• Defence Notes

  Japan's Abe welcomes N Korea pledge, but defence chief vows pressure

  21st April 2018

  Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 21 April cautiously welcomed North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches but its defence minister …

• Land Warfare

  Lasers are coming, but are personnel protected?

  23rd April 2018

  The US Army’s recent tests of high-energy laser systems, including on the Stryker combat vehicle, illustrates a potential problem with their use; the safety of personnel …

• Naval Warfare

  Deadline looms for NZ P-8 purchase

  23rd April 2018

  The deadline for a decision on whether the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) can order the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is approaching. New Zealand …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2018: Mahindra pursues diversity with four MoUs

  15th April 2018

  Mahindra Defence and Aeronautics announced four separate MoUs during DefExpo 2018, ranging from naval UAVs to amphibian aircraft to fast jets. Illustrating the company’s diverse …

• Naval Warfare

  Seagull could be added to India's platform panoply

  20th April 2018

  Indian naval shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) signed an agreement with Israel’s Elbit Systems to produce Elbit’s Seagull USV vessel at the recently …

• Special Operations

  SOF explores unmanned naval platform

  20th April 2018

  The US Navy has conducted its latest demonstration of Textron Systems’ Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) as it considers a variety of concepts of operation …

• Land Warfare

  Turkey to receive Russian S-400 missiles in July 2019

  4th April 2018

  Turkey and Russia have agreed to bring forward to July 2019 the delivery of S-400 air defence missile systems to Ankara, a Turkish official said, …

• Defence Notes

  Saudi Arabia hosts multi-nation military drills

  16th April 2018

  Saudi Arabia concluded a month-long military exercise involving more than 24 nations on 16 April, a day after hosting an Arab summit that slammed what …

• Naval Warfare

  Row erupts over expected international tender for UK FSS programme

  19th April 2018

  Amid a growing row over the impending decision to offer a £1 billion ($1.4 billion) Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme …

• Digital Battlespace

  Curtiss-Wright to provide mission computers to Thales

  13th April 2018

  Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions has received a contract from Thales UK for its commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Packaged COTS (PCOTS) mission computers, the company announced on 10 April. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  L3 introduces advanced Iver PW AUV

  11th April 2018

  L3 Technologies has introduced a new AUV called the Iver Precision Workhorse (Iver PW) for military and commercial applications, the company announced on 9 April.  …

• Digital Battlespace

  Experts call for revolution in approach to cyber security

  13th April 2018

  Experts have warned that networked, battlefield technology is highly vulnerable to cyber attacks and without a fundamental shift in the approach miliatries take to delivering …

• Naval Warfare

  NATO continues to seek new Med partners

  18th April 2018

  When situational awareness is the aim of the game having a multitude of partners with eyes and ears at sea is a benefit to maritime …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2018: Kaplan MT seeks Indonesian qualification

  17th April 2018

  The Kaplan MT medium tank, a joint design between Turkish firm FNSS and Indonesian company PT Pindad, is set to undergo qualification tests in Indonesia, …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army evolves night vision requirements

  18th April 2018

  The US Army is looking to replace its existing night vision monocular systems with new binocular systems to improve its night fighting capabilities. The Enhanced …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  DELI [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Speaking to Shephard at SAHA Expo 2022, a spokesperson stated that the platform was expected to enter into service with the Turkish Armed ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [UK]

  Background Rumours In mid-October 2022, Mustafa Varank, Turkey’s minister of industry, revealed to CNN Turk that the UK was interested in Turkish armed drones. The ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) (Tranche 2) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Micro UAV [Argentina]

  Background Tender The EA and MoD in April 2021 announced Public Tender 0090/2021 (UOC: 84/135), which saw the General Directorate of Material begin the process of ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Air Force)

  Programme Background The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede them to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Ground Master 403 Radar [Egypt]

  Background In 2020, Egypt ordered four of France-based Thales Ground Master 403 radars, the mobile member of their GM400 radar family.  At least one of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle [Czechia]

  Programme Background Earmarked The ACR took delivery of ten ScanEagle systems (100 UAVs), which were received as a donation from the US in 2015. In ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Sovereign UAS Challenge [Australia]

  Background Chinese Drones Banned As reported by Shephard in August 2023, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) previously used commercial UAS from companies such as DJI ...

