• Naval Warfare

  STM’s European wins strengthen Turkey’s naval credibility on the continent

  13th May 2026

  Turkish defence and engineering company STM is attempting to challenge Europe’s established naval primes by winning contracts from Portugal to Pakistan – with a business model built on working in any shipyard in the world.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy expands non-standard acquisitions to rapidly field emerging technologies

  23rd June 2026

  The US Navy is increasing the use of OTA obligations to accelerate the procurement of seabed-subsea, littoral, expeditionary and uncrewed solutions.

• Naval Warfare

  US and UK to begin Trident II D5 Increment 8 in October 2026

  11th November 2025

  Trident II D5 Increment 8 will involve improvements to the shipboard navigation subsystem for the US Ohio and Columbia and the UK Dreadnought and Vanguard submarine classes.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy bets on radio frequency to increase vessel protection against aerial threats

  10th April 2026

  A Northrop Grumman RF-based defensive capability will equip USN destroyers and aircraft carriers to enhance their survivability against missile and drone attacks.

• Air Warfare

  Podcast: Critical Care episode 6 - Embedded sustainment with the Royal Netherlands Air Force

  8th January 2026

  What happens when sustainment stops being a service and becomes a partnership?

• Naval Warfare

  Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?

  2nd December 2025

  South Korean shipbuilders are beginning to make their mark beyond Asia, competing for major North American and European submarine programmes and becoming serious contenders on a global scale.

• Naval Warfare

  Post-Falklands policy still haunts Argentina’s Navy but opportunities remain

  14th May 2026

  Post-Falklands political constraints have eroded Argentina’s naval capability, leaving its maritime territory, which is twice the size of its land area, increasingly vulnerable to illegal fishing fleets. As procurement modernisation slowly gains momentum under the Milei government, defence suppliers should take interest.

• Air Warfare

  UK E-7 Wedgetail delay down to a “technology issue”, as MoD grapples with slipping timelines

  18th March 2026

  The first of three E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, originally ordered in 2019, is now expected to be delivered to the RAF this year after multiple “difficulties”.

• Naval Warfare

  HHI poised to start submarine production in Peru pending election outcome

  6th May 2026

  South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries confirmed to Shephard that the company is awaiting the Peruvian government’s decision to allow it to move forward with the production of the HDS-1500 submarine.

• Air Warfare

  Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success

  22nd June 2026

  The one-way-effector uncrewed aerial vehicle has also been tested by the British Army, following on from its contract award notice in February 2026.

• Naval Warfare

  Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA

  11th June 2026

  The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.

• Air Warfare

  UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for UK air power?

  30th June 2026

  The DIP sees £8.6 billion earmarked for the Global Combat Air Programme, with heavy emphasis on uncrewed systems procurement and a national CCA programme, despite pushed forward helicopter retirements and questions over what shape future ISR capabilities could take.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to develop an undersea networking capability to support UUV operations

  12th February 2026

  The NEREUS project aims to enhance and expand the US Navy’s existing communications systems, enabling crewed/uncrewed seabed and subsurface missions.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy to start the next phase of E-2D Block II modernisation in FY2028

  21st July 2026

  NAVAIR plans to award a five-year retrofit contract to a broader transition of the carrier-based airborne early warning fleet to the AHE configuration.

• Naval Warfare

  Advances in USV technology help develop tomorrow’s hybrid fleet

  27th October 2025

  As services like the Royal Navy and US Navy aim to develop hybrid fleets to reduce reliance on and dangers to crewed vessels, L3Harris, Metal Shark and Red Cat step forward.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) As the Royal Navy stated in 2022, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are “interchangeable modules that can be fitted to ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Deployment On 7 April 2025, the Royal Navy announced that, for the first time, nine T-150 drones would be operated from the HMS Prince ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | LMS Batch II (5-7) [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN) plans to acquire eight Littoral Mission Ships (LMS). In line with the plan, it was assumed the RMN would acquire ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | LMS Batch II (5-7) [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN) plans to acquire eight Littoral Mission Ships (LMS). In line with the plan, it was assumed the RMN would acquire ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Background Tender notice and timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarines Procurement [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire two more submarines between 2031 and 2035. Shephard estimates ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarines Procurement [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire two more submarines between 2031 and 2035. Shephard estimates ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire a total of three Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSSs). This ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire a total of three Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSSs). This ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Offshore Patrol Vessels [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is reportedly considering procuring four new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). The RTN currently has two Krabi-class OPVs based on the Royal ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Offshore Patrol Vessels [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is reportedly considering procuring four new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). The RTN currently has two Krabi-class OPVs based on the Royal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Joint Future Surface Combatant - FSC (3-4) [Netherlands]

  The Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) are undertaking a joint Future Surface Combatant (FSC) project to replace their existing M-class Karel Doorman-class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XV Excalibur

  XV Excalibur is an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) built by UK-based MSubs, in conjunction with the Royal Navy. It is an experimental vessel ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class (Type 26)

  The Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy are based on the Type 26 design. The ships are set to replace the Anzac-class under the ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  Ceros 200

  The Ceros 200 is a radar and optronic tracking system designed for use on naval vessels. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Royal Danish Navy MH-60R MOFT

  In January 2014, CAE was awarded an FMS contract by the USN to develop an MH-60R mission operational flight trainer (MOFT) for the Royal Danish ...

• Frigates

  Naresuan Class

  The Naresuan-class guided-missile frigates are a modified variant of the Chinese-built Type 053 frigate. The two ships-in-class were built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation ...

• Destroyers

  River Class (Type 26)

  The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate has been designed for the UK Royal Navy, but with an emphasis on export. Both the Royal Canadian Navy ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-7(V)1

  The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a solid-state naval surveillance radar produced and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is expected to be fully integrated into programmes for ...

• Frigates

  Jacob Van Heemskerck Class

  The Jacob van Heemskerck class frigates were ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates that also served under the Chilean Navy, also known as the Latorre-class. Two anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) ...

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

  Walrus

  The Walrus is a mini rotary-wing UAV manufactured by the Royal Navy's 700X Naval Air Squadron.  As stressed during the December 2022 announcement, Walrus has been ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RD-170BT

  The RD-170BT is a man-portable surveillance radar deployed ashore to protect moored patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

• Minehunters

  Sandown Class

  The Sandown class vessels are coastal minehunters and OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces as the Al Jawf class. Additionally, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Frigates

  Type 22 (Batch 1)

  The Type 22 frigates were previously the Broadsword-class in service with the UK's Royal Navy. The vessels were built in three batches, with the first ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...