• Land Warfare

  Japan to reform ground forces

  7th August 2014

  Japan’s Defence White Paper published yesterday has outlined some wide ranging changes to the Japan Self-Defence Force. Although the main focus is on securing the …

• Military Logistics

  Hesco Bastion awarded flood defences contract

  6th August 2014

  Hesco Bastian has received a contract to supply Flood Lined units to the US Army’s National Flood Fight Centre on Rock Island, Illinois. The indefinite …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army focuses on 'direct action' operations (video)

  6th August 2014

  During late July and early August 2014, the US Army 3BCT/101ABN (Air Assault), ‘The Rakkasans’, conducted a training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center …

• Digital Battlespace

  Serco wins MRAP C4ISR support contract

  5th August 2014

  Serco will provide C4ISR support services for the US military’s Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles under a $9 million contract announced on 5 August. The …

• Naval Warfare

  Work underway on UK small boat services contract

  5th August 2014

  Babcock has begun repair and maintenance work on the small boat services contract it was awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in June. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Tiger HAD put to the test in Africa

  4th August 2014

  The French Army’s Tiger HAD attack helicopter has undergone a series of trials in the desert of Djibouti as part of the operational testing and …

• Land Warfare

  Russia to counter sanctions with increased army spend

  4th August 2014

  The Russian government plans to increase defence spending to one-quarter of the federal budget by 2017. This is due to sanctions imposed on the country, …

• Land Warfare

  Loc wins Bradley Fighting Vehicle mobility contract

  4th August 2014

  Loc Performance Products will perform work to enhance the mobility of the US Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle under a $161 million contract announced on 30 …

• Land Warfare

  Excalibur Ib cleared for full rate production

  1st August 2014

  The US Army has approved the Excalibur Ib precision guided projectile for full rate production (FRP), bringing the system’s low rate initial production phase to …

• Land Warfare

  Logos wins hostile fire detection and location work

  31st July 2014

  Logos Technologies will develop technology to detect and locate hostile gunfire and explosive denotations under a $9.7 million contract awarded by the US Army Research …

• Land Warfare

  Javelin’s vehicle-launch capability demonstrated

  30th July 2014

  The vehicle-launch capability of the Javelin missile has been demonstrated to an unnamed international customer at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, by the Lockheed Martin-Raytheon …

• Digital Battlespace

  Swiss soldier system development on track

  30th July 2014

  The Integrated and Modular Engagement System for the Swiss Soldier (IMESS) solution developed by Airbus Defence and Space (D&S) has been completed to the level …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia reforms its army aviation branch

  29th July 2014

  The Russian Air Force (RuAF) is poised for a deep reform and recapitalisation of its Army Aviation branch, which operates transport and attack helicopters in …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop Grumman to continue US Army logistics services

  29th July 2014

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract by the US Army to continue to provide mission logistics services in support of combat brigades training at …

• Defence Helicopter

  KAI selected for LAH/LCH programmes

  28th July 2014

  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been selected for Korea’s Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) programmes, it was announced on 21 July. …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...