• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard awards contracts for the construction of up to 150 aids to navigation vessels

  2nd September 2025

  Agreements with Inventech Marine Solutions and North River Boats cover the acquisition of trailerable aids to navigation boats and cutter boats - aids to navigation – small.

• Defence Notes

  India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict

  4th March 2026

  The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.

• Naval Warfare

  What capabilities has the US deployed in the Caribbean and South America to engage “drug boats”?

  7th November 2025

  The US arsenal includes amphibious assault and littoral combat ships, cutters, destroyers, landing platform docks, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, drones, ISR aircraft, helicopters and fighters.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy advances with the Harpoon Service Life Extension Programme

  16th December 2025

  The US Navy plans to improve Harpoon’s anti-ship and land attack capabilities by equipping the missiles with sensors and technologies required for succeeding in future battlespace.

• Air Warfare

  India revives Netra Mk-II AWACS after Airbus cost dispute

  22nd August 2025

  India has cleared higher retrofit costs for six ageing Airbus A321s to be converted into Netra Mk-II airborne surveillance platforms, marking progress in a long-delayed AWACS programme but raising questions over lifespan and operational value.

• Land Warfare

  Romania intensifies search for more tanks and could look beyond Abrams

  23rd January 2026

  Since signing a contract to purchase 54 M1A2 Abrams tanks last year, Romania has been looking into options to buy more tanks, but it could cast the net wider than Abrams with funding considerations potentially set to shape the outcome.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays

  9th September 2025

  The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.

• Land Warfare

  IDEF 2025: Turkey to get new border surveillance vehicles

  28th July 2025

  The vehicles are fitted with Aselsan Yanki gunshot detection system, Aselsan ACAR telescopic mast-mounted radar system and an Aselsan Shanin Gozu mast-mounted optical package.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy prepares the next phase of the Arleigh Burke-class modernisation

  23rd July 2025

  The NAVSEA is carrying out market research and will conduct industry days in August to identify potential providers for the DDG MOD 2.0 stage.

• Air Warfare

  Could the Middle East be the next target for the F-35A?

  17th November 2025

  The Pentagon has indicated a growing willingness to export advanced US defence technology to nations in the Middle East – excluding Israel – resulting in new and resumed talks with Saudi Arabia and Turkey respectively.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Versatile 8×8 vehicles taste success as new versions rolled out

  8th September 2025

  From protected mobility, infantry fighting and reconnaissance to armoured personnel carrier, armoured vehicles and amphibious assault, the 8×8 vehicle is a jack-of-all-trades. In theory, it allows a single vehicle type to fulfil varied roles while providing commonality, and the European market and vehicle types are growing rapidly.

• Air Warfare

  First confirmed US one‑way drone strike on Iran sharpens Pentagon UAV expansion

  2nd March 2026

  The US is currently escalating its efforts to acquire more than 300,000 low-cost one-way attack drones, with the confirmed use of these platforms against Iran in recent days emphasising their growing use in combat.

• Air Warfare

  RTX Raytheon to surge production of AIM-9X Block II missiles by nearly 80% in three years

  5th June 2025

  Currently manufacturing 1,400 AIM-9X Block II missiles annually, Raytheon plans to reach the mark of 2,500 per year by September 2028.

• Air Warfare

  US Army awards nearly $6 billion in contracts for CUAS interceptors and UAS systems

  1st October 2025

  A contract of $5 billion was awarded to Raytheon by the US Army, while a $982 million contract award for uncrewed systems was scooped to Mistral Group.

• Defence Notes

  How might European countries look to tackle drone incursions?

  24th December 2025

  Disruption of infrastructure in Europe, whether by cyberattack, physical damage to pipelines or uncrewed aerial vehicles flying over major airports, as has happened more recently, is on the rise. What is the most effective way of countering the aerial aspect of this not-so-open warfare?

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) programme, South Korea is seeking a replacement for the Ganggyeong-class minehunters, which are due to leave service ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (13-22) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II ...

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

  Puma 2 AE [Estonia]

  Programme Background The US DoD announced that it had awarded AeroVironment an $8.868 million firm-fixed-price contract to supply an undisclosed number of RQ-20B Puma AE ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (9-12) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II ...

