• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Expert claims ‘decentralised’ approach holds back USAF next-generation UAV ambitions

  6th September 2022

  Despite a number of Skyborg test successes, a defence expert has questioned how the development of next generation drones will advance without activities being concentrated and clear requirements set out.

• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman looks to evolve AARGM-ER for Stand-in Attack Weapon edge

  9th August 2022

  Northrop Grumman has detailed why its Stand-in Attack Weapon missile concept stands out as an attractive offer for the US Air Force.

• Training

  Royal Air Force modernisation and training experience a plunge

  23rd September 2022

  Along with the British Army, the Royal Air Force has lost out on the Integrated Review and the UK MoD has taken risky bets. It is in need of an honest review and ministers should accept that wrong assumptions were made.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force assesses EPAWSS data after F-15EX missile firings

  8th August 2022

  EPAWSS provides both the F-15E and F-15EX with fully integrated radar warning as well as advanced jamming and countermeasure employment capability in highly contested environments.

• Digital Battlespace

  The technologies that will define the future battlefield (podcast)

  5th August 2022

  In this bonus episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, we bring you the third episode from the latest series of the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast.

• Air Warfare

  Farnborough 2022: Czech Republic opens F-35 double squadron negotiations

  21st July 2022

  The list of European F-35 operators is set to grow again, with plans in motion for the Czech Republic to acquire 24 of the fifth-generation jets.

• Land Warfare

  Motorola Solutions takes over Australian radio firm Barrett Communications

  16th August 2022

  A well-established Australian radio manufacturer has been bought out by an American communications company.

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2022: Swedish Air Force loses patience with NH90, considers going the ‘way of Norway’

  18th July 2022

  Will Sweden follow in the footsteps of Norway and prematurely end NH90 operations?

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy orders more Technology Insertion 16 hardware

  28th July 2022

  DRS Laurel will provide more consoles, displays and peripherals to modernise USN surface vessel combat systems.

• Defence Notes

  US Army and Navy target improved comms and signal processing

  5th August 2022

  Expedition Technology has received three small business innovation research awards from the US Army and US Navy’s Office of Naval Research to develop AI and machine learning technologies.

• Training

  Hadean joins Thales and Plexsys to develop training solution

  28th July 2022

  A new MoU between three technology companies seeks to understand how distributed computing and digital twin solutions can be used to create multi-domain training solutions for the UK.

• Digital Battlespace

  Providing intelligent space capabilities (Studio)

  20th July 2022

  Space technologies – used for missile warning, intelligence, weather information, earth observation, human space flight and beyond – are essential for global commerce, scientific discovery and global security.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy receives first AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods

  9th August 2022

  The US Navy's Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod will soon move toward operational testing.

• Digital Battlespace

  Why the threat environment is driving the need for a connected battlespace (Studio)

  21st July 2022

  Multi-domain operations and a connected battlespace will help militaries make better decisions faster.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy seeks advanced shipboard AESA transceiver

  12th July 2022

  Northrop Grumman is developing of a next-generation transceiver array system with digital beamforming for the US Navy.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk-USA

  The UH-60M Black Hawk is a digitally networked platform with greater range and lift to support maneuver commanders through air assault, general support, command and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 (Japan)

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-2 Forecast (Japan)

  Programme Background The UH-2 is a Japanese militarised version of Bell’s civilian 412EPX, with the two OEMs cooperating on this particular programme. The Acquisition, Technology ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawks [Greece]

  Programme Background In October 2023, Greece submitted a formal request to acquire 49 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as replacements for the Army's Bell UH-1s after launching ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412 Replacement (1-9) [Norway]

  Programme Background Although Norway has a long-stated ambition of reducing its helicopter fleet to a single type in order to reduce costs and simplify support ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60A [Portugal]

  Programme Background At the end of February 2025, the Portuguese Minister of National Defence said that as part of the Portuguese Army's Support, Protection & ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Additional UH-60M Procurement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirement In November 2022, General Micael Byden of the Swedish Armed Forces announced that the country would replace its NH90 fleet. At the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Latvia]

  Programme Background In August 2018, the Latvian government approved the acquisition of four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The UH-60Ms are intended for both military and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M [Australia]

  Programme Background Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said, 'The Black Hawk makes perfect sense, and they are much cheaper to fly than what the Taipans ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  HM-3 Cougar & HM-2 Black Hawk Replacement [Brazil]

  Programme Background As reported by Janes in August 2023, Army Commander General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva stated on 20 July that the Army was aiming ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)

  Other bidders included Sikorsky with HH-60U offer and Sierra Nevada with upgrading offer of UH-60As to UH-60L configuration.In February 2018, Leonardo filed a protest to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Taiwan]

  Programme Background The Black Hawks are intended to defend against potential threats from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as they possess rapid response capability in ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z Viper [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background On 3 May 2019, it was announced that the US State Department had approved a possible FMS of four AH-1Z Vipers to the Czech ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60L/M Black Hawk

  The Sikorsky UH-60/S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter that entered US Army service in 1979 as the UH-60A Black Hawk. It was succeeded in 1987 by ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Argus Digital Modems

  Commtact’s line of digital transmitters is designed for UAV applications. Using the technology of its Argus family of digital modems the company can tailor wireless ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)

  The UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) was created as a result of cooperation between Leonardo Helicopters, the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness, and the Italian ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i Black Hawk

  The S-70i is an international variant of Sikorsky's UH-60/S-70. It is produced by Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland and by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The aircraft’s ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1 Cobra

  The single-engine, tandem-seat Bell 209/AH-1 Cobra, which first flew in September 1965, was the first attack helicopter to be developed and the first to be ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 212/UH-1N Twin Huey

  The UH-1N Twin Huey is a twin-engine, medium utility helicopter developed in 1968-69 from the single-engine Bell 205/UH-1H by Bell and Pratt & Whitney Canada. ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

  Northrop Grumman produces a family of avionics for Bell H-1-series helicopters.

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  IDM

  The Improved Data Modem (IDM) is described as a flight-proven, off-the-shelf system that provides an open-architecture, multipath approach to situation awareness in the cockpit. The ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom

  Originally planned as a UH-1N Twin Huey upgrade for the USMC, all but the first ten UH-1Ys now use new-build airframes. This new build prevents ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 412EPI

  Introduced in 2013, the Bell 412EPI is the latest production standard for Bell's venerable 412 family of utility helicopters. The 412EPI has a fully integrated ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 205/UH-1 Iroquois

  The Bell 205/UH-1 Iroquois is a single-engine, medium utility helicopter developed from the Bell 204/UH-1 for the US Army. The platform first flew in August ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS)

  Developed by Collins Aerospace, the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) is based on the Flight2 open system architecture design and includes an advanced hardware, software ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  UH-2

  The UH-2 (formerly known as UH-X) is a utility helicopter developed by Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) in cooperation with Bell to meet the Japan Ground ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60J/JA

  The UH-60J is a license-built version of Sikorsky's S-70, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan for transport and search and rescue missions.