• Air Warfare

  L3 Harris completes review of satellite communications payloads

  26th November 2024

  L3Harris is involved with four satellite programmes for missile tracking and communications for the US Space Development Agency (SDA).

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: NTGS ALAKRAN passes 300 sales with major Saudi Arabian order

  17th February 2025

  NTGS has integrated its ALAKRAN mortar carrier onto multiple platforms worldwide, with Saudi Arabia as its largest customer. The UK is exploring options for a 120mm system, while new ammunition developments enhance the platform’s effectiveness on the battlefield.

• Naval Warfare

  Russia and Ukraine agree maritime ceasefire – then Russia attaches strings

  27th March 2025

  Tentative peace in the Black Sea broke down almost immediately amid Russian demands for a financial climb-down from the EU.

• Air Warfare

  Gulfstream awarded $991 million contract from US Air Force

  25th November 2024

  The contract will last for seven years and will provide comprehensive maintenance services for the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing’s Ghost Bat clocks up the milestones and progresses as Saab Australia gets on board

  15th January 2025

  More than 100 hours of physical flight have taken place since the first flight of MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed aerial system (UAS) four years ago and this has been underpinned by approximately 20,000 hours of flying the digital twin.

• Defence Notes

  India greenlights $4.7 billion defence spend as post-war tensions simmer

  30th May 2025

  Precision strikes, drone warfare and shifting regional doctrine mark aftermath of four-day India-Pakistan conflict.

• Air Warfare

  DIU awards four companies with drone prototype contracts for Project Artemis

  18th March 2025

  The four US companies awarded contracts include two that are working with Ukrainian uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) firms. The project aims to have a prototype demonstration by end of May 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  MDL and TKMS partnership becomes sole bidder for India’s $8 billion P751 contract

  7th February 2025

  The partnership is understood to be the only remaining contender for the contract which could be signed in 2026.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA backs British startup to continue development on heavy-lift drone

  29th April 2025

  The investment will bring together the Hybrid Drones and MBDA to enable the former to further develop its Hydra 400 UAV, previously showcased by the British Army.

• Naval Warfare

  Interview: DSTA collaborates with Leonardo, Thales and Safran for naval C-UAS

  25th April 2025

  In an exclusive interview with Shephard, DSTA chief Ng Chad-son outlines how the agency is reshaping defence tech development through deeper collaboration with industry partners, from AI-enhanced radar to smart naval munitions.

• Land Warfare

  Slovakia adds Danish C2 software into its Barak MX air defence network

  19th February 2025

  A new deal between Slovakia and Denmark’s Terma is expected to improve the country’s air defence interoperability with NATO.

• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Australia set to receive Apaches as Tiger retirement begins

  25th March 2025

  After giving European Tiger attack helicopters and NH90 large utility helicopters a chance to meet Australian needs, which encountered problems, the country has turned back to the US for Apaches and Black Hawks, respectively.

• Air Warfare

  Saab strengthens AEW&C bid with Korea Aerospace Industries agreement

  3rd October 2024

  Saab’s proposal for South Korea is its GlobalEye aircraft. This MoU between the two companies is the latest update in Saab’s bid for South Korea’s competition for a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Latest Virginia-class submarine, USS Iowa, commissioned

  8th April 2025

  SSN-797 was commissioned as USS Iowa, the first Virginia-class submarine of the second Trump administration. It was described as “just the beginning” of a revitalisation of US naval shipbuilding by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

• Naval Warfare

  Swedish Navy boosts submarine fleet navigation with ECPINS deal

  6th December 2024

  The agreement between OSI Maritime Systems and the Royal Swedish Navy covers the nation’s entire underwater fleet.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Multidomian Micro Drones [USSOCOM]

  Background Special Notice On 14 November 2024, a Special Notice was released that informed the industry that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was looking for ...

• LTTV

  Programme Background The LTTV is to equip the combat support and combat service support elements of the Belgian SOF and the Belgian Army's two Ranger ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 Special Forces [France]

  Programme Background In French service, advanced H225M Caracals with aerial refuelling capabilities are used by SOF units of the French Air Force (FAF) and French ...

