• Defence Helicopter

  T900 installation demo for Black Hawk, Apache

  18th December 2017

  The Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC) has completed the installation of a high-fidelity T900 mock-up engine on Black Hawk and Apache helicopters, the company announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Four selected for US Army cargo carrying robots

  15th December 2017

  The US Army has selected four UGVs to enter Phase II of its Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET), it has been revealed. The selected entries …

• Digital Battlespace

  GA-EMS receives ARGOS contract

  13th December 2017

  General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has received a contract from Advanced Technology International for the Army Resilient Global on-the-move SATCOM (ARGOS), the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  ADF receives first Project Currawong equipment

  22nd December 2017

  Boeing has delivered the first lot of equipment for the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) Project Currawong.Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has achieved Initial Material Release for …

• Land Warfare

  Jordan to get more Marder vehicles

  19th December 2017

  Rheinmetall has received a contract from the German government to upgrade a further 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) for the Jordanian armed forces, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing to upgrade RNLAF Chinooks

  19th December 2017

  Boeing will upgrade six Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Chinook helicopters to the F-model configuration under an agreement with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, the company …

• Special Operations

  Thales receives IMBITR order

  14th December 2017

  Thales will equip US Army security force assistance brigades (SFAB) with the AN/PRC-148C Improved Multiband Inter-Intra Team Radio (IMBITR) under a $37 million contract announced …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Russia continues T-90MS push in Kuwait

  14th December 2017

  Russia has a big presence at this year’s Gulf Defense and Aerospace exhibition as it looks to finalise several deals with Kuwait, including the sale …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MANET radios integrated on new US Army UGV

  13th December 2017

  Persistent Systems has teamed up with Endeavor Robotics to provide its mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology as part of the US Army’s Man-Transportable Robotic …

• Special Operations

  Bahrain Special Forces master free-fall training

  13th December 2017

  In July 2017, the Bahrain Royal Guard Special Forces celebrated its tenth anniversary. For five of those years, Andrew Goodall, a former British Army Parachute …

• Defence Notes

  China’s ICBMs come to maturity

  1st December 2017

  Recent Chinese-language media reports indicate that China’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) will be deployed by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) in early 2018. The …

• Special Operations

  New oxygen delivery sought for future parachute operations

  22nd December 2017

  The US Army is seeking information from industry on a notional new oxygen delivery system that could be used in future military free fall (MFF) …

• Military Logistics

  Japan will expand military base in Djibouti

  29th November 2017

  Great attention has been paid to the establishment of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) base in Djibouti – and rightly so – but less attention …

• Land Warfare

  First upgunned Stryker arrives in Europe

  11th December 2017

  The first of the US Army’s new ‘upgunned’ Stryker vehicles, equipped with a remotely-operated 30mm weapon system, has arrived in Europe. The service announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  SFABs to get Harris radios

  8th December 2017

  Harris Corporation has been selected to equip US Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) with new communication systems, the company announced on 6 December. Harris …

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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  J-22 Loyal Wingman [China]

  Background J-20 Loyal Wingman In 2024, at the biennial Zhuhai air show in southern China, the FH-97A was displayed, a drone designed to, among other things, ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...