• Defence Notes

  Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts

  14th August 2025

  More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed nets $4.9 billion US Army contract to build more precision strike missiles

  1st April 2025

  The PrSM missiles, known as Increment 1 weapon systems, will eventually replace the US Army’s Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace team up on UAS opportunities

  7th November 2025

  The two companies will work together to explore ways to collaborate on the development of uncrewed air systems.

• Air Warfare

  US Army progresses with the Flight School Next project

  4th June 2025

  A special procurement notice for the Flight School Next was issued this week as potential suppliers step up their efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Colombia inks $3.6 billion deal for 17 Gripen E/F aircraft

  17th November 2025

  The deal for the aircraft makes Colombia the fourth country to order the type with deliveries scheduled between 2026 to 2032.

• Air Warfare

  Taiwan to receive first MQ-9B drones by 2026

  10th November 2025

  The delivery will include the first two of four MQ-9B aircraft to be received by the country, after the order was extended in 2024.

• Air Warfare

  NSPA outlines next steps for NATO’s Next-Generation Rotorcraft Capability effort

  27th February 2026

  The NATO agency gave further updates on the next stages of its rotorcraft programme and timelines for the next three years, with the initiative aimed at replacing ageing medium-lift helicopters in various NATO countries.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril’s Barracuda-100M completes latest successful test flights

  16th July 2025

  The munitions variant of the Barrauda-100 autonomous air vehicle is being tested for the US Army’s High-Speed Manoeuvrable Missile (HSMM) testbed programme, with further flight tests expected in 2026.

• 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

  HMS Agamemnon: details of the dive and what the Astute-class signifies for the UK Royal Navy

  6th November 2025

  As HMS Agamemnon moves closer towards joining the UK’s in-service submarine fleet, how does the sixth Astute-class fit into the Royal Navy’s defence strategy?

• Land Warfare

  Poland’s defence spending spree continues with $780 million US Javelin deal

  19th September 2025

  Interest in Javelin has been on the rise across Europe over the past two years, but Poland’s order marks one of the largest acquisitions of the anti-tank missile system.

• Air Warfare

  UK receives two additional F-35B aircraft as deliveries resume

  12th May 2025

  The two aircraft were delivered in the TR-3 configuration, bringing the RAF one step closer to fulfilling its order for 48 F-35B aircraft.

• Defence Notes

  Unfolding the Golden Dome for America: Seven things you should know about the programme

  3rd June 2025

  Shephard talked to multiple experts about the most pressing concerns and considerations regarding the air defence system advocated by President Trump.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin successfully fires latest Precision Strike Missile as programme progresses

  15th April 2025

  Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system designed as a replacement and significant upgrade over legacy systems. A key role for PrSM will be for operations from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A2 launcher.

• Air Warfare

  2025 UAV market review: $7.8 billion in new contracts signed as US leads spending

  17th December 2025

  Qatar and Indonesia followed the US’s high spending on new uncrewed aerial vehicle contracts across 2025, while MALE and micro drones and loitering munitions were particularly popular subcategories this year.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Destroyers

  Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements Following the Maya-class destroyers, the JMSDF will not just maintain the destroyer units they operate already but will receive two new destroyer platforms. ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53K [U.S. Marine Corps]

  Programme Background The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Sikorsky a USD$10.855 billion contract covering up to 99 CH-53K helicopters. According to Lockheed Martin, this is the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Block 70 (Bahrain)

  Programme Background In 2018, the US government awarded a $1.12 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to produce 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for Bahrain, which ...

