• Air Warfare

  QinetiQ to build silent hangar for UK to test GPS jamming resilience

  22nd August 2024

  The hangar will allow for rigorous testing of technologies on modern defence assets, without allowing jamming signals to escape into the wild.

• Land Warfare

  Germany outlines recent contributions to Ukraine and future plans

  9th January 2024

  Germany, which has delivered vehicles, tanks, ammunition and other equipment to the Ukraine, is looking to deliver more of the same along with small arms and UAVs.

• Defence Notes

  How temporary funding could affect the US military’s critical acquisition programmes

  25th September 2024

  Operating under continuing resolutions would affect Patriot, Virginia-class, Columbia-class and B-21 programmes.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences

  10th April 2024

  Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.

• Air Warfare

  The Netherlands selects Airboxer UAV

  27th February 2024

  Manufactured by High Eye, the Airboxer, or HEF 32, is a rotary-wing VTOL UAS designed to conduct maritime ISR applications. Powered by a twin-cylinder petrol engine and following a classic single-rotor helicopter configuration it can carry a payload up to 5kg.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall eyes German Army requirement with new artillery rocket system

  19th June 2024

  The GMARS wheeled artillery rocket launcher offers greater mobility than the tracked M270 MLRS and double the firepower of the M142 HIMARS, and can support next-generation munitions. Germany has a requirement for 70 launchers and many other NATO armies are looking to renew or supplement their indirect fire capabilities.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First flights of Rattler Supersonic Target prove successful

  20th March 2024

  The US Department of Defense (DoD), along with QinetiQ, successfully conducted the first flights of the Rattler Supersonic Target MkI marking a significant advance in supersonic target technology.

• Naval Warfare

  Ecuador turns to local shipyard and international suppliers for military platforms

  15th February 2024

  As Ecuador attempts to combat so-called “terrorist networks”, the country has turned to the US and Turkey for equipment, while domestic construction and acquisition of new naval platforms has remained a slow process.

• Land Warfare

  Armed drone protection to be added to Iron Fist and Trophy

  3rd June 2024

  Two Israeli-made APS platforms have been in the process of being upgraded following a request from the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD).

• Air Warfare

  Saab charts course for next-gen Swedish fighter

  22nd March 2024

  Studies on future fighters conducted by Saab and the FMV will aim to explore technologies and operational concepts, including crewed and uncrewed systems.

• Digital Battlespace

  Ukraine taps into its citizens for ISTAR information

  2nd May 2024

  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 saw the country quickly establish a situational awareness system to support targeting and provide information to frontline troops.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales strengthens focus on digital trust environments for military operations

  4th April 2024

  At the Future Soldier Technology Conference, Thales Land Communications highlighted the necessity of establishing a digital trust environment to enhance armed forces’ decision-making and operational resilience.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2023: MARSS releases details on C-UAS takedown success and more uses for system

  18th September 2023

  C-UAS company MARSS has released imagery of its latest takedown of a small drone using its Interceptor Medium Rage (MR) UAV and displayed further concepts of operation as it moves closer to fielding the Interceptor and looks to leverage its NiDAR radar system.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2023: How the MQ-9 Reaper UAS came to rule the skies

  10th November 2023

  Ahead of the 2023 edition of the Dubai Airshow, Shephard looks at the GA-ASI MQ-9A Reaper UAS, its role in shaping modern conflict dynamics, and its deployment for surveillance and precision strike throughout the Middle East.

• Air Warfare

  Brazil’s first Gripen F reaches final assembly line as delivery edges closer

  20th May 2024

  A concrete delivery timeline for the first Saab JAS 39F Gripen two-seater for Brazil has yet to be confirmed, but with the fighter now in the final assembly stage and undergoing testing, delivery could come soon.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

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

  Mini Reconnaissance Drones [Lithuania]

  Programme Background Planned Purchases On 14 September 2022, the Lithuanian MoD announced in a short statement on Twitter, now X, that it had begun organising ...

• 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 - small

  Small Reconnaissance Drones [Lithuania]

  Programme Background Planned Purchases On 14 September 2022, the Lithuanian MoD announced in a short statement on Twitter, now X, that it had begun organising ...

