• Naval Warfare

  Defence Insight Briefs: Naval modernisation accelerates amid geopolitical tension and tech evolution

  14th April 2025

  The global naval market is undergoing a notable transformation, with growth driven by both escalating geopolitical tensions and the emergence of innovative technologies. Across NATO, but particularly in Europe, navies are accelerating modernisation efforts, spurred by renewed threats and persistent capability gaps.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Elbit Systems set to field joint fires systems as it looks to large UK requirements

  15th September 2025

  Elbit Systems UK was awarded the Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators (D-JFI) programme in January 2021, which will integrate with the UK’s army, marines and air force. The parent company has decades of heritage in the UK and is looking to compete for the Watchkeeper drone replacement.

• Land Warfare

  Getting the most from open-architecture solutions in defence

  1st October 2025

  What are the best practices for maximising the benefits of open-architecture technology for military applications?

• Land Warfare

  German MARS III tests Kongsberg NSM

  27th May 2025

  Germany is looking to expand its artillery capability and like other countries is looking to improved costal defence.

• Air Warfare

  Tactical UAS: mission-driven innovation for a new battlefield era

  26th August 2025

  As global conflicts evolve and the limitations of traditional UAS become clear, Aeronautics is redefining the tactical unmanned aerial systems space with platforms that prioritize survivability, flexibility, and mission effectiveness.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard announces measures to further implement Force Design 2028 strategy

  2nd July 2025

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) created new units, including five Programme Executive Offices (PEOs), to facilitate and speed up the procurement of new capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2025: GCAP Electronics Evolution emerges as new consortium for 6th-gen programme

  10th September 2025

  The consortium, known as G2E, is formed of four leading national defence electronics companies: Mitsubishi for Japan, Leonardo UK for the UK and both Leonardo and ELT Group for Italy.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Australian Navy sizes up modernisation plans for new and existing capabilities

  11th December 2025

  The Australian navy is pushing ahead with its efforts to modernise its workforce and capabilities while balancing risky submarine upgrades, ageing Collins-class boats and a shrinking minehunter fleet. Head of navy capability RAdm Stephen Hughes updated Shephard on the force’s progress.

• Air Warfare

  What could the realignment of China, Russia, India and Pakistan mean for defence aerospace markets?

  1st October 2025

  As traditional Western alliances crumble and the wider strategic and economic background shifts, what does the realignment of relationships between these four countries mean for air power and the defence aerospace market?

• Land Warfare

  “A new philosophy of defence”: ASELSAN sets out ambitions for the future

  14th November 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to ASELSAN CEO and President Ahmet Akyol about how the business has evolved and expanded over the past five decades, and its aim of becoming a top 30 global defence company by 2030.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard announces $350 million investment in robotics and autonomous systems

  26th September 2025

  The USCG will use part of this funding to acquire SkyDio X10D short-range uncrewed aircraft systems, VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicles and Qinetiq Squad Packable Utility and mini-SPUR robots.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: As more possible CV90 orders loom, BAE Systems confident on production rates

  12th September 2025

  The company is investing in increasing production while major subcontractors also push to keep up with demand, with Sweden’s recent Request for Information potentially adding another 500 to the order book.

• Land Warfare

  Romania set to order KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles

  17th November 2025

  Romania’s effort to buy infantry fighting vehicles is expected to include five configurations: a standard platform with a 30mm autocannon, a command variant, an armoured recovery vehicle, a medical evacuation vehicle and a 120mm self-propelled mortar.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy outlines future modernisation plans for the USS Blue Ridge

  24th September 2025

  The LCC-19 amphibious command vessel is currently the US Navy’s oldest deployed in-service asset, having been in operation for nearly 55 years.

• Land Warfare

  South Korean companies turning necessity into export opportunity

  14th November 2025

  South Korea’s particular geopolitical situation and threat environment has created a defence industry ecosystem of substantial size and breadth.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Vietnam - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background The Vietnamese Coast Guard are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia became the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - small

  Indonesia - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background As part of a large scale programme, Indonesia was set to receive eight ScanEagle UAS drone Insitu provided by the US under the Maritime ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AICS [Italy]

  Programme Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace ...

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

  V-Bat [Romania]

  Programme Background Modernisation According to HotNews, a Romanian news outlet reporting on 25 February 2025, the Romanian MoD announced to journalists that it would focus on ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (4) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Finland]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• Corvettes, OPVs

  Large Standard Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements In the 2023 Military Advice of the Chief of Defence, Gen Eirik Kristoffersen suggested that Norway should renew its maritime surface structure by ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (3) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  K1000ULE [US Army]

  Programme Background Trials The drone was tested in May 2024 by the US Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force in the Philippines during the Baliktan military ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  DEF129 (Maritime UAS) [Australia]

  Background Project Sea 129 Phase 5 The Australian Navy's predecessor to DEF129, Project Sea 129 Phase 5, had been set to deliver three blocks of small ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Norway]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• Land: battle management systems, Major networking projects, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DOOB (HARBIYE)

  Defence out of a Box (DOOB, also marketed as HARBIYE) is a C4I system family developed by Havelsan as an integrated defence solution aiming for ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation Engine II

  The Simulation Engine II (SE II) commercial game engine is the first PC-based game engine to be developed by Sonalysts as a commercial product and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Increment 1 Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are set to be implemented under JTRS Increment 1: WNW with OFDM and anti-jam; SRW (ground domain); joint airborne network-tactical edge ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Naval Command Center

  The Elbit Systems Naval Command Center (NCC) provides the infrastructure, systems and functionality required to achieve maritime domain awareness in conjunction with applicable means, evaluating ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Submarine Simulator

  A multi-domain simulation system for submarines, covering all vessel systems and subsystems: Submarine Tactical Trainer (STT); Submarine Diving and Steering Simulator (SDS) in a cockpit; Surface Navigation Simulator ...

• Air: mission management systems

  I-JOCCS

  Integrated Joint Operational Command and Control Services (I-JOCCS) is designed for interoperability among coalition forces including the UK and US. The capability supports fixed-site installations ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GMS Cross-Domain Systems (CDS) Family

  At AUSA 2024, General Micro Systems (GMS Computing Engines) unveiled four new cross-domain systems (CDS) designed to give air and land forces ultra-secure, real-time gigabit ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-7065

  The ELK-7065 ground and naval HF COMINT direction-finding system was unveiled in 2013, with a compact, lightweight airborne version launched in September 2017. The sensor was ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Domains

  The former JTRS ‘clusters’, that had become separate disjointed programmes, have been replaced with centrally managed domain programme management offices. The construct comprises four JTRS ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Major networking projects

  TNE

  Trusted Network Environment (TNE) is used by the US DoD and federal agencies where multiple coalitions of interest need trusted information brokers to let them ...

• Major networking projects

  GIG

  Global Information Grid (GIG) is a DoD-wide programme, managed by OSD Network Information Infrastructure and integrated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, to support all ...

• Counter-UAS systems, EO/IR systems, Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...

• Land: air defence radar

  3D Primary Surveillance Radar

  The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) 3D is part of the Lanza family of 3D radar systems. It has been designed especially for airport and air ...