• Land Warfare

  Israel outlines next steps to improve its missile defence architecture

  5th June 2023

  The Israeli MoD is progressing with the Arrow 4 interceptor effort in addition to working on improvement of its in-service sensors, radars and C2 systems.

• Air Warfare

  Korean Air completes first AH-6i fuselage

  27th June 2023

  Korean Air in South Korea is building Boeing scout helicopter fuselages for an international customer.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems FalconWorks air R&D division takes flight

  11th July 2023

  BAE Systems FalconWorks division's ambitious mission is to shape the future of aviation by pushing boundaries and delivering groundbreaking solutions for the UK and international customers.

• Defence Notes

  What's new in the updated version of the US Marines Force Design 2030

  9th June 2023

  The most recent Force Design 2030 document introduces adjustments in terms of capabilities, doctrine, structure and training focusing on improving readiness.

• Training

  US Navy takes lead on Middle East maritime security training

  23rd May 2023

  The Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces partnership has stood up a USN-led task force to support multination training events in the region covering maritime awareness, law, interdiction, rescue and leadership development.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing kicks off US Air Force B-52 bomber radar upgrade

  5th June 2023

  The radar upgrade is part of the wider B-52 modernisation programme that aims to keep the Stratofortress in the air until 2050 and beyond.

• Air Warfare

  Georgia air force base set to host F-35 fighters as Congress debates A-10 Warthog retirement

  28th June 2023

  Amidst ongoing deliberations in Congress regarding the retirement of a portion of its A-10 Warthog fleet, the US Air Force has initiated the replacement of the A-10 with the F-35 at Moody AFB.

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE to adapt Archerfish mine disposal system for South Korea

  13th June 2023

  BAE Systems has won a contract to adapt its Archerfish mine disposal system for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) as part of South Korea’s effort to develop a new anti-mine helicopter fleet.

• Air Warfare

  US V-22 Osprey clutch-related grounding issue remains mystery

  25th May 2023

  The US government and industry aim to complete the replacement of affected clutch parts by autumn. The Japanese V-22 fleet is expected to follow the same procedure to avoid the the same problem arising.

• Air Warfare

  Supplying F-16 jets to Ukraine won't win the war, but adds new causes of concern for Russia

  1st June 2023

  While the question of which Western fighter jet will be ultimately sent to Ukraine now seems settled, how much effect will the F-16's presence have on the conflict?

• Land Warfare

  Taiwan expands its HIMARS order, amidst ongoing indigenous AFV production

  31st May 2023

  Taiwan continues to boost its inventory of artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles, in the face of a rising martial threat from China.

• Land Warfare

  UK plays host to inaugural AUKUS Pillar 2 AI and autonomy trial

  26th May 2023

  While for most part AUKUS is about submarines, under its Advanced Capabilities Pillar, known as Pillar 2, the UK, US and Australia are collaborating on other leading-edge technologies.

• Land Warfare

  Insight: Why the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle is making a clean sweep of Nordic markets

  19th September 2023

  Shephard Defence Insight explores the evolution of BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 IFV from its inception in the late 1980s to the latest CV90 MkIV, detailing the order history and upgrade packages of its ten European customers.

• Defence Helicopter

  CH-47F Chinook Block II reaches final assembly line as wider programme moves forward

  26th May 2023

  The Block II upgrade incorporates various enhancements to increase lift capability and commonality between US Army and allied fleets, reducing maintenance costs.

• Naval Warfare

  Buy more subs, urges Norwegian Defence Chief

  7th June 2023

  The Norwegian Chief of Defence has recommended the Scandinavian country procure more submarines in a report to the government about the future shape of its armed forces.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...