• Naval Warfare

  Can Portugal solve NATO’s uncrewed systems development challenge?

  23rd June 2026

  NATO has spent more than a decade building one of the world’s most sophisticated maritime uncrewed experimentation ecosystems, but still lacks a way to translate this testing into alliance-wide operational capability. Portugal now believes it has the answer.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia is ramping up its uncrewed surface fleet as Sea Archer lines up for key requirement

  2nd April 2026

  As advances in uncrewed technology increasingly shape Australia’s maritime future, Shephard spoke with the country’s head of navy capability and a Leidos Australia executive about the operational advantages behind the shift.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS settles into steadier waters as industrial pathways widen

  15th April 2026

  Sessions at UDT 2026 signalled that the AUKUS programme is pressing ahead at a steady pace – with trilateral commitment reaffirmed, Australian industrial capacity expanding and additive manufacturing emerging as an opportunity for suppliers.

• Land Warfare

  The path to a safer future – why technological innovation is key to successful mine clearance

  8th June 2026

  Landmines continue to present a persistent and constantly evolving global threat, and advances in technology are improving how the challenges posed by minefields are managed, while reducing risks to human life. The growing capabilities of autonomous and robotic systems, coupled with advanced sensor capabilities, are now fuelling industry’s responses to this pervasive danger.

• Air Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Wartime iteration gives Ukraine an edge as future UAV exporter

  23rd June 2026

  As industrial-scale drone production proves its battlefield worth in Ukraine, what happens to that production capacity and knowhow once the guns fall silent – and is Ukraine about to become one of the world’s most credible UAV export partners?

• Air Warfare

  Bundeswehr launches loitering munition spending spree with $2.16 billion unassigned

  24th April 2026

  After months of delays, Rheinmetall has inked a €300 million deal with Germany for its FV-014 drone this week as part of a wider framework contract worth €2.4 billion for loitering munition procurement. Shephard looks at how the as-yet-unawarded funds could be spent.

• Naval Warfare

  Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies

  5th June 2026

  A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.

• Land Warfare

  Norway orders improved NASAMS technology as more countries sign up

  31st October 2025

  The country’s air defence batteries will be equipped with new command posts, wheeled communication nodes and radios. The system itself is in service with more than 14 countries with 13 systems in Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  The C-UAS challenge: Finding the threat before it finds you

  18th May 2026

  How Teledyne FLIR Defense C-UAS solutions – and sensors optimized for third-party systems integrators – deliver early drone detection and decision advantage for UAS threat response

• Naval Warfare

  UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration

  24th March 2026

  The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.

• Air Warfare

  UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for UK air power?

  30th June 2026

  The DIP sees £8.6 billion earmarked for the Global Combat Air Programme, with heavy emphasis on uncrewed systems procurement and a national CCA programme, despite pushed forward helicopter retirements and questions over what shape future ISR capabilities could take.

• Defence Notes

  Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures

  5th February 2026

  Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.

• Naval Warfare

  Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?

  2nd January 2026

  The USN is conducting a market search seeking additional sources capable of supplying 516 units of Over the Horizon – Weapons System Encanistered Missiles.

• Defence Notes

  “Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence

  9th October 2026

  In Conversation… Shephard’s Andrew White talks to Zafer Şen, CEO and co-founder of OBSS, about the future of command-and-control software in the age of artificial intelligence, and his company’s ambitions in the UK defence market.

• Naval Warfare

  Hormuz mines reopen the MCM capability question

  20th April 2026

  The US-led mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz is a reminder of the long-overdue reckoning among Western navies. With ageing fleets and uncrewed systems still maturing, the gap between rhetoric and investment is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• OPVs

  Jan Mayen Class (1-3) [Norway]

  Programme Background Contract The Jan Mayen-class vessels were designed by LMG Marin, with the process beginning with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) in 2013 and ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  ReDrone [Romania]

  Background Romania signed a contract with Elbit Systems to receive its ReDrone multi-layered unmanned air defense systems (C-UAS). The ReDrone is equipped with a DAiR ...

• Military UAS - mini

  LARUS [Germany]

  Background LARUS LARUS is a German reconnaissance UAS programme. The $30.9 million contract, associated with the programme, was awarded by the Bundeswehr through the NATO ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat 128 [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) was seeking a platform for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that would significantly expand its surveillance range ...

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

  NASAMS [Hungary]

  Background Hungary selected the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to replace its Soviet-era Vympel 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) systems and modernise its air-defence capability. ...

