• Air Warfare

  Shield AI unveils V-Bat block upgrade

  9th April 2025

  The heavy-fuel engine V-Bat was officially showcased at Sea Air Space, after it was first teased in February 2025.

• Land Warfare

  Inside Pearson Engineering’s £8 million investment in future-ready manufacturing (Studio)

  8th September 2025

  Pearson Engineering’s home, Armstrong Works, has been an engineering hub for almost 200 years, delivering critical capabilities for the UK Armed Forces and customers around the globe. The company is now investing for the future, to meet customers’ evolving requirements for a battlespace defined by data and autonomous systems.

• Defence Notes

  Amazon Project Kuiper offers network-centric approach to sovereignty of space systems (Studio)

  12th September 2025

  Shephard's Alix Valenti interviewed Project Kuiper's Don Brown at DSEI 2025, discussing the company's innovative approach to sovereignty of space communications systems, which focuses on being able to control the network rather than ownership of satellite constellations.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon completes flight test on AI-powered radar system for fourth-generation aircraft

  26th February 2025

  The radar uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly process data, process and prioritise threats.

• Air Warfare

  Shield AI teases new upgraded V-Bat variant

  3rd March 2025

  The as-yet-unnamed variant will be formally unveiled in April, according to Shield AI. Of the upgrades to the V-Bat, this variant reportedly has a heavier fuel engine and is SATCOM integration-capable.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus outlines Logistics Connector plan and partners with L3Harris

  21st May 2025

  Airbus says it will aim to have a working prototype of the MQ-72C Logistics Connector by the end of the decade as it bids for a contract with the US Marine Corps.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: ‘Future force’ a focus but questions remain on core UK air programmes

  3rd September 2025

  Focused on shaping the armed forces for the fight ahead, DSEI will hone in on new technology and small and medium enterprises to help lead the sector forward.

• Land Warfare

  Full windshield AI tactical display developed for Patria 6x6 vehicles

  21st March 2025

  The new system is designed to turn windshields into real-time tactical data screens which would remove the need for XR glasses and provide battlespace awareness for situational readiness in low-visibility environments.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: General Dynamics firms up Ajax for potential British Army IFV requirement

  10th September 2025

  Following the cancellation of the Lockheed Martin UK Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP), the British Army will have a serious capability gap when the current Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is soon phased out of service.

• Air Warfare

  Spain signs for two Quantum Systems UAS reconnaissance platforms

  7th May 2025

  The Vector and Twister systems will be utilised for medium and short-range ISR missions across the Spanish Armed Forces.

• Air Warfare

  Baykar's Kemankes 1 missile completes maximum flight and dive test

  24th March 2025

  This is the latest test in the ongoing schedule for the loitering munition from Baykar – the first of two different AI-powered variants.

• Air Warfare

  Estonia proposes Baltic Drone Wall to protect NATO’s eastern flank

  11th August 2025

  The project, which involves several allied nations including Finland, Norway and Poland, is envisioned to involve different layers of systems and capabilities that can work to deter any possible Russian drone attacks.

• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2026 to unite global and local innovation

  5th March 2025

  Saudi Arabia’s showpiece event for the defence industry will return in 2026 as it attempts to foster global defence collaboration, promote opportunity within the Kingdom and demonstrate technological innovation from across the Middle East.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore investigates rotary-wing crewed-uncrewed teaming

  25th July 2025

  Initial exploration of helicopter crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities will commence in late-2025 and could potentially help shape future programmes involving launched effects.

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea advances next-gen naval concepts for future force needs

  13th June 2025

  HHI and Hanwha Ocean outline highly autonomous and unmanned-enabled designs as the ROKN explores force structure for the 2030s and beyond.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract Award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat, specifically the V-Bat 400, aircraft to enhance the maritime intelligence, surveillance ...

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

  V-Bat 128 (Brazil)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, Sheild AI announced on its website that it had signed a contract with VSK Tactical which included the 'purchase of [the] V-Bat ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced on the EU tendering website a competition sounding the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

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

  V-Bat [India]

  Programme Background Make In India The 'Make In India' is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the context of ...

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

  Skyborg [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Intention Skyborg is one of three USAF Vanguard programs outlined in the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 initiative. The program intends ...

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

  Air Launched Effect (ALE) [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and ...

