• Air Warfare

  GCAP alliance signs treaty for sixth-generation fighter and establishes UK as programme HQ

  14th December 2023

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) nations Italy, Japan and the UK signed a treaty for the sixth-generation fighter, but the selection of the UK as headquarters has sparked involvement and workshare discussions.

• Air Warfare

  UK's New Medium Helicopter programme faces further uncertainty due to potential Airbus H145 procurement

  13th December 2023

  The UK MoD’s decision to potentially purchase six H145 helicopters for specific operational requirements in Brunei and Cyprus has sparked uncertainty about the much anticipated New Medium Helicopter programme.

• Land Warfare

  Khronos UAS integrated with Mission Master UGV for on-the-move ISR system

  16th January 2024

  Combining Mission Master, a large UGV which is already in service, and Khronos, a tethered drone system unveiled just two months ago, would offer a remote tower observation capability and reconnaissance on the move.

• Naval Warfare

  Frigate building in South America – the fleet renewal challenge

  2nd April 2024

  South America has become something of a retirement village warships where the average age of major surface combatants is 40 years, some of which should probably be in a museum. Peru, however, has joined Brazil and Colombia in a group of three countries that have been attempting to modernise their fleets with new frigates and corvettes built in local shipyards.

• Air Warfare

  Skydio launches AI-powered X10D small reconnaissance UAV

  17th January 2024

  Skydio has introduced the X10D, an AI-enhanced UAV boasting 10 times the computing power of its predecessors.

• Air Warfare

  RAF Typhoon fitted with Leonardo radar designed to enhance capabilities

  17th January 2024

  The ECRS Mk 2 radar set to take the Royal Air Force Typhoon's capabilities beyond traditional radar functions has been fitted onto an aircraft in preparation for flight tests.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific

  7th March 2024

  The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.

• Naval Warfare

  Are ‘kamikaze’ USVs a game changer in naval warfare?

  20th March 2024

  The use of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) by Ukraine in strike operations against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea has been extremely successful. But it is likely that the long-term impact could be limited.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems coalition aims to bring barrel manufacture back to UK

  12th December 2023

  The UK’s Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) requirement will replace the country’s three-decade-old AS90 howitzers and has three bidders already in place.

• Training

  US Air Force fires warning as China attempts to recruit US airmen

  20th February 2024

  US Air Force authorities have warned that Beijing has been trying to contract experienced US personnel to fill PRC training gaps in tactics, techniques and procedures.

• Naval Warfare

  Netherlands selects Barracuda submarine as Australia looks on

  20th March 2024

  With the Netherlands selecting the Barracuda design for its new Orka-class submarines, it will give Australia a chance to see what it could have had after it cancelled its conventional submarine (SSK) project based on Barracuda, opting instead for a nuclear-powered submarine (SSN).

• Naval Warfare

  Australia orders Mk 45 naval guns for Hunter-class frigates

  9th January 2024

  Australia has ordered nine Hunter-class frigates to replace Anzac-class frigates under the A$35 billion (US$22.7 billion) Sea 5000 programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Plans halted for joint German-Dutch frigate replacement

  28th February 2024

  Cooperation between the governments of Germany and the Netherlands on a replacement air defence frigate project for their respective fleets will likely be cancelled.

• Defence Notes

  UK watchdog reveals $22 billion hole in military equipment plan

  4th December 2023

  The UK National Audit Office (NAO) has delivered a scathing evaluation of the MoD's Equipment Plan for 2023–33, revealing a nearly £17 billion 'blackhole' in the budget.

• Air Warfare

  UK P-8 Poseidons to get Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedoes

  1st December 2023

  The UK MoD has confirmed the selection of the BAE Systems Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo as the future torpedo capability for its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) fleet, alongside the US Navy's Mk54 weapon.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

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

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...