has a long standing ISR aircraft requirement to support its Beech 1900 fleet comprised of six aircraft. The new ISR fleet is ...

• ISR/special mission

  C-208B ISR [Tunisia]

  Programme Background Requirement The acquisition of the C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft is part of Tunisia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its ISR capabilities in response ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER ISR [Kuwait]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the US State Department has approved an estimated $259m potential foreign military sale of King Air 350ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ...

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

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater interoperability ...

• ISR/special mission

  Baekdu-II [South Korea]

  Programme Background This ISR aircraft programme, which first appeared on the 2020-24 Mid-Term Defense Acquisition Plan, comprises four Baekdu-II aircraft. These will add to two ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  ISR Civilian-Made UAVs [Taiwan]

  Background Civilian-made, Military-specification As reported by Shephard in April 2025, to accelerate the acquisition process and urgently build a larger UAV inventory, Taipei is enlisting the private ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW-4

  The SW-4 is aimed at the basic and advanced pilot training, troop transport and ISR missions. Its Polish designation is Puszczyk. The SW-4s are based ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  A-29 Super Tucano Afghanistan

  Media reports suggest that with the hourly cost of $1000, the A-29 is a successful platform for counter-insurgency missions. Its operational capability from unprepared airstrips, ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  In April 2026, AeroVironment (AV) and Shield AI announced that they had been selected to compete for a US$800 million task order to provide Contractor-Owned, ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  In April 2026, AeroVironment (AV) and Shield AI announced that they had been selected to compete for a US$800 million task order to provide Contractor-Owned, ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

• Data links

  Data links | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Zeus

  The Zeus is an Argentine tactical-class UAV from Aerotec, in partnership with its Polish technology partner, Ekolot Aerospace & Defense (EAD). The aircraft is modular and ...

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

  Silent Falcon

  The Silent Falcon is a solar-electric sUAS with long-endurance capabilities for extended-range missions. The UAS can be used for commercial and military applications. The entire ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Jackal

  The Jackal is a small UAV manufactured by FLY BVLOS, Flyby Technology and Maxwell Innovations. The system features a plug-and-play system, meaning new equipment and technologies can be ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Delta

  The Delta is a UAV with a VTOL capability before rotating and operating as a conventional fixed-wing aircraft when airborne.  Manufactured by Fly BVLOS, Nigeria was expected ...

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

  Indago

  Indago is a small quadrotor UAV with VTOL. It is equipped with a large-screen handset and is marketed as 'whisper-quiet' with a noise level of ...

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

  Canary

  Volatus Aerospace has stated that its civilian Canary rotary-wing cargo-carrying UAV can be adapted for military use in last-mile resupply operations.  Payloads are housed internally ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Ageon ISR

  Ageon ISR is a multi-INT C2/PED solution supporting cross-domain collection, ingestion, processing, exploitation and dissemination from tactical units to the global enterprise and cloud. Ageon ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AIMS-ISR

  AIMS-ISR is a software package used to process the video footage and data gathered from the cameras and other sensors fitted to airborne, ground-based and ...

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

  ENVOY

  The ENVOY is a multi-mission rotary-wing UAV with a tandem-rotor design and a payload carrying capacity of 180kg. General Dynamics renamed the system ENVOY in mid-2025.  ...

• Air: UAS radar

  EchoFlight

  The Echoflight radar by Echodyne is a Lightweight Metamaterials ESA (MESA®), a Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) 4D radar designed for mid-sized UAVs flying below the visual line of sight (BVLOS) ...

• UAS: communication systems

  muLTElink

  Produced by uAvionix, the muLTElink is a multiple-link airborne radio system designed for uncrewed platforms in particular. It combines C-Band, LTE, ISM and Viasat L-Band communications, ...

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

  DrN-15 (series)

  The DrN-15 is a hexacopter mini-UAV from ST Engineering. The platform is highly customizable and can carry various payloads depending on a user's requirements.  All DrN ...

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

  Nauru 500C

  The Nauru 500C ISR is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV from Xmobots. Designed for ISR missions, the UAV features XSIS-EO and XSIS-EOLWIR stabilised sensors. The UAV features ...

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

  Outlaw SeaHunter

  Outlaw UAVs are used by military and research agencies for training, testing, data collection and system development. In the 114-137kg maximum take-off weight class, SeaHunter ...

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

  Viper 1000C

  The Viper 1000C is a fixed-wing MALE UAS. Designed to carry EO/IR sensors over vast distances, it can be employed in a wide variety of ...