• Naval Warfare

  Spirit starts production of RAAF P-8A

  24th November 2015

  Spirit AeroSystems commenced production of the first P-8A aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in October, the company announced on 20 November.  The first …

• Naval Warfare

  SDSR gives Royal Navy OPV boost

  23rd November 2015

  The UK will purchase a further two offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy (RN), it has been announced as part of the Strategic Defence …

• Digital Battlespace

  US successfully tests Patriot system

  23rd November 2015

  The US Army has successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests for the latest Post-Deployment Build 8 (PDB-8) upgrades to Raytheon's Patriot …

• Naval Warfare

  UK SDSR outlines P-8 buy

  23rd November 2015

  The UK has confirmed that it will buy nine new Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft as part of a £178 billion investment in defence equipment …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triton UAS starts testing

  20th November 2015

  The MQ-4C Triton UAS has entered operational assessment (OA) with the US Navy as it moves toward its Milestone C review and entry into low-rate initial …

• Land Warfare

  Hooking into urban climbing

  19th November 2015

  A new hook system from Norwegian urban and maritime access company, Henriksen REBS, is being developed for the military urban climbing market. Engineers are working …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Apache and Gray Eagle team up in Korea

  19th November 2015

  The US Army is able to conduct aerial manned-unmanned teaming missions in South Korea, according to an announcement from General Atomics on 18 November. In …

• Defence Helicopter

  H215 to be assembled in Romania

  18th November 2015

  Airbus Helicopters has laid the foundation stone for its new factory in Romania where the H215 helicopter will be assembled, the company announced on 17 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  India pulls plug on Nishant UAV

  18th November 2015

  In a blow to Indian efforts to field indigenously developed tactical UAVs, the Indian Army is abandoning the two-decade-old Nishant. Phase 1 of the Nishant …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAS to weather the storm

  17th November 2015

  Universities in the US have begun looking at how small UAS could be used to predict extreme weather events and double warning times for those …

• Land Warfare

  IDF selects Mepro combat sight

  17th November 2015

  Meprolight has been selected to supply its Mepro M5 red dot sight to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the company announced on 17 November. The company …

• Digital Battlespace

  DLS receives MIDS-on-Ship contract

  17th November 2015

  The US Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command has awarded a contract to Data Link Solutions (DLS) to provide Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS)-On-Ship (MOS) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Schiebel tests heavy fuel engine for S-100

  16th November 2015

  Schiebel has completed testing of a new heavy fuel engine (HFE) for the Camcopter S-100 UAS, the company announced on 14 November, in response to …

• Naval Warfare

  GHOST ship sign of things to come

  16th November 2015

  It seems like the shape of a fighting vessel's hull had found the perfect combination of form and function, remaining aesthetically relatively unchanged through generations …

• Training

  GA-ASI’s RPA training facility breaks ground

  13th November 2015

  Construction is now underway for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI’s) new RPA training facility at Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) business and aviation park …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  DELI [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Speaking to Shephard at SAHA Expo 2022, a spokesperson stated that the platform was expected to enter into service with the Turkish Armed ...

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

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) (Tranche 2) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

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

  Micro UAV [Argentina]

  Programme Background Tender The EA and MoD in April 2021 announced Public Tender 0090/2021 (UOC: 84/135), which saw the General Directorate of Material begin the process ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Air Force)

  Programme Background The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede them to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  ISR Civilian-Made UAVs [Taiwan]

  Background Civilian-made, Military-specification As reported by Shephard in April 2025, to accelerate the acquisition process and urgently build a larger UAV inventory, Taipei is enlisting the private ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) [US]

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

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

  Sovereign UAS Challenge [Australia]

  Background Chinese Drones Banned As reported by Shephard in August 2023, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) previously used commercial UAS from companies such as DJI ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Libya]

  Programme Background 2022 Reports In October 2022, various Libyan media outlets reported that the country was eyeing a possible procurement from Baykar, possibly the Akinici ...

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

  ScanEagle [Czechia]

  Programme Background Earmarked The ACR took delivery of ten ScanEagle systems (100 UAVs), which were received as a donation from the US in 2015. In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  TUAS [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Tender & Requirments The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) issued a tender in May 2020 to provide a new Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System (TUAS). ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-37A - USAF

  Programme Background The USAF was using C-20B transport aircraft, variant of civilian Gulfstream III, to provide worldwide airlift for DoD and government officials. With the ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  OC-135B Replacement (USAF- Cancelled)

  Programme Background The modification and Treaty Certification works include Digital Visual Imaging System kits, design and development for mission system integration (structural design, interphone communications systems, ...

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

  HUSAR (2023 Order) [Germany]

  Programme Background First Order In 2015, the German Army launched the HUSAR programme to identify a replacement for its Airbus Defence & Space KZO and ...

• Loitering munitions

  ZT-180 [Russia]

  Background Claims On 23 February 2023, DER SPIEGEL reported that, according to information it had gathered, China and Russia were negotiating the purchase of 100 ZT-180 drones, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• md4-3000

  The md4-3000 is a small VTOL quadcopter UAV with a maximum take-off weight of 15kg, one-third of which can be payload. It can fly by remote ...

• Neo V2

  Flycam UAV displayed the Neo V2 at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas in November 2016. Developed in 2014, the UAV has a twin-boom ...

• Falcon 8+

  Intel unveiled the Falcon 8+ for the first time at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas in November 2016. The V-Form octocopter, which will ...

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

  Skylark 3

  The Skylark 3 is a small UAS manufactured by Elbit Systems. It is designed for both dismounted and vehicle-based operations.  It can perform a range of ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  M12 Monitor

  The Saxon Remote Systems M12 Monitor UAV is a commercial and military system designed to perform a range of roles such as surveillance, pipeline inspection ...

• H520

  The H520 is a hexarotor VTOL UAV designed for the commercial and industrial markets by Yuneec International. The system was unveiled in January 2017. It ...

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

  Resolute Eagle

  The Resolute Eagle is a tactical Group 3 UAS with fuselage and underwing payload bays, which is able to carry multiple sensors. The UAS has been ...

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

  SICX-10E

  The SICX-10E is a rotary-wing UAV suitable for a range of military and civil roles, including tactical ISR, bomb damage assessment, homeland security, aerial surveillance, ...

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

  SICX-25

  The SICX-25 is a rotary-wing UAV suitable for a range of military, commercial and civil missions, including tactical ISTAR, bomb damage assessment, civil air surveillance, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  30 June

  Developed by the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production, the 30 June is a MALE fixed-wing UAV designed for reconnaissance missions.  Additionally, it features an electromagnetic system and ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skybox

  The Skybox allows gimballed camera systems developed for small UAVs to be integrated on the nose of manned helicopters. It accommodates cameras such as DJI’s ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Wulung

  The Wulung is an Indonesian tactical UAV. First displayed at the Indo Defence Expo and Forum in November 2014, the aircraft entered mass production in May ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  StratoAirNet

  The StratoAirNet is a lightweight MALE UAV that is solar-powered and designed for commercial and military applications. It can accommodate multiple payloads weighing up to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Yagu

  Plasan unveiled the Yagu 4x4 at the March 2018 Expo Seguridad event. It is based on the Arctic Cat Wildcat 4 1000 commercial all-terrain vehicle. The ...

• Air: mission management systems

  TM-100 Map and Video Management system

  Trakka Systems introduced a new TM-100 Map and Video Management system at HAI Heli-Expo 2017 in Dallas. The augmented reality mapping system with metadata video and audio ...