• Defence Notes

  Resilience, adaptiveness and collaboration vital for success in space (Studio)

  5th November 2025

  Speakers at the Defence In Space Conference (DISC) 2025 highlighted the critical and evolving role of space in national security, defence and the global economy.

• Air Warfare

  AUSA 2025: Lockheed Martin conducts first ground-based demo of JAGM Quad Launcher

  13th October 2025

  The first live-fire demonstration of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile Quad Launcher was tested against a ground vehicle, with further tests against a UAS target planned for the system next month.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Milrem expands partnerships as it outlines NATO eastern flank defence plans

  19th June 2026

  In the past three months Milrem Robotics has signed cooperation agreements with Hanwha, EOS Defence Systems and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and at Eurosatory 2026 with CNIM Systèmes Industriels and Frankenburg Technologies. The deals come as the company develops its Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Ukraine drives European artillery renaissance

  17th June 2026

  European governments have ordered nearly 1,400 self-propelled howitzers and more than 400 multiple-launch rocket systems since 2022 as lessons from Ukraine reshape long-range fires requirements across the continent.

• Air Warfare

  December drone digest: Germany, Australia and US champion indigenous UAV production

  30th December 2025

  One of the key trends seen in December has been the rise in indigenous investment within the UAV market, particularly across certain countries, with Germany, Australia and the US focusing on their commitments to sovereign development.

• Defence Notes

  Golden Dome for America hits one-year mark but key questions remain on its progress

  26th February 2026

  Integration issues, bureaucracy and undefined policies and authorities could hamper the full implementation of the “shield” to defend the US territory against aerial threats.

• Air Warfare

  Long-range drone acquisition axed as Norway announces $11.75 billion spending uplift

  31st March 2026

  Norway’s funding boost will help the country reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035, with autonomous systems part of the long list of priorities alongside frigate acquisition and development of a new Finnmark Brigade.

• Land Warfare

  Drone Summit turns spotlight on smaller companies and new uncrewed systems

  3rd June 2026

  The Drone Summit saw more than 100 companies from 20 countries, including Latvia, Australia, Canada and Israel, presenting uncrewed surveillance and attack platforms. The event came just weeks after drones, believed to be Russian, invaded Latvia’s airspace.

• Air Warfare

  UH-60M Black Hawk: export demand underpins $13 billion market opportunity

  19th May 2026

  The UH-60M is the latest variant of the UH-60, a workhorse multirole helicopter that continues to attract further orders from across the globe. With further modernisation upgrades underway, the platform is expected to remain in operation until 2050.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2026: Boeing’s MQ-28A targets key 2028 date as Block II ground tests begin

  4th February 2026

  The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is the most mature CCA platform currently under development, with Boeing looking to accelerate its timelines and development of the aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray approaches carrier-integration tests

  21st October 2026

  Boeing has outlined its upcoming precision-landing and carrier-airspace trials as MQ-25 manufacturing shifts towards Illinois, with initial Lot 1 deliveries expected in 2029.

• Land Warfare

  Integrated approach: transforming vehicle communications for a new era of warfare

  19th October 2026

  In the modern battlespace, military intercom systems can no longer operate in isolation. They must instead be integrated with the wider tactical network, gaining operational advantages through secure communications with dismounted soliders and other assets across domains.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock onshores 85% of Canada’s submarine supply chain as it eyes future CPSP programme

  30th July 2026

  By moving most of the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarine supply chain into Canada, Babcock Canada is driving to strengthen sovereign sustainment capabilities while preparing to compete to maintain the future Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system

  20th October 2025

  The aerospace company showed a model of its new mobile howitzer at AUSA in Washington, where a representative told Shephard more about its design.

• Air Warfare

  US plans to raise defence production by 300% but multiple uncertainties remain

  10th March 2026

  The strategy, schedule and budget to support Washington’s intention to speed up the manufacturing of defence capabilities remain unclear.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Land: air defence radar

  Ground Master 403 Radar [Egypt]

  Background In 2020, Egypt ordered four of France-based Thales Ground Master 403 radars, the mobile member of their GM400 radar family.  At least one of the ...

