• Digital Battlespace

  Squad X Experimentation in testing

  5th December 2018

  The first test of DARPA's Squad X Experimentation programme has successfully demonstrated the ability to extend and enhance the situational awareness of small, dismounted units. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Regulation disappointment for Thales at Autonomous Warrior

  13th December 2018

  Despite flying high in France, the Thales Spyranger was left stuck in the Salisbury mud during the Autonomous Warrior Land exercises (AW(L)18) after coming up …

• Digital Battlespace

  Offensive cyber capability a focus of MDP

  5th December 2018

  In a 4 December introductory evidence session with Chief of the Defence Staff Gen Nick Carter, the UK Defence Committee discussed how the soon-to-be-implemented Modernising …

• Naval Warfare

  Russia eyes Ivan Gren-class landing ships

  6th December 2018

  The Russian MoD is looking to acquire two or three more Ivan Gren-class landing ships, slightly modified from the original design. According to Alexey Rakhmanov, …

• Defence Notes

  Ukraine holds military drills after Russia sea confrontation

  30th November 2018

  A Ukrainian general wearing camouflage and a bulletproof vest looks out from his Mi-8 helicopter flying over the Sea of Azov, the flashpoint of rising …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: Technology trends (video)

  3rd December 2018

  Shephard speaks with business leaders at I/ITSEC 2018 to understand what is motivating and influencing technology trends in the military and simulation market.

• Military Logistics

  KC-46 completes Phase II certification testing

  7th December 2018

  Boeing’s KC-46 tanker programme has completed its planned Phase II receiver certification flight testing following three weeks of flights with F-15E aircraft out of Edwards …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insight: Industry and associations react to Gatwick drone incursion

  21st December 2018

  As Gatwick Airport begins to clear its backlog of flights caused by an unknown UAS threat earlier this week, the regulatory, legislative and security implications …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing KC-46A Tanker Completes Phase Two Certification

  4th December 2018

  Boeing’s KC-46 tanker programme on 3 December completed its planned Phase II receiver certification flight testing following three weeks of flights with F-15E aircraft out …

• Military Logistics

  Canada’s Polaris to continue to shine for air force

  10th December 2018

  The Canadian government has signed a contract to sustain the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) fleet of five CC-150 Polaris aircraft.   The contract, valued at …

• Defence Helicopter

  Safran to support Danish Arriel engines

  7th December 2018

  Safran Helicopter Engines is to support engines on the Royal Danish Air Force’s AS550 C2 Fennec helicopters, the company announced on 3 December.   Under …

• Military Logistics

  UGL to support RAN landing helicopter dock

  6th December 2018

  UGL has secured an asset management programme agreement to support the Royal Australian Navy’s landing helicopter dock (LHD) and landing craft vessels, the company announced …

• Military Logistics

  Embraer completes KC-390 troop unloading test

  28th November 2018

  Embraer has completed troop unloading, evacuation by hatch and evacuation tests through the front and rear doors of the KC-390 military transport aircraft at Brasília …

• Defence Notes

  Iran confirms recent missile test amid Western criticism

  11th December 2018

  Iran confirmed on 11 December that it had carried out a recent test of a medium-range ballistic missile after Western powers sharply criticised a 1 …

• Defence Helicopter

  SB>1 Defiant first flight slips as 'minor discoveries' mount

  12th December 2018

  A number of 'minor discoveries' found during initial ground tests on the SB>1 Defiant Propulsion System Test Bed (PSTB), have caused first flight of its sister …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMPT Terminator

  Despite having earlier rejected the BMPT vehicle, the Russian MoD tested BMPT prototypes in Syria, where the vehicles performed well in combat conditions. This culminated ...

• KamAZ-63968 Taifun-K

  Programme Background The first 30 KamAZ-63968 Taifun-K vehicles were handed over to the Russian Armed Forces at the end of 2014. By the end of ...

• KamAZ-53949 Taifun-K

  Programme BackgroundThe Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K was initially deemed unsuitable for Russian requirements on account of its reliance on a large number of Western-manufactured components. However, it ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Data links

  Data links | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

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

  Aksungur [Kyrgyzstan]

  Programme Background In January 2023, Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the Central Asian country's Presidential Press Service head, stated that Kyrgyzstan had bought "modern military equipment such as ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

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

  Eurodrone (Forecast) [Japan]

  Programme Background Japan's Application The Letter of Approval (LOA) for observer status in the programme was presented to the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Hidenao Yanagi, by Joachim ...

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

  SA2 & SA7 [New Zealand]

  Background Uncrewed Range As reported by Shephard, in February 2026, Syos Aerospace announced that it had been contracted by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90M Proryv (New-Build)

  The first contract for the T-90M was disclosed in August 2017. Comprising 30 tanks in total, it covered the upgrade of 20 T-90As to T-90M ...

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

  Eurodrone (Forecast) [India]

  Programme Background India's Application As announced by a joint statement around the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) on 25 October 2024, Germany accepted India's application to join ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  BMPT

  UVZ developed the BMPT Fire Support Combat Vehicle, nicknamed Terminator by the company, after studying the Russian Army's performance during the Chechen War. Designed to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Borisoglebsk-2

  The vehicle-mounted Borisoglebsk-2 EW system performs frequency scanning for hostile RF emissions. Produced by JSC Sozvezdie, it can perform both electronic surveillance and RF suppression. ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  İhtar

  The İhtar is an anti-drone system manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to counter mini and micro-UAS threats in urban and rural environments. It detects and tracks ...

• Self-propelled guns

  PLC-161

  The PLC-161 (also known as PLC161) is a 4x4 truck-mounted 122 mm self-propelled howitzer that was first identified in July 2020. Few specific details concerning ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  TOS-2 Tosochka

  Russia unveiled the TOS-2 Tosochka MLRS at the 2020 Victory Day Parade. Like its TOS-1A predecessor, it is intended to neutralise and suppress enemy positions ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Iskander-M/E/K

  The Iskander-M (NATO reporting name: SS-26 'Stone') is a short-range ballistic missile. It was the second attempt by Russia to replace the Skud after its ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Palantin

  The Russian Army’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation Palantin is a truck-mounted COMINT and communications jamming (COMJAM) system. Official information released by Russia’s MoD states that ...

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

  Gnat

  The Gnat is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, multi-mission UAS that has been produced in several different variants. Although originally intended for export customers, the platform was ...

• Z-Boat 1250

  The Z-Boat 1250 is a portable remotely operated hydrographic survey vessel built around two lightweight outriggers and a main central hull, which can be compacted ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range, Self-propelled missile systems

  S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)

  The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) long-range air defence system, previously known as the S-300PMU-3, was developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau ...

• Major networking projects

  SITCEN

  The Situation Centre (SITCEN) is the central agency for providing situational awareness within NATO HQ. It is responsible for receiving, exchanging and disseminating political, economic ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ASOC

  Under a contract awarded to Lockheed Martin by the USAF Electronic Systems Center in May 1997, the company is providing Air Sovereignty Operations Centers (ASOCs) ...

• Land: manned turrets

  B05Ya01 Berezhok

  KBP Tula developed the B05Ya01 Berezhok turret (also referred to as a 'combat module') to provide an upgrade option for the legacy Soviet BMP-1 and BMP-2 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K

  The Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K (Typhoon-K) is a 4x4 MRAP vehicle manufactured in Russia by Remdiesel, a subsidiary of Kamaz.  Originally developed in 2010 as a private ...