• Defence Notes

  Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace

  30th March 2026

  Future operational superiority will be defined by the ability to connect systems, data and personnel into a wider network. For armed forces, this creates the need for a digital backbone that integrates and enhances sensors and effectors of all kinds.

• Air Warfare

  Baykar’s Akinci: Local participation and export freedom drive $4.63 billion success story

  5th May 2026

  The success of the Akinci drone stems from Turkey’s push for domestically produced components – which has led to fewer export restrictions – and from manufacturer Baykar’s willingness to coproduce the drone with customers’ domestic industries.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s revised defence investment plan: what it means for naval warfare

  17th April 2026

  The 2026 Integrated Investment Program allocates up to A$130 billion for undersea warfare, committing the Royal Australian Navy to nuclear-powered submarines, autonomous platforms and an expanded surface combatant fleet over the next decade.

• Air Warfare

  British Army's Project Nyx progress reflects MoD investment in autonomous system

  20th May 2026

  The UK MoD said it would narrow down the competitors from four to two later in the year, with those selected going on to develop the prototype drone that will operate as loyal wingman to the British Army’s Apache AH-64E helicopters.

• Land Warfare

  Romania set to order KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles

  17th November 2025

  Romania’s effort to buy infantry fighting vehicles is expected to include five configurations: a standard platform with a 30mm autocannon, a command variant, an armoured recovery vehicle, a medical evacuation vehicle and a 120mm self-propelled mortar.

• Air Warfare

  April air forces review: Next-gen platform push ties in with fleet modernisation plans

  29th April 2026

  Countries releasing their spending budgets over the past month have placed an emphasis on advancing next-generation crewed programmes as well as upgrades and expansion plans for air combat and aerial refuelling capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Middle East UAV market underscored by $17bn in unsigned deals

  25th February 2026

  While several UAV programmes remain unawarded in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is forecast to be the biggest spender with its potential MQ-9B and Gambit deals overshadowing others in the region.

• Air Warfare

  Brazilian Air Force conducts first live fire of Meteor missile from Gripen E

  3rd December 2025

  The major milestone for the beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile was conducted in November and expands the capabilities of the air force’s growing Gripen E fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to acquire and test uncrewed surface vessel prototypes by the end of FY2026

  30th March 2026

  The new autonomous surface vessels are planned to be operationally fielded in FY2027, following the completion of on-water trials.

• Naval Warfare

  Partnerships will be critical for future projects at Latin American shipyards

  21st May 2026

  Multiple Latin American navies are modernising their fleets by prioritising domestically manufactured surface vessels and even submarines via international partnerships.

• Air Warfare

  Bundeswehr launches loitering munition spending spree with $2.16 billion unassigned

  24th April 2026

  After months of delays, Rheinmetall has inked a €300 million deal with Germany for its FV-014 drone this week as part of a wider framework contract worth €2.4 billion for loitering munition procurement. Shephard looks at how the as-yet-unawarded funds could be spent.

• Digital Battlespace

  SOF Week 2026: How SOF Operators Are Driving the Future of Battlefield Communications (video)

  21st May 2026

  At SOF Week 2026, Austin Farnham, President of Octane Wireless, discusses how direct feedback from special operations forces is helping shape the next generation of battlefield communications technology.

• Air Warfare

  German Navy in “ramp-up” phase as it welcomes first NH90 Sea Tiger delivery

  16th December 2025

  With all 31 aircraft set to be delivered by 2030, the helicopters will gradually replace the ageing Sea Lynx fleet which are due to be retired in 2026.

• Air Warfare

  How defence sovereignty is driving middle power jet programmes

  25th May 2026

  While moving away from US-made equipment towards home-grown options is a rising preference for some countries, there are multiple hurdles to overcome to compete with the US’s expansive global footprint and dominance.

• Air Warfare

  Norway revitalises effort to acquire a tactical-class UAV with $103 million competition

  2nd April 2026

  Norway first scoped the requirement in 2022, and included it in a defence strategy document in 2023. The announcement of a new framework agreement appears to have breathed fresh life into the effort.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Procurement [Slovakia]

  Programme Background Earlier in April 2018, the US State Department announced that it has approved a possible FMS deal of 14 F-16V aircraft for an ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  6x6 APC (Batch 2) [Philippines]

  Programme Background First Contract The Philippine Army has identified an urgent need for new wheeled APCs, after the Battle of Marawi exposed shortcomings in its ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  Background Timeline In May 2021, budget constraints prompted new Colombian finance minister José Manuel Restrepo (in post since 3 May) to place on indefinite hold ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  6x6 APC [Philippines]

