• Defence Notes

  Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts

  14th August 2025

  More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.

• Defence Notes

  France unveils new strategic review as Macron vows to accelerate defence spend

  15th July 2025

  The 2025 National Strategic Review highlights the importance of readiness against a growing Russian threat and was published days after a speech from the French President Macron who called for an increase in defence spending worth €6.5 billion by 2027.

• Air Warfare

  Hunt begins for drone to team with British Army Apaches

  6th November 2025

  Known as Project Nyx, the flagship opportunity would look to award up to four contracts for initial development of the ACP concept demonstrator by 2026.

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI confirms selection to support US Navy’s CCA programme

  21st October 2025

  The company is working on conceptual designs for the US Navy’s CCA programme alongside Anduril, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

• Naval Warfare

  What capabilities are being tested under AUKUS Pillar II?

  23rd February 2026

  Collaboration on AUKUS Pillar II extends beyond the core trilateral agreement, presenting global opportunities for companies with advanced technologies.

• Land Warfare

  Norway opts for Hanwha’s Chunmoo for long-range fires under $2 billion deal

  29th January 2026

  The selection of Hanwha’s K239 Chunmoo long-range precision fires system, with a contract expected to be signed on 30 January, makes Norway the second European country to choose the system. It is expected an operational system will be in service within four years.

• Air Warfare

  Sikorsky advances Black Hawk modernisation with new engine ground tests

  6th February 2025

  The UH-60 helicopter ground run test of the T901 engine is the first in a set of tests for boosting the helicopter’s range and lift capacity. The first flight of the improved engine Black Hawk is anticipated for later in 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard’s small response boat demonstrators to be delivered in three months

  15th January 2026

  The platforms will be tested in multiple missions to define performance requirements for a coming acquisition programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Canadian Coast Guard’s OOSV delivery is “major milestone” in fleet modernisation

  18th November 2025

  The Polar Class 6 platform is the largest CCG science-dedicated vessel and will operate on the country’s east coast.

• Land Warfare

  Australia and Canada approved for $2.5 billion HIMARS buys

  3rd October 2025

  Australia already operates M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) after receiving first units in March and conducting the first firings in August. Canada’s order comes in the face of a commitment from the government to move away from US products.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Thales creating new remote weapon station and Storm 2 counter-drone jammer

  17th September 2025

  Thales launched Storm-H in 2012 as an EW system equipping individual dismounted troops, and a decade later revealed details to develop the improved and more powerful Storm 2.

• Defence Notes

  Canada to deepen integration of multi-domain capabilities to strengthen its defences

  11th December 2025

  The Canadian Department of National Defence has created new organisations to manage the procurement and integration of all-domain solutions and allocated US$258.33 million to strengthen production capacities.

• Air Warfare

  Focus on economy over capability highlights the cost imperative for CCA success

  20th February 2026

  Striking the right balance between cost and capability is likely to become more crucial in the increasingly competitive collaborative combat aircraft market. Shephard’s special CCA market report examines where the opportunities lie for suppliers.

• Naval Warfare

  How the Hedge Strategy will impact the US Navy’s future capabilities

  11th February 2026

  The US Navy Hedge Strategy is intended to provide a lethal, modular and cost-effective fleet while accepting Washington’s fiscal and industrial constraints.

• Air Warfare

  India reopens hunt for reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters

  19th November 2025

  The extended deadline for vendors highlights the complexity of the procurement for India, with numerous vendors positioning themselves for the programme.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  MX-10 [France]

  Programme Background French Media In February 2025, Opex360 reported that the French Army had ordered 460 units of the MX-10 drone and stated that their delivery ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-B [Türkiye]

  Programme Background TAI announced in November 2019 that it had delivered a total of 22 Anka-B UAVs to the Turkish Navy. Two large contracts contributing ...

• Loitering munitions

  MTO CP (First Tranche) [Belgium]

  Background Belgian Drone Expansion In November 2025, the Forces Operations Blog (FOB) reported that the Belgian Land Force would launch various UAV procurement programmes, based ...

• Loitering munitions

  MTO CP (Second Tranche) [Belgium]

  Background Belgian Drone Expansion In November 2025, the Forces Operations Blog (FOB) reported that the Belgian Land Force would launch various UAV procurement programmes, based ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  AH-6i (Thailand)

  Programme Background The US State Department has made a determination approving the possible $400 million sale on 24 September 2019. The eight AH-6i light attack ...

