• Defence Notes

  US service chiefs fear effects of funding impasse

  26th January 2022

  The US armed forces have been funded under a Continuing Resolution that will expire on 18 February —and service chiefs fear that a failure to approve a spending plan for the current fiscal year will adversely affect their ability to progress with modernisation efforts.

• Land Warfare

  Dutch Army plans Bushmaster fleet upgrade

  23rd December 2021

  The Dutch Army plans on a MLU to upgrade 102 Bushmasters. The platforms will feature reversing cameras, increased payload capacity, an upgraded onboard weapon station and an extra layer of armour.

• Naval Warfare

  Peru sets out naval modernisation plans for 2022

  14th January 2022

  Peru continues to upgrade its naval capabilities despite its limited budget.

• Land Warfare

  Finland to buy new sniper rifles

  4th January 2022

  New rifles for Finland will replace 7.62mm Tkiv and Dragunov weapons.

• Land Warfare

  South Korea introduces new weapons and trials UGVs

  21st January 2022

  New machine guns, NBC detection vehicles and RWS are entering service in South Korea, and UGVs could eventually follow.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives 830 new riflescopes

  28th December 2021

  The devices were acquired in March under a €4 million ($4.5 million) contract with the Czech company Meopta Systems s.r.o.

• Land Warfare

  Poland acquires 25 Wizjer mini-UAVs

  30th December 2021

  Under a PLN 174 million ($42 .9million) contract, a national consortium will manufacture the new systems. The deliveries are scheduled from 2024 to 2027.

• Defence Notes

  North Korea conducts spectacular volley of missile tests

  3rd February 2022

  In the space of a month, North Korea fired more missiles in January than it did in all of 2021.

• Land Warfare

  Future of Ajax remains cloudy

  20th December 2021

  While the UK MoD issued 20 recommendations in the Ajax health and safety report, Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin claimed that it is impossible to be 100% confident that the programme will succeed.

• Land Warfare

  Polish MND delivers eight 155 mm Krabs to 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade

  29th December 2021

  Apart from the Krabs, the Brigade also received one battery command vehicle, two command post vehicles, two ammunition supply vehicles, one armament and electronics repair vehicle and one squadron command staff vehicle.

• Land Warfare

  Argo and Vanguard join forces to produce battery-powered UGV

  14th January 2022

  The R8 Integrator is an 8x8 skid steer traction UGV that features an electric drivetrain, amphibious capabilities and payload capacity.

• Defence Notes

  Baltic republics to receive FAAD C2

  15th December 2021

  Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are boosting their SHORAD capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  CV90 IFV keeps pace with upgrades

  15th December 2021

  First developed in the 1990s, the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle has proved to be a durable platform. However, with new IFVs entering the marketplace, upgrades are required to keep the CV90 at the top of its powers.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives enough Boxers for battalion-sized unit

  10th January 2022

  Deliveries of the Vilkas IFV to Lithuania have been unaffected by delays to the programme, and the defence ministry expects to receive a final batch of vehicles by the end of 2022.

• Training

  Latvia wants to train MILES better

  20th December 2021

  Cubic is supplying MILES in two separate configurations for the Latvian military

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fighter - multirole

  J-10 [China]

  Programme Background The aircraft performed its maiden flight in 1998 and entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2004. According to ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Corvettes

  Jiangdao Class (Type 056)

  Programme Background The Type 056 corvette is referred to by the Chinese as the new-generation light guided-missile frigates. They have been built for the People's Liberation ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Rapid Minelayers Procurement (1-4) [Taiwan]

  Development and Procurement Four new rapid minelayers are being built for the Taiwanese Navy in a bid to counter the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Rapid Minelayers Procurement (5-10) [Taiwan]

  Programme Background Requirements The revelation of a Chinese bridge-barge landing system for amphibious operations, designed for a Taiwan invasion, has underscored the need for Taipei ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kalyani M4 (India)

  Programme Background In the wake of border clashes with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2020, the Indian Army has accelerated several of its ...

