• Air Warfare

  Australia receives latest pair of new Chinooks

  8th July 2021

  Australia has a quartet of CH-47F Chinooks on order, and the first pair has just flown in from the US.

• Land Warfare

  Finland receives SISU 4x4 vehicles

  8th July 2021

  Batch of general-purpose vehicles and APCs for the Finnish Defence Forces includes features installed after soldier feedback.

• Land Warfare

  India revives near-dead FICV with new tender

  25th June 2021

  The FICV has re-emerged as a major programme for the Indian Army, after lying pretty much dormant for the past 4-5 years.

• Training

  Australia sets out army training and range architecture requirements

  6th July 2021

  Australia plans to integrate the army's range, live training and simulation environments with a new software architecture that can integrate the training platforms and provide data transfer.

• Land Warfare

  Australia upgrades infantry weapons and equipment

  30th July 2021

  The Australian Army is receiving diverse new or updated equipment such as helmets, combat ensembles and weapons.

• Air Warfare

  Spy’Ranger family growth reflects appetite for unmanned ISR

  2nd July 2021

  A new optronic ball will fly by the end of the year, and Thales is considering other sensors for Spy’Ranger.

• Military Logistics

  First delivery of new military bridges to British Army

  2nd July 2021

  The new bridging systems will provide new, lightweight, medium gap-crossing capability to very high readiness forces.

• Air Warfare

  Bell pushes on with V-280

  25th June 2021

  Team Valor is applying lessons learned from a multiyear flight-test programme and Soldier Touchpoint events, in preparation for an RfP from the US Army for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  EOD remains most prominent application for French UGVs

  30th June 2021

  Dealing with IEDs and mines appears still to be a core focus for French UGV developers, although some progress is being made on fully autonomous systems.

• Naval Warfare

  CAMM integration to boost Type 45 missile arsenal by half

  7th July 2021

  The UK MoD is upgrading the capabilities of its Daring-class Type 45 destroyers with the addition of MBDA’s Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM), known as Sea Ceptor.

• Digital Battlespace

  Canada seeks industry support for joint HQ C2

  15th July 2021

  Canada urgently needs to modernise its C2 architecture to enable the seamless exchange of data across domains and with allies.

• Land Warfare

  France details Leclerc tank upgrade

  6th July 2021

  As European armies embark on upgrades to their heavy armoured forces, France finally initiates its Leclerc tank upgrade programme that has been planned for the past six years.

• Air Warfare

  Three down, one to go for Thai medium tactical airlift requirement

  22nd June 2021

  The Royal Thai Army has ordered another C295W aircraft from Airbus.

• Land Warfare

  Sluggish expansion holds back Taifun family

  6th July 2021

  Russia wants to ‘Taifunise’ its armoured vehicle fleet but progress is slow.

• Digital Battlespace

  Systematic provides interim BMS for Australian Army

  18th June 2021

  SitaWare HQ battle management system software from Danish company Systematic has been provided as an interim capability for the Australian Army. It replaces software provided earlier by Elbit Systems at the battle group level and below, under the Land 200 acquisition programme.

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.