• Naval Warfare

  UK ‘Hybrid Navy’ steps up as Norway cooperation reinforces Arctic strategy

  13th February 2026

  As Russia commits billions to new warships and stealth submarines, the UK is reshaping its strategy with expanded troop deployments, shared frigate fleets and a shift towards uncrewed platforms.

• Land Warfare

  In depth: Competition for British Army vehicle programme heats up, despite more delays

  16th September 2025

  The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) seems set to be delayed once again but industry is jockeying for position to partner in what would be one of the biggest ever buys for the British Army.

• Naval Warfare

  UK reinforces relations with Nordic neighbours amid potential warship deals with Denmark and Sweden

  4th September 2025

  Hot on the heels of Norway selecting BAE Systems to build five Type 26 anti-submarine frigates, the UK government is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ on new warship orders for two more Scandinavian countries.

• Land Warfare

  Companies and militaries look to artificial intelligence to improve support of equipment

  22nd August 2025

  Companies are turning to rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to to reduce maintenance times and costs and increase operational hours and tempo.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Likely spending boosts outlined this year turn spotlight on show

  4th September 2025

  A surge in budgeted and planned defence spending across European NATO countries in the past year has come in the face of the war in Ukraine and demands from the Trump administration that the countries take on more of the load. This is likely to be reflected in what can be expected from DSEI.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: First mobility trials completed for British Army Challenger 3 tanks

  11th September 2025

  The mobility trials saw the Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) tested at a variety of locations in the UK, covering a combined 760km across a variety of terrains including road and cross country.

• Naval Warfare

  HMS Agamemnon: details of the dive and what the Astute-class signifies for the UK Royal Navy

  6th November 2025

  As HMS Agamemnon moves closer towards joining the UK’s in-service submarine fleet, how does the sixth Astute-class fit into the Royal Navy’s defence strategy?

• Air Warfare

  Poland air focus: Drones, transport aircraft and tankers dominate potential procurement plans

  19th December 2025

  With a rising defence budget and equipment list, Poland’s air market is set to grow as the country continues to modernise its transport and helicopter fleets while seeking out uncrewed aerial vehicles and loitering munitions.

• Land Warfare

  British Army considers purchasing the NEMO 120mm mortar turret for the Patria 6×6

  7th July 2025

  Babcock is offering the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) 6×6 for one of the elements of the UK Land Mobility Programme (LMP). It would be a replacement for some of the UK’s existing armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) fleets including the FV432 which is now some 70 years old.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS update: Australian sovereignty is “paramount” as Trump declares “full steam ahead”

  22nd October 2025

  AUKUS has been under the spotlight this week as US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had their first face-to-face meeting.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus, Babcock and CAE partner for Poland helicopter training requirement

  19th May 2025

  Poland first issued a requirement for up to 24 helicopters and associated training systems in January 2024.

• Land Warfare

  CAVS rolls on as Denmark orders 129 vehicles

  14th July 2025

  Denmark signed the Technical Arrangement for the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) in April this year. The order means the country will receive its first vehicle this year.

• Air Warfare

  Affinity “well positioned” to meet MFTS demand, says MD

  25th September 2025

  Affinity, which maintains and delivers the aircraft for the UK’s Military Flying Training System, is working on improving its fleet availability to meet UK armed forces’ training demands and boost training opportunities, while eyeing plans for overseas expansion.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia commissions HMAS Arafura three-and-a-half years behind schedule

  30th June 2025

  The Royal Australian Navy has finally commissioned the first Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel – more than three years behind schedule – highlighting the programme’s delays, design compromises and ongoing industrial restructuring.

• Naval Warfare

  France and Sweden sign defence roadmap as Naval Group positions FDI frigate for Swedish surface ship programme

  23rd June 2025

  A pact signed at the Paris Air Show has seen Sweden turn to the French FDI frigate to lead its next-gen surface combatant fleet amid shifting security dynamics in the Baltic Sea.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) [Ukraine]

  Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been in ...

