• Defence Notes

  French seek urgent reinforcement for air defence umbrella

  29th June 2022

  France needs a new interim addition to its air defence arsenal, particularly as the Crotale NG SHORAD missile is due for retirement by 2025 — could VL MICA fit the bill?

• Land Warfare

  Four obstacles British Army will face to improve its ground fleet

  15th June 2022

  What are the barriers standing in the way of the British Army achieving its ground vehicle development plans?

• Naval Warfare

  UK to upgrade Tomahawk missiles

  31st May 2022

  The Tomahawk land attack missiles operated from RN Astute-class submarines will receive enhanced long-range strike capability and improved protection.

• Training

  Eurosatory 2022: Cubic could fill British Army artillery training gap with Blue Shell

  16th June 2022

  The L-118 light gun simulator allows for a full representation of the real system. In conjunction with new Blue Shell training rounds, it could enhance combined arms training for the British Army.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: Pre-orders aplenty for armoured Toyota LC300

  14th June 2022

  Jankel has received multiple pre-orders from undisclosed customers for its unreleased armoured Toyota LC300.

• Defence Notes

  NATO estimates most members will not reach 2% of GDP defence spending target in 2022

  13th July 2022

  Although two-thirds of NATO member states will not reach 2% of the GDP in defence spending in 2022, almost 80% of the countries (23 nations) earmarked more than 20% of their defence budgets to equipment and modernisation.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Ascent shakes up Shawbury and eyes overseas students

  27th April 2022

  Will the RAF follow the example of the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm by venturing into rotary-only training at Shawbury?

• Naval Warfare

  UK targets late 2020s for Type 45 ballistic missile defence

  26th May 2022

  Upgrades to UK RN Type 45 destroyers are designed to counter the increased threat anti-ship ballistic cruise missiles pose to Carrier Strike Groups and the wider fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Skanska to deliver British Army vehicle storage facility

  1st June 2022

  The British Army’s new land vehicle storage solutions delivered under the VSSP programme are intended to keep maintenance requirements at a minimum.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit and Rheinmetall seek role in Joint Fire Modernization programme

  6th June 2022

  Elbit Systems aims to work with Rheinmetall Canada to develop a flexible, robust, and responsive digital joint fire solution for the Canadian Army.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems stresses risk attached to securing F-3 contract with Japan

  26th May 2022

  Combat air industrial ties between the UK and Japan are set to deepen, but BAE Systems is taking nothing for granted where F-3 programme developments are concerned.

• Land Warfare

  British Army seeks ways to prepare vehicle fleet for climate change

  30th May 2022

  Hybrid propulsion, power generation and electrification of ground platforms are considered ‘key areas’ by the UK MoD. Investing in the development of hybrid electric powertrains, hydrogen power and other green fuels are also pressing concerns.

• Naval Warfare

  Eurosatory 2022: iXblue to provide navigation capabilities for Type 212CD submarines

  15th June 2022

  The future Type 212CD submarines will benefit from integrating iXblue inertial navigation systems, the company revealed at Eurosatory 2022.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy readies LHD Trieste for 2023 delivery, expands F-35 operations

  2nd June 2022

  Once commissioned with the Italian Navy, the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Trieste will be the largest vessel in the fleet, displacing 33,000t, and the second capable of operating the F-35B.

• Training

  RAF Typhoon synthetic training system reaches milestone

  31st May 2022

  The delivery of the first two TFST devices is expected by the end of the year, but RAF pilots will only start training on them in 2023. The new devices feed into the RAF’s larger objective to share common synthetic entity models across the force.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Programme Background Post-Cold War Requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured ...

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

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Typhoon Tranche 3A - Qatar

  As a part of the agreement to sell Typhoon, the UK is establishing a ‘Joint Operations Squadron’ (to be known as 12 Squadron) with the ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

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

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Programme Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CATV [UK]

  Programme Background CATV The CATV programme was initiated in 2019, when the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden signed an MoU to share acquisition costs for ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  UK MSHATF

  The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) opened for training at RAF Benson, England in July 1999. It provides training services to personnel from ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  UK/ARC341 (ADRA)

  The Advanced Digital Radio Airborne (ADRA) provides a Bowman VHF radio capability to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is fully compatible with the Bowman VHF ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BvS10 Beowulf

  BAE Systems Hägglunds launched the BvS10 Beowulf articulated tracked ATV at the September 2015 DSEI exhibition in the UK. The Beowulf is an unarmoured variant ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CAPSTONE

  CAPSTONE is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by Certe Aerospace, which collaborates with various UK-based defence companies.  Described as a sovereign, scalable, air power capability, CAPSTONE performed ...

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

  Sparta

  Unveiled in mid-2025, the Sparta is a fixed-wing small UAV from Quantum Systems. It is a mothership that can host and launch smaller drones, such ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  ADR+ Bowman VHF/Centaur

  The ADR+ is the VHF vehicle and manpack radio member of the ADR family of VHF radios developed initially for the UK Bowman programme. The ...

• Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Vicon 78

  Thales’ Vicon-78 is a lightweight countermeasures dispensing system. The system is featured in several integrated defence systems, and is capable of firing both chaff and ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...