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

  ISTAR UAS project [Canada]

  Programme Background Objective The Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) main significant UAV project is the RCN Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System (RCN ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530G Lebanon

  The Armed MD 530G Scout Attack Helicopter features next-generation all-glass cockpit that includes: two Genesys Aerosystems IDU-680 6” x 9” LCD primary displays, Tek Fusion ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  NBPWP Borsuk (Batch 1) [Poland]

  Programme Background The NBPWP Borsuk is intended to replace the BWP-1s currently in service with the Polish Army. Development of the platform began in 2014 with the ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER -Canada

  Programme Background Canadian Special Forces was looking to procure ISR aircraft to support their missions both overseas and domestically.  There were few Canadian suppliers to sell ...

• Transport

  King Air 360 (Nigeria)

  Programme Background On 7 October 2021, Nigeria’s Budget Office published its proposed budget details. The Nigerian Air Force requested 10.86 billion Nigerian Naira (US$26.4 million) ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Viper MIFV

  Programme Background Due to its focus on conducting counterinsurgency operations against the Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP), the Pakistan Army has eschewed the substantial investment needed to ...

• Fighter - naval

  Tejas LCA (Naval variant) - India

  The average unit cost is estimated to be around $63 million per aircraft based on the $5.2 billion deal for the procurement of 83 LCAs ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Bell 407GX [Iraq]

  Programme Background Between 2009 and 2015 Iraq was supplied with at 26 Bell 407s as part of the reconstruction of the Iraqi Air Force. The ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER ISR [Kuwait]

  Programme Background In February 2018, the US State Department has approved an estimated $259m potential foreign military sale of King Air 350ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ...

• VLFS

  Programme Background The VLFS platform is derived from the Arquus Dagger PVP platform, but has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of French Special ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Subsystems: visual

  L3 Wescam MX - Sim

  Partnering with L3 Wescam, INSYEN has developed the MX - Sim, a training product which simulates the operations of the L3 Wescam MX-series of EO/IR ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-8

  Unveiled at AUSA 2016, the Wescam MX-8 is an EO/IR system designed for small crewed and uncrewed aircraft.  The smallest system in the Wescam's MX series, the ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Indera MX-3AH

  The Indera MX-3AH is a naval surveillance radar manufactured by Solution 247 in Indonesia. It is a Low-Probability-of-Intercept (LPI) radar that is equipped with Maritime Tracking ...

• Light mortars

  60MX Mortar Series

  Expal's 60mm 60MX1 and 60MX2 mortars are designed to be used with a bipod or in handheld mode using a commando kit, which consists of ...

• Subsystems: visual

  L3 Wescam MX - Emulator

  INSYEN has partnered with L3 Wescam to develop the MX -Emulator, a product which emulates the operations of L3 Wescam's MX series of EO/IR turrets, ...

• Medium mortars

  81mm MX Mortar Series

  The 81mm MX mortar series includes two different barrels for different operational scenarios: 1.15m (81MX1) and 1.45m (81MX2). Both can be transported in three backpack ...

• Towed mortars

  120mm MX Mortar Series

  The 120mm MX Mortar Series consists of two models with different barrel lengths: the 1.6m 120MX1 and 1.8m 120MX2. The design has numerous improvements based ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-25D

  The L3 Harris Wescam MX-25 is an EO/IR imaging system designed for ultra-high, long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance missions from aircraft. It supports up to six sensors simultaneously, including long-range target ...

• Core systems: image intensifiers

  MX-10160

  F9800 series Gen III MX-10160 18mm I2 tubes are used in the AN/AVS-6 ANVIS and AN/AVS-9 (F4949) aviator NVG, as well as ground systems including ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-10

  The Wescam MX-10 EO/IR low-weight imaging system is designed for low-altitude tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions from crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The MX-10 has had a close ...

• EO/IR systems

  Wescam MX-20

  The Wescam MX-20 EO/IR is an imaging system from L3 Harris, designed for high-altitude, long-range persistent surveillance and reconnaissance missions from crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The MX-20HD was a ...

• EO/IR systems

  Alticam 11EOIR5

  Manfaucte by Hood Tech Vision, the Alitcam 11 series of EO/IR gimbals can be hosted on aircraft, vessels, or vehicles. The Alticam 11EOIR5 features HD ...

• EO/IR systems

  Alticam 09EOIR3

  Derived from the EO900 Super EO, the Alticam 09 series of gimbaled surveillance systems feature four-axis stabilisation and two simultaneous H.264 compressed video feeds. The ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  MX-10GS

  The MX-10GS is a mast-mounted small multi-sensor, multi-spectral imaging system in single-LRU configuration. It is designed for installation in ground combat vehicles and for force ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Barak ER (Barak-8ER)

  The Barak Extended Range (ER) missile, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is an advanced surface-to-air interceptor designed to counter a wide spectrum of aerial ...