• Defence Notes

  Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent

  3rd December 2024

  The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.

• Naval Warfare

  Norway and Germany sign agreement on NATO undersea infrastructure

  19th October 2024

  A new chain of Critical Undersea Infrastructure hubs among NATO Allies has been proposed to ensure pipes and cables are safe from damage.

• Naval Warfare

  Germany and Finland suspect “hybrid sabotage” of undersea infrastructure

  20th November 2024

  Without naming a culprit, the defence ministers of both nations expressed concern about “deliberate” severing of undersea internet cables.

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for Royal Navy’s next-generation nuclear submarine

  25th March 2025

  HMS Dreadnought will be the first of the four Dreadnought class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s. Following its keel-laying ceremony last week, Shephard takes a deeper dive into the class which will eventually replace the Royal Navy's long-standing Vanguard class of boats.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy takes delivery of New Jersey SSN

  26th April 2024

  The USN’s Virginia-class SSNs are replacing the old Los Angeles-class SSNs. The Virginia-class SSNs are fitted with the latest sensors and weapons and around 48 submarines are planned, with a total of 38 currently ordered.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan multiplies mine-layer vessel and UAV inventories to deter PLA

  25th April 2025

  Taiwan is strengthening its deterrence against the PLA through an asymmetric arsenal that includes fast mine-laying vessels and domestically developed UAVs.

• Naval Warfare

  New Talwar-class frigate enters service with the Indian Navy

  13th December 2024

  The INS Tushil has been in production and testing for over a decade, with three more vessels following behind to complete the class.

• Naval Warfare

  RFA Support Ships pass design review stage

  23rd October 2024

  The UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary Solid Support Ships have found the design review plain sailing and will now move forward to construction stages.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: MARSS delivers two more protection systems for naval bases in the Middle East

  19th February 2025

  NiDAR, which protects against threats through real-time data fusion, has been designed to provide faster detection, tracking, classification and response to potential threats.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin awarded $756 million for long-range hypersonic weapon

  20th May 2024

  Lockheed Martin delivered equipment for the first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LTHW) battery, referred to as Dark Eagle, to US soldiers in 2021. The system has been designed to deliver additional capability for the nation’s ground-based hypersonic weapon system.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy calls for industry views on modular outfitting

  17th October 2024

  The UK Government has called for industry views on the viability of a long-term approach to NavyPODS.

• Land Warfare

  TROPHY® APS: Revolutionizing Ground Maneuver Operations

  17th June 2024

  TROPHY® APS revolutionizes combat maneuverability, safeguarding crews and vehicles while enabling operations in complex terrains.

• Naval Warfare

  Swedish Navy boosts submarine fleet navigation with ECPINS deal

  6th December 2024

  The agreement between OSI Maritime Systems and the Royal Swedish Navy covers the nation’s entire underwater fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Viettel acts as dominant force in Vietnam’s military modernisation

  16th January 2025

  Vietnam defence manufacturer Viettel, traditionally known for radar and communications equipment, has been moving into new areas including kinetic weapons and loitering munitions.

• Naval Warfare

  Virginia-class submarines get contract modifications from General Dynamics

  10th October 2024

  There are scheduled to be 51 Virginia-class submarines in the US fleet by the early 2030s.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (India)

  Programme Background On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in Delhi. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Selected) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in mind. ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

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

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class Frigates Procurement [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy (HN) seeks to modernize its Fleet by 2032 with second-hand and newly built ships. The main goal is to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 212CD

  Norway is to get four new Type 212CD ‘common design’ submarines to replace the existing Ula-class SSKs after it selected German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class FFG(X)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

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

  AN/APS-147

  The AN/APS-147 is a multi-mode maritime inverse synthetic aperture radar for the Sikorsky MH-60R. It provides target imaging, small target/periscope detection and long-range surveillance, as ...