• Defence Notes

  MSPO 2019: Patience a virtue for Polish AARGM deal

  3rd September 2019

  Northrop Grumman is confident it can land an order with Poland for the air-to-ground Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), despite developments between the two sides …

• Land Warfare

  Panus R600 conducts first field test in Thailand

  3rd September 2019

  Panus Assembly unveiled its R600 8x8 armoured vehicle during its first field test at the Royal Thai Army’s (RTA) vehicle testing range in Kanchanaburi Province …

• Special Operations

  DSEI 2019: Jankel premieres new light tactical vehicle

  4th September 2019

  Vehicle specialist Jankel will showcase its Light Tactical Transport Vehicle (LTTV) to the public for the first time at DSEI 2019 in London. This follows …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to build high-energy laser prototypes

  7th August 2019

  Raytheon is to build two prototype high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) systems to be deployed to troops overseas under a US Air Force contract announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  US approves sonar and sonobuoy sale to Denmark

  2nd September 2019

  The US State Department has approved the possible Foreign Military Sale to Denmark of nine AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar systems and 600 AN/SSQ-36/53/62 sonobuoys. …

• Military Logistics

  Honeywell to support power units for USN aircraft

  3rd September 2019

  Honeywell has received a $11.5 million contract modification from the US Navy for the repair, replacement and programme support for auxiliary power units used on …

• Land Warfare

  Textron to provide CT technology for US Army NGSW effort

  4th September 2019

  Textron Systems has been selected by the US Army to deliver next generation squad weapons (NGSW) derived from the company’s cased telescoped (CT) technology.  Contracted …

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders more TOW anti-tank missiles

  22nd August 2019

  Raytheon will deliver additional tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) missiles for the TOW weapon system under a $101 million contract awarded by the US Army.  The …

• Land Warfare

  US approves JLTV sale to Lithuania

  30th August 2019

  The US State Department has approved the potential Foreign Military Sale of 500 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles to Lithuania.  Including support the deal would be …

• Defence Notes

  UK seeks Directed Energy Weapons demonstrators

  10th July 2019

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has published a Prior Information Notice to begin work on the development of three Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) as …

• Naval Warfare

  GD awarded Royal Navy Dreadnought work

  27th August 2019

  General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded $64.8 million for the Strategic Weapon System Fire Control Subsystem hardware for the Royal Navy’s second Dreadnought-class nuclear …

• Digital Battlespace

  Podcast: Five Eyes Connectivity - Tactical data links

  26th September 2019

  Welcome to Shephard Studio’s special series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat.  Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. In the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2019: Royal Navy watchers a-quiver as Arrowhead 140 gets the go-ahead

  12th September 2019

  The multi-episode marathon that has been the UK Royal Navy’s Type 31e light frigate saga has finally come to a conclusion with the announcement on …

• Defence Notes

  SDB increases capability of RAAF F-35A

  21st August 2019

  The capability of the Royal Australian Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighters has quadrupled since the introduction of the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), according …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce rebrands its power systems business

  7th August 2019

  Rolls-Royce's Power Systems business unit is restricting its brands around its core brand, MTU. Under the changes, the current MTU companies will now include Rolls-Royce …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• OPVs

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Destroyers

  Type 83 Future Air Defence System (FADS) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Daring-class (Type 45) consists of six ships, although the original plan was to have 12 destroyers. This was cut to eight in ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) Programme [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements According to the UK MoD's March 2021 Defence Command Paper, entitled 'Defence in a Competitive Age', the RN will invest in six ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [Germany]

  Programme Background Germany originally said it would but 60 A400Ms, but when the program was re-baselined in 2010 reduced its planed off take to 53, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III) Batch 2 (1-3) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The Sejong the Great class (KDX-III) Batch 2 will consist of three improved Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) batch 1 guided-missile destroyers, which ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Landing Platform Docks [India]

  Programme Background Requirements The LPD tender, although more akin to an LHD, specifies that the quartet of ships must be built within India, although collaboration ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

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

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Fractl:2

  Fractl:2, developed and manufactured by AIM Defence, is an Australian laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The high-powered portable system is Australia's first acquisition of a directed ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Apollo

  Apollo is a High-Energy Laser Weapon System manufactured by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Apollo's laser utilises directed energy to disable or destroy aerial targets without ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  DIAL

  The Laser Weapon Instrumental Demonstrator (DIAL), in joint development with Indra and Escribano Mechanical Engineering, is a Spanish laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The system ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Minotaur

  Minotaur, developed by Soukos Robots, is a Greek laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). Minotaur is an anti-drone platform with the ability to shoot down unmanned ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Italian LDEW (Leonardo/MBDA)

  As announced in December 2024, Leonardo and MBDA are collaborating to produce a Fire Unit Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) for the Italian Navy. The ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons, Self-propelled guns, Self-propelled missile systems

  SkyRanger 30

  SkyRanger 30 is a mobile ground-based air defence (GBAD) laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system designed by Rheinmetall. The system comprises automatic cannons, guided missiles, and a ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  CROSSBOW MINI

  CROSSBOW MINI, developed by IPG Photonics, is a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The LDEW has multiple deployable configurations and is a part of the manufacturers ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Archimedes

  Archimedes, developed by Aurelius Systems, is a laser-directed energy weapon designed to stop drones at scale. The system is still in development, though Aurelius received ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  ALKA-KAPLAN

  ALKA-KAPLAN is a collaborative effort between Turkish manufacturers ROKETSAN and FNSS. The system is a mobile armoured anti-drone system, which integrates the ALKA directed energy-weapon ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  German LDEW (Rheinmetall/MBDA)

  Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany's collaborative work on laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) technology has resulted in a German laser weapon system that is close to being ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Guorong-1 Anti Drone System

  Guorong-1 is an anti-drone system developed by China. The system is jointly developed by the Chinese Electronics Technology Group (CETG), Guorong Technology, and the Chinese public ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  DroneDefender

  DroneDefender is a directed-energy UAS countermeasure that disrupts the adversary's control of the aircraft, neutralising it so that no remote action (including detonation) can occur, ...

• Destroyers

  Flight III Destroyer

  During Indo Pacific 2023, Navantia Australia unveiled a 10200t destroyer design. Dubbed as Flight III Destroyer, the Spanish shipbuilder is pitching the ship for the ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  MEHEL 2.0

  The Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) is a C-UAS-capable vehicle that employs directed energy to neutralise targets. MEHEL 2.0 was first seen at AUSA 2016, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Kaplan Hybrid Carrier Platform

  Unveiled at IDEF 2025, the Kaplan Hybrid Carrier Platform (HCP) is a tracked vehicle with a hybrid propulsion system manufactured by FNSS. It is designed ...