• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD

  16th April 2024

  A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.

• Land Warfare

  US Army’s MAPS Gen II to reach full-rate production decision later this year

  9th May 2024

  The US Army has recently completed initial operational test & evaluation and is Collins Aerospace’s next-generation mounted assured PNT solution.

• Air Warfare

  Spain signs deal with Airbus for SiRTAP MALE UAS

  29th November 2023

  Spain’s MoD has signed a deal with Airbus for a new multirole UAS which will be ITAR-free and primarily designed for ISTAR operations. It has been planned for service with Spain, Colombia and Serbia.

• Land Warfare

  Malaysian Army self-propelled howitzer acquisition programme faces a blurry future

  27th February 2024

  The schedule, number of platforms and total estimated cost of the Malaysian Army’s 155mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) acquisition programme has remained undefined despite the procurement effort having been announced back in the 2010s.

• Land Warfare

  USSOCOM tests the use of passive radar in C-UAS missions

  8th May 2024

  Trials with the Silentium Defence Maverick M8 passive radar system were conducted in Exercise Trident Spectre 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Spanish Navy orders eight Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters

  13th October 2023

  The delivery of eight Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters to the Spanish Navy has been slated for completion by March 2027.

• Air Warfare

  Brazil looks for attack helicopter two years after fleet retirement

  1st March 2024

  The Brazilian Armed Forces has faced challenges in terms of it size and geography and has long had an emphasis on better serving Amazonia. Plans for a new battalion are set to become a reality and improvement of rotary capability is underway.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to supply further artillery ammunition to Ukraine via NATO country

  4th December 2023

  The order for tens-of-thousands of shells will be delivered in 2025 and Rheinmetall will also fulfil earlier orders of rounds for Ukraine in 2024.

• Training

  Announcement: Scott R Gourley takes over as new editor of Shephard’s Decisive Edge Training newsletter

  27th March 2024

  Following the successful launch of its Decisive Edge Training newsletter in 2023, Shephard is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott R Gourley as the next editor of this leading digital publication.

• Air Warfare

  Israel bets big on India to enhance defence procurement

  4th April 2024

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has enhanced its defence collaboration with India, focusing on joint development and support for the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) system, alongside the establishment of a dedicated local subsidiary for maintenance and upgrades.

• Land Warfare

  How the US Army is getting ready to succeed in contested logistics scenarios

  12th February 2024

  The service taken several measures including reassessing its doctrine and the position of its stockpiles worldwide, as well as investing in new capacities.

• Defence Notes

  Russia is evading sanctions and purchasing US components for its arsenal, warns US Senate

  13th September 2024

  Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal has claimed that Russian bombs, missiles and drones “supported by American technologies” have been fatally used on Ukrainians soldiers and civilians.

• Air Warfare

  Designs revealed for DARPA’s ANCILLARY VTOL UAS programme

  23rd May 2024

  Six bidders have been competing for DARPA’s AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) programme for a low-weight, large-payload, long-endurance VTOL uncrewed X-plane.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Strategic overview: The Ukraine conflict’s robotic armies

  12th September 2024

  Kiev and Moscow have been competing over who can better harness the ongoing revolution in military affairs caused by AI-controlled and human-operated robots and drones.

• Air Warfare

  General Atomics looks to broaden Mojave UAV role amid FARA cancellation

  22nd February 2024

  The US Army has decided to channel portions of the terminated FARA helicopter funds into uncrewed platforms, while GA-ASI continues its work on broadening the applications of UAVs in attack and reconnaissance roles.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Special operations vehicles

  VMOE

  Programme Background The Spanish Army's SOF units are procuring the VMOE to meet their requirements for an SOV with sufficient firepower, mobility and mine-protection to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational organisations, ...

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

  Micro UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• Tanks

  New MBT (Spain)

  Programme Background One of the long-term needs identified in the Spanish Army's Force 2035 modernisation plan is a next-generation MBT. To this end, the Spanish ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VCR (Batch 1) [Spain]

  Programme Background Purpose The VCR programme is to replace several legacy wheeled and tracked vehicles currently in service with the Spanish Army including the BMR-600 6x6, ...

