• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for first Polish SIGINT ship

  31st July 2023

  The keel laying for the first of two new signals intelligence (SIGINT) ships for the Polish Navy was completed on 27 July 2023.

• 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

  UK awards BAE £270 million naval radar contract

  12th June 2023

  The UK has awarded BAE Systems a ten-year, £270 million contract to support the radars used by RN warships to spot air and seaborne threats.

• Naval Warfare

  SeaFuture 2023 puts spotlight on Italian naval programmes

  20th June 2023

  The recent SeaFuture event highlighted some of Italy's most important submarine, surface ship and naval aviation procurements. Shephard Defence Insight puts these latest programme developments in detailed context.

• Naval Warfare

  Finns to buy more landing craft

  3rd July 2023

  Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has authorised the Finnish Defence Forces to order 17 more Jurmo-class landing craft and spare parts.

• Naval Warfare

  Buy more subs, urges Norwegian Defence Chief

  7th June 2023

  The Norwegian Chief of Defence has recommended the Scandinavian country procure more submarines in a report to the government about the future shape of its armed forces.

• Air Warfare

  General Atomics to provide launch systems for next Ford-class aircraft carrier

  12th June 2023

  General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) will provide production, manufacturing, engineering, programme management, logistics support and information assurance as well as launch and arrestor system shipsets for the USS Doris Miller.

• Naval Warfare

  UK faces £100 million bill for frigate refit

  5th July 2023

  The cost of keeping the frigate fleet going poses a challenge for UK RN.

• Naval Warfare

  The Philippines has ended its flirtation with China – so what next for the country’s navy?

  11th September 2023

  For decades, largely as a result of historical ties, the US was the only Western country with a strong interest in the Philippines and its navy. Over the past year, other nations have turned their attention to the archipelago. The question is why now? And what is the impact of this shift on the Philippine Navy?

• Training

  Brazilian pilots complete Gripen conversion training in Sweden

  14th July 2023

  The last group of Brazilian Air Force pilots has concluded their Gripen conversion training in Sweden. The training covered basic operation, combat readiness, and familiarity with the fighter jet's human-machine interface.

• Land Warfare

  £20 million contract advances Challenger 3 missile protection system

  14th July 2023

  A £20 million contract has been awarded to Rafael for Trophy active protection systems to be evaluated on UK Challenger 3 MBTs. Demonstrations and testing are set for 2024.

• Digital Battlespace

  New Zealand looks to SEA for ANZAC frigate communication system upgrade

  3rd July 2023

  The New Zealand MoD has awarded SEA a £26 million contract for the phase two build and installation of the communication system upgrade on two Royal New Zealand Navy ANZAC frigates.

• Naval Warfare

  Terma to provide target detection radars for Norway's corvette upgrade

  19th June 2023

  Terma has announced that it will supply Scanter 6000 radars as part of Umoe and Kongsberg’s upgrade of the Royal Norwegian Navy's Skjold-class corvettes. The upgrade will …

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI gears up to trial Mojave UAV from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier

  29th June 2023

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is working towards trial flights of its Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) UAS from a British aircraft carrier later this year.

• Land Warfare

  Patria MUSCL – Enabling covert airspace surveillance

  7th September 2023

  Airspace surveillance is like playing hide and seek. Except you are both hiding and seeking at the same time, and you are doing it in multiple domains – on land, in the air, and in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 823 - SSN 824)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

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

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 812 - SSN 822)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 792-SSN 811)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) [Spain]

  Programme Background The S-80A SSK design for the Spanish Navy is based on the Franco-Spanish S-80 Scorpene design that both countries decided to cooperate on ...

• Military UAS - mini

  ECAC/2022/199 (South Africa)

  Programma Background Two Tenders In March 2023, DefenceWeb reported that the South African Army's tender ECAC/2022/154 was put on hold because bidders did not meet critical ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER -Canada

  Programme Background Canadian Special Forces was looking to procure ISR aircraft to support their missions both overseas and domestically.  There were few Canadian suppliers to sell ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Programme Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challange The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore ...

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

  Underwater Launched UAV (ULUAV) (India)

  Programme Background MoU At the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 event in New Delhi, two private-sector Indian defence firms, the Bangalore-based UAS developer NewSpace Research and Technologies ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | TF-2000 Class-Milgem Project [Turkey]

  The Milgem project for the Turkish Navy was to consist of four Ada-class corvettes, four TF-100-class frigates and four TF-2000-class destroyers. The TF-2000 Air Defence ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 18

  The Type 18 periscope was designed to provide USN Los Angeles- and Seawolf-class submarines with a broad spectrum of optical, EO, RF intercept and targeting ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Type 8 Mod 3

  The Type 8 Mod 3 is an updated version of the Type 8-series periscopes. The Type 8B/J Mod 3 provides extremely high-frequency low-data-rate communications capability ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Los Angeles Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) have been the mainstay of the US sub-surface fleet since the 1970s. Known as the ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Optronic masts and periscopes

  The company’s MWIR imagers have been selected to provide new thermal imaging modules for the non-hull-penetrating Model 90 Universal Modular (optronic) masts for USN Virginia-class ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Seawolf Class

  The Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) was developed to follow the Los Angeles-class submarines as a faster and more substantially armed replacement. General Dynamics Electric ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class

  The USN’s Virginia-class SSNs are the foundation of US naval power. Also known as the SSN 774 class, these boats are replacing the old Los Angeles-class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  AN/BYG-1

  The AN/BYG-1 is a submarine command and control system designed for analysing and tracking ship contacts, providing situational awareness and weapons employment. The system adheres ...

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

  Archer

  The Archer is an FPV-style loitering munition from Neros. Certified by BlueUAS, the drone is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, Californa.  In February 2025, 6,000 ...

• Sea: tactical training

  688(I) Hunter Killer

  The 688(I) Hunter Killer was developed by Sonalysts, released in 1997 and published by Electronic Arts. In this platform-level game, the player takes command of ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Shang Class (Type 093)

  China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) class of six Type 093 Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) are the service’s first real deployable SSN force. The ...

• Model 326 Enhanced Fire Attack

  The Model 326 Enhanced belly tank/refill hose system holds 20% more water than the original Model 326, and is approved to fly at speeds up ...

• Major networking projects

  WGS

  Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites are elements of a high-capacity system. WGS supports the US DoD’s warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical C4ISR, ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast Programme

  The AN/BVS-1 is the sensor mast system for USN Virginia-class attack submarines, the first of which entered service in 2004. It is the first class ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 100

  The OMS 100 is a non-hull-penetrating optronic mast designed to offer shipbuilders more freedom in positioning the operations centre. A rotating sensor head is housed ...

• Data links

  MPDL

  The Multi-Payload Data Link (MPDL) is a system for airborne applications. It is based on the TMA 6000 series. The main applications are broadband LoS ...