• Naval Warfare

  First Flight III destroyer for US Navy introduces innovative radar capabilities

  8th October 2023

  The introduction of USS Jack H. Lucas to the US Navy's fleet has led to a series of innovative developments that will enhance US capabilities in A2AD zones.

• Land Warfare

  European countries test use of mixed reality in combat vehicles

  26th July 2023

  Estonia and Croatia recently conducted trials with the Vegvisir Mixed Reality Situational Awareness System.

• Defence Notes

  The centre of gravity of ‘Axis of Evil 2.0’ shifts eastwards (Opinion)

  14th September 2023

  Russia might be at the tip of the spear in terms of authoritarian aggression, but it has plenty of backers in the shape of countries like China, Iran and North Korea. Others, like India, try to duplicitously sit on the fence.

• Air Warfare

  Honeywell urges Pratt & Whitney to share F-35 engine data or risk costly maintenance and reduced reliability

  21st September 2023

  'We're getting into a zone where [the engine and the cooling] are going to be out of phase with each other... which means you're going to have to take the [F-35] jet down twice for overhaul and replacement of systems,' Honeywell official tells Shephard.

• Naval Warfare

  Indonesia receives two minehunters and makes progresses on two Arrowhead 140 frigates

  5th September 2023

  Two German-built minehunters have been accepted into the Indonesian navy, while PT PAL is busy building two new frigates for the Indonesian Navy.

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Bell to deliver virtual cockpit and prototype aircraft for US Army's FLRAA

  23rd June 2023

  With the protest procedure concluded for the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition, Bell and the service have resumed work, focussing on the success of the programme.

• Air Warfare

  Australia seeks sovereignly manufactured general-purpose UAS

  4th August 2023

  With Australia's military banning the use of commercially available UAS, the ADF is looking for sovereignly designed replacements for general-purpose use.

• Land Warfare

  As the Ukraine war passes the 18-month mark, how are NATO’s factories meeting the artillery challenge?

  18th September 2023

  NATO is rapidly increasing its supply of equipment to Ukraine in a number of key areas including tube artillery and, crucially, its ammunition. Shephard analyses how the alliance's members are stepping up to this challenge after years of industrial neglect.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine lessons: is bringing an attack helicopter to a missile fight too dangerous?

  15th September 2023

  According to multiple OSINT sources, Russian forces have lost possibly as many as 200 rotary-wing aircraft since February 2022. Some of these occurred in early high-profile operations, but most have been attrition casualties during the ongoing fighting. Shephard analyses the nature of these losses, and what lessons NATO attack helicopter operators should draw.

• Land Warfare

  USMC experiments with Mission Master UGVs in Australia

  6th August 2023

  The USMC trialled Mission Master UGVs during the recent Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 in Australia.

• Land Warfare

  Patria MUSCL – Enabling covert airspace surveillance

  7th September 2023

  Airspace surveillance is like playing hide and seek. Except you are both hiding and seeking at the same time, and you are doing it in multiple domains – on land, in the air, and in the electromagnetic spectrum.

• Defence Notes

  What's new in the updated version of the US Marines Force Design 2030

  9th June 2023

  The most recent Force Design 2030 document introduces adjustments in terms of capabilities, doctrine, structure and training focusing on improving readiness.

• Naval Warfare

  India gifts missile corvette to Vietnam amidst deepening ties

  17th July 2023

  Cementing the two countries' defence partnership, India has donated a second-hand warship to Vietnam.

• Air Warfare

  AW149: Designed to Survive the Modern Battlefield (Sponsored)

  3rd July 2023

  Built for the most demanding operations on the modern battlefield, survivability is at the heart of Leonardo’s AW149 multi-role helicopter.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force continues to invest in eVTOL capabilities

  1st August 2023

  Under the latest investment, Archer Aviation will supply up to six Midnight eVTOL aircraft to the USAF, designed for short-distance trips and capable of carrying four passengers and a pilot.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  Hungary Leopard 2A4 MBT

  Programme Background The Hungarian Army is in desperate need of new NATO-standard military equipment to replace its ageing Soviet platforms. Approximately 80 T-72M1 MBTs are ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hürkuş-C Advanced Armed Trainer (Turkey)

  The Hurjet-C development programme funding was included in the Hurkus-B procurement contract awarded by  the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries in December 2013.  The Hurjet will ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia - Forecast]

