• Naval Warfare

  Boeing to upgrade Royal Australian Navy communications system

  29th May 2025

  The improvements to the navy fleet are part of a vision to create a single integrated network to enhance transmissions across the Australian Defence Force (ADF) incorporating its naval, air and land forces.

• Naval Warfare

  Red Cat expands its manufacturing capacities to surge production of UAVs and USVs

  13th August 2025

  The company has invested $80 million to enhance its facilities and establish a new maritime division.

• Air Warfare

  Thailand-bound AH-6i helicopter completes first flight

  4th October 2024

  A total of eight aircraft will replace the Royal Thai Army’s ageing AH-IF Cobra fleet as part of a contract deal worth US$103.8 million.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Land Warfare

  US Army increases efforts to plug capability gaps in self-propelled artillery inventory

  26th September 2024

  The service has been working on the modernisation of its in-service systems and planning the acquisition of advanced howitzers.

• Land Warfare

  Thales to modernise Netherlands TACTIS combined arms trainer

  30th April 2025

  Thales will modernise the Royal Netherlands Army’s TACTIS simulation system over eight years with enhanced synthetic environments, new simulators for the CV9035NL, Boxer and Leopard 2 tanks.

• Land Warfare

  Polaris bets on the Arctic market with over-snow reconnaissance vehicle

  9th April 2025

  The military 850 Titan 155 is described by the company as an “all-new” over-snow reconnaissance vehicle (OSRV).

• Air Warfare

  Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems

  12th December 2024

  The deal announced on 11 December was an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract and the first task order of $116 million has already been awarded to provide terminals and spares, with follow-on production awards expected.

• Air Warfare

  Air Warfare Review 2024: Budget cuts and delays fail to dampen modernisation efforts in 2024

  10th December 2024

  From major platform upgrades, high-value contract wins and programme delays, Shephard reported on a mixed year for air warfare in 2024, as geopolitical tensions rose across Europe and the Middle East.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden and Denmark sign for $2.5 billion of BAE Systems’ CV90 combat vehicles

  6th December 2024

  Denmark is buying 115 CV9035 MkIIICs and Sweden 50 with the agreement also including further vehicles for Ukraine financed by the two governments.

• Land Warfare

  US services test wearable tech to improve soldier’s performance

  25th November 2024

  Developed by the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, the Lightning Platform is an app to assess warfighters’ physiology, metabolism and mental and cognitive status.

• Land Warfare

  Textron to make improvements to Ripsaw M5 and M3 UGVs

  22nd October 2024

  The company has been partnering with several suppliers to enhance the autonomy of its platforms.

• Land Warfare

  European MBT programmes make tracks and try to find a path forward

  8th July 2024

  European MBT programmes over the next decade or two could result in orders up to US$10 billion with orders occurring and plans for purchases predicted to refresh ageing fleets.

• Training

  NATO concludes largest exercise in decades

  3rd June 2024

  NATO’s Operation Steadfast Defender involved more than 90,000 personnel, more than 50 ships, more than 80 aircraft flying hundreds of sorties and more than 1,100 combat vehicles from all 32 NATO allies.

• Land Warfare

  Australia embraces quantum technology for precise navigation and targeting

  15th April 2025

  A new project is aiming to deliver a ground-to-satellite optical quantum link, which would allow much more precise battle planning.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Programme Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK - Option]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Bulldog FV432 Mk 3 Replacement [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement Serving in several iterations since 1963, the FV432 Mk3 'Bulldog' remains operational and deployed as command vehicles, ambulances, and recovery vehicles within the British Army. Although ...

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

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Programme Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) [UK]

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

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Medium Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Medium Protected Mobility (MPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• 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 ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Buffalo MPCV

  The Buffalo Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) is in service with the armed forces of Canada, France, Italy, Pakistan, the UK and the US and has ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cougar 6x6

  The Cougar 6x6 has its origins as a South African vehicle manufactured by Force Protection, a company eventually purchased by General Dynamics. Mine-protected vehicles manufactured ...

• Tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...