• Naval Warfare

  Denmark’s air defence frigate requirement draws growing European competition

  2nd October 2026

  With no formal competition under way, industrial partnerships, production capacity and air defence capability could all shape the programme as Denmark considers how to replace its three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.

• Air Warfare

  UK vows to accelerate Lyra programme for Ukraine as defence industry eyes opportunities

  23rd March 2026

  Project Nightfall and Project Octopus both fall under the Lyra programme, with UK industry working to develop and deliver additional missiles and drones to help bolster Ukraine’s warfighting capabilities against Russia.

• Land Warfare

  Drone wars: countries are looking for answers but do companies have the solutions?

  18th March 2026

  Manufacturers are speeding up their counter-drone development efforts as countries increasingly focus on procurements to provide battlefield and national protection.

• Land Warfare

  US Army’s future autonomous launcher nears next phase with awards expected in August

  16th July 2026

  The Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) is the US Army’s main effort to provide an autonomous or optionally crewed missile launcher, with more details revealed at a CSIS webinar discussion this week.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Versatile 8×8 vehicles taste success as new versions rolled out

  8th September 2025

  From protected mobility, infantry fighting and reconnaissance to armoured personnel carrier, armoured vehicles and amphibious assault, the 8×8 vehicle is a jack-of-all-trades. In theory, it allows a single vehicle type to fulfil varied roles while providing commonality, and the European market and vehicle types are growing rapidly.

• Air Warfare

  Co-operation continues as tri-national F-35s break new ground in Pacific exercise

  22nd April 2025

  The February exercise marked a milestone in multinational cooperation with fifth-generational air warfare capabilities, but will it continue considering shifting US politics?

• Air Warfare

  Can UK interceptor efforts keep pace with the rising drone threat?

  15th April 2026

  The recent acquisition announcement for Cambridge Aerospace’s Skyhammer solution is a key step in the UK’s efforts to bolster its counter-UAS capabilities, but more still needs to be done to tackle even smaller drone threats.

• Naval Warfare

  Eureka Naval Craft and Strategic Marine make pitch to build next-gen Aircat Bengal MC craft

  29th August 2025

  A vessel currently used in the offshore oil and gas sector could act as an alternative to corvettes and frigates, claims US shipbuilder.

• Land Warfare

  Turkey’s latest IFV takes shape as key subsystems revealed

  25th August 2025

  First deliveries of the SARP 100/35 remote-controlled turret (RCT) for Altuğ, developed as a private venture by Aselsan, will be made in 2027.

• Land Warfare

  India’s drone industry ambitions accelerate with Xtend technology transfer deal

  16th April 2026

  The localised production of interceptor and tactical drones further strengthens India-Israel industrial alignment and could position India for future cooperation opportunities.

• Land Warfare

  July land forces roundup: UK outlines spending with details unveiled on Eurosatory vehicles

  31st July 2026

  Analysis of the long-awaited UK Defence Investment Plan, which was finally released on 30 June, revealed scant investment in platform replacement for the British Army. The bright spot in July, however, was a multibillion-dollar contract awarded for the British Army’s Collective Training System.

• Air Warfare

  How detection-led C-UAS solutions are transforming drone defense

  23rd March 2026

  Modern C-UAS solutions must detect threats early, integrate layered sensors, and deliver fast, scalable, adaptable defense against evolving drones.

• Naval Warfare

  Turkey targets Italian market with strategic partnership on USVs and hybrid platforms

  19th February 2026

  Havelsan, VN Maritime and Piloda Defence will collaborate to develop and integrate a range of maritime solutions with a view to secure a first procurement contract in Italy in the first half of this year.

• 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.

• Land Warfare

  UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the British Army?

  30th June 2026

  The UK’s Defence Investment Plan splurges big for future air and naval programmes, including new hybrid ships, but there are fewer big-ticket items for British Army vehicles. Shephard’s Damian Kemp looks at the much delayed plan.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58A Valkyrie [USMC]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 30 December 2022, the US DoD announced that it had awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems a $15.52 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS-39C/D Gripen replacement [Czech Republic]

  Background Requirements The Czech Republic Air Force operates 14 Gripens (12 JAS 39C and two JAS 39D variants) under a lease agreement that runs until ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Timeline In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. However, Germany's defence export ban to Saudi ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Kaan additional units [Turkey]

  Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 air ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Turkey]

  Background Programme involvement Turkish involvement in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme began in the early 2000s, with the country's participation beginning in the concept demonstration ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter new build fleet [Turkey]

  Background Requirement The Turkish Air Force has operated two main fighter platforms, the F-16 and F-4, for several decades. As older F-16 airframes and F-4s ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Turkey]

  Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 air ...

• Trainer

  Hawk 127 Replacement (Future Lead-In Fighter Training System- Project Air 6002 PH1) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements The RAAF is seeking a future solution that provides a ‘relevant, adaptable, affordable and safe LIFTS out to 2050’ for training pilots ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Denmark joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in 2002 during the System Development and Demonstration phase and has influenced technical elements ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Halcon I [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon) are already engaged with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-18 Replacement Phase II/Project Halcon II [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers, including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), and Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon), are already engaged ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Japan

  In 2019, Japan requested to be an official partner in the F-35 programme, but this request was rejected by the Pentagon. The F-35 Joint Strike ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B (1-30) [Italy]

  The 2019 and 2020 budget contained significant funding for the F-35 programme: €690 million ($775 million) in 2019 and €859 million ($962 million) in 2020, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A (61-75) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2009, the Italian MoD planned to purchase 131 F-35 aircraft, which was later reduced to 90. According to the MoD documentation, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  F-35 Training System

  BAE Systems is involved in F-35 Lightning II Training System design and sustainment, working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. BAE Systems leads the instructional systems ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers, EW test systems

  Model 527

  The Model 527 radar signal simulator is used for end-of-runway and walk-around radiated RWR testing to verify the operational status of the aircraft and its ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  AN/ALE-55 FOTD

  The ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) is a high-powered electronic off-board countermeasure that works with an aircraft’s onboard EW equipment to defeat radiofrequency (RF) threats. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR-EW

  The SPEAR-EW missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, is an air-to-surface weapon designed to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions. This ...

• EW test systems

  A2PATS

  Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) is a real-time EM test environment simulator for military platforms and installed systems, designed to deliver mission ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  HAPS / PHASA-35

  The High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) is a solar-electric Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft (PHASA-35).  Produced by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the platform is designed to provide a persistent, ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  AN/APG-81 is operating in the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire control radar designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 “Lightning” all-weather ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35

  The MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum F) is a multirole fighter, the latest variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter family.  The production of the MiG-35 ...

• EO/IR systems

  F-35 Lightning II Advanced EOTS

  The F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a sensor that combines targeting forward-looking IR (FLIR) and IR search and track (IRST) capabilities for ...

• Fighter - multirole, Fighter - naval

  F-35B

  The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability. The USMC is the main customer for the F-35B, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  F-35 Gen III HMDS

  The F-35 Gen III helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is provided by a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America and Rockwell Collins, developed for the F-35 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-178V(5)+

  The AN/ALQ-178(5)+ is an internally mounted self-protection system designed and developed by Aselsan and BAE Systems for the Turkish F-16C fighter aircraft. The system comprises ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...