• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems receives funding as part of US drive to boost chip manufacture

  11th December 2023

  The US Government has been pushing to improve semiconductor and micro-chip manufacture within its borders – a key policy of the Biden government – and the funding will boost BAE Systems’ capabilities in the field.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales combines lightweight sensors on specialist target designator vehicle

  20th June 2024

  The 6x6 Griffon VOA specialist vehicle uses a mix of mast-mounted electro-optics and radar to locate and designate targets primarily for French Army artillery batteries, but can also perform the same role for combat aircraft and helicopters. The Thales mission package is platform-agnostic and could be integrated on other vehicle families for export.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Uncrewed defence systems set to hyperscale with launch of Arsenal platform

  12th August 2024

  The new system to scale the production of uncrewed defence systems will include its own manufacturing plant, the Arsenal-1.

• Air Warfare

  How Chinese advancements will impact the future development of the US Air Force fleet

  16th January 2025

  US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that China would continue to be a “problem” for the development of the service’s fleet over the coming decades.

• Land Warfare

  New Anduril extended range sensor deployed at US–Mexican border

  23rd May 2024

  XRST, part of Anduril’s Sentry family of systems, uses autonomy to better detect, identify and track objects of interest.

• Air Warfare

  Raytheon expands air missile production and announces successful use of StormBreaker from F-35C

  23rd July 2024

  Raytheon has been pushing its production line to meet demand for missiles. At the same time, the Farnborough International Airshow exhibitor has been trying to ensure there are no weak links in its supply chain and increase its depth of suppliers.

• Land Warfare

  Teledyne FLIR lifts the lid on Black Recon at Eurosatory 2024

  17th June 2024

  Teledyne FLIR has reportedly been developing the system since 2020 with support from the Norwegian Defence Research establishment.

• Training

  Radar training simulators for German Navy Engineering School pass FAT

  4th April 2024

  The German Navy has contracted UK information technology company OSI Maritime Systems to provide a navigation suite which has passed system testing for the F126 frigate.

• Naval Warfare

  HMS St Albans returns to service after upgrade

  7th March 2024

  Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 are still in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type 26 frigates, while the other three have been sold to the Chilean Navy and are in service as the Cochrane-class.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems “actively pursues” up to 200 Eurofighter Typhoon sales as fighter upgrade continues

  15th May 2024

  BAE Systems has been actively seeking potential buyers for Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with Germany and Italy among the countries considering additional purchases. The company remained aware, however, of the importance of enhancing the fighter’s capabilities to ensure relevance into the 2040s and beyond.

• Defence Notes

  Irish defence review highlights importance of Capability Development Unit and looks to new threats

  26th July 2024

  Ireland has a small defence force in terms of personnel, equipment and budget relative to international averages but is plotting a way to change this and a recent annual review analyses that progress.

• Air Warfare

  Air Warfare Review 2024: Budget cuts and delays fail to dampen modernisation efforts in 2024

  10th December 2024

  From major platform upgrades, high-value contract wins and programme delays, Shephard reported on a mixed year for air warfare in 2024, as geopolitical tensions rose across Europe and the Middle East.

• Air Warfare

  China unveils new military kit and demonstrates technological prowess

  9th December 2024

  From the J-35A twin-engine fighter and the CH-7 stealth surveillance platform, to the Smart-configuration Support UAV and JARI-USV-A unmanned surface vessel, China has been showcasing its ability to project military power through recent technological innovations.

• Land Warfare

  South Korean defence industry demonstrates its tech prowess

  6th November 2024

  Shephard takes a deep dive into the latest developments in the South Korean defence sector as the country arms itself to deal with current and future threats.

• Land Warfare

  Nothing Goes Unseen: Raytheon’s LTAMDS Radar Enhances Situational Awareness Amidst Increasing Aerial Threats (Studio)

  13th November 2023

  Never before have air defenders contended with such complex, rapid and varied threats in the air environment. Raytheon’s LTAMDS radar is the system they need for this ever-changing threatscape.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-15SA Saudi Arabia

  The aircraft deal includes 170 APG-63(v)3 AESA radar sets, 193 F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines, 100 M61 Vulcan Cannons, 338 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems amongst ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Quadriga [Germany]

  Programme Background Under Project Quadriga, Berlin is seeking a replacement for its 33 Typhoon Tranche 1. Furthermore, Germany is offering its Tranche 1 fleet to ...

• AEW&C

  Airbus A330 AWACS (India)

  Programme Background India is planning to increase its AEW&C; capabilities with indigenous radar systems. IAF has requested to procure six Airbus 330 airliner to host ...

