• Land Warfare

  Chaiseri’s quartet of new vehicles offers fresh capabilities to Asian markets

  20th November 2025

  The Guardian-T 8x8, Hisaar MRAP 4x4, Ridgeback 4x4 and Jackal 4x4 were all on display at Defense & Security 2025, with target markets for the vehicles including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines as well as Thailand.

• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia’s record defence spend highlights uncertain times

  6th February 2026

  Saudi Arabia’s investment in its land forces, notably in the area of air defence as recently as 30 January, is a sign of the challenges the Gulf State faces, particularly the threat from Houthi rebels in Yemen.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon completes first test for ground-launched StormBreaker

  25th September 2025

  The new variant was designed and tested in a little under two months, Raytheon said. The precision-strike weapon, as with the air-launched variant, is designed to be used in GPS-contested areas.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2026: RSAF refreshes air transport capability as part of force modernisation

  2nd February 2026

  Singapore is understood to have received three of four ex-Spanish C-130Hs from Blue Aerospace in recent weeks.

• Land Warfare

  British Army faces AFV capability gaps despite Boxer and Ajax deliveries

  27th August 2026

  The British Army continues to face gaps in its armoured fighting vehicle fleet, with replacement plans for Warrior and FV432 still unresolved despite ongoing deliveries of Boxer and Ajax.

• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2026: ST Engineering’s Rhino 4x4 set to enter service

  9th February 2026

  The Rhino 4x4 protected vehicle is being manufactured for an undisclosed country, likely to be Singapore, while its Agil counter-UAS C2 system is in low-rate production.

• Land Warfare

  Land forces review: British Army vehicle programme stalls and company results land

  26th November 2025

  In the first monthly review of land forces stories, the Shephard team looks back to evaluate the major news events that have impacted the sector. The UK’s Land Mobility Programme was notable but another setback occurred when a market industry day was scrapped.

• Air Warfare

  US Marines seek suppliers for 10,000 low-cost sUAS with first delivery targeted for April

  13th January 2026

  The US Marine Corps is looking for vendors capable of quickly delivering off-the-shelf drones. The small uncrewed aerial systems are expected to carry diverse types of payloads.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: Embraer strengthens C-390 UAE bid with completion centre plans

  18th November 2025

  The proposals, along with a recent MoU signed with local industry, move the company another step forward in its bid to replace the UAE’s ageing transport aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Patria TRACKX: Designed to conquer the most challenging environments

  12th June 2026

  The tracked all-terrain armoured vehicle Patria TRACKX is a promise of performance. It is engineered to navigate the toughest terrain silently and swiftly, ensuring smooth operations in any conditions.

• Air Warfare

  Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test

  9th December 2025

  The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.

• Air Warfare

  Bundeswehr launches loitering munition spending spree with $2.16 billion unassigned

  24th April 2026

  After months of delays, Rheinmetall has inked a €300 million deal with Germany for its FV-014 drone this week as part of a wider framework contract worth €2.4 billion for loitering munition procurement. Shephard looks at how the as-yet-unawarded funds could be spent.

• Naval Warfare

  Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy

  14th April 2026

  UK defence secretary John Healey’s exposure of a covert Russian deep-sea operation against undersea infrastructure in the Atlantic validates the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion concept but lays bare a capacity gap that autonomous systems, allied integration and sustained investment must close.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy budget seeks 34 ships on yesterday’s industrial base

  9th April 2026

  The 2027 budget demands 34 new vessels, but ageing yards and backlogs raise questions about whether American shipbuilding can deliver.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems

  30th December 2025

  The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Land: air defence radar

  Ground Master 403 Radar [Egypt]

  Background In 2020, Egypt ordered four of France-based Thales Ground Master 403 radars, the mobile member of their GM400 radar family.  At least one of the ...

• Medium UGVs

  Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer (M-METT) [USA]

  Background Whilst there are many medium UGV programmes developing concepts for last-mile resupply problems, the US Army's M-METT programme aims to provide an uncrewed logistics ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 [Japan]

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  ForceShield [Portugal]

  Background As part of its efforts to expand its ground-based air defence (GBAD) capabilities, Portugal ordered an undisclosed ForceShield systems, based on the RapidRanger SHORAD systems. The ...

