• Defence Notes

  Why the NORAD inventory might be the US and Canada’s Achilles’ heel

  4th November 2025

  Both the US and Canada operate Cold War-era capabilities which cannot defeat today’s and tomorrow’s threats.

• Air Warfare

  New UAVs: is the right capability being procured for the British Army?

  26th May 2025

  Following the retirement of Watchkeeper from the UK Armed Forces, what drone capabilities will be next sought as a replacement?

• Air Warfare

  UK-built SkyShark and TigerShark answers domestic drone demand

  23rd July 2025

  MGI Engineering recently demonstrated two variants of its SkyShark, a UK-built one-way-effector (OWE), as both a gas turbine and electric-powered platform, with its larger OWE TigerShark to be showcased at DSEI in September.

• Land Warfare

  Romania approved for additional $280 million Patriot Air Defence System buy

  29th April 2025

  The possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) from the US will cover the system and any related equipment with Lockheed Martin and RTX as primary contractors.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden to purchase IRIS-T air defence systems for $930 million

  24th June 2025

  This recent purchase of the medium-range air defence system adds to the country’s ongoing efforts to ramp up its overall defence readiness and capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Taurus KEPD 350E missile sees upgrade for German armed forces

  4th April 2025

  Taurus Systems, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and Saab, was awarded a $161 million 10-year contract in January 2025 to modernise the Taurus 350 missile.

• Land Warfare

  Czech Republic set to order RBS 70 NG systems as CAESAR howitzers begin production

  2nd June 2025

  The Czech Government is to approve the purchase of a fleet of vehicle mounted integrated air defence systems as the country invests to overhaul its equipment. Spending includes two dozen F-35As, CAESAR howitzers and refurbished Leopard tanks.

• Land Warfare

  Paris Air Show 2025: MBDA bets on carmaker to help make new one-way effector

  16th June 2025

  The One-Way Effector (OWE) is a ground-launched missile or drome designed to act as a swarm to overwhelm air defence systems. It was displayed for the first time in Paris this week.

• Air Warfare

  Applied Intuition takes aim at major air combat programmes with UK expansion

  14th August 2025

  The autonomous software company’s new UK subsidiary is the latest in a line of businesses poised to expand and offer its services to the UK Ministry of Defence and industry, as the country invests more in AI and autonomous technology to deliver the next generation of uncrewed systems.

• Land Warfare

  Beyond Survivability: How Active Protection Systems Are Empowering Commanders (Podcast)

  20th August 2025

  As threats diversify and intensify, APS are proving essential not just for vehicle protection but also for enhancing operational freedom, effectiveness and mission success in contested environments.

• Land Warfare

  Pearson Engineering remote mine-clearance system ploughs on

  10th April 2025

  The Weevil system is built around the Beacon remote control and a Pearson mine-plough. It is being evaluated on a British Army Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) but could be used for other platforms.

• Land Warfare

  Tiberius Aerospace promises big on capability and accuracy with new artillery rocket

  20th May 2025

  Tiberius Aerospace has deep roots in the entrepreneurial high-technology Silicon Valley in the US with its owners having established or been involved with major technology companies such as Nest, Veritone, Apple and Google. The owners shifted from this world to that of defence at the outbreak of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore investigates rotary-wing crewed-uncrewed teaming

  25th July 2025

  Initial exploration of helicopter crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities will commence in late-2025 and could potentially help shape future programmes involving launched effects.

• Land Warfare

  Spain to invest billions of dollars on howitzers and other vehicles as it looks to select new tanks

  16th July 2025

  The Spanish Government has outlined plans to purchase communications and cybersecurity capabilities but most notably amphibious combat vehicles, self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), bridge-laying vehicles and an effort to replace its tanks from 2040.

• Defence Notes

  Resilience, adaptiveness and collaboration vital for success in space (Studio)

  5th November 2025

  Speakers at the Defence In Space Conference (DISC) 2025 highlighted the critical and evolving role of space in national security, defence and the global economy.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Two Export Contracts In January 2022, the Daily Sabah reported that Baykar had "recently" signed its first export contract for the Akinci. Haluk Bayraktar ...

• Loitering munitions

  ZT-180 [Russia]

  Background Claims On 23 February 2023, DER SPIEGEL reported that, according to information it had gathered, China and Russia were negotiating the purchase of 100 ZT-180 drones, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Shahed-136 [Russia]

  Programme Background Iran's Involvement On 11 July 2022, according to US intelligence, Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, announced during a statement that the Iranian ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Russian Aircraft Carrier Programme

  Russia currently has one aircraft which is nonoperational which the need for a new aircraft carrier at the heart of the Russian naval modernisation programme. ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Russian Aircraft Carrier Programme

  Russia currently has one aircraft which is nonoperational which the need for a new aircraft carrier at the heart of the Russian naval modernisation programme. ...