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia]

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Sherpa Light [Kuwait]

  Programme Background According to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the first 150 Sherpa Lights from this contract were delivered to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Paraguay VAMTAC ST5

  Programme Background Paraguay's Joint Task Force is in need of new armoured vehicles that can provide sufficient protection against the small arms, mines and IEDs ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Tur-K3 6x6 Light Armoured Vehicle [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background Prior to 2010, the Bangladesh Armed Forces and police operated few light armoured vehicles able to protect against small arms fire and mine ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Tur-K2 4x4 Light Armoured Vehicle [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background Prior to 2010, the Bangladesh Armed Forces and police operated few light armoured vehicles able to protect against small arms fire and mine ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Titan-B

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A7HU [Hungary]

  Programme Background The Hungarian Army is in desperate need of new NATO-standard military equipment to replace its ageing Soviet platforms. Approximately 80 T-72M1 MBTs are ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Su-25K Replacement Sudan

  The UN Security Council imposed an open-ended arms sale embargo to the Sudan in 2004 and it is likely to continue in the coming years, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme 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 ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV Drones [Israel]

  Background Reported Programme According to the Globes media outlet, reporting in March 2025, the Ministry of Defense Department of Production and Procurement was publishing the ...

• Patrol boats

  Project 22160 - Russia

  Programme Background Project 22160 is a new type of patrol ship in production for the Russian Navy. The new form of combat unit designed by ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: range systems and targets

  Thermal Shot

  The Thermal Shot live-fire virtual targetry system enables immersive live-fire training throughout Laser Shot’s line of training platforms. Thermal Shot-equipped systems provide training on virtual ...

• Virtual Immersive Training Systems

  Cubic provides a full range of virtual training devices to military, public safety and commercial customers worldwide. Cubic focuses on the development and systems integration ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  Small Arms Trainer

  Meggitt manufactures the FATS line of simulators used by the US Army, USMC, USAF, USN, USCG, British Army, Australian Army and other military and government ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  Small Arms Training Simulator

  The Small Arms Training Simulator provides effective and safe shooting training for up to 12 trainees simultaneously, without ammunition consumption. The simulated weapon matches the ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  Sagittarius Evolution

  The Sagittarius Evolution provides small arms marksmanship training, from pistols to grenade launchers and guided weapons. Using CryEngine simulation technology, it has both virtual and ...

• Subsystems: visual

  ExpeditionDI

  The ExpeditionDI is a man-worn, fully immersive, turnkey team simulation solution for infantry simulation and training. It provides an open architecture platform for integrating simulation ...

• Data links

  Ultra Tropo

  The Tactical Transportable TROPO (tropospheric scatter radio) (3T) provides long-haul, high-bandwidth, low-latency communications, giving users BLoS capability in a small, flyaway VSAT system. 3T is ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  DarkWing VSAT

  L3Harris DarkWing is a small form factor, lightweight, flat-panel Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT). It is designed to fit in a backpack or laptop-sized case, allowing ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  SAVIT

  The Small Arms Virtual Indoor Trainer (SAVIT) is a modular system that can be combined in several configurations depending on customer requirements and training objectives. ...

• Land: fire support simulators

  I-FACT

  Meggitt's Indirect Fire Forward Air Control Trainer (I-FACT) supports training for forward observers, naval gunfire observers, fire support planning and joint tactical close air support. ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  EST 2000

  The Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000 – described as the US Army’s only validated marksmanship trainer – teaches individual marksmanship skills, squad-level collective defence and ...

• Assault rifles/carbines/shotguns

  L85A2 IW

  The L85A2 Individual Weapon (IW) is the assault rifle member of the SA80 5.56x45mm bullpup small arms family originally designed by the Royal Small Arms ...

• Light machine guns

  L86A2 LSW

  The L86A2 Light Support Weapon (LSW) is the fire team support variant of the SA80 5.56x45mm bullpup small arms family originally designed by the Royal ...

• Subsystems: software

  Virtual Combat OutPost Tool

  The Virtual Combat OutPost (VCOP) Tool was developed by SDS for the US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center to allow users to ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  Virtual Cockpit v3.0

  Virtual Cockpit v3.0 integrates all flight sensors, communication and payload interfaces into a light, small package.