• Air Warfare

  Korean Air to develop a loyal wingman for ROKAF

  24th August 2022

  South Korea is joining the loyal wingman bandwagon, with a domestic company contracted to produce a detailed design for a new UAV.

• Defence Notes

  South Korea plans to set up a strategic command

  21st July 2022

  With Kim Jong-un showing no signs of mellowing, South Korea is planning to establish a strategic command to coordinate strikes and responses to North Korean provocations.

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic enhances SitaWare with new updates, touts naval applications

  19th August 2022

  Open-architecture military software developer and integrator Systematic has released a series of updates to its scalable SitaWare suite, while the company is also exploring the use of AI technology for situational awareness in the maritime domain.

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland shortlists Archer and RCH 155 for self-propelled artillery replacement programme

  19th August 2022

  A final procurement decision under the ‘Artillery effective platform and effective means 2026’ effort is expected in 2026.

• Training

  Vrgineers draws on pilot experience to develop mixed reality headset

  22nd June 2022

  The new Vrgineers VR/MR pilot training headset has a proprietary eye-tracking system for behavioural analysis and was designed for enhanced pilot training.

• Land Warfare

  Australia showcases electrifying Bushmaster

  10th August 2022

  An electrically powered Bushmaster is on the cards for the Australian Army, if the concept passes coming field trials. Additionally, Australia will conduct a wide-ranging Defence Strategic Review.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy MUM-T demonstration sees Super Hornet control three UAVs simultaneously

  18th July 2022

  The US Navy's Super Hornet has shown off new MUM-T capabilities.

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky gains further work to support ‘exportable variant’ of CH-53K

  20th May 2022

  A new order from NAVAIR sees further work for Lockheed Martin on the Israeli order for CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.

• Digital Battlespace

  Concerns remain around US Army IVAS programme

  10th August 2022

  While the Senate Appropriations Committee remains committed to IVAS, it proposed cuts to some of its funding while solidifying its U-turn on the Enhanced Night Vision Google-Binocular.

• Digital Battlespace

  How the Five Eyes militaries are discovering the power of the network (podcast)

  8th July 2022

  In this bonus episode of the Shephard Defence Podcast, we bring you the second episode from the latest series of the Five Eyes Connectivity podcast.

• Air Warfare

  Pakistan Navy pushes forward with maritime patrol aircraft project

  27th July 2022

  Pakistan is relying on converted commercial aircraft for its ongoing requirement for maritime patrol aircraft.

• Training

  Inzpire reveals Royal Air Force door gunnery sim details

  3rd August 2022

  A new Synthetic Aviation Gunnery Equipment contract from the MoD will blend various commercial MR technologies to demonstrate a fully modular and deployable full helicopter door gunnery training for the RAF.

• Naval Warfare

  Are hypersonics the answer to the Royal Navy's lethality debate?

  9th May 2022

  Lethality was a key topic during the First Sea Lord's Sea Power Conference, with UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey saying he wanted to see the RN lead the way in the field.

• Training

  CATT remains important to the British Army, says Lockheed Martin

  12th August 2022

  The UK’s Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT) has been in service since 2002 and it has continued to evolve. The journey is not over, and the system will carry on serving the British Army, according to Lockheed Martin.

• Air Warfare

  Germany requests major F-35 Lightning II-related FMS package

  29th July 2022

  Following the shock announcement in March that Germany intends to buy the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, Berlin has lodged a major $8.4 billion FMS request.

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

  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 ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Project Proteus [UK]

  Project Proteus is an RN and Leonardo effort to design and develop an uncrewed helicopter demonstrator that could provide an innovative alternative to existing crewed ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement & Objective The RN identified a requirement to acquire an RPAS to transport cargo and supplies between ships and personnel. When mature, it ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (Saudi Arabia)

  The sale is aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, provide the capability to identify, engage ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

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

  Project Proteus [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The RN requires an uncrewed helicopter to test the viability of larger uncrewed aircraft for the RN, possibly providing an alternative to crewed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

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

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Baby Shark 260

  The Foxtech Baby Shark 260 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV for commercial and civil operations, which has four spar-mounted rotors to provide vertical lift, a pusher ...

• Air: Displays

  F-15 Replacement Vertical Situation Display

  BAE Systems Replacement Vertical Situation Display (RVSD) replaces the legacy VSD units on F-15E aircraft. The AMLCD display offers a larger display size and is compatible ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

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

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Proteus

  Proteus is a technology demonstrator that Leonardo is developing in collaboration with the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) Future Capabilities Group and the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus is the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

• Military UGVs

  Avenger

  In January 2017, Med-Eng announced the launch of a new bomb disposal and tactical robot, called the Avenger, at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. ...

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

  Ultra

  The Ultra UAV, or HCMC, is a fixed-wing twin-engined cargo-carrying platform manufactured by Windracers. The platform is mainly aimed at the commercial market and has conducted trials ...

• EO/IR systems

  VLP-16

  Velodyne's VLP-16 Puck is a small and compact lidar that is power and performance optimised for usage across a variety of applications. This ranges from ...

• Nimbus 1800

  Foxtech's Nimbus 1800 is a tri-copter, lightweight, fixed-wing VTOL UAV designed for civilian and commercial mapping and inspection roles. It has a 2.8kg weight without ...