• Air Warfare

  WaveAerospace aims to launch production of new UAS platforms in 2025

  22nd October 2024

  WaveAerospace has been showcasing its MULE heavy-lift VTOL UAS, designed for contested logistics missions with a payload capacity of more than 40kg and up to four hours of endurance, while also introducing Huntress, a fast multirotor UAS. Both will be expected to enter production by 2025.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris wins P-8A Poseidon support contract

  1st October 2024

  L3Harris has provided support for previous generation P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). As many P-3 Orion users retire the aircraft, they have been picking up P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which L3Harris has now been contracted to support.

• Air Warfare

  Thailand-bound AH-6i helicopter completes first flight

  4th October 2024

  A total of eight aircraft will replace the Royal Thai Army’s ageing AH-IF Cobra fleet as part of a contract deal worth US$103.8 million.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Air Warfare

  F135 engine upgrade completes preliminary design review

  16th July 2024

  The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine is an evolution of F119, which powers the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor and features fifth-generation stealth capabilities, as well as advanced prognostics and health management systems.

• Training

  US and South Korea train together in North Korean threat readiness

  13th August 2024

  This year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are informed by real-world geopolitics and likely threats.

• Naval Warfare

  Saab to launch next-generation electronic warfare sensor at Euronaval

  4th November 2024

  The new U/SME-400 will operate in a broad signal spectrum and will have multiple uses.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall nets Denmark order for 16 Skyranger 30 turrets

  30th September 2024

  A prototype of the turret will be expected by late 2026, with deliveries scheduled for 2027–28. The order also included ammunition and additional vehicle equipment for an 8x8 wheeled platform.

• Training

  Hadean completes live-virtual training capability for British Army

  1st October 2024

  Populating the World of Training is a project run by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and has been designed to bridge the real and synthetic worlds to provide more enhanced training for UK Armed Forces using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• Air Warfare

  Greece joins the F-35 Lightning II world alliance

  30th July 2024

  Greece has signed an offer for 20 F-35 aircraft with an option on 20 more platforms.

• Land Warfare

  Timelines set for British Army vehicle replacement effort

  18th September 2024

  Previous efforts to replace the British Army’s light vehicles have failed and the process to buy replacements has now been set targets on a reasonably tight deadline.

• Land Warfare

  Polaris upgrades MRZR for heavier payloads and announces US Air Force contracts

  23rd October 2024

  A reinforced version of the 6x6 MRZR ultra-light mobility vehicle can transport a payload of approximately 1,360kg and munitions such as Northrop Grumman’s Jackal.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin awarded $756 million for long-range hypersonic weapon

  20th May 2024

  Lockheed Martin delivered equipment for the first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LTHW) battery, referred to as Dark Eagle, to US soldiers in 2021. The system has been designed to deliver additional capability for the nation’s ground-based hypersonic weapon system.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Exail Robotics secures €60 million NATO contract for underwater mine disposal vehicles

  28th August 2024

  The contract covers disposal and training vehicles for the Belgian and Dutch navies.

• Air Warfare

  What the retirement of the KC-10 Extender means for the US Air Force

  27th September 2024

  The tanker will be replaced by the KC-46A Pegasus, which is a more capable platform in terms of avionics, but with less payload capacity.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  Vietnam - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background The Vietnamese Coast Guard are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

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

  V-Bat [Armenia]

  Background Announcment On 9 February 2026, in a press release from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan and JD Vance, US vice-president, ...

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

  Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) GUARD [Ireland]

  Background Problem As stated on the project’s website in 2022, Ireland is the “softest target in the EU for smugglers” due to its 3171km of ...

• Frigates

  European Combat Vessel [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Combat Vessel (ECV) is currently a conceptual project that seeks to design a European collaborative multi-mission, modular warship. As of ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia became the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - small

  Indonesia - ScanEagle 2

  Programme Background As part of a large scale programme, Indonesia was set to receive eight ScanEagle UAS drone Insitu provided by the US under the Maritime ...

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

  V-Bat [Romania]

  Programme Background Modernisation According to HotNews, a Romanian news outlet reporting on 25 February 2025, the Romanian MoD announced to journalists that it would focus on ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Army Armoured Combat System (A2CS) [Italy]

  Background The Italian Army has identified a requirement for new tracked IFVs to equip its armoured and mechanised brigades. These new vehicles will replace 200 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Baltic Joint Naval Procurement [Latvia]

  The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia plan to continue developing their respective navies, regarding them as important elements in the NATO alliance — ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Baltic Joint Naval Procurement [Latvia]

  The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia plan to continue developing their respective navies, regarding them as important elements in the NATO alliance — ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  The Royal Navy's (RN) Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), or Heavy Lift Challenge, is a developmental programme exploring cargo-carrying uncrewed technology and new acquisition approaches.  Phase ...

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

  Nordic Mini-UAV [Denmark]

  Background Nordic Micro Procurement The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had signed two procurement agreements in October 2025. ...

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

  Nordic Mini-UAV [Norway]

  Background Nordic Micro Procurement The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had signed two procurement agreements in October 2025. ...

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

  Nordic Mini-UAV [Finland]

  Background Nordic Micro Procurement The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had signed two procurement agreements in October 2025. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• Land: battle management systems, Major networking projects, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  DOOB (HARBIYE)

  Defence out of a Box (DOOB, also marketed as HARBIYE) is a C4I system family developed by Havelsan as an integrated defence solution aiming for ...

• Subsystems: software

  Simulation Engine II

  The Simulation Engine II (SE II) commercial game engine is the first PC-based game engine to be developed by Sonalysts as a commercial product and ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Naval Command Center

  The Elbit Systems Naval Command Center (NCC) provides the infrastructure, systems and functionality required to achieve maritime domain awareness in conjunction with applicable means, evaluating ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Increment 1 Waveforms

  A number of waveforms are set to be implemented under JTRS Increment 1: WNW with OFDM and anti-jam; SRW (ground domain); joint airborne network-tactical edge ...

• Sea: procedural training

  Submarine Simulator

  A multi-domain simulation system for submarines, covering all vessel systems and subsystems: Submarine Tactical Trainer (STT); Submarine Diving and Steering Simulator (SDS) in a cockpit; Surface Navigation Simulator ...

• Air: mission management systems

  I-JOCCS

  Integrated Joint Operational Command and Control Services (I-JOCCS) is designed for interoperability among coalition forces including the UK and US. The capability supports fixed-site installations ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  GMS Cross-Domain Systems (CDS) Family

  At AUSA 2024, General Micro Systems (GMS Computing Engines) unveiled four new cross-domain systems (CDS) designed to give air and land forces ultra-secure, real-time gigabit ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-7065

  The ELK-7065 ground and naval HF COMINT direction-finding system was unveiled in 2013, with a compact, lightweight airborne version launched in September 2017. The sensor was ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  JTRS Domains

  The former JTRS ‘clusters’, that had become separate disjointed programmes, have been replaced with centrally managed domain programme management offices. The construct comprises four JTRS ...

• Land: battle management systems

  AMDWS

  AMDWS (Air and Missile Defense Work Station), is a collaborative battlespace awareness information management system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the requirements of the ...

• Major networking projects

  TNE

  Trusted Network Environment (TNE) is used by the US DoD and federal agencies where multiple coalitions of interest need trusted information brokers to let them ...

• Major networking projects

  GIG

  Global Information Grid (GIG) is a DoD-wide programme, managed by OSD Network Information Infrastructure and integrated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, to support all ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...

• Land: air defence radar

  3D Primary Surveillance Radar

  The Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) 3D is part of the Lanza family of 3D radar systems. It has been designed especially for airport and air ...