• Naval Warfare

  US approves $900 million missile sale to the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

  3rd February 2025

  The sale would advance the JMSDF’s ability to protect its assets and maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Naval Warfare

  New mine countermeasures vessel enters service in Japan

  19th March 2025

  The new vessel, JS Nomi, is the fourth countermeasures vessels in the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's Awaji class, and a fifth and sixth have been costed.

• Land Warfare

  Italy begins hunt for Puma replacement

  11th June 2025

  The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.

• Air Warfare

  Will the Eurofighter Typhoon’s fight for new markets prevail?

  25th August 2025

  Poland and Turkey are often cited as potential fresh export opportunities for the Eurofighter Typhoon. But are the sales prospects realistic and what factors could tip the balance?

• Air Warfare

  Co-operation continues as tri-national F-35s break new ground in Pacific exercise

  22nd April 2025

  The February exercise marked a milestone in multinational cooperation with fifth-generational air warfare capabilities, but will it continue considering shifting US politics?

• Naval Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Kongsberg confirms its first Australian missile factory

  31st March 2025

  The deal, which has been planned since August 2024, is part of an ongoing attempt to bolster Australia’s defences against the potential of Chinese aggression.

• Naval Warfare

  India commissions three new vessels

  15th January 2025

  The new vessels, Nilgiri, Surat and Vagsheer, will be deployed to protect vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

• Naval Warfare

  Thales to supply sonar systems for the Netherlands’ Orka submarines

  20th March 2025

  The company will deliver a comprehensive sensor suite when the Orka class comes into service in the early 2030s.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy tests Aegis combat system for hypersonic missile defence

  3rd April 2025

  The Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Pinckney undertook the tests against a simulated SM-6 missile.

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for Royal Navy’s next-generation nuclear submarine

  25th March 2025

  HMS Dreadnought will be the first of the four Dreadnought class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s. Following its keel-laying ceremony last week, Shephard takes a deeper dive into the class which will eventually replace the Royal Navy's long-standing Vanguard class of boats.

• Air Warfare

  UK MoD awards Ascent with eight-year contract to upgrade RAF and Royal Navy flight training

  20th May 2025

  Funding of £300 million will go towards training personnel on the FIRCTS programmes to meet a growing demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) platforms.

• Naval Warfare

  Kongsberg awarded $960 million missile contract

  13th November 2024

  The contract could rise to as much as US$1.1 billion and follows an announcement last month that Kongsberg was building a missile production facility in the US to meet burgeoning global demand.

• Naval Warfare

  Virginia and Columbia-class submarine programmes sign long-term parts deals

  10th January 2025

  Parts from both US and Australian manufacturers will be used to build two critical submarine classes.

• Naval Warfare

  USSOUTHCOM in ‘desperate need’ for fleet assets says commander

  19th February 2025

  Adm Holsey also warned that were “zero Navy P-8 aircraft available due to being pulled to other theatres”.

• Air Warfare

  Interview: Edge Group eyes Indonesian market for naval and UAV expansion

  27th June 2025

  The UAE’s Edge Group has been positioning itself as a key defence and technology partner to Indonesia, where it has been focusing on naval platforms, UAVs and long-term industrial collaboration.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Constellation Class - FFG(X) (3-10) [USA]

  Programme Background The FFG (X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with a ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class - FFG (1-2) [USN]

  Programme Background The FFG (X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with a ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class frigate procurement [Greece]

  Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy (HN) seeks to modernize its Fleet by 2032 with second-hand and newly built ships. The main goal is to replace ...

• Frigates

  FF(X) Frigate [USN]

  Programme Background The FFG(X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with a plan for ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  Programme Background At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme (LSM) ...

• Frigates

  FREMM Frigates [Morocco]

  Background It was first reported by local Italian media that Morocco has been in talks with Fincantieri for the potential acquisition of two FREMM frigates ...

