• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2017: What to expect (video)

  11th September 2017

  Shephard editor Grant Turnbull talks about the positive economic tone at DSEI 2017 compared with previous shows that were fixated on diminishing budgets. This edition of …

• Naval Warfare

  Marshall to support MBDA missile systems

  15th September 2017

  Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group has received a £13.5 million contract from MBDA to manufacture Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) canisters for the Sea Ceptor …

• Digital Battlespace

  Analysis: Japanese BMD solutions face challenges

  26th September 2017

  North Korea’s continued cruise missile, intermediate-range ballistic missile and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches – 14 to date in 2017 – have caused Tokyo to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Leonardo predicts unmanned rotary dominance

  13th September 2017

  Leonardo is well into Phase 2 of its Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System (RWAS) capability concept demonstrator (CCD) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) …

• Digital Battlespace

  NavHub system for German armed forces

  15th September 2017

  Rockwell Collins’ NavHub navigation system has been selected by the German Ministry of Defence to provide Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) availability to a variety …

• Naval Warfare

  Ducommun to build NSM fire control system

  13th September 2017

  Ducommun will build fire control systems for Raytheon’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) under a contract announced on 11 September. Raytheon is offering the NSM for …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy at full stretch

  20th September 2017

  US Navy readiness has once again come under scrutiny and action is needed to address challenges including persistent maintenance and training, according to a report. …

• Naval Warfare

  HII launches USS Delbert D Black

  14th September 2017

  Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has launched the future US Navy destroyer USS Delbert D Black at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.The ship is being configured …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA’s AUVs for Asian navy

  13th September 2017

  ECA Group has delivered unmanned mine disposal systems to the navy of an unnamed Asian country, the company announced on 8 September.The naval force is …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: MAST System guides helicopters

  15th September 2017

  Curtiss-Wright is developing a manual aircraft securing and traversing (MAST) handling system, which is expected to be utilised by the more littoral-based navies around the …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2017: Atech showcases the Arkhe

  15th September 2017

  Atech, a Brazilian company of Embraer Group, took the opportunity to showcase its Arkhe family of products and services for the first time in the …

• Naval Warfare

  Elbit Systems wins maritime C4ISR contract

  6th September 2017

  Elbit Systems has received a two-year contract worth $11 million for the supply of an integrated maritime C4ISR system to an undisclosed navy in the …

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Prince of Wales named

  12th September 2017

  The Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier has been officially named HMS Prince of Wales on 9 September during a ceremony in Rosyth, Scotland. The naming …

• Naval Warfare

  MSPO 2017: Kongsberg showcase sub launched NSM

  9th September 2017

  Displaying its submarine-launched variant of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Kongsberg officials said that while it was not targeted at a specific national maritime requirement, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ocean Infinity selects AquaPix

  12th September 2017

  Kraken Sonar Systems has received a contract from Ocean Infinity for its AquaPix Synthetic Aperture Sonar system, the company announced on 7 September. Under the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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 - tactical

  Project NYX: Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  On 27 June 2022, the MoD released a request for information (RFI) for a long-reach intra-theatre lift UAV. The RfI stated that the MOD had identified a ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  On 27 June 2022, the MoD released a request for information (RFI) for a long-reach intra-theatre lift UAV. The RfI stated that the MOD had identified a ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  In October 2025, the Royal Navy (RN) issued a request for industry proposals for Project Vanquish, an initiative to develop and test a Tier 2 ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  In October 2025, the Royal Navy (RN) issued a request for industry proposals for Project Vanquish, an initiative to develop and test a Tier 2 ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR5 [Portugal]

  Methodology PGO The PGO has been set to 100% because the programme has been contracted, with deliveries due very shortly. Units required No details were ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Project Corvus [UK]

  Background Retirement and replacement In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the WK 450 Watchkeeper was to be ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) (Project Vanquish) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role of ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (1) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-1) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The Malaysian ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (1) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-1) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The Malaysian ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (2) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-2) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (2) [Malaysia]

  Malaysia is procuring a second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS-2) designed to perform multiple maritime operations, including maritime law enforcement, EEZ protection, surveillance, and counter-trafficking. The ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C295 MPAs [India]

  In February 2024, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Indian ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR3 EVO

  Unveiled at DSEI 2025, the AR3 EVO is a small fixed-wing UAV from Tekever. The system is highly modular and can be configured in a ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  AR6

  Unveiled in mid-2026, the AR6 is an autonomous heavy-lift drone from Tekever. It features a unique digital-displacement hydraulic powertrain and has been designed from the ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

• Military UAS - small

  AR2 Carcará

  The AR2 Carcará is a hand- or catapult-launched mini-UAV designed to support search and rescue, surveillance and patrol operations in amphibious and maritime environments. It is ...

• Military UAS - mini

  AR4

  The AR4 is a hand-launched mini-UAS designed for rapid mobile deployment. Manufactured by Tekever, the UAS is suitable for both military and commercial ISTAR applications.  A ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• Subsystems: hardware

  Maritime Console

  The Discovery Machine Maritime Console can create highly intelligent entities for use in simulated training events. It is designed to work with the USN Joint ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  FlyingFish Maritime

  The FlyingFish Maritime SIGINT system is one of several derivatives of the FlyingFish Airborne Satellite Monitoring System developed by Horizon Technologies. Designed to be mounted ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  SitaWare Maritime

  Developed by Systematic, SitaWare Maritime is a C4ISR system that emphasises interoperability, the ability to provide a recognised maritime picture, and data-led decision-making aids. According ...

• Maritime patrol

  Cessna Maritime Patrol

  The Cessna 'special mission' Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a variant of the Cessna Citation Longitude business jet developed by Textron aviation. Textron has stated the onboard systems, ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Torch-X Maritime

  Produced by Elbit Systems, the Torch-X Maritime is a combat management system which combines mature COTS components into an open-architecture C4I suite. Notably, the system ...