• Naval Warfare

  Half of Australia’s first Hunter frigate is now in fabrication

  29th September 2025

  BAE Systems Maritime Australia’s Andy Coxall gave Shephard a progress update on its HMAS Hunter frigate, while addressing concerns over the cost difference between Australia’s programme and Norway’s.

• Air Warfare

  Air Warfare Preview 2025: A pressure-filled year ahead will see decisions made on major platforms and programmes

  18th December 2024

  Looming government decisions on major defence programmes in the US and UK will colour much of 2025, while manufacturers and their orderbooks look on.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris moves forward with aerial, CUAS and software solutions

  10th April 2025

  L3Harris Technologies is investing in new systems and software for maritime operations and modernising the US Navy’s fleet of MPAs

• Naval Warfare

  New deals awarded for US submarine electronic warfare systems and the USS Ronald Reagan

  4th February 2025

  The US Government has awarded contracts to upgrade electronic warfare systems, missile availability, and the USS Ronald Reagan for future missions.

• Naval Warfare

  TKMS joins forces with Norwegian shipbuilder for Fridtjof Nansen frigate replacement bid

  28th March 2025

  Four shipbuilders have been downselected to build the frigate replacement programme, and TKMS hopes the new deal will give it a geographical advantage.

• Land Warfare

  Teledyne FLIR receives $168 million to provide NBC systems for Strykers

  12th November 2024

  The new contract follows on from a US$13.3 million deal signed in 2023 for Teledyne FLIR to extend the capabilities of its R80D SkyRaider UAS to carry out chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) missions.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia commits to further collaboration with Turkey, eyes Kaan jet and MILDEN programmes

  14th April 2025

  The two countries have already signed defence industrial partnerships in recent years, most recently between Republikorp and Turkish firm Baykar in February 2025.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy seeks the best combinations of crewed vessels with commercial UAVs and USVs

  5th February 2025

  The service will conduct Operation Southern Spear to identify the most appropriate manned/unmanned formations for domain awareness and counternarcotics operations.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army accelerates acquisition and field of company-level sUAS

  9th October 2024

  The service has been using a Directed Requirement (DR) approach to speed up the deployment of a Medium Range Reconnaissance capability.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer evaluates new mission capabilities for C-390 with ISR study to finish by 2026

  10th June 2025

  Alongside its official Maritime Patrol study, Embraer is also evaluating further special missions capabilities for its aircraft, including those in the space domain and with drones, CEO Bosco da Costa Junior told Shephard.

• Defence Notes

  UK defence budget increased to 2.5% by 2027 as geopolitical landscape darkens

  25th February 2025

  UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raises defence spending, while both NATO and President Trump demand significant further increases.

• Land Warfare

  What is preventing the Pentagon from fielding emerging missile defence technologies?

  11th February 2025

  Issues related to low budgets and the slow speed of development programmes are among the main obstacles the US DoD must overcome in respect to missile procurement and deployment.

• Air Warfare

  Czech Republic confirms new Sweden offer on Gripen aircraft lease

  8th April 2025

  The current lease period for the 14 Gripen C/D aircraft flown by the Czech Air Force will come to an end in 2027. This new offer proposes that 12 Gripen aircraft will be leased after 2027.

• Land Warfare

  How Ukraine’s wartime innovators are redefining tactical communication

  9th May 2025

  A Ukrainian company in a race against Russian jammers has been demonstrating how the country’s innovative start-ups have been beating the West at its own game.

• Land Warfare

  Smart Shooter modernises systems and considers integrated solutions

  1st November 2024

  Israeli company’s fire control system will be upgraded to feature a new camera and an additional 50m in range.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax IFV [UK]

  Programme Background Prior to commencing development of the Ajax the UK utilised the Warrior was its primary IFV. However, the Warrior entered service in 1987 making ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior [India]

  Programme Background Make In India The 'Make In India' initiative is an effort by the Indian government to boost domestic manufacturing. In the context of ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Naval Collaborative Combat Air Vehicle (N-CCAV) [India]

  Programme Background CATS Warrior The Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned, uncrewed and crewed family of aircraft in development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ...

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

  Orbiter 3 (Croatia)

  Programme Background The Croatian government launched a competitive tender for the procurement of a short-range UAV in October 2017. Although the tender was opened on ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land Mobility Programme (Heavy Protected Mobility) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement Serving in several iterations since 1963, the FV432 Mk3 'Bulldog' remains operational and deployed as command vehicles, ambulances, and recovery vehicles within the British Army. Although ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Programme Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/PRC-170

  The AN/PRC-170 Javelin is a single-channel, small-form-factor radio that supports TSM waveform. Produced by Thales, it provides voice and data communications across multipath and dynamic environments. ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MUBC

  The Modular Universal Battery Charger (MUBC) is a scalable charging system for a range of military and commercial batteries. It provides for the addition of ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Joint Battle Command - Platform

  Joint Battle Command - Platform (JBC-P) is a networked mission command information system designed for the US Army and USMC. It can provide real-time blue ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 400

  At AUSA 2025, AeroVironment (AV) unveiled the Switchblade 400, a rocket-launched, medium-range, man-portable loitering munition. AV states the aircrat has been designed to defeat tanks and heavy ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Shadowcat

  General Dynamics Shadowcat radio provides low-visibility communications in a small form factor package. Capable of forming mesh networks, it provides voice, video and data communications ...

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

  InstantEye Mk-3 GEN4-HL

  Manufactured by InstantEye Robotics, the InstantEye Mk-3 GEN4-Heavy Lift (HL) is a rotary-wing UAV that is involved in the US Army's Render Safe Sets, Kits & ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

  The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron, is a two-person, light scout helicopter with a day/night mast-mounted sight, glass cockpit and four-bladed rotor system. ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F Cayuse Warrior

  An evolution of the OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter, the MD 530F was initially Federal Aviation Administration-certified in July 1985 as the Model 369FF. It ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warrior

  The Warrior IFV entered service with the British Army in mid-1987. A total of 789 vehicles were delivered in IFV, infantry command, anti-tank, recovery, repair, ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  Convoy/C-IED Training System

  Laser Shot’s Convoy/Counter IED Training System consists of an immersive training environment that places soldiers in high-fidelity, virtual scenarios in order to train on a ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  M792 High Explosive Incendiary Tracer

  The M792 High Explosive Incendiary Tracer (HEI-T) is a 25mm medium calibre round manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - national programmes

  DANES

  Initial efforts to field a complete soldier system through the Danish Army Network-Enabled Soldier (DANES) concept were abandoned, following an evaluation of the US Land ...

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

  Falcon II Nyx

  The Falcon II Nyx is a rotary-wing drone from Wave Aerospace. It is in the US Army's Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) programme. Primarily designed to operate in ...

• Land: NVGs

  AN/PSQ-20B ENVG

  The AN/PSQ-20B ENVG (Enhanced Night Vision Goggle) is a helmet-mounted dual-waveband monocular night vision system. As a fusion system that combines image intensification technology with ...