• Trainer

  PC-7 MKX [France]

  Development Babcock is set to supply the French Air and Space Force with 22 PC-7 MKX aircraft and 12 training stimulators for a total programme ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Background  Requirement In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31) (1-5) [UK]

  Background The Inspiration-class (Type 31) frigate programme for the UK Royal Navy (RN) emerged during the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 when the MoD ...

• Self-propelled mortars

  Project Stokes [UK]

  Background The British Army does not currently operate any self-propelled mortars. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that static fire support platforms are increasingly vulnerable ...

• Patrol boats

  Second-hand patrol boats (Ireland)

  Background The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced on 14 March that it was selling two decommissioned 340t Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) to Ireland. As part ...

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition (3-4) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Timeline The design options initially shortlisted for the first two frigates were an improved variant of the SIGMA 10514 design from Damen, the 30FFM ...

• Frigates

  Common Combat Vessels [UK]

  Background Requirements Despite replacing the Type 45, the CCV will be smaller than a destroyer, which the UK hopes will allow it to save money ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme Background According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program [Canada]

  Background The FAcT requires to graduate 120 pilots, 40 combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators per year with 15% fluctuation. Training services are ...

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition (1-2) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Requirements Indonesia’s policy of Minimum Essential Force (MEF) seeks to create an armed force capable of defending the nation. The navy has thus ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Queen Elizabeth Class

  The contract to begin the construction of the first ship was awarded in 2008, ten years after the programme was announced in the 1998 SDR. ...

• Frigates

  Luleå Class (1-4) [Sweden]

  Background Requirements The Swedish Navy currently operates a total of five Visby-class corvettes and two older Gävle-class corvettes, which first entered service in the late 1980s. According ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Project ORKA [Poland]

  Background Requirements The Orka-class submarine programme for the Polish Navy is intended to provide three new replacements for the remaining Kobben-class and Kilo-class SSKs. Poland ...

• Frigates

  Air Defence Frigates Procurement [Denmark]

  Background Requirements After focusing on the procurement of new highly capable patrol ships and new Arctic frigates as a replacement for the Thetis-class, Shephard had initially estimated ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 120

  The Arrowhead 120 (AH120) is a frigate design from Babcock, which was initially developed for the requirements of the Royal Navy and its Type 31 frigate ...

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31)

  The Inspiration-class (Type 31) is a general-purpose frigate being procured by the UK RN to replace its Type 23 Duke-class frigates. The new frigates will ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  General Logistics Vehicle

  The General Logistics Vehicle (GLV) is a light utility vehicle manufactured by Babcock International. Unveiled at DSEI 2023, it is a militarised version of the Toyota Land Cruiser ...

• Trainer

  TB 30 Epsilon

  The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light truboprop trainer aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It is in ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Trainer

  PC-21

  Pilatus began the development of the PC-21 single-turboprop low-wing swept monoplane advanced trainer in 1999. The PC-21 can also be operated in the light attack ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Frigates

  Miecznik frigates (Arrowhead 140)

  The Miecznik frigates are based on the Babcock Arrowhead 140 design, already selected by the Royal Navy and the Indonesian Navy. Three ships have been ordered ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A330 Voyager MRTT Training Services

  Through AirTanker Services, a JV between Thales, Airbus Group, Cobham, Rolls-Royce and Babcock, Thales provides and maintains training services for the RAF’s Future Strategic Tanker ...

• Static/towed guns

  Centurion LPWS

  Raytheon developed the Centurion Land-based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) in 2004-05 to provide a C-RAM system to protect US bases in Iraq. The heart of ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SK4110

  Rohde&Schwarz; SK4110 is a high-power HF transmitter that provides beyond-line-of-sight communications with a high data rate. Notably, it has a liquid cooling system and optional ...

• Frigates

  Red White Class (Arrowhead 140)

  The Red White-class frigates are based on Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design. Indonesia ordered two vessels in 2021, and the lead ship is currently being built ...

• Light UGVs

  SPUR

  The Squad Packable Utility Robot (SPUR) is QinitiQ's newest tactical land UGV. Designed to be backpackable, the drone can be deployed rapidly from its stowed state.  It ...

• Military - USVs

  Romulus

  The Romulus is an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).  According to HII, the Romulus USV was designed as a force ...