• Naval Warfare

  Turkey’s ASFAT on track to deliver first Hisar OPV in 2024

  2nd December 2023

  While outfitting activities on the first two Hisar-class OPVs have been advancing at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, discussions for additional platforms continue.

• Defence Notes

  I/ITSEC 2023: How wide is the gap between the US and China’s capabilities?

  29th November 2023

  While Washington sees Beijing as its most comprehensive and serious challenger, the Jinping administration has been taking the lead in R&D within certain domains.

• Naval Warfare

  Future of the South African Navy looks bleak despite new ships entering service

  29th November 2023

  The commissioning of SAS King Shaka Zulu, a Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessel, into the South African Navy masks serious problems for the service as fleet availability falls dangerously low and capability atrophies.

• Land Warfare

  How high-frequency electronics can boost EW effects for ground forces

  27th October 2023

  Solutions that operate in the high-frequency (HF) spectrum have the potential to enhance many systems and subsystems in the intelligence, radar, detection, target engagement, navigation and communications fields.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Hanwha K9 Thunder becomes ‘best-selling’ 155mm SP artillery system

  18th October 2023

  Hanwha’s K9 Thunder customers are considering upgrading their equipment to the K9A2 following the South Korean Army’s example.

• Land Warfare

  SmartShooter showcases British Army SMASH technology at DSEI 2023

  12th September 2023

  Smartshooter's SMASH technology provides high precision against small targets across land, air and sea, including mini- and micro-UAS.

• Naval Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Steadicopter aims to fly high with new rotary UAVs

  19th October 2023

  Israeli manufacturer Steadicopter presented its new Black Eagle and Golden Eagle rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the first time in the US at AUSA. Shephard spoke with Steadicopter CEO Itai Toren about what makes these Eagles different from other birds in the market.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy takes first step towards large unmanned surface vessel

  5th November 2023

  The US Navy already has medium-sized unmanned surface vessels but this new programme has represented the first step towards a potential large capability.

• Naval Warfare

  Fincantieri launches sixth Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ship for Italian Navy

  9th October 2023

  Fincantieri successfully launched the sixth Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ship (Pattugliatori Polivalenti d'Altura - PPA) Ruggiero di Lauria on 6 October, part of a class which will substantially enhance the operational capabilities of the Italian Navy.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: US military to progress ‘aggressively’ with the development of C-sUAS solutions

  12th October 2023

  The Pentagon plans to accelerate its development and field efforts as well as improve soldiers’ training to operate the new solutions.

• Defence Notes

  Can the Pentagon counter China and Russia’s weapons of mass destruction?

  14th November 2023

  The recent advances in military programmes in China, Iran, North Korea and Russia has put US capacity to counter nuclear and biological threats in check.

• Naval Warfare

  First Heritage-class cutter for US Coast Guard launched

  31st October 2023

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has placed contracts for four Heritage-class offshore patrol cutters (OPCs), with plans in place to order as many as nine, as part of an effort to replace the service’s Famous Cutter and Reliance classes.

• Training

  Hadean bridges synthetic environment to physical world

  20th September 2023

  Hadean is set to participate in the inaugural industry-led event October Sky in Sydney, Australia.

• Defence Notes

  Patria to deliver Hawk trainer jet full mission simulator to Finnish Defence Forces

  27th September 2023

  Patria has signed a procurement contract with the Finnish Defence Forces to provide a Hawk Full Mission Simulator (FMS) for pilot training, boosting the realistic and extensive training capabilities of the Finnish Air Force.

• Air Warfare

  Roke to launch C-UAS system and showcases AI architecture on Boston Dynamics UGV

  3rd November 2023

  Roke will attempt to integrate systems and its own architecture to create a C-UAS system ready for launch in 2024.

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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia]

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

• 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

  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

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia]

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

• MPVs - 4x4

  Titan-B [Colombia]

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

• Military UAS - mini

  Low-Cost Israeli Drones (First Batch) [Israel]

  Background Chinese Dependency As reported in August 2024 by Globes, a Hebrew-language daily financial newspaper, the Israeli MoD is keen to reduce its dependence on Chinese drones. ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Low-Cost Israeli Drones (Second Batch) [Israel]

  Background Chinese Dependency As reported in August 2024 by Globes, a Hebrew-language daily financial newspaper, the Israeli MoD is keen to reduce its dependence on Chinese drones. ...

• 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-C [Colombia]

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

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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• Land: C2 simulators

  CCTT

  The Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) is described as the US Army’s first operational combined arms tactical trainer system, delivering a virtual collective training capability ...