• Defence Notes

  Palantir and Boeing partner up to bring AI to defence manufacturing

  24th September 2025

  The partnership with the US airframer will see Palantir’s AI software leveraged to help streamline data analytics across Boeing’s 12 factories on defence and classified programmes.

• Naval Warfare

  Thales’ new Sonar 76Nano could equip UK Royal Navy on anti-submarine warfare missions

  15th December 2025

  The new sonar is designed to equip uncrewed underwater vessels, with the potential to be used by the Royal Navy for its Atlantic Bastion and Atlantic Net missions.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: General Dynamics firms up Ajax for potential British Army IFV requirement

  10th September 2025

  Following the cancellation of the Lockheed Martin UK Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP), the British Army will have a serious capability gap when the current Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is soon phased out of service.

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: British Army Ajax in service after problematic delivery – but what now?

  7th November 2025

  The Ajax has finally rolled into place and achieved what the UK Ministry of Defence describes as Initial Operating Capability. With the production line for UK contracts only going to the end of the decade, what’s next?

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: IDV sets eyes on British Army vehicle deal as MD calls for “acceleration” of efforts

  15th September 2025

  The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) to replace thousands of vehicles is in flux as the tender for the Light Mobility Vehicle segment planned for November is set to be missed. IDV Robotics’ Dr Geoff Davis is calling for the UK government to focus broadly on indigenous capability for procurement and to do it faster.

• 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?

• Naval Warfare

  UK to join US Navy’s Virginia-class submarine assembly effort to speed up construction

  10th December 2025

  The expansion of the Virginia-class submarine construction to UK shores could accelerate the project as US shipbuilders continue to fall short of delivery goals.

• Defence Notes

  High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?

  20th January 2026

  Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.

• Naval Warfare

  As Indonesia doubles up its order, who else is looking at the Arrowhead 140 frigate design?

  28th January 2026

  The adaptable design of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 frigate, already selected by the UK Royal Navy and Poland, has led to more orders from Indonesia while other countries continue to weigh it up.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: UK’s new Air Chief Marshal outlines nuclear, space and IAMD as three key priorities for RAF

  16th September 2025

  Aiming to field a more integrated, agile force, the military leader said in a keynote speech that focus on these core areas would be increased to help the RAF deter and meet challenges in the new threat landscape.

• Land Warfare

  AM General completes JLTV demonstration for British Army programme and picks a partner

  8th October 2025

  The British Army’s Land Mobility Programme is the golden ring for vehicle makers across the world and particularly industry in the UK, with a prize of billions of dollars across three programmes.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA-led DragonFire’s latest trials move the LDEW system closer to UK navy integration

  21st November 2025

  The DragonFire lines up with other European laser-directed energy weapons being developed in collaboration with MBDA.

• Land Warfare

  First firing of Sabre air defence system in UK as government places order

  26th August 2025

  Land Ceptor air defence missile launchers which will form part of Sky Sabre, a defence system designed to intercept cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.

• Naval Warfare

  UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration

  4th December 2025

  The Type 26 will also be fitted with the Sea Ceptor vertically launched air defence system that can fire CAMM missiles and a 24-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system that can fire the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine rockets and long-range anti-ship missiles.

• Air Warfare

  Royal Navy launches Project Vanquish to test carrier-launched drone

  7th October 2025

  The requirement notice outlines the need for a fixed-wing, short take-off and landing autonomous collaborative platform, as part of the UK Royal Navy’s route towards fielding a hybrid air wing.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

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

  Programme 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 ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• 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 ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...