• Frigates

  Littoral Combat Ships [Egypt]

  Requirements The Egyptian Navy is in the process of replacing four O. Perry-class frigates, two Knox-class frigates and two Descubierta-class corvettes. Although the O. Perry-class ...

• Frigates

  Fridtjof Nansen Frigates Replacement (1-5) [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Norwegian Navy has four Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. Five were originally built and delivered, but one sank in November 2018. Shephard forecasts that the ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class - FFG(X) (11-20)

  Programme Background Timeline The FFG (X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with ...

• Frigates

  Second-hand frigate requirement [Bahrain]

  Background Requirements The second-hand vessel to succeed the RBNS Sabha would need to be at least of the generation of frigates that followed the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, ...

• Frigates

  F110 frigates [Egypt]

  Background Timeline In December 2022, Sky News Arabia reported that Egypt was interested in procuring Littoral Combat Ships from the USN. However, since then, no further announcements ...

• Frigates

  Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

  Programme Background The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was developed in 2003 as a cheap and fast way to increase the size of the fleet ...

• Frigates

  Stop-Gap Frigate Procurement [Greece]

  Programme Background The Hellenic Navy is acquiring up to four new Frigates. This major equipment programme is the most discussed equipment issue on the Greek ...

• Frigates

  FREMM EVO (11-12) [Italy]

  Background Requirements As of October 2022, the Italian Navy operates a fleet of eight FREMM frigates, split equally between anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and General Purpose ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Constellation Class (FFG)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Frigates

  Australian Light Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, Gibbs & Cox Australia unveiled the Australian Light Frigate design. Based on the new frigates being built for Taiwan and the USN ...

• Frigates

  FF(X) Frigate

  The FF(X) frigate is a vessel derived from Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HHI) National Security Cutter (NSC). It was designed in response to the cancellation of ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Captas-4 Sonar 2087

  Captas-4 is a low-frequency active and passive variable depth sonar for platforms heavier than 3,000 tons. The Captas-4 is part of Thales' family of Captas ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPY-6(V)3

  The SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) is a fixed-face surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. The system is designed to defend against cruise missiles, anti-surface ...

• Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  SURFSAT-L

  Produced by Thales, SURFSAT-L is a SATCOM terminal designed for medium to large surface vessels. According to the manufacturer, it is designed to achieve a ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SM-2 Block IIIC/Block IIICU

  The SM-2 Block IIIC and Block IIICU are medium-range, surface-to-air missiles with active radio frequency seekers. Both missiles are modifications to legacy SM-2 Block III/IIIA/IIIB ...

• Frigates

  Zulfiquar Class (F-22P/Sword Class)

  Pakistan’s Zulfiquar-class frigates are also known as the F-22P or Sword-class; they are a modernised version of China’s Type 053H3 frigate. The ships are built ...

• Frigates

  Jose Rizal Class (HDF-2600)

  The Jose Rizal-class frigates for the Philippine Navy (PN) are being built to the HDF-2600 design by Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries at its shipyard ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems, Sea: fire control systems

  Aegis Weapon System

  Aegis Weapon System is an integrated missile guidance system used on USN and allied ships to perform anti-air and ballistic missile defence missions.  The S-band phased-array ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  AN/SQR-19

  The AN/SQR-19 is a Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) produced by Lockheed Martin. The sonar is designed to detect and classify both submarines and surface vessels ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  AN/SQQ-89

  The AN/SQQ-89 is an ASW combat system incorporates and processes all the sonar information and LAMPS sensor data. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, there are currently ...

• Frigates

  Bergamini Class (FREMM)

  The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian, European, multipurpose frigate design FREMM (European multi-mission Frigate/Fregata europea multi-missione). For Italy, the ...

• Data links

  Network Tactical Common Data Link

  Developed by BAE Systems, the Network Tactical Common Data Link (NTCDL) is a multi-link CDL system being produced for the US Navy. NTCDL provides the ...