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

  NASAMS [Spain]

  Background As the cornerstone of its ground-based air defence (GBAD) modernisation efforts, in April 2024 , Spain signed a €410 million ($436 million) deal with Norway-based Kongsberg ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Delfin Programme - SIGINT Ships [Poland]

  Background Requirements Under the Delfin Programme, the Polish Navy intends to acquire two Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) ships to support intelligence data acquisition across the full spectrum of ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Acquisition of an Initial Depth Support Drone Capacity (ADAPT) [France]

  Background Aftermath of SDT To fill the capability void left by the cancellation of the second section of the Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme, three ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  SAN C-UAS [Poland]

  Background In January 2026, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and its Polish partner Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) signed a contract with the Polish Armaments Agency for the delivery ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MALE-class UAV [Czech Republic]

  Background Cancelled earlier effort In 2017, the Czech Republic announced its intention to acquire an undisclosed number of tactical UAVs for the Army of the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Ex-Norwegian F-16AM [Romania]

  Programme Background According to the Norwegian MoD, the F-16AM/BMs have been in service for 40 years. The first aircraft will be delivered in 2023 and ...

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

  Medium-Range Air Defence [Malaysia]

  Background Historically, Malaysia has relied on a combination of SHORAD/V-SHORAD and fixed-wing interceptors.  Given the growth of modern stand-off weapons, Malaysia's Defence White Paper 2020 identified the ...

• Minehunters, OPVs

  Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Programme Block II [UK]

  Background Requirements Under Block II of the RN's Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, the UK is expected to acquire three Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs) designed ...

• Corvettes, OPVs

  Large Standard Vessels [Norway]

  Background Requirements In the 2023 Military Advice of the Chief of Defence, Gen Eirik Kristoffersen suggested that Norway should renew its maritime surface structure by rationalising ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV-30 (Batch 3) [USA]

  Background The ACV is a family of vehicles intended to modernise the USMC's vehicle fleet, particularly the Corps' ageing AAV7 vehicles. Development of the ACV ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Super Kopyo

  The Super Kopyo is a modernized version of the Kopyo radar featuring high-throughput signal and data processors, reduced weight of 100 kg from 165 kg, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Zaslon M

  The Zaslon-M is an upgraded variant of the original Zaslon radar featuring a 1.4m diameter antenna, enhanced processing capabilities, and the ability to track 24 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Super Kopyo PH

  The Super Kopyo-PH is an ultra-lightweight X-band radar system featuring a phased-array antenna, digital signal and data processors, and a 12-bit analogue/digital converter unit, designed for ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  CS-3030

  The CS-3030 ELINT/ESM Subsystem from Collins Aerospace is designed for high-precision radar signal measurement and analysis. The system is designed for use in demanding environments ...

• Air: Displays

  EP-17 Gripen Display System

  The EP-17 Gripen Display System has been developed by SAAB Avitronics, Sweden, specifically for the Gripen multi-role combat aircraft. It integrates on-board sensors, data-links and ...

• Air: Displays

  PCD-EU

  The Panoramic Cockpit Display - Electronics Unit (PCD-EU) has been jointly developed by the San Jose-based Lynx Software Technologies and Tampa-based Core Avionics & Industrial ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  N011M

  The N011M BARS is a hybrid X-band radar system combining passive electronically scanned array technology with mechanical scanning capabilities. The system features dual-band operation (X-band ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  CS-3240

  The CS-3240 automatic ELINT system detects, captures and identifies radar signals in the 2-18GHz range –options for higher- and lower-frequency coverage are available. The CS-3240 ...

• Subsystems: visual

  VECTOR

  VECTOR is a large-screen display image processor, driving LED walls, soft-edged large projectors and DLP and LCD rear projection video walls. Its ability to combine ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  CS-3045

  Designed for use in airborne environments, the CS-3045 airborne ELINT system consists of omni- and direction-finding-antennas, receivers, signal processors and operator workstations and can be ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APQ-180

  Used on the AC-130U Spectre gunship operated by the USSF, the AN/APQ-180 is a modification of the APG-70 and has fixedtarget track, ground moving target ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Sentry-H 6120-BM

  Codan's Sentry-H 6120-BM provides a rugged software-defined radio solution for HF voice and data communications. Notably, it delivers a maximum RF output power of 150W ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Kopyo

  The Kopyo is an X-band multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar developed by Phazotron NIIR as a private venture, featuring digital signal processing and designed for light combat ...

• Military - UUVs

  HUGIN Superior

  The HUGIN Superior is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed by Kongsberg Maritime. The AUV is designed for government, commercial, and scientific missions.

• Land: air defence radar

  3D Primary Surveillance Radar

  The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) 3D is part of the Lanza family of 3D radar systems. It has been designed especially for airport and air ...