• Air Warfare

  Why the F-16 fighter jet remains a force to be reckoned with (updated 2025)

  10th February 2025

  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 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  Pakistan Navy takes delivery of multi-mission Offshore Patrol Vessel Hunain

  29th July 2024

  The Hunain is the first OPV 2600 in the Pakistan Navy’s fleet and will be used across a range of coastal defence roles.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia expands western shipbuilding precinct and sidelines Luerssen

  13th November 2024

  Australia’s investment in naval infrastructure will aim to support its expanding fleet and will focus on the Henderson naval shipbuilding precinct, but challenges remain as Luerssen exits the market due to delays in the Arafura-class project.

• Land Warfare

  The Italian Army’s ambitious IFV plan

  14th June 2024

  The Italian Army has plans in place to procure up to 679 tracked IFVs to replace 200 Dardo IFVs currently in service with its mechanised units, as well as its M113 fleet.

• Air Warfare

  Analysis: UK government goes on decommissioning spree to balance defence budget

  21st November 2024

  UK defence secretary John Healey has announced the cancellation and decommissioning of naval and air force platforms to enable the government to “re-invest money in the armed forces” ahead of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review.

• Naval Warfare

  Elbit wins first order for export version of Crossbow unmanned turret

  8th May 2024

  At DSEI 2023 Elbit Systems unveiled a lightweight export model of its Crossbow 120mm mortar system being developed for the Israel Defense Forces.

• Air Warfare

  How Chinese advancements will impact the future development of the US Air Force fleet

  16th January 2025

  US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that China would continue to be a “problem” for the development of the service’s fleet over the coming decades.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan reinvigorates its asymmetrical approach to naval warfare

  22nd November 2024

  The threat from China has prompted Taiwan’s naval forces to shift from traditional naval structures to a more balanced strategy blending asymmetric defences with conventional platforms.

• Training

  How US marines and sailors trained for humanitarian assistance in Indo-Pacific region

  11th July 2024

  US Marine Corps and US Navy personnel enhanced their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities during a training exercise in Papua New Guinea.

• Digital Battlespace

  Airbus wins UK Skynet 5 military satellite design support contract

  27th October 2023

  Airbus will provide post-design services for Skynet 5 as it nears the end of life and the UK heads towards the next generation Skynet 6A satellites.

• Air Warfare

  US State Department approves $1.9 billion Black Hawk sales for Sweden and Austria

  30th May 2024

  Foreign Military Sales (FMS) have been approved for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to both Sweden and Austria. The announcements follow the approval of 12 to Brazil on 24 May, Greece signing for the procurement 35 of the helicopters in April and FMS approval to Croatia for eight aircraft in January.

• Land Warfare

  Land Warfare Preview 2025: Questions remain in a time of change

  19th December 2024

  The land war in Ukraine has dominated the posture, spending and actions of Russia and NATO countries for two years. With a new US Government committed to ending the conflict early in 2025, there are implications on all three of those fronts.

• Digital Battlespace

  Spectra Group’s GENSS tactical radio to debut at SOF Week

  2nd May 2024

  GENSS (next GENeration SlingShot) is a tactical radio communications system developed by the Spectra Group with a modular, open-architecture solution that can be adapted for air, land and sea applications.

• Land Warfare

  GDELS’s Eagle 6x6 enters production for Swiss Army

  17th June 2024

  General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has introduced its latest Eagle (6x6) reconnaissance vehicle, now in production for the Swiss Army and on show for the first time at Eurosatory 2024, featuring enhanced payload capacity, advanced sensor and command systems, and superior all-weather target engagement capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Turkish Kaan fighter completes second flight

  7th May 2024

  Turkey's TF-X Kaan fighter jet has achieved another milestone with its successful second test flight, signalling a steady progress towards its scheduled service entry date.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack

  AT-6 [Tunisia]

  Programme Background On 26 February 2020, the US State Department announced that it has approved a potential sale of four AT-6 aircraft and related equipment to Tunisia ...

