• Defence Notes

  US forces’ heads lay out their needs and requirements before Senate committees

  22nd May 2025

  The new US administration has introduced or outlined plans for substantial change across the Department of Defence (DoD) and its branches. Several branch heads faced up to Senate Committees to outline needs and challenges.

• Naval Warfare

  Singapore to upgrade Super Rapid 76mm guns with Strales system

  12th May 2025

  A total of 28 active surface ships will receive the upgrades to their weaponry to help them combat the growing threat from UAVs.

• Air Warfare

  Turkey scales back F-16 deal while US shifts position on F-35s, minister claims

  28th November 2024

  Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler gave updates on the country’s F-16 and Eurofighter acquisitions in Parliament, while signalling the US could reinstate Turkey into its F-35 programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Construction of the Canadian Coast Guard’s largest vessel to start this summer

  24th February 2025

  The project of the CCGS Arpatuuq Polar Icebreaker is currently concluding design details.

• Naval Warfare

  Naval Group launches first-of-its-kind uncrewed surface vessel for warships at Euronaval

  6th November 2024

  The Seaquest S is a modular add-on that enhances situational awareness – and could do much more.

• Air Warfare

  Teledyne FLIR upgrades Black Hornet 4 UAS

  9th May 2025

  Integration and expanding capabilities are among the objectives for Teledyne FLIR to further develop its family of uncrewed systems.

• Land Warfare

  S-MET competitors outline bids

  8th October 2024

  The US Army’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment II (S-MET II) is a follow-on from S-MET Increment I (S-MET I) and will provide a larger and more capable vehicle.

• Air Warfare

  Initial flight testing completed of LRASM anti-ship missile on F-35

  5th March 2025

  The AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) is a precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER). It is being developed to meet US requirements and in 2020 the sale was approved to Australia of up to 200 LRASM for an estimated cost of US$990 million.

• Naval Warfare

  NATO to strengthen its Baltic Sea presence after new cable cutting incident

  27th December 2024

  The vessel suspected of cutting cables has been boarded by the Finnish Coast Guard, and Estonia has launched naval protection patrols.

• Air Warfare

  Norway receives final F-35 aircraft and unveils first Joint Strike Missile delivery

  29th April 2025

  Work has begun on stockpiling the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), following the first missile’s delivery from Kongsberg and the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.

• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ wins US Army aerial target training contract worth up to $95 million

  28th October 2024

  The contract will see QinetiQ provide aerial target systems, including MQM-185Bs, to simulate aerial threats for the US Army.

• Air Warfare

  UK MoD awards Ascent with eight-year contract to upgrade RAF and Royal Navy flight training

  20th May 2025

  Funding of £300 million will go towards training personnel on the FIRCTS programmes to meet a growing demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) platforms.

• Naval Warfare

  Saab to supply combat system for Colombian Navy’s frigates

  27th February 2025

  A deal between Saab and Damen Naval will add significantly to the technological fit of Colombia’s new vessels.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed wins $270 million USAF contract for F-22 infrared sensor upgrade

  23rd January 2025

  Tactical Infrared Search and Track (TacIRST) sensors will be installed to boost the fighter’s survivability and lethality.

• 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.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Anka-S (First Batch) [Turkey]

  Programme Background Orders In February 2018, TAI announced that it had delivered the first Anka-S UAVs to the Turkish Air Force. In late 2018, Savunmasanay ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) [Spain]

  Programme Background The S-80A SSK design for the Spanish Navy is based on the Franco-Spanish S-80 Scorpene design that both countries decided to cooperate on ...

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

  Anka-S [Chad]

  Programme Background Hurkus Trainer Aircraft On 10 July 2023, President General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno visited an air base to inspect the country's new Hurkus trainer ...

