• Defence Notes

  Slovenian Army chief sacked after NATO test failure

  22nd February 2018

  Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar has given the Chief of the Army Staff his marching orders after one of its key brigades failed a NATO …

• Defence Notes

  Directed energy weapons key for ballistic missile defence

  8th March 2018

  Despite the US military’s rocky relationship with directed energy, top Pentagon leaders made the case to Congress for eventually folding high powered lasers into the …

• Land Warfare

  Turkish Army beefs up missile protection for Syria ops

  19th February 2018

  The Turkish Army is bolstering the number of upgraded M60T ‘Fırat’ tanks – equipped with new anti-tank missile protection systems and remote weapon stations – …

• Land Warfare

  Indian howitzer production begins

  20th February 2018

  The US Army’s Watervliet Arsenal has begun work on a $50 million order to manufacture 145 howitzer cannon systems for the Indian Army, the US …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Wing Loong wings into Southeast Asia

  6th February 2018

  The Wing Loong UCAV from China made its Southeast Asian debut at Singapore Airshow 2018, with mock-ups of both an armed Wing Loong I and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  More WASPs for US Army

  19th February 2018

  Drone Aviation has delivered new multi-mission, tactical Winch Aerostat Small Platform (WASP) systems to the US Army. The delivery was made under a contract awarded …

• Land Warfare

  Israeli warplanes hit Gaza after new rocket attack

  19th February 2018

  Israeli warplanes hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early on 19 February after a rocket fired by Palestinians slammed into southern Israel, the army …

• Defence Notes

  German Army facing 'big gaps' as spending cuts bite

  20th February 2018

  Germany's armed forces are being pushed beyond their limits as Berlin makes greater international commitments while failing to invest in and reform the military, according …

• Digital Battlespace

  Spain kicks off tactical comms modernisation study

  19th February 2018

  The Spanish MoD has initiated a study to consider the future tactical communications capabilities for both the army and navy, defence sources have disclosed. According …

• Digital Battlespace

  ADECS 2018: Chinese SIGINT capabilities sound alarm bells

  31st January 2018

  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) facility on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands is set to become a major SIGINT facility for its operations in …

• Special Operations

  RAND looks at SOF cooperation

  2nd March 2018

  The RAND Corporation has published an analysis of US special operations forces aimed at increasing levels of cooperation with conventional forces, other government agencies and …

• Land Warfare

  India scurries to buy thousands of small arms

  16th February 2018

  The Defence Acquisition Council’s (DAC) approval on 13 February for procurement of small arms worth more than $2.2 billion for the Indian military is being …

• Defence Notes

  Three Egyptian soldiers killed in Sinai campaign

  19th February 2018

  Egypt said on 19 February that three of its soldiers had been killed in the Sinai Peninsula during a wide-ranging operation against the local branch …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2018: India outlines security threats

  1st February 2018

  India is extremely wary of the maritime inroads that China is making into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Indeed, some analysts are alleging that China …

• Special Operations

  Army steps forward on 40mm airburst

  15th February 2018

  The US Army is moving forward on development of a new 40mm low velocity airburst munition. Designated XM1166, the High Explosive Airburst (HEAB) system would …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...