• Naval Warfare

  Opinion: New First Sea Lord faces new challenges

  21st June 2019

  Earlier this week Adm Tony Radakin has been appointed as the new First Sea Lord of the UK Royal Navy, taking over from Adm Sir …

• Defence Helicopter

  GKN delivers thermoplastic parts for V-280 Valor

  25th June 2019

  GKN Aerospace has delivered thermoplastic parts to Bell Helicopter for integration into the V-280 Valor tiltrotor.   The parts include a pair of thermoplastic composite, induction-welded …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to retrofit F-15 IFF units

  10th June 2019

  Raytheon is to retrofit the US Air Force’s F-15 aircraft Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) units under a $14 million contract modification announced by the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Weaponised UAV expansion set to drive growth in the market

  18th June 2019

  Request Executive Summary The market for military unmanned systems will reach more than $14.5 billion annually by the end of the next decade, according to …

• Defence Helicopter

  S-97's speed remains in testing

  26th June 2019

  The co-axial S-97 Raider programme has managed to successfully overcome software-based problems that caused a past hard landing incident. A new process of qualification has …

• Defence Helicopter

  China aims to fill gaps with a naval Z-20

  5th July 2019

  An image that appeared on the Chinese Internet last week depicted a full-sized mock-up of a Z-20 helicopter sitting on the stern of a People’s …

• Special Operations

  USSOCOM looks to future helicopter cockpit

  21st June 2019

  US Special Operations Command is exploring industry capabilities for a “next generation Special Operations Aviation cockpit.” Command interest in related industry capabilities was expressed in …

• Land Warfare

  MBDA and Lockheed submit bid for Germany's IAMD programme

  25th June 2019

  An MBDA Deutchsland/Lockheed Martin joint venture has submitted its proposal for Germany’s future integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) acquisition programme.  The tactical air defence …

• Naval Warfare

  French Navy gets latest OPV

  21st June 2019

  The French Navy’s final Patrouilleurs Antilles-Guyane (PAG) programme offshore patrol vessel has been handed over at a ceremony in Saint-Malo, Brittany, MAURIC announced on 19 …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK's new weapon location system project becomes Serpens

  8th July 2019

  The new Next Generation Weapon Locating System (NGWLS) project, introduced by the UK MoD at DVD 2018, will now be known under a new name, …

• Defence Notes

  Paris Air Show: Under wraps on the flight line (video)

  16th June 2019

  As the 2019 edition of the Paris Air Show thrusts into public view, Shephard examines some of the platforms on display, others being kept under …

• Defence Notes

  Croatia launches a new fighter procurement drive

  31st May 2019

  Croatia has launched a second fighter procurement attempt after a widely-publicised failure to secure secondhand F-16s offered by the Israeli government. Defence minister, Damir Krstičević …

• Special Operations

  Safran's first MFF delivery due

  27th June 2019

  Safran will deliver its first military freefall (MFF) ensemble to the French Army in the final quarter of 2019 as part of the Multi-Mission Parachute …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: Falco Xplorer lights fire to unmanned MALE competition

  17th June 2019

  The MALE unmanned market has a new addition and one that will potentially act as stiff competition to the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian. Leonardo’s new …

• Defence Notes

  Russian Air and Space force takes its first MiG-35s

  24th June 2019

  The MiG-35 development, test and production effort has marked a serious advance in the last three years according to Ilya Tarasenko, director general at Russian …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Sky Scout-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background At the Defence & Security (D&S;) 2019 show in Bangkok, RV Connex displayed a variant of this Sky Scout, the Sky Scout-X. This ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [Türkiye]

  Turkey has become the second country to receive the new-generation A400M airlifter, with the first of ten aircraft handed over by Airbus Defence and Space ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  DP18A [Thailand]

  Background 2023 According to Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL) officials, speaking to Janes at Defence & Security (D&S;) 2023 in Bangkok, the company was at ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

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

  Anka-S (Saudi Arabia)

  Programme Background Desired Procurement Saudi Arabia has reportedly been in negotiations to procure six Anka UAVs since 2013. It has not been disclosed which Anka ...

