• Defence Helicopter

  HAD/E Tiger helicopter programme marks milestone

  31st July 2013

  The first HAD/E variant of the Tiger combat helicopter assembled at Eurocopter's Spanish facilities in Albacete, Spain, completed its maiden flight on 29 June. This …

• Land Warfare

  First test phase of CTA gun ammo completed

  29th July 2013

  Testing of the armoured piercing (AP) and target practise (TP) rounds for the CTA International (CTAI) 40mm cannon system has been completed, according to BAE …

• Land Warfare

  Oman MBTs charging up

  26th July 2013

  The Royal Army of Oman (RAO) expects the L18A1 charge to be certified for operation with Challenger II MBT 120mm L23A1 ammunition in August, it …

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland in talks for 70 military helicopters

  25th July 2013

  Poland’s Ministry of Defence has started technical negotiations with three manufacturers for an initial procurement of 70 helicopters, it has emerged. The deal is part …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  JLENS undergoes user testing

  24th July 2013

  The US Army’s Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) aerostat