• Military UAS - small

  Domestically developed UAV [Mexican Army]

  Background Domestic development In 2025, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced initiatives for the Army and Navy to independently develop UAV prototypes, as part of a broader ...

• Military UAS - small

  HUSAR (2023 Order) [Germany]

  Programme Background First Order In 2015, the German Army launched the HUSAR programme to identify a replacement for its Airbus Defence & Space KZO and ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Libya]

  Programme Background 2022 Reports In October 2022, various Libyan media outlets reported that the country was eyeing a possible procurement from Baykar, possibly the Akinici ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  TUAS [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Tender & Requirments The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) issued a tender in May 2020 to provide a new Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System (TUAS). ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Wizjer [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirements In its Technical Modernisation Programme 2013-2022, the Polish Ministry of National Defense (MND) identified the need for several new types of UAVs ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A) that will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  OC-135B Replacement [USA]

  Programme Background The modification and Treaty Certification works include Digital Visual Imaging System kits, design and development for mission system integration (structural design, interphone communications systems, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Skylark 3

  The Skylark 3 is a small UAS manufactured by Elbit Systems. It is designed for both dismounted and vehicle-based operations.  It can perform a range of ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  M12 Monitor

  The Saxon Remote Systems M12 Monitor UAV is a commercial and military system designed to perform a range of roles such as surveillance, pipeline inspection ...

• Military UAS - small, Military UAS - tactical

  Resolute Eagle

  The Resolute Eagle is a tactical Group 3 UAS with fuselage and underwing payload bays, which is able to carry multiple sensors. The UAS has been ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  SICX-10E

  The SICX-10E is a rotary-wing UAV suitable for a range of military and civil roles, including tactical ISR, bomb damage assessment, homeland security, aerial surveillance, ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  SICX-25

  The SICX-25 is a rotary-wing UAV suitable for a range of military, commercial and civil missions, including tactical ISTAR, bomb damage assessment, civil air surveillance, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  30 June

  Developed by the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production, the 30 June is a MALE fixed-wing UAV designed for reconnaissance missions.  Additionally, it features an electromagnetic system and ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Wulung

  The Wulung is an Indonesian tactical UAV. First displayed at the Indo Defence Expo and Forum in November 2014, the aircraft entered mass production in May ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skybox

  The Skybox allows gimballed camera systems developed for small UAVs to be integrated on the nose of manned helicopters. It accommodates cameras such as DJI’s ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Yagu

  Plasan unveiled the Yagu 4x4 at the March 2018 Expo Seguridad event. It is based on the Arctic Cat Wildcat 4 1000 commercial all-terrain vehicle. The ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  StratoAirNet

  The StratoAirNet is a lightweight MALE UAV that is solar-powered and designed for commercial and military applications. It can accommodate multiple payloads weighing up to ...

• Air: mission management systems

  TM-100 Map and Video Management system

  Trakka Systems introduced a new TM-100 Map and Video Management system at HAI Heli-Expo 2017 in Dallas. The augmented reality mapping system with metadata video and audio ...

• EO/IR systems

  Geodetic photomapping and monitoring payload and blind zone cameras

  Heliatica unveiled a geodetic mapping and monitoring payload with Geoscan at Heli-Expo 2017. The system is designed to fit two Sony DSC-RX1 (24MP resolution) cameras ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  EJ-30

  Produced by Industrial Complex Engineering Robots in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production, the EJ-30 is a MALE UAV with visual similarity to the ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Dragonfish (Series)

  The Dragonfish is a series of mini fixed-wing tiltrotor UAVs from Autel Robotics. The series consists of the Lite, Standard and Pro dragonfish, with the ...

• OPVs

  Shachi Class (Project 21)

  Project 21 (P-21) Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPVs)  was intended to enhance the maritime surveillance and patrol capabilities of the Indian Navy. The design of ...