• Air Warfare

  Saab eyes fresh market opportunities for its GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft

  8th January 2026

  As the E-7 Wedgetail faces prolonged production and technical delays as well as a recently abandoned contract from NATO, its competitor, the GlobalEye, may find new avenues for market growth.

• Land Warfare

  More details of Indonesia’s Celeris-based 4x4 emerge as customer hunt begins

  12th November 2025

  The Texelis Celeris builds on the rolling chassis of the Serval 4×4 lightweight multi-role armoured vehicle which is being built by Texelis and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Nexter Defence Systems (KNDS France).

• Air Warfare

  Canada risks “bloodying its nose” should it forgo F-35 buy, says Canadian ex-defence chief

  19th March 2025

  Canada has stated its intention to reassess its acquisition of the F-35, amid the ongoing US-trade war, with Defence Minister Bill Blair saying it is “examining alternatives” with other aircraft manufacturers.

• Land Warfare

  China goes for ground-launched attack weapons as it strengthens deterrence strategy

  26th November 2025

  China has been advancing its capabilities with a new generation of precision-guided artillery and loitering munitions, positioning ALIT’s WS-series as direct competitors with Western systems like the US’s M982 Excalibur.

• Air Warfare

  UAVs for Ukraine: Europe is willing to spend

  4th March 2025

  Despite President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine, Shephard Defence Insight data suggests that in relation to UAVs, Europe and its non-US NATO allies are more than willing to fill any spending vacuum and are already contributing more than twice as much as the US.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2025: MBDA introduces NLOS Akeron 120 MBT missile

  9th September 2025

  The no-line-of-sight (NLOS) missile is MBDA’s latest ammunition offering for main battle tanks (MBTs), with the company foreseeing an entry to market date window for Akeron within the next two years.

• Naval Warfare

  As Indonesia doubles up its order, who else is looking at the Arrowhead 140 frigate design?

  28th January 2026

  The adaptable design of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 frigate, already selected by the UK Royal Navy and Poland, has led to more orders from Indonesia while other countries continue to weigh it up.

• Land Warfare

  Supply of new self-propelled guns is rising to meet looming demand

  5th January 2026

  As the need for self-propelled artillery continues to climb across Europe and NATO-allied nations, orders for existing capabilities continue to roll in while new and improved weapons are on the way.

• Land Warfare

  EOS improving Slinger CUAS role as industry pushes forward

  28th October 2025

  EOS Defence Systems officially launched its Slinger anti-drone system in 2023. The system features a remote weapon station, visual sensors and a Northrop Grumman 30mm cannon with specially designed ammunition, combined with EOS’s stabilisation and pointing technology.

• Naval Warfare

  US Coast Guard awards contracts for the construction of up to 150 aids to navigation vessels

  2nd September 2025

  Agreements with Inventech Marine Solutions and North River Boats cover the acquisition of trailerable aids to navigation boats and cutter boats - aids to navigation – small.

• Land Warfare

  Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings

  23rd October 2025

  Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.

• Land Warfare

  March land forces roundup: A new war confronts the old drone problem

  2nd April 2026

  The attack by the US and Israel on Iran which began at the end of February presented a Ukraine-like scenario of drone-led warfare – in fact the same drone type in the Shahed – and the problem of how to counter them.

• Defence Notes

  DroneShield to double its US footprint to meet growing demand for counter-UxS capabilities

  23rd September 2025

  DroneShield disclosed to Shephard its plans to increase its workforce and manufacturing capacities while strengthening partnerships with US suppliers.

• Defence Notes

  Brazilian Congress to review constitution amendment to secure defence budget increase

  15th May 2025

  An amendment to the Brazilian Constitution currently under discussion would permanently assign 2% of annual GDP to the defence budget, potentially cementing modernisation programmes for the country’s armed forces.

• Naval Warfare

  Indo Pacific 2025: Autonomous systems reigned but can the Australian Defence Force afford it?