• Medium UGVs

  Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer (M-METT) [USA]

  Background Whilst there are many medium UGV programmes developing concepts for last-mile resupply problems, the US Army's M-METT programme aims to provide an uncrewed logistics ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 [Japan]

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Trainer

  T-6C [Thailand]

  Programme Background The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  ForceShield [Portugal]

  Background As part of its efforts to expand its ground-based air defence (GBAD) capabilities, Portugal ordered an undisclosed ForceShield systems, based on the RapidRanger SHORAD systems. The ...

• Military UAS - small

  KUS-FT (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirement The ROKA had identified a need for tactical UAVs that can be employed at the divisional level to carry out ISTAR missions ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Surion Marine Attack Helicopter [South Korea]

  Programme Background The ROKMC has planned to obtain 24 attack helicopters for the first time. When bidding opened in January 2019, there were five contenders: Bell ...

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

  Cheongung-II [Indonesia]

  Background Indonesia plans to procure the M-SAM II Cheongung-II system as part of its modernisation strategy and efforts to establish a fully integrated layered air-defence ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Military UAS - micro

  FPV Drones [Israel]

  Background Reported Programme According to the Globes media outlet, reporting in March 2025, the Ministry of Defense Department of Production and Procurement was publishing the ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Croatia]

  Background Contract Award As reported by Shephard in November 2024, Croatia's government approved the purchase of six Bayraktar TB2 drones, a training package in Türkiye, a command-and-control centre, ...

• Wheeled assault guns

  Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle [Japan]

  Programme Background The Type 16 Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle (MCV), formerly known as the Mobile Combat Vehicle, was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to meet ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [Japan]

  Background Selection and contract award In 2015, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i Second Batch [Philippines]

  Programme Background Philippines Air Force is looking to procure additional multirole helicopters. Manila announced on 4 February 2021 that it was approving the purchase of 15 extra ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  KUS-FS [South Korea]

  Programme Background Inception The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) commenced developing the MUAV in 2008 in response to a ROKAF requirement for a MALE UAV ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Ground

  GenCOM Defense Ground provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Major networking projects

  DCGS

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) is the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office plan for the integrated architecture of all ground and surface computing and communications ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM262

  Manfuaucted by AVT Australia, the CM262 is a ground-based imaging system combining four sensor configurations into a compact and ruggedised system for C-UAS and ISR ...

• Land: air defence radar

  KRONOS Power Shield Land

  This system is an L-band digital AESA anti-TBM radar. It is the land-based version of the naval KRONOS Power Shield, also known as KRONOS Ground ...

• AEW&C

  P600 AEW&C

  In June 2019, Embraer and IAI/Elta signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing an AEW&C; aircraft based on the business jet Praetor 600, namely the ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Initial Maneuver - SHORAD

  Unveiled at AUSA 2019, Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is a multipurpose platform, based on the Stryker IFV, which moves and maneuvers in ...

• Land: battle management systems

  FAAD/C-RAM C2

  The Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Command and Control (C2) system was developed by Northrop Grumman to provide command and control (C2) for the US Army ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Airborne Launching and Attack System (AirLAS)

  The Airborne Launching and Attack System (AirLAS) is a system that pairs Diehl Defence's IRIS-T air-to-air missile with a reusable carrier UAV developed by POLARIS. The companies ...

• Data links

  Universal Link System

  Developed by Scytalys, the Universal Link System (ULS) is a modular, scalable multi data link processor. It supports all NATO and US standard data links ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  MIM-72 Chaparral

  The MIM-72 Chaparral is a short-range, low-altitude, surface-to-air missile produced for the M48 Chaparral fire unit. It was produced as a replacement for the cancelled MIM-46 Mauler ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-67

  The AN/APG-67 is a multi-mode, pulse-Doppler X-band radar designed for the Northrop F-20 Tigershark. It provides both air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities, including look-up/look-down detection, tracking, ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Dzhigit

  Dzhigit is a two-barrel, pedestal air defence missile launcher intended for single or salvo launches of Igla family surface-to-air missiles. Developed in the 1990s, the Dzhigit ...

• Cannons, Naval guns

  M230LF Chain Gun

  The M230LF is a 30mm chain-driven autocannon developed by Northrop Grumman. It is a more capable version of the M230 cannon used on the Apache ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Delta Situational Awareness System

  The Delta Situational Awareness System is a cloud-based ISTAR and battle management platform with planning, communication and fire control capabilities according to NATO standards. Developed ...