• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: BAE Systems integrates Red 6 and PLEXSYS tech into single synthetic environment training solution

  28th November 2023

  BAE Systems has revealed plans to integrate Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality Systems (ATARS) and PLEXSYS' Advanced Simulation Combat Operations Trainer into its Project OdySSEy single synthetic environment.

• Land Warfare

  NATO tests robotic capabilities at multi-domain operations trials

  2nd November 2023

  The 2023 Next-Generation Communication Networks Technology event featured innovative technologies transforming the battlefield, including drones, ground-robotic systems and a robot dog.

• Land Warfare

  Insight: Why the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle is making a clean sweep of Nordic markets

  19th September 2023

  Shephard Defence Insight explores the evolution of BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 IFV from its inception in the late 1980s to the latest CV90 MkIV, detailing the order history and upgrade packages of its ten European customers.

• Training

  Canada welcomes allies for counter-explosive exercise

  3rd November 2023

  Exercise Ardent Defender, an annual counter-explosive exercise held in Canada focusing on contemporary operating environments such as eastern Europe, has concluded.

• Air Warfare

  Insitu Pacific and Innovaero to develop uncrewed long-range strike concept

  19th October 2023

  The system has been designed for integration with existing Australian Defence Force systems, and will be developed, tested and deployed using common ground control station and software.

• Air Warfare

  Italy doubles GCAP combat air funding to over $8 billion in latest defence budget

  18th October 2023

  The latest substantial funding, allocated from 2029 to 2037, underscores Italy's determination to rapidly adopt new technologies and cultivate a robust engineering culture. It also helps the country position itself as an equal partner in the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Japan and the UK.

• Land Warfare

  Poland orders more Spike LR anti-tank missiles

  7th August 2023

  Poland has ordered more Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles under a deal worth PLN400 million ($99.2 million) with deliveries to begin almost immediately through local manufacturer of the system, Mesko.

• Training

  EU counter-IED exercise begins with 12 countries and 1,000 personnel

  7th November 2023

  Bison Counter 23 will include observers from Sweden, Latvia, Romania and the US, and has followed on from similar exercises in 2013, held in the Netherlands, 2016 (Sweden) and 2021 (Italy).

• Land Warfare

  I/ITSEC 2023: British Army could have saved £120 million in artillery ammunition, says manufacturer

  30th November 2023

  Cubic Blue Shell, a train-as-you-fight solution, has been in use by the British Army for three years offering an indirect fire training system that simulates artillery drills and weapons effects.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan successfully fires electromagnetic railgun

  23rd October 2023

  While other countries have given up on electromagnetic railgun technology Japan remains committed to the ground-breaking concept.

• Air Warfare

  US approves Bell Helicopter US$300 million Iraqi deal

  3rd November 2023

  Bell Helicopter has been given approval by the US State Department for a Foreign Military Sale to the Iraq for Contracted Logistics Support (CLS) and related equipment.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2023: does the Royal Navy's surface combatant recapitalisation go far enough after a decade of neglect?

  6th September 2023

  The UK Royal Navy (RN) operates one of the world’s premier fleets with the ability to deploy high-end warships globally and retains key competencies in carrier aviation, amphibious and undersea warfare that few can boast. It also provides the UK’s nuclear deterrent submarines. Despite this potential, it needs to recover from a decade of neglect to sustain these capabilities.

• Digital Battlespace

  Steatite nears completion of order for Crib rugged mobile operations hub

  6th November 2023

  Steatite‘s Crib is a ruggedised universal C2 terminal which incorporates multi-function displays enabled with Persistent Systems Wave Relay Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) radio.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy's next-generation high-speed missile might not be hypersonic

  8th August 2023

  Concepts for new missiles for the US Navy (USN) are being finalised under the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon (HALO) programme.

• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ presents on-the-move capability with Obsidian C-UAS radar

  6th November 2023

  QinetiQ’s Obsidian C-UAS radar can work as a static or deployable system and its on-the-move capability has marked a major step forward for C-UAS systems of this size.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (SSBN 828 - 837) (3-12) [USN]

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (3-12)

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (3-12) [USN]

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Destroyers

  DDX Programme (1-2) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Destroyers are fundamental to Italy's blue water fleet and will be required to be capable of projecting capability at sea from the ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DDG) (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background The 27DD Maya class destroyers were previously known as the Improved Atago class because they are an addition to the existing two Atago-class destroyers that have entered service. ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M (Serbia)

  Serbia's aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system. The ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class (Successor Programme) (1-4) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Dreadnought-class, prior to being named in October 2016, was known as the Successor programme, which was approved by the government in May ...

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements Following the Maya-class destroyers, the JMSDF will not just maintain the destroyer units they operate already but will receive two new destroyer platforms. ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Submarines Procurement Programme [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) is in the process of a fleet transformation plan which, so far, has seen the procurement ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS (Batch 1) [Estonia]

  Programme Background Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many European countries embarked upon an expansion of their military capabilities. This led Estonia ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. 

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Arktur Next Generation SSBN

  At Army 2022 defence exposition, Rubin Design Bureau unveiled the next-generation ballistic missile submarine concept. Known as Arktur, the submarine features a stealth design and ...

• Major networking projects

  Missile Defence

  In 2010, NATO rolled out an initial capability to protect alliance forces against missile threats and is now examining options for protecting territory and populations. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A)

  The SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A) is an extended-range surface-to-air missile developed by the United States Navy for fleet area air defence and terminal phase ballistic ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPY-2

  The Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) is an X-band missile defence radar that can detect, classify and track ballistic missiles. It uses an AESA antenna comprising 25.344 T/R ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

  The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System, developed by the United States, provides advanced sea-based and land-based protection against ballistic missile threats.  Using the AN/SPY-1 ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  9M82M

  The 9M82M (NATO reporting name SA-23a 'Giant') is a Russian medium-range, surface-to-air missile designed to destroy tactical ballistic missiles. The development of the 9M82M missile, part of ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Arrow Weapon System

  The Arrow air defence system was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing under the oversight of Israel's Ministry of Defense and the ...

• Major networking projects

  C2BMC

  Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) is the integrating element of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) for global missile defence. C2BMC links ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  AN/SPY-1 air search radar

  Aegis isan integrated missile guidance system used on USN and allied ships to performanti-air and ballistic missile defence missions. The S-band phased-array AN/SPY-1D(V) radar acquires ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  L-SAM ABM (Block I)

  The L-SAM system's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptor is a three-stage missile designed to neutralize incoming ballistic missiles during their terminal phase. It employs a hit-to-kill ...

• Destroyers

  Akizuki Class

  The Akizuki-class (19DD) destroyers are escort ships for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). They are designed to accompany Japan’s new Hyuga—and Izumo-class helicopter carriers ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range, Self-propelled missile systems

  S-300V (SA-12 Gladiator)

  The SA-12 Gladiator, part of the S-300V air defence system, is a long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the Soviet Union in the late ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  KRONOS Power Shield

  The KRONOS Power Shield is an early warning naval radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is primarily designed for ballistic missile defence and surveillance. The main ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  L-SAM AAM (Block I)

  The L-SAM system's anti-aircraft missile (AAM) interceptor is a three-stage missile designed to target high-altitude threats such as aircraft and cruise missiles. It boasts an operational range ...