• Naval Warfare

  Ireland steps up European defence co-operation in the face of Russian activity

  14th April 2025

  Ireland is militarily neutral but has joined a European Union (EU) rapid reaction force and a European information sharing group.

• Defence Notes

  Unfolding the Golden Dome for America: Seven things you should know about the programme

  3rd June 2025

  Shephard talked to multiple experts about the most pressing concerns and considerations regarding the air defence system advocated by President Trump.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: EOS to fire R500 remote weapon station for potential customers this year

  20th February 2025

  The R500, the latest remote weapon station (RWS) designed by EOS, was unveiled at IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi. It joins the smaller R400 and Slinger, as well as the large R600 and R800 systems, in the company’s portfolio.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden orders $131 million worth of trucks for armed forces

  3rd March 2025

  The deal with Volvo and Scania includes 300 4×4 truck and 300 6×6 trucks, with both orders including options for a further 200 vehicles.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale

  7th May 2025

  PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  British Army defeats swarm with Thales radio frequency anti-drone system

  18th April 2025

  Developed by a Thales UK-led industry consortium, the demonstrator has been designed to explore the potential of radiofrequency weapons for the UK Armed Forces and is being trialled by the British Army.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Shifting sands – the Middle East’s defence landscape in flux (video)

  13th February 2025

  As Western influence wanes, Middle Eastern countries are leveraging defence modernisation to assert regional dominance, while global players such as China and Turkey seize new market opportunities. Sam Hart, Senior Land Analyst at Shephard Group, offers insights into how these developments are reshaping the region’s defence landscape.

• Land Warfare

  Northrop Grumman wins $1.4 billion in contracts for air-defence control systems

  13th February 2025

  The amount is for two contracts, one for Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) components for Poland and a second for software development for IBCS.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Hanwha looks to a proven template as it plans further international expansion

  24th February 2025

  Hanwha Aerospace global defense CEO Michael Coulter was appointed to the seat just over two months ago. He sat down with Shephard at last week’s IDEX 2025 to outline his vision for how the company is looking to grow its footprint in the US and Europe.

• Air Warfare

  US and UK military targeted for GPS-free navigation system for UAVs in contested environments

  5th May 2025

  Flare Bright TACTERA software solution will be introduced at SOF Week 2025 in Tampa this week.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: NORINCO unveils SH16A artillery system for Middle East market

  18th February 2025

  NORINCO’s SH16A self-propelled howitzer combines mobility, protection and precision firepower. Its claimed uniqueness is debatable, however, given similarities to Germany’s RCH-155 which is already in production.

• Naval Warfare

  NAVSEA invests more in support of mine countermeasure USVs

  15th April 2025

  The new contract with Textron Systems will support software development for uncrewed vessels over the next three years.

• Land Warfare

  Slovakia adds Danish C2 software into its Barak MX air defence network

  19th February 2025

  A new deal between Slovakia and Denmark’s Terma is expected to improve the country’s air defence interoperability with NATO.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: NTGS ALAKRAN passes 300 sales with major Saudi Arabian order

  17th February 2025

  NTGS has integrated its ALAKRAN mortar carrier onto multiple platforms worldwide, with Saudi Arabia as its largest customer. The UK is exploring options for a 120mm system, while new ammunition developments enhance the platform’s effectiveness on the battlefield.

• Land Warfare

  UVision and Omnisys team up to strengthen Hero’s capabilities

  26th February 2025

  UVision has partnered with Omnisys to enhance the Hero loitering munition with advanced battlefield management software.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle [USA]

  Background The JLTV, HMMWV, and ISV constitute the US Army’s Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) fleet. The US Army has evaluated the ISV as part of ...

• Loitering munitions

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 million ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land 121 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme background Three suppliers were originally down-selected to meet the Land 121 Phase 4 requirement: Thales Australia, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Force Protection ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C (FY2021-2025) [USA]

  Background In order to achieve their ultimate goal of 340 F-35C fighters, the U.S. Navy contracted a total of 101 platforms between FY2021 and FY2025. ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C (FY2026-2030) [USA]

  Background In order to achieve their ultimate goal of 340 F-35C fighters, the U.S. Navy contracted a total of 101 platforms between FY2021 and FY2025. ...