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

  Wing Loong II [Nigeria]

  Programme Background First Order On 5 November 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Chief, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, stated that the force was set to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Cloud Leopard II 8x8 [Taiwan]

  Programme Background The Cloud Leopard II will offer greater strategic mobility, as well as enhanced protection and lethality, than the legacy tracked and wheeled vehicles ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  KSS-III Batch II (4-6) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline In March 2019, the construction of the first KSS-III Batch II was approved. On 30 March 2023, Hanwha Ocean laid the keel of ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (5-8) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW 212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B ...

• Trainer

  T-6 Texan II [Japan]

  Programme Background  In January 2025, Textron Aviation confirmed that the T-6C Texan II was selected as the new trainer aircraft for the Japanese Air Self-Defence ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  PKX-B Batch II (1-4) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Contracts Award On 24 November 2022, HJ Heavy Industries was awarded a contract worth KRW212 billion ($160 million) to build four PKX-B Batch-II fast attack ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  KSS-III (Boats 7-9) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline The new KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho-class submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) are a significant advance on the earlier KSS-II and ...

• 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 ...

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

  Wing Loong II (Morocco)

  Programme Background OkDiario Report On 2 October 2022, the Spanish newspaper OkDiario reported, quoting "Spanish military intelligence", that Morocco had acquired an unknown quantity of ...

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

  Wing Loong II [Pakistan]

  Background Original Effort On 6 October 2018, the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) announced on social media that it would acquire 48 Wing Loong II UAVs. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  UGM-133 Trident II

  The UGM-133 Trident II, also known as the Trident D5, is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed and produced by Lockheed Martin for the United ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Vanguard Class

  The UK Royal Navy’s Vanguard class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) provide the UK with its continuous-at-sea deterrent (CASD) coverage and have done so since 1994 ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Ohio Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) – known as the SSBN 726-class – provide the US with its sea-based nuclear deterrent. It ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Columbia Class

  The USN’s new Columbia-class SSBN, also known as the SSBN 826-class, is planned to replace the existing Ohio-class boats as the cornerstone of the US ...

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

  Trident TL

  The Trident TL is a low-cost, foldable, ground- or air-launched UAS. Designed for commercial and federal agency use, this system uses autonomous navigation for launch, ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 140TD2

  The Trident 140TD2 is a compression-ignition engine designed for MALE platforms. Based on the Trident 100TD2, it is a lightweight, four-cylinder design that is intended ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 8 Mod 3

  The Type 8 Mod 3 is an updated version of the Type 8-series periscopes. The Type 8B/J Mod 3 provides extremely high-frequency low-data-rate communications capability ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 180TD2

  The Trident 180TD2 is a compression-ignition engine designed for heavier UAVs up to the 2t class. The design is intended to improve efficiency, while being ...

• Guided munitions

  Ninja

  The Ninja is a free-fall guided munition from Astra Systems. It can be launched from manned or uncrewed platforms and uses GPS-INS guidance when airborne.  Several warhead ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Tryzub Laser

  Ukraine's Tryzub (Trident) laser was revealed during the European Defence Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defence Industry conference in 2025. Video footage from ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  EX-3M Trident

  The EX-3M Trident is an open-architecture, high-speed, developmental fixed-wing UAV. Manufactured by Exosonic, the UAV commenced flight trials of a demonstrator in May 2023, with the actual drone conducting its ...

• EFASS 20.4m Hangar

  The 20.4m hangar was the first of the Expeditionary Forces Aircraft Shelter System (EFASS) range of soft-walled temporary buildings to be designed to meet the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Spear

  The Spear is a loitering munition manufactured by Astra Systems. It is designed for air-to-ground and ground-to-ground attack operations. The system uses electric propulsion, giving it ...

• Uncrewed aerial systems engines

  Trident 100TD2

  The Trident 100TD2 is a compression-ignition engine that is capable of operating on various types of heavy fuel. It is claimed to offer up to ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class

  The UK is building four new Dreadnought-class SSBNs for the Royal Navy that will take over the nuclear deterrent role from the existing four Vanguard-class submarines. ...