• Land Warfare

  Supacat and KNDS join forces for British Army vehicle programme

  17th November 2025

  The Land Mobility Programme is the biggest UK opportunity for the next few decades if it all falls into place. Companies have been filling their dance cards as milestones approach in the hope they are not the mirages of the past.

• Air Warfare

  MQ-28A Ghost Bat: Australia’s drone charts the future of loyal wingman UAVs

  6th October 2025

  Boeing Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat stands as the oldest “loyal wingman” currently in development, with potential European opportunity on the horizon for the uncrewed aerial vehicle.

• Naval Warfare

  UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration

  4th December 2025

  The Type 26 will also be fitted with the Sea Ceptor vertically launched air defence system that can fire CAMM missiles and a 24-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system that can fire the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine rockets and long-range anti-ship missiles.

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI takes step towards developing European YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft

  21st July 2025

  The US company will work with its European affiliate company, General Atomics Aerotec Systems (GA-ATS) to support manufacture the YFQ-42A.

• Defence Notes

  High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?

  20th January 2026

  Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: DroneShield sets sights on Europe thanks to surge in CUAS demand

  9th September 2025

  The Australian-based CUAS technology specialist is responding to a marked shift in global appetite as it looks to branch out to an unspecified western European country early next year.

• Land Warfare

  Europe looks to solve tank procurement challenges with upgraded and new platforms

  28th August 2025

  The UK government in 2019 reflected a common attitude towards main battle tanks (MBTs) across Western Europe as it moved to reduce its fleet from 227 Challenger 2 vehicles to 148, which would be upgraded under a plan that eventually produced the Challenger 3. Now, however, there is an increased interest in platforms new, upgraded and planned across the continent.

• Naval Warfare

  What HII’s UK expansion could mean for Royal Navy’s uncrewed future

  14th January 2026

  As HII prepares to deliver its latest AI-enabled uncrewed surface vessel later this year, its major UK facility expansion aligns with the UK Royal Navy’s plans for a hybrid fleet.

• Air Warfare

  Helsing targets European market with new CA-1 combat drone

  26th September 2025

  The UCAV, designed by Helsing’s subsidiary Grob Aircraft, will start ground tests in the coming months and is aiming to have a production-ready version by 2029.

• Land Warfare

  The year ahead: Major trends and forecasts for the land domain in 2026

  8th January 2026

  2025 was a busy year for the land domain and 2026 looks set to be just as big. Shephard’s Dr Peter Magill analyses some of the major trends we are likely to see in the year ahead.

• Defence Notes

  Elbit Systems awarded $2.3 billion contract as results soar

  18th November 2025

  The company’s order backlog as of 30 September totalled $25.2 billion and more than a third of this is scheduled to be fulfilled before the end of 2026.

• Naval Warfare

  Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?

  2nd December 2025

  South Korean shipbuilders are beginning to make their mark beyond Asia, competing for major North American and European submarine programmes and becoming serious contenders on a global scale.

• Air Warfare

  Lockheed nets $43 million US Army contract for Black Hawk modernisation

  22nd August 2025

  The initial funds will focus on the foundational capabilities to modernise the attack helicopter, including digital architecture that will allow for launched effects and UAS integration.

• Air Warfare

  US approves potential $4.7 billion missile and air defence system sales to Denmark and Italy

  8th December 2025

  Italy could field the JASSM-ER for its combat aircraft including the F-35, while Denmark has been approved for AMRAAM and an Integrated Battle Command system procurement.

• Land Warfare

  Denmark shuns US platform as it settles on SAMP/T air defence system

  16th September 2025

  The acquisition, which is part of the country’s broader defence package worth DKK58 billion (US$9.2 billion), goes against the grain with many other European countries opting for the US’s popular Patriot platform.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Narviris), and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Narviris), and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Naviris), and Spain's Navantia. The patrol-type vessel ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri, France's Naval Group (named Naviris), and Spain's Navantia. The patrol-type vessel ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Spain]

  The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is being developed by a joint venture between Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group (named Narviris) and Spain's Navantia. The corvette ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [France]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is one of the new PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence and Security) projects. PESCO was established ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is one of the new PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence and Security) projects. PESCO was established ...

• Corvettes

  European Patrol Corvette (EPC) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements The 2021-2023 Documento Programmatico Pluriennale (DPP) - a multi-year defence planning document from the Italian MoD - includes a plan to acquire eight "Patrol Ships", ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• OPVs

  Polish Coast Guard OPVs

  Programme Background The Polish Coast Guard is acquiring a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) intended for the control of the external borders of the European Union. ...

• Main battle tanks

  Main ARmoured Tank of Europe (MARTE) [Estonia]

  Programme Background Participants MARTE was announced in July 2025 as a consortium led by KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall. This consortium, under the joint venture MARTE ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Tryzub Laser

  Ukraine's Tryzub (Trident) laser was revealed during the European Defence Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defence Industry conference in 2025. Video footage from ...

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

  LOTUS

  The LOTUS, Low Observable Tactical Unnamed System, is a tactical UAV especially designed for border patrol ISR operations.  The development of the project is funded by ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Sky Buzzer

  Hensoldt’s Sky Buzzer is a towed anti-radar decoy originally developed by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). The system is designed to protect ...

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• Land: air defence radar

  APIS

  APIS is a passive high-resolution primary radar system developed by Indra. It is the first passive system in the world capable of offering images using ...

• Major networking projects

  IABMS

  Integrated Air Battlespace Management System (IABMS) is a modular real-time air defence and C4I system of systems that has been fielded and implemented at fixed, ...

• Main battle tanks

  EMBT

  KNDS (KMW + NEXTER Defense Systems) presented its first joint product, the EMBT (European Main Battle Tank) demonstrator, at the June 2018 Eurosatory defence exhibition. The EMBT mounts ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Mistral 3

  The Mistral 3 is the latest member of the Mistral family of very short-range surface-to-air missiles. It entered service in 2018 and has been chosen ...

• EO/IR systems

  NightHawk2-UZ

  The NightHawk2-UZ is a dual EO-IR stabilised camera turret from NextVision designed for long-range observation applications that demand low weight. The 350g sensor's IR camera has a 1280x720p ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DRASS Combat Management System

  The Italian company DRASS is developing its proprietary combat management system for use in compact submarines. The development of this CMS suite was first unveiled in ...

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

  Talarion

  The Talarion is a next-generation MALE UAV for reconnaissance, detection, classification and tracking of targets (land and sea) as well as detection, recognition and identification ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Pro

  The Pro VTOL is a fixed-wing UAV from DeltaQuad. It is available in three models, the Map, View and Cargo variants, which primarily impact the attached payload. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  CAMM-MR

  The CAMM-MR (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile - Medium Range) is being developed collaboratively by MBDA and Poland's PGZ to enhance medium-range air defence capabilities, with ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...

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

  Skeldar V-200

  UMS Aero Group AG and Saab formed a joint venture company called UMS SKELDAR to produce the Skeldar V-200 UAV.  The Skeldar V-200 is a flexible and highly ...