• Land Warfare

  Rising Anti-Armour Threats in Ukraine Spotlight Need for Active Protection Systems (Studio)

  6th September 2023

  Amid the evolving threats in modern warfare, active protection systems (APS), like Rafael’s Trophy, offer advanced defence for armoured vehicles.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  New UMS Skeldar V-200 UAV console unveiled

  26th July 2023

  MilDef and UMS Skeldar have introduced a bespoke console for V-200 UAVs, enhancing workspace and ergonomics for operators.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia orders GM400α radars to enhance its patchy air surveillance

  23rd June 2023

  Indonesia has inked a long-awaited deal for multiple air surveillance radars that will close gaps in the military's ability to monitor aircraft movements.

• Naval Warfare

  Indonesia receives two minehunters and makes progresses on two Arrowhead 140 frigates

  5th September 2023

  Two German-built minehunters have been accepted into the Indonesian navy, while PT PAL is busy building two new frigates for the Indonesian Navy.

• Air Warfare

  Clear skies ahead: Royal Air Force Typhoons to receive advanced radar and EW upgrade

  5th July 2023

  The ECRS Mk2 radar brings advanced electronic warfare capabilities and potential weapon integration opportunities to the Royal Air Force's multi-mission fighter.

• Air Warfare

  Fourth Triton UAS delivery for US Navy sees completion of first operational orbit

  23rd June 2023

  Delivery of the fourth aircraft to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 completes the first of three planned operational orbits to provide worldwide maritime surveillance.

• Air Warfare

  Tactical advantage – is the best replacement for a C-130 another C-130?

  18th September 2023

  While designs like the Embraer C-390 have chalked up some export successes, Shephard analyses whether a true competitor (or successor) to Lockheed's C-130J currently exists. Or will the Hercules production line simply remain open for decades to come?

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army relaunches search for self-propelled air defence systems

  12th July 2023

  The war in Ukraine has underlined the need for mobile air defence. Unfortunately, India is making little progress in its own efforts so far.

• Naval Warfare

  Additional life-extension for Canada’s Kingston-class OPVs considered

  28th August 2023

  The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN’s) 12 Kingston-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), ships which are already being improved, could receive an additional life extension upgrade package.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: Is the Bayraktar TB2 UAV living up to expectations?

  15th September 2023

  Sold to well over 20 countries and combat-proven in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine and elsewhere, the Bayraktar TB2 has been an export success for its Turkish manufacturer. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the aircraft's design and capabilities and reviews in depth who is buying it and why.

• Defence Notes

  USMC adapts to new strategic realities caused by Chinese actions and ambitions

  23rd August 2023

  Returning to its roots in many senses, the USMC is working hard to transition to expeditionary operations in the Western Pacific region.

• Naval Warfare

  No easy options: Australia's navy faces complex surface fleet choices

  14th September 2023

  As part of Australia’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR), a report into the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) future surface fleet force structure was directed to be completed separately. Shephard examines its likely outcomes and how Australia might balance capability with affordability

• Land Warfare

  The HF Renaissance – The Evolving Electronic Warfare Threats and the Need for Resilient Waveforms (Studio)

  14th September 2023

  Amid modern warfare’s complexity and electronic warfare threats, NATO and its allies are balancing legacy systems with new technologies. With the importance of resilient waveforms underscored, High Frequency (HF) technology has emerged as a robust solution, leading to an “HF renaissance”.

• Air Warfare

  Leidos and L3Harris partner on US Army ISR aircraft for ATHENA-S

  27th July 2023

  Leidos and L3Harris Technologies announced on 26 July they are teaming up for the US Army’s Theater Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne – Signals Intelligence (ATHENA-S) proposal.

