• Uncrewed Vehicles

  British Army looks to ‘kamikaze drones’ for future operations

  2nd September 2024

  Inspired by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the British Army has one eye on the future as it develops its ability to operate FPV UAS.

• Land Warfare

  The Lego Principle: Falcon Shield, RiwP and the growth of modularity in land defence

  10th October 2024

  Shephard spoke to Leonardo about its Falcon Shield system and Moog about its Reconfigurable Integrated weapons Platform (RIwP) at DVD 2024, and discovered the trend in land defence was towards modularity.

• Land Warfare

  Moog rolls out offering for UK GBAD requirement

  19th September 2024

  The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) is a modular remote weapons station designed to counter a wide spectrum of threats ranging from enemy infantry and armoured vehicles, to helicopters and UAS. Manufacturer Moog is promoting it for the UK’s GBAD requirement.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: How India’s Tri-Service MQ-9B $4 billion deal was awarded

  22nd October 2024

  After lengthy negotiations, the Indian Ministry of Defence has now signed a US$4 billion contract with the US Government to procure 31 MQ-9B drones from General Atomics, marking India as the largest customer of this UAV model.

• Land Warfare

  Germany orders $998 million in trucks and systems from Rheinmetall

  12th June 2024

  In June 2020, Germany’s Defence Procuremnt Agency (BAAINBw) concluded a framework contract with Rheinmetall which will run until 2027 for the delivery of up to 4,000 trucks with swap-body systems.

• Air Warfare

  F-16 not dead yet in Thailand despite RTAF’s selection of Gripen

  26th September 2024

  Lockheed Martin and Saab have both delivered updated offset proposals to Thailand’s air force with contracts yet to be signed on any deal.

• Land Warfare

  MBDA aims Brimstone at British Army requirement

  20th September 2024

  MBDA has been pushing for Brimstone, which was originally developed as an air-launched missile for the Royal Air Force, to help the British Army meet its MCCO requirement.

• Naval Warfare

  NATO Allies share maritime mine-clearing techniques to combat a growing international menace

  25th September 2024

  The US and many other countries came together to share mine-clearing protocols at Exercise Sea Breeze in the Black Sea, aiming to make navigation pathways safer.

• Training

  What is preventing the US Pentagon from succeeding in multi-domain scenarios?

  28th October 2024

  Outstanding issues to be addressed include improving doctrine, increasing the number of joint exercises and better integrating capabilities across the services.

• Land Warfare

  UK deploys Swedish Archer artillery ahead of future RCH 155 upgrade

  24th September 2024

  Archer systems fitted with a Kongsberg remote weapon station and armed with a 12.7mm machine gun will be deployed by 14 Regiment, Royal Artillery.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force tests low-cost method to defeat surface vessels from the air

  14th August 2024

  The demonstration was conducted under the QUICKSINK programme in partnership with the US Navy.

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon wins $677 million radar order

  12th June 2024

  Raytheon’s Air and Missile Defence Radar (AMDR), now officially designated as AN/SPY-6(V), will be purchased by the US Navy to equip the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers the service has been procuring under its Flight III initiative.

• Land Warfare

  ‘A true force multiplier’ – where AI can make the most impact in defence

  3rd October 2024

  In Conversation... ST Engineering’s Ravinder Singh talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how AI can enhance human performance, the best ways to build trust in the technology among defence customers, and the areas where AI can transform military operations

• Training

  AI innovation set to revolutionise military training landscape

  16th October 2024

  Artificial intelligence offers unprecedented potential to revolutionise military training, enabling agile and decisive forces.

• Air Warfare

  Bell waits for imminent FLRAA Milestone B decision

  23rd July 2024

  Bell won FLRAA in late 2022. Since the cancellation of FARA earlier this year, it has committed more resources to the programme, with an eye on the possibility it could fulfil many Black Hawk replacement requirements worldwide

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• 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 ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Project Proteus [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The RN requires an uncrewed helicopter to test the viability of larger uncrewed aircraft for the RN, possibly providing an alternative to crewed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Baby Shark 260

  The Foxtech Baby Shark 260 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV for commercial and civil operations, which has four spar-mounted rotors to provide vertical lift, a pusher ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot computer, ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

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

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Light UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...

• Nimbus 1800

  Foxtech's Nimbus 1800 is a tri-copter, lightweight, fixed-wing VTOL UAV designed for civilian and commercial mapping and inspection roles. It has a 2.8kg weight without ...

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

  Loong 2

  The Loong 2 is a rotary-wing mini-UAV manufactured by LoongUAV. Designed for ISR missions, the UAV features a universal plug-and-play standardised interface, meaning a lot of different ...