• Special Operations

  MH-47G Block II Chinooks for USASOAC

  16th July 2018

  Boeing has received a $139.8 million contract from the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command for the delivery of four MH-47G Chinook Block II helicopters, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Spanish Army tests PASI Searcher UAS

  16th July 2018

  The Spanish Army, together with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), has successfully completed the testing of two upgraded PASI Searcher Mk III class …

• Training

  Airborne testing for FWS-I complete

  24th July 2018

  The US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division Soldiers, along with the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD), has completed static line airborne insertion testing on …

• Defence Notes

  US Army Futures Command heads to Texas

  13th July 2018

  The army has announced that the location for the new Army Futures Command (AFC) will be Austin, Texas following extensive examination and visits to cities …

• Digital Battlespace

  China steals US hydrophones

  3rd July 2018

  An arrest of a Chinese citizen accused of illegally exporting hydrophones to China has set off alarm bells amongst US experts on naval warfare in …

• Defence Notes

  Insight: The East China Sea’s ‘Knuckle Junction’

  16th July 2018

  Any successful military campaign by the Chinese military to capture and secure Japan’s Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea could lead to an ‘existential …

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2018: Lord at the ready for new attack helicopter

  15th July 2018

  In June, US Army leaders announced that in five years time they hope to have two new prototype attack reconnaissance helicopters flying. With such an aggressive …

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2018: Industry competitors united on accelerating FVL timelines

  16th July 2018

  The main industry figures involved in developing the US Army’s medium lift FVL aircraft, commonly referred to as capability set 3, are working together to …

• Military Logistics

  Spectro Scientific updates SpectrOil M

  24th July 2018

  Spectro Scientific has released an updated and improved version of its SpectrOil M Elemental Analyzer, the company announced on 18 July. SpectrOil M Elemental Analyzer …

• Military Logistics

  Indra receives Spanish Army contract

  20th July 2018

  Indra has received a framework agreement to provide engineering services to achieve and maintain  airworthiness certification for the Spanish Army’s aircraft fleet, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  FLA programme completes Phase 2 tests

  26th July 2018

  DARPA has completed Phase 2 flight tests for its Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) programme, demonstrating advanced algorithms performing real-world tasks without human assistance. The programme …

• Land Warfare

  Indonesia receives final M109A4 SPHs

  17th July 2018

  The second and final batch of M109A4 SPHs arrived on Indonesian shores on 9 July after being shipped from Belgium. The 18 howitzers were unloaded …

• Land Warfare

  Taiwan to order M1A2 Abrams

  13th July 2018

  Taiwan has decided to order 108 M1A2 Abrams tanks plus ammunition from the US. These MBTs will equip two armoured battalions in the northern sector …

• Land Warfare

  Booz Allen receives NSRDEC support contract

  12th July 2018

  Booz Allen Hamilton has received a five-year, $43 million task order to support the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), the …

• Land Warfare

  Cat-and-mouse game continues in bid to defeat ISIS

  27th July 2018

  Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the Iraqi roadside remains a chief security concern in the battle against ISIS but threats from incoming adversarial drones are …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 defeat submarine threats from long distances.

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  BZK-005

  The BZK-005 is a Chinese-made HALE UAS that debuted at Airshow China in November 2018. The platform is designed for wide-area ISR tasks, and in ...