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

  Mini UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VCR (Batch 2) [Spain]

  Programme Background Purpose The VCR programme is to replace several legacy wheeled and tracked vehicles currently in service with the Spanish Army including the BMR-600 6x6, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VCR (Third Batch) [Spain]

  Programme Background Purpose The VCR programme is to replace several legacy wheeled and tracked vehicles currently in service with the Spanish Army including the BMR-600 ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Neton VLOE

  Programme Background The VLOE will replace several variants of the VLOE Lathar (a SOF vehicles based on the Nissan Patrol ML-6 COTS chassis) currently in ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Neton VLOE - (Spain - Navy)

  Programme Background Information regarding the Spanish Navy's procurement of the Einsa Neton remains limited, however, it is likely that decisions to procure the platform arose from ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Air Force Second Batch

  The HT-29 Caiman will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service with the Spanish Air Force. The Spanish version of the NH90 TTHs can perform ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  B1 Centauro Replacement [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Army entered the B1 Centauro into service between 2000 and 2006. Manufactured by the Italian Iveco and Oto Melara consortium CIO, the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Air Force First Batch

  The HT-29 Caiman will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service with the Spanish Air Force. The Spanish version of the NH90 TTHs can perform ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Secondhand Logistics Transport Vessel

  Programme Background Following the decommissioning of El Camino Español (A-05) and Martín Posadillo (A-04) in November 2019 and June 2020 respectively, the Spanish Navy began the procurement process ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UGVs

  Valkyrie

  The Valkyrie is a 6x6 UGV developed by the Spanish company SASCorp. It was unveiled for the first time at FINDEF 2021. The platform has reportedly ...

• Towed guns

  SIAC 155mm/52cal

  The SIAC 155mm/52cal towed howitzer is the latest derivative of the 155mm/52cal APU SBT howitzer originally developed by GDELS-SBS in the 1990s to meet a ...

• Land: RWS

  Guardian 2.0

  The Guardian 2.0 RWS is an upgraded version of Escribano's Guardian RWS in service with the Spanish Army, which offers improved sensors and better stabilisation. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ASCOD Common Base Platform

  GDELS unveiled a new variant of its tracked ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperative Development) IFV based on the new Common Base Platform (CBP) at the June ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  Leopard 2E Simulators

  Indra was prime contractor for the Spanish Army Leopard 2E Tank Simulation Programme, which involved 23 devices across driving, turret and platoon simulators with networking ...

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

  Alcotán

  The Alcotán is a lightweight, hand-launched platform. Designed by USOL, the system features an aerial platform, autopilot and GCS. It is suitable for both civil ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Neton

  The 4x4 Neton Ultrafast Tactical Vehicle is manufactured by Spanish firm Einsa. It is an all-terrain, highly mobile and air-transportable SF platform. Following an evaluation ...

• Loitering munitions

  QLM-40

  The QLM-40, or Q-SLAM-40, is a multi-purpose loitering munition manufactured by Arquimea. It is launched from a pneumatic launcher, powered by an electric motor and contains an ISR payload ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  BMR-600

  The BMR-600 "Pegaso"  is a wheeled fully-amphibious 6x6 APC which began development in 1972. It was originally designed by Santa Barbara Sistemas which is now ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Piranha V

  The Piranha V, the latest member of the Piranha family of wheeled armoured fighting vehicles, introduced a vehicle in the upper weight class. Unveiled in ...

• Individual assault/anti-tank weapons

  Alcotan-100

  The Alcotan-100 is a recoilless, shoulder-launched, antitank rocket launcher developed to meet a Spanish Army requirement, entering service in 2008. In 2014, the Peruvian Army ...

• Light machine guns

  MG4

  The 5.56mm MG4 has been in German Army service since 2005 and sold to at least five export customers, including the Spanish Army. The MG4 ...

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

  Fulmar X

  The Fulmar X is a Thales UAV designed to carry out high-quality ISTAR missions for civil and military applications. A complete system comprises two UAVs, launch and recovery ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  RF-7800H-MP

  The L3Harris RF-7800H-MP is a manpack HF radio with expanded data capabilities for long-range communications. First delivered in 2012, it remains in service with several militaries ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ASCOD

  The Austrian Spanish Cooperative Development (ASCOD) I/CFV was developed to meet the joint requirements of the Austrian and Spanish armies for a medium-weight armoured vehicle ...