• Land Warfare

  Safran wins Middle East Uliss 30XP contract

  21st June 2016

  Safran Electronics & Defense has received a contract from an undisclosed Middle East customer for the supply of Uliss 30XP topographic positioning systems for an …

• Training

  Australian PC-21s to get TERPROM

  20th June 2016

  Pilatus has selected UTC Aerospace Systems' TERPROM terrain referenced navigation (TRN) system for the Australian Defense Force's (ADF) Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft. UTC Aerospace announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurosatory: Miniaturisation opens new markets

  14th June 2016

  VTQ Videotronik and Aerolution have collaborated in an exclusive partnership to develop an optical payload for the Songbird 500 VTOL UAS family. It is nearing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CODE programme moves ahead

  7th June 2016

  US DARPA's Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) programme is moving ahead, awarding Phase 2 system integration contracts to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, it announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hans-free Solo readied for UW2016

  29th June 2016

  Optionally-manned platforms will be present at the Unmanned Warrior exercise off the coast of Scotland this year, with the dual capability providing a degree of …

• Defence Notes

  Eurosatory: Dropping SF boats from the sky

  22nd June 2016

  European Special Forces are set to benefit from enhanced airborne insertion of maritime vessels with several test programmes now underway across the Continent, Shephard Media …

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory: New SIGINT for UK SF

  21st June 2016

  UK Special Forces are understood to have become the first customer for L-3 Linkabit’s latest tactical signals intelligence (SIGINT) system, the PRD-13(V)3 which provides an …

• Defence Helicopter

  Norway outlines MCM fleet reduction

  20th June 2016

  Norway could reduce its mine-countermeasure fleet from six vessels to four, while maintaining five crews on rotation to maintain availability. The news was announced last …

• Military Logistics

  First Y-20s delivered to PLAAF

  17th June 2016

  The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) received its first examples of the Y-20 transport aircraft built by the Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) on …

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: Collaboration is key in competitive land market (video)

  16th June 2016

  With Eurosatory 2016 in full swing, Shephard speaks with ADIT analyst, Mathieu Grospeaud, about trends in the land armament industry. In comparison to previous iterations, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory: Elbit moves to dominate

  16th June 2016

  Israeli company Elbit Systems has unveiled improvements to its Dominator combat soldier communications suite at Eurosatory 2016 in Paris. The improved system has a new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurosatory: BAE eye Black Hornet, CV90 teaming

  15th June 2016

  BAE Systems Hägglunds are looking into the potential for integrating Black Hornet UAS into CV90 armoured vehicles, as they continue to refine the BattleView 360 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory: Harris completes radio family

  15th June 2016

  The 7850S soldier radio launched by Harris is the last in a seven family lineup that have been introduced by the company to take on …

• Training

  Aptima to develop DCGS training system

  14th June 2016

  Aptima has received a $12.42 million contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for the development of a virtual training environment for Distributed Common Ground …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Eurosatory: Thunder makes some noise

  14th June 2016

  Bluebird Aero Systems are continuing the upgrade programme for the ThunderB tactical UAS, which recently flew in an extended range variant for more than 24 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Project Brakestop [UK]

  Background Information Notice On 25 September 2024, the UK MoD published a prior information notice on Project Brakestop, which informed the industry about the upcoming competition ...

• Loitering munitions

  Medium Range Precision Strike (MRPS) [UK]

  Programme Background Prior Information Notice (PIN) On 21 October 2024, the MoD published a PIN in collaboration with the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;). The notice ...

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

  Dominator XP [Thailand]

  Programme Background Purchase As reported by Shephard, in September 2023, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) inducted three Dominator XPs. The RTAF purchased the trio ...

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

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Programme Background Retirement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be retired ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook (Singapore)

  Programme Background In July 2020, photos have emerged on the internet of the first Boeing CH-47F Chinook destined for the Republic of Singapore Air Force ...

