• Air Warfare

  UK A400M Saudi deployment highlights airlifter’s role as Airbus pursues upgrades

  21st October 2026

  Airbus is developing new capabilities for its A400M transport aircraft as European countries consider future airlift requirements and the UK plans to deploy the aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

• Air Warfare

  Can UK interceptor efforts keep pace with the rising drone threat?

  15th April 2026

  The recent acquisition announcement for Cambridge Aerospace’s Skyhammer solution is a key step in the UK’s efforts to bolster its counter-UAS capabilities, but more still needs to be done to tackle even smaller drone threats.

• Air Warfare

  British Army’s Project Nyx progress reflects MoD investment in autonomous system

  20th May 2026

  The UK MoD said it would narrow down the competitors from four to two later in the year, with those selected going on to develop the prototype drone that will operate as loyal wingman to the British Army’s Apache AH-64E helicopters.

• Air Warfare

  FIA 2026: Raytheon UK offers Red Kite as ‘high-low mix’ weapon for RAF

  21st July 2026

  Raytheon UK has unveiled Red Kite, a sovereign precision weapon built on the Stormbreaker airframe, betting on digital engineering to deliver affordable stockpile mass for the Royal Air Force.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements

  8th October 2026

  A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.

• Land Warfare

  UK plans to adopt “phased approach to restarting” British Army Ajax programme

  28th April 2026

  The introduction of Ajax vehicles into British Army service was stopped after health issues during an exercise. However, an investigation reported “no single causal mechanism of the symptoms reported by our soldiers but rather a combination of multiple factors”.

• Air Warfare

  UK SMEs remain vulnerable in effort to help build sovereign capabilities, JCNSS report warns

  3rd April 2026

  The report comes as heads of industry bodies warn that the delayed defence spending plan has left smaller and medium sized businesses in stasis, unable to plan or seek out further investment.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: IDV expands with new Viking and CL2X UGV

  18th June 2026

  At Eurosatory 2026, uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are front and centre of IDV’s display, with a new variant of the Viking and the new CL2X on show.

• Land Warfare

  DVD2026: Connected for Combat

  5th June 2026

  As the land equipment sector prepares for the premier biennial event at UTAC Millbrook on 16 and 17 September 2026, the narrative for this year’s exhibition has officially been set: Connected for Combat - Aligning People, Systems and Decisions.

• Land Warfare

  More bidders move onto starting grid for British Army Land Rover replacement programme

  9th September 2026

  The Light Mobility Vehicle segment of the UK’s Land Mobility Programme for the British Army may actually be about to make progress, or at least likely bidders seem to think so. Shephard spoke with several contenders who revealed their views on how the army should replace the ageing fleet.

• Land Warfare

  New teams form to compete for British Army Land Rover replacement

  23rd July 2026

  The UK’s Land Mobility Programme Light Mobility Vehicle requirement is designed to replace the British Army’s ageing fleet of Land Rovers with a vehicle with a Gross Vehicular Mass of less than 3,500kg. It could be for as many as 6,000 vehicles.

• Air Warfare

  UK E-7 Wedgetail delay down to a “technology issue”, as MoD grapples with slipping timelines

  18th March 2026

  The first of three E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, originally ordered in 2019, is now expected to be delivered to the RAF this year after multiple “difficulties”.

• Defence Notes

  UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour

  21st September 2026

  A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.

• Naval Warfare

  UK MoD faces ‘serious’ ASW gap as Defence Committee outlines Arctic requirements

  30th October 2026

  Anti-submarine warfare, uncrewed vessels and seabed monitoring top the demand list in the Defence Committee’s High North roadmap for the 2030s.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems’ UK Combat Air Demonstrator closes in on final assembly

  26th June 2026

  The first render for the demonstrator was unveiled in July 2025, with BAE Systems now aiming for the start of final assembly by the end of 2026 to prepare the aircraft for first flight by 2027.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Nyan OWE [UK]

  Background Transparency notice On 13 February 2026, the UK MoD published a transparency notice concerning OWE Nyan, specifically, the procurement of OWE drones for operational ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• Loitering munitions

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Loitering munitions

  Altius 600M & Altius 700M (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background Anduril On 6 March 2025, the UK MoD and John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, announced a package to help counter Russia's aggression against ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Project Tiquila [UK]

  Programme Background Tender Notice On 18 September 2020, the MoD Combat Air Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team published a tender notice for a system integrator ...

• Military UAS - mini

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Military UAS - micro

  First Person View (FPV) Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background 2024/2025 Military Aid Package On 12 January 2024, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [UK]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Transport

  Command Support Air Transport Recapitalisation [UK]

  Programme Background The tender, originally released on 28 October 2021, required industry bidders to put forward aircraft that can achieve a minimum unrefuelled range of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Background Programme goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9A Reapers in the RAF's inventory until they are formally retired in October 2025. The MQ-9B will deliver a UK ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

• Loitering munitions

  Project Brakestop [UK]

  Background Information notice On 25 September 2024, the UK MoD published a prior information notice for Project Brakestop, informing industry of the upcoming competition. Requirements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Directed energy weapons

  DragonFire

  DragonFire is a laser weapon system built for the UK MoD and manufactured by a consortium of manufacturers. The primary manufacturer is MBDA, though they ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warthog

  The Warthog is based on the ST Kinetics Bronco all terrain tracked carrier (ATTC) and was developed to meet a UK MoD urgent operational requirement ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Sting Ray Mod 1

  The Sting Ray Mod 1 is an air- and surface-launched, lightweight ASW torpedo. It can be deployed from frigates, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft against ...

• Major networking projects

  DTT

  Raytheon UK is working with the UK MoD to deliver a Defence Targeting Toolset (DTT) capability. Aimed initially at land operations and eventually extending to ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  RFA Proteus (Vard 3 08)

  RFA Proteus serves as the launchpad for remotely operated vehicles and is the newest UK seabed warfare vessel. The ship, bought by the UK MoD as MV ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 5 SATCOM

  Airbus is the service provider for the UK MoD Skynet 5 private finance initiative contract, signed in October 2003 and now worth $5.6 billion. Airbus ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 6x6

  Wheeled Tanker

  The Oshkosh Wheeled Tanker is a high-performance tactical vehicle, designed and built for the UK MoD in order to replace the existing fleet of legacy ...

• Loitering munitions

  Dart 250

  The Dart 250 is a jet-powered One Way Effect (OWE) with a range of 250 km and a maximum speed of 400 km/h. According to reports, the Dart ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Data links

  AN/URC-138

  The AN/URC-138 is a Link 16 interoperable terminal originally developed for the Sea Harrier. It has the same Link 16 crypto as JTIDS/MIDS. The system ...