• Loitering munitions

  Mini-Harpy [Israeli Navy]

  Programme Background MADEX 2023 At MADEX 2023, IAI displayed the Mini-Harpy, dubbed the Green Dragon, loitering munition in a 12-system launcher mounted to an Israel Navy Sa'ar 6 ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Army Second Batch

  The $600 million program value is calculated based on the relative estimated unit costs of each helicopter type (NH90 NFH and TTH) and procurement quantity ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (May 2019 FMS)

  Also included are 28 M230 30mm automatic chain guns, AN/AVR-2B laser detecting sets, AN/APR-39 radar signal detecting sets, AN/AVS-6 night vision goggles, M299 Hellfire missile ...

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

  Beyond Vision Drones [Portugal]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 14 February 2023, Beyond Vision announced that it had been awarded a €600,375 contract for the acquisition of "6 Mulittoror ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Army First Batch

  HT-29 Caiman GSPAs (NH90 TTH) will be assembled at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Albacete and will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service. Even though ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

• Data links

  Data links | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Multi-Mission Aircraft (1-14) [Canada]

  The objective of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft project is to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with a long-range manned Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors, Patrol boats

  Gun Boats (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Timeline The first steel cutting for these boats occurred on 6 October 2022. The PN is seeking 20 vessels; the first one should ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Spain HT-29 Caiman MSPT (NH90 NFH) - Navy

  The deliveries of seven NH-90 NFHs to the Spanish Navy are expected to between 2022 and 2025, following the completion of 22-helicopters program for the ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Support Ship (Project Sea 2200) [Australia]

  Under Project Sea 2200, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is seeking to procure two multi-role logistic ships. Although no Request for Tender (RfT) has been ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Joint Support Ship (Project Sea 2200) [Australia]

  Under Project Sea 2200, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is seeking to procure two multi-role logistic ships. Although no Request for Tender (RfT) has been ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Spain HT-29 Caiman (NH90 TTH) - Air Force Second Batch

  The HT-29 Caiman will replace AS332 Super Puma fleet in service with the Spanish Air Force. The Spanish version of the NH90 TTHs can perform ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 5 SATCOM

  Airbus is the service provider for the UK MoD Skynet 5 private finance initiative contract, signed in October 2003 and now worth $5.6 billion. Airbus ...

• Major networking projects

  Satcom Post-2000

  The Satcom Post-2000 programme gives the alliance improved SATCOM capabilities, which is important as NATO forces take on expeditionary missions beyond their traditional area of ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Skynet

  The Skynet anti-drone system is a portable C-UAS device that resembles a rifle. It is operated with a manpack system and has a charging time ...

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

  CH-6

  The CH-6, or Cai Hong 6 or Rainbow-6, is a UCAV unveiled by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on 19 April 2021.  Shown ...

• Bomber

  H-6

  The People's Liberation Army Air Force has eight regiments of bombers and they operate an estimated 160 H-6 variants that have been in service since ...

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

  QX-6

  Unveiled at the Dubai Airshow 2021, the QX-6 is a cargo-carrying UAV manufactured by ADASI, a subsidiary of the EDGE Group. The QX-6 features an autopilot ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPY-6(V)2

  The SPY-6(V)2 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) is a rotating-face surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. The system is the smallest variant of the AN/SPY-6 radar ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARS-6 (V12) PLS R/T

  The new AN/ARS-6 (V12) Personnel Locator System (PLS) Receiver/Transmitter (R/T) is a functional replacement for the old AN/ARS-6. These systems are used to locate missing ...

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

  7000-MV MTV

  The Navistar 7000 series is a range of military heavy-lift vehicles developed by Navistar Defense, based on the Navistar International WorkStar truck chassis. This series ...

• MSR/MAA-6

  The Messenger Smart Receiver (MSR) receiver and Messenger Antenna Array 6 (MAA-6) antenna array combine to form a long-range central receive system. The MAA-6’s six ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM, Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARS-6(V12) PLS

  The new AN/ARS-6 (V12) Personnel Locator System (PLS) Receiver/Transmitter (R/T) is a functional replacement for the old AN/ARS-6. These systems are used to locate missing ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  AT-6 GBTS

  CAE USA is the Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) provider for the Beechcraft AT-6 light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft. CAE has responsibility for designing and ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  SPY-6(V)3

  The SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) is a fixed-face surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. The system is designed to defend against cruise missiles, anti-surface ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  RPK-6 Vyuga

  The RPK-6 (NATO Codename SS-N-16 Stallion) is a Russian-made long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system designed to deliver a torpedo to its target. It includes two missile variants, the ...