• Air Warfare

  October drone digest: Growing desire for CCAs and new VTOL technology unveiled

  30th October 2025

  During October 2025, several countries and organisations signalled their intention to acquire loyal wingman uncrewed aircraft systems — designated by the US Air Force as Collaborative Combat Aircraft — or to study the capability further, while various new uncrewed helicopters were showcased.

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems to provide missile tubes to Block VI Virginia-class submarines

  4th April 2025

  The construction of the Block V submarines is still ongoing, with none of the ten boats yet commissioned.

• Air Warfare

  France to buy more Rafale jets and invest €1.5 billion in upgrading air base

  20th March 2025

  The Luxeuil Saint-Sauveur air base will be modernised to ensure it can host nuclear weapons as France continues efforts to boost its nuclear deterrence.

• Defence Notes

  Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan

  24th April 2025

  The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.

• Air Warfare

  The potential impact of US tariffs on the F-35A

  20th October 2025

  The Trump administration’s proposed tariffs have raised questions on the desirability and feasibility of the F-35A for key US allies including Canada and Switzerland. With combined orders amounting to 126 units, both nations undertook reviews of their ongoing fighter programmes.

• Air Warfare

  US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress

  10th December 2025

  The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.

• Land Warfare

  Light Reconnaissance Strike – enabling a vital mission set (Studio)

  11th December 2025

  A new system-of-systems concept will unlock digital integration of sensors and weapons for Light Forces, allowing them to shape the battlefield environment on their own terms and upgrade legacy platforms.

• Air Warfare

  GKN Aerospace to fly new UAV demonstrator by 2027

  26th November 2025

  The company plans to develop a cost-effective jet-engine drone, going from concept to a flight-tested demonstrator in 18 months.

• Naval Warfare

  Aselsan test-fires Turkey’s first indigenous naval defence missile

  18th February 2025

  The test of the Goksur missile is regarded as a pivotal moment of Turkey’s journey towards developing an indigenous naval defence capability.

• Air Warfare

  Combat-proven capabilities: How precision-strike systems are evolving for tomorrow’s battlespace (Podcast)

  11th June 2025

  Combat-tested technology is being reshaped to counter A2/AD threats, reduce reliance on GPS and enable faster, more autonomous targeting in complex environments. In this special podcast, experts explain how the evolving threat landscape is shaping next-generation strike capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  KF41 Lynx finds a path but hurdles remain

  11th November 2025

  The Lynx is typically configured as an IFV operated by a crew of three and with space for up to eight dismounts in the rear troop compartment. The platform is being delivered to Hungary, has been contracted for Italy and will soon be in Ukrainian hands in small numbers.

• Naval Warfare

  Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power

  24th December 2025

  As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine and Sweden mark first major step towards potential Gripen E export deal

  23rd October 2025

  The letter of intent, signed on 22 October, is the first move in a “long road” towards Sweden strengthening the Ukrainian Air Force with up to 150 Gripen aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Partnerships will be critical for future projects at Latin American shipyards

  21st May 2026

  Multiple Latin American navies are modernising their fleets by prioritising domestically manufactured surface vessels and even submarines via international partnerships.

• Land Warfare

  US Army advances with the integration of PAC-3 MSE, LTAMDS and IBCS

  12th December 2024

  The service recently carried out two flight tests at the White Sands Missile Range against cruise and ballistic missile surrogates.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Long Range Air Defence [Luxembourg]

  Background In August 2026, Luxembourg announced that it was cancelling a previously announced joint procurement of NASAMS with Belgium. In its place, Luxembourg announced in ...

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

  ASTER / VL MICA Multi-layer [France]

  Background The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, acting on behalf of France, awarded EUROSAM a contract on April 30th, 2026, for the development of the ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (SSBN 828 - 837) (3-12) [USN]

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (3-12) [USN]

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Columbia Class Submarine (3-12)

  The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 ...

• Destroyers

  DDX Programme (1-2) [Italy]

  Background Requirements Destroyers are fundamental to Italy's blue water fleet and will be required to be capable of projecting capability at sea from the sea ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DDG) (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background The 27DD Maya class destroyers were previously known as the Improved Atago class because they are an addition to the existing two Atago-class destroyers that have entered service. ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Long Range Air Defence [Norway]

  Background Following a 2023 report which bluntly stated that the Norwegian military was not ready for war and that particular gaps existed in air defence in ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M (Serbia)

  Serbia's aircraft will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system. The ...

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Dreadnought class (1-4) [UK]

  Background Requirements The Dreadnought-class, prior to being named in October 2016, was known as the Successor programme, which was approved by the government in May 2011. ...

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements Following the Maya-class destroyers, the JMSDF will not just maintain the destroyer units they operate already but will receive two new destroyer platforms. ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• ISR/special mission

  P-1 EW [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirement Japan has operated the EP-3, a COMINT/SIGINT/ELINT configuration of the P-3 Orion, since 1993. As of 2024, the Japanese MoD maintains that these aircraft ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• Submarines: nuclear/ballistic missile

  Arktur Next Generation SSBN

  At Army 2022 defence exposition, Rubin Design Bureau unveiled the next-generation ballistic missile submarine concept. Known as Arktur, the submarine features a stealth design and ...

• Major networking projects

  Missile Defence

  In 2010, NATO rolled out an initial capability to protect alliance forces against missile threats and is now examining options for protecting territory and populations. ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A)

  The SM-2 Block IV (RIM-156A) is an extended-range surface-to-air missile developed by the United States Navy for fleet area air defence and terminal phase ballistic ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPY-2

  The Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) is an X-band missile defence radar that can detect, classify and track ballistic missiles. It uses an AESA antenna comprising 25.344 T/R ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

  The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System, developed by the United States, provides advanced sea-based and land-based protection against ballistic missile threats.  Using the AN/SPY-1 ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  9M82M

  The 9M82M (NATO reporting name SA-23a 'Giant') is a Russian medium-range, surface-to-air missile designed to destroy tactical ballistic missiles. The development of the 9M82M missile, part of ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Arrow Weapon System

  The Arrow air defence system was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing under the oversight of Israel's Ministry of Defense and the ...

• Frigates

  GMF 140

  The GMF 140 is a concept frigate designed by Rheinmetall Naval Systems. It is initially being marketed towards North American procurement as a next-generation integrated air ...

• Major networking projects

  C2BMC

  Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) is the integrating element of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) for global missile defence. C2BMC links ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  AN/SPY-1 air search radar

  Aegis isan integrated missile guidance system used on USN and allied ships to performanti-air and ballistic missile defence missions. The S-band phased-array AN/SPY-1D(V) radar acquires ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  L-SAM ABM (Block I)

  The L-SAM system's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptor is a three-stage missile designed to neutralize incoming ballistic missiles during their terminal phase. It employs a hit-to-kill ...

• Destroyers

  Akizuki Class

  The Akizuki-class (19DD) destroyers are escort ships for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). They are designed to accompany Japan’s new Hyuga—and Izumo-class helicopter carriers ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  S-300V (SA-12 Gladiator)

  The SA-12 Gladiator, part of the S-300V air defence system, is a long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the Soviet Union in the late ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  KRONOS Power Shield

  The KRONOS Power Shield is an early warning naval radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is primarily designed for ballistic missile defence and surveillance. The main ...