• Digital Battlespace

  Say ta-ta to communication and surveillance problems

  17th May 2018

  At last month’s DefExpo 2018 exhibition in Chennai, Tata Aerospace & Defence showed a 4x4 SUV-type solution offering mobile communications for both military and disaster …

• Naval Warfare

  Discussions to end Northwood's Atalanta role imminent

  6th May 2018

  Discussions to host the future headquarters of the EU’s Operation Atalanta counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa will likely take place next week in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Outgoing USCG commandant leaves behind warning

  12th May 2018

  In his final days as the US Coast Guard commandant, ADM Paul Zukunft is not shying away from divisive topics that plague today's turbulent political environment.  …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2018: Show talking points (video)

  3rd May 2018

  Shephard editors Richard Thomas and Helen Haxell talk through the news at AUVSI's Xponential this week in Denver. The team share their thoughts on the narrative …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Lockheed upgrades Indago 3 with IR payload

  7th May 2018

  Lockheed Martin has upgraded its Indago 3 small quadrotor UAS with high resolution infrared (IR) sensors capable of performing day or night operations, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE to demonstrate optical seeker for DARPA

  9th May 2018

  BAE Systems has received a $13.1 million contract from DARPA to demonstrate a new optical seeker for precision-guided munitions, the company announced on 7 May. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu and partners progress payload offerings

  15th May 2018

  Alongside its recently launched ScanEagle 3, Insitu is evolving its payload capabilities for its family of unmanned solutions with new technologies on the horizon. At its …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: US agrees FMS training deal with RNLAF

  9th May 2018

  The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to the Dutch Government for $110 million for continued F-16 training for …

• Defence Notes

  US Air Force orders stand-down for safety review

  8th May 2018

  The US Air Force will ground all of its aircraft for a day while it conducts a safety review following a series of deadly accidents, …

• Land Warfare

  IDEB 2018: New APC jostles for Slovakian tender

  17th May 2018

  Czech company, Zetor Engineering, has unveiled its new 4x4 armoured tactical vehicle as the company seeks to pursue the Slovakian Army’s land modernisation programme. Known …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SOFEX 2018: Machine gun robot first public sighting

  10th May 2018

  The King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) showcased the first prototype of its weaponised UGV at SOFEX 2018 in Amman. Under development for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Washington clears way for Bahrain AH-1Z sale

  10th May 2018

  The US state department has approved a proposed FMS for 12 Bell AH-1Z Vipers to Bahrain, at an estimated cost of $911.4 million.  Alongside the attack …

• Special Operations

  SOFEX 2018: Light all-terrain vehicles take the stage

  10th May 2018

  While the Jordanian armed forces already operate a fleet of MRZR 4s (pictured) light all-terrain vehicles, Polaris is keen to push its portfolio of other …

• Digital Battlespace

  AUVSI 2018: Colorado’s wildfire operations aided by apps

  30th April 2018

  Colorado's fire services are exploring the benefits that smartphone apps could bring in providing crews on the ground greater situational awareness in combating the wildfires …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46 inches toward delivery

  30th April 2018

  Boeing’s KC-46 tanker programme has completed all required Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) flight tests, the company announced on 26 April.The final test was a refuelling/communications …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMPT Terminator

  Despite having earlier rejected the BMPT vehicle, the Russian MoD tested BMPT prototypes in Syria, where the vehicles performed well in combat conditions. This culminated ...

• KamAZ-63968 Taifun-K

  Programme Background The first 30 KamAZ-63968 Taifun-K vehicles were handed over to the Russian Armed Forces at the end of 2014. By the end of ...

• KamAZ-53949 Taifun-K

  Programme BackgroundThe Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K was initially deemed unsuitable for Russian requirements on account of its reliance on a large number of Western-manufactured components. However, it ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Data links

  Data links | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye [Taiwan]

  According to a Taiwanese national newspaper, the Central News Agency, the Republic of China is planning to purchase six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to replace ...

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

  Aksungur [Kyrgyzstan]

  Programme Background In January 2023, Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the Central Asian country's Presidential Press Service head, stated that Kyrgyzstan had bought "modern military equipment such as ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

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

  Eurodrone (Forecast) [Japan]

  Programme Background Japan's Application The Letter of Approval (LOA) for observer status in the programme was presented to the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Hidenao Yanagi, by Joachim ...

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

  X10D [USAF]

  Background Contract Award On 8 April 2026, Skydio announced that it had been awarded a $9 million contract by the US Air Forces Central (USAFCENT), the air component ...

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

  SA2 & SA7 [New Zealand]

  Background Uncrewed Range As reported by Shephard, in February 2026, Syos Aerospace announced that it had been contracted by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-14 Armata (Contracted)

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  T-15 Armata [Russia]

  Programme Background The first contract for 132 Armatas was signed by the Russian MoD in 2015. This will comprise sufficient T-14, T-15 heavy IFV and ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90M Proryv (New-Build)

  The first contract for the T-90M was disclosed in August 2017. Comprising 30 tanks in total, it covered the upgrade of 20 T-90As to T-90M ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  BMPT

  UVZ developed the BMPT Fire Support Combat Vehicle, nicknamed Terminator by the company, after studying the Russian Army's performance during the Chechen War. Designed to ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Borisoglebsk-2

  The vehicle-mounted Borisoglebsk-2 EW system performs frequency scanning for hostile RF emissions. Produced by JSC Sozvezdie, it can perform both electronic surveillance and RF suppression. ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  İhtar

  The İhtar is an anti-drone system manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to counter mini and micro-UAS threats in urban and rural environments. It detects and tracks ...

• Self-propelled guns

  PLC-161

  The PLC-161 (also known as PLC161) is a 4x4 truck-mounted 122 mm self-propelled howitzer that was first identified in July 2020. Few specific details concerning ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  TOS-2 Tosochka

  Russia unveiled the TOS-2 Tosochka MLRS at the 2020 Victory Day Parade. Like its TOS-1A predecessor, it is intended to neutralise and suppress enemy positions ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Iskander-M/E/K

  The Iskander-M (NATO reporting name: SS-26 'Stone') is a short-range ballistic missile. It was the second attempt by Russia to replace the Skud after its ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Palantin

  The Russian Army’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation Palantin is a truck-mounted COMINT and communications jamming (COMJAM) system. Official information released by Russia’s MoD states that ...

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

  Gnat

  The Gnat is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, multi-mission UAS that has been produced in several different variants. Although originally intended for export customers, the platform was ...

• Z-Boat 1250

  The Z-Boat 1250 is a portable remotely operated hydrographic survey vessel built around two lightweight outriggers and a main central hull, which can be compacted ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range, Self-propelled missile systems

  S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)

  The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) long-range air defence system, previously known as the S-300PMU-3, was developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau ...

• Major networking projects

  SITCEN

  The Situation Centre (SITCEN) is the central agency for providing situational awareness within NATO HQ. It is responsible for receiving, exchanging and disseminating political, economic ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ASOC

  Under a contract awarded to Lockheed Martin by the USAF Electronic Systems Center in May 1997, the company is providing Air Sovereignty Operations Centers (ASOCs) ...

• Land: manned turrets

  B05Ya01 Berezhok

  KBP Tula developed the B05Ya01 Berezhok turret (also referred to as a 'combat module') to provide an upgrade option for the legacy Soviet BMP-1 and BMP-2 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K

  The Kamaz-53949 Taifun-K (Typhoon-K) is a 4x4 MRAP vehicle manufactured in Russia by Remdiesel, a subsidiary of Kamaz.  Originally developed in 2010 as a private ...