• Defence Notes

  US Army continues to question AI role in modernisation plans

  22nd August 2018

  Just days before the US Army activates its new Futures Command in Austin, Texas, top brass is urging that the service come to terms with …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Army receives DJI Phantom 4 UAS

  22nd August 2018

  The Australian Army’s 17th Combat Service Support Brigade (17 CSS Bde) has received its first DJI Phantom 4 UAS, the Australian Department of Defence announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing highlights Currawong progress, eyes Five Eyes alliance

  7th September 2018

  This week Boeing Defence Australia sent the last of 56 nodes to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as part of its A$650 million ($468 million) …

• Land Warfare

  Curtain call for Iron Curtain APS

  24th August 2018

  Fear of going toe-to-toe in a land battle with the Russian military has US Army leaders laying out plans to field a much delayed technology …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mi-26TV2 kicks-off flight testing

  28th August 2018

  The Mi-26T2V, a heavy helicopter for the Russian Army Aviation branch, was unveiled to the public for the first time at the Army 2018 defence …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin receives HIMARS contract

  21st August 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a $218 million contract from the US Army to produce High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and associated hardware for …

• Special Operations

  Army SOF responds to multi-domain threats

  22nd August 2018

  US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) is responding to a range of emerging threats in the multi-domain battlespace. Some representative examples of those responses were …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine shows off heavy weapons at Kiev parade

  29th August 2018

  A number of new and experimental heavy weapons were displayed by the Ukrainian Army during the country's 24 August military parade held in the capital …

• Land Warfare

  China receives first batch of Russian S-400s

  31st July 2018

  The first S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile systems for the People’s Liberation Army of China have been handed over in the second half of July, according …

• Land Warfare

  MSPO 2018: Poland pursues tank fleet modernisation

  5th September 2018

  The Polish Ministry of Defence (MoD) is continuing efforts to strengthen its MBT fleet with the signing of a deal for the modernisation of additional …

• Defence Notes

  Pentagon seeks to expand weapons sales

  7th September 2018

  Working with partner nations throughout the weapon's development process will be a key enabler for the US to ramp up weapons' sales to the international …

• Defence Notes

  North Korea holds 70th anniversary parade, without ICBMs

  10th September 2018

  North Korea refrained from displaying its intercontinental missiles in a massive military parade through Pyongyang celebrating its 70th birthday on 9 September – a conspicuous …

• Military Logistics

  Vencore receives AMSAA SDC&A follow-on contract

  17th August 2018

  Perspecta’s Vencore has received a five-year US Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) Sample Data Collection and Analysis (SDC&A;) follow-on contract, the company announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Australian opens Land 400 Phase 3 tender

  24th August 2018

  On 24 August the Australian government announced the formal opening of a multi-billion dollar request for tender (RfT) for the Land 400 Phase 3 project …

• Special Operations

  New night vision capabilities from Qioptiq

  22nd August 2018

  Excelitas Technologies’ Qioptiq company is utilizing this week’s “Modern Warfighting Symposium,” co-sponsored by the Global SOF Foundation and US Army Special Operations Command and held …

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 ...