• Frigates

  Jiangkai II Class (Type 054A)

  Built by Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard and Huangpu shipyards the frigates were first seen being constructed from 2005. The class is referred to as the workhorses of China's ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  VP1/Type 89 (Nigeria)

  Programme Background The Nigerian Army has an ongoing need for new armoured vehicles to replace losses incurred in its conflict with extremist organisations operating within ...

• Corvettes

  Shadhinota Class (Type C13B)

  The Shadhinota class (Type C13B) corvettes are a platform based on the Type 056 Jiangdao class used by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), built by the ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  S26T [Thailand]

  Programme Background The Royal Thai Navy has been in the process of acquiring a new submarine for a number of years. They formally selected China's ...

• Frigates

  Jiangkai III Class (Type 054B / Type 057)

  Following the rapid production and relative success of the Type 054A Jiangkai II class frigates, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) are developing a successor to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• AEW&C, Transport

  Y-8

  The Y-8 (Yunshuji-8) medium-sized transport and multirole aircraft was developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation and is based on the Soviet Antonov An-12. More than 36 ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Z-8

  Developed by Changhe Aircraft Industry Group, the Z-8 (known also as Z-18) is a derivative of the AC313 civil helicopter, which is itself a copy of ...

• Submachine guns

  CS/LS2

  Norinco’s CS/LS2 is a 9mm bullpup SMG designed for use with a suppressor. It has been in service with the People's Liberation Army since about ...

• Fighter - multirole

  J-8

  The J-8 (NATO reporting name Finback) is a multirole fighter domestically developed by China. It has design similarities with Soviet MiG-21 and Su-15 aircraft.  The ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems

  KZ-800

  China National Electronics Import and Export’s (CEIEC) KZ-800 is an airborne Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) gathering system believed to be in widespread use onboard People’s Liberation ...

• Fighter - multirole

  J-10

  The J-10 (NATO reporting name Firebird) is a multirole fighter developed by China to replace second-generation J-7 and Q-5 aircraft. The aircraft is also known ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Type GCZ110

  Norinco announced in 2014 that it had completed development of the Type GCZ110 armoured engineer vehicle based on a modified Type 79 tank chassis equipped ...

• Tanks

  VT2

  The 125mm-armed VT2 tracked MBT, which was unveiled at DSA 2012, is the export version of the People's Liberation Army Type 96A. As of early ...

• Fighter - ground attack

  J-16

  The J-16 is a multirole fighter developed by China. It is based on the J-11 air superiority fighter, itself a licence-built version of the Russian ...

• EO/IR systems

  Loong Eye LE380

  The Loong Eye (Dragon's Eye) LE380 is a two-axis stabilised gimbal incorporating EO/IR sensors, laser designators, and laser rangefinders. Originally developed by the Luoyang Opto-Electro ...

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

  Sky Saker FX400A

  The Sky Saker FX400A is a fixed-wing drone manufactured by Norinco. Capable of hosting both ISR and attack payloads, such as the Blue Arrow 7 ...

• Air-to-air missiles, Surface-to-air missiles

  TY-90

  TY-90 is a multi-purpose, short-range, IR-guided, tactical surface-to-air missile developed by China to defend against helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and cruise missiles at low and super-low ...

• Tanks

  Type 62

  The Type 62 light tank entered production for the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1963. Essentially a smaller, lighter clone of the Type 59 MBT, it is ...

• Medium/general-purpose machine guns

  Type 80

  The Type 80 is a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) manufactured by Norinco in China, based on the Soviet PKM. Certified in 1980, it entered PLA ...

• Air-launched ASW torpedoes, Ship-launched torpedoes

  Yu-11 lightweight torpedo

  Yu-11 is a Chinese-made surface and air-launched lightweight torpedo to repel submarine threats from long distances.