• Defence Notes

  Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?

  10th April 2024

  Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO innovation programme doubles in size

  15th March 2024

  DIANA has been leveraging its accelerator programme and test centre network to bring end users together with start-ups, scientific researchers and technology companies for the development of dual-use technological defence and security solutions.

• Air Warfare

  RTX Raytheon wins $736 million contract to make AIM-9X missiles

  15th October 2024

  Part of a US Navy and US Air Force joint programme, work under this contract will take place across the US up to 2029.

• Land Warfare

  Arquus displays Drailer multirole wheeled UGV

  21st June 2024

  Drailer has been launched into a busy marketplace populated by tracked vehicles such as Milrem’s THeMIS and the wheeled General Dynamics’s Multipurpose Unmanned Tactical Transport.

• Air Warfare

  Galvion delivers charging stations to AeroVironment and begins follow-up order

  7th November 2024

  Galvion’s Nerv Centr MAX-8 is a portable charging solution built for expeditionary operations and can be used across AeroVironment’s small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (sUAS).

• Air Warfare

  Pratt & Whitney granted $1.3 billion for F135 core upgrade

  1st October 2024

  The contract award followed on from the preliminary design review of the F135 Engine Core Upgrade in July 2024. Work on the upgrade will be expected to be completed by March 2028.

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems awarded $200 million contract to supply Iron Beam laser

  28th October 2024

  At AUSA 2024, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems outlined plans for three versions of its Iron Beam air defence system and said it expected to field the largest version next year.

• Air Warfare

  Why the USAF's Sentinel ICBM faces multiple challenges

  31st July 2024

  Although it has survived the Nunn-McCurdy Review, the Sentinel ICBM programme must get Congressional support and extra resources to progress.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems wins $78 million deal to upgrade more US Army Bradley IFVs

  2nd January 2024

  BAE Systems has been contracted to install modifications on older versions of the M2 Bradley IFV creating the M2A4 and these upgrades will ensure that the platform can remain viable up to 2050.

• Air Warfare

  ‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace

  14th October 2024

  In conversation... Bell's Frank Lazzara talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the potential of tiltrotor designs to revolutionize U.S. Army maneuver operations, and how the technology could transform other mission sets across DoD and international armed services.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: Systel unveils ultra-compact edge AI compute solution for next-generation uncrewed and robotic vehicles

  9th October 2023

  Sparrow-Strike USFF Edge Processor has been engineered to withstand austere and challenging environments. It features a modular chassis and architecture design, as well as COTS technologies.

• Land Warfare

  US Special Operations to get Hero-120SF loitering munitions

  5th June 2024

  Unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2019, Hero-120 is a loitering munition system fitted with a 4.5kg warhead. In June 2021, the US Marine Corps announced the HERO-120 had been selected for its Organic Precision Fire Mounted (OPF-M) programme.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall eyes German Army requirement with new artillery rocket system

  19th June 2024

  The GMARS wheeled artillery rocket launcher offers greater mobility than the tracked M270 MLRS and double the firepower of the M142 HIMARS, and can support next-generation munitions. Germany has a requirement for 70 launchers and many other NATO armies are looking to renew or supplement their indirect fire capabilities.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aerodata to introduce MALE UAS for maritime surveillance at ILA Berlin

  3rd June 2024

  Aerodata and its partner Milkor signed a Memorandum of Understanding at last year’s Paris Air Show for the two companies to work together on the AeroForce 380.

• Land Warfare

  South Korean defence industry demonstrates its tech prowess

  6th November 2024

  Shephard takes a deep dive into the latest developments in the South Korean defence sector as the country arms itself to deal with current and future threats.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Tanks

  VT5 (Bangladesh - Contracted)

  Programme Background The Bangladesh MoD issued an RfI for a new light tank and a related ARV in September 2017. This will be easier to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  PMV (S) (India)

  Programme Background Requirement The PMV programme is aimed at improving the Indian Army's capability in manoeuvre warfare. Since the mid-2010s, The Indian Army has been seeking to modernise ...

• Tanks

  VT5 (Bangladesh - Forecast)

  Programme Background The Bangladesh MoD issued an RfI for a new light tank and a related ARV in September 2017. This will be easier to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  PMV (HA) (India)

  Programme Background Requirement India's PMV programme is aimed at improving the Indian Army's capability in manoeuvre warfare. Since the mid-2010s, The Indian Army has been seeking to modernise ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  B1 Centauro Replacement (Spain)

  Programme Background The Spanish Army entered the B1 Centauro into service between 2000 and 2006. Manufactured by the Italian Iveco and Oto Melara consortium CIO, the ...

