• Naval Warfare

  Sweden swayed by speed to capability in French frigate win

  21st May 2026

  Naval Group has secured a contract to supply four Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention frigates to the Royal Swedish Navy, extending the French naval industry’s reach into Northern Europe and showing why speed to capability has become the defining criterion in today’s defence procurement contests.

• Land Warfare

  SAHA 2026: Is the Turkish Army’s Altay MBT finally ready?

  12th May 2026

  At SAHA 2026, the Altay was proudly on display. But has the platform finally overcome the problems that have left it repeatedly late?

• Air Warfare

  FIA 2026: Anduril pitches Thunder as force multiplier for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache

  20th July 2026

  Anduril has revealed Thunder, an autonomous tiltrotor rotorcraft designed as a loyal wingman for the Boeing Apache attack helicopter, ahead of Farnborough International Airshow 2026.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania increases ground capability and spending in a high-threat environment

  9th January 2026

  It has been more than two decades since Lithuania joined the EU and NATO, which followed the country’s independence from the USSR almost 15 years before that. The country is now in the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war with air incursions from Russian ally Belarus.

• Naval Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition

  19th June 2026

  Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.

• Air Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up

  19th June 2026

  Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.

• Air Warfare

  Long-range drone acquisition axed as Norway announces $11.75 billion spending uplift

  31st March 2026

  Norway’s funding boost will help the country reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035, with autonomous systems part of the long list of priorities alongside frigate acquisition and development of a new Finnmark Brigade.

• Naval Warfare

  AUKUS settles into steadier waters as industrial pathways widen

  15th April 2026

  Sessions at UDT 2026 signalled that the AUKUS programme is pressing ahead at a steady pace – with trilateral commitment reaffirmed, Australian industrial capacity expanding and additive manufacturing emerging as an opportunity for suppliers.

• Land Warfare

  South American MBTs: upgrades and payload modernisation could shape procurement paths

  8th June 2026

  While South American geopolitics are complicated, the likelihood of inter-state warfare is low, calling into question the future of the venerable main battle tank.

• Land Warfare

  August land forces roundup: movement in British Army vehicle requirement and major contracts land

  28th August 2026

  Hanwha Defense USA made major inroads into the US market this month, landing its first contract in the country, while Germany and The Netherlands signed up for more Boxer CRT30 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles. FNSS also unveiled a new amphibious uncrewed vehicle and Rheinmetall revealed details on a prototype 155mm/60-calibre artillery ordnance.

• Land Warfare

  Networked advantage: keeping unmanned systems in the loop with battlefield radio technology

  11th June 2026

  Unmanned systems are powerful intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets and communication tools, but are often isolated from wider networks, limiting their potential. Industry is now tackling this challenge, empowering UxVs to act as integrated nodes across domains.

• Naval Warfare

  UK Royal Navy dock build question remains open ahead of Programme Euston tender

  15th May 2026

  The UK MoD’s Programme Euston floating dry dock tender has exposed a question about the UK’s naval industrial base: does Britain still have the depth to sustain its own deterrent without foreign intervention.

• Land Warfare

  Malaysian Army vehicle renewal slowed by politics, scandal and economic strain

  6th May 2026

  Despite political and economic headwinds, companies are positioning themselves for current and upcoming Malaysian Army requirements. Shephard spoke with some of them at DSA 2026.

• Defence Notes

  NATO signs agreements worth billions of dollars on missiles, air defence and aircraft

  9th July 2026

  Announcements on aircraft deals and agreements for trans-alliance cooperation to boost the production and purchase of weapons and equipment were key takeaways from this week’s NATO summit.

• Air Warfare

  Forecast $21.9 billion light attack and trainer opportunities up for grabs as Leonardo lines up M-346

  18th March 2026

  The M-346 stands as a potential contender for various countries facing impending capability gaps due to ageing trainer aircraft, while it could also be selected as a cost-effective light fighter aircraft.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Data links

  Data links | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has a long-standing requirement for two additional AEW&C; aircraft to enhance its early warning capabilities against potential threats ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

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

  Cheongung Block II [South Korea]

  Background South Korea launched a plan to convert its Cheongung-I systems to the M-SAM Block II configuration. It was announced in July 2025 that it ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang [South Korea]

  Background South Korea will produce the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I (Cheongwang) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The laser weapons will be deployed and ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Special Mission Brigade) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

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

  Cheongung Block III [South Korea]

  Background South Korea's Defense Project Promotion Committee approved the basic strategy for the development of M-SAM Block III (Cheongung Block III). The system will modernise South Korea's ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (North Macedonia)

  Programme Background In its Long-Term Defence Capabilities Development Plan (LTDCDP) published in 2019, the North Macedonian MoD outlined plans to acquire Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Mistral 3 [North Macedonia]

  Background North Macedonia signed a contract for the procurement of Mistral 3 short-range air defence systems. The systems will modernise the Army and are expected ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-7 (Nodong-1)

  The Hwasong-7 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-6. It has the NATO reporting name Scud D. It was designed with ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-6

  The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-5, which itself is based on the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. Its NATO reporting ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

• Artillery rockets

  K33

  K33 is a 130 mm unguided artillery rocket developed by South Korean Hanwha for the K136 Kooryong MLRS and currently in use with the K239 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetbyol-4

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August  One drone, which appears to be called the Saetbyol-4, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

• Light UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetlbyol-9

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the 2023 Weapons and Equipment Exhibition in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone, the Saetlbyol-9, or Morning Star-9,  ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang

  The Anti-Aircraft Laser Weapon System, Block-I (Cheongwang) is a laser weapon system developed by Hanwha Aerospace. The system can strike small drones and multicopters at ...

• Corvettes

  Hainan Class (Type 037)

  The Hainan-class (Type 037) class is a range of corvette-sized vessels, mostly in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which cover a range ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  HY-2/C-201

  The HY-2/C-201, NATO reporting name CSS-C-3 Seersucker, is a Chinese liquid-fuel rocket-powered anti-ship cruise missile developed as an evolution of the earlier HY-1 missile. The ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

  The SSM-700K Haeseong, also known as the C-Star, is a surface-launched, anti-ship cruise missile. It was designed as a replacement for the Hae Ryong anti-ship ...