• Defence Helicopter

  Modification work begins on French Navy H160s for maritime SAR

  27th May 2022

  The first of six H160s is now being modified for French Navy SAR missions.

• Air Warfare

  Farnborough 2022: Turkish Aerospace to mark Çanakkale victory anniversary with TF-X rollout and Hürjet first flight

  20th July 2022

  Turkish Aerospace has revealed it will hold a TF-X rollout ceremony and conduct the first flight of a Hürjet trainer on the same day in 2023.

• Land Warfare

  Poland advances plans for new armoured vehicles from South Korea

  8th August 2022

  Poland has released further details of its ambitious plans to stock up rapidly on new tanks and self-propelled howitzers of South Korean design, involving over 1,000 K2 MBTs and 600 K9 SPHs. Some will replace equipment supplied to Ukraine, but the bulk of production will be for expansion of the army.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RCO defends Project Mosquito cancellation, claiming investment stopped making sense

  4th July 2022

  Despite the UK MoD awarding Spirit Aerosystems a Project Mosquito Phase 2 design and development contract for a low-cost, uncrewed fighter aircraft valued at £30 million, the project has been cancelled without a demonstrator being built.

• Naval Warfare

  France’s first Barracuda-class submarine enters service

  8th June 2022

  French Navy celebrates the first of its new Barracuda-class nuclear submarines entering service.

• Defence Notes

  US Special Operations Command sets out tech priorities

  1st June 2022

  Senior USSOCOM leaders highlight counter-UAS, tactical mobility and the need for a sophisticated common operating picture as priorities for US special forces.

• Defence Notes

  Stark choices confront constrained UK (Opinion)

  30th August 2022

  Is the next Prime Minister capable of finding a solution for the crisis facing the UK, as the country grapples with a cost of living crisis and an economy entering a recession at the same time as Cold War levels of defence investment are needed?

• Defence Notes

  US military seeks ways to avoid shortage of microelectronics

  24th June 2022

  The US Department of Defense has released its ‘Microelectronics Vision’ paper, addressing objectives and guidelines to minimise vulnerabilities and ensure long-term access. However, the DoD faces some obstacles in progressing with its plans.

• Digital Battlespace

  How the Five Eyes militaries are discovering the power of the network (podcast)

  8th July 2022

  In this bonus episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, we bring you the second episode from the latest series of the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast.

• Naval Warfare

  Philippines orders six OPVs from South Korea

  28th June 2022

  In a midnight deal, just before the current Philippine administration leaves office, Manila has ordered six OPVs from Seoul.

• Training

  Simthetiq delivers immersive training classroom to Canadian navy

  26th May 2022

  A new virtual classroom for the Royal Canadian Navy includes customised content for maritime applications that will allow immersive training.

• Defence Notes

  UK doubles military support to Ukraine with £1 billion package

  1st July 2022

  The UK has announced a further £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in military support to Ukraine, bringing the total value of aid since the start of the invasion to £2.3 billion.

• Air Warfare

  Farnborough 2022: Boom and Northrop Grumman partner to explore supersonic airliner’s military potential

  19th July 2022

  At Farnborough International Air Show, Supersonic airliner developer Boom announced a partnership with Northrop Grumman to explore the military applications of the in-development Overture supersonic airliner.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems: Australian Hunters are ‘progressing very well’

  25th May 2022

  Flurries of criticism about Australia's future frigates have been growing in intensity, but BAE Systems has come out of its corner to counter the narrative.

• Naval Warfare

  Incumbent loses out as Austal USA wins follow-on Offshore Patrol Cutter contract

  4th July 2022

  Austal will leverage its new steel shipbuilding facility to build up to 11 Heritage-class OPCs for the US Coast Guard.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [US]

  Programme Background The P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) system is a heavily modified and militarized derivative of Boeing's 737-800 ERX commercial aircraft. The P-8A is ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Constellation Class - FFG(X) (11-20)

  The US Navy ran the Next Generational Future Guided Missile Frigate (FFG X) programme to build a replacement for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, the ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Constellation Class - FFG(X) (11-20)

  The US Navy ran the Next Generational Future Guided Missile Frigate (FFG X) programme to build a replacement for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, the ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53K - US Navy

  Programme Background The Marine Corps is replacing its aging CH-53E helicopters with the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Designed as an evolution of the CH-53E, the CH-53K ...

• Frigates

  Second-hand LCS [Greece]

  Programme Background Timeline In January 2024, Tasos Chatzivasileiou, a Member of the Hellenic Parliament and Secretary General of the Standing Committee of National Defence and Foreign ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  The US Navy is planning to order 115 F-35B STOVLs between FY2026 and FY2031 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  The US Navy is planning to order 115 F-35B STOVLs between FY2026 and FY2031 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  The US Navy is planning to order 115 F-35B STOVLs between FY2026 and FY2031 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  The US Navy is planning to order 115 F-35B STOVLs between FY2026 and FY2031 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35B STOVL Future Procurement - US Navy

  The US Navy is planning to order 115 F-35B STOVLs between FY2026 and FY2031 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53K - US Navy Follow-On

  Programme Background The Marine Corps is replacing its ageing CH-53E helicopters with the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Designed as an evolution of the CH-53E, the CH-53K ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) Future Procurement

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) Future Procurement

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) Future Procurement

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA is ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Destroyers

  Kee Lung (Kidd) Class

  The Kee Lung-class consists of four ex-US Kidd-class guided missile destroyers in service with the Republic of China Navy (ROCN). The ships were originally built for ...

• Military - UUVs

  Orca

  Orca is an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) developed by Boeing for the US Navy (USN).

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Military - USVs

  Explorer

  Saildrone's Explorer is the smallest of three USVs designed and built by the US-based USV manufacturer Saildrone. The system is used by the US Navy (USN) ...

• EO/IR systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  SeaFLIR 380-HD

  The SeaFLIR 380-HD is a long-range, multispectral surveillance system for surface vessels. Manufactured by Teledyne FLIR, the system combines HD IR, colour or SWIR spectral information. According to ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  MK266 High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer

  The MK266 High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer is a 30mm medium calibre round manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is currently in use with the US Navy.

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Integrated Combat System

  The Integrated Combat System (ICS) is a combat management system being developed for the US Navy. The project, currently led by Lockheed Martin, aims to ...

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  XM1198 High Explosive Dual Purpose with Self Destruct (HEDP-SD)

  The XM1198 High Explosive Dual Purpose with Self Destruct (HEDP-SD) is a 30mm medium calibre round manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The US Navy uses the XM1198.

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  XM950 Target Practice Round

  The XM950 Target Practice Round is a 30mm medium calibre training round manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The US Navy uses the XM950 for training with its ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT)

  The Navy Multiband Terminal is the next-generation maritime military SATCOM for the US Navy and allied nations. The terminal integrates EHF and AEHF systems with ...