  17th November 2025

  Multiple autonomous systems and technologies were on display at this year’s Indo Pacific, but questions remain over how the Australian Department of Defence will balance the books.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  MCH-101 [Japan]

  Programme Background At the time of the 2023 signing , Japan had a fleet of 10 MCH-101s and three CH-101.The KHI MCH-101 helicopter is a version ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-5 Replacement [Mexico]

  Background  Mexico's last fighter aircraft capability rested with their fleet of eight F-5E and two F-5F Tiger IIs platforms from Northrop Grumman; the units were retired ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hurkus C [Niger]

  Programme Background  In late April 2021, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) President and CEO Temel Kotil claimed in an interview with CNN Turk TV that an export customer for ...

• 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) ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Light Protected Mobility Vehicles [North Macedonia]

  Programme Background The acquisition of an LPMV to equip the North Macedonian Armed Forces' Light Infantry Battalion Group (LIBG) is considered the most urgent priority for ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small Surveillance Drones [Denmark]

  Background Second Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic In October 2025, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland announced the second agreement of the Arctic and ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

• Data links

  Data links | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Kfir Replacement [Colombia]

  The Colombian Air Force has a long-standing requirement for 15 new fighter aircraft to replace its aging 23 Kfir aircraft in service. On 3 April ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian [Denmark]

  Background Arctic Capability Package In February 2021, Denmark published the Arctic Capability package, a commitment to invest in new technologies, particularly uncrewed systems, to improve surveillance ...

• Patrol boats

  Multifunctional Support Ships (TRIFC/MICAN) (1-2) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Requirements In 2022, the Royal Netherlands Navy started The Rapidly Increased Firepower Capability (TRIFC) concept, a study focused on procuring low-manned platforms to augment the firepower ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | FA-50 [Philippines]

  The Philippines Department of National Defence has decided to double the nation's fleet of FA-50s by purchasing twelve new aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries for ...

• Data links

  Data links | FA-50 [Philippines]

  The Philippines Department of National Defence has decided to double the nation's fleet of FA-50s by purchasing twelve new aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries for ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  BCS

  Battle Control System (BCS) is a USAF Acquisition Category 1 major automated information system programme that provides air sovereignty C2 for the North American Aerospace ...

• Major networking projects

  BCS-F

  Battle Control System-Fixed (BCS-F) is a replacement for the fixed sites for the Region/Sector Air Operations Center, also known as Region Air Operations Center-Air Defense ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  TW-860 TSM Sprit

  TrellisWare TW-860 is a MANET-capable software-defined radio designed specifically for body wearable applications. It provides voice and data connectivity in a small form factor, featuring ...

• Light UGVs

  PackBot

  PackBot, previously designated 510 PackBot, is a tracked, tactical, mobile UGV with forward-articulated flippers that can perform multiple missions. PackBot is being delivered to customers ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  TW-135 TSM Shadow

  TrellisWare TW-135 is a MANET-capable, high-power radio designed for manpack, vehicular, fixed-site and airborne applications. Marketed as a networking radio, it provides high-speed voice, video ...

• Land: air defence radar

  JLENS

  The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS), often referred to as the "Spy Balloon", was a tethered aerial detection system ...

• Ultra-light UGVs

  FirstLook

  The Endeavor Robotics (now FLIR Systems) FirstLook is a tracked, compact, rugged, expendable and lightweight robot that provides situational awareness, performs persistent observation and investigates ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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,  ...

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

  Predator XP

  The Predator XP is an updated unarmed version of the original Predator UAV that the US government has licensed for sale to a broader customer ...

• Trainer

  T-34 Mentor

  The T-34 Mentor is a trainer aircraft developed by Beechcraft (now Raytheon) to meet the requirements of the USAF and USN to replace the North American ...

• Fighter - ground attack, ISR/special mission

  Hürkuş-C

  The Hürkuş-C is a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries based on the Hürkuş trainer to meet the requirements of the ...

• Loitering munitions

  PS Killer (PSK)

  The PS Killer (PSK) is a throw-and-forgot loitering munition developed by an American startup, XDOWN.  Uniquely, the system is shaped like a size 7 American football and is ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18A/B

  The F/A-18 Hornet A and B aircraft, or F-18A/B ('CF-18' in Canada and 'EF-18' in Spain), were the first models in the USN’s line of ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  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-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 ...