• Defence Notes

  Why is the defence market “exploding exponentially” for autonomous targeting capabilities?

  5th May 2025

  Solutions that identify, engage and destroy targets with minimal or no human intervention are becoming critical on tomorrow’s battlefield.

• 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

  Indian Army’s new battle blueprint takes shape

  23rd January 2026

  The Indian Army’s modernisation plans reflect the lessons learned from ongoing conflicts and threats as it continues its push for indigenous capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  US Marines seek suppliers for 10,000 low-cost sUAS with first delivery targeted for April

  13th January 2026

  The US Marine Corps is looking for vendors capable of quickly delivering off-the-shelf drones. The small uncrewed aerial systems are expected to carry diverse types of payloads.

• Air Warfare

  Will fresh FCAS talks resolve political turmoil?

  16th December 2025

  German, French and Spanish leadership set an end-of-year deadline to decide the fate of the Future Combat Air System programme which has struggled with a political stalemate for the latter half of 2025.

• Land Warfare

  US Army signs for $982 million loitering munition deal as demand rises and industry follows

  6th October 2025

  The Hero-120 loitering munition has a 4.5 kg multi-purpose warhead designed to engage armoured targets. It is manufactured in the US by Mistral in partnership with Israel’s Uvision.

• Defence Notes

  Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners

  5th December 2025

  While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.

• Naval Warfare

  UK and Norway strengthen defence bond with maiden NSM launch

  30th September 2025

  The firing of the Naval Strike Missile from the Royal Navy’s HMS Somerset in Norway’s Arctic rocket range signals a growing collaboration between the UK and the Scandinavian nation.

• Air Warfare

  US boosts missile buy with $7.8 billion in AMRAAM, JASSM and LRASM contracts

  4th August 2025

  Raytheon has been awarded a contract by the US Pentagon for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and Lockheed Martin for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) munitions as global demand increases.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris and ELT Group to establish multi-sensor test facility

  24th July 2025

  The facility, based in Italy, is the first of its kind outside the US and will be used to support the G550 aircraft modifications alongside other air, surface and maritime platforms.

• Air Warfare

  How satcom is shaping the future of fast, accurate warfare (podcast)

  22nd October 2025

  "Speed is the key advantage and accuracy is the key outcome": Amazon Kuiper Government Solutions’ Rick Freeman talks to Shephard’s Georgia Lewis about how space-as-a-service is transforming defence connectivity and access to satellite capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  National Audit Office report highlights major delays in UK’s F-35 programme

  11th July 2025

  The report discloses that while the capability provided by the F-35 is superior to previous UK aircraft, delays from the UK Ministry of Defence on the programme have significantly impacted the country’s warfighting capabilities.

• Defence Notes

  Modular and attritable equipment must be a priority: US military

  18th September 2025

  Senior officers and representatives from the US Army, US Air Force and US Navy emphasised the need to expedite acquisition projects for systems and platforms that are more modular. They also highlighted that the loss of equipment is acceptable.

• Defence Notes

  A “bolder, more radical” UK Strategic Defence Review will be published within two weeks, says key reviewer

  22nd May 2025

  The UK Strategic Defence Review, which was anticipated to be published by mid-2025, has been given a more definitive release date by the report’s lead reviewer.

• Air Warfare

  Poland confirms US$3.8 billion F-16V upgrade

  14th August 2025

  The Mid-Life Upgrade agreement comes as Poland makes significant increases in its defence spend as its plans to increase it to 5% of GDP by 2026.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

• LTTV

  Programme Background The LTTV is to equip the combat support and combat service support elements of the Belgian SOF and the Belgian Army's two Ranger ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 Special Forces [France]

  Programme Background In French service, advanced H225M Caracals with aerial refuelling capabilities are used by SOF units of the French Air Force (FAF) and French ...

