• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed Martin confirms 2029 target date for US Navy’s Aegis/PAC-3 MSE integration

  23rd April 2026

  Enabling Aegis-equipped vessels to launch PAC-3 MSE interceptors will give the USN more options to engage highly manoeuvrable hypersonic missiles – including the ones China has been developing.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuanian 1st Division to achieve initial operating capability in 2026

  9th December 2025

  Lithuania is one of the countries stepping up its defences in the face of the war in Ukraine with a particular focus on its neighbour and Russian ally Belarus, which has been making incursions into Lithuania’s airspace with balloons and drones.

• Air Warfare

  Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test

  9th December 2025

  The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.

• Land Warfare

  June land forces roundup: Eurosatory shapes month amid Canada’s HIMARS buy and US JLTV progress

  29th June 2026

  This month’s land forces highlights were dominated by the eventful Eurosatory exhibition, particularly in the area of tanks, while separately the JLTV programme took another twist and Canada opted for HIMARS.

• Air Warfare

  Focus on economy over capability highlights the cost imperative for CCA success

  20th February 2026

  Striking the right balance between cost and capability is likely to become more crucial in the increasingly competitive collaborative combat aircraft market. Shephard’s special CCA market report examines where the opportunities lie for suppliers.

• Land Warfare

  Hanwha awarded $482 million in major step for South Korea’s missile defence programme

  28th November 2025

  The deal to produce and supply launchers and missiles to South Korea follows a contract placed with Hanwha Systems last month for the manufacture of multi-function radars.

• Land Warfare

  British Army’s Project Stokes 120mm mortar bids due in March 2026

  18th February 2026

  Project Stokes could see a new 120mm mortar capability enter British service, with domestic production and international partnerships central to competing bids.

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders more upgraded Bradleys as transformation threatens other programmes

  3rd December 2025

  Compared to previous versions of the vehicle, the Bradley M2A4 upgrade includes an uprated suspension, a more powerful engine, an independent commander’s sight, a more capable electronic architecture and improved networking capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  November drone digest: GA-ASI eyes Middle East for Gambit, Edge Group unveils new UAVs

  1st December 2025

  In November 2025, GA-ASI unveiled a new Gambit variant, the Gambit 6, and appears to be pitching the aircraft series to various customers in the Middle East, which is a fast-emerging CCA market. The Dubai Airshow also saw the unveiling of various Emirati aircraft from Edge Group.

• Naval Warfare

  How the Hedge Strategy will impact the US Navy’s future capabilities

  11th February 2026

  The US Navy Hedge Strategy is intended to provide a lethal, modular and cost-effective fleet while accepting Washington’s fiscal and industrial constraints.

• Air Warfare

  Anduril awarded latest OPF-L contract with around $155.2 million still up for grabs

  20th January 2026

  As the US Marine Corps continues to push loitering munitions as a core battlefield tool, Shephard looks at how the latest contract award factors into future potential purchases.

• Defence Notes

  White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production

  5th March 2026

  Intended to sustain Operation Epic Fury against Iran, efforts to increase the production of weapons and ammunition could expose long-standing weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall and KNDS tank tie-up narrows trans-European options

  18th December 2025

  The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.

• Land Warfare

  Scorpion light mortar completes tests with US Army and moves to next exercise

  29th October 2025

  Having completed five days of trials with the US Army, the two Scorpion Light mortar systems will stay in Hawaii to take part in planned Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training exercises in early November.

• Air Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2026: Embraer still sees future C-390 opportunities in region following RSAF snub

  3rd February 2026

  The company disclosed several defence contracts and upgrades for its defence aircraft at the show, including additional Super Tucano orders and a new C-390 Millennium customer, Uzbekistan.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle (Heavy) [USA]

  Background The US Army has been operating the ISV since 2019. It currently serves alongside the JLTV and HMMWV in the Army's Mobile Brigade Combat ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle [USA]

  Background The JLTV, HMMWV, and ISV constitute the US Army’s Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) fleet. The US Army has evaluated the ISV as part of ...

