• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Parrot to produce SRR prototypes for US Army

  16th April 2020

  Parrot Drones has passed another milestone in the US Short Range Reconnaissance UAV programme. As part of its preparation for the final stage of the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Parrot to produce SRR prototypes for US Army

  16th April 2020

  Parrot Drones has passed another milestone in the US Short Range Reconnaissance UAV programme. As part of its preparation for the final stage of the …

• Air Warfare

  USMC adjusts its air power priorities

  4th May 2020

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, …

• Air Warfare

  Leidos offers Orbiter to Australian Army

  7th April 2020

  Leidos Australia announced on 7 April the UAV platform that it is offering for the Australian Army's Project Land 129 Phase 3 requirement for a new …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAV Navigation FCS integrated with Sky Power Engines

  3rd April 2020

  Spain-based UAV Navigation has teamed up with Germany’s Sky Power to design modernised flight control solutions (FCS). As a result, the FCS used by UAV …

• Defence Notes

  USMC must transform to compete with China

  14th May 2020

  The US Marine Corps has a long and storied history in the Pacific, but the rise of China’s military is forcing the corps to either react …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ROKAF receives second Global Hawk

  23rd April 2020

  The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) is now in receipt of half its Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 30 fleet after a second Global Hawk …

• Land Warfare

  Germany to gain artillery upgrade

  15th April 2020

  The German Army plans to enhance its indirect-fire capability by upgrading its legacy PzH 2000 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled (SP) howitzer, procuring new systems and …

• Special Operations

  MMP makes its mark in Mali

  17th April 2020

  The French Army has disclosed details regarding the use of MBDA’s Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) land combat missile system on operations in West Africa. Speaking …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway receives first Black Hornet vehicle recce system

  30th March 2020

  The first Black Hornet nano-UAV vehicle reconnaissance system (BH VRS) has been delivered to Norway. A spokesperson for manufacturer FLIR told Shephard that the VRS unit …

• Air Warfare

  Sukhoi prepares for Su-57 deliveries

  6th April 2020

  Sukhoi Corporation plans to start deliveries this year of its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter for the Russian Aerospace Forces despite the December 2019 crash of a test aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  India develops its first man-portable tethered UAV

  24th March 2020

  With armed and unarmed UAVs for the military a focus under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for defence equipment, Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) has …

• Training

  General Atomics installs Predator Mission Trainer at FTTC

  27th March 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical has installed a new Predator MQ-9 Block 5 UAV trainer at the Flight Test and Training Centre (FTTC) at Grand Forks, North …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Uavos and KACTS demonstrate remote operation for Saker-1B

  27th March 2020

  UAVOS and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) had demonstrated their jointly developed flight control system for the Saker-1B UAS. The new system …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Coyote Block 2 UAV killer on target for IOC and sales

  17th March 2020

  Raytheon expects to begin full-rate production of Coyote Block 2 (pictured), a counter-UAS (C-UAS) UAV which is used with the Howler C-UAS system, in 2020. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Intra-Theatre Lift [UK]

  Programme Background  Relationship to the Heavy Lift Challange The Royal Navy (RN) embarked on the Heavy Lift Challenge, now called the Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC), to explore ...

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

  Carrier-UAV: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

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

  StormShroud: Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) [UK]

  Background Autonomous Collaboration Platform (ACP) Strategy Reflecting on lessons learned from the cancellation of the Mosquito programme, the Royal Air Force (RAF) redefined the role ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Mini UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  Mini UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates ...

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

  Micro UAV - Land Exploration and Reconnaissance Vehicle (VERT) [Spain]

  Background VERT In June 2025, the Spanish Government announced a €72 million (US$82.5 million) investment in the Vehículo de exploración y reconocimiento terrestre (VERT), which translates to the land exploration ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Mi2 Challenge [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The USN wants a UAV to be flown in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment; since it would be launched ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV (Bulgaria)

  Programme Background The Bulgarian Army wants to procure UAVs to enhance the organic tactical ISR capabilities of its ground forces. According to Bulgarian media, a ...

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

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

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

  Thor [Israel]

  Background Various Contracts On 3 December 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced it had purchased “advanced drones and autonomous systems” from Elbit Systems in various ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV (Malaysia)

  Programme Background Tender Issued As reported by Shephard, on 18 June 2021, Malaysia issued a tender for fixed-wing hybrid VTOL UAVs.  Requirement The tender stated that Malaysia required ...

• Military UAS - small

  Penguin C (Latvia)

  Programme Background In 2018, the Latvian MoD signed an agreement with Latvian companies UAV Factory and Atlas Aerospace to procure UAVs for the LNAF. Under ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Family of UAVs [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background RfP The Bangladesh Army released a 106-page tender document to gather information about different platforms that would enable the force to "standardise" its UAV ...

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

  Tempest 50 [USAF]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 18 December 2024, the US DoD announced that the USAF had awarded Firestorm Labs a $100 million Small Business Innovation Research ...

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

  UAV-2 Gavilan [Ecuador]

  Background Domestic Development Development of the UAV-2 Gavilan by CIDFAE began in 2009, with the FAE unveiling the UAV in 2014. Reportedly, the FAE has five ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  AR5

  First announced in October 2012, the AR5 is a MALE UAS designed for SAR, surveillance and maritime patrol missions. The AR5 can be flown manually or commanded ...

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

  ARX

  Unveiled at Xponential 2024, the ARX is a fixed-wing drone developed by Tekever.  It features common electronics and software with other Tekever drones. Unlike those ...

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

  AR3

  The AR3, or AR3 Net Ray, is an autonomous small-UAS designed to support land-based and maritime missions.  In May 2025, the Royal Air Force announced ...

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

  AR2 Carcará

  The AR2 Carcará is a hand- or catapult-launched mini-UAV designed to support search and rescue, surveillance and patrol operations in amphibious and maritime environments. It is ...

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

  AR4

  The AR4 is a hand-launched mini-UAS designed for rapid mobile deployment. Manufactured by Tekever, the UAS is suitable for both military and commercial ISTAR applications.  A ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

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

  VTOL UAV

  The Defence Technology Institute launched the VTOL UAV R&D; project in cooperation with the Naval Research and Development Office, Royal Thai Navy and private sector ...

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

  MCOM UAV

  The Mundo Compuesto (MCOM) UAV is a fixed-wing UAV designed to provide surveillance during both day and night for military and security force users. It uses ...

• Universal UAV

  Universal UAV is designed for multiple missions in the field of surveillance and reconnaissance, monitoring forest fires or fisheries. It consists of a carbon-fibre composite ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  UAV TRS

  Celestia’s UAV Tactical Recovery System (TRS) assures controlled and safe landing of a UAV at a pre-designated GPS location. It can be deployed on command ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Simulators

  Elbit Systems has developed simulation systems to train personnel in UAV operation, from generic UAV training for initial screening procedures up to full mission, high-fidelity ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Training

  Resource UAS offers a range of UAV training, from foundation courses to live flying on a range of aircraft. Each can be tailored to suit ...

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

  E-UAV

  In October 2021, the Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB) unveiled the E-UAV at the Artificial Intelligence Defense Technology and Cyber Security Exhibition and Conference (AIDTSEC). The UAV is ...