• Defence Notes

  The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement

  15th June 2026

  European militaries face a rapidly evolving security landscape and defence production must accelerate to meet surging demand for platforms and equipment. Industry needs to adapt to ensure it gets its products into the hands of the end user, Evelyn Rafferty, Senior Director Aerospace and Defence - Europe at Plexus told Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan.

• Land Warfare

  US Army seeks nearly $900 million to accelerate development and acquisition of CUAS capabilities

  2nd July 2025

  The branch plans to speed up the building and procurement of kinetic and non-kinetic systems for fixed, semi-fixed and on-the-move operations.

• Air Warfare

  How satcom is shaping the future of fast, accurate warfare (Podcast)

  22nd October 2025

  "Speed is the key advantage and accuracy is the key outcome": Amazon Kuiper Government Solutions’ Rick Freeman talks to Shephard’s Georgia Lewis about how space-as-a-service is transforming defence connectivity and access to satellite capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  US Army cancels FTUAS and the MQ-1 Gray Eagle as part of the Army Transformation Initiative

  13th May 2025

  Last week, it was revealed that the US Army intended to cancel the long-running Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS). The revelation, no doubt part of the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), came a week after the force highlighted that it would cancel the procurement of Gray Eagle aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  "The next industrial revolution": Pearson Engineering embraces autonomy and robotics

  1st September 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to Pearson Engineering group chief executive officer Ian Bell about how the company is turning to new technologies to provide critical protection and mobility for troops on the front line.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Recovery, reconnaissance, autonomy and air defence shape land systems developments

  17th June 2026

  New recovery vehicles, reconnaissance platforms, autonomous fire-support systems and short-range air-defence capabilities on display at Eurosatory 2026 highlighted how land forces are adapting to evolving battlefield requirements.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: new and improved vehicles and counter-drone technology foreshadowed

  8th June 2026

  Eurosatory is the world’s largest defence show with more than 2,000 exhibitors listed and more than 43,000 visitors expected, as the show expands to a floorspace of 185,000m². Uncrewed systems and effectors to defeat them, as well as 4x4 vehicles, are all set to be focal points at the event.

• Naval Warfare

  Uncrewed fleets emerge as AUKUS nations’ answer to capability interval

  25th March 2026

  While their multibillion-dollar nuclear submarine ambitions move forward at a glacial industrial pace, all three countries are making a swifter bet: fleets of uncrewed vessels that can be built, deployed and iterated in years rather than decades.

• Air Warfare

  US approves $1.45 billion sale to UAE for CH-47 Chinooks and F-16 sustainment

  13th May 2025

  Both the possible sale for six Chinook helicopters and F-16 sustainment will bolster existing UAE fleets and the country’s position as a US partner and ally, according to the DSCA.

• Naval Warfare

  Ireland releases maritime strategy as it looks to new naval bases and stronger partnerships

  27th February 2026

  Ireland has a maritime area ten times the size of its land mass but has a limited naval capacity and faces an ongoing threat to critical underwater infrastructure. A new strategy is looking to address the challenge.

• Air Warfare

  South Korea considers cancellation of second AH-64E Apache helicopter purchase

  8th July 2025

  The likely scrapping of Boeing’s Apache helicopter comes after a huge budget cut approved by the South Korean National Assembly. The helicopter procurement had already been reconsidered by the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier in the year.

• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: BAE Systems eyes customers for its Strix after initial flight

  31st March 2025

  The Strix test effort suffered a setback last year when the prototype incurred minor damage in a hard landing during its second trial flight.

• Defence Notes

  US Air Force pushes Sentinel’s initial capability to early 2030s despite China’s nuclear progress

  25th February 2026

  While the US struggles to modernise the 50-year-old land leg of its nuclear triad, China has been rapidly developing and fielding new nuclear capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard commissions first icebreaker acquired in the last 25 years

  11th August 2025

  The Cutter Storis officially entered service with the Branch on 10 August. The new capability will be operated from Juneau, Alaska.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: MBDA reveals finalised FC/ASW low-observable missile design as programme advances

  9th September 2025

  The updated stealth airframe model will be displayed for the first time at DSEI 2025 to showcase the maturity of the technologies and system ahead of its launch into the development phase, MBDA said.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

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

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) (MV-75 Cheyenne II) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  APR-39E(V)2

  The AN/APR-39E(V)2 is a digital radar warning receiver manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The receiver is a modernised version of the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Kargo II

  The Kargo II is a cargo-carrying rotary-wing UAV from Piasecki. It has a cargo capacity of 1,300 lbs, 500 lbs more than the original Kargo ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus was the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

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

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

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

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot computer, ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...