• Training

  Rheinmetall to announce LVCTS team

  27th June 2022

  A new land vehicle training system for the Canadian Army will transfer a substantial amount of individual and collective live training to simulations. Once the LVCTS is fully operational, it will serve as the flagship interface for CA’s future live, virtual and constructive training environment.

• Defence Notes

  Netherlands to increase F-35 order and double MQ-9 fleet

  10th June 2022

  Additional fighter jets and MALE UAVs are to be procured by the Netherlands.

• Air Warfare

  Australia receives final CH-47F Chinooks

  27th June 2022

  Deliveries of Australian Chinooks is now complete, while those of F-35As have now reached 50.

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders shipboard energy storage system from DRS

  25th April 2022

  More efficient and adaptable onboard energy storage is required to cope with the new generation of power-hungry weapon systems and sensors aboard USN vessels.

• Defence Notes

  US Special Operations Command sets out tech priorities

  1st June 2022

  Senior USSOCOM leaders highlight counter-UAS, tactical mobility and the need for a sophisticated common operating picture as priorities for US special forces.

• Naval Warfare

  UDT 2022: DSIT presents KnightShield task force underwater security system

  7th June 2022

  DSIT has unveiled a new addition to its Shield family of underwater security systems.

• Training

  USMC to ‘radically’ change training with realistic simulated environment

  19th May 2022

  Under Project Tripoli, US Marine Corps headquarters could be training with a live, virtual, constructive environment in less than three years. Ambitions are to conduct training exercises virtually as complex as Range 400.

• Defence Helicopter

  Norway terminates NH90 helicopter contract, seeks full compensation

  10th June 2022

  Norway has decided to terminate its NH90 helicopter contract, citing failure of the aircraft to meet operational requirements.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Hybrid-drive armoured 8x8 points to versatile future

  21st June 2022

  A new hybrid-drive 8x8 wheeled platform from FFG offers stealthy movement and a very low heat signature.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Dual EIMOS now in use with Spanish marines

  15th June 2022

  The Dual EIMOS self-propelled mortar was created for mobile 'shoot and scoot' operations on a Urovesa VAMTAC 4x4 light vehicle, EXPAL says at Eurosatory 2022.

• Naval Warfare

  Indo-Pacific 2022: Austal shows versatile new OPV 60

  10th May 2022

  Austal has shown off a new OPV design that straddles a gap in its range, plus it is pursuing unmanned versions of its vessels.

• Digital Battlespace

  The role of the Five Eyes in shaping military interoperability (podcast)

  10th June 2022

  In this bonus episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, we bring you the first episode from the latest series of the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast.

• Naval Warfare

  UDT 2022 heads to the Grey Zone (Sponsored)

  23rd May 2022

  In June, the underwater defence technology community heads to Rotterdam for UDT 2022 to explore aspects of underwater defence and security that are of increasing importance to naval forces and governments worldwide, under the theme of ‘the Grey Zone: Undersea Technologies to Protect Maritime Trade, Operations & Infrastructure’.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Hadean and BAE Systems to combine for single synthetic training environment

  28th April 2022

  A partnership between Hadean and BAE Systems will explore projects for multi-domain synthetic environments in complex collective training scenarios.

• Digital Battlespace

  Eurosatory 2022: Aselsan debuts MEROPS 'crystal clear' extended range optical sight

  13th June 2022

  Aselsan releases MEROPS for UAV and other aircraft operators.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (11-33) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

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

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-27) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

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

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Military UAS - small

  Long Range/Long Endurance (LR/LE) [USMC]

  Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to the ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a next-generation ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  SECAT

  In 2022, Textron Systems unveiled its new Surface Effect Cargo Amphibious Transport (SECAT) craft, designed to support logistics behind the US Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-53E Sea Dragon

  Sikorsky developed the MH-53E (S-80) Sea Dragon variant of its CH-53E to provide the USN with a dedicated airborne mine countermeasures helicopter. Equipped with enlarged ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Tactical Mission System for Helicopter Applications

  The Saab tactical mission system is a system for transport, utility, C2 and combat helicopters intended to operate in a net-centric environment. It is designed ...

• Major networking projects

  CANES

  The Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme is a USN-wide effort to rationalise shipboard computing assets. It is designed to create a common ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  MQ-9 MTD

  SDS’s ROVATTS-based MQ-9 Mission Training Device (MTD) was developed to provide high-fidelity simulation to support US Air National Guard operational Reaper crew training. The PC-based ...

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

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  MERS

  The Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS) takes a systems engineering approach to equipping the USMC’s fundamental fighting unit. The integration and configuration management of all ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35C

  The F-35C Lightning II, also known as the F-35 carrier variant (CV), is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft in carrier configuration. It has larger wings and ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Air Operations Systems of Systems

  Air Operations System of Systems is designed to enable management of airspaces across large states and/or regions focusing on strategic planning. The system integration approach ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB 1.3

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is a key element of the US DoD strategy to build a net-centric capability, enabling service DCGS elements ...