• Defence Notes

  Rheinmetall reports “boom” as results hit new records with orders for vehicles, ammunition and weapons

  13th March 2025

  Rheinmetall is riding high as Europe scrambles to boost its defence forces and replenish spent stockpiles sent to Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  CTAI’s 40mm cannon gains new A3B airburst round for UAV defence

  20th June 2025

  CTA International (CTAI), a joint venture between KNDS France and BAE Systems, developed the 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (40 CTAS) for integration onto armoured vehicles. It has been further developed for ships and ground-based systems.

• Land Warfare

  HII awarded contract to support US ground vehicles

  7th November 2024

  The Department of Defense Information Analysis Center (DoDIAC) provides technical data management and research support for vehicle users. The HII contract will focus on ground combat systems and service lifecycle efforts.

• Naval Warfare

  Exercise Freezing Winds brings navies together to ease Finland into NATO

  6th December 2024

  The nine-day exercise off the Finnish coast was intended to boost interoperability in challenging weather conditions.

• Land Warfare

  US Army makes moves on new artillery system to plug M109 gap

  17th October 2024

  Contracts have been awarded for the Self-Propelled Howitzer Performance Demonstration programme as the US Army attempts to address issues related to its 155mm field artillery capacity.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo’s Proteus structural tests “nearing completion” ahead of first flight

  30th June 2025

  The company has tested over 15 mission sets for the drone, with the rotorcraft used to demonstrate the viability of armed forces utilising large uncrewed aerial systems’ (UAS) for autonomous missions in the future.

• Land Warfare

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle continues its success as the new variant rolls out

  20th March 2025

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is becoming the dominant platform in its class as it replaces most of the massive US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) fleets of HMMWV 4x4s, colloquially known as the Humvee. Shephard dives deep into the JLTV programme background and analyses the latest variants and contracts, including the controversial production switch to AM General and the continued contracts continuing to head Oshkosh's way.

• Land Warfare

  NZ begins modernisation of its tactical vehicle fleet

  23rd December 2024

  VAMTAC vehicles are expected to replace one-quarter of New Zealand’s Pinzgauers and Unimogs.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2024: Vrgineers introduces new mixed reality headset and new simulator

  4th December 2024

  The Generic Classroom Trainer is a platform-agnostic solution suitable for aviation training while the Somnium VR1 is a mixed-reality headset fitted with 4K MR cameras.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FTUAS competitor trials were “very successful”, says US Army official

  1st October 2024

  Prototypes from Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems recently passed through MOSA conformance trials and flight tests.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024: Hanwha Defense shows off wheeled 155mm system

  15th October 2024

  Hanwha’s K9 Thunder 155mm/52 cal self-propelled artillery system has become the top-selling in its class, with the latest K9A2 version featuring automation to reduce crew size and a new wheeled variant for increased mobility being showcased at AUSA.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2024: US Army combines UAVs, AI and new tech to improve simulation capabilities

  2nd December 2024

  The service is working with USC ICT to integrate information capture by drones, AI and 3D Gaussian Splatting.

• Land Warfare

  Canadian Army to progress with ACSV programme in 2025

  3rd March 2025

  The Armoured Combat Support Vehicle will also achieve several milestones in the coming years.

• Land Warfare

  Australian Army experiments with UGVs, but seeks understanding before proliferation

  26th December 2024

  The Australian Army is exploring the options and benefits of a wide range of UGVs.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh Defense continues work on Stryker weapon system fixes

  22nd October 2024

  Oshkosh Defense has faced a series of delays due to trial issues with just 100 of 269 contracted Stryker Medium Calibre Weapon Systems having been delivered to the US Army so far.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV (Malaysia)

  Programme Background Tender Issued As reported by Shephard, on 18 June 2021, Malaysia issued a tender for fixed-wing hybrid VTOL UAVs.  Requirement The tender stated that Malaysia required ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle (India)

  Programme Background Aiming to boost mobility and enhance Recce and Command elements, the Indian Army is seeking 91 High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicles (HMRV). Prioritising mobility and protection ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  New Generation Light Armoured Vehicles - Wheeled [Türkiye - Future Orders]

  Programme Background The NGLAV is an umbrella programme that will be composed of three phases and 2962 units of tracked and wheeled vehicles. Phase I ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Indian Army)

  It is a hybrid procurement, as was the 2015 Air Force one (see separate entry), employing both a direct commercial sale with Boeing and an ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  New Generation Light Armoured Vehicles - Wheeled [Türkiye - Batch I]

  Programme Background The NGLAV is an umbrella programme that will be composed of three phases and 2962 units of tracked and wheeled vehicles. Phase I ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  8x8 IFV [Greece]

  Programme Background The Greek Army is believed to operate a vast inventory of tracked APCs numbering more than 2,600 vehicles. This consists of legacy Cold ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pars Scout 8x8 ÖMTTZ

  Programme Background The SSB first outlined its requirement for special purpose vehicles around 2010, but the decision to formally launch the ÖMTTZ programme did not come ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Iraq 8x8 Armoured Vehicle

  Programme Background It is important to note that there has been no official confirmation that Iraq is currently running a programme to procure 8x8 armoured ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  8x8 APC (Pakistan)

  Since few details concerning this 8x8 requirement have been released by the Pakistan MoD, the values in this forecast are based upon informed estimates. Due ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Lazar 3 (Turkmenistan)

  Programme Background Though it inherited a large number of BTR-60s, BTR-70s and BTR-80s from the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan's army lacks a modern 8x8 armoured vehicle offering ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  UAE Rosomak 8x8 (Options)

  Prior to the imposition of the Finnish ban on arms exports to the UAE, Patria had also offered the AMV and AMV28A platform to the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Otaman (Ukrainian Marine Corps)

  Programme Background Practika first unveiled the Otaman family of 6x6 and 8x8 armoured vehicles in late 2016. These were developed to meet the requirements of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pacha Kuyuchix (New 8x8 Armoured Vehicle) [Peru - Forecast]

  entry.Programme Background The Peruvian Army is reliant upon a range of ageing 4x4 APCs, including the UR-416, Type 6614 and Type 6616, all of which ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Piranha I Replacement [Chile]

  Programme Background Chile has operated the Piranha I armoured vehicle platform for more than 40 years. During the early 1980s between 100 and 200 Piranha ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  R600A (RTMC)

  Programme Background The Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) has a requirement for new amphibious APCs that have higher capacity and offer greater protection than its ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Genesis

  The Genesis 8x8 armoured vehicle was unveiled by FFG in September 2020. Featuring a full hybrid electric powertrain, it is intended to demonstrate technology that ...

• Military UGVs

  WOLF-X

  The WOLF-X is a wheeled 8x8 Robotic Combat Vehicle developed by HDT Global in partnership with McQ and BAE Land & Armament Systems. In September 2023, as ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Alligator

  The Alligator vehicle family, available in both 6x6 and 8x8 configurations, is the culmination of the development work BAE Systems undertook for the Swedish Army’s ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Hybrid Tiger

  Manufactured by the Naval Research Laboratory, the Hybrid Tiger is an electric UAV. As its name suggests, the platform features a hybrid power generation unit. ...

• Military UGVs

  Phantom

  Debuted in 2016, the Phantom was a Ukrainian UGV manufactured by Ukroboronprom and its affiliate SpetsTechnoExport. Powered by a 30kW hybrid engine and in a 6x6 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pars Alpha 8x8

  Unveiled at the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh, the Pars Alpha is the latest 8x8 Armoured Vehicle from Turkish manufacturer FNSS. Featuring improvements on ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Skylark 3 Hybrid

  The Skylark 3 Hybrid is a UAV manufactured by Elbit Systems.  Unlike the Skylark 3, which is fitted with an electric motor, the Skylark 3 Hybrid ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pars IV 8x8

  The Pars IV 8x8 is being developed by FNSS to compete for the Turkish Army's New Generation - Wheeled Armoured Vehicle programme. Designed to offer ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  StrykerX

  Unveiled at AUSA 2022, the StrykerX from General Dynamics Land Systems is the technology demonstrator for the next-generation Stryker vehicle family. Featuring a hybrid diesel-electric power ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pars Scout 8x8

  The Pars Scout 8x8 is being developed alongside the Pars Scout 6x6 to meet a requirement from the Turkish Land Forces Command for a Special Purpose Tactical ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Hydra 400

  The Hydra 400 is a British cargo-carrying drone from Hydra Drones. Displayed at DSEI 2023, the UAV has four configurations: a fully electric variant, a 2-jet ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Arma 8x8 NG

  The Arma 8x8 NG, an improved variant of the Arma 8x8 and 6x6 platform, is an amphibious armoured combat vehicle produced by Otokar in Turkey. First ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 4x4, Trucks and utility vehicles - 6x6, Trucks and utility vehicles - 8x8

  Kerax Family

  The Kerax family consists of off-road trucks available in 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 configurations, designed to meet the specific requirements of armed forces while utilizing ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 8x8

  E13TP 8x8

  The Sisu E13TP 8x8 hook lift vehicle is a high-mobility, high-capacity, all-terrain, high-speed, all-wheel-drive tactical truck. The armoured cabin can also be equipped with NBC ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Superav 8x8

  Capable of ship-to-shore and beyond operations in sea state 3+, the Superav 8x8 is designed to offer a high level of mobility on land and ...