• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German Army to field recce robots

  1st February 2017

  The German Ministry of Defence is negotiating the potential purchase of over forty robotic systems for use by the army and air force in a …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show: US Army to test Aimpoint FCS

  25th January 2017

  Aimpoint representatives have acknowledged that the US Army is preparing to test the latest model of the Fire Control System (FCS) for crew-served weapons like …

• Land Warfare

  Sig wins US pistol after delays

  26th January 2017

  With the selection of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol as the US Army’s new XM17 modular handgun system the question is now if further delays …

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army to receive lightweight helmets

  22nd January 2017

  Indian company MKU will start ballistic helmet deliveries in June after it won an order for 158,000 units for the Indian Army late last year. …

• Defence Notes

  Philippines receives US arms

  2nd February 2017

  On 27 January the US delivered batches of infantry weapons and an unmanned vehicle system to the Philippines Armed Forces (AFP). These were purchased by …

• Digital Battlespace

  David's Sling in new testing

  26th January 2017

  Israel’s David's Sling weapon system has undergone a series of successful tests carried out by the Israel Missile Defense Organization of the Directorate of Defense …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show: Barrett .50 cal rifle for the 21st century (video)

  20th January 2017

  Since its introduction back in the 1980s, the Barrett M82 has gone on to become one of the most iconic rifles ever built. The .50 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B trucks it across US

  27th January 2017

  One of the most iconic unmanned systems ever to fly is being moved from its home at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to a Northrop …

• Land Warfare

  US Army tests cluster-bomb round replacement

  20th January 2017

  A new artillery warhead is being tested by the US Army in an effort to help reduce unwanted casualties caused by cluster-bomb rounds. Current dual-purpose …

• Digital Battlespace

  DGI 2017: Australia improves GEOINT collection

  27th January 2017

  With the trends in geointelligence (GEOINT) moving towards the gathering of open source data and the exchange of unclassified information, Australia is developing its data …

• Digital Battlespace

  China continues AEW aircraft advances

  3rd February 2017

  As the first US Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft were arriving in Japan on 2 February, it emerged that China is pursuing …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show: Steiner's laser focus (video)

  19th January 2017

  Rifle optics specialists Steiner has brought an array of products to this year's SHOT Show in Las Vegas, including laser devices, flashlights and helmet-mounted night …

• Special Operations

  SHOT Show: HK prepares first CSASS deliveries (video)

  18th January 2017

  Heckler & Koch is preparing to deliver the first test examples of the 7.62mm Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS) to the US Army. A total …

• Land Warfare

  Azerbaijan boosts air defence

  18th January 2017

  Azerbaijan is building up its air defence capabilities with a new surface-to-air missile system and has plans to buy further equipment. The MoD has revealed …

• Defence Helicopter

  What to expect for defence in 2017 (video)

  16th January 2017

  Shephard's editorial team has gazed into the crystal ball to see what the next 12 months might bring for the defence and aerospace community. Geopolitics and …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Medium Range Precision Strike (MRPS) [UK]

  Programme Background Prior Information Notice (PIN) On 21 October 2024, the MoD published a PIN in collaboration with the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;). The notice ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) Future Procurement

  US Navy has ordered 118 F-35C aircraft until FY2020, the remaining 121 fighters will be acquired at a rate of 21-28 per year between FY2021 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land 121 Phase 4 (Hawkei PMV-L)

  Programme Background Three suppliers were originally down-selected to meet the Land 121 Phase 4 requirement: Thales Australia, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Force Protection ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Main Battle Tank Upgrade [Australia]

  Programme Background Between 2006 and 2007, the Australian Army received 59 M1A1 AIM SA Abrams MBTs under Project Land 907 Phase 1. These vehicles were planned to ...

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

  Bayraktar TB3 [Turkish Army]

  Background Land Forces Command Delivery In late October 2024, Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar's CEO, stated that the Bayraktar TB3 had entered mass production and could be exported ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook-Saudi Arabia- Contracted

  The helicopters will increase the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command's interoperability with the US and advance the development of the country's heavy-lift helicopter capability.

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 NFH-Germany - Awarded

  NH90 Sea Lions will take on a wide range of roles including search and rescue (SAR), maritime reconnaissance, special forces as well as personnel and ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and HPM can ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Medium Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Medium Protected Mobility (MPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme Background According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Hawkei

  Thales Australia developed the 4x4 Hawkei for the Australian Army's Land 121 Phase 4 Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light (PMV-L) project.  The prototype was unveiled in ...

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

  Aertos 121

  The Digital Aerolus Aertos 121 ducted-fan quadrotor UAV is an improved version of the Aertos 120 infrastructure inspection platform. It is designed as an asset for ...

• Towed mortars

  Soltam K6 120mm Lightweight Towed Mortar

  The Soltam K6 120mm Lightweight Towed Mortar has a maximum range of 7,200m using conventional unassisted bombs. The K6 was selected for US Army service ...

• Land Ops

  ESS Land Ops goggles provide eye protection and fog-resistance for ground troops and are authorised by the US Army for use over prescription eyewear. Land ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  KRONOS Land

  KRONOS is a mobile multifunctional C-band radar system designed by Leonardo to support air and coastal defence tactical operations.  The system simultaneously performs surveillance, dedicated target ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  Land 125

  In 1994, Australia initiated Project Wundurra to develop an integrated soldier combat system, and by 2005 this had evolved into the multi-phase Land 125 programme ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Land Ceptor

  MBDA Land Ceptor is a medium-to-long range ground-based air defence missile system based on the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) family of surface-to-air missiles developed ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Superav Land

  The Superav Land 8x8 is a modular vehicle with a large diameter turret ring that can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of remote-controlled ...

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

  ALADIN

  ALADIN is a miniature system consisting of a man-portable GCS and a hand-launched air vehicle with exchangeable sensor payloads.  The UAV, which can be operated ...

• Aertos 120

  The Digital Aerolus Aertos 120 is a light, ducted-fan UAV dedicated to safely conducted inspections in confined spaces such as buildings and tunnels. 

• Transport

  C-40 Clipper

  The USN began replacing its ageing fleet of 29 McDonnell Douglas C-9B Skytrain aircraft in 1997 with the C-40A Clipper, a military version of the ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  T-VIEW-Land

  The T-VIEW-Land is a lightweight EO/IR, gyro-stabilised sensor, installed on vehicles for day/night observation. It incorporates two cameras: a thermal imager and a colour charge-coupled ...

• Naval guns, Land: RWS

  Naval/Land Rogue

  The Land Rogue is an RWS developed by Reutech for installation on armoured vehicles. Capable of being armed with a 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon

  Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons are designed to meet specific military needs and have been in production since 1979. The vehicle comes in several variants, including 4x4 and 6x6 versions. ...