• Land Warfare

  BvS 10 all-terrain weapon platform bares its teeth at DSEI 2023

  14th September 2023

  BAE Systems is touting the high-mobility weapon-carrying capabilities of the BvS 10, showcasing an example of the tracked all-terrain vehicle fitted with Moog's Flexible Mission Platform at DSEI 2023.

• Defence Notes

  WDS 2024: the emerging platform for the global defence industry

  29th September 2023

  Focusing on future technology and innovation, World Defense Show returns, expanded in floorspace, duration and participation.

• Training

  DSEI 2023: Boeing and Red 6 partnership first to achieve successful AR integration on aircraft

  14th September 2023

  The partnership between Boeing and Red 6 has resulted in the successful flight testing of AR technology in a TA-4JA tactical aircraft, with plans to extend testing to the T-7 Red Hawk advanced trainer.

• Training

  International forces collaborate in Exercise Ulchi to enhance Northeast Asia's security

  22nd August 2023

  Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 23 underscores international cooperation in strengthening defence capabilities, as US and South Korean military units and several UN Command member states engage in training.

• Land Warfare

  Philippine Army modernises with new combat engineering, armour and artillery

  29th September 2023

  The Philippine Army continues to plug holes in its capability with recent and pending contracts for diverse military equipment and vehicles.

• Land Warfare

  Bulgaria gets billion-dollar green light to buy Stryker armoured vehicles

  5th September 2023

  The sale of 183 General Dynamics Land Systems Stryker armoured fighting vehicles to Bulgaria in a range of variants has been approved by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) as a Foreign Military Sale in a deal worth $1.5 billion.

• Air Warfare

  Global defence shift: report reveals $32.3 billion in opportunities in armed overwatch/ISR sector amid rising threats and evolving nature of warfare

  13th September 2023

  Amid escalating global tensions and a paradigm shift in warfare, a ground-breaking new market report forecasts a staggering $32.3 billion worth of opportunities in the armed overwatch/ISR sector over the next five years.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Loitering munitions surge: new report reveals astonishing 525% market growth fueled by Russo-Ukrainian conflict

  12th September 2023

  In a seismic shift driven by the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, the loitering munitions market is poised for an unprecedented 525% explosion in growth between 2020 and 2024, with annual spending set to exceed $600 million in the coming years, according to a new report.

• Air Warfare

  Australia reverses decision on Schiebel Camcopters for naval UAVs

  21st September 2023

  It turns out that Australia has made absolutely no progress in obtaining shipborne UAVs in the past 18 months or so.

• Land Warfare

  Australia embarks upon a massive restructure of army

  3rd October 2023

  In response to strategic circumstances, the Australian Army is in for a massive overhaul and redistribution of units and equipment.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan reveals first indigenous submarine to much fanfare

  2nd October 2023

  Taiwan has made good progress with its submarine programme, revealing its initial boat in late September.

• Land Warfare

  Australia sees inexplicably steep price rise for additional HIMARS

  21st August 2023

  Questions need to be asked at the steep inflation, in the order of a magnitude of 2.5, that the US is asking for HIMARS.

• Air Warfare

  Chinese balloon affair prompts lawmakers' push on Pentagon to improve air and sea detection

  7th August 2023

  The US Senate Committee on Appropriations has proposed an additional $293.5 million for new and upgraded radars plus communications equipment to protect the US homeland.

• Land Warfare

  Global armoured renaissance: new report reveals $25.6 billion surge in 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle spending

  12th September 2023

  As global tensions intensify following the Russo-Ukraine conflict, the armoured vehicle market is undergoing a monumental shift, with an anticipated $25.6 billion investment in 8x8 wheeled vehicles by 2035.

• Defence Notes

  Poland announces multi-million acquisitions to boost air and missile defence capacities

  8th September 2023

  As part of the second phase of the WISŁA air defence programme, Poland will procure PAC-3 MSE missiles, 48 Patriot launchers and 12 LTAMDS sensors.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang [South Korea]

  Background South Korea will produce the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I (Cheongwang) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The laser weapons will be deployed and ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block II [South Korea]

  Background South Korea launched a plan to convert its Cheongung-I systems to the M-SAM Block II configuration. It was announced in July 2025 that it ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block III [South Korea]

  Background South Korea's Defense Project Promotion Committee approved the basic strategy for the development of M-SAM Block III (Cheongung Block III). The system will modernise South Korea's ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  L-SAM-II Prototype [South Korea]

  Background In June 2025, it was announced that South Korea had awarded a $144 million contract with Hanwha Aerospace to develop a prototype for the L-SAM-II high-altitude surface-to-air missile ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Special Mission Brigade) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• 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 ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  P-1 Sun C-UAS [Japan]

  Background In June 2026, Japan announced plans to install interceptor drone systems by 2027 at radar sites, bases, vessels, and other critical locations, joining a global ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KAAV II

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) operates one Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and has launched another to support provide operational lift for the ROKMC. ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

• OPVs

  Taepyungyang Class (15) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline The South Korean Coast Guard (KGC) currently operates 13 Taepyungyang-class large patrol vessels, also referred to as offshore patrol vessels (OPV), but ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-7 (Nodong-1)

  The Hwasong-7 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-6. It has the NATO reporting name Scud D. It was designed with ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-6

  The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-5, which itself is based on the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. Its NATO reporting ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

• Artillery rockets

  K33

  K33 is a 130 mm unguided artillery rocket developed by South Korean Hanwha for the K136 Kooryong MLRS and currently in use with the K239 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetbyol-4

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August  One drone, which appears to be called the Saetbyol-4, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

• Light UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetlbyol-9

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the 2023 Weapons and Equipment Exhibition in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone, the Saetlbyol-9, or Morning Star-9,  ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang

  The Anti-Aircraft Laser Weapon System, Block-I (Cheongwang) is a laser weapon system developed by Hanwha Aerospace. The system can strike small drones and multicopters at ...

• Corvettes

  Hainan Class (Type 037)

  The Hainan-class (Type 037) class is a range of corvette-sized vessels, mostly in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which cover a range ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  HY-2/C-201

  The HY-2/C-201, NATO reporting name CSS-C-3 Seersucker, is a Chinese liquid-fuel rocket-powered anti-ship cruise missile developed as an evolution of the earlier HY-1 missile. The ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

  The SSM-700K Haeseong, also known as the C-Star, is a surface-launched, anti-ship cruise missile. It was designed as a replacement for the Hae Ryong anti-ship ...