  Programme Background Programme Background The Philippine Army has identified an urgent need for new wheeled APCs, after the Battle of Marawi exposed shortcomings in its ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  Programme Background The E-6 Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Recapitalisation Programme (E-XX) provides for air vehicle replacement and mission systems modernization to augment and eventually ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KF41 Lynx [Hungary]

  Programme Background Since 2017, the Hungarian MoD has invested considerable funds into the modernisation of Hungary's Armed Forces. Under its Zrínyi 2026 development plan, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KF41 Lynx (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Programme Background Ukraine first expressed an interest in acquiring the KF41 Lynx in 2023.  This was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  IFV Replacement [Romania]

  Programme background In service as a chassis since 1982 and in its current form since 1991, the Romanian MLI-84M tracked IFV is expected to go ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Armoured Cavalry Vehicle [Canada]

  Background The Canadian Army is currently undergoing a generational transformation. Its organisational structure is being overhauled with a transition away from a geographical focus towards ...

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

  Force Protection Drone Systems [Poland]

  Background Force Protection In November 2024, the Polish Defence Ministry's Armaments Agency signed a PLN 499 million (US$127.6 million) agreement with WB Group for 12 Force Protection drone ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Jaguar Medium Common Armoured Vehicle Platform [Belgium]

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  New IFV [Greece]

  Programme Background Current Greek Capabilities The majority of Greece's IFV fleet is comprised of BMP-1s. Greece acquired 501 BMP-1s from Germany between 1993 and 1994. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Pizarro Replacement [Spain]

  Programme Background Spain currently operates a fleet of 225 Pizzaro IFVs. The Pizarro is a derivative of the ASCOD, with another variant called the Ulan ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Army Armoured Combat System (A2CS) [Italy]

  Programme Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  E-LynX AR

  Elbit Systems' E-LynX AR is a multi-channel SDR designed for operation in airborne platforms, including helicopters, transport aircraft and fighter jets. The MANET-capable radio allows ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  E-LynX Manpack

  Elbit Systems E-LynX Manpack is a multi-band VHF/UHF radio system. The MANET-capable radio features GPS-independent synchronisation, advanced security features and support for multiple waveforms.

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  E-LynX MP Vehicular

  Elbit Systems' E-LynX MP (7200MP-VD55) is a dual-channel vehicular SDR that supports VHF, UHF and L-Band transmissions. The radio features VOIP and analogue interface support, Blue ...

• UAS: communication systems

  E-LynX LX

  Produced by Elbit Systems, the E-LynX LX is a lightweight communication system designed for uncrewed applications in particular. It provides video, audio and data communications ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MCTR-7200 (E-LynX HH)

  Part of the E-LynX family, the field-proven MCTR-7200 is a tactical software-defined radio with software communications architecture, an intuitive user interface and multiple configuration options. ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  MCTR-7200 MIPR

  Part of the E-LynX family, the MCTR-7200 Military IP Radio (MIPR) is a tactical networking IP data radio that delivers high-speed broadband data communication to ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  PRC-4090

  The Barrett PRC-4090 is a software-defined radio that offers secure e-mail, data transfer and voice connectivity within an HF network. Notably, it can connect to ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  PNR-1000

  Part of the E-LynX family, the PNR-1000 IP radio supports up to 64-member ad-hoc networking including full-duplex voice conferencing, data and video simultaneously. As the newest generation ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-174

  Rockwell Collins AN/ARC-174 is an HF radio system primarily used in military helicopters. Amongst its several customers, the radio set was notably chosen for the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  SOVERON AR

  Developed by Rohde&Schwarz;, SOVERON AR is an airborne SDR that is in use with both fixed and rotary wing platforms. Notably, the radio adheres to ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  BNET-V

  BNET-V is a MANET Software-Defined Radio for vehicles. Designed by Rafael, the multiband radio has a modular architecture and offers compatibility with several legacy systems.

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Next Generation Survivor Radio

  The Next Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) is a software-defined radio being developed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It is expected to enter into service after June 2026.

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MCR1025

  Reutech's LANDSEC MCR1025 is an HF manpack radio system in service with the South African National Defence Force. Notably, it supports Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM, Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  CNHF1

  Produced by KNL, the CNHF1 is a software-defined HF radio system with cognitive radio capabilities. Capable of receiving the entire HF spectrum, it provides secure, ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SDR Family

  Designed to provide high-speed data and voice communications to support land, maritime and air platform applications on the digital battlefield. The family of SDRs consists ...