• Defence Helicopter

  NAVAIR eyes first flight of VH-92A presidential helicopter

  12th April 2017

  Officials overseeing the Pentagon's VH-92A presidential helicopter replacement programme are anxiously awaiting the upcoming 'first flight' milestone for the new rotary wing fleet.Programme office responsibilities …

• Defence Notes

  F-35s for Taiwan: Will US cross China’s ‘red line’?

  12th April 2017

  Taiwan's National Security Council has made repeated requests to the Trump White House for the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter, a high-level US defence industry …

• Digital Battlespace

  Typhoon Captor-E integration continues

  11th April 2017

  The first Eurofighter Typhoon fitted with the Captor-E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has completed power-on flights, with trials continuing for launch customer Kuwait.Speaking …

• Naval Warfare

  Damen submits Aussie OPV bid

  11th April 2017

  Damen Shipyards has submitted its tender for Australia's SEA 1180 Phase 1 project, the company announced on 5 April.Damen has teamed with ASC Forgacs Shipbuilding …

• Defence Helicopter

  Rotorcraft Asia: Brunei offers Black Hawk support

  10th April 2017

  The Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (MPTC) now incorporates its S-70i Black Hawk ground school and simulator training, according to Canadian simulation and training company CAE, …

• Land Warfare

  Australia selects Raytheon for GBAD

  10th April 2017

  Raytheon Australia was announced as sole supplier for Australia's short-range ground-based air defence (GBAD) requirement under Project Land 19 Phase 7B on 10 April.Defence Minister …

• Defence Helicopter

  Taiwan air force grabs 15 UH-60Ms from army

  10th April 2017

  The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) will replace its Sikorsky S-70C Bluehawk fleet with UH-60M Black Hawks beginning in December, the Ministry of National …

• Defence Helicopter

  LAAD 2017: Show highlights (video)

  7th April 2017

  The Shephard Media team talk through highlights of this week's show and discuss the region's economic problems that have implicated the progress of current and …

• Land Warfare

  India approves K9 artillery buy

  7th April 2017

  India approved an approximately $650 million procurement of 100 tracked self-propelled howitzers (SPH) of 155mm 52-calibre, with an option for 50 more, on 29 March.Larsen …

• Defence Notes

  LAAD 2017: Gripen incoming

  6th April 2017

  The first flight of the Brazilian Air Force's new Gripen E fighter will take place in the second quarter of 2017.Mikael Franzen, DG of Gripen …

• Military Logistics

  SOFINS: ​Airbus DS details A400M milestones

  6th April 2017

  Airbus Defence and Space used the recent SOFINS exhibition to detail the latest achievements of its A400M aircraft and the fact the tactical transporter is …

• Land Warfare

  LAAD 2017: Budget delays projects (video)

  6th April 2017

  Gen Div Guido Amin Naves of the Brazilian Army speaks with Shephard about current programmes and the economic challenges facing future projects.With budget restrictions influencing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SAS 2017: USCG envisions UAS blend

  6th April 2017

  The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has made no secret of its interest in small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) for shipboard operations aboard its new …

• Digital Battlespace

  UTC begins first LVA build

  5th April 2017

  UTC Aerospace Systems has commenced manufacturing on the first Large Vertical Array (LVA) for the US Navy's Virginia class submarines, the company announced on 3 …

• Defence Helicopter

  LAAD 2017: Airbus bullish about market status

  5th April 2017

  Airbus has said it remains committed to its regional footprint in South America through its array of current and future programmes.Mesrob Karalekian, VP for Latin …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift UAV [Germany]

  Background  Victor U250 agreement On 10 June 2026, at ILA Berlin, Rheinmetall, ERC Systems, and the North Rhine-Westphalia state formed a strategic partnership to lay ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Proteus [UK]

  Background Requirements The RN requires an uncrewed helicopter to test the viability of larger uncrewed aircraft, possibly providing an alternative to crewed aircraft such as the ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy-lift Helicopter STH [Germany]

  Background Requirement The German government issued a tender in March 2019 for the procurement of heavy-lift helicopters under the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) program, 60 units are ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) (MV-75 Cheyenne II) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F CHINOOK [USA]

  Programme Background As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F ...

• Transport

  Large Transport Aircraft-II (LTA-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The aircraft are needed for peacetime, international peacekeeping, emergency and combat operations. They are especially required to ensure a strategic lift capacity ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot computer, ...

• Military UAS - small

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  DrN-600

  The DrN-600 is a medium-lift cargo UAV developed by Singapore-based manufacturer ST Engineering. The platform combines vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) with wing-borne forward flight and ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Victor U250

  The Victor U250 is a heavy lift drone in development by ERC Systems. The UAV has been developed by ERC for critical mission applications including ...

• Light UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Loong 2

  The Loong 2 is a rotary-wing mini-UAV manufactured by LoongUAV. Designed for ISR missions, the UAV features a universal plug-and-play standardised interface, meaning a lot of different ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...