• Land Warfare

  Air defence at scale: Europe’s challenge of cost, integration and sustainability

  8th June 2026

  The evolution of aerial threats is driving renewed investment in ground-based air defence across Europe. Yet beyond capability, a more pressing challenge is emerging: how to sustain air defence at scale, as rising costs, limited stockpiles and industrial production constraints place increasing pressure on existing structures.

• Land Warfare

  Singapore’s DSTA and Sweden’s FMV to collaborate on land systems

  18th April 2025

  New agreement between Singapore’s DSTA and Sweden’s FMV signals deepening cooperation on land systems, with potential focus on counter-UAS and mobile air defence solutions.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: GA-ASI’s MQ-9B racks up new milestones with AEW demo planned

  20th November 2025

  The company announced its demonstration timeline while confirming the MQ-9B had completed the platform’s third lifetime test.

• Air Warfare

  StormShroud enters service with UK RAF to suppress enemy air defences

  2nd May 2025

  StormShroud is designed to support UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Lockheed Martin F-35B and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft by providing suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD). It is built around the Tekever AR3 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) and Leonardo BriteStorm electronic warfare (EW) jammer payload.

• Land Warfare

  “A new philosophy of defence”: ASELSAN sets out ambitions for the future

  14th November 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to ASELSAN CEO and President Ahmet Akyol about how the business has evolved and expanded over the past five decades, and its aim of becoming a top 30 global defence company by 2030.

• Land Warfare

  US Army to test droppable camera for perimeter security under the xTech programme

  12th May 2025

  Bounce Imaging’s Thermal Camera Spike is a rugged, deployable 360° surveillance tool.

• Air Warfare

  Paris Air Show 2025: Airbus assembles first SIRTAP prototype, with a maiden flight planned by year's end

  16th June 2025

  Airbus has completed the assembly of the first SIRTAP prototype, ahead of a ground test campaign that will culminate in the system's maiden flight by the end of 2025. The MALE drone is destined for delivery to Spain in 2027 and will also be operated by Colombia.

• Defence Notes

  US military foresees growing use of 3D printing

  13th November 2025

  Advanced manufacturing has evolved to meet military requirements and now supports multiple US critical assets, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, F-18, F-22, F-35, Bradley, HMMWV and Patriot.

• Defence Notes

  DroneShield to double its US footprint to meet growing demand for counter-UxS capabilities

  23rd September 2025

  DroneShield disclosed to Shephard its plans to increase its workforce and manufacturing capacities while strengthening partnerships with US suppliers.

• Air Warfare

  Attack drones versus CUAS – the future of warfare or just another trend?

  17th August 2026

  Demand signals for counter-drone technology are strong and the market is becoming crowded, but is this really the beginning of a new phase of warfare or will commentators be talking about something else 10 years from now?

• Defence Notes

  India greenlights $4.7 billion defence spend as post-war tensions simmer

  30th May 2025

  Precision strikes, drone warfare and shifting regional doctrine mark aftermath of four-day India-Pakistan conflict.

• Land Warfare

  RAFAEL and Israel MOD: IRON BEAM 450 Development Completed, Delivery to IDF Soon

  5th September 2025

  IRON BEAM is the world’s only fully mature and operational high-power laser interception system, capable of intercepting missiles and UAVs.

• Land Warfare

  Australia embraces quantum technology for precise navigation and targeting

  15th April 2025

  A new project is aiming to deliver a ground-to-satellite optical quantum link, which would allow much more precise battle planning.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril expands footprint in South Korea

  12th August 2025

  The US firm has signed agreements with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HII) and Korean Air to develop defence products for the South Korean market as well as license existing Anduril products for use and export to the region.

• Air Warfare

  Why is the US far behind Russia and China in the space warfare domain?

  21st April 2025

  While Beijing and Moscow have been working on anti-satellite weapons at an accelerated speed, Washington still does not have capabilities to defeat them, with one US legislator describing the situation as “the Cuban Missile Crisis in space”.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  Chinese UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Background Request for Proposals (RFP) In 2023, as reported by Shephard at the time, the Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information ...

