• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Show highlights (video)

  9th November 2017

  As Defense and Security 2017 draws to a close Gordon Arthur, Asia/Pacific editor at Shephard Media, talks through some of the news from the week. 

• Naval Warfare

  UAE continues to strengthen maritime base

  12th November 2017

  With topics such as missile defence and aviation driving conversation in the Gulf region at present, the UAE has been continuing its efforts to expand …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Turkish delight at Karayel presence

  13th November 2017

  Turkish company Vestel Defence has ventured to display its Karayel-SU for the first time at an overseas exhibition, one of a number of international manufacturers …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai Airshow 2017: Middle East helicopter programmes (video)

  11th November 2017

  In advance of the Dubai Airshow, Shephard Media looks at several key helicopter procurements across the wider region.

• Special Operations

  US Air Force looks for help with personnel recovery

  16th November 2017

  The successful recovery of downed flight crews is a critical mission that covers both conventional and special operations forces across the entire spectrum of conflict. Against …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: Thales signs MoU with Thai DTI

  7th November 2017

  Thales and the Defence Technology Institute (DTI), the Thai Ministry of Defence’s research and development agency, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 6 November …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia to get new Mi-28N helicopters

  10th November 2017

  The Russian armed forces are set to receive a batch of Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 7 November. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing installs 44th GMD interceptor

  14th November 2017

  The Boeing Missile Defense team has installed the 44th interceptor for the country’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, the company announced on 7 November. The …

• Naval Warfare

  Lürssen wins Australian OPV contract

  24th November 2017

  The Australian government announced that prime contractor Lürssen had won a design and construction contract for 12 OPVs for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under …

• Defence Helicopter

  D&S 2017: Leonardo strengthens ties with Thailand

  8th November 2017

  Leonardo Helicopters signed an MoU with the Defence Technology Institute in Thailand for the possibility of establishing an MRO facility in the country as Thailand considers …

• Land Warfare

  New rifles destined for Somalia

  20th November 2017

  The Turkish government has gifted new rifles to Somalia as part of its plan to expand its influence in the region. Up to 450 new …

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock, BMT enter partnership

  10th November 2017

  Babcock and BMT have signed a cooperation agreement that will see the companies collaborate to support the design, build, construction and support of future classes …

• Defence Notes

  D&S 2017: UK foresees growth in Asia-Pacific

  6th November 2017

  The Defence and Security Organisation (DSO), under the UK’s Department for International Trade, promoted broader opportunities in defence sales and technology transfers at the Defence …

• Land Warfare

  US Army releases much-anticipated fighting vehicle request

  23rd November 2017

  The US Army has released its formal request for proposals (RFP) for a new Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) system. The MPF is ‘a new combat vehicle …

• Land Warfare

  EF88 completes first deployment

  10th November 2017

  The Australian Defence Force’s new service rifle, the Enhanced F88 (EF88), has completed its first full operational deployment, the Australian Department of Defence announced on …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Black Hornet 3 (Ukraine Aid) [UK & Norway]

  Programme Background Russo-Ukraine War Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, UAVs have proved vital to the country's defence. Consequently, as in this programme, the ...

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

  FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background Statement of Intent On 14 June 2024, the Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Serhiy Boyev, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and the Minister ...

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

  ISR Drones (Second Batch) (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background First Batch On 20 March 2024, Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, announced that, following a 19 March Ukraine Defense Contact ...

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

  Latvian Drones (2025) (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a ...

• Tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Germany]

  Programme Background Germany has operated the domestically produced Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leopard 2 since its inception in the 1970s. Spanning now eight versions, the Leopard 2A8 is the ...

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

  GA-ASI Drone [Ukraine]

  Programme Background MQ-9A Reaper - April 2022 On 13 April 2022, Forbes reported that Ukraine was talking with GA-ASI to acquire the MQ-9A Reaper. Ukrainian officials ...

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

  Vector / Scorpion (Contracted) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Previous Orders & Donations On 29 March 2022, the US Embassy in Warsaw announced that Quantum Systems had donated an unknown quantity of ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Sweden]

  Programme Background As the domestic manufacturer and original operator of the CV90 IFV, Sweden has had a continuous fleet of CV90s in service since the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• 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 ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

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

  Latvian Drones (2024) (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a drone ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Norway]

  Programme Background September 2024 On 3 September 2024, the Norwegian government announced that "Ukraine will get more drones donated to their frontline, and more air ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  Programme Background  In February 2025, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted Irelands need to procure a new combat fighter jet to combat ...

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

  Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) (Phase I) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) provides short-range day and night ISR to US Army units at the squad, platoon and other small ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Akash-NG missile

  The Akash-NG (New Generation) missile is an advanced surface-to-air missile system developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the country's air ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Ophir 26-105mm f/1.6 LWIR continuous zoom

  Ophir's plethora of IR optics includes a wide range of long-range zoom lenses for every application. Ophir's budget range has been extended to include a ...

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

  Vespa-15

  The Vespa-15 is a first-person view (FPV) rotary-wing UAV manufactured by a Ukrainian company.  In May 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Ukraine announced it ...

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

  Kazhan

  The E620 Kazhan is a Ukrainian-made rotary-wing attack drone. It is available in hexacopter and quadcopter configurations and can drop 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortar shells. ...

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

  Black Hornet 3

  The Black Hornet 3 is the next generation of the PD-100 Black Hornet, the world's smallest nano-UAS. This new model of the Black Hornet provides ...

• Infrastructure - shelters/accommodation

  Alpha/Omega

  Alpha and Omega are multipurpose frame tents that require minimal maintenance and can be used in extreme climatic conditions. The Omega is more spacious and ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  CB90

  Combatboat (Stridsbåt) 90 (CB90) is a class of small, rapid attack boats designed for raiding and inshore/nearshore coastal protection operations or deploying up to 20 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - micro

  Corvo PPDS

  The Corvo Precision Payload Delivery Systems (PPDS) is a micro fixed-wing drone constructed from cardboard. It is a low-cost, single-use drone for delivering supplies and equipment ...

• EO/IR systems

  USG-212

  Described as a plug-and-play turnkey solution, the USG-212 is an EO/IR camera gimbal from Ukrspecsystems. It appears to be out of production. The gimbal has ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  MIM-23 Hawk

  The MIM-23 HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Raytheon in the 1950s to provide mobile air ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  TRML-4D

  The TRML-4D is a multi-functional surveillance and target acquisition radar system developed by Hensoldt. It is the latest C-band (NATO G-band) TRS-4D radar family member, ...

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

  Vampire

  The Vampire is a hexacopter drone developed by the Ukrainian company Skyfall. It can carry and drop various types of ammunition on the enemy. In ...

• EO/IR systems

  NightHawk2-UZ

  The NightHawk2-UZ is a dual EO-IR stabilised camera turret from NextVision designed for long-range observation applications that demand low weight. The 350g sensor's IR camera has a 1280x720p ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS

  Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control developed the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher to provide the US and allied armies with a ...