• Loitering munitions

  Deep-strike, low-cost, loitering munition [Ukraine]

  Background 30,000 On 2 December 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine was targeting the production of 30,000 deep-strike loitering munitions in 2025. Three ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector / Scorpion (Selected) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background 500 Systems Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Quantum-Systems has provided many drones to Ukraine. Over 400 units have been provided as aid ...

• Military UAS - mini

  SkyRanger R70 (Ukraine Aid) [Canada]

  Programme Background On 19 February 2024, the Canadian Defence Minister, Bill Blair, announced that the country would donate more than 800 SkyRanger R70 UAVs to ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy Lift Helicopter [Philippines]

  Programme Background Procurement from Russia In November 2021, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that a contract had been signed to acquire 16 Mi-171 heavy ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background Virtual Address On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. On 3 May 2022, the UK's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, virtually addressed the Ukrainian ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Ka-226T- Air Force [India]

  Programme Background India had operated a diverse and antiquated fleet of helicopters to support its high-altitude operations along contested borders with China and Pakistan. Reducing ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Black Hornet 3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Programme Background Russo-Ukraine War Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, UAVs have proved vital to the country's defence. Consequently, as in this programme, the ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Spartan SUT [Russia]

  Programme Background Despite international sanctions following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Streit Group vehicles are believed to have continued to make their way into ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Quantix Recon (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background April Meeting In mid-April, just shy of two months after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the Ambassador and the Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Ukraine met ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-7 Wedgetail - UK (Second Order)

  The UK MoD signed a £1.51 billion ($1.98 billion) deal to purchase five E-7 Wedgetail aircraft from Boeing for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  T-80UD

  The 125mm-armed T-80UD MBT is a variant of the T-80 which was in production in Ukraine when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. An ...

• Loitering munitions

  AQV 100 Scalpel

  The AQV 100 Scalpel, or AQV-100, is a low-cost loitering munition manufactured by One Way Aerospace.  The drone is operated using a first-person view and ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Mini 2

  The Mini 2 is a micro rotary-wing drone from DJI. It features a 3-axis gimbaled 12MP camera for photographs and 4k/30fps for video capture. Shephard believes ...

• Transport

  An-140

  The An-140 is a light turboprop military transport aircraft developed from the An-140 regional airliner, which first flew in September 1997. It is designed to ...

• Air: sonar systems

  VGS-3

  The VGS-3 is a dipping sonar for the Ka-27/Ka-28 helicopter developed by the State Enterprise Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Hydrodevices.

• Loitering munitions

  Shahed-236

  The Shahed-236, or MC 236, is a successor to the Shahed-126. It is a loitering munition designed in Iran. The drone was presented to Russia in ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  MiG-29

  The MiG-29 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum) is an air superiority fighter aircraft designed to engage air targets in any weather, day and night.  The production ...

• Loitering munitions

  FP-5 Flamingo

  The FP-5 Flamingo is a ground-launched UAV system/cruise missile developed and manufactured by Fire Point. The system is designed to engage ground targets and is ...

• Fighter - ground attack

  Su-25

  The Su-25 (NATO reporting name Frogfoot) is a single-seat ground attack aircraft developed for close combat air support missions. Production of the Su-25 began in ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Orlan-10/10E

  Developed by the Russia-based Special Technology Center, the Orlan-10 is a medium-range UAS with many variants, such as the 10E, an export version introduced in 2017. The ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Kh-59/Kh-59E

  The Kh-59, designated by NATO as the AS-13 "Kingbolt," is a TV command-guided air-launched cruise missile. It has been offered on the export market as Kh-59E.

• Land: coastal surveillance radars

  Predel-E

  The Predel-E is a coastal surveillance radar produced by Russian manufacturer Concern Morinformsystem-Agat JSC. The system is intended as an over-the-horizon surveillance system, designed to ...

• Artillery rockets

  9M55

  9M55 is a family of 300 mm artillery rockets developed for the BM-30 Uragan MLRS developed by the Soviet Union.

• Military UAS - mini

  Matrice 300 RTK

  The Matrice 300 RTK is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by DJI. Despite being primarily aimed at industrial applications, militaries utilise it for ISR tasks.  In ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  SURA HMTDS

  SURA is a helmet-mounted display system produced in Ukraine. Notably, it offers off-boresight acquisition capability to pilots and can cue the aircraft's sensor systems using ...