• Naval Warfare

  New Turkish naval mines will be able to distinguish between friend and foe

  9th August 2023

  The Malaman smart bottom mine and Uça guided smart bomb will use acoustic, magnetic and pressure sensors to detect and classify targets.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 - First Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 650 ISR - UAE

  Programme Background In February 2019 at IDEX, the UAE announced that it will procure a new special mission aircraft with an option for the second ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract Award In 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 - Second Batch (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE has a long history of transactions with Denel Dynamics. The country has been purchasing various Seeker systems from as far back ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Family of UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background RfP The Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information about different platforms that would enable the force to "standardise" its UAV ...

• ISR/special mission

  ISTAR Aircraft (South Korea)

  Programme Background South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration stated that Seoul is planning to procure additional aircraft to minimize potential surveillance gaps amid growing security ...

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

  ScanEagle 2 [Japan]

  Programme Background Defence Building Program (DBP) Released in December 2022, this 1 trillion yen ($8 billion) Japanese policy called on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) ...

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

  Jump 20 [Denmark]

  Programme Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (First Batch) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Acquisition Decision The Netherlands cancelled a project to procure a MALE UAV in 2007. Six years later, in 2013, it was revealed the Dutch ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 [Italy]

  Programme Background Initial Procurement Italy submitted a $330 million FMS request through the Defence Security Cooperation Agency for four MQ-9A aircraft, four GCS and five ...

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

  AR3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Background £270 Million investment On 15 September 2025, the UK MoD noted that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (South Korea)

  Programme Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

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

  Gladius [Poland]

  Programme Background Contract Signing On 6 May 2022, the Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, the president of the WB GROUP, Piotr Wojciechowski and the head ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Tactical UCAV [Czechia]

  Programme Background Inception In November 2017, the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) announced that the service had earmarked CZK1 billion ...

• Military UAS - small

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challenge The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore cargo-carrying ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/APY-10

  The AN/APY-10 is an airborne maritime surveillance radar manufactured by Raytheon. It is designed to equip the USN'S Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and has ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

  The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar and GMTI sensor for UAVs, manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It offers strip and spot synthetic ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APS-137B(V)5

  The AN/APS-137B(V)5 is a maritime patrol radar manufactured by Raytheon. It provides both multi-resolution synthetic aperture radar and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), allowing performance over the ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TriSAR

  The Tri-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar (TriSAR) is a real-time, high-resolution land and maritime surveillance radar designed by Array Systems Computing in Canada. It is suited ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30

  The multi-mode AN/DPY-1 Lynx Block 30 is a reduced weight, power and volume variant of the AN/APY-8. It is a high-resolution, wide-area surveillance, Ku-band synthetic ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  TacSAR

  The Tactical Synthetic Aperture Radar (TacSAR) is an airborne reconnaissance system designed by Collins Aerospace (now part of Raytheon). It is intended for land and ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APY-3

  The AN/APY-3 is a large, phased-array, ground surveillance, side-looking airborne radar with synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) capability. It is the primary sensor of ...

• Subsystems: software

  Radar Simulation Systems

  The Digital Radar Landmass Simulator (DRLMS) model accurately simulates real-world terrain and cultural feature returns, as well as weather patterns and targets. Configurable parameters allow ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7500E V2

  The Seaspray 7500E V2 is a long-range, maritime-focused multi-mode surveillance radar produced by Leonardo and manufactured in the UK. The system can rapidly interleave radar modes ...

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

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  MOSAIC

  The MOSAIC is a three-dimensional, AESA-based, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Telephonics. It is designed for maritime, littoral and overland surveillance missions for rotary- and fixed-wing ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  ASTOR

  The Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) is abattlefield surveillance synthetic aperture radar/moving target indication (MTI) system installed in the UK RAF's Raytheon SentinelR1 aircraft, a version ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Seaspray 7300E V2

  The Seaspray 7300E V2 radar is an airborne, maritime, multi-mode surveillance radar manufactured by Leonardo. It is designed for the detection of small maritime targets in ...

• Air: surveillance radar

  ASARS-3

  The Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System-3 (ASARS-3) is a 75kg payload providing Ku-band synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indication capabilities for high-altitude and ...