• Training

  Lockheed Martin Australia tests LVC training system

  25th August 2022

  Lockheed Martin Australia's R&D team has partnered with the Royal Australian Air Force and Defence Science Technology Group to test and demonstrate comprehensive LVC training capabilities for multi-domain use.

• Air Warfare

  Reduced fleet size and weapons integration issues put squeeze on future RAF air combat missions

  22nd September 2022

  As the RAF manages NATO missions and faces increased pressure from Russia, defence experts argue that additional fighter jet deployments to the Asia-Pacific to maintain leading strategic ambitions signposted by the UK's Integrated Review looks to be out of the question.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AeroVironment expands flight autonomy presence with Planck Aerosystems acquisition

  18th August 2022

  The acquisition of Planck Aerosystems gives AeroVironment more capabilities in UAV guidance and navigation, autonomy and AI.

• Defence Notes

  US Army and Navy target improved comms and signal processing

  5th August 2022

  Expedition Technology has received three small business innovation research awards from the US Army and US Navy’s Office of Naval Research to develop AI and machine learning technologies.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing continues DARPA Hunter XLUUV work

  27th July 2022

  Boeing has received an $8.51 million contract modification from DARPA for Option 3 of the Hunter Phase 2 programme.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Expert claims ‘decentralised’ approach holds back USAF next-generation UAV ambitions

  6th September 2022

  Despite a number of Skyborg test successes, a defence expert has questioned how the development of next generation drones will advance without activities being concentrated and clear requirements set out.

• Defence Notes

  The Disintegrating Review: where next for the UK?

  21st September 2022

  The UK is not short of strategic documents outlining ambitious plans for its armed forces, but the ever-changing threat landscape poses a different set of questions.

• Land Warfare

  GDLS bets on innovative capabilities in USMC ARV competition

  12th August 2022

  GDLS is working on a prototype that will be equipped with an advanced electronic architecture and enhanced C4/UAS, AI, robotic and communication features.

• Training

  CAE Perspective: Solutions for ISR Data Overload (sponsored)

  4th August 2022

  To fight the near-peer conflict of the near future, Intelligence / Surveillance / Reconnaissance (ISR) professionals must cope with ambiguity, uncertainty, disparity, and the sheer volume of information.

• Digital Battlespace

  The technologies that will define the future battlefield (podcast)

  5th August 2022

  In this bonus episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, we bring you the third episode from the latest series of the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast.

• Air Warfare

  Farnborough 2022: BAE Systems’ ‘flap-free’ design helps CRANE take flight for DARPA

  18th July 2022

  Wind tunnel tests have been completed of the active flow control effector for the future X-Plane in the DARPA Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) programme.

• Digital Battlespace

  HRL composes ELGAR to improve G-band electronics

  15th July 2022

  DARPA wants to maximise the opportunities offered by the G-band spectrum.

• Defence Notes

  DARPA and US Air Force complete second hypersonic weapon flight test

  19th July 2022

  Raytheon and Northrop Grumman announced on 18 July that they have completed the second flight test of the scramjet-powered HAWC.

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon continues JAWS work for DARPA to coordinate kill webs

  14th July 2022

  DARPA has awarded Phase 2 work to Raytheon in the Joint All-Domain Warfighting Software (JAWS) battle management planning programme.

• Air Warfare

  Korean Air to develop a loyal wingman for ROKAF

  24th August 2022

  South Korea is joining the loyal wingman bandwagon, with a domestic company contracted to produce a detailed design for a new UAV.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - small

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) (Group 1-3) [US]

  Background Concept In early February 2026, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) stated that it required the ability to rapidly deploy large quantities of UAS while minimising the ...

• Military UAS - small

  LongShot [USA]

  Background Requirement As explained by GA-ASI in February 2026, LongShot is envisaged as an air-launched UAV that will fly from larger, mostly crewed aircraft and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-47 Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  Background Requirement Originally conceived as a replacement for the F-22, the PCA was designed to counter various air threats, including integrated air defence systems and ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IA-63 Pampa III (Follow-On) [Argentina]

  Programme Background After the previous procurement of six AI-63 Pampa III aircraft from 2018 and 2019 agreements, Argentina was left with a further need for 34 aircraft. ...

• Military UAS - small

  Shield AI UAVs [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Reported talks Reporting from the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, the Middle East Eye (MEE) noted that, according to two sources, Saudi Arabia was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-Bat [Poland]

  Background Polish involvement Speaking in June 2026, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Shield AI offered Poland a role in the X-Bat programme, with the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [India]

  Background Make In India The ‘Make In India’ is an initiative by the Indian government to grow the domestic manufacturing industry. In the defence context, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Group Unmanned Isr DronE (GUIDE) [Netherlands]

  Background Competition On 14 March 2025, the Netherlands announced a competition on the EU tendering website for the future procurement of 514 UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Ship-Bourne VTOL UAV [Singapore]

  Background Multi-Role Combat Vessel  The Republic of Singapore Navy will retire its six Victory-class corvettes and replace them with a new platform, the Multi-Role Combat ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services [USN]

  Background ISR services In April 2026, several companies announced that the USN had selected them to provide Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (COCO) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat 128 [Brazil]

  Background Contract award On 7 February 2022, Shield AI announced on its website that it had, on 21 January 2021, signed a contract with VSK Tactical, through ...

• Loitering munitions

  Seth-X and Anubis (Ukraine aid) [Germany]

  Background German-built, Ukraine-bound The Auterion Airlogix Joint Venture GmbH was established in February 2026 at the Munich Security Conference by the German company Auterion and ...

• 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 ...

• AEW&C

  GlobalEye [Canada]

  Background Canada and Sweden have been strengthening ties, particularly in defence, as middle powers continue to diversify their relationships due to increasingly strained relations with ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The XRQ-73 designation places this aircraft in the experimental ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Military UAS - small

  X-68A

  The X-68A is a developmental, host-platform-agnostic air-launched effect (ALE). After developmental contracts were first awarded in 2021 under the LongShot programme, General Atomics (GA-ASI) emerged as the preferred supplier ...

• Military - USVs

  NOMARS

  The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) is a US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a first-of-its-kind large uncrewed surface vessel.

• Sea: procedural training

  2 Sigma Digital Tutor

  A Digital Tutor that is designed to outperform schoolhouse instructors, bringing CTC training to a broad spectrum of sailors. Specifications include improving student outcomes for ...

• Major networking projects

  CHAIN

  The Compartmented High Assurance Information Network (CHAIN) is described as a robust architecture that improves interoperability of IT systems among the military services and security ...

• Tiltrotors

  X-76

  The X-76 is an operational crewed aircraft designed to combine the flexibility of a helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft.  Bell Textron is ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  XV-24A LightningStrike

  The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Shrike

  The Shrike was a micro, portable, rugged VTOL-capable UAV designed for frontline day/night ISR.  Development of the Shrike began in 2008 under a $4.6-million contract from ...

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar, Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is an airborne radar system manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is designed to track vehicles and foot traffic ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-61A Gremlin

  Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, is developing the X-61A Gremlin. This low-cost swarming drone can be outfitted with different payloads, launched by a mothership, recovered ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance radar

  FORESTER

  The Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) is an airborne radar system that provides stand-off, persistent, wide-area surveillance for situational awareness ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Fleet Command

  Fleet Command was developed by Sonalysts, released in 1999, and published by Electronic Arts. Command-level combat simulation where the player is responsible for navy battle ...