• Air Warfare

  US ponders weapons sales to Israel as UK faces calls to halt exports

  4th April 2024

  Amid calls for restraint in arms sales, the US has been reviewing an $18 billion deal with Israel, including F-15 fighters and air-to-air missiles. The UK has also been facing pressure to cease exports over potential violations of international law in the Gaza conflict.

• Air Warfare

  UK F-35 deliveries navigate TR-3 software snag as MoD keeps cool

  29th March 2024

  While the Royal Air Force recently received two new Lightning F-35B jets, delays in TR-3 software implementation have raised questions about the delivery of the remaining 13 Lockheed Martin jets.

• Land Warfare

  New Estonian night vision devices to help against “significantly” larger enemy

  28th March 2024

  Argus is a family of Mil-Spec I2 multipurpose monocular systems that can be operated handheld or head-, helmet- or weapon-mounted.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden orders $508 million worth of 6x6 vehicles

  25th March 2024

  Patria developed the Patria 6x6 APC, unveiled at Eurosatory 2018, as a successor to the XA-series Pasi APC and to complement Patria’s 8x8 Armoured Modular Vehicle family.

• Training

  Announcement: Scott R Gourley takes over as new editor of Shephard’s Decisive Edge Training newsletter

  27th March 2024

  Following the successful launch of its Decisive Edge Training newsletter in 2023, Shephard is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott R Gourley as the next editor of this leading digital publication.

• Land Warfare

  New application developed for Ragnarok 120mm mortar

  20th March 2024

  Rheinmetall Nordic’s Mortar Weapon System (MWS) 120 Ragnarok has been showcased with enhanced flexibility and firepower, having been integrated in multiple armoured vehicles and featuring a trailer-mounted version.

• Special Operations

  US Special Operations Command seeks $1.3 billion investment in intelligence

  8th April 2024

  As part of its FY2025 budget proposal, the service requested funds for tactical intelligence collection and analysis solutions and for ISR, processing, exploitation and dissemination programmes.

• Land Warfare

  NATO procurement agency orders Carl-Gustaf multi-role weapon system

  25th March 2024

  In September 2015, Saab announced Slovakia had become the launch customer for the M4 and the first weapons were delivered in July 2017. The US Army has ordered systems having conducted a foreign comparative test of the M4 for US Special Operations Command and the US Army.

• Training

  Collins Aerospace joins US Air Force team in quest for new training solutions

  18th July 2023

  The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has awarded Collins Aerospace a $32.5 billion contract to support the development of new training systems for the service.

• Training

  Radar training simulators for German Navy Engineering School pass FAT

  4th April 2024

  The German Navy has contracted UK information technology company OSI Maritime Systems to provide a navigation suite which has passed system testing for the F126 frigate.

• Air Warfare

  Leidos and L3Harris partner on US Army ISR aircraft for ATHENA-S

  27th July 2023

  Leidos and L3Harris Technologies announced on 26 July they are teaming up for the US Army’s Theater Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne – Signals Intelligence (ATHENA-S) proposal.

• Land Warfare

  Could mind control drones be about to enter the battlefield?

  20th March 2024

  Ultra Precision Control Systems (PCS) showcased technology at the Future Soldier Technology Conference that could allow for drone control through thought, using EEG data and AI.

• Training

  Largest combined US-Indian exercise Tiger Triumph 2024 comes to an end

  2nd April 2024

  The bilateral Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise was held from 18–31 March 2024 in India. The 2024 edition marked the third time the exercise had taken place and was the largest to date, according to the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

• Training

  Saab wins three-year extension to British Army live training contract

  9th April 2024

  Instrumented Live Training (ILT-D) is an appended precision laser based tactical engagement system for vehicles, armoured platforms, heavy weapon systems and anti-tank weapons used in force-on-force exercises as part of collective training.

• Training

  Babcock to partner with companies to develop improved VR training system

  12th April 2024

  Ship and vehicle builder Babcock has been looking to build on its defence training division through new partnerships.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• 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 ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (3) [Belgium]

  Background Strategic Vision 2030 In 2016, the Belgian MoD published its Strategic Vision 2030 report. This report highlighted the need for MALE reconnaissance drones to ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  KT-1B Woongbi - Indonesia

  The programme value is estimates as $30 million for the purchase of three KT-1B aircraft. The deliveries are planned to be completed in 2021. The KT-1B ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (1-2) [Belgium]

  Background Strategic Vision 2030 In 2016, the Belgian MoD published its Strategic Vision 2030 report. This report highlighted the need for MALE reconnaissance drones to ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

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

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

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

  Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) [Canada]

  Programme Background Programme Inception The Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Joint Unmanned Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (JUSTAS) project was established to procure a UAS for ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  T-X / T-7A Red Hawk [USAF]

  Programme Background Goal The T-X programme aims to acquire a two-seat jet trainer aircraft to replace its Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon. The programme could be worth ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Micro VTOL [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Kingston Class Replacement [Canada]

  Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Ottawa is seeking a replacement for its Kingston-class OPVs. The programme is still in the very early stages of project ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Helicopter engines

  T900

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk ...

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Helicopter engines

  T901

  The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army's effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-4B Nightwatch

  Developed by Boeing based on the 747-200 airliner, the E-4B Nightwatch is a special mission aircraft used as the US National Airborne Operations Centre and is ...

• SARAH

  Flying-Cam’s Special Aerial Response Automatic Helicopter (SARAH) has been designed for applications such as LIDAR, photogrammetry and surveying. Features include five flight modes, dual GPS antenna, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus Surface Warship CTT

  In addition to the generic Proteus Action Speed Tactical Trainer (ASTT), Kongsberg can also provide Command Team Trainers (CTT) tailored to the specific needs of ...

• Subsystems: visual

  VTTS

  The Virtual Reality Team Training System (VTTS) allows team members to interact together in one common virtual world. Every trainee uses a workstation consisting of ...

• SARAH 4.0

  Flying-Cam’s Special Aerial Response Automatic Helicopter (SARAH) 4.0 has been designed for applications such as LIDAR, photogrammetry and surveying. Features include dual GPS antenna, RIEGL LIDAR, ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-280 Valor

  Bell Helicopter Textron is developing the V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the JMR-TD FVL project. The US Army announced in August 2014 that Bell would be ...

• Sea: tactical training

  SCTT

  The Submarine Combat Team Trainer (SCTT) prepares the submarine combat information centre team for its duties with the aid of simulated combat situations and environmental ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  LTMPAV Dino 519

  The Dino 519 is a light tactical multi-purpose armored vehicle (LTMPAV) developed by Team Concept, a Poland-based armored vehicle manufacturer. 

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...