• Air Warfare

  Saudi Arabia's bid to join GCAP: divisions, financial clout and geopolitical stakes

  17th August 2023

  Saudi Arabia could only bring money to GCAP at this stage as it has 'no aircraft industry, let alone a technological base, so involving [it] as a prime partner generates considerable risk and potential delays', experts tell Shephard.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy experiments ship Patrick Blackett gets into its stride

  22nd May 2023

  Having already embarked two experimental capabilities and achieved certification, the UK RN's research ship XV Patrick Blackett is expanding the horizon for the navy's efforts to test and trial new technologies.

• Training

  IT2EC 2023: Get ready to explore the future of military training and simulation in Rotterdam

  17th April 2023

  The IT2EC military training and simulation event returns to Rotterdam in April 2023. Sanjay Khetia, director of PLEXSYS and chairman of IT2EC told Shephard what attendees can expect when visiting the show this year.

• Training

  ATI takes key role in US Army training innovation

  2nd February 2023

  Advanced Technology International will focus on modelling, simulation, training and experimental validation to enhance the US Army and allied nations' mission readiness with the Training and Readiness Accelerator II vehicle.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK Royal Navy buys autonomous uncrewed submarine

  1st December 2022

  The UK Royal Navy envisages large uncrewed submarines will one day operate alongside their crewed counterparts.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  How cargo containers for UAVs can improve resupply capabilities

  22nd November 2022

  Describing its technology as akin to shipping containers for UAVs, TB2 Aerospace believes its cargo system for drones could yield benefits for tactical resupply.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2022: VRAI to collaborate with Microsoft on next-gen sim capabilities

  28th November 2022

  VRAI has previous experience with Microsoft Azure as the company built its foundation simulation data platform on it.

• Defence Notes

  UK government funds SME defence innovation with Defence Technology Exploitation Programme

  29th July 2022

  A new UK initiative seeks to harness the defence innovation potential of SMEs.

• Naval Warfare

  Podding along: Is the Royal Navy doing enough to move forward?

  1st November 2022

  At DSEI in 2021, Then Second Sea Lord VAdm Nick Hine spoke of the importance of the Royal Navy thinking differently as he outlined the Navy PODS concept and said the service needed to further in its transformation. One year on, has that happened?

• 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.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UK asks SeeByte to improve human-machine links for autonomous vessels

  30th August 2022

  A new proof-of-concept solution for the UK MoD will depict variations between predicted and actual USV behaviour during a mission.

• Training

  Farnborough 2022: Live exercises to move virtual very soon, says BAE Systems

  26th July 2022

  VRAI joins BAE Systems to further develop a single synthetic environment for multi-domain training in a virtual environment.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Proteus contract puts Leonardo on course to develop UK uncrewed VTOL hub

  29th July 2022

  Leonardo has outlined ambitious plans for its Yeovil site as it looks to advance VTOL UAS manufacturing.

• Naval Warfare

  ASW suite integrated on MSubs' XLUUV

  19th May 2022

  A host of technologies have been trialled with the XLUUV under a DASA-led effort.

• Training

  Farnborough 2022: Inzpire offers multi-domain operational training

  22nd July 2022

  UK-based Inzpire performed a concept demonstration overview at the Farnborough International Airshow, showing a virtual training solution that can improve multi-domain C2 operations.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Command Insertion Craft (CIC) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Navy is seeking a replacement for its fleet of LVPs Mk5 amphibious landing craft. The vessels entered service in the ...

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

  General-Purpose UAS [Australia]

  Programme Background Banned As reported by Shephard in August 2023, in the past, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) used commercial UAS from companies such as DJI for ...

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

  Project Air 7003 (Australia)

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - micro

  SnapShot

  Flare Bright manufactures the SnapShot. It is a small, light, ruggedised, unpowered micro UAS designed to capture instant aerial images in wind, adverse weather and constrained ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Bittium Tough SDR Handheld

  Bittium Tough SDR Handheld is a part of Bittium's Tough software-defined radio family. The transceiver supports Bittium's proprietary waveforms as well as ESSOR, and national ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular

  The Bittium Tough SDR is the latest member of Bittium’s product range and was launched in August 2017. The Bittium SDR family includes the handheld ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Bittium TAC WIN

  Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network (TAC WIN) is a high-data-rate system designed to create battlegroup IP networks as a backbone to support data and voice ...

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

  MQ-9B SkyGuardian / SeaGuardian

  Manufuted by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), the MQ-9B is an upgraded variant of the MQ-9A designed for ISR missions. The MQ-9B is split into ...