• Air Warfare

  Australia orders 20 C-130Js to replace and expand current RAAF fleet

  25th July 2023

  The Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J transport aircraft will be renewed by a $6.6 billion order for 20 new aircraft.

• Defence Notes

  Rheinmetall buys Expal Systems to expand ammunition production to meet booming orders

  1st August 2023

  Rheinmetall has finalised its acquisition of Expal Systems, significantly boosting its ammunition production capacity and strengthening Rheinmetall's position as a NATO supplier and enhancing its product portfolio.

• Land Warfare

  Dedicated recon model of Otokar Akrep II vehicle ready for export

  28th July 2023

  Otokar has introduced a reconnaissance variant of the Akrep II 4x4 armoured vehicle, equipped with a remote weapon station and advanced surveillance features. The export-ready vehicle offers adaptable weapon systems and hybrid electric drive options.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia orders Anka UAVs from Turkiye

  3rd August 2023

  Indonesia becomes the eighth customer for the Anka, as Turkiye further cements its positions as a major supplier of UAVs.

• Naval Warfare

  No easy options: Australia's navy faces complex surface fleet choices

  14th September 2023

  As part of Australia’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR), a report into the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) future surface fleet force structure was directed to be completed separately. Shephard examines its likely outcomes and how Australia might balance capability with affordability

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  More Black Hornet UAVs bound for Ukraine as part of Norway order

  18th July 2023

  Teledyne FLIR Defense will supply Black Hornet 3 nano-UAVs to Ukraine, as part of a Norway MoD order. The pocket-sized drones provide crucial reconnaissance capabilities.

• Defence Helicopter

  India turns to leasing companies to plug military helicopter gaps

  27th July 2023

  India's MoD is inviting proposals for leasing 20 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters for the Indian Army. Vendors are cautious due to a past unfulfilled naval RfI, but leasing offers new opportunities for defence acquisition.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall secures another major contract for artillery ammunition replenishment

  19th July 2023

  Rheinmetall has signed a framework contract worth €1.3 billion for artillery ammunition replenishment, including shells and fuses, to replenish stores of ammunition used in the war in Ukraine.

• Special Operations

  UPDATED: Romania orders Polaris DAGOR special operations vehicles

  12th July 2023

  Polaris has been awarded a contract to provide 50 of its DAGOR ultralight tactical vehicles to Romania, joining other NATO countries such as Canada, the UK and US as operators.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: Is the Bayraktar TB2 UAV living up to expectations?

  15th September 2023

  Sold to well over 20 countries and combat-proven in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine and elsewhere, the Bayraktar TB2 has been an export success for its Turkish manufacturer. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the aircraft's design and capabilities and reviews in depth who is buying it and why.

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing receives last contract for CH-47F Chinook Block I

  6th July 2023

  Boeing has received a contract worth up to $793 million to produce 18 CH-47F Chinook helicopters for South Korea and an additional aircraft for Spain, marking the conclusion of Block I orders.

• Land Warfare

  Bundeswehr orders over €285 million worth of trucks from Rheinmetall

  3rd July 2023

  The German Bundeswehr has ordered a further 357 military trucks worth over €285 million from Rheinmetall under an existing framework contract.

• Air Warfare

  Germany to postpone decision on Eurofighter sale to Saudi Arabia until at least 2025

  13th July 2023

  The ongoing block on the export of the fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia is likely to impact the Eurofighter consortium's plans to sell around 200 jets in the next two years.

• Land Warfare

  Black Knight identifies US opportunities for expeditionary fuel cell

  28th June 2023

  Black Knight Group sees the US Marine Corps' expeditionary light vehicles as an application for the SFC Energy EMILY 3000 fuel cell.

• Air Warfare

  Korean Air completes first AH-6i fuselage

  27th June 2023

  Korean Air in South Korea is building Boeing scout helicopter fuselages for an international customer.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• Military UAS - small

  MEUAS IV (US)

  Programme Background MEUAS History The first iteration of the MEUAS programme began in the early 2000s when the ScanEagle was acquired through the programme and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Edge 130 [US]

  Programme Background First Order As reported by Shephard, In October 2024, the US Customs and Border Protection force submitted a $1.6 million order to acquire Edge ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 (Ukraine Aid) [Denmark & Sweden]

  Programme Background Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine was the recipient of a number of Western systems, many of which ...

