• Defence Notes

  Analysis: China’s AI revolution threatens US

  12th December 2017

  A new report from the Washington-based Center for a New American Security raised the alert level of the US defence community over China’s rise as …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Lockheed outlines training strategy (video)

  29th November 2017

  At this year's I/ITSEC exhibition in Orlando, Florida, Shephard spoke to Lockheed Martin about the company's presence at the show and how it is evolving cost-effective …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: CAE takes I-LVC to next level (video)

  28th November 2017

  At this year's I/ITSEC, simulation and training company CAE will carry out two I-LVC demonstrations at the Orlando show in collaboration with Rockwell Collins. The …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: US Army trials digital sandbox

  30th November 2017

  The US Army Research Laboratory continues to advance its Augmented Reality Sandtable (ARES), which is aiming to give soldiers greater battlefield visualisation compared with older …

• Land Warfare

  Russia receives new mortar, mine-clearing vehicles

  17th November 2017

  The Russian armed forces has received a batch of modernised 2S4 Tulpan self-propelled mortars, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 13 November. The …

• Military Logistics

  Engility awarded ATC systems work

  1st December 2017

  Engility has received a $20 million task order to provide maintenance and upgrades for the US Navy’s air traffic control (ATC) systems, the company announced …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: MASA launches latest version of SWORD

  29th November 2017

  French company MASA has launched a new version of its SWORD constructive training and wargaming solution. The latest iteration of SWORD, v.6.10, has integrated a …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Trailer-based UH-72 simulator delivered (video)

  29th November 2017

  Pennsylvania company Fidelity Flight Simulation Inc. (F2Si) announced at I/ITSEC this year that it has now successfully delivered six UH-72A Synthetic Flight Training Systems (SFTS) …

• Naval Warfare

  Mexican Navy sees latest patrol vessel commissioned into service

  28th November 2017

  The Mexican Navy commissioned into its fleet the second of its updated Oaxaca-class patrol vessels on 23 November, in a ceremony attended by the President …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: Boat sim makes waves (video)

  29th November 2017

  Dutch company Cruden displayed a full-motion boat simulator at this year's I/ITSEC in Orlando, Florida, which is aimed at training crews to operate fast craft …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2017: The week's hot topics (video)

  27th November 2017

  Shephard staff reporter Beth Maundrill talks through some of the key topics that will likely influence this week's I/ITSEC exhibition in Orlando, Florida.

• Naval Warfare

  Familiarity breeds content for Sweden’s submarine flotilla

  27th November 2017

  Crews working up towards the introduction of the new A26 conventional submarines to the Royal Swedish Navy (RSN) by the middle of the next decade, …

• Digital Battlespace

  SharpEye ordered for second Pakistan sub

  24th November 2017

  Kelvin Hughes has received an order to supply the SharpEye radar system for the second submarine in the Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B class mid-life upgrade …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SeeByte wins MK18 UUV support contract

  29th November 2017

  SeeByte has received a $22.59 million contract to provide engineering, technical support, and training services over five years for the US Navy's MK18 unmanned underwater …

• Naval Warfare

  Indonesia launches coast guard’s largest OPV

  28th November 2017

  On 21 November the Indonesian shipbuilder PT Palindo Marine launched a 110m OPV destined for the Indonesian Maritime Security Board, which is the country’s coast …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Global Fast Sealift [USN]

  Background Requirements At Sea Air Space 2026, Hanwha Ocean and Gibbs and Cox displayed the Global Fast Sealift concept design. The vessel is intended as a ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [India]

  Background 2020 MoU On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (16-76) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D [USA]

  Programme Background The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defence ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

  Background Timeline As of April 2024, the USN had begun analysis for its CCA effort, with the initial effort focused on studying payloads, sensors and required ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (10-15) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (1-9) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, ...

• OPVs

  Hisar Class (1-2) [Turkey]

  Background Requirements The thoughts behind the acquisition of this type of OPV, which comes in a baseline and a convertible variant, is an OPV that ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent, broad-area intelligence, surveillance ...

• Military - USVs

  MUSV [USN]

  Background Requirements In March 2026, the US announced it would be replacing its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) programme with a Medium Uncrewed Surface Vessel ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) (TH-57 Replacement)

  Programme Background Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Frigates

  FF(X) Frigate

  The FF(X) frigate is a vessel derived from Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HHI) National Security Cutter (NSC). It was designed in response to the cancellation of ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class (FFG)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• OPVs

  Hisar Class

  Turkish Military Factory and Shipyard Management company ASFAT has built two Hisar-class OPVs at Istanbul Naval Shipyard for the Turkish Navy. Four more platforms are on order, but the ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...