• Medium UGVs

  Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer (M-METT) [USA]

  Background Whilst there are many medium UGV programmes developing concepts for last-mile resupply problems, the US Army's M-METT programme aims to provide an uncrewed logistics ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Light Utility Vehicle (COTS) [Canada]

  Background The Canadian Army currently employs two platforms in what it terms its Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW) fleet, the Mercedes G-Wagon and the Chevrolet Silverado. There ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Mobility Vehicle) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme. Information on the LPM and HPM can ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Light Forces Enhancement [Canada]

  Background The LFE programme was first launched in 2020 with the intention of providing the Canadian army with new light mobility platforms that could rapidly ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon Replacement [Norway]

  Programme Background The Norwegian Army began to acquire its fleet of 3,000 G-Wagons in the 1980s. They are currently used for a variety of roles, ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Sweden currently operates an estimated 400 G-Wagons across the Army and Air Force, where they are used in a logistics and support capacity.  ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon Replacement [Argentina]

  Programme Background Like many militaries around the world, the Argentine Army uses the G-Wagon as a logisitics and support vehicle. In keeping with other G-Wagon ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon Replacement [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia procured 240 G-Wagons from Norway in 2004. These vehicles had been kept in storage in Norway and had very low mileage. This ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  eLRV [USA]

  Background Purpose The US Army unveiled a new concept for a more deployable IBCT structure at AUSA in October 2014. Built around three main types of ...

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

  Xtender [US]

  Programme Background Previous Procurement In early 2021, the US Department of Defence awarded a contract to XTEND for the platform in partnership with Isreal's MoD. ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft [Singapore]

  Programme Background Deployed from Changi West airbase, and jointly operated by the RSAF and Republic of Singapore Navy, the ageing Fokker 50 fleet is primarily ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 (Batch 2) [Slovakia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BOV 8x8 [Slovakia - 3rd Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Slovakian Army has a long-standing requirement for 8x8 armoured vehicles to equip its medium mechanised battalions and the combat support elements ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• LTVs - 4x4

  Infantry Squad Vehicle

  The General Motors (GM) Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is a fully-integrated military platform based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 mid-sized truck chassis with Roll ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Electric Military Concept Vehicle

  The Electric Military Concept Vehicle (e-MCV) is General Motors (GM) Defense's concept vehicle designed for the US Army's ongoing electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV) programme. Based on ...

• Land: air defence radar

  9S18M1E

  The 9S18M1E is a mobile, 3D, frequency-agile coherent pulse radar designed to detect and identify air threats and feed target data to the Buk-M1E AD ...

• Military vehicle engines

  6V53

  The 6V53 is a six cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that stems from the GM Diesel Series 53 engine launched in 1957. The 6V53 has a ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful)

  The 2K12 Kub, known by its NATO reporting name SA-6 Gainful, is a Soviet-era mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to provide ground forces with low ...

• Self-propelled guns, Self-propelled missile systems

  Tunguska

  KBP Instrument Design Bureau began development of the 2K22 Tunguska tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile system in 1970 to provide the Soviet Army with ...

• Medium UGVs

  SURUS

  General Motors unveiled its Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS) – a large, multipurpose, hydrogen-electric UGV – at the AUSA exhibition in Washington, DC, in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  CombatGuard

  IMI Systems unveiled its new CombatGuard, a 4x4 armoured combat vehicle designed to provide a high level of off-road mobility, at Eurosatory 2014. It is ...

• Air: mission management systems

  TAIKS Fire Support C3 System

  TAIKS is the tactical element of AFSAS (see separate entry) that integrates fire support units and target acquisition systems with each other and other functional ...

• Subsystems: software

  Network Defense Trainer

  The Scalable Network Defense Trainer is an LVC simulation system for delivering realistic hands-on cyber training. It enables students to experience cyber attacks launched against ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: Electronic Attack - Pod

  Talisman [Defense Initiatives]

  The Talisman is an integrated self-protection system developed by Defense Initiatives of Belarus. It is designed to equip combat aircraft and is thought to be ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Ground

  GenCOM Defense Ground provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Naval

  GenCOM Defense Naval offers an automatic situational awareness picture achieved through integration with single or multiple CESM-DF arrival sensors deployed on an array of naval ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  GenCOM Defense Air

  GenCOM Defense Air provides an automatic multi-layered situational awareness picture to the decision-maker, based on external signal data (metadata) gathered in real time. Integrating with ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ADC3

  IAI's Air Defense Command, Control and Communication (ADC3) was developed to meet the air defence mission requirements of Israeli Defense Forces.