• Uncrewed Vehicles

  What’s next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?

  28th August 2025

  Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.

• Naval Warfare

  First Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker is “on track” for keel laying in late 2026

  29th October 2025

  Canadian Coast Guard Ship Arpatuuq construction is in the block manufacturing phase. Once built, it will be the largest vessel in the Coast Guard’s inventory.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to supply another 1,388 vehicles to German Army

  6th August 2025

  Rheinmetall MAN has already delivered around 7,000 HX military trucks to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and the latest contract for 1,388 vehicles will be completed before the end of the year. Germany’s order reflects similar investments in other countries.

• Land Warfare

  FNSS adds punch to Pars to increase appeal

  23rd September 2025

  FNSS’s Pars family of vehicles is looking to capitalise on export growth as it increases the punch of its 4×4 Wheeled Armoured Combat Vehicle (WACV).

• Land Warfare

  UK artillery factory opens as defence review inches forward

  13th June 2025

  The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: DroneShield heralds “incredibly strong” start to 2025, as it works to overcome capacity challenges

  18th February 2025

  The Australian counter-UAS software and hardware provider is looking to significantly increase revenue and scale to match its growing sales footprint with customers across the globe.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden and Denmark sign for $2.5 billion of BAE Systems’ CV90 combat vehicles

  6th December 2024

  Denmark is buying 115 CV9035 MkIIICs and Sweden 50 with the agreement also including further vehicles for Ukraine financed by the two governments.

• Land Warfare

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle continues its success as the new variant rolls out

  20th March 2025

  The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is becoming the dominant platform in its class as it replaces most of the massive US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) fleets of HMMWV 4x4s, colloquially known as the Humvee. Shephard dives deep into the JLTV programme background and analyses the latest variants and contracts, including the controversial production switch to AM General and the continued contracts continuing to head Oshkosh's way.

• Defence Notes

  Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west

  26th November 2024

  Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.

• Naval Warfare

  France and Sweden sign defence roadmap as Naval Group positions FDI frigate for Swedish surface ship programme

  23rd June 2025

  A pact signed at the Paris Air Show has seen Sweden turn to the French FDI frigate to lead its next-gen surface combatant fleet amid shifting security dynamics in the Baltic Sea.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris and ELT Group to establish multi-sensor test facility

  24th July 2025

  The facility, based in Italy, is the first of its kind outside the US and will be used to support the G550 aircraft modifications alongside other air, surface and maritime platforms.

• Air Warfare

  France’s Joint Light Helicopter programme advances with H160M flight tests

  28th July 2025

  With three prototypes being built, the H160M is a militarised version of the H160. Once tests conclude, it will be delivered to the French armed forces from late 2028.

• Land Warfare

  DroneShield nets largest order ever with $40 million European CUAS contract

  27th June 2025

  The package of three standalone follow-on contracts makes this the largest contract won by the Australian company and larger than its total 2024 revenue.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems lauds Turkey-Typhoon talks, says “two to three” years to meet possible Eurofighter production ramp up

  31st July 2025

  The company saw a strong H1 2025 in terms of sales momentum and orders, with CEO Charles Woodburn noting that talks with Turkey on Eurofighter Typhoon were progressing “quickly”.

• Land Warfare

  Australia orders more Bushmasters as new variants come into view

  9th January 2025

  The new Bushmasters will be used by the Australian Army’s second long-range fires regiment, to be based at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia as part of the 10th Fires Brigade.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Black Hornet 3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Programme Background Russo-Ukraine War Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, UAVs have proved vital to the country's defence. Consequently, as in this programme, the ...

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

  FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Background Statement of Intent On 14 June 2024, the Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Serhiy Boyev, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and the Minister of ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  ISR Drones (Second Batch) (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background First Batch On 20 March 2024, Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, announced that, following a 19 March Ukraine Defense Contact ...

• Military UAS - mini

  UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Norway]

  Background September 2024 On 3 September 2024, the Norwegian government announced that “Ukraine will get more drones donated to their frontline, and more air defence ...

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

  GA-ASI Drone [Ukraine]

  Programme Background MQ-9A Reaper - April 2022 On 13 April 2022, Forbes reported that Ukraine was talking with GA-ASI to acquire the MQ-9A Reaper. Ukrainian officials ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

• Loitering munitions

  One-Way Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background 2024/2025 Military Aid Package On 12 January 2024, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Sweden]

  Programme Background As the domestic manufacturer and original operator of the CV90 IFV, Sweden has had a continuous fleet of CV90s in service since the ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS [Sweden]

  Programme Background Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden began a process of military modernisation, in line with trends across much of Europe.  The ...

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

  Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) (Phase I) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) provides short-range day and night ISR to US Army units at the squad, platoon and other small ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  Programme Background  In February 2025, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted Irelands need to procure a new combat fighter jet to combat ...

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

  5,000 Latvian UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a drone ...

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

  Linza 3.0 (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Background Build with Ukraine initiative In December 2025, Quantum Systems announced the creation of a German-Ukrainian defence joint venture, “Quantum Frontline Industries”, as part of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Akash-NG missile

  The Akash-NG (New Generation) missile is an advanced surface-to-air missile system developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the country's air ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Ophir 26-105mm f/1.6 LWIR continuous zoom

  Ophir's plethora of IR optics includes a wide range of long-range zoom lenses for every application. Ophir's budget range has been extended to include a ...

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

  Vespa-15

  The Vespa-15 is a first-person view (FPV) rotary-wing UAV manufactured by a Ukrainian company.  In May 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Ukraine announced it ...

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

  Black Hornet 3

  The Black Hornet 3 is the next generation of the PD-100 Black Hornet, the world’s smallest nano-UAS. This new model of the Black Hornet provides ...

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

  Kazhan

  The E620 Kazhan is a Ukrainian-made rotary-wing attack drone. It is available in hexacopter and quadcopter configurations and can drop 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortar shells. ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  DM73

  The 120mm × 570 armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) DM73 is a kinetic-energy (KE) round with an enhanced propulsion unit. It is produced by Rheinmetall ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Cetus Lite

  The Cetus Lite is a fixed-wing UAV from Abris Design Group. The company describes the aircraft as a mobile system that is hand-launched. It is ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Cetus Plus

  The Cetus Plus is a fixed-wing UAV from Abris Design Group.  The manufacturer describes it as a universal UAV designed to perform various tasks like photo ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Beetle

  The Beetle is a rotary-wing octocopter from Abris Design Group. According to the manufacturer, the UAV provides photo and video ISTAR and signal relay for first-person ...

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

  Linza 3.0

  The Linza 3.0 is a rotary-wing UAV from Quantum Frontline Industries (QFI), a German-Ukrainian joint venture from Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics. The UAV was first delivered ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  CB90

  Combatboat (Stridsbåt) 90 (CB90) is a class of small, rapid attack boats designed for raiding and inshore/nearshore coastal protection operations or deploying up to 20 ...

• EO/IR systems

  USG-212

  Described as a plug-and-play turnkey solution, the USG-212 is an EO/IR camera gimbal from Ukrspecsystems. It appears to be out of production. The gimbal has ...

• Main battle tanks

  Type 10

  Mitsubishi developed the 120mm-armed Type 10 MBT to meet the requirements of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and publicly revealed a prototype in February 2008. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - micro

  Corvo PPDS

  The Corvo Precision Payload Delivery Systems (PPDS) is a micro fixed-wing drone constructed from cardboard. It is a low-cost, single-use drone for delivering supplies and equipment ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  MIM-23 Hawk

  The MIM-23 HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Raytheon in the 1950s to provide mobile air ...