• Air Warfare

  Italian Army receives first UH-169D light utility helicopter

  30th April 2025

  The delivery is the first in a total of 25 helicopters on order, with all deliveries expected to be completed by 2027.

• Naval Warfare

  TKMS joins forces with Norwegian shipbuilder for Fridtjof Nansen frigate replacement bid

  28th March 2025

  Four shipbuilders have been downselected to build the frigate replacement programme, and TKMS hopes the new deal will give it a geographical advantage.

• Air Warfare

  Germany signs $15 million deal for Black Hornet 4 nano-drones

  25th February 2025

  Teledyne FLIR Defense has delivered more than 33,000 Black Hornet uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV)s to 45 countries and are being used Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia.

• Land Warfare

  Czech Republic set to order RBS 70 NG systems as CAESAR howitzers begin production

  2nd June 2025

  The Czech Government is to approve the purchase of a fleet of vehicle mounted integrated air defence systems as the country invests to overhaul its equipment. Spending includes two dozen F-35As, CAESAR howitzers and refurbished Leopard tanks.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril to supply loitering munitions to Ukraine with UK funding

  7th March 2025

  Since July 2024, the UK Government has provided more than £5.26 billion in support to Ukraine, including £3 billion in annual military aid and a £2.26 billion loan for defence spending. The latest deal will see Anduril supply Altius-600M and Altius-700M loitering munitions.

• Defence Notes

  UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”

  26th March 2025

  Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Hanwha looks to a proven template as it plans further international expansion

  24th February 2025

  Hanwha Aerospace global defense CEO Michael Coulter was appointed to the seat just over two months ago. He sat down with Shephard at last week’s IDEX 2025 to outline his vision for how the company is looking to grow its footprint in the US and Europe.

• Air Warfare

  Trump offers F-35 to India, as US pledges to boost military sales by “billions”

  14th February 2025

  US President Donald Trump disclosed in a joint press conference with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, that the US would look for opportunities to supply Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter aircraft to India as the country looks to modernise its fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Patria completes test firing of new self-propelled gun as demand for systems grows

  26th June 2025

  Patria quotes a maximum rate of fire of eight rounds a minute from the new ARVE (ARtillery on VEhicle) self-propelled gun with a range of 40km for an assisted round. The rapid, low-risk development is designed to meet emerging requirements which have arisen out of the Ukraine war.

• Land Warfare

  How the US Marine Corps “increased” Marines’ shooting accuracy by 99%

  2nd April 2025

  The new small arms training approach includes the use of data and simulation capabilities, as well as more realistic environments.

• Land Warfare

  The challenge of making the inflatable illusion and training centre

  21st April 2025

  Faking aircraft, yanks and vehicles has a storied history through the previous century but there are others uses for inflatable systems such as more detailed and classified military equipment and training structures.

• Land Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Australia receives first two HIMARS as Lockheed Martin outlines rocket plans

  26th March 2025

  Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) weapon has been designed to use a range of different sized missiles and rockets from the same container which can be quickly switched out.

• Land Warfare

  The power of partnership: GDMS–UK deepens cooperation with the British Army

  25th June 2025

  In Conversation: Shephard's Gerrard Cowan talks to General Dynamics Mission Systems–United Kingdom’s Chris Burrows about how the company's UK TacCIS business is reshaping battlefield communications through sustained customer engagement, accelerated innovation and ecosystem collaboration.

• Land Warfare

  US Army LTAMDS is close to entering production

  13th February 2025

  Raytheon expects the programme to achieve milestone C in Q2 this year.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production

  11th March 2025

  Raytheon is currently finalising the production of NGJ-MB lot 5 while working with the US Navy on contract requirements over multiple years.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...