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

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) [US]

  Background SOF Week 2025 Speaking to Shephard at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week 2025, Performance Drone Work's (PDW) CEO Ryan Gury, stated that the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) was ...

• Pegaz Special Operations Vehicles

  Programme BackgroundRequirementThe Polish MoD has a long-standing requirement to procure a new 4x4 tactical vehicle to replace the M1165A1 HMMWVs and Oshkosh M-ATVs currently in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SOF Vehicles (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian MoD is investing in the modernisation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces by procuring new equipment for all of its branches, including ...

• Zmag SOF Vehicle (Israel)

  Programme Background Originally designed by and marketed by Ido Cohen, the Zmag is part of a family of ATVs aimed at both civilian and military customers. In ...

• SOV-Cdo Replacement (Australia)

  Programme Background The Australian MoD plans to invest in new equipment for its SOF units to allow the ADF to respond more effectively and more ...

• Zmag SOF Vehicle (Batch 2) [Israel]

  Programme Background Originally designed by and marketed by Ido Cohen, the Zmag is part of a family of ATVs aimed at both civilian and military customers. In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 (Customs and Border Protection Force) [US]

  Programme Background First Order Global News Wire reported that Red Cat had filled an order for 54 Teal 2 units from the US Customs and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract Award In 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• ISR/special mission

  Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (1-3) [Germany]

  Programme Background Requirement The Pegasus (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) project aims to fulfil a SIGINT capability which has been missing in the German Armed ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Sixth-Generation Aircraft [South Korea]

  In April 2025, Hanwha Industries released a conceptual video of a sixth-generation fighter aircraft signifying South Korea's entry into the global sixth-gen race. While few ...

• Data links

  Data links | Sixth-Generation Aircraft [South Korea]

  In April 2025, Hanwha Industries released a conceptual video of a sixth-generation fighter aircraft signifying South Korea's entry into the global sixth-gen race. While few ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV)

  Unveiled in May 2025, the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) is a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Thunder TM-1025

  The SOF Thunder comprises one variant in a wider family of TM-1025 RIBs currently in service with the Polish armed forces. The SOF Thunder is ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  VOS-APP

  The Arquus VOS-APP is a 6x6 support vehicle currently under trial with the French SOF. Acting as a replacement for the 1970s-vintage ACMAT VLRA, the VOS-APP is the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  ZH-753

  The Zodiac Hurricane 753 OB SAR is typically used as a shore-based boat operating independently in SAR, counterterrorism and law enforcement missions. The deep-V fibreglass ...

• Loitering munitions

  Red Dragon

  The Red Dragon is a loitering munition from AeroVironment. According to the company, it is designed for one-way attack missions in high-threat, GPS-denied and communications-degraded environments. Unveiled in ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 35 Harpoon

  The Ares 35 Harpoon has been designed for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and patrolling missions.

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• Swimmer delivery vehicles

  Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS)​

  The USN has contracted Teledyne Brown to develop the Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) as part of a wider effort to develop new underwater transports for ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 55 Harpoon

  The Ares 55 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 65 Harpoon

  The Ares 65 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and ...

• Submachine guns

  FN SCAR-SC

  FN Herstal unveiled the 5.56mm FN SCAR-SC (Subcompact Carbine), the newest member of the SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) family originally developed for the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Global Observer

  The AeroVironment Global Observer HALE UAV was a developmental HALE UAV designed for various civil, commercial and government applications.  Development of the platform began in 2007 ...

• Global HET

  Built to haul payloads of up to 72.6t, the Oshkosh Global Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) is a mover for some of the heaviest military equipment. ...

• Subsystems: software

  Global Teach

  Global Teach training management systems provide support for educational processes. Inovex’s military-adapted training management system oversees training processes from planning to controlling, independently from the ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  XRGL40

  The XRGL40 is an extended-range 40mm handheld multi-shot weapon able to engage at ranges up to 800m. Fitted with the GR40 multi-velocity programmable sight (see ...