• Air Warfare

  Italy moves to procure third batch of 29 AW249 helicopters

  30th October 2025

  The €1.22 billion (US$1.41 billion) follow-on order for the additional helicopters will complement the 19 AW249 already ordered by Italy.

• Land Warfare

  Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace

  20th November 2024

  In conversation... Patria’s Lauri Pauniaho talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how high mobility levels are essential for mortar systems in the face of modern counter-battery fire, and how a new platform-agnostic module can combine existing vehicles and mortar barrels into a cost-effective new weapon system.

• Naval Warfare

  How the UK Royal Navy is powering up its hybrid fleet to combat new threats

  14th November 2025

  Since it announced its move towards a new “hybrid navy” earlier this year, the force has announced a number of new uncrewed technologies in the works.

• Land Warfare

  German rearmament – three potential scenarios

  5th September 2025

  With the possibility of a massive increase in German defence spending on the horizon, Shephard analyses what such a boost could mean for the Bundeswehr’s procurement of new armoured vehicles.

• Air Warfare

  British Army seeks ACP to pair with Apache AH-64E helicopter

  13th August 2025

  The event notice to find this ACP solution will see a series of workshops run to assess problems sets for the wider Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform (LACP) programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Second Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship is on schedule to be launched mid-2026

  3rd December 2025

  While the first Joint Support Ship is currently in the final stages of outfitting, the second one is on schedule for launching next year.

• Defence Notes

  Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending

  8th August 2025

  Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Australian Navy’s plan for fleet refresh continues in the face of headwinds

  5th August 2025

  Australia has selected the Mogami-class frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to replace Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigates. The decision has been made as the RAN pushes to introduce delayed offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), awaits criticised Hunter-class ships and lives in the shadow of threats to the Collins-class submarine replacement efforts.

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI confirms selection to support US Navy’s CCA programme

  21st October 2025

  The company is working on conceptual designs for the US Navy’s CCA programme alongside Anduril, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

• Land Warfare

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle continues its success as the new variant rolls out

  20th March 2025

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is becoming the dominant platform in its class as it replaces most of the massive US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) fleets of HMMWV 4x4s, colloquially known as the Humvee. Shephard dives deep into the JLTV programme background and analyses the latest variants and contracts, including the controversial production switch to AM General and the continued contracts continuing to head Oshkosh's way.

• Land Warfare

  DOK-ING presents CUAS MV-8 armed with Valhalla Mangart 25 turret

  30th October 2025

  The partnership between Croatia’s DOK-ING and Slovenia’s Valhalla Turrets reflects an effort to combine ground robots and with improved capabilities and new roles and follows Rheinmetall presenting its Ox with Dispatch charging docks from Valinor.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Ukrainian drone aimed at British Army Watchkeeper replacement programme

  9th September 2025

  Skyeton Prevail Solutions, a Ukrainian and British JV, has designed its Raybird UAV to meet the needs of defence, civilian and industrial industries.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Likely spending boosts outlined this year turn spotlight on show

  4th September 2025

  A surge in budgeted and planned defence spending across European NATO countries in the past year has come in the face of the war in Ukraine and demands from the Trump administration that the countries take on more of the load. This is likely to be reflected in what can be expected from DSEI.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: Anduril and Edge joint venture unveils Omen tailsitter UAV

  13th November 2025

  The Group 3 UAV has also netted its first order from the UAE for 50 platforms, with full-scale production scheduled for 2028.

• Air Warfare

  UK to receive 27 additional F-35 aircraft by end of decade

  7th July 2025

  The number of aircraft was stated by UK Defence Secretary John Healey during a Defence Committee hearing. It follows on from the UK’s decision to purchase F-35A aircraft to boost its nuclear deterrence, although hurdles and questions about the order still remain.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Destroyers

  DDX Programme (1-2) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Destroyers are fundamental to Italy's blue water fleet and will be required to be capable of projecting capability at sea from the ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (3-12)

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DDG) (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background The 27DD Maya class destroyers were previously known as the Improved Atago class because they are an addition to the existing two Atago-class destroyers that have entered service. ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Dreadnought Class (Successor Programme) (1-4) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Dreadnought-class, prior to being named in October 2016, was known as the Successor programme, which was approved by the government in May ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M (Serbia)

  Serbia's aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system. The ...

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements Following the Maya-class destroyers, the JMSDF will not just maintain the destroyer units they operate already but will receive two new destroyer platforms. ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III) Batch 2 (1-3) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The Sejong the Great class (KDX-III) Batch 2 will consist of three improved Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) batch 1 guided-missile destroyers, which ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Type 094A (Jin Class) 7-12

  Programme Background The Type 094 nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) was developed for the PLAN to follow on from the single 1980s-vintage Type 092 Xia-class ...

• Frigates

  Jinnah Class frigates [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirements Specifications are not yet known because they are still in the design stage, though they will integrate a more diverse selection of ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  South Korea is reportedly seeking to acquire up to three Joint Strike Ships as part of its "Three Axis System". The Joint Strike Ship (JSS) is ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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. 

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Arktur Next Generation SSBN

  At Army 2022 defence exposition, Rubin Design Bureau unveiled the next-generation ballistic missile submarine concept. Known as Arktur, the submarine features a stealth design and ...

• Major networking projects

  Missile Defence

  In 2010, NATO rolled out an initial capability to protect alliance forces against missile threats and is now examining options for protecting territory and populations. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A)

  The SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A) is an extended-range surface-to-air missile developed by the United States Navy for fleet area air defence and terminal phase ballistic ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPY-2

  The Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) is an X-band missile defence radar that can detect, classify and track ballistic missiles. It uses an AESA antenna comprising 25.344 T/R ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

  The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System, developed by the United States, provides advanced sea-based and land-based protection against ballistic missile threats.  Using the AN/SPY-1 ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  9M82M

  The 9M82M (NATO reporting name SA-23a 'Giant') is a Russian medium-range, surface-to-air missile designed to destroy tactical ballistic missiles. The development of the 9M82M missile, part of ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Arrow Weapon System

  The Arrow air defence system was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing under the oversight of Israel's Ministry of Defense and the ...

• Major networking projects

  C2BMC

  Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) is the integrating element of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) for global missile defence. C2BMC links ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  L-SAM ABM (Block I)

  The L-SAM system's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptor is a three-stage missile designed to neutralize incoming ballistic missiles during their terminal phase. It employs a hit-to-kill ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  AN/SPY-1 air search radar

  Aegis isan integrated missile guidance system used on USN and allied ships to performanti-air and ballistic missile defence missions. The S-band phased-array AN/SPY-1D(V) radar acquires ...

• Destroyers

  Akizuki Class

  The Akizuki-class (19DD) destroyers are escort ships for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). They are designed to accompany Japan’s new Hyuga—and Izumo-class helicopter carriers ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  L-SAM AAM (Block I)

  The L-SAM system's anti-aircraft missile (AAM) interceptor is a three-stage missile designed to target high-altitude threats such as aircraft and cruise missiles. It boasts an operational range ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range, Self-propelled missile systems

  S-300V (SA-12 Gladiator)

  The SA-12 Gladiator, part of the S-300V air defence system, is a long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the Soviet Union in the late ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  KRONOS Power Shield

  The KRONOS Power Shield is an early warning naval radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is primarily designed for ballistic missile defence and surveillance. The main ...