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

  Anka-S (Saudi Arabia)

  Programme Background Desired Procurement Saudi Arabia has reportedly been in negotiations to procure six Anka UAVs since 2013. It has not been disclosed which Anka ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i (Philippines)

  The Black Hawk is believed to have been the most expensive of the aircraft that had been shortlisted for the PAF project, others being the ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  EDA-S [France]

  Programme Background Following the announcement of the 14-ship contract, the DGA approved the design of the first two standard amphibious landing craft (EDA-S) in October 2019, ...

• Destroyers

  KDDX-S [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements During MADEX 2023, Naval News reported that there is an upcoming competition for new destroyers, namely the KDDX-S programme. According to the ...

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

  Anka-S [El Salvador]

  Programme Background As reported by InfoDefensa in September 2023, The Salvadoran Air Force (FAS) is considering purchasing the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Anka-S and T625 Gokbey medium ...

• 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 UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Camcopter S-100 [Greece]

  Programme Background Trails A 2 August 2021 Schiebel press release announced the company had demonstrated the Camcopter S-100's capabilities to the Hellenic Navy. The UAV was ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) (5-6)/S-80 Flight II [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements In February 2024, during a conference organised by El Confidencial, Admiral Ricardo Hernandez, Head of Logistic Support, stated that one of the ...

• Data links

  Data links | S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with the Philippines since ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with the Philippines since ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with the Philippines since ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with the Philippines since ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Data links

  S-band TDMA Airborne Data Link

  Multiple-participant airborne S-band TDMA data link with up to 400 slots/s. Transmission rate is up to 625Kb/s. As an example, a data link built for ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  R&S M3TR

  The R&S; M3TR SDR family is a family of digital radios. The core of the integrated communications system is the lightweight R&S; MR3000 H/U manpack ...

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

  Camcopter S-300

  The Camcopter S-300 is a larger variant of the S-100 manufactured by Schiebel. The VTOL-capable UAV is intended for ISR missions, partially those in the maritime ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  R&S SDAR

  The R&S; SDAR is a software-defined airborne radio that extends the R&S; M3AR airborne radio family. The R&S; SDAR offers secure broadband voice and data ...

• Corvettes

  Saar S-80

  The S-80 is a multirole corvette developed by Israel Shipyard and based on the S-72 platform. The S-80, showcased for the first time at Euronaval ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus)

  Spain’s S-80A or Isaac Peral-class SSKs are being built to replace the Spanish Navy’s existing Agosta 90B-class SSKs that were designed in the 1970s and ...

• Data links

  TIGDL-II

  Tactical Interoperable Ground Data Link (TIGDL)-II is described as a transportable TDL surface terminal that supports military operations by providing a full duplex ground capability ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  48N6E2

  The 48N6E2 is the second generation of the 48N6 surface-to-air missile (SAM). It is designed to target low-altitude jets and tactical ballistic missiles. It has ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  S-125-2A Pechora-2A (SA-26)

  Almaz-Antey offers the S-125-2A Pechora-2A (NATO designation SA-26) upgrade package for the S-125 Pechora (US/NATO designation SA-3 Goa) static and towed medium-range SAM system that first entered ...

• Subsystems: software

  M&S Suite

  M&S; Suite is a comprehensive and integrated range of modelling and simulation (M&S;) software tools designed to help speed up application development and reduce integration ...

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

  S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)

  The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) long-range air defence system, previously known as the S-300PMU-3, was developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  KG-350

  The KG-350 is an encryptor for network communications. The product was granted Type 1 certification by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on 27 July ...

• Transponders and IFF

  IFF Mk XIIA(S)

  Aselsan IFF Mk XIIA(S) is a Mode 5/S compatible long-range IFF interrogator. According to the manufacturer, it may be mounted to a standard 19-inch rack ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  President-S

  Ekran’s President-S is a Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) designed to equip fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The President-S is an export version of the firm’s L-370 ...

• Infrastructure - climate control systems

  C120/250-S

  The C120-S and C-250-S air conditioning units are designed for climate control for equipment and operators within deployable shelters. The units can either be trailer- ...