• Military UAS - small

  Jackal [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 14 September 2023, Jon Parker, CEO And Chief Examiner at Flyby Technology, announced on LinkedIn that the company had signed ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Silent Hunter (China Electronics Technology Group Corporation) [Oman]

  Background In December 2025, an unknown number of Silent Hunter C-UAS systems were seen being delivered to the Royal Army of Oman.  The Silent Hunter is ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Tactical Short-Range UAVs (Taiwan)

  Programme Background Long-Held Desire Alongside other branches of the Taiwanese military, the ROCA is trying to incorporate more uncrewed systems into its force structure. During the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter (Taiwan)

  Programme Background Taiwan claims that Chinese fighter jets are often crossing into the island's air defence zone. The Republic of China Air Force is looking for options ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Mid-Shore Multi Mission Vessels [Canada]

  Canada is seeking to procure six Mid-Shore Multi Mission Vessels (MSMMVs) to replace its mid-shore science vessels as well as address existing capability gaps within the ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Mid-Shore Multi Mission Vessels [Canada]

  Canada is seeking to procure six Mid-Shore Multi Mission Vessels (MSMMVs) to replace its mid-shore science vessels as well as address existing capability gaps within the ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Invincible Class (Type 218SG) (5-6) [Singapore]

  In March 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced it would acquire two more submarines to complement its four Type 218SG Invincible-class submarines. Speaking to ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Invincible Class (Type 218SG) (5-6) [Singapore]

  In March 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced it would acquire two more submarines to complement its four Type 218SG Invincible-class submarines. Speaking to ...

• Frigates

  Type 054A/P (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Contracts Pakistan has ordered four frigates from China under the Type 054AP programme, which refers to the vessels being based on the Peoples ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Fighter Aircraft [United Arab Emirates]

  Bids and suppliers Lockheed Martin On 25 September, the United Arab Emirates submitted a FMS request for the F-35A; the proposal was approved in November ...

• Military UAS - small

  Artillery UAV [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirement & Replacement The Royal Thai Army (RTA) was understood to be seeking a new tactical UAV to replace four legacy Israel Aerospace Industries ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  HQ-9/FD-2000B [Morocco]

  Background In 2021, Morocco took delivery of China Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CPMIEC)'s HQ-9B/FD-2000B long-range air defence system. This was the first of the system's ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | FA-50 [Philippines]

  The Philippines Department of National Defence has decided to double the nation's fleet of FA-50s by purchasing twelve new aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries for ...

• Data links

  Data links | FA-50 [Philippines]

  The Philippines Department of National Defence has decided to double the nation's fleet of FA-50s by purchasing twelve new aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries for ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  FH-95

  The FH-95, sometimes called the Feihong 95 or Flying Swan, is a UAV designed for EW, ISR and strike missions.  It is manufactured by Aerospace Times Feihong Technology Corporation ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CH-802

  The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation CH-802 is a fixed-wing micro air vehicle intended for short-range surveillance and tactical reconnaissance missions in support of ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CH-10

  The CH-10 is a tilt-rotor uncrewed aircraft unveiled by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) in 2018.  The platform can take off and land on ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Dragon 10A

  The Loitering Dragon 10A is a tube-launched loitering munition from Norinco.  Similar in design to AeroVironment's Switchblade, the drone was displayed alongside its tube launcher at ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CH-805

  The CH-805 is known for its stealthy design and is used for target practice in air defence exercises and equipment testing. It is sometimes mentioned ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  CH-4

  The CH-4 is a MALE UAV available in two variants, the CH-4A and CH-4B. The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics developed the platform, which is manufactured ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CH-500

  The CH-500 is a small, coaxial, rotary-wing, multipurpose UCAV and is manoeuvrable due to its tandem, dual-rotor arrangement without a tail rotor – also making it ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Shahab Thaqeb

  Shahab Thaqeb is an Iranian-developed variant of China's HQ-7 short-range air defence system, itself a copy of  Thales' Crotale systems imported by China in the ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  CH-6

  The CH-6, or Cai Hong 6 or Rainbow-6, is a UCAV unveiled by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on 19 April 2021.  Shown ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Pegaz

  The Pegaz, or Pegasus, is a multi-role UCAV developed for the Serbian Armed Forces. It is being manufactured by Military Technical Institute Belgrade (MIT) in collaboration ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Caihong

  The Caihong (Rainbow), also known as the Cai Hong or CH, is a solar-powered HALE platform designed for near-space flight. It is suitable for military ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  CH-5

  The CH-5 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS designed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to perform various military missions. Applications of the CH-5 include ISTAR, ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  AR-1

  The AR-1 is a Chinese air-to-surface missile specifically designed for deployment from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), notably the CH-3 and CH-4 series. Developed by the ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  C-801

  The C-801 is a Chinese subsonic anti-ship missile that served as the foundational design for many subsequent Chinese anti-ship missiles. It is the export variant ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  CH-91

  The CH-91 has been designed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation for tactical missions such as battlefield reconnaissance, target location, artillery fire correction and damage ...