Air Warfare

Turkish Air Force tanker modernisation effort completed ahead of schedule

2nd February 2023

US contractor Field Aerospace has finished upgrading the Turkish Air Force's Boeing KC-135R tanker fleet flight decks to Block 45 configuration.

Uncrewed Vehicles

US Navy looks to extend operational envelope for Triton UAS fleet

30th January 2023

A series of flight trials for the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance UAS will determine the aircraft's ability to fly in icing conditions.

Air Warfare

New airborne laser comms terminal to fly in 2024

10th January 2023

Laser communications are hard to jam and intercept, giving the medium significant military benefits.

Training

Elbit to provide tank sims and training centre for Israel

5th January 2023

The main battle tank training centres Elbit Systems will provide to the Israeli Defence Forces will train commanders and soldiers on a variety of modern equipment.

Digital Battlespace

How an IT giant is powering the digital transformation of global military organisations (Studio)

8th December 2022

While rapidly evolving technological trends promise to transform military operations, close collaboration with a trusted partner remains essential.

Digital Battlespace

How fiction can prepare us for a disruptive digital future – a conversation (podcast)

5th December 2022

In this special episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, Dr. Keith Dear and August Cole discuss how new technologies are radically altering the national security landscape.

Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Tactical Short-Range UAVs (Taiwan)

Programme Background Long-Held Desire Alongside other branches of the Taiwanese military, the ROCA is trying to incorporate more uncrewed systems into its force structure. During the ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

CU172 Blackjack (First Batch) (Canada)

Programme Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company level Aerovironment RQ-11 ...

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 ...

Tanks

Leopard 2A7 (Norway)

Programme Background Norway is in possession of 57 Leopard 2A4NO MBTs, but only around 30 of these are still thought to be operational with units. ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Switchblade 300 (USA)

Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Switchblade 300 (UK)

Programme Background ContextAeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

Sealift/replenishment vessels

Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (UK)

Programme Background Requirements According to the UK MoD's March 2021 Defence Command Paper, entitled 'Defence in a Competitive Age', the RN will invest in six ...

APCs/IFVs - tracked

LuWa

Programme Background The German Army has a requirement for a new airmobile AFV to replace the Wiesel 1s used by its 1st Airmobile Brigade, as ...

Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Skeldar V-200B / Sea Falcon (Germany)

Programme Background Requirements Under the Reconnaissance and Identification in the Maritime Operational Area (AImEG) project, the German Navy sought an ISR capability for its Braunschweig Class ...

APCs/IFVs - tracked

OMFV (USA)

Programme Background Requirement The OMFV programme is the latest of several attempts to develop a Bradley replacement.  Designed to be capable of operating with or without ...

Corvettes

European Patrol Corvette (EPC) (Spain)

Programme Background The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is one of the new PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence and Security) projects. PESCO was established by ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Off Board Sensing Station (OBSS) (USA)

Programme Background What is OBSS? The USAF envisages OBSS as an attributable, low-cost and modular manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) platform with similar capabilities to Skyborg; a programme ...

Submarines: nuclear, attack

Astute Class

Programme BackgroundThe Astute-class nuclear attack submarines (SSN) are the replacement for the UK Royal Navy's Swiftsure and Trafalgar classes of SSNs. The initial contract for ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Skyborg (USA)

Programme Background Programme Intention Skyborg is one of three USAF Vanguard programs outlined in the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 initiative. The program intends ...

Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

USMC Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Programme

Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the planned Light Amphibious Warship ...

Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

AN/ZPY-1 STARLite

The AN/ZPY-1 Small Tactical Radar-Lightweight (STARLite) is a synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indication (GMTI) sensor for UAVs and manned platforms that support tactical operations. ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

TigerShark XP

The Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) TigerShark XP is a fixed-wing variant of the USN's RQ-23A UAV.Designed as a rugged low-cost, customisable platform that can carry ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Teros

Teros is a MALE class UAS being developed by the Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC).  Designed to meet the expanding requirement for an extended range, ...

Land: vehicle simulators

RWS-S

The DynaSim Remote Weapon Station Simulator (RWS-S) is a lightweight modular training system for RWS crew members. The system allows simultaneous training for a gunner, ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Orion

The Orion is a twin-engine UAS capable of flying for over 100h at a time with large payloads. The system has a length of 40.2m, ...

Volanti

Volanti is a fixed-wing quadrotor platform designed as a steady aircraft that can provide accurate data capture during long-range missions. It can be fitted with ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Yastreb

The Yastreb (Hawk) is the heaviest military, fixed-wing UAV developed by the Belarusian Academy of Sciences' Scientific and Production Centre of Multipurpose Unmanned Systems. Available ...

Military - USVs

USSV-HS

The US Office of Naval Research is using the Unmanned Sea Surface Vehicle-High Speed (USSV-HS) to test various technological features which may be incorporated into ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

XV-24A LightningStrike

The XV-24A LightningStrike, developed by Aurora Flight Sciences and its partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, was a project for a tilt-wing UAV powered by an electric-distributed ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MD-22

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the near-space hypersonic technology testbed MD-22 at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2022. Capable of speeds of Mach 7, the ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Centaur

The Centaur is a twin-engine, optionally piloted aircraft designed for carrying various types of sensors. It provides interchangeable manned or unmanned flight operations capability. It ...

Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

SLX Hawk

The SLX Hawk is a thermal imaging camera with a continuous zoom lens. It uses the SDTV resolution Hawk mercury cadmium telluride detector array, manufactured ...

Air: helicopter flight simulators

CH-47F CAT

The CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT) is a high-fidelity hands-on training system that provides task training through the simulation of all avionics systems in integrated ...

Air: helicopter flight simulators

AATD

AeroSimulators has developed the Eurocopter EC135, AS350B2 and Bell 206 Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD), described as the first cost-effective helicopter flight simulation training device ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

Mantra

Mantra is a multipurpose, short-range UAV developed for civil, law enforcement and military customers. This aircraft no longer appears to be in production and is not ...