• Land Warfare

  De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems

  3rd December 2025

  How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.

• Land Warfare

  Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings

  23rd October 2025

  Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.

• Land Warfare

  US approves more than $650 million in possible Foreign Military Sales to Ukraine

  29th July 2025

  The possible sales focus on maintenance and sustainment for a variety of equipment used by the Ukrainian armed forces, notably air defence equipment, MIM-23 Hawk missiles, M109 howitzers and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

• Air Warfare

  What lessons could Europe learn from air power use in Ukraine?

  3rd July 2025

  The use of air power by both sides in the ongoing conflict has been extensively focused on, influencing policy and procurement around the world. But are the lessons from the front line universally applicable, or should other nations be planning for very different scenarios?

• Defence Notes

  UK Parliament told that Europe needs to do more within NATO and undertake reforms

  5th March 2025

  Speaking before a committee on European affairs, the speakers addressed recent developments following an eventful few days. During this period, the UK pushed for increased support for Ukraine, while the EU eased budget constraints to allow for greater defence spending. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump introduced tariffs that could impact the defence industry.

• Land Warfare

  Companies look to tank-launched guided projectiles for non-line-of-sight effects

  29th December 2025

  While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.

• Land Warfare

  Serbia pushes new and improved weapons to showcase native capabilities

  7th October 2025

  Last month’s Partner 2025 exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia was seen as a chance for local companies to grab the spotlight. New systems, anti-tank weapons and turrets were displayed as well as programme progress updates.

• Air Warfare

  F-35 buy decisions rear their head after US tariffs increase

  11th August 2025

  Following Spain’s decision not to procure F-35 aircraft in favour of Eurofighter and FCAS 6th-gen, Switzerland and Canada continue to weigh up their investment in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  How the MQ-9B’s interoperability is driving future market success

  8th September 2025

  With numerous nations, including the UK, committing a combined US$9.99 billion to acquiring the MQ-9B MALE UAV according to Shephard Defence Insight data, the capability now looks set to soar as UAV spending rises globally.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer bets on US manufacture C-390 Millennium as incentive to lower US tariffs

  5th August 2025

  While Embraer’s Q2 results were not affected by US tariffs and it managed to avoid US President Donald J Trump's additional 40% tariff rate on Brazil, the 10% tariff rate still remains.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: Likely spending boosts outlined this year turn spotlight on show

  4th September 2025

  A surge in budgeted and planned defence spending across European NATO countries in the past year has come in the face of the war in Ukraine and demands from the Trump administration that the countries take on more of the load. This is likely to be reflected in what can be expected from DSEI.

• Naval Warfare

  How the Anduril-HHI autonomous ship plan fits in with the US Navy’s MASC programme

  18th November 2025

  The new modular vessel is expected to be developed for both commercial and defence use, with a heavy focus on production speed and mission flexibility.

• Land Warfare

  First gun barrels for British Army howitzers due from Rheinmetall’s new UK factory in 2027

  13th January 2026

  The new Rheinmetall facility will supply barrels for UK RCH 155 howitzers and Challenger 3 tanks while also opening up potential export opportunities, providing a currently absent national capability.

• Land Warfare

  Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation

  10th July 2025

  The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.

• Digital Battlespace

  EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI

  30th June 2025

  The Portuguese company’s naval communications system is in service across more than a dozen countries. It has turned to its home nation for support in developing a new vehicle based C2 system.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  Programme Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Data links

  Data links | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 Options [Portugal]

  Programme Background Leadership from Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force formalised a contract that includes 10 aircraft options that can be utilised by any NATO ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Six NATO member states, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands, are planning to exercise an option to supply two A330 MRTT aircraft ...

• Data links

  Data links | A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Six NATO member states, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands, are planning to exercise an option to supply two A330 MRTT aircraft ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Six NATO member states, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands, are planning to exercise an option to supply two A330 MRTT aircraft ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-390 [Portugal]

  Programme Background Leadership from the Portuguese Air Force and Embraer signed a contract for a sixth C-390, with the option for ten additional aircraft for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35 (Russia)

  The MiG-35 is a new-generation derivative of the twin-engine MiG-29 (NATO code-name ‘Fulcrum’) featuring multi-role combat capabilities, significantly reworked airframe and a vastly expanded arsenal ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirement The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  In June 2024, during a presentation provided at the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE), the Italian Navy detailed the new capabilities it ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  NATO DCIS

  Airbus is delivering the NATO Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS). The project represents a major upgrade in the capability of NATO Response Forces (NRF) ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS. The Qimek NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS, which was introduced in 2008. The Nanuk NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO SATCOM

  Leonardo has been awarded a turnkey contract to rationalise and upgrade NATO’s SATCOM systems and associated infrastructure. The company will design, build, test, commission and ...

• Major networking projects

  EAC

  The NATO Communications and Information Agency awarded ACTIA Sodielec a contract in June 2013 to provide NATO with an Extended Advanced SATCOM Network Monitoring and ...

• Air: mission management systems

  LC2IS

  The contract to supply Land Command and Control Information Services (LC2IS) for the NATO Command Structure was awarded to Thales by NATO NC3A and achieved ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  NATO E-3A Training Devices

  CAE designed the original NATO E-3A Sentry full-flight simulator as well as an E-3A cockpit procedures trainer and flight training device. The company continues to ...

• Major networking projects

  Air Policing

  Air Policing is a collective peacetime mission that requires NATO to take action against all violations and infringements of its airspace using agreed procedures. Supreme ...

• Land: handheld day observation, surveillance and targeting systems

  LRM 1500M/1800S/2200SI

  Laser rangefinder monoculars combine laser measurement, optics and controls. The LRM 1500M is for users requiring basic functionality. It has a measurement range of 1,500m ...

• Major networking projects

  NCIRC

  Leonardo, together with Northrop Grumman, has undertaken a contract for the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency to develop, implement and support the NATO Computer ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons, Multipurpose missiles

  9M117 Bastion

  The 9M117 Bastion is an antitank missile used in a number of separate weapon systems, such as the 9K116-1 Bastion (NATO reporting name: AT-10 Stabber) and the 9K118 ...

• Major networking projects

  Air and Missile Defence

  NATO Air and Missile Defence comprises all measures aimed at monitoring and reacting to potential air threats in NATO airspace, as well as countering hostile ...

• Data links

  Link Y Mk2

  Thales Link Y Mk2 is used to securely exchange tactical data and orders via a self-managing, adaptive radio network between multiple military platforms. Designed for ...

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• Major networking projects

  SCCOA

  ThalesRaytheonSystems is providing the French Air Force with key components of the SCCOA (Système de commandement et de conduite des opérations aériennes) programme. This provides ...