• Frigates

  Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

  Programme Background The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was developed in 2003 as a cheap and fast way to increase the size of the fleet ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Kongō Class Replacement/Future Aegis Destroyers [Japan]

  On 30 August 2024, the Japanese MoD submitted the budget request for FY2025. The MoD asked for 3.3 billion yen ($22.8 million) to conduct a ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Kongō Class Replacement/Future Aegis Destroyers [Japan]

  On 30 August 2024, the Japanese MoD submitted the budget request for FY2025. The MoD asked for 3.3 billion yen ($22.8 million) to conduct a ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Future Destroyers - ASEV [Japan]

  Japan is set to procure two new destroyers instead of the Aegis Ashore system. According to earlier plans, the new Aegis destroyers were to have a ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Future Destroyers - ASEV [Japan]

  Japan is set to procure two new destroyers instead of the Aegis Ashore system. According to earlier plans, the new Aegis destroyers were to have a ...

• Destroyers

  Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (1-3) [Canada]

  Development and Procurement Requirements Fifteen frigates are being procured to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 ageing Halifax-class frigates and the now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers with ...

• Destroyers

  Kongō Class Replacement/Future Aegis Destroyers [Japan]

  Programme Background Requirements At CNE 2024, Vice Admiral Shinichi Imayoshi, Director General of Naval Systems at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), revealed that ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C-130J [Vietnam]

  According to a July 2024 Reuters report, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence is in advanced discussions with the United States to procure Lockheed Martin’s C-130J ...

• Data links

  Data links | C-130J [Vietnam]

  According to a July 2024 Reuters report, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence is in advanced discussions with the United States to procure Lockheed Martin’s C-130J ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | C-130J [Vietnam]

  According to a July 2024 Reuters report, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence is in advanced discussions with the United States to procure Lockheed Martin’s C-130J ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Future Destroyers - ASEV (1-2) [Japan]

  Japan is set to procure two new destroyers instead of the Aegis Ashore system. According to earlier plans, the new Aegis destroyers were to have a ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C-130J (1-2) [Egypt]

  In September 2024, Egypt confirmed the order of two C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The announcement follows the US State Department's approval of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  COMBATSS-21

  Produced by Lockheed Martin, the Littoral Combat Ship Component Based Total Ship System – 21st Century (COMBATSS-21) is a modular, scalable open combat management system that can be ...

• Destroyers

  ASEV Destroyers

  Japan is set to procure two new destroyers instead of the Aegis Ashore system. The ships, which will have superior capacities to the existing Aegis ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems, Sea: fire control systems

  Aegis Weapon System

  Aegis Weapon System is an integrated missile guidance system used on USN and allied ships to perform anti-air and ballistic missile defence missions.  The S-band phased-array ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  CMS 330

  Lockheed Martin Canada's CMS 330 is a combat management system designed as a modern, affordable solution for mid-life upgrades in particular. Initially developed for the ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Integrated Combat System

  The Integrated Combat System (ICS) is a combat management system being developed for the US Navy. The project, currently led by Lockheed Martin, aims to ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  AN/SQQ-89

  The AN/SQQ-89 is an ASW combat system incorporates and processes all the sonar information and LAMPS sensor data. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, there are currently ...

• Military - UUVs

  Lamprey MMAUV

  The Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (MMAUV) is a UUV designed by Lockheed Martin. The UUV is intended as an autonomous companion submersible to a ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPQ-9B

  The AN/SPQ-9B is a multi-purpose naval surface search and fire control radar manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is a TWS system and detects sea-skimming missiles on the ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  TB-37(U)/AN/SQR-20

  The TB-37(U) is a Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA) sonar developed by Lockheed Martin as the primary contractor, with L3Harris contributing to the production and providing Towed ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  AN/TPQ-53

  The AN/TPQ-53 counterfire target acquisition radar can track incoming rounds at a range of 60km when using its 90° search mode or at 20km range ...

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

  Vectis

  Unveiled in September 2025, the Vectis is an MALE fixed-wing UAV from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. The UAV is designed to operate alongside 5th and next-generation ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-22A Raptor

  F-22A Raptor is a fifth-generation stealth air superiority fighter with air-to-ground attack capability. It was developed by Lockheed Martin to meet the requirement of the USAF ...

• Destroyers

  Kongō Class

  The Kongō-class destroyers were built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Corporation. Commissioned throughout the 1990s, the class is ...