• Naval Warfare

  UPDATED: Damen and Thales to deliver ASW frigates for Belgium and Netherlands

  5th July 2023

  Damen and Thales have signed contracts to design, build, and deliver four new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates for Belgium and the Netherlands.

• Naval Warfare

  Insight: How rising tensions have fuelled the Type 26 frigate's development

  12th September 2023

  Slated to enter service in the late 2020s, the Type 26 frigate addresses the pressing need for enhanced ASW capabilities, particularly in light of heightened tensions with Russia. Shephard Defence Insight analyses the design and its equipment fit.

• Naval Warfare

  Defence AI company Helsing envisions benefits for ASW, amplifying sensor capabilities

  24th July 2023

  According to defence AI company Helsing, the technology could improve how navies conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.

• Air Warfare

  India tightens American ties with Reaper and fighter engine procurements

  26th June 2023

  India has been mulling Reapers for years, and it will probably take another two years before a deal is sealed.

• Naval Warfare

  SOF Week 2023: US special forces kick off search for new multi-role watercraft

  11th May 2023

  US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has kickstarted initial planning for a second-generation Combatant Craft Medium (CCM), according to service officials.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo delivers first ECRS Mk2 radar prototype for RAF Typhoon fleet

  21st April 2023

  The new European Common Radar System Mk2 features a multi-functional array that can perform traditional radar functions and EW tasks as well.

• Air Warfare

  New $156 million deal to advance UK aircrew training

  8th June 2023

  The initiative under the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) will equip Royal Navy observers and Royal Air Force weapon system officers with the skills to operate advanced aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  Indian clearance for AMCA prototypes draws closer

  21st April 2023

  India's AMCA fighter programme inches forward - awaited is approval to produce prototypes.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Greece gets new Israeli Orbiter 3 drones under Spike deal

  18th April 2023

  Aeronautics will supply Greece with its Orbiter 3 UAV as part of a government-to-government contract for Rafael’s Spike missiles.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit weapon systems to equip more Romanian Piranha vehicles

  2nd March 2023

  Elbit Systems has been awarded a follow-on contract for turrets, remote weapon stations and 120mm mortars for Romanian Armed Forces' Piranha V vehicles.

• Land Warfare

  EOS of Australia to deliver one hundred RWS to Ukraine

  3rd April 2023

  Ukraine's army will add up to 100 remote-controlled weapon stations to armoured vehicles, according to a contract with EOS in Australia.

• Air Warfare

  India approves more capable LCA Mk2 fighter

  9th September 2022

  HAL will design and develop the ultimate version of the Tejas - the Mk2 - for the Indian Air Force.

• Land Warfare

  Australian Boxers ready to fight after IOC awarded

  18th October 2022

  Rheinmetall has not delivered any Australian-assembled Boxers yet, but IOC has been declared for the first 25 examples manufactured in Germany.

• Naval Warfare

  Everything you need to know about France's FDI frigate

  3rd November 2022

  France's first Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) ship, Amiral Ronarc'h, is the first of eight being built at Naval Group's Lorient shipyard for the French and Greek navies.

• Land Warfare

  Philippines bulks up on combat engineering and logistics equipment

  5th October 2022

  Heavy logistics trucks and armoured combat engineer vehicles are the latest items on the shopping list of the Philippine Army.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Reconnaissance Drone (Ukraine Aid) [Belgium]

  Programme Background Aid Package On Friday, 15 March 2024, Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder announced the country's latest aid package to Ukraine to help the country ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Data links

  Data links | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Tejas LCA - India Follow-On

  Indian Air Force is planning to buy a total of 140 Tejas LCA to equip seven squadrons. Between 2006 and 2016, India’s Defence Acquisition Council authorised ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Romania Piranha V

  Programme Background The Romanian government has committed to raising defence spending to enable the country's armed forces to shed its Soviet-era equipment and to ensure ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Tejas LCA (India)

  Programme Background The Indian Navy was supposed to procure 50 Tejas LCAs, also known as the LCA-N. However, in 2017 the navy decided to abandon ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ajban Series (Algeria)

  Programme Background Algeria is believed to operate at least four variants of the Ajban platform: the standard Nimr Ajban fitted with either a Norinco UW1 ...

• 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 ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Caracal 4x4 Light Air Assault (Netherlands - Forecast)

  Programme Background As part of its Defence-wide Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles (DVOW), the Dutch Army initiated the 12kN AASLT Air Assault Vehicle procurement programme ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VCR (Batch 2) [Spain]

  Programme Background Purpose The VCR programme is to replace several legacy wheeled and tracked vehicles currently in service with the Spanish Army including the BMR-600 6x6, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VCR (Third Batch) [Spain]

  Programme Background Purpose The VCR programme is to replace several legacy wheeled and tracked vehicles currently in service with the Spanish Army including the BMR-600 ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Caracal 4x4 Light Air Assault (Netherlands)

  Programme Background As part of its Defence-wide Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles (DVOW), the Dutch Army initiated the 12kN AASLT Air Assault Vehicle procurement programme ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles, Special operations vehicles

  Caracal 4x4 Light Air Assault [Germany]

  Programme Background By 2017, the German Army's airborne forces had initiated two programmes to replace legacy equipment currently in service. The first of these programmes, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Corvettes

  FCX20

  The FCX20 has been revealed in 2022 Fincantieri's new FCX Naval Series. The FCX20 resembles a corvette-sized vessel with combat capabilities in all warfare domains (AAW, ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  Marte Mk 2/N

  Marte Mk2/N is a direct derivative of the proven and in-service Marte Mk2/S helicopter-launched anti-ship weapon system, both variants deploying the same Marte Mk2 missile.

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Athena MK2

  Produced by Leonardo, Athnena MK2 is a combat management system used by the Italian Navy. The suite has a surface variant (MK2/E) and a more advanced ...

• OPVs

  Musherib Class (FCX07)

  Fincantieri is building two OPVs for the Qatari Emiri Navy as part of a larger seven-vessel €4 billion ($4.67 billion) contract involving four corvettes and one ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  Teseo Mk2/E

  The Teseo Mk2/E, which incorporates land-attack capabilities, is the latest evolution of the Otomat/Teseo anti-ship weapon family and is set to replace the legacy Mk2/A ...

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

  TSA Fantom MK2

  The TSA Fantom Mk2 is a small, in-development fixed-wing drone from Thunderstrike. It has two variants: the TSA Fantom Mk2 FW and the TSA Fantom ...

• EO/IR systems, Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  MX-GCS Mk2

  The MX-GCS Mk2 is an improved variant of the MX-GCS Mk2 1, an above-armour gunner or commander sight that enables armoured vehicles to detect, identify, track ...

• Land: manned turrets

  UT30 MK2/MT30

  Leveraging its experience producing the UT30 turret for armoured vehicles, Elbit developed the UT30 MK2, which is available in an unmanned (UT30 MK2) and a ...

• Military UGVs

  Cobra Mk2

  The Cobra Mk2 is a 5kg UGV designed for EOD/IED disposal and CBRN operations. The modular architecture of the Cobra Mk2 E supports different types of ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles, Special operations vehicles

  HMT Extenda Mk2

  Unveiled at DSEI 2019, the High Mobility Transporter (HMT) Extenda Mk2 is an open-topped armoured vehicle designed to support SOF. Like the original Extenda, the ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Smart-S Mk 2

  The Smart-S Mk2 is a three-dimensional naval air and surface surveillance radar manufactured by Aselsan and Thales. The transmit and receive modules are produced by ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Fortress Mk2

  Unveiled in June 2020, Arquus' Fortress Mk2 is the second variant of its Fortress Armoured Personnel Carrier. Offering STANAG Level 3 protection whilst retaining a low ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ajban Mk2

  The Ajban Mk2 is an evolution of Nimr's Ajban 440A 4x4 armoured vehicle platform that builds upon technology developed for the Ajban 447A prototype. Designed ...

• Land: RWS

  R400S-Mk2

  The R400S-Mk2 is a stabilised RWS that can be fitted to wheeled or tracked vehicles.  Developed to mount the Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems M230LF lightweight ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Hafeet Mk2

  The Hafeet Mk2 is an evolution of Nimr's first-generation Hafeet family of multi-role 6x6 armoured vehicles. Designed to provide greater payload, protection, mobility, and modularity over ...