• Defence Notes

  Podcast: Turkey's sales drive in Brazil, army network modernisation and more

  12th April 2019

  Welcome to Episode 12 of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert of future podcasts here.

• Land Warfare

  PT Pindad signs medium tank and Pandur II agreements

  17th April 2019

  State-owned PT Pindad has concluded two agreements for armoured vehicles for the Indonesian Army, one for the Kaplan MT medium tank and another for Pandur …

• Land Warfare

  Romanian Piranha 5 completes live firing testing

  15th April 2019

  General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has successfully completed live firing test of the Piranha 5 wheeled armoured vehicle for the Romanian Army, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo DRS receives MFOCS II order

  8th April 2019

  Leonardo DRS has received its first production delivery order from the US Army for the Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS) II, the company announced …

• Military Logistics

  Canada orders Saab camouflage systems

  8th April 2019

  Saab has received a contract to produce multispectral static camouflage systems for the Canadian Army, the company announced on 3 April. The order completes a …

• Digital Battlespace

  Hughes receives CRADA contract for BFT-3

  8th April 2019

  Hughes Network Systems has received a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) from the US Army for the third phase of the Blue Force …

• Military Logistics

  Global Ordnance acquires CMP

  10th April 2019

  Global Ordnance has completed the acquisition of Chemring Group’s subsidiary Chemring Military Products (CMP), the company announced on 5 April. CMP procures and delivers US-standard …

• Special Operations

  SOF helmet program awarded

  17th April 2019

  The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded Gentex a USD $95m contract to provide operators with a next-generation modular integrated communications helmet (MICH) under …

• Defence Helicopter

  Taiwan to order 30 more Black Hawks for army

  4th April 2019

  The Republic of China Army (ROCA) will order an additional 30 UH-60M Black Hawks. This has become necessary to fill out the Army Aviation and …

• Land Warfare

  LAAD 2019: M109A5+ howitzer ready for Brazilian Army

  3rd April 2019

  BAE Systems is showcasing the M109A5+ self-propelled howitzer at LAAD 2019 in Brazil which it will soon deliver to the Brazilian Army to meet its …

• Defence Notes

  Two pilots die in Chinese fighter jet crash

  12th March 2019

  A Chinese navy fighter jet crashed during training on the southern island province of Hainan on 12 March 2019, killing two pilots, the defence ministry …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia extends Tiger ARH support contract

  10th April 2019

  The Australian government has extended Airbus Australia Pacific’s through-life support contract for the Australian Army’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, the Australian Department of Defence announced …

• Military Logistics

  Army Sustainment Command shifts support emphasis

  1st April 2019

  Senior US Army logisticians used the recent Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium and Exposition, held in Huntsville, Alabama, to outline …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Army inducts four Mi-24 helicopters

  2nd April 2019

  A newly-formed army aviation brigade of the Russian Army stationed in Sverdlovsk region of the Central Military District has inducted four Mi-24 attack helicopters into …

• Land Warfare

  Australian officials inspects first Boxer vehicle

  3rd April 2019

  Australian government representatives have inspected the first Boxer vehicle for the Australian Defence Force at Rheinmetall’s facility in Kassel, Germany. Rheinmetall is under contract to …

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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | S26T (2-3) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Navy were in the process of acquiring up to three new submarines derived from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Yuan-class (Type ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | S26T (2-3) [Thailand]

  The Royal Thai Navy were in the process of acquiring up to three new submarines derived from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Yuan-class (Type ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk [Taiwan]

  Programme Background The Black Hawks are intended to defend against potential threats from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as they possess rapid response capability in ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Type 19 8x8

  The Type 19 8x8 is a family of vehicles developed for use by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• 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.

• Light 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 ...