• Trainer

  S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  Programme Background Requirement The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

  Programme Background Five prototypes will be manufactured for developmental tests. Indian Air Force will buy 36 AMCA Mark-I aircraft from 2029-30. The Mark-I configuration will ...

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

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

• Trainer

  T-4 Replacement [Japan]

  Programme Background The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has been using the T-4 as an intermediate trainer jet since 1988, but now the Acquisition, Technology ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Colombia]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing a MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i (Philippines)

  The Black Hawk is believed to have been the most expensive of the aircraft that had been shortlisted for the PAF project, others being the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Serbia]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing an MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  EDA-S [France]

  Programme Background Following the announcement of the 14-ship contract, the DGA approved the design of the first two standard amphibious landing craft (EDA-S) in October 2019, ...

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

  Camcopter Project (Thailand)

  Programme Background Batch One In November 2019, as reported by Shephard, Schiebel was awarded a TBH600 million ($18.76 million) contract from the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval guns

  Gökdeniz

  Gökdeniz, also known as Korkut-D, is a 35mm Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) developed by Turkish Aselsan. It was unveiled for the first time at IDEF ...

• Land: RWS

  D-RWS

  The Dual-RWS (D-RWS) is designed to be installed on the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicle fleet. Weighing approximately 350kg, it is ...

• Transponders and IFF

  IFF Mk XIIA(S)

  Aselsan IFF Mk XIIA(S) is a Mode 5/S compatible long-range IFF interrogator. According to the manufacturer, it may be mounted to a standard 19-inch rack ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  PC-21 FTD

  Airbus D&S; has technical responsibility for overall system integration and the geo-specific database within the consortium for the development and production of the Pilatus PC-21 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-213(V) DAC

  Terma’s AN/ALQ-213(V) electronic warfare management unit is used extensively on General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon series combat aircraft around the world. The AN/ALQ-213(V) is ...

• OPVs

  OPV 58 S

  The OPV 58 S is a versatile patrol vessel developed by the French company Piriou. The vessels have been designed primarily for surveillance, identification and ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Bavar 373

  The Bavar 373 is a medium/long range ground based air defence missile system developed by Iran. It is claimed to offer similar capabilities between S-300PMU2 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  CMS (Vikrant-Class)

  The Combat Management System abroad INS Vikrant is developed by TATA Power's Strategic Engineering Division, the Indian MoD's Weapon and Electonic System Engineering Establishment and ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Distributed and Networked Mission Training

  Airbus D&S; networks training systems to enable joint and distributed mission training across local and national boundaries, generating realistic and needs-oriented scenarios. The solution uses ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM

  The BTR-MDM Rakushka is an amphibious tracked armoured vehicle developed by Kurganmashzavod to meet the Russian Airborne Forces' (VDV) need for a new air-droppable APC. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Sky Scout-M

  Unveiled at the Defense & Security (D&S;) 2023 exhibition in Bangkok, the Sky Scout-M is a combat version of the Sky Scout from RV Connex.  ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-3

  Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau produced the first 8x8 BTR-3-series amphibious APC in 2001. The series includes the BTR-3U, the BTR-3U Guardian (variant for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  TEagle Eye III

  Thailand’s state-owned Defence Technology Institute (DTI) unveiled the TEagle Eye III fixed-wing UAV in November 2015 at the country's Defence and Security (D&S;) exhibition. It ...

• Helicopter guns

  FN D-HMP 250

  The FN D-HMP (Digital Heavy Machine Gun Pod) 250 is a self-contained airborne weapon system armed with a .50 cal FN M3P heavy machine gun, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar, Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APY-1/2

  The S-band AN/APY-1 radar is installed in a large rotodome above the fuselage of the Boeing KE-3A/E-3A/B Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft ...