• Defence Notes

  US Congress prepares $4 billion package to fund Iron Dome and Arrow 3 for Israel

  8th July 2024

  US representatives plan to allocate resources from the FY2025 defence and foreign operations budget to support the improvement of Jerusalem’s missile-defence architecture.

• Naval Warfare

  Naval Warfare Preview 2025: Billion-dollar programmes will advance but unpredictable forces muddy the waters

  20th December 2024

  Large programmes around the world are likely to be immune to flux, but the impact of geopolitics could be unprecedented in 2025.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Belarus fighter jet shoots down Russian drone

  30th August 2024

  The confrontation followed a history of untroubled fly-throughs by similar drones en route to Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  Sustaining firepower: The challenges of supplying frontline artillery ammunition

  14th October 2024

  Uncover the hidden logistical challenges of keeping Ukraine’s artillery firing, as nations ramp up ammunition production and explore advanced resupply solutions to balance capability, survivability and cost.

• Land Warfare

  South Korean defence industry demonstrates its tech prowess

  6th November 2024

  Shephard takes a deep dive into the latest developments in the South Korean defence sector as the country arms itself to deal with current and future threats.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems to supply Iron Sting munition to Israeli MoD in $190 million deal

  29th July 2024

  Elbit Systems’ Iron Sting mortar was reported in October last year as being used for the first time in operations against Hamas in Gaza as the country reacted to Hamas attacks inside Israel.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing gets another boost with 36 Apaches approved for South Korea amid flurry of FMS deals

  20th August 2024

  The approval of four Foreign Military Sale (FMS) requests this week follows the green light for the sale to Israel of 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft and mid-life update kits for the country’s existing F-15s and other equipment in deals worth $20 billion.

• Land Warfare

  Israel turns to advanced situational awareness systems to enhance Merkava and Eitan commanders’ field of vision

  16th August 2024

  Fighting in urban areas has revealed to Israeli forces the vulnerability of their armoured vehicles to anti-tank weapons.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit reports 11% revenue growth on the back of land division and war in Gaza

  29th May 2024

  Elbit Systems reported little growth in its US and aerospace businesses for the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 but substantial growth in C4ISR, EW and land with the latter boosted by ammunition sales.

• Special Operations

  Japan to set up DARPA-style institute to tackle evolving threat of cyber warfare

  14th August 2024

  Japan’s Ministry of Defense is devoting government-level effort and funding to tackling the growing problem of cyber warfare.

• Air Warfare

  Greece joins the F-35 Lightning II world alliance

  30th July 2024

  Greece has signed an offer for 20 F-35 aircraft with an option on 20 more platforms.

• Training

  Royal Jordanian Air Force takes delivery of five new Bell 505 aircraft at Farnborough

  25th July 2024

  The five helicopters complete an order of 10 Bell 505s placed in 2022.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems looks to enhance automation for Israeli artillery systems

  26th July 2024

  Automation efforts on the Roem and Sigma howitzers will maintain a ‘man in a loop’ configuration as the Israeli company focuses on the export market.

• Naval Warfare

  What does the arrival of the USS Wasp in the Mediterranean Sea mean for US European and African Commands?

  3rd July 2024

  The vessel is intended to boost the US deterrence in the region and de-escalate tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Uncrewed defence systems set to hyperscale with launch of Arsenal platform

  12th August 2024

  The new system to scale the production of uncrewed defence systems will include its own manufacturing plant, the Arsenal-1.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | F-35I Adir (51-75) [Israel]

  Israel is forecasted to procure an additional 25 F-35I Adir to bring the total number of the fleet to 75 aircraft by 2030. This will ...

• Data links

  Data links | F-35I Adir (51-75) [Israel]

  Israel is forecasted to procure an additional 25 F-35I Adir to bring the total number of the fleet to 75 aircraft by 2030. This will ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | F-35I Adir (51-75) [Israel]

  Israel is forecasted to procure an additional 25 F-35I Adir to bring the total number of the fleet to 75 aircraft by 2030. This will ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | F-35I Adir (51-75) [Israel]

  Israel is forecasted to procure an additional 25 F-35I Adir to bring the total number of the fleet to 75 aircraft by 2030. This will ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Reshef Class (1-5) [Israel]

  The Israeli Navy is looking to replace the Sa'ar 4 and 4.5 fast-attack vessels with a new corvette design. In 2018, Israel Shipyards unveiled a ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Reshef Class (1-5) [Israel]

  The Israeli Navy is looking to replace the Sa'ar 4 and 4.5 fast-attack vessels with a new corvette design. In 2018, Israel Shipyards unveiled a ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Israel Heron Lease

  Programme BackgroundIn February 2018, Greece announced that it would lease seven Heron drones from Israel. The lease contract, worth €35.5 million ($44m), will cover a ...