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

  Company Level Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (SUAS) Directed Requirement (DR) [US Army]

  Programme Background Requirement The US Army approved the Co-Level SUAS DR acquisition in June 2023 to supply Brigade Combat Teams with an "immediate, commercially available capability" to ...

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

  Skeldar V-200 (ASW) [Canada]

  Programme Background Contract Award At Euronaval 2022, Shephard reported that UMS Skeldar and Ultra had been awarded a Phase 2 contract on 19 October to provide ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Replicator 2 [US]

  Programme Background 1.0 The Replicator programme is a US effort to field thousands of attritable, autonomous systems across multiple domains before the end of 2025 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an organic, on-demand ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  DEF129 Nano UAS [Australia]

  Programme Background DEF129 The Australian Ground Service has combined various army procurement efforts under the DEF129 programme to increase the abundance and proliferation of UAVs ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Mini) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a mini-UAS capable ...

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

  Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) [Canada]

  Programme Background Programme Inception The Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Joint Unmanned Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (JUSTAS) project was established to procure a UAS for ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Mine-protected vehicles

  CLRV

  Programme Background Requirement The Luxembourg MoD wants to replace the Luxembourg Army's fleet of 42 AM General M1151 HMMWV Up-Armoured (UA) and 48 KMW Dingo ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Micro) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a micro-UAS capable ...

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

  RQ-20 Puma (Belgium)

  Programme Background Requirement The Belgian MoD outlined plans to procure more mini and tactical UAS in its Strategic Vision for Defence published in 2016. According ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Counter-UAS systems

  C-UAS Solution

  The C-UAS Solution uses goniometry, radar technologies and various sensors to detect and remove UAS from the air. So far, the solution has been proven effective against ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Airfence 5.0

  Airfence 5.0 is a C-UAS RF technology released by Sensofusion. It is designed to protect airports, personnel, prisons and private companies from rogue UAS in ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Cobham C-UAS

  Unveiled at the AUVSI 2017 trade show in Dallas, Texas, the Cobham C-UAS primarily consists of wideband omnidirectional, directional helix (single- or dual-band), directional flat ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Skylock C-UAS

  Skylock, an Avnon Group company, has developed a C-UAS system that is intended to bring sensors, jammers and a laser effector into a single deployable ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Howler C-UAS

  Developed by Raytheon, the Howler is a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), which includes a Ku-band Radio Frequency Sensor (KuRFS), a command-and-control system, and a Coyote ...

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

  Penguin C VTOL

  The Penguin C VTOL is the VTOL version of the Penguin C MIL Mk2; hence it is sometimes called the Penguin C Mk2 VTOL. Edge ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Pitbull C-UAS Jammer

  In June 2018, MyDefence launched the Pitbull wearable C-UAS solution, which utilises smart jamming to defeat enemy drones. Pitbull was developed to have a minimal ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  SkyTracker

  SkyTracker is a technology suite that detects, identifies, tracks and mitigates UAS threats. The system provides continuous 24h automated monitoring in all weather conditions. The ...

• Freya

  An easy-to-use system which requires minimal training, Freya can be operated in difficult situations and weather conditions, including strong winds and mountainous areas. A tracker ...

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

  ATLAS C4EYE

  The Advanced Technology Light Acquisition System (ATLAS) C4EYE is the smallest UAS developed by C-Astral Aerospace. Part of the Bramor family of UAS, the Atlas ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  C-UAS Operator Assist

  Operator Assist software contributes to force protection by utilising algorithms to detect and track objects in the air and on the ground. This increases the ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Falcon

  Unveiled at IDEX 2019, Falcon is a short-to-medium range ground-based air defence system, including C-RAM and C-UAS capabilities. The Falcon consists of Lockheed Martin's Skykeeper ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  X-MADIS

  The eXpeditionary Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (X-MADIS) is a portable, fully integrated C-UAS system for fixed site, mobile and on-the-move operations. Combining four all-threat ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  İhtar

  The İhtar anti-drone system consists of a radar, EO and jamming systems designed to counter mini-UAS and is available in fixed and deployable configurations. It ...

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

  Stream C

  Stream C is an updated version of the original Stream UAS developed by Threod Systems. Designed for military use, it can carry a multi-sensor package ...