• Training

  Taiwan’s new AJT to take off in 2020

  12th February 2017

  Taiwan kicked off its air force's advanced jet trainer (AJT) programme on 7 February. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Republic of China …

• Naval Warfare

  MCA seeking unmanned capability

  7th February 2017

  The UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is exploring the possible use of UAS under the Maritime RPAS Pathfinder project that would see systems complementing …

• Digital Battlespace

  China continues AEW aircraft advances

  3rd February 2017

  As the first US Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft were arriving in Japan on 2 February, it emerged that China is pursuing …

• Digital Battlespace

  Antares sting in Scorpion's tail

  2nd February 2017

  Thales Optronics has developed the final version of its Antares situational awarness system that will be fitted to vehicles built under the French Scorpion programme. …

• Special Operations

  Danish SF to acquire nano UAVs

  2nd February 2017

  Danish special forces are looking to improve their tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities with the acquisition of nano unmanned aerial systems (NUAS). Tender …

• Naval Warfare

  Euromaritime 2017: Sirehna showcases surveillance capabilities

  2nd February 2017

  Sirehna is continuing the testing and demonstration programme for its maritime surveillance system and unmanned surface vessel (USV) applique kit, with dates already placed for …

• Digital Battlespace

  Gripen radar upgrade on offer

  31st January 2017

  Saab is marketing an upgraded version of the Gripen C/D's PS-05/A mechanically scanned radar following successful tests in 2016.  The enhancements, first announced in 2015 as …

• Digital Battlespace

  F-16V upgrade kicks off in Taiwan

  29th January 2017

  At the beginning of 2017, four Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16A/B Block 20 fighters began undergoing upgrades under Taiwan’s Feng Zhan (Phoenix Rising) …

• Digital Battlespace

  DGI 2017: Australia improves GEOINT collection

  27th January 2017

  With the trends in geointelligence (GEOINT) moving towards the gathering of open source data and the exchange of unclassified information, Australia is developing its data …

• Digital Battlespace

  DGI 2017: Asia GEOINT requirements increase

  27th January 2017

  The need for more geointelligence (GEOINT) capability in Asia-Pacific (APAC) is rising as the region’s impact on the world grows. GEOINT is also the best …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Saudi Arabia requests PTDS from US

  24th January 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a $525 million foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia of 74K Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Korea counters neighbour with UAV tech

  23rd January 2017

  Earlier this month the Ministry of National Defense in South Korea announced plans to field a laser-based counter-UAV system by 2020. Seoul estimates that North …

• Digital Battlespace

  Nebo enhances Russian early warning

  18th January 2017

  Russia’s Air and Space Forces (RuASF) early warning capabilities were strengthened in 2016 through the commissioning of five Nebo-M long-range multi-band radar systems.  It is …

• Land Warfare

  EDA launches IED detection programme

  16th January 2017

  The European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched a new research and technology programme aimed at improving member states’ IED detection capabilities. The IED Detection (IEDDET) …

• Defence Helicopter

  What to expect for defence in 2017 (video)

  16th January 2017

  Shephard's editorial team has gazed into the crystal ball to see what the next 12 months might bring for the defence and aerospace community. Geopolitics and …

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 ...