• Land Warfare

  Latvia accepts first locally made CAVS 6x6 APC

  8th August 2024

  Sweden, Finland and Latvia are undertaking joint development of a new Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) based on Patria’s 6x6 APC design, with Latvia’s vehicles being made by Defence Partnership Latvia.

• Land Warfare

  Latvia accepts first locally made CAVS 6x6 APC

  8th August 2024

  Sweden, Finland and Latvia are undertaking joint development of a new Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) based on Patria’s 6x6 APC design, with Latvia’s vehicles being made by Defence Partnership Latvia.

• Naval Warfare

  GE engine selected for Indian Next Generation Missile Vessel

  18th October 2024

  The GE Aerospace LM2500, already at use in frigates within the Indian Navy, will power the new craft.

• Land Warfare

  Next-generation colour micro-LED for soldiers on the horizon

  6th November 2024

  US company Kopin supplies displays for a range of systems and companies and is working on a range of light-emitting diode (LED) displays.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris wins P-8A Poseidon support contract

  1st October 2024

  L3Harris has provided support for previous generation P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). As many P-3 Orion users retire the aircraft, they have been picking up P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which L3Harris has now been contracted to support.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy orders fourth next-generation patrol vessel

  6th August 2024

  In August 2023, the Italian Secretariat General of Defence and National Armaments Directorate awarded a US$1 billion contract to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) for the construction of three next-generation patrol vessels and has now signed for a fourth.

• Air Warfare

  Sikorsky given DARPA fund to install autonomy on US Army Black Hawk

  16th October 2024

  The Lockheed Martin company plans to integrate the MATRIX system into the MX helicopter by 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard might not have surface assets to patrol the Arctic this summer

  13th August 2024

  While the service struggles to maintain its cold-temperature fleet, Russia and China have been increasing their presence in the region.

• Defence Notes

  Can NATO countries succeed in a war against Russia?

  13th June 2024

  Member states have been preparing personnel and inventory for a high-intensity conflict but many challenges remain.

• Air Warfare

  Thailand-bound AH-6i helicopter completes first flight

  4th October 2024

  A total of eight aircraft will replace the Royal Thai Army’s ageing AH-IF Cobra fleet as part of a contract deal worth US$103.8 million.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Naval Warfare

  FDI frigate Amiral Ronarc’h begins sea trials

  14th October 2024

  The first in a new class of multipurpose frigate begins its real-sea testing two years after launch.

• Land Warfare

  Adaptable Architecture: How Vehicle Communications are Evolving for the Modern Battlespace

  12th June 2024

  In Conversation... General Dynamics Mission Systems' Dr Emeka Egbogah talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the communications challenges facing armoured vehicle crews and the need for an open-architecture modular system to meet their constantly evolving needs.

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland selects AGM 155mm artillery system

  11th November 2024

  The Swiss Army has selected the KNDS 155mm/52 Artillery Gun Module on the Piranha IV (10x10) to replace its aging M109 howitzers.

• Land Warfare

  Rolls-Royce teams up with FFG to improve Wisent 1 and Leopard 1 engines

  6th September 2024

  The two companies will work together to develop a concept to repower the tank vehicle family with mtu 8V199 engines.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Vietnam - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background The Vietnamese Coast Guard are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

• 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 - small

  Indonesia - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background As part of a large scale programme, Indonesia was set to receive eight ScanEagle UAS drone Insitu provided by the US under the Maritime ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AICS [Italy]

  Programme Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace ...

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

  V-Bat [Romania]

  Programme Background Modernisation According to HotNews, a Romanian news outlet reporting on 25 February 2025, the Romanian MoD announced to journalists that it would focus on ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (4) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Corvettes, OPVs

  Large Standard Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements In the 2023 Military Advice of the Chief of Defence, Gen Eirik Kristoffersen suggested that Norway should renew its maritime surface structure by ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Finland]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (3) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

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

  K1000ULE [US Army]

  Programme Background Trials The drone was tested in May 2024 by the US Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force in the Philippines during the Baliktan military ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  DEF129 (Maritime UAS) [Australia]

  Background Project Sea 129 Phase 5 The Australian Navy's predecessor to DEF129, Project Sea 129 Phase 5, had been set to deliver three blocks of small ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 - Joint Programme [Norway]

  Programme Background On 5th June 2025, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden signed an LoI to jointly procure the CV90. All, with the exception ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• Land: battle management systems, Major networking projects, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DOOB (HARBIYE)

  Defence out of a Box (DOOB, also marketed as HARBIYE) is a C4I system family developed by Havelsan as an integrated defence solution aiming for ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation Engine II

  The Simulation Engine II (SE II) commercial game engine is the first PC-based game engine to be developed by Sonalysts as a commercial product and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Increment 1 Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are set to be implemented under JTRS Increment 1: WNW with OFDM and anti-jam; SRW (ground domain); joint airborne network-tactical edge ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Naval Command Center

  The Elbit Systems Naval Command Center (NCC) provides the infrastructure, systems and functionality required to achieve maritime domain awareness in conjunction with applicable means, evaluating ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Submarine Simulator

  A multi-domain simulation system for submarines, covering all vessel systems and subsystems: Submarine Tactical Trainer (STT); Submarine Diving and Steering Simulator (SDS) in a cockpit; Surface Navigation Simulator ...

• Air: mission management systems

  I-JOCCS

  Integrated Joint Operational Command and Control Services (I-JOCCS) is designed for interoperability among coalition forces including the UK and US. The capability supports fixed-site installations ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GMS Cross-Domain Systems (CDS) Family

  At AUSA 2024, General Micro Systems (GMS Computing Engines) unveiled four new cross-domain systems (CDS) designed to give air and land forces ultra-secure, real-time gigabit ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-7065

  The ELK-7065 ground and naval HF COMINT direction-finding system was unveiled in 2013, with a compact, lightweight airborne version launched in September 2017. The sensor was ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Domains

  The former JTRS ‘clusters’, that had become separate disjointed programmes, have been replaced with centrally managed domain programme management offices. The construct comprises four JTRS ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Major networking projects

  TNE

  Trusted Network Environment (TNE) is used by the US DoD and federal agencies where multiple coalitions of interest need trusted information brokers to let them ...

• Major networking projects

  GIG

  Global Information Grid (GIG) is a DoD-wide programme, managed by OSD Network Information Infrastructure and integrated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, to support all ...

• Counter-UAS systems, EO/IR systems, Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...

• Land: air defence radar

  3D Primary Surveillance Radar

  The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) 3D is part of the Lanza family of 3D radar systems. It has been designed especially for airport and air ...