• Land Warfare

  World Defense Show 2026: Hanwha increases Middle East presence and reveals Tigon 6x6 sale

  13th February 2026

  Shephard sat down with Hanwha Middle East and Africa president Sung Il at World Defense Show 2026 to hear about the company’s plans for the region and how it plans to use local industry success to win deals.

• Naval Warfare

  Future of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project is still unclear

  15th December 2025

  The Canadian government remains tight-lipped on the timeline and funding required for the next steps of its Canadian Submarine Patrol Project, which should offer improved capabilities for the country’s navy.

• Land Warfare

  First firing of Sabre air defence system in UK as government places order

  26th August 2025

  Land Ceptor air defence missile launchers which will form part of Sky Sabre, a defence system designed to intercept cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.

• Land Warfare

  Digital backbone: bringing new capabilities to the UK defence market

  29th August 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to Bittium’s newly appointed general manager for UK defence, Dean Aldridge, about how the company’s tactical communications technologies can empower the British armed forces, and its ambitions for the UK market.

• Defence Notes

  Companies’ results boom as countries dig deep to buy missiles and air defence systems

  31st October 2025

  Air defence systems are continuing to appear top of countries’ shopping lists but broadly across different capabilities it is a sellers’ market, as demonstrated by backlogs and double-digit percentage point growth.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2025: German RCH 155 gets tracks

  14th October 2025

  KNDS Deutschland has unveiled a tracked Boxer demonstrator integrating the RCH 155 turret, offering lower ground pressure, on-the-move firing and an ISO-container resupply solution as customers line up for mobility-focused artillery.

• Naval Warfare

  Indo Pacific 2025: Autonomous systems reigned but can the Australian Defence Force afford it?

  17th November 2025

  Multiple autonomous systems and technologies were on display at this year’s Indo Pacific, but questions remain over how the Australian Department of Defence will balance the books.

• Air Warfare

  February drone digest: US manufacturers face the Gauntlet and find success abroad

  25th February 2026

  The US launched the Gauntlet test in February as part of its accelerated attack drone procurement effort while also exploring various naval capabilities that could lead to procurements down the line. Shield AI’s V-Bat, meanwhile, has been stirring up global interest.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2025: Lionstrike lays out plans for British Army vehicle bid as competitors get ready

  15th October 2025

  In September 2025, BAE Systems announced that it was joining GM Defense and NP Aerospace to form Team Lionstrike. The team will be offering a version of GM Defense’s infantry support vehicle which is based on the commercial Colorado vehicle.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: What future remains for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft?

  2nd September 2025

  The surveillance aircraft from Boeing is deployed by various countries, most notably the Royal Australian Air Force; but ongoing setbacks for future customers, who cite rising costs and delays, have thrown the aircraft into the spotlight.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed Martin secures $12.5 billion Lot 18-19 F-35 production contract

  30th September 2025

  The contract modification will cover production for the F-35 aircraft for the US Air Force, US Marine Corps and US Navy and include foreign military sales customers and programme partners.

• Land Warfare

  Light Reconnaissance Strike – enabling a vital mission set (Studio)

  11th December 2025

  A new system-of-systems concept will unlock digital integration of sensors and weapons for Light Forces, allowing them to shape the battlefield environment on their own terms and upgrade legacy platforms.

• Air Warfare

  How the MQ-9B’s interoperability is driving future market success

  8th September 2025

  With numerous nations, including the UK, committing a combined US$9.99 billion to acquiring the MQ-9B MALE UAV according to Shephard Defence Insight data, the capability now looks set to soar as UAV spending rises globally.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS update: Australian sovereignty is “paramount” as Trump declares “full steam ahead”

  22nd October 2025

  AUKUS has been under the spotlight this week as US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had their first face-to-face meeting.

• Land Warfare

  The year ahead: Major trends and forecasts for the land domain in 2026

  8th January 2026

  2025 was a busy year for the land domain and 2026 looks set to be just as big. Shephard’s Dr Peter Magill analyses some of the major trends we are likely to see in the year ahead.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 [UK]

  Programme Background Airbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• 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 ...

• Self-propelled guns, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Background Post-Cold War requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Next-generation Amphibious Transport Ships (ATS) [UK]

  Background Requirements On 7 July 2026, the UK and the Netherlands reached an agreement to jointly produce eight LPDs, with each receiving four vessels although ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for the ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...

• Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...