• Air Warfare

  Insight: What does the future hold for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft?

  11th September 2023

  The Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A has been adopted by Middle Eastern air forces as well as the European partner nations. Shephard Defence Insight analyses its next-generation radar, cockpit technology and future upgrade plans.

• Naval Warfare

  Are Australia’s SSN ambitions ‘sub-optimal’? (Opinion)

  20th March 2023

  Some describe Australia's SSN plans as marking the country's coming of age, but there are still too many questions whether it will work out the way planners imagine.

• Naval Warfare

  Indian Navy orders two new warship classes from local shipbuilders

  3rd April 2023

  Seventeen new ships, made up of offshore patrol vessels and missile vessels, are on the way for the Indian Navy.

• Air Warfare

  GA-ASI gears up to trial Mojave UAV from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier

  29th June 2023

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is working towards trial flights of its Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) UAS from a British aircraft carrier later this year.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan commissions its second Taigei-class submarine

  23rd March 2023

  Japan has inducted its second Taigei-class submarine, amidst plans to boost counterstrike capabilities with new, longer-range missiles.

• Training

  US Navy takes lead on Middle East maritime security training

  23rd May 2023

  The Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces partnership has stood up a USN-led task force to support multination training events in the region covering maritime awareness, law, interdiction, rescue and leadership development.

• Air Warfare

  Japan develops long-range target observation munition to accompany missiles

  19th June 2023

  To guide long-range weapons, Japan is developing a new missile with the express purpose of providing observation and targeting data.

• Defence Notes

  Why the Arctic could be Russia’s next target

  25th May 2023

  Moscow has been upgrading and re-equipping its bases in the Far North, and international affairs and defence experts say that the possibility of a war in the region cannot be ruled out.

• Naval Warfare

  Israel’s IAI lifts lid on new uncrewed submarine

  15th May 2023

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has lifted the lid on a new large AUV, the BlueWhale, which can be used for covert intelligence gathering, detection of submarines and seabed warfare.

• Air Warfare

  India seeks additional armaments for MH-60R fleet

  6th April 2023

  Additional missiles and torpedoes are on the cards to equip India's incoming fleet of MH-60R multi-mission helicopters.

• Naval Warfare

  US lacks clear plan to meet amphibious ship requirements, Marine Corps chief says

  30th March 2023

  Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee during a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the USN and USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen David Berger said there was 'no plan' for the US to meet its statutory minimum requirements for amphibious warships.

• Training

  Smaller nations under threat – finding the right training focus

  2nd August 2023

  It is inevitable that a country’s military training policy will be driven by its situation in the world, and also by its society.

• Naval Warfare

  Fincantieri delivers fourth and final Qatari corvette

  17th May 2023

  Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the fourth and final Al Zubarah-class corvette, Semaisma, built for Qatar.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force needs over 200 B-21 bombers, expert argues as maiden flight faces delays

  23rd March 2023

  The first flight of Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider stealth bomber has been delayed, while experts argue the US Air Force is in need of more than 300 bombers as tensions heighten across the globe.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  TAI debuts Anka-3 flying wing combat drone

  27th March 2023

  The UCAV is designed to operate alongside crewed fighter jets such as Turkey’s future TF-X.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

  Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (India)

  Programme Background On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in Delhi. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Selected) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in mind. ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

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

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

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

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class Frigates Procurement [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy (HN) seeks to modernize its Fleet by 2032 with second-hand and newly built ships. The main goal is to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  JSM

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

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

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 212CD

  Norway is to get four new Type 212CD ‘common design’ submarines to replace the existing Ula-class SSKs after it selected German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class FFG(X)

  The USN has selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build up to ten frigates under the FFG(X) next-generation future guided-missile frigate programme. The new Constellation-class will replace ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

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

  AN/APS-147

  The AN/APS-147 is a multi-mode maritime inverse synthetic aperture radar for the Sikorsky MH-60R. It provides target imaging, small target/periscope detection and long-range surveillance, as ...