• Defence Notes

  Japan’s security circumstances prompt it to introduce longer-range missiles

  17th April 2023

  With growing threats such as China and North Korean missiles, Japan is developing long-range, standoff missiles to enhance its deterrence posture.

• Air Warfare

  Australia gains rapid-deploy air traffic control capability for RAAF

  19th April 2023

  Three deployable air control centres with surveillance radars will support RAAF long- and short-term deployments overseas.

• Air Warfare

  India seeks additional armaments for MH-60R fleet

  6th April 2023

  Additional missiles and torpedoes are on the cards to equip India's incoming fleet of MH-60R multi-mission helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  Taiwan's MQ-9B SkyGuardian timeline accelerates

  3rd May 2023

  On 1 May 2023, the US DoD formally announced Taiwan's acquisition of four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones. The programme will conclude in 2025, four years earlier than originally planned.

• Training

  Turkiye's Hurjet trainer and light attack aircraft makes maiden flight

  3rd May 2023

  TAI has completed the first flight of its Hurjet supersonic trainer and light attack aircraft platform, intended to replace the Turkish Air Force's T-38 fleet.

• Land Warfare

  UK inks agreement for Swedish Archer guns and buys Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles

  30th March 2023

  The defence ministers of the UK and Sweden have signed a letter of intent for a contract to supply the British Army with 14 Archer self-propelled guns and announced a deal for Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.

• Defence Notes

  What's the deal with defence procurement? (podcast)

  17th March 2023

  This week on the Shephard Defence Podcast, senior naval reporter Harry Lye and military training & simulation reporter Norbert Neumann chat with Professor John Louth.

• Air Warfare

  Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force begins trials with MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAS

  17th May 2023

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has joined the Japan Coast Guard in flying the MQ-9B UAV for maritime surveillance purposes.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IMDEX 2023: Aeronautics sees growing interest in maritime UAV integration

  4th May 2023

  Israeli UAV maker Aeronautics, known for its Orbiter family of systems, has told Shephard that the company sees great potential in the maritime space and navies’ growing interest in integrating drones into the domain globally.

• Air Warfare

  US Army increases scope of Soldier Borne Sensor programme to acquire Black Hornet 3 UAS, budget documents reveal

  19th April 2023

  FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems has been awarded a $93.89 million contract for its Black Hornet 3 nano-drone as part of the US Army's Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) programme. The contract and the latest US Army budget estimate have highlighted several changes in the SBS programme.

• Naval Warfare

  German and Indian shipbuilders vie for Project 75I submarine contract

  8th June 2023

  Another twist has occurred in India's tortuous pathway to obtaining six AIP-equipped submarines, as Germany seeks pole position.

• Training

  IT2EC 2023: Cubic secures contract extension for British Army AWES training

  20th April 2023

  Cubic Defence UK has been awarded a contract extension to continue supporting and repairing the Area Weapons Effects Simulator (AWES) system for the British Army.

• Land Warfare

  Contract award imminent for new British Army bridging capability

  16th May 2023

  The UK MoD is expected to award a contract to WFEL to provide replacements for the Royal Engineers' Close Support Bridge and General Support Bridge systems later this year.

• Defence Notes

  European defence spending sets a new record surpassing €200 billion

  9th December 2022

  European Defence Agency member states invested €214 billion ($226 billion) in defence in 2021 and are set to increase their budgets even more in the coming years.

• Defence Notes

  SOF Week: USSOCOM seeks commercial solutions for contested environments

  8th May 2023

  The priority is accessing systems and technologies that can improve the communication and decision-making process and enable operations in contested scenarios.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Narviris), and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Narviris), and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Naviris), and Spain's Navantia. The patrol-type vessel ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Naviris), and Spain's Navantia. The patrol-type vessel ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is one of the new PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence and Security) projects. PESCO was established ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is one of the new PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence and Security) projects. PESCO was established ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements The 2021-2023 Documento Programmatico Pluriennale (DPP) - a multi-year defence planning document from the Italian MoD - includes a plan to acquire eight "Patrol Ships", ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• OPVs

  Polish Coast Guard OPVs

  Programme Background The Polish Coast Guard is acquiring a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) intended for the control of the external borders of the European Union. ...

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

  Orbiter 3 (Croatia)

  Programme Background The Croatian government launched a competitive tender for the procurement of a short-range UAV in October 2017. Although the tender was opened on ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  LOTUS

  The LOTUS, Low Observable Tactical Unnamed System, is a tactical UAV especially designed for border patrol ISR operations.  The development of the project is funded by ...

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• Land: air defence radar

  APIS

  APIS is a passive high-resolution primary radar system developed by Indra. It is the first passive system in the world capable of offering images using ...

• Major networking projects

  IABMS

  Integrated Air Battlespace Management System (IABMS) is a modular real-time air defence and C4I system of systems that has been fielded and implemented at fixed, ...

• Tanks

  EMBT

  KNDS (KMW + NEXTER Defense Systems) presented its first joint product, the EMBT (European Main Battle Tank) demonstrator, at the June 2018 Eurosatory defence exhibition. The EMBT mounts ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Mistral 3

  The Mistral 3 is the latest member of the Mistral family of very short-range surface-to-air missiles. It entered service in 2018 and has been chosen ...

• EO/IR systems

  NightHawk2-UZ

  The NightHawk2-UZ is a dual EO-IR stabilised camera turret from NextVision designed for long-range observation applications that demand low weight. The 350g sensor's IR camera has a 1280x720p ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DRASS Combat Management System

  The Italian company DRASS is developing its proprietary combat management system for use in compact submarines. The development of this CMS suite was first unveiled in ...

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

  Talarion

  The Talarion is a next-generation MALE UAV for reconnaissance, detection, classification and tracking of targets (land and sea) as well as detection, recognition and identification ...

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

  Skeldar V-200

  UMS Aero Group AG and Saab formed a joint venture company called UMS SKELDAR to produce the Skeldar V-200 UAV.  The Skeldar V-200 is a flexible and highly ...

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

  Pro

  The Pro VTOL is a fixed-wing UAV from DeltaQuad. It is available in three models, the Map, View and Cargo variants, which primarily impact the attached payload. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  CAMM-MR

  The CAMM-MR (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile - Medium Range) is being developed collaboratively by MBDA and Poland's PGZ to enhance medium-range air defence capabilities, with ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...

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

  One 150

  The One 150 is a tactical UAV manufactured by Primoco UAV. The UAV is designed for commercial and military use and can be configured to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 Armadillo

  The Armadillo APC, unveiled at Eurosatory 2010, is based on BAE Systems’ CV90 IFV design. It has been modified to provide a higher degree of ...