• Trainer

  M-345 (Future procurement) [Italy]

  Background Development On 29 December 2017, Aermacchi's M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) prototype aircraft successfully completed its first flight from Venegono Superiore airfield in Varese, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia]

  Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their occupants ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia became the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - mini

  FALKE (2022-2023) [Germany]

  Background Inception In November 2022, the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) published details on its desire to award a ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (7-10) [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirement In February 2024, Shephard reported that Airbus has been in talks with Saudi Arabia to expand its fleet of military aircraft, including the procurement ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Announced at the NATO Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels in June 2023, Ukraine formally signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Procurement and Operation ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Netherlands]

  Background The Leopard 2A8, the latest in the Leopard family, was selected by the Royal Dutch Army as per announcements in September 2024.  Given the ...

• Transport

  C295 [Angola]

  Programme Background Requirement Angola's transport capability is mainly provided by Soviet-origin An-12, An-30, An-72/74, Il-76 and the Xian MA-60 from China. According to AIN Online, Angola ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 Add-On [UAE]

  Background Contract award As part of their May 2026 order, the UAE has included the option to procure ten additional C-390 platforms. The ongoing tensions ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 MPA [Angola]

  Programme Background Requirement Angola uses a mix of Dornier Do-28s, A-29s and EMB-312 Tucanos for maritime surveillance duties. The country's dedicated maritime patrol capability was ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: coastal surveillance radars

  CHR

  The Compact Hemispheric Radar (CHR) is a family of sensors used in active protection systems for land vehicles manufactured by RADA Electronic Industries in Israel. The ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Erieye

  The S-band Erieye is a long-range airborne early warning and control radarthat detects and automatically tracks air and surface targets across a largearea. The radar has ...

• Land: air defence radar

  RPS-42 Air Surveillance Radar

  The RPS-42 radar is part of Leonardo DRS' family of Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR), which are Active Electronically Scanned Array radars. It is designed to ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Pozitiv-ME1.2

  The Pozitiv-ME1.2 is a three-dimensional naval surveillance radar manufactured in Russia. It is designed to search, detect, and track air and surface targets. According to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  pMHR

  The Portable Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (pMHR) is the smallest in the family of MHRs manufactured by Israeli company RADA Electronic Industries. The radar provides hostile ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ieMHR

  The ieMHR radar is a three-dimensional pulse-doppler radar previously manufactured by Israeli company RADA Electronic Industries and is currently produced by Leonardo. It is designed ...

• Maritime patrol

  340 MSA

  The Saab 340 MSA incorporates a mission management system connected to onboard sensors for all-weather monitoring of large maritime areas. The aircraft is equipped with automatic ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  C2 Training

  Saab provides doctrinal-based simulation that enables trainees to dynamically execute plans and orders from their own C2 system. Commander and staff can perceive and comprehend ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Mildef Tarantula

  The Tarantula is a High Mobility Armoured Vehicles from Malaysian defence manufacturer Mildef International Technologies.  First revealed in February 2021, the Tarantula has already received orders from ...

• Main battle tanks

  VT2

  The 125mm-armed VT2 tracked MBT, which was unveiled at DSA 2012, is the export version of the People's Liberation Army Type 96A. As of early ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: coastal surveillance radars

  Three-Dimensional Perimeter Surveillance Radars

  The Three-Dimensional Perimeter Surveillance radars are hemispheric surveillance radars manufactured by RADA in Israel. They provide border and perimeter surveillance through detection, classification and tracking ...

• Land: battle management systems

  MFoCS

  Mounted Family of Computing Systems (MFoCS) is a modular family which is designed to integrate existing FBCB2, future JBC-P and WIN-T capability into a modular ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Maatla 4x4

  Paramount's Maatla 4x4 is a Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) aimed at the African off-road armoured vehicle market. Announced at the African Aerospace and Defence Expo (AAD 2022) in ...

• Data links

  Link Y Mk2

  Thales Link Y Mk2 is used to securely exchange tactical data and orders via a self-managing, adaptive radio network between multiple military platforms. Designed for ...

• Main battle tanks

  Yatagan

  The Yatagan tank, sometimes referred to as the T-84-120, is an improved T-84 armed with a NATO-standard 120mm smoothbore gun developed by KMDB for the ...