• Land Warfare

  Saudi Patriot systems working overtime

  5th January 2018

  Saudi Arabia’s air defence capability, centred around the Patriot system, has been working overtime in recent months attempting to intercept a series of missile attacks …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan considers EW aircraft and greater offensive capabilities

  2nd January 2018

  Japan’s MoD is considering the acquisition of electronic warfare (EW) aircraft to blunt enemy air defences and command networks, with several jets to be procured …

• Defence Notes

  China’s military asked to prepare for war

  5th January 2018

  Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a blunt call for China's military to be ready for war and unafraid to die defending the country, as …

• Defence Notes

  South Korea boosts spending, ISR and retaliatory measures

  11th December 2017

  South Korea has created new units – including an ISR formation and a special forces decapitation brigade – in response to the threat from its …

• Military Logistics

  Army depot expands C4ISR support in Korea

  21st December 2017

  Tobyhanna Army Depot has recently established a new Communications Security (COMSEC) Forward Repair Activity (FRA) Camp Humphreys which will provide equipment support for 8th Army units stationed …

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea pushes ahead with sub rescue ship

  20th December 2017

  South Korea is developing a new submarine rescue ship, with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) declaring that phase one, a required operational capability test, …

• Land Warfare

  Laser Centrum contracted for Swedish Mjölner

  21st December 2017

  BAE Systems has signed a contract with Czech company Laser Centrum to manufacture mechanical components for the Swedish Army’s Mjölner mortar system, the company announced …

• Military Logistics

  RNZN begins two-year tanker capability gap

  18th December 2017

  The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) retired its solitary tanker, HMNZS Endeavour, at Devonport Naval Base on 15 December. This leaves the navy without a …

• Military Logistics

  Philippines repeats orders for Kia vehicles

  8th December 2017

  The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) is adding further Kia Motors tactical vehicles and trucks to its inventory via documentation released this month. An …

• Defence Notes

  GDA 2017: The threat from Houthi missiles (analysis)

  12th December 2017

  A bewilderingly rapid series of events have rocked the Middle East recently as the smouldering Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry threatened to turn hot.  This is especially …

• Special Operations

  MARSOC expands canine combat medicine

  14th December 2017

  Operators from the US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) have become the first US Special Forces personnel to begin battlefield medicine training with …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Nurol readies NMS 4x4 for production

  13th December 2017

  Turkish vehicle manufacturer Nurol Makina will wrap up qualification trials of its new NMS 4x4 vehicle early next year as it pursues initial customers for …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Russia continues T-90MS push in Kuwait

  14th December 2017

  Russia has a big presence at this year’s Gulf Defense and Aerospace exhibition as it looks to finalise several deals with Kuwait, including the sale …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG receives 11th C-130J Super Hercules

  4th December 2017

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has received its 11th C-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance aircraft from Lockheed Martin, the USCG announced on 29 November. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Hensoldt, Huneed Technologies team for Mode 5

  1st December 2017

  Hensoldt and Korea's Huneed Technologies have signed a cooperation agreement for the localisation of identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) Mode 5 equipment for the Korean armed forces, Hensoldt …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang [South Korea]

  Background South Korea will produce the Laser-Based Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I (Cheongwang) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The laser weapons will be deployed and ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block II [South Korea]

  Background South Korea launched a plan to convert its Cheongung-I systems to the M-SAM Block II configuration. It was announced in July 2025 that it ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Cheongung Block III [South Korea]

  Background South Korea's Defense Project Promotion Committee approved the basic strategy for the development of M-SAM Block III (Cheongung Block III). The system will modernise South Korea's ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  L-SAM-II Prototype [South Korea]

  Background In June 2025, it was announced that South Korea had awarded a $144 million contract with Hanwha Aerospace to develop a prototype for the L-SAM-II high-altitude surface-to-air missile ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [South Korea]

  Background Requirments Seoul required UAS assets to help monitor its neighbour to the north and, increasingly, Chinese activities in waters and in the air near ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions (Special Mission Brigade) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-X III Phase II (F-35) [South Korea]

  Programme Background On 14 September 2014, South Korea signed an FMS contract under the first phase of F-X III programme to supply 40 F-35As for ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  P-1 Sun C-UAS [Japan]

  Background In June 2026, Japan announced plans to install interceptor drone systems by 2027 at radar sites, bases, vessels, and other critical locations, joining a global ...

• Frigates

  Daegu Class (FFX Batch II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background The Incheon and Daegu classes are part of a re-capitalisation effort to replace the older Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates with a new FFX class ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  KAAV II

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) operates one Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and has launched another to support provide operational lift for the ROKMC. ...

• AEW&C

  AEW&C Aircraft [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirement The requirement was initially reported in 2016 when it was noted as being part of a long-term development plan, however, reports from ...

• OPVs

  Taepyungyang Class (15) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Timeline The South Korean Coast Guard (KGC) currently operates 13 Taepyungyang-class large patrol vessels, also referred to as offshore patrol vessels (OPV), but ...

• Destroyers

  Joint Strike Ship [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The third element of South Korea's "Three Axis System" - a complex of measures designed to track, detect, and eliminate an adversary’s ballistic missiles and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-7 (Nodong-1)

  The Hwasong-7 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-6. It has the NATO reporting name Scud D. It was designed with ...

• CUAS - interceptors

  Drone Killer

  The Uconsystem Drone Killer was unveiled in October 2015 and was developed in response to a UAV threat from North Korea, which saw four North ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  Hwasong-6

  The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile based on the Hwasong-5, which itself is based on the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. Its NATO reporting ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Gumdoksuri Class (PKX-A)

  The Gumdoksuri-class fast attack craft, also known as the PKX-A-class, was designed to replace the Republic of Korea Navy's ageing fleet of Sea Dolphin-class vessels ...

• Artillery rockets

  K33

  K33 is a 130 mm unguided artillery rocket developed by South Korean Hanwha for the K136 Kooryong MLRS and currently in use with the K239 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetbyol-4

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023 in Pyongyang on 2 August  One drone, which appears to be called the Saetbyol-4, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III/HDD-10000) Batch 1

  The Sejong the Great-class destroyers were built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as the third iteration of its KDX continuous destroyer construction programme ...

• Light UGVs

  SCOBOT 200

  The SCOBOT 200 is a larger, two-tracked version of the SCOBOT 100 (see separate entry). It can be used for EOD tasks. It was tested ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DD)

  The Maya-class (27DD) destroyers are the latest in a long line of modern destroyer classes for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Well aware of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Saetlbyol-9

  North Korea unveiled two drones at the 2023 Weapons and Equipment Exhibition in Pyongyang on 2 August 2023. One drone, the Saetlbyol-9, or Morning Star-9,  ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Cheongwang

  The Anti-Aircraft Laser Weapon System, Block-I (Cheongwang) is a laser weapon system developed by Hanwha Aerospace. The system can strike small drones and multicopters at ...

• Corvettes

  Hainan Class (Type 037)

  The Hainan-class (Type 037) class is a range of corvette-sized vessels, mostly in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which cover a range ...

• Frigates

  Krivak Class

  The Krivak-class (Project 1135) frigates first entered service in 1970 and various types of the class have entered service, particularly the Indian Navy's Talwar-class (see ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  HY-2/C-201

  The HY-2/C-201, NATO reporting name CSS-C-3 Seersucker, is a Chinese liquid-fuel rocket-powered anti-ship cruise missile developed as an evolution of the earlier HY-1 missile. The ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

  The SSM-700K Haeseong, also known as the C-Star, is a surface-launched, anti-ship cruise missile. It was designed as a replacement for the Hae Ryong anti-ship ...