• Naval Warfare

  OPV for Cyprus Navy launched

  20th September 2017

  Israel Shipyards has launched a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for the Cyprus Navy, the company announced on 18 September. The OPV was launched at …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Frigate designs fuel T31 prospects

  5th September 2017

  With two new frigate designs expected to be officially unveiled at the show, attention will focus on what prospects, if any exist, there could be …

• Defence Notes

  Taiwan: Are Chinese invasion plans viable?

  3rd October 2017

  What would it take for China to invade Taiwan in terms of materiel, logistics, firepower and men? Finally, one new study extracts Chinese-language government papers, …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Maintaining the fleet (video)

  6th September 2017

  As the Royal Navy looks to integrate new vessels into its fleet, including the new Type 26, Shephard spoke with BAE Systems' Type 23 class output …

• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat’s Link 16 on Canadian frigates

  8th September 2017

  ViaSat has delivered an end-to-end Link 16 communications system to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for its Halifax-class frigates, the company announced on 5 September. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Unmanned skies over Europe (video)

  6th September 2017

  UAV programmes in Europe are dominated by France and the UK with work continuing on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) design between the two nations.  The …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: Sea Venom firing well on all cylinders

  7th September 2017

  European missile manufacturer MBDA is continuing its Sea Venom anti-ship missile trials and Shephard has learnt that all firings so far have been successful.  The first …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Navies look to unman ASW

  5th September 2017

  As western navies continue to struggle to fund large naval projects and overall fleet numbers decline to levels not seen in centuries, both industry and …

• Military Logistics

  Oshkosh completes EBFL-M deliveries

  19th September 2017

  Oshkosh Defense has successfully completed modernising and delivering 535 Extendable Boom Forklift (EBFL-M) vehicles to the US Marine Corps and US Navy, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Bahrain requests fast patrol boats

  13th September 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of 35m fast patrol boats to Bahrain, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kongsberg Geospatial wins EOAMS contract

  21st September 2017

  Kongsberg Geospatial has received a contract to produce an Emergency Operations Airspace Management System (EOAMS) for evaluation by Canadian government agencies for safely managing UAS …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSEI 2017: Atech showcases the Arkhe

  15th September 2017

  Atech, a Brazilian company of Embraer Group, took the opportunity to showcase its Arkhe family of products and services for the first time in the …

• Military Logistics

  MARSS’ MOBtronic system for RNZN fleet tanker

  13th September 2017

  MARSS has received a contract for its MOBtronic system to be installed on the Royal New Zealand Navy's new fleet tanker. The tanker is currently …

• Defence Notes

  MDM 2017: Commandant highlights new fighting concept

  21st September 2017

  The Commandant of the US Marine Corps, Gen Robert Neller, used the venue of Modern Day Marine 2017 to highlight the service’s new Littoral Operations …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ECA’s AUVs for Asian navy

  13th September 2017

  ECA Group has delivered unmanned mine disposal systems to the navy of an unnamed Asian country, the company announced on 8 September.The naval force is …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) As the Royal Navy stated in 2022, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are “interchangeable modules that can be fitted to ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Deployment On 7 April 2025, the Royal Navy announced that, for the first time, nine T-150 drones would be operated from the HMS Prince ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lanza 3D Radar [Thailand]

  Background Thailand is procuring the LANZA 3D radar to strengthen surveillance and protection of Sattahip Naval Base. The radar will be deployed by the Royal ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Background Tender notice and timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

• Frigates

  Hamilton Class Cutter [Bahrain]

  Background Very little has been said about the transfer of an ex-Hamilton-class cutter to Bahrain, but it is one of the final two to leave ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved' Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020. The contract ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (7-8) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Boraida Class replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges the replacement of three Boraida-class minehunters. Based on the Durance-class design, the ships entered service in the mid-1980s ...

• Minehunters

  Lat Ya Class Replacement Programme [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) currently operates two Lat Ya-class minehunters, commissioned in the late 1990s. The units are based on the ...

• 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 ...

• Frigates

  Karel Dorman Class (Chile)

  Programme Background  Chile currently operates two ex-Karel Doorman-class frigates which were sold in 2004. The Royal Netherlands Navy are in the process of replacing the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat aircraft, specifically the V-Bat 400, to enhance the maritime ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XV Excalibur

  XV Excalibur is an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) built by UK-based MSubs, in conjunction with the Royal Navy. It is an experimental vessel ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class (Type 26)

  The Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy are based on the Type 26 design. The ships are set to replace the Anzac-class under the ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  Ceros 200

  The Ceros 200 is a radar and optronic tracking system designed for use on naval vessels. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Royal Danish Navy MH-60R MOFT

  In January 2014, CAE was awarded an FMS contract by the USN to develop an MH-60R mission operational flight trainer (MOFT) for the Royal Danish ...

• Frigates

  Naresuan Class

  The Naresuan-class guided-missile frigates are a modified variant of the Chinese-built Type 053 frigate. The two ships-in-class were built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation ...

• Destroyers

  River Class (Type 26)

  The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate has been designed for the UK Royal Navy, but with an emphasis on export. Both the Royal Canadian Navy ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-7(V)1

  The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a solid-state naval surveillance radar produced and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is expected to be fully integrated into programmes for ...

• Frigates

  Jacob Van Heemskerck Class

  The Jacob van Heemskerck class frigates were ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates that also served under the Chilean Navy, also known as the Latorre-class. Two anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Walrus

  The Walrus is a mini rotary-wing UAV manufactured by the Royal Navy's 700X Naval Air Squadron.  As stressed during the December 2022 announcement, Walrus has been ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RD-170BT

  The RD-170BT is a man-portable surveillance radar deployed ashore to protect moored patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

• Minehunters

  Sandown Class

  The Sandown class vessels are coastal minehunters and OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces as the Al Jawf class. Additionally, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Frigates

  Type 22 (Batch 1)

  The Type 22 frigates were previously the Broadsword-class in service with the UK's Royal Navy. The vessels were built in three batches, with the first ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...