• Corvettes

  Reshef Class (1-5) [Israel]

  Programme Background Requirements The Israeli Navy is seeking a replacement for its Sa'ar 4 and Sa'ar 4.5-class of fast attack vessels. Dubbed Reshef-class, the new ...

• Loitering munitions

  Harop [Israeli Navy]

  Programme Background MADEX 2023 At MADEX 2023, IAI displayed the Mini-Harpy, dubbed the Green Dragon, loitering munition in a 12-system launcher mounted to an Israel ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV [Israel]

  Programme Background Israel first procured the JLTV in November 2023, when it ordered 75 vehicles from Oshkosh. Before this, Israel primarily operated a fleet of ...

• Corvettes

  Sa'ar 6 Class (Israel)

  Programme Background Timeline A new class of corvettes is in the process of being constructed for the Israeli Navy to replace the Sa'ar 5 class, ...

• Main battle tanks

  Merkava Mk3 [Cyprus]

  Programme Background Following the announced donation of 41 T-80U/UK tanks to Ukraine, Cyprus is actively seeking a replacement MBT for its Armed Forces. Cyprus offered ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-46A Forecast (Israel)

  Programme Background Boeing, according to reports, would not grant Israel Aerospace Industries permission to convert used 767s into tanker planes. Consequently, according to Channel 12 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Eitan 8x8 [Israel]

  Programme Background Due to the provisions of the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) system, there is a chance that the Eitan could be mass produced ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir (51-75) [Israel]

  Programme Background On 15 February 2015, Israel signed an FMS deal to procure 33 F-35A (F-35I Adir) fighter aircraft with an option of 17. Israel ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Shehab

  The Shehab is a Palestinian loitering munition that carries a 5kg explosive payload. According to Hamas' militant wing, the platform is indigenously produced. However, the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35I Adir

  The F-35I Adir is an F-35A Lightning II variant customised to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces to replace the F-16 fleet in ...

• Military - UUVs

  BlueWhale

  BlueWhale is an autonomous uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Israel's Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Shaldag MK V

  The Shaldag Mk V is a multi-mission fast patrol boat designed to serve as both a naval and border police vessel. It is a variant of ...

• Corvettes

  Themistocles Corvette

  The Themistocles Corvette, also referred to as the Eastern Mediterranean Patrol Corvette, is a new design bringing about next-generation operational capabilities. It is a multipurpose ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Stunner

  Developed by Rafael and Raytheon for the David's Sling air-defence weapon system, Stunner is a hit-to-kill interceptor to defeat various air threats, including asymmetric, short-range, ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  EL/M-2248 MF-STAR

  The EL/M-2248 Multi-Function Surveillance Track and Guidance Radar (MF-STAR) is a three-dimensional solid-state naval radar manufactured by Elta in Israel. According to the manufacturer, it ...

• OPVs

  OPV 58

  The Israel Shipyards OPV 58 is based on the former Sa'ar 4 fast attack craft of the Israeli Navy. The Hellenic Coast Guard ordered three ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16I Sufa

  The F-16I Sufa ('Storm' in Hebrew) is a Block 52+ D (dual-seat) variant of the Fighting Falcon, which Lockheed Martin produced for Israel. It is ...

• AEW&C

  Global 550 CAEW

  The G550 CAEW aircraft is a Gulfstream G550 adapted for AEW&C;, EW and ISTAR missions in Australia, Israel, Italy, Singapore and the US. The base platform is ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  OPV 45

  The OPV 45 design was launched at IMDEX Asia in Singapore in May 2019. It is designed to be a low-cost multirole vessel that sits between ...

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

  Forpost (series)

  The Forpost was a variant of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Searcher Mk II produced under license in Russia until 2016. Following US pressure, Israel refused to ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Tzofit Training Centre

  In June 2009, Elbit inaugurated the Beechcraft King Air B200 Tzofit Training Centre for IDF pilots. Elbit Systems serves as the project’s prime contractor, while ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  ASPS

  The Advanced Self-Protection System (ASPS) includes both passive and active subsystems, and incorporates (for the first time for an F-16) both full azimuth coverage RWR ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  EJAB

  The Electronic Jamming Anti-Bomb (EJAB) is an electronic jammer designed to disrupt and deny remote activation of IEDs and was manufactured by Elisra. It is ...