• Military UAS - small

  KUS-FT (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirement The ROKA had identified a need for tactical UAVs that can be employed at the divisional level to carry out ISTAR missions ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Surion Marine Attack Helicopter [South Korea]

  Programme Background The ROKMC has planned to obtain 24 attack helicopters for the first time. When bidding opened in January 2019, there were five contenders: Bell ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung-II [Indonesia]

  Background Indonesia plans to procure the M-SAM II Cheongung-II system as part of its modernisation strategy and efforts to establish a fully integrated layered air-defence ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Military UAS - micro

  FPV Drones [Israel]

  Background Reported Programme According to the Globes media outlet, reporting in March 2025, the Ministry of Defense Department of Production and Procurement was publishing the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Croatia]

  Background Contract Award As reported by Shephard in November 2024, Croatia's government approved the purchase of six Bayraktar TB2 drones, a training package in Türkiye, a command-and-control centre, ...

• Wheeled assault guns

  Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle [Japan]

  Programme Background The Type 16 Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle (MCV), formerly known as the Mobile Combat Vehicle, was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to meet ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [Japan]

  Background Selection and contract award In 2015, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i Second Batch [Philippines]

  Programme Background Philippines Air Force is looking to procure additional multirole helicopters. Manila announced on 4 February 2021 that it was approving the purchase of 15 extra ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  KUS-FS [South Korea]

  Programme Background Inception The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) commenced developing the MUAV in 2008 in response to a ROKAF requirement for a MALE UAV ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Ground

  GenCOM Defense Ground provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) is the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office plan for the integrated architecture of all ground and surface computing and communications ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM262

  Manfuaucted by AVT Australia, the CM262 is a ground-based imaging system combining four sensor configurations into a compact and ruggedised system for C-UAS and ISR ...

• Land: air defence radar

  KRONOS Power Shield Land

  This system is an L-band digital AESA anti-TBM radar. It is the land-based version of the naval KRONOS Power Shield, also known as KRONOS Ground ...

• AEW&C

  P600 AEW&C

  In June 2019, Embraer and IAI/Elta signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing an AEW&C; aircraft based on the business jet Praetor 600, namely the ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Initial Maneuver - SHORAD

  Unveiled at AUSA 2019, Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is a multipurpose platform, based on the Stryker IFV, which moves and maneuvers in ...

• Land: battle management systems

  FAAD/C-RAM C2

  The Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Command and Control (C2) system was developed by Northrop Grumman to provide command and control (C2) for the US Army ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Airborne Launching and Attack System (AirLAS)

  The Airborne Launching and Attack System (AirLAS) is a system that pairs Diehl Defence's IRIS-T air-to-air missile with a reusable carrier UAV developed by POLARIS. The companies ...

• Data links

  Universal Link System

  Developed by Scytalys, the Universal Link System (ULS) is a modular, scalable multi data link processor. It supports all NATO and US standard data links ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  MIM-72 Chaparral

  The MIM-72 Chaparral is a short-range, low-altitude, surface-to-air missile produced for the M48 Chaparral fire unit. It was produced as a replacement for the cancelled MIM-46 Mauler ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-67

  The AN/APG-67 is a multi-mode, pulse-Doppler X-band radar designed for the Northrop F-20 Tigershark. It provides both air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities, including look-up/look-down detection, tracking, ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Dzhigit

  Dzhigit is a two-barrel, pedestal air defence missile launcher intended for single or salvo launches of Igla family surface-to-air missiles. Developed in the 1990s, the Dzhigit ...

• Cannons, Naval guns

  M230LF Chain Gun

  The M230LF is a 30mm chain-driven autocannon developed by Northrop Grumman. It is a more capable version of the M230 cannon used on the Apache ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Delta Situational Awareness System

  The Delta Situational Awareness System is a cloud-based ISTAR and battle management platform with planning, communication and fire control capabilities according to NATO standards. Developed ...