• Naval Warfare

  HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding launches latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

  16th August 2023

  Ingalls Shipbuilding has launched the USN's third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), bringing it one step closer to service entry.

• Air Warfare

  F-35 Lightning II: key facts about the world's most popular fifth-generation fighter jet

  18th September 2023

  This growing family of F-35 operators exemplifies the power of collective effort, fostering stronger diplomatic ties and contributing to the evolution of modern aerial warfare on a global scale.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus boosts UAS portfolio with Aerovel acquisition and vertical takeoff drone

  17th January 2024

  Airbus Helicopters has acquired Aerovel and its VTOL UAS to advance the development of its own platforms including the VSR700.

• Land Warfare

  Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression

  22nd November 2024

  Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.

• Naval Warfare

  Peruvian Navy boosted by shipyard SIMA’s progress

  9th January 2024

  SIMA has been manufacturing vessels and modernising submarines to expand the capabilities of the Peruvian Navy’s fleet.

• Air Warfare

  Malaysia inks $1.48 billion in support deals for submarines and aircraft

  9th May 2024

  The deals signed ranged from submarine and aircraft support to the purchase of maritime patrol aircraft and anti-tank weapons.

• Naval Warfare

  Norwegian navy ready to make decision on frigate life support contract

  22nd September 2023

  The future maintenance and modification of the Royal Norwegian Navy’s (RNoN’s) four remaining Fridjtof Nansen-class frigates is to be decided by the end of the year.

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems awarded contract from USN for next-generation interrogator

  27th July 2023

  BAE Systems has secured a $15 million contract from the USN to deliver its advanced digital interrogator for maritime vessels, enhancing situational awareness and reducing friendly fire incidents.

• Defence Notes

  Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention

  12th March 2024

  As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.

• 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.

• Naval Warfare

  Planning begins for Harry S Truman overhaul and refuelling

  29th January 2024

  A total of 10 Nimitz-class were built by Newport New Shipbuilding with the last one entering service in January 2009. The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) entered service in 1998 with an out-of-service date of the early 2060s.

• Training

  Australia deploys F-35s as part of Indonesian military exercise

  10th October 2023

  The deployment involved planning and executing air combat exercise missions, including offensive and defensive counter-air missions, basic fighter manoeuvres, and air-to-air refuelling with a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircrat.

• Digital Battlespace

  German military introduces central command and new cyber branch

  5th April 2024

  The German defence minister claimed the reforms would mean the 2025 military budget would require an additional €6.5 billion (US$7 billion).

• Air Warfare

  US to boost Iraqi forces and Peshmerga air defence against Iran-backed threats

  19th December 2023

  In response to persistent missile and drone attacks predominantly carried out by Iran and its allied militias, the US has embarked on a strategic initiative to bolster Iraqi forces' air defence capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: How the P-8 Poseidon has conquered the maritime patrol aircraft market

  6th September 2023

  Shephard Defence Insight analyses the success story of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft that has captured international interest, detailing its variants, operators and unit cost.

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, 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 ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk (India)

  Programme Background On 25 February 2020, a letter of acceptance for 24 MH-60Rs, worth approximately $2.12 billion, was signed by India and the US in Delhi. ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

  Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

• 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 ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Selected) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments - Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in ...

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

  MQ-25 Stingray (Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Initial Requirments -  Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Despite the abovementioned goal, the programme did not begin with this in mind. ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

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

  Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class Frigates Procurement [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy (HN) seeks to modernize its Fleet by 2032 with second-hand and newly built ships. The main goal is to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Anti-ship missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

  The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship and land-attack missile. The original name was the Nytt sjømålsmissil, but this was later dropped ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Low Band Transmitter

  The Low Band Transmitter-Antenna Group (LBT-AG), developed by Cobham, has been in production since 2005. The LBT is designed to protect strike aircraft, ships and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed to perform naval strike missions for the USN. The primary mission for the F/A-18E/F is a strike fighter that ...

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

  MQ-8B Fire Scout

  The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

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

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  AGM-119B Penguin Mk 2

  The Norwegian AGM-119 ('Penguin') is a third-generation, all-digital ASM system, with a 360° open firing arc at all times and fully autonomous and passive during ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigate

  During Indo Pacific 2023, BAE Systems Australia unveiled a Guided Missile variant of the Hunter-class frigate (ASW). Compared to the baseline ASW configuration, the proposed ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 212CD

  Norway is to get four new Type 212CD ‘common design’ submarines to replace the existing Ula-class SSKs after it selected German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ...

• Destroyers

  Zumwalt Class

  The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class is formed by a series of next-generation multi-role destroyers 21st century. They were designed to host the latest in sensors and weapons ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  SCOTT

  The Synthetic Cognition for Operational Team Training (SCOTT) system was developed for the USN to train teamwork and communication skills for E-2C flight crews interfacing ...

• Air: aerial targets

  GQM-163A Coyote SSST

  The GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) was developed for the USN to emulate two-stage anti-ship cruise missiles in support of air defence weapon/combat ...

• Trainer

  Saab 340 trainer

  The Saab 340 trainer aircraft is based on the Saab 340 regional airliner. It is used by the USN for pilot training. The aircraft replaced ...

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-HAUV

  The Bluefin Hovering AUV (HAUV) is a two-man system used for ship hull and infrastructure inspection, port and harbour security and MCM. Operators are able ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar

  AN/APS-147

  The AN/APS-147 is a multi-mode maritime inverse synthetic aperture radar for the Sikorsky MH-60R. It provides target imaging, small target/periscope detection and long-range surveillance, as ...