• Defence Notes

  DSEI 2015: UKTI showcases industry (video)

  24th September 2015

  Representatives from UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) used the DSEI exhibition to showcase various technologies on offer from UK industry. 

• Land Warfare

  Saab wins Ajax camouflage contract

  23rd September 2015

  Saab will supply Mobile Camouflage Systems (MCS) for the UK’s Ajax armoured vehicle under a contract received from General Dynamics UK. The contract will see …

• Military Logistics

  MBDA to sustain UK ASRAAM stocks

  22nd September 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract to MBDA to sustain the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales launches Sonar 2093 upgrade

  21st September 2015

  Thales has launched an upgrade to its Sonar 2093 minehunting sonar that will be introduced on the Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunters, the company announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE preferred bidder for Type 26 gun

  21st September 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected BAE Systems as preferred bidder to provide the Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS) gun system for the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2015: Upgraded Desert Hawk wins deal

  21st September 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence awarded Lockheed Martin a support contract for the Desert Hawk 3.1 programme, while the OEM also revealed upgrades to the …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2015: New Giraffe AMBs for UK

  20th September 2015

  The first deliveries of the UK’s new Giraffe Agile Multi Beam (AMB) surveillance radar systems are set to commence in 2017 according to SAAB. The …

• Land Warfare

  UK extends CATT support contract

  18th September 2015

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract extension to Lockheed Martin to continue its support for the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT) …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2015: Turboprops better option for UK

  18th September 2015

  While many are placing their bets on the Boeing P-8 Poseidon as the future UK maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), others are calling for a competition …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2015: Raytheon sees Sentinel export potential

  18th September 2015

  Raytheon is offering additional capabilities on its Sentinel surveillance aircraft as it targets the export market, the company said at DSEI in London. Maritime and …

• Land Warfare

  Marshall announces AJAX simulator work

  18th September 2015

  Marshall Aerospace and Defence will support XPI Simulation in delivering driver simulator equipment for the UK's Ajax vehicle programme by providing replica driving moldules, the …

• Land Warfare

  Thales gunnery sight for Ajax

  18th September 2015

  Lockheed Martin UK has awarded a £54 million contract to Thales for the DNGS-T3 Stabilised Day/Night Gunnery Sight for UK's Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) programme, …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2015: Taming the Wildcat (video)

  17th September 2015

  The Royal Navy has revealed more details about trials it is conducting in the Gulf region to expand the capabilities of its new AW159 Wildcat …

• Land Warfare

  Thales receives Thai StarStreak order

  17th September 2015

  Thales has signed a multi-million pound contract with DataGate in Thailand to supply the Royal Thai Army with the StarStreak air defence missile system.  This …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2015: Training costs for British Army

  17th September 2015

  The costs of training for the British Army during FY14/15 have been revealed following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Shephard to the UK MoD. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

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

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

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

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...