• Naval Warfare

  Thales announces landmark step in joint France-UK mine hunting capability

  17th July 2020

  Thales has completed the first operational configuration mission sets of the joint France-UK mine countermeasure capability being developed under the Maritime Mine Countermeasures programme. In …

• Air Warfare

  Final captive-carry test heralds next chapter for ARRW

  11th August 2020

  US efforts to rapidly develop and field hypersonic weapons within the next three years took a step forward on 8 August, with a final captive-carry …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Japan to assess SeaGuardian

  9th July 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is to partner Asia Air Survey (AAS) on a two-month series of SeaGuardian validation flights for the Japan Coast …

• Air Warfare

  KF-X prototype assembly continues apace

  28th July 2020

  The top, middle and bottom parts of the fuselage of the first KF-X prototype, a new South Korean 4.5-generation twin-engine fighter, are being assembled by …

• Air Warfare

  Boeing to help Japan give F-15Js more teeth

  30th July 2020

  Boeing announced on 28 July that it had signed a direct commercial sale agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to modernise Japan’s fleet of F-15J …

• Naval Warfare

  Spearfish swims on despite latest criticism

  13th August 2020

  Delivery of the Spearfish Mod 1 heavyweight torpedo upgrade for UK RN submarines is expected to improve following criticism from the Infrastructure and Projects Agency (IPA). …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  China accelerates maritime UAS development

  17th July 2020

  A Chinese emphasis on UAVs for maritime and shipborne use is evident, with a new full-scale rotorcraft mock-up appearing on the navy’s first Type 075 …

• Naval Warfare

  New weapon and radars appear on Beykoz

  24th July 2020

  Shephard has observed a new set of radars and a new gun aboard a Burak class Turkish Navy corvette. The legacy 100mm/55 Mod 68 CADAM …

• Defence Notes

  US to harden Guam against Chinese attack

  23rd July 2020

  The US is seeking to station Aegis Ashore on Guam, its westernmost territory, by 2026. The purpose is to give ballistic missile protection for the strategically important …

• Training

  RCAF to use roadmap for training ranges modernisation

  14th July 2020

  Air weapons and training ranges used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) are to be upgraded based on planning by QinetiQ, the UK-headquartered group …

• Air Warfare

  Kongsberg C-UAS system includes third-generation Spexer

  29th July 2020

  Hensoldt Sensors announced on 28 July that it is supplying the third generation of its Spexer 2000 3D radar to system integrator Kongsberg Defence & …

• Air Warfare

  Japan researches future fighter technologies

  22nd July 2020

  Japan has not produced fighters since 2011, when the last F-2 was delivered. Therefore, Japanese companies such as Sumitomo Electric that produced radar domes and …

• Air Warfare

  Live fire tests lie in store for Martlet

  27th July 2020

  The Martlet Lightweight Multirole Missile for the UK RN is expected to undertake live-fire tests in September ahead of IOC by the end of 2020. Martlet …

• Air Warfare

  Netherlands to buy more AMRAAM via FMS

  28th July 2020

  The US State Department has approved a possible FMS to the Netherlands of AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM plus related equipment and technical support. Raytheon Missiles & Defense …

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo eyes first M-346FA delivery after maiden flight

  23rd July 2020

  The M-346FA light attack aircraft successfully completed its initial flight on 13 July equipped with a bespoke Grifo-M-346 multimode radar, Leonardo announced on 23 July. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 - First Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 650 ISR - UAE

  Programme Background In February 2019 at IDEX, the UAE announced that it will procure a new special mission aircraft with an option for the second ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Chinese UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Background Request for Proposals (RFP) In 2023, as reported by Shephard at the time, the Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 - Second Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Jump 20 [Denmark]

  Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period between ...

• ISR/special mission

  ISTAR Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background 2018 - Issue of RfI The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated that Seoul planned to procure additional aircraft to minimise potential surveillance ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (First Batch) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Acquisition Decision The Netherlands cancelled a project to procure a MALE UAV in 2007. Six years later, in 2013, it was revealed the Dutch ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 [Italy]

  Programme Background Initial Procurement Italy submitted a $330 million FMS request through the Defence Security Cooperation Agency for four MQ-9A aircraft, four GCS and five ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme 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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Gladius [Poland]

  Programme Background Contract Signing On 6 May 2022, the Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, the president of the WB GROUP, Piotr Wojciechowski and the head ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Tactical UCAV [Czechia]

  Programme Background Inception In November 2017, the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) announced that the service had earmarked CZK1 billion ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (Second Batch) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background First Batch Following a cancelled MALE UAV project in 2007, the Dutch MOD revealed its intention to acquire four MQ-9A Reapers from General ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/APY-10

  The AN/APY-10 is an airborne maritime surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. It is designed to equip the USN'S Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and has ...

• 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 ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APS-137B(V)5

  The AN/APS-137B(V)5 is a maritime patrol radar manufactured by Raytheon. It provides both multi-resolution synthetic aperture radar and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), allowing performance over the ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TriSAR

  The Tri-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar (TriSAR) is a real-time, high-resolution land and maritime surveillance radar designed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is suited ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30

  The multi-mode AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30 is a reduced weight, power and volume variant of the AN/APY-8. It is a high-resolution, wide-area surveillance, Ku-band synthetic ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TacSAR

  The Tactical Synthetic Aperture Radar (TacSAR) is an airborne reconnaissance system designed by Collins Aerospace (now part of Raytheon). It is intended for land and ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APY-3

  The AN/APY-3 is a large, phased-array, ground surveillance, side-looking airborne radar with synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) capability. It is the primary sensor of ...

• Subsystems: software

  Radar Simulation Systems

  The Digital Radar Landmass Simulator (DRLMS) model accurately simulates real-world terrain and cultural feature returns, as well as weather patterns and targets. Configurable parameters allow ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7500E V2

  The Seaspray 7500E V2 is a long-range, maritime-focused multi-mode surveillance radar produced by Leonardo and manufactured in the UK. The system can rapidly interleave radar modes ...

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

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  MOSAIC

  The MOSAIC is a three-dimensional, AESA-based, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Telephonics. It is designed for maritime, littoral and overland surveillance missions for rotary- and fixed-wing ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  ASTOR

  The Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) is abattlefield surveillance synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) system installed in the UK RAF's Raytheon SentinelR1 aircraft, a version ...

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

  Black Swan

  The Black Swan is a cargo-carrying drone manufactured by Dronamic.  In February 2026, the company released the Detect & Defend version, a military variant of the platform ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7300E V2

  The Seaspray 7300E V2 radar is an airborne, maritime, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is designed for the detection of small maritime targets in ...