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

  V-Bat 128 [Colombia]

  Programme Background Procurement In August 2024, The Rio Times reported that the Columbian Navy had begun to equip its four Type FS 1500  frigates with the V-Bat ...

• OPVs

  Next Generation OPVs (NGOPVs) Procurement [India]

  Programme Background Timeline On 20 December 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders (MDL) to construct six Next Generation Offshore ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter Family [UAE]

  Programme Background IDEX Contract Announcement On 21 February 2023, EDGE announced that its subsidiary, HALCON, had been awarded an AED 1.1 billion ($272.29 million) contract to supply ...

• ISR/special mission

  Strategic Intelligence Aircraft [France]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced that the strategic intelligence aircraft program CUGE Universal EW Capability began ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Replicator 1 [US]

  Programme Background Announcement & Requirement In late August 2023, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the Replicator programme, an effort to galvanise an industry which ...

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

  KF-21 Loyal Wingman [South Korea]

  Programme Background KF-21 Boramae Crewed Fighter The Republic of Korea’s Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire the KF-21 Boramae fighter, replacing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F fighters in the ...

• Minehunters

  Pulau Rengat Class MCMV Replacement [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AI) currently operate two ageing Dutch-built Pulau Rengat-class MCMVs, which entered service in March 1988. These are now fast approaching ...

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

  Maritime UAS (MUAS) [USCG]

  Background Contract Award In June 2024, the USCG awarded Shield AI an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract to supply UAVs for its cutter vessels. The contract, which will ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV Drones [Moldova]

  Programme Background Lithuanian Drones Lithuania's Minister of National Defense, Laurynas Kasciunas, announced that Lithuanian-produced thermal night vision devices and FPV drones had begun being delivered to Moldova during ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  TKN-AI

  TKN-AI is a commander’s periscope intended for guiding a vehicle, and battlefield observation and target acquisition by day and night. It is compatible with T-62, ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-20M

  The Ivchenko AI-20 is a Soviet turboprop engine developed in the 1950s. Although the engines were originally designed for civil cargo aircraft servicing medium- and ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  АI-24

  The Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop aircraft engine was initially designed and manufactured in the late-1950s. Manufacturing was later moved to Motor Sich, a Ukraine based manufacturer ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  AI-222-25

  Manufactured by Ukraine’s Motor Sich, the AI-222 is a high thrust-to-weight ratio turbofan engine family developed to power Russian Air Force advanced trainers and light ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Hivemind

  Developed by Shield AI, Hivemind is an ecosystem of tightly integrated AI software tools and interfaces that leverages several factors to deliver  intelligent and resilient autonomy ...

• Transport

  An-32

  The An-32 (NATO reporting name Cline) is a light military transport aircraft that can be operated in hot temperatures (up to 50°C) and from mountain ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  GA-10FPV-AI

  The GA-10FPV-AI is a Lithuanian FPV quadcopter drone manufactured by Granta Autonomy. The drone can carry a 3kg payload and operate in GNSS-denied environments. In September 2024, Granta Autonomy ...

• Loitering munitions

  Viper 10

  The Viper 10 is a rotary-wing first-person view (FPV) drone from Baltic Viper. The loitering munition quadcopter has a 4kg payload, a reinforced communication system, and ...

• Subsystems: software

  DI-Guy

  DI-Guy is an AI, scenario and SDK for real-time human visualisation, simulation and artificial intelligence. DI-Guy has thousands of realistic ready-to-use characters and motions. It ...

• 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 - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Sonora

  Sonora is a micro rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Harmattan AI. It is a cost-effective, training-focused UAV built to simulate ISR operations. In June 2025, France acquired 1,000 Sonora ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Scorpio 1000

  Described as an outdoor precision striker, the Scorpio 1000 is a rotary-wing quadcopter from XTEND.  It has advanced AI auto-targeting that enables precise flight without ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• Subsystems: software

  Cyborg

  Cyborg represents the latest migration of SDS’ simulation products to more highly realistic, physics-based applications applicable for most gaming, entertainment or simulation training applications.  Cyborg ...

• EO/IR systems

  Rex Mini Mk II

  The Rex Mini Mk2 is a sub-900g EO/IR sensor from Atmolab. It has a day camera with a 10x optical zoom, a high-resolution thermal camera, ...