• Loitering munitions

  Project Instigator [UK]

  Background Prior Information Notice (PIN) On 21 October 2024, the MoD published a PIN in collaboration with the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;). The notice announced ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Main Battle Tank Upgrade [Australia]

  Programme Background Between 2006 and 2007, the Australian Army received 59 M1A1 AIM SA Abrams MBTs under Project Land 907 Phase 1. These vehicles were planned to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Land Lethality Pipeline [UK]

  Background Defence Investment Plan (DIP) In late June 2026, the UK published its delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which outlined plans to spend £298 billion ...

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

  Bayraktar TB3 [Turkish Army]

  Background Land Forces Command Delivery In late October 2024, Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar's CEO, stated that the Bayraktar TB3 had entered mass production and could be exported ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Light utility vehicle replacement [Portugal]

  Background The Portuguese Army currently operates several classes of light utility vehicle, including the Mercedes G-Wagon, Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Defender and Mitsubishi L200. ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-Saudi Arabia- Contracted

  The helicopters will increase the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command's interoperability with the US and advance the development of the country's heavy-lift helicopter capability.

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background The Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme is intended to provide a replacement for the USMC's fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7 (AAV7) tracked vehicles. ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Hawkei

  Thales Australia developed the 4x4 Hawkei for the Australian Army's Land 121 Phase 4 Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) project.  The prototype was unveiled in ...

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

  Aertos 121

  The Digital Aerolus Aertos 121 ducted-fan quadrotor UAV is an improved version of the Aertos 120 infrastructure inspection platform. It is designed as an asset for ...

• Towed mortars

  Soltam K6 120mm Lightweight Towed Mortar

  The Soltam K6 120mm Lightweight Towed Mortar has a maximum range of 7,200m using conventional unassisted bombs. The K6 was selected for US Army service ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  Land 125

  In 1994, Australia initiated Project Wundurra to develop an integrated soldier combat system, and by 2005 this had evolved into the multi-phase Land 125 programme ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Land Ceptor

  MBDA Land Ceptor is a medium-to-long range ground-based air defence missile system based on the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) family of surface-to-air missiles developed ...

• Land: air defence radar

  KRONOS Land

  KRONOS is a mobile multifunctional C-band radar system designed by Leonardo to support air and coastal defence tactical operations.  The system simultaneously performs surveillance, dedicated target ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Superav Land

  The Superav Land 8x8 is a modular vehicle with a large diameter turret ring that can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of remote-controlled ...

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

  ALADIN

  ALADIN is a miniature system consisting of a man-portable GCS and a hand-launched air vehicle with exchangeable sensor payloads.  The UAV, which can be operated ...

• Transport

  C-40 Clipper

  The USN began replacing its ageing fleet of 29 McDonnell Douglas C-9B Skytrain aircraft in 1997 with the C-40A Clipper, a military version of the ...

• Towed guns

  Boran

  Turkey’s Makina ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu (MKEK), working with Aselsan, has developed the 105mm Boran towed artillery gun to meet a Turkish Land Forces Command ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  T-VIEW-Land

  The T-VIEW-Land is a lightweight EO/IR, gyro-stabilised sensor, installed on vehicles for day/night observation. It incorporates two cameras: a thermal imager and a colour charge-coupled ...

• Naval guns, Land: RWS

  Naval/Land Rogue

  The Land Rogue is an RWS developed by Reutech for installation on armoured vehicles. Capable of being armed with a 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon

  Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons are designed to meet specific military needs and have been in production since 1979. The vehicle comes in several variants, including 4x4 and 6x6 versions. ...

• Land: air defence radar

  KRONOS Power Shield Land

  This system is an L-band digital AESA anti-TBM radar. It is the land-based version of the naval KRONOS Power Shield, also known as KRONOS Ground ...