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

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) [US]

  Background SOF Week 2025 Speaking to Shephard at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week 2025, Performance Drone Work's (PDW) CEO Ryan Gury, stated that the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) was ...

• Pegaz Special Operations Vehicles

  Programme BackgroundRequirementThe Polish MoD has a long-standing requirement to procure a new 4x4 tactical vehicle to replace the M1165A1 HMMWVs and Oshkosh M-ATVs currently in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SOF Vehicles (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian MoD is investing in the modernisation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces by procuring new equipment for all of its branches, including ...

• Zmag SOF Vehicle (Israel)

  Programme Background Originally designed by and marketed by Ido Cohen, the Zmag is part of a family of ATVs aimed at both civilian and military customers. In ...

• Zmag SOF Vehicle (Israel - Options)

  Programme Background Originally designed by and marketed by Ido Cohen, the Zmag is part of a family of ATVs aimed at both civilian and military customers. In ...

• SOV-Cdo Replacement (Australia)

  Programme Background The Australian MoD plans to invest in new equipment for its SOF units to allow the ADF to respond more effectively and more ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Teal 2 (Customs and Border Protection Force) [US]

  Programme Background First Order Global News Wire reported that Red Cat had filled an order for 54 Teal 2 units from the US Customs and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract AwardIn 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan to ...

• ISR/special mission

  Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (1-3) [Germany]

  Programme Background Requirement The Pegasus (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) project aims to fulfil a SIGINT capability which has been missing in the German Armed ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Submarines Procurement (1-2) [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements As of 2025, the Hellenic Navy (HN) submarine force consists of four Type 214, four Type 209/1200 and two Type 209/1100. With ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Thunder TM-1025

  The SOF Thunder comprises one variant in a wider family of TM-1025 RIBs currently in service with the Polish armed forces. The SOF Thunder is ...

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

  Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV)

  Unveiled in May 2025, the Attritable Multirotor First Person View (AM-FPV) is a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  VOS-APP

  The Arquus VOS-APP is a 6x6 support vehicle currently under trial with the French SOF. Acting as a replacement for the 1970s-vintage ACMAT VLRA, the VOS-APP is the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  ZH-753

  The Zodiac Hurricane 753 OB SAR is typically used as a shore-based boat operating independently in SAR, counterterrorism and law enforcement missions. The deep-V fibreglass ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 35 Harpoon

  The Ares 35 Harpoon has been designed for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and patrolling missions.

• Loitering munitions

  Red Dragon

  The Red Dragon is a loitering munition from AeroVironment. According to the company, it is designed for one-way attack missions in high-threat, GPS-denied and communications-degraded environments. Unveiled in ...

• Data links

  GSNC

  Global Secure Network Connection (GSNC) provides a global data communications solution for military aircraft, including bomber, refuelling and transport aircraft. The GSNC system uses Iridium ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 55 Harpoon

  The Ares 55 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ares 65 Harpoon

  The Ares 65 Harpoon is a fast interceptor craft by Ares Shipyard for interception & interdiction operations, as well as anti-smuggling, SOF insertion and extraction, surveillance and ...

• Swimmer delivery vehicles

  Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS)​

  The USN has contracted Teledyne Brown to develop the Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) as part of a wider effort to develop new underwater transports for ...

• Submachine guns

  FN SCAR-SC

  FN Herstal unveiled the 5.56mm FN SCAR-SC (Subcompact Carbine), the newest member of the SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) family originally developed for the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Global Observer

  The AeroVironment Global Observer HALE UAV was a developmental HALE UAV designed for various civil, commercial and government applications.  Development of the platform began in 2007 ...

• Global HET

  Built to haul payloads of up to 72.6t, the Oshkosh Global Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) is a mover for some of the heaviest military equipment. ...

• Subsystems: software

  Global Teach

  Global Teach training management systems provide support for educational processes. Inovex’s military-adapted training management system oversees training processes from planning to controlling, independently from the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  GAT-5530 Global Aero Terminal

  The Viasat Global Aero Terminal 5530 is a second-generation hybrid Ka- and Ku-band SATCOM terminal that enables global broadband connectivity services for commercial and government ...