• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ground-breaking IRIX loitering munition unveiled at DEFEA 2023, bolstering Greece’s defence industry and military capabilities (Studio)

  11th May 2023

  The IRIX has been designed as a robust yet cost-effective loitering munition and embodies Paramount’s portable production concept.

• Land Warfare

  Why the British Army may be doomed to fail in high-intensity conflicts

  13th July 2023

  Former Chiefs of Defence Staff warn that capability gaps as well as budget and stockpile issues are putting the readiness of the UK armed forces in jeopardy.

• Land Warfare

  How NATO countries plan to overcome ammunition shortages

  28th March 2023

  Measures include ramping up production, facilitating acquisitions, improving infrastructure and logistics and increasing cooperation and joint procurements.

• Air Warfare

  Capewell Europe details UK Large Boat Aerial Delivery pitch

  16th June 2023

  Capewell’s solution for airdropping boats builds upon decades of engineering and manufacturing expertise for aerial delivery.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: Is the Bayraktar TB2 UAV living up to expectations?

  15th September 2023

  Sold to well over 20 countries and combat-proven in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine and elsewhere, the Bayraktar TB2 has been an export success for its Turkish manufacturer. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the aircraft's design and capabilities and reviews in depth who is buying it and why.

• Training

  Sweden green-lights Gripen training for Ukraine, no jets offered

  26th May 2023

  Sweden and Ukraine still need to agree on formal details before training on the Swedish combat aircraft can begin, but Stockholm said the planned move does not mean Gripens will be given to Ukraine.

• Air Warfare

  Canada to quadruple aerial tanker fleet with nine CC-330 Husky multi-role aircraft

  26th July 2023

  The significant expansion of strategic air-to-air refuelling capability is set to strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces' operational reach and enhance its ability to support more missions, with specific focus on the High North.

• Land Warfare

  MBDA strikes $2.4 billion anti-air deal with Poland

  2nd May 2023

  Poland has announced a $2.4-billion deal with the UK arm of Europe’s MBDA for 44 iLauncher anti-air platforms and several hundred CAMM missiles.

• Defence Notes

  SOF Week 2023: USSOCOM chief highlights special forces lessons learned from Ukraine relationship

  15th May 2023

  USSOCOM Commander Gen Bryan P Fenton has highlighted the importance of relationship-building between US SOF and their Ukrainian counterparts since 2014.

• Land Warfare

  UK no longer able to manufacture large-calibre gun barrels, BAE Systems admits

  8th June 2023

  The UK may need to cannibalise stored Challenger tanks and AS90 howitzers to source replacement barrels for platforms sent to Ukraine as no manufacturing capability currently exists.

• Naval Warfare

  Future Naval Strike Missile to have land and sea attack capabilities

  25th May 2023

  A joint Norwegian-German project to develop a Future Naval Strike Missile (FNSM) will produce a weapon with both sea and land strike capabilities, Shephard understands.

• Naval Warfare

  Communications and ES measures on board for strategic advantages (Sponsored)

  22nd June 2023

  Moving towards sixth generation technologies with a demand for high data rate exchange, ad-hoc creation of multi-point links, permanent cryptology and more knowledge.

• Air Warfare

  NATO air forces need to focus on air superiority and ‘realistic’ training

  30th March 2023

  At the RUSI Combat Air Conference 2023, experts and senior air force personnel openly talked about the lessons air forces learned from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. NATO air arms must focus on SEAD/DEAD missions, stockpiling ammunition and air superiority.

• Training

  Sweden starts largest military exercise in over 25 years

  20th April 2023

  Exercise Aurora 23 involves over 26,000 soldiers from 14 countries, including the US and European members of NATO.

• Air Warfare

  Nordic nations plan to jointly operate air forces

  24th March 2023

  Four Scandinavian countries have signed a joint declaration to strengthen the air defence of the region in the face of a heightened Russian threat.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  Programme Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Data links

  Data links | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

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

  Small VTOL UAV (Denmark)

  Programme Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirement The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35 (Russia)

  The MiG-35 is a new-generation derivative of the twin-engine MiG-29 (NATO code-name ‘Fulcrum’) featuring multi-role combat capabilities, significantly reworked airframe and a vastly expanded arsenal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  In June 2024, during a presentation provided at the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE), the Italian Navy detailed the new capabilities it ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  In June 2024, during a presentation provided at the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE), the Italian Navy detailed the new capabilities it ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

• Data links

  Data links | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Jamming and Escort Electronic Attack Aircraft (luWES) [Germany]

  Under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme, Germany is committed to NATO to provide 15 electronic warfare escort aircraft to support its aerial jamming capability, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  ARRC C2IS

  In August 2006, the UK MoD appointed Thales as prime contractor for the delivery of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) – Command Control and ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO SATCOM

  Leonardo has been awarded a turnkey contract to rationalise and upgrade NATO’s SATCOM systems and associated infrastructure. The company will design, build, test, commission and ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO DCIS

  Airbus is delivering the NATO Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS). The project represents a major upgrade in the capability of NATO Response Forces (NRF) ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS. The Qimek NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS, which was introduced in 2008. The Nanuk NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range ...

• Major networking projects

  EAC

  The NATO Communications and Information Agency awarded ACTIA Sodielec a contract in June 2013 to provide NATO with an Extended Advanced SATCOM Network Monitoring and ...

• Air: mission management systems

  LC2IS

  The contract to supply Land Command and Control Information Services (LC2IS) for the NATO Command Structure was awarded to Thales by NATO NC3A and achieved ...

• Major networking projects

  Air Policing

  Air Policing is a collective peacetime mission that requires NATO to take action against all violations and infringements of its airspace using agreed procedures. Supreme ...

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• Land: handheld day observation, surveillance and targeting systems

  LRM 1500M/1800S/2200SI

  Laser rangefinder monoculars combine laser measurement, optics and controls. The LRM 1500M is for users requiring basic functionality. It has a measurement range of 1,500m ...

• Major networking projects

  NCIRC

  Leonardo, together with Northrop Grumman, has undertaken a contract for the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency to develop, implement and support the NATO Computer ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons, Multipurpose missiles

  9M117 Bastion

  The 9M117 Bastion is an antitank missile used in a number of separate weapon systems, such as the 9K116-1 Bastion (NATO reporting name: AT-10 Stabber) and the 9K118 ...

• Major networking projects

  SCCOA

  ThalesRaytheonSystems is providing the French Air Force with key components of the SCCOA (Système de commandement et de conduite des opérations aériennes) programme. This provides ...

• Fighter - ground attack

  Su-22

  The Su-22 (NATO designation Fitter) is a swing-wing ground-attack aircraft developed by Sukhoi as the export variant of Su-17 designed to meet the Soviet military ...

• Major networking projects

  Air and Missile Defence

  NATO Air and Missile Defence comprises all measures aimed at monitoring and reacting to potential air threats in NATO airspace, as well as countering hostile ...