• Transport

  VC-25B - USAF

  The modifications to the 747-8 aircraft will include an electrical power upgrade with dual Auxiliary Power Units that are usable in flight, a mission communication ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian (US)

  Programme Background On 6 March 2023, GA-ASI announced that the Air Force Special Operations Command (ASFOC) had contracted three MQ-9B SkyGaurdians, making it the first US customer of the ...

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

  Anka-S (Second Batch) [Turkey]

  Programme Background First Batch Based on comments by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Turkish media in 2018, Shephard believes that Türkiye acquired 26 Anka-S drones ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Mi-28NE Night Hunter

  Algerian military's follow-up order suggests that the country is satisfied with the Mi-28NE Night Hunters' performance in operational conditions in the desert environment featuring sandstorms ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Poland]

  Programme Background Reports of a possible purchase of the C-390 by Poland began circulating in June 2024 after a Polish journalist revealed that Embraer executives ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  The US Navy may be far from reaching the end of procuring the current Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), but that does not mean planning for ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Mobile Strike Force Vehicle (Ukraine Aid) [USA]

  Programme Background The US first provided Ukraine with the M1117 ASV in September 2022, when 250 vehicles were donated as part of a $400 million ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HH-60W - Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

  According to the FY2021 Base funding, the HH-60W helicopter unit cost is $43.2 million. The HH-60W will be capable of employment day or night, in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APQ-181

  The AN/APQ-181 is a low-probability-of-intercept radar fitted to USAFNorthrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers. During the B-2 Radar ModernizationProgram – completed in 2012 – the B-2’s legacy ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  CreoLand HP

  CreoLand HP is a 10W MANET radio designed for command centres, long-range applications, artillery and special forces units. Notably, it offers a data throughput of 100Mbps ...

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

  H10 Poseidon

  The H10 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV manufactured by Swamrly. Due to the UAV's electric propulsion system, small-radar cross-section, lack of detachable thermal signature and ability to operate ...

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

  Gogol-M

  The Gogol-M is a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone carrier, or mothership, from Strategy Force Solutions. The system can deliver two first-person view (FPV)-type attack drones to hit precision ...

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

  DT-101

  The DT-101 is a small fixed-wing UAV from Deftech. The VTOL-capable platform features SATCOM with up to 10Mbs bandwidth capability. DefTech lists various payloads for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

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

  DT-001

  The DT-001 is a tandem wing UCAV from Deftech. It can host a range of non-offensive payloads, such as IO/EO cameras and an airborne LIDAR. ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Khronos

  The Khronos is a tethered, fully automated UAV for ISR missions in GPS/GNSS-denied and RF-denied environments. The drone's manufacturer, Elistair, stated that it could be deployed from a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Q-SLAM-100

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the Q-SLAM-100 is a man-portable loitering munition. Manufactured by Arquimea, the system is designed for medium-range missions with 120 minutes of flight autonomy ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Spider VTOL

  The Spider VTOL is a mini electrical fixed-wing UAV. Unlike traditional VTOL UAVs with dedicated motors, propellors and structural parts for performing take-off and landing, the Spider ...

• Data links

  MAQA Terminal 3.8m Flyaway Variant

  The Modular Aperture Quad-Band Antenna (MAQA) Terminal is designed to provide a ruggedised, mobile, quad-band SATCOM terminal that supports operations with the WGS constellation, legacy ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/VRC-118(V)1

  The AN/VRC-118(V)1 is a Mid-tier Networking Vehicular Radio (MNVR) which provides warfighters with the ability to share situational awareness. The MNVR utilises two joint tactical ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  BLADE-55

  The Ballistic Loitering Attack Drone (BLADE, or BLADE-55) is a multi-role, weaponised rotary-wing UAV from Alare Technologies.  The drone can notably host two NAMMO M72 LAW weapons. Additionally, the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-231 Skyfire

  The AN/ARC-231 Skyfire is an airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM system. This system supports US DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data ...

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

  Disruptor

  Publically unveiled at AUSA 2024, the Disruptor is a loitering munition and UAV manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace. The Group III aircraft utilises a pneumatic launcher or Rocket Assisted ...