• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives 830 new riflescopes

  28th December 2021

  The devices were acquired in March under a €4 million ($4.5 million) contract with the Czech company Meopta Systems s.r.o.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives enough Boxers for battalion-sized unit

  10th January 2022

  Deliveries of the Vilkas IFV to Lithuania have been unaffected by delays to the programme, and the defence ministry expects to receive a final batch of vehicles by the end of 2022.

• Land Warfare

  Poland acquires 25 Wizjer mini-UAVs

  30th December 2021

  Under a PLN 174 million ($42 .9million) contract, a national consortium will manufacture the new systems. The deliveries are scheduled from 2024 to 2027.

• Land Warfare

  Polish MND delivers eight 155 mm Krabs to 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade

  29th December 2021

  Apart from the Krabs, the Brigade also received one battery command vehicle, two command post vehicles, two ammunition supply vehicles, one armament and electronics repair vehicle and one squadron command staff vehicle.

• Land Warfare

  UK MoD moves forward with MBT upgrades

  16th November 2021

  The UK MoD has awarded a new contract to Hortsman Group to deliver a newly refurbished and upgraded version of its third-generation Hydrogas suspension unit for MBTs.

• Training

  Elbit UK gains slice of CTTP pie

  10th November 2021

  Elbit UK continues to grow its UK defence programme portfolio with the award of the ICAVS(D) programme, a pathfinder for CTTP.

• Defence Helicopter

  Aussie Hellfire Romeo order makes progress

  22nd December 2021

  Potential platforms for the AGM-114R II missile include the AH-64E Apache.

• Land Warfare

  European armies test Israeli active protection system

  5th November 2021

  The Trophy APS has undergone live-fire tests on German Leopard 2 MBTs, while the British MoD plans trials with the Israeli system as part of the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project.

• Naval Warfare

  Chinese navy commissions second LHD

  7th January 2022

  China's phenomenal naval shipbuilding continues, with a Type 075 LHD commissioned and construction proceeding of the Type 003 aircraft carrier.

• Training

  Latvia wants to train MILES better

  20th December 2021

  Cubic is supplying MILES in two separate configurations for the Latvian military

• Digital Battlespace

  Quantum technology attracts French attention

  6th January 2022

  The French MoD has launched a national quantum computing platform that will perform calculations up to 1 billion times faster than conventional computing. The system will be available to researchers and specialists.

• Defence Notes

  Baltic republics to receive FAAD C2

  15th December 2021

  Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are boosting their SHORAD capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  CV90 IFV keeps pace with upgrades

  15th December 2021

  First developed in the 1990s, the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle has proved to be a durable platform. However, with new IFVs entering the marketplace, upgrades are required to keep the CV90 at the top of its powers.

• Defence Notes

  The defence industry: same as it ever was?

  24th December 2021

  Earlier this year at DSEI, Shephard sat down with defence industry observers for an overview of the last twenty years in the defence industry.

• Land Warfare

  South Korean army receives first air defence guns

  15th December 2021

  A new antiaircraft gun system based on an 8x8 chassis has been issued to South Korean troops.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military UAS - micro

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 vehicle. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms with ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: 245 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Land Ground Based Air Defence (SHORAD) [UK]

  Background In November 2023 the UK published the Land Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) Prior Information Notice which informed industry of the future direction of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate a shortfall ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Recce Strike Vehicle 4x4 [UK]

  Background Under Project Niala, the British Army has sought a new recce strike vehicle to augment the operations of 11th Brigade. This sits outside of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Buffalo MPCV

  The Buffalo Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) is in service with the armed forces of Canada, France, Italy, Pakistan, the UK and the US and has ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• Main battle tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Trojan

  In 2001, Vickers Defence Systems (now part of BAE Systems) received a £250 million ($300 million) UK MoD contract to build 66 Engineer Tank Systems ...