• Naval Warfare

  China condemns US navy sail-by in disputed waters

  22nd November 2019

  China on Friday accused the US of ‘provocative’ conduct after two US warships sailed near islands claimed by Beijing this week, adding to tensions between …

• Land Warfare

  AM General receives HMMWV reset work

  17th December 2019

  The US Army has awarded AM General a contract to upgrade M998 vehicles for Jordan, the US Department of Defense announced on 13 December. Under …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Make or break time for UK defence

  18th January 2020

  For the British Armed Forces, 2020 began with an abrupt start as the aftermath of the strike by the US military on Iranian Qods Force …

• Land Warfare

  Howitzer contract modification for BAE Systems

  16th December 2019

  BAE Systems Land & Armaments has received a modification to its Self-Propelled Howitzer contract from the US Army, the Department of Defense announced on 13 …

• Defence Notes

  Podcast: Revolutions in Vertical Flight S1 E4 - The Future Battlespace

  20th December 2019

  Welcome to Shephard Studio’s podcast series on Revolutions in Vertical Flight, sponsored by our partner Bell. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. The Revolutions in Vertical Flight …

• Land Warfare

  Danish Army orders Protector RWS

  10th December 2019

  Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will deliver Protector Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) to the Danish Army under a contract with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to up JAGM production

  17th December 2019

  Lockheed Martin has received funding from the US Army Contracting Command to increase the production rate of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, the US Department of …

• Military Logistics

  New field equipment for the ADF

  18th December 2019

  The Australian Department of Defence has signed a $30 million agreement with Sea to Summit for field equipment for the Australian Army. Under the Standing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell 412EPI​ delivered to PT Dirgantara Indonesia

  9th December 2019

  Bell has delivered a Bell 412EPI helicopter to PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) as part a nine aircraft order from the Indonesian Army. This is the …

• Training

  Exercise Matilda concludes in Australia

  9th December 2019

  The Australian Army has completed two-week training exercise, Exercise Matilda, with the Singapore Army at Gallipoli Barracks. Soldiers from 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8/9RAR) …

• Land Warfare

  US Army to test StrikeShield APS

  3rd December 2019

  The US Army is to test the StrikeShield Active Protection System under an $11 million contract awarded to Rheinmetall Protection Systems and Unified Business Technologies …

• Training

  German Army to upgrade combat vehicle sims

  5th December 2019

  Saab is to carry out a mid-life upgrade programme of the German Army’s AGDUS combat vehicle simulators, the company announced on 4 December. The $18.9 …

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland to buy Eagle V 6x6

  6th December 2019

  General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag (GDELS-Mowag) announced on 5 December that it has signed a contract with the Swiss army on 18 November for the …

• Land Warfare

  First batch of VN1 8x8s arrive in Thailand

  10th December 2019

  Norinco has delivered 34 VN1 8x8 armoured vehicles to the Royal Thai Army (RTA), these reaching Thailand on 2 December. Afterwards, they will undergo performance …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  German armed UAV plans spiked by parliament

  20th December 2019

  The German parliament has voted to reject a motion to purchase armed drones for the country’s armed forces, it confirmed in a 20 December statement. …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...