• Tanks

  Future Ready Combat Vehicle MBT (India)

  Programme Background At least three RfIs have been published for the FRCV requirement, but the programme has struggled to get off the ground. The FRCV ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  8x8 IFV [Greece]

  Programme Background The Greek Army is believed to operate a vast inventory of tracked APCs numbering more than 2,600 vehicles. This consists of legacy Cold ...

• Frigates

  F125 (Baden-Württemberg Class)

  Programme Background The Baden Württemberg class (F125) frigates are in fact closer to the size of a destroyer than a traditional frigate, however, designed for ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Piranha I Replacement [Chile]

  Programme Background Chile has operated the Piranha I armoured vehicle platform for more than 40 years. During the early 1980s between 100 and 200 Piranha ...

• Frigates

  Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

  Programme Background The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was developed in 2003 as a cheap and fast way to increase the size of the fleet ...

• Transport

  Large Transport Aircraft-II (LTA-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The aircraft are needed for peacetime, international peacekeeping, emergency and combat operations. They are especially required to ensure a strategic lift capacity ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4, Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle (India)

  Programme Background Aiming to boost mobility and enhance Recce and Command elements, the Indian Army is seeking 91 High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicles (HMRV). Prioritising mobility and protection ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (India)

  Programme Background Requirement The Indian Army first identified its requirement for a new tracked IFV to replace the BMP-2 Sarath in 2009, but this initial ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  VBMT Rec Multirole Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

  Technical Requirements The Brazilian Army released two documents outlining the technical and operational requirements for the VBMT Rec in early 2020. These elucidate a number ...

• Special operations vehicles

  UKSF Project Westerly HMT400 Replacement

  Programme Background The new special operations forces vehicle selected under Project Westerly looks set to either replace or supplement the HMT 400 4x4 vehicle. At ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: UAS radar

  ANKA SATCOM Radome

  The ANKA SATCOM Radome is a structural component developed by the Turkish defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi. It is designed for the protection of Ku-band ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  LiteHUD

  BAE Systems' LiteHUD is a low-profile head-up display compatible with various aircraft ranging from conventional turboprops to next-generation fighter jets. 

• UAS: communication systems

  Helix Mesh Rider

  Helix Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems. Notably, it supports six frequency bands in a ...

• Data links

  Missile Data Links

  The Missile Data Links developed by the Turkish defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi provide a permanent and secure communication channel between the missile launcher platform ...

• Data links, UAS: communication systems

  Tove RF Datalink

  The Tove RF Data Link is a lightweight Software Defined Radio (SDR) designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Surface ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Ophir IR optics optimised for 10-12µm LWIR detectors

  Ophir, addressing the new market shift in the direction of 10-12μm detectors, is offering a wide collection of lenses, optimised to meet the needs of ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  NavStorm-M

  BAE Systems' NavStorm-M is a gun-hardened, integrated anti-jamming and Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for artillery rounds, bombs, missiles, and uncrewed systems. It was revealed ...

• UAS: communication systems

  TW-880 TSM Ghost

  Designed for uncrewed applications, TrellisWare TW-880 TSM Embedded Module provides communication in a small form factor. The transceiver provides simultaneous voice, data and PLI communication ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  CamSight

  CamSight is a family of lightweight, compact core cameras to be integrated into complex optronic systems equipping UAV, UGV, and UGS systems. The CamSight optronic modules ...

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

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Weapon sights for night use (image intensifiers)

  Merlin

  Merlin SR, MR and LR inline sights are aimed at the assault rifle, sharpshooter rifle and sniper rifle end user. They provide different size/weight/performance trade-offs ...

• Data links, Land: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  QNT-200

  The Collins QNT-200 is a dual-channel software-defined radio (SDR) designed for size, weight and power-constrained platforms. Using IP-based mesh networks, it offers high-bandwidth mobile networking ...

• Data links

  BANDIT 2x

  The L3Harris BANDIT 2x Miniature is a data link and transceiver adaptable to a wide variety of applications. Notably, it supports tri-band operation, increased output ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  R&S SDTR

  The software communications architecture (SCA)-based R&S; SDTR allows legacy and new high data rate waveforms to be ported to the radio system, maintaining interoperability with ...

• Land: Defensive Systems - DF systems

  EGON

  L3Harris' EGON is a counter-IED system designed to address all current and emerging radio-controlled IED threat. The active-reactive counter IED system has been operationally deployed ...