• Defence Notes

  New UK cabinet faces old defence budget troubles

  28th October 2022

  Pressure on the UK government is not easing despite a new Prime Minister taking office. There are plenty of questions as to how Rishi Sunak and his chancellor are planning to sustain defence spending amidst growing economic troubles.

• Defence Notes

  US FY2023 defence budget emphasises investments in modernisation and procurements

  23rd December 2022

  US Congress approved a bill nearly $3.4 billion higher than the amount requested by the Pentagon.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2022: Putting the USAF Pilot Training Next effort to the test

  1st December 2022

  The US Pilot Training Next 2.5 scheme has seemed a great success, but new assessment evaluation results provide hard data.

• Defence Helicopter

  Algeria expresses interest in AW249 while AW139 deal remains in limbo

  12th December 2022

  Leonardo and Algeria hope to seal the AW139 deal in 2023 while Italy and the North African country further strengthen defence ties.

• Training

  B-52: new training options for an old bomber detailed at I/ITSEC 2022

  2nd December 2022

  Using 2020s virtual reality/extended reality (VR/XR) equipment on a 1950s airframe is providing winning training outcomes.

• Air Warfare

  BriteCloud decoy for combat aircraft moves closer to US service

  25th November 2022

  The Air National Guard has 'recommended' use of the BriteCloud 218 decoy system following a series of DoD trials.

• Defence Notes

  All the news from I/ITSEC and talking seabed warfare

  9th December 2022

  The Shephard Media news team looks at all the developments in the military training and simulation world, and discovers the trends and challenges in seabed warfare.

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to develop radar technology for NATO drone

  5th September 2022

  Northrop Grumman will develop, implement, test and sustain Radar Technology Insertion Program technology for NATO.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus and Royal Air Force achieve sustainable aviation fuel milestone

  22nd November 2022

  The Royal Air Force, Airbus and other industry partners have conducted the UK's first ever 100% sustainable aviation fuel flight, replicating an air-to-air refuelling sortie.

• Air Warfare

  US awards missile and radar contracts to boost air defence

  23rd November 2022

  New modifications to existing Department of Defense contracts cover the latest AIM-9X air-to-air missiles and active electronically scanned array radars for the F-16.

• Land Warfare

  Australia boosts firepower by signing up for HIMARS and NSM

  8th January 2023

  Deals have been inked for rocket launchers and anti-ship missiles, as Australia enhances its range and lethality.

• Air Warfare

  Electro-optic payload selected for Eurodrone UAS programme

  29th November 2022

  A Safran electro-optical payload has been selected for the multinational Eurodrone MALE (medium-altitude long-endurance) UAV programme.

• Air Warfare

  Philippines awaits next T129 and S-70i helicopters

  30th November 2022

  Additional T129 Atak and S-70i helicopters from Turkey and Poland respectively will be arriving in the Philippines soon.

• Defence Notes

  UK defence strategy since the Integrated Review: the view from Washington

  26th September 2022

  What do US policymakers make of UK strategic thinking in the wake of the Integrated Review, and how could subsequent events affect the transatlantic defence relationship?

• Training

  Top trends in military training and simulation for 2023

  17th January 2023

  The training and simulation sector had a stimulating 2022, but this year may hold even more exciting technological developments for the industry. Bohemia Interactive Simulations' CPO Pete Morrison gave Shephard some hot topics to watch for 2023.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  Programme Background  In February 2025, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted Irelands need to procure a new combat fighter jet to combat ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 Options [Portugal]

  Programme Background Leadership from Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force formalised a contract that includes 10 aircraft options that can be utilised by any NATO ...

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  Programme Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Portugal]

  Programme Background Leadership from the Portuguese Air Force and Embraer signed a contract for a sixth C-390, with the option for ten additional aircraft for ...

• OPVs

  Samarth Class (Batch 2)

  Programme Background The Samarth class Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs) are a class of six in service with the Indian Coast Guard with a further five vessels ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35 (Russia)

  The MiG-35 is a new-generation derivative of the twin-engine MiG-29 (NATO code-name ‘Fulcrum’) featuring multi-role combat capabilities, significantly reworked airframe and a vastly expanded arsenal ...

• OPVs

  Vikram Class

  Programme Background The Vikram class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard are being built at the Kattupalli shipyard by Larsen and Toubro (L&T;)  Shipbuilding. ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C-390 [Portugal]

  During the Paris Air Show 2025, Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force formalised the procurement of Portugal's sixth C-390 aircraft with the option for ten ...

• Data links

  Data links | C-390 [Portugal]

  During the Paris Air Show 2025, Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force formalised the procurement of Portugal's sixth C-390 aircraft with the option for ten ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | C-390 [Portugal]

  During the Paris Air Show 2025, Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force formalised the procurement of Portugal's sixth C-390 aircraft with the option for ten ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirement The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

• Data links

  Data links | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Air Policing

  Air Policing is a collective peacetime mission that requires NATO to take action against all violations and infringements of its airspace using agreed procedures. Supreme ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  O-PEN Wall Penetration Radar

  SRC’s O-PEN sense-through-the-wall radar system, previously known as SOMISR II, was developed to address urban warfare requirements under a US Army Technology Objective programme. The ...

• Awing-F100J

  Awing-F100J is the latest UAV from Tianjin-based Quadrant Space (Tianjin) Technology and was displayed at the 11th Zhuhai Airshow in China for the first time ...

• RemoCopter-001

  The Uconsystem RemoCopter-001 is a very lightweight (1kg) quadrotor UAV dedicated to commercial and hobby applications, with an integrated EO payload. 

• Major networking projects

  Air and Missile Defence

  NATO Air and Missile Defence comprises all measures aimed at monitoring and reacting to potential air threats in NATO airspace, as well as countering hostile ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO DCIS

  Airbus is delivering the NATO Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS). The project represents a major upgrade in the capability of NATO Response Forces (NRF) ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS. The Qimek NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS, which was introduced in 2008. The Nanuk NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO SATCOM

  Leonardo has been awarded a turnkey contract to rationalise and upgrade NATO’s SATCOM systems and associated infrastructure. The company will design, build, test, commission and ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Blackbird

  The Blackbird UAV detection and geolocation system detects and locates both the UAV and its controller, using signal processing technology. It can be deployed interactively ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  V-RAPTOR

  Unveiled at LAAD 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, the V-RAPTOR is a tactical police armoured vehicle from domestic manufacturer Combat Armor Defense do Brasil.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Phoenix

  The Phoenix UAV is a delta-wing platform designed largely for civilian applications such as policing, border patrol, coast guard, fire-fighting and surveillance, as well as ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  Vympel R-27

  The Vympel R-27 (NATO reporting name AA-10 Alamo) is a Soviet air-to-air missile. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and is also ...

• Destroyers

  Tepe Class (TF-2000)

  The Tepe-class (TF-2000 class) Air Defence Warfare (ADW) destroyers are part of Turkeys Milgem project to revitalise the fleet. The ships are intended to be NATO compatible ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SDR-H Special Role Radio

  In February 2018, Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) announced the development of the SDR-H Special Role Radio (SRR), designed for tactical and special operations. The SRR ...