• ISR/special mission

  MC-27J - Algeria

  Programme Background Algeria has a long standing ISR aircraft requirement to support its Beech 1900 fleet comprised of six aircraft. The new ISR fleet is ...

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

  ISTAR UAS project [Canada]

  Programme Background Objective The Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) main significant UAV project is the RCN Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Unmanned Aircraft System (RCN ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Project Halcon I [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Air Force began requirements assessments, although potential suppliers including Boeing (F/A-18E/F), Lockheed Martin (F-35), Airbus-BAE-Leonardo (Eurofighter Typhoon) are already engaged with ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

  Programme Background Five prototypes will be manufactured for developmental tests. Indian Air Force will buy 36 AMCA Mark-I aircraft from 2029-30. The Mark-I configuration will ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan [Pakistan]

  Programme Background On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the PN’s soon-to-retire ...

• Maritime patrol

  Sea Sultan - Forecast (Pakistan)

  Programme Background On 10 January 2020, Pakistan issued a tender for a single unconfigured long-range twin-jet MPA. In October 2020, Adm Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, the PN’s soon-to-retire ...

• Fighter - multirole

  H-X Fighter Programme (Finland)

  Programme Background In June 2020, Finnish MoD announced that the Hornet fleet life extension programme is neither cost-effective solution nor sufficient in terms of Finland’s ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• Frigates

  FFX Batch III - 1 [South Korea]

  Programme Background The new Chungnam-class (FFX Batch III) will consist of six new improved anti-aircraft detection vessels to replace the ageing escort and patrol ships ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multi Role Combat Aircraft [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) continues its quest to acquire a new multirole combat aircraft. Under the country’s Forces Goal 2030 plan, which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Grifo E

  The Grifo-E is an advanced fire-control radar developed by Leonardo, featuring Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology for enhanced situational awareness. It employs Active Electronically Scanned ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  KRONOS Grand Mobile HP

  The KRONOS GRAND Mobile HP is an upgraded version of the KRONOS Grand Mobile using GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology for the AESA antenna. The radar ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ELM-2090S

  IAI-ELTA's ELM-2090S Spectra is an S-band search and track radar designed to autonomously detect and simultaneously track Ballistic Missiles (BMs), Air Breathing Targets (ABT) and ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-79

  The AN/APG-79 is an agile beam radar with a solid-state digital array that scans at nearly the speed of light, enabling detection and tracking of ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Sea Fire Multi Function Radar

  The Sea Fire is a four-panel, multifunction, four-dimensional radar developed by Thales. The radar was designed to conduct ship self-defence, extended air defence missions, and ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  KRONOS Land

  KRONOS is a mobile multifunctional C-band radar system designed by Leonardo to support air and coastal defence tactical operations.  The system simultaneously performs surveillance, dedicated target ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  TRS-4D Fixed Panel

  The TRS-4D Fixed Panel is the fixed panel version of the TRS-4D, manufactured by Hensoldt. It is a three-dimensional multi-functional naval radar designed for surveillance ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems, Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Arexis

  Arexis is an ECM, ISR and radar warning receiver (RWR) concept developed by Saab to support fighter aircraft requirements. It provides situational awareness for self-protection through its RWR, and tactical support ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  TMMR

  The Tactical Multi-Mission Radar (TMMR) is Leonardo’s C-band AESA radar designed for detecting, classifying, and tracking small, high-maneuvering targets. It’s designed for various applications, including counter-UAS, ...

• Land: air defence radar

  iMOTR

  The Innovative Multiple-Object Tracking Radar (iMOTR) system has been designed to provide military test ranges with more accurate time, space and position information for several ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  ELM-2052

  The ELM-2052 is an X-band active electronically scanned array fire control radar designed for air-to-air superiority and advanced strike missions. The system features solid-state active ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-6(V) AMDR

  Raytheon’s Air and Missile Defence Radar (AMDR), now officially designated as AN/SPY-6(V), was purchased by the USN to equip the three new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Weapon Locating Radar

  The Weapon Locating Radar (TPQ-74K), developed by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), designed to address North Korea's artillery threats. This radar system can ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  NS100

  The NS100 is a four-dimensional naval air surveillance and three-dimensional surface surveillance radar manufactured by Thales in the Netherlands. It can also provide weapons support ...

• Land: air defence radar

  GM400a

  The Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) is an 3D long-range air surveillance radar manufactured by Thales. It operates at an S-band frequency and offers an ...