• Land Warfare

  Sweden boosts air defence capabilities with Diehl Defence, Saab and MBDA orders

  25th November 2025

  The orders continue the country’s growing investment in its air defence systems across land and sea, coming months after previous investments by the government into IRIS-T SLM equipment.

• Naval Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition

  19th June 2026

  Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.

• Land Warfare

  Predicted air defence spending boom opens doors to Indian industry

  3rd April 2026

  Recent conflicts have created a surge in interceptor demand worldwide while exposing potential supply chain challenges, positioning India as a cost-effective partner and scalable supplier.

• Air Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up

  19th June 2026

  Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2026: CUAS market expands as suppliers target new threats and operational requirements

  20th October 2026

  New developments from MARSS, MyDefence, Mountain Horse Solutions and Rafael suggest that future counter-drone protection will increasingly depend on combining advanced detection, rapid interception and integrated defensive networks.

• Air Warfare

  Forecast $21.9 billion light attack and trainer opportunities up for grabs as Leonardo lines up M-346

  18th March 2026

  The M-346 stands as a potential contender for various countries facing impending capability gaps due to ageing trainer aircraft, while it could also be selected as a cost-effective light fighter aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Denmark’s air defence frigate requirement draws growing European competition

  2nd October 2026

  With no formal competition under way, industrial partnerships, production capacity and air defence capability could all shape the programme as Denmark considers how to replace its three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh reboots British Army vehicle bid and displays JLTV with new weapons

  21st January 2026

  The British Army’s light protected mobility (LPM) requirement, part of the Land Mobility Programme, has taken on a new focus with the medium requirement bumped off to be replaced by heavy. The LPM may now need to fill some of the gap between light and heavy.

• Naval Warfare

  Tokyo’s naval export drive gains strategic depth in Southeast Asia

  27th May 2026

  Indonesia’s consideration of Mogami-class frigates points to a widening export opportunity for Tokyo across Southeast Asia and raises the prospect of the Mogami becoming the region’s default mid-tier surface combatant.

• Land Warfare

  EuroTrophy systems contracted for Leopard 2A8 tank buyers as demand rises

  20th January 2026

  Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the original designer and manufacturer of the system, states that more than 1,800 have been sold and, while not all customers are known, more than 1,000 of these have been bought by the US and Israel.

• Defence Notes

  Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP

  12th June 2026

  The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.

• Air Warfare

  Bundeswehr launches loitering munition spending spree with $2.16 billion unassigned

  24th April 2026

  After months of delays, Rheinmetall has inked a €300 million deal with Germany for its FV-014 drone this week as part of a wider framework contract worth €2.4 billion for loitering munition procurement. Shephard looks at how the as-yet-unawarded funds could be spent.

• Air Warfare

  Why the F-16 fighter jet remains a force to be reckoned with (updated 2026)

  28th January 2026

  The Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet remains in the limelight more than 40 years after its first flight. Shephard sums up the latest developments and details everything you need to know about the aircraft in 2026.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2025: Airbus reveals progress on drone mothership plans for A400M

  18th November 2025

  Airbus is working to expand the mission capabilities of its A400M aircraft, including a 40t payload increase, to boost Europe’s defence capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Spain moves ahead with transport, intelligence and training aircraft modernisation efforts

  6th January 2026

  Confirming its C295 order in late December, the Spanish Ministry of Defence also awarded Airbus with its Hurjet procurement contract and both Airbus and Indra with a contract to investigate a proposed Signals Intelligence aircraft solution by 2028.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• Military UAS - small

  MEUAS IV (US)

  Programme Background MEUAS History The first iteration of the MEUAS programme began in the early 2000s when the ScanEagle was acquired through the programme and ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Edge 130 [US]

  Programme Background First Order As reported by Shephard, In October 2024, the US Customs and Border Protection force submitted a $1.6 million order to acquire Edge ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 (Ukraine Aid) [Denmark & Sweden]

  Programme Background Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine was the recipient of a number of Western systems, many of which ...

• Trainer

  M-345 (Future procurement) [Italy]

  Background Development On 29 December 2017, Aermacchi's M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) prototype aircraft successfully completed its first flight from Venegono Superiore airfield in Varese, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle [Colombia]

  Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their occupants ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia became the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - mini

  FALKE (2022-2023) [Germany]

  Background Inception In November 2022, the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) published details on its desire to award a ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (7-10) [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirement In February 2024, Shephard reported that Airbus has been in talks with Saudi Arabia to expand its fleet of military aircraft, including the procurement ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Announced at the NATO Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels in June 2023, Ukraine formally signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Procurement and Operation ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Netherlands]

  Background The Leopard 2A8, the latest in the Leopard family, was selected by the Royal Dutch Army as per announcements in September 2024.  Given the ...

• Transport

  C295 [Angola]

  Programme Background Requirement Angola's transport capability is mainly provided by Soviet-origin An-12, An-30, An-72/74, Il-76 and the Xian MA-60 from China. According to AIN Online, Angola ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 Add-On [UAE]

  Background Contract award As part of their May 2026 order, the UAE has included the option to procure ten additional C-390 platforms. The ongoing tensions ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 MPA [Angola]

  Programme Background Requirement Angola uses a mix of Dornier Do-28s, A-29s and EMB-312 Tucanos for maritime surveillance duties. The country's dedicated maritime patrol capability was ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: coastal surveillance radars

  CHR

  The Compact Hemispheric Radar (CHR) is a family of sensors used in active protection systems for land vehicles manufactured by RADA Electronic Industries in Israel. The ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Erieye

  The S-band Erieye is a long-range airborne early warning and control radarthat detects and automatically tracks air and surface targets across a largearea. The radar has ...

• Land: air defence radar

  RPS-42 Air Surveillance Radar

  The RPS-42 radar is part of Leonardo DRS' family of Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR), which are Active Electronically Scanned Array radars. It is designed to ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Pozitiv-ME1.2

  The Pozitiv-ME1.2 is a three-dimensional naval surveillance radar manufactured in Russia. It is designed to search, detect, and track air and surface targets. According to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  pMHR

  The Portable Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (pMHR) is the smallest in the family of MHRs manufactured by Israeli company RADA Electronic Industries. The radar provides hostile ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ieMHR

  The ieMHR radar is a three-dimensional pulse-doppler radar previously manufactured by Israeli company RADA Electronic Industries and is currently produced by Leonardo. It is designed ...

• Maritime patrol

  340 MSA

  The Saab 340 MSA incorporates a mission management system connected to onboard sensors for all-weather monitoring of large maritime areas. The aircraft is equipped with automatic ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  C2 Training

  Saab provides doctrinal-based simulation that enables trainees to dynamically execute plans and orders from their own C2 system. Commander and staff can perceive and comprehend ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Mildef Tarantula

  The Tarantula is a High Mobility Armoured Vehicles from Malaysian defence manufacturer Mildef International Technologies.  First revealed in February 2021, the Tarantula has already received orders from ...

• Main battle tanks

  VT2

  The 125mm-armed VT2 tracked MBT, which was unveiled at DSA 2012, is the export version of the People's Liberation Army Type 96A. As of early ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: coastal surveillance radars

  Three-Dimensional Perimeter Surveillance Radars

  The Three-Dimensional Perimeter Surveillance radars are hemispheric surveillance radars manufactured by RADA in Israel. They provide border and perimeter surveillance through detection, classification and tracking ...

• Land: battle management systems

  MFoCS

  Mounted Family of Computing Systems (MFoCS) is a modular family which is designed to integrate existing FBCB2, future JBC-P and WIN-T capability into a modular ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Maatla 4x4

  Paramount's Maatla 4x4 is a Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) aimed at the African off-road armoured vehicle market. Announced at the African Aerospace and Defence Expo (AAD 2022) in ...

• Data links

  Link Y Mk2

  Thales Link Y Mk2 is used to securely exchange tactical data and orders via a self-managing, adaptive radio network between multiple military platforms. Designed for ...

• Main battle tanks

  Yatagan

  The Yatagan tank, sometimes referred to as the T-84-120, is an improved T-84 armed with a NATO-standard 120mm smoothbore gun developed by KMDB for the ...