• Training

  UK plans to aid Ukraine with fighter jets meet reality as RAF struggles to train its own pilots

  9th February 2023

  UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said offering fighter jets to Ukraine is not 'off the table' and pledged to provide pilot training, while the Royal Air Force itself is struggling to get its own aviators through the training pipeline.

• Naval Warfare

  Belgium and Netherlands go Dutch on four billion Euro bill for new frigates

  4th April 2023

  Belgium and the Netherlands have agreed on plans to procure four new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates under the ASWF project.

• 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.

• Air Warfare

  Aeronautics to upgrade Finland's small UAS fleet as country cements NATO entry

  4th April 2023

  Israeli UAV manufacturer Aeronautics has signed a contract with the Finnish Defence Forces to upgrade the country's Orbiter 2 mini-UAS fleet.

• 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.

• Air Warfare

  India orders six additional Do 228 aircraft

  13th March 2023

  HAL will build another six Dornier 228 light transport aircraft for the Indian military.

• Naval Warfare

  Aurora partnership secures £22 million contract to provide expert support to Royal Navy fleets

  14th April 2023

  The UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agency has awarded a five-year, £22 million contract to the Aurora Engineering Partnership to provide support to Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleets.

• Land Warfare

  Guns aplenty as British Army accelerates plans for new artillery

  10th February 2023

  While no dates have been set in stone for an accelerated Mobile Fires Platform project or an interim capability, plenty of options exist for recapitalisation of British Army artillery.

• Training

  Bulgarian special forces and Royal Marines to enhance interoperability in joint training exercise

  13th April 2023

  Bulgaria's special forces have teamed up with the Royal Marines for their largest UK deployment in a decade.

• 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.

• Naval Warfare

  Are Australia’s SSN ambitions ‘sub-optimal’? (Opinion)

  20th March 2023

  Some describe Australia's SSN plans as marking the country's coming of age, but there are still too many questions whether it will work out the way planners imagine.

• Defence Notes

  What's the deal with defence procurement? (podcast)

  17th March 2023

  This week on the Shephard Defence Podcast, senior naval reporter Harry Lye and military training & simulation reporter Norbert Neumann chat with Professor John Louth.

• Naval Warfare

  Hanwha Group’s acquisition of shipbuilder DSME is approved

  1st May 2023

  South Korea's naval shipbuilding industry has received a shakeup, with regulatory authorities green-lighting Hanwha's acquisition of debt-ridden DSME.

• Naval Warfare

  Netherlands to arm ships and submarines with Tomahawk missiles

  10th April 2023

  The Royal Netherlands Navy will equip submarines and some of its ships with American Tomahawk missiles to strengthen its maritime strike capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  UK rethinks tank fleet numbers as Challenger 3 project hits critical milestone

  16th February 2023

  Unlike some UK combat vehicle programmes, the Challenger 3 project is on track and on budget, having passed its critical design review earlier this February.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  FPV & Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Background £450 million On 11 April 2025, the UK MoD announced a £450 million package for Ukraine, which included £350 million from the UK from this ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Fleet Solid Support (FSS) (1-3) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement The 2015 Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) highlighted the requirement for three Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Loitering munitions

  Altius 600M & Altius 700M (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background Anduril On 6 March 2025, the UK MoD and John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, announced a package to help counter Russia's aggression against ...

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

  30,000 FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background IDCC On 9 January 2025, the UK MoD announced that 30,000 FPV drones would be sent to Ukraine after the awarding of £45 million ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  New Medium Helicopter (NMH) [UK]

  Programme Background NMH Market Interest Day On 11 November 2021, the MoD communicated the requirements of the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) ...

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

  Project Tiquila [UK]

  Programme Background Tender Notice On 18 September 2020, the MoD Combat Air Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Team published a tender notice for a system integrator ...

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

  First Person View (FPV) Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background 2024/2025 Military Aid Package On 12 January 2024, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [UK]

  Programme Background The next-generation platform concept is part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which sought to deliver a Future Combat Air System ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background The total cost of the currently funded programme as reported through the UK Major Projects Report is expected to be £10.5 billion ($13.5 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs/SSN(R) Astute Replacement Programme [UK]

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun the planning process for the Astute class replacement programme referred to as SSN-Replacement (SSN(R)). In September 2021, it was announced ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs/SSN(R) Astute Replacement Programme [UK]

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun the planning process for the Astute class replacement programme referred to as SSN-Replacement (SSN(R)). In September 2021, it was announced ...

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

  Protector RG1 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to replace the MQ-9As in the RAF's inventory with the new, improved MQ-9Bs. With MQ-9B delivering a UK Sovereign capability for ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) Ship [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The 2021 Defence Command Paper, Defence in a competitive age, outlined the plan to develop a new Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) vessel ...

• Loitering munitions

  One-Way Attack Drones (Ukraine Aid) [UK]

  Programme Background 2024/2025 Military Aid Package On 12 January 2024, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  ASTOR FBFCT

  The Fixed Base Flight Crew Trainer (FBFCT) is a Level 5+ FTD for the UK RAF’s Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) platform. The ASTOR FBFCT is ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Sting Ray

  The Sting Ray Mod 1 is an air- and surface-launched, lightweight ASW torpedo. It can be deployed from frigates, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft against ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Warthog

  The Warthog is based on the ST Kinetics Bronco all terrain tracked carrier (ATTC) and was developed to meet a UK MoD urgent operational requirement ...

• Infrastructure - generators

  Standalone Field Generator

  HGI is a supplier of standalone field generators to the UK MoD. It has supplied systems for communications, C2, field hospitals and workshop facilities. The ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 6 SATCOM

  Skynet 6 is designed to replace Skynet 5. The PFI contract for Skynet 5,  held by Paradigm Secure Communications and Airbus DS, ends in 2022. As ...

• Major networking projects

  DTT

  Raytheon UK is working with the UK MoD to deliver a Defence Targeting Toolset (DTT) capability. Aimed initially at land operations and eventually extending to ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  RFA Proteus (Vard 3 08)

  RFA Proteus serves as the launchpad for remotely operated vehicles and is the newest UK seabed warfare vessel. The ship, bought by the UK MoD as MV ...

• Major networking projects

  Skynet 5 SATCOM

  Airbus is the service provider for the UK MoD Skynet 5 private finance initiative contract, signed in October 2003 and now worth $5.6 billion. Airbus ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  SPEAR 3

  The Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is being developed by MBDA for the UK MoD, which is seeking a new missile for ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 6x6

  Wheeled Tanker

  The Oshkosh Wheeled Tanker is a high-performance tactical vehicle, designed and built for the UK MoD in order to replace the existing fleet of legacy ...

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

  Sentinel

  First displayed at DSEI 2023, Sentinel is a tethered drone from Drone Evolution. Designed to support various applications, such as increased ISR, EW and communications, ...

• Data links

  AN/URC-138

  The AN/URC-138 is a Link 16 interoperable terminal originally developed for the Sea Harrier. It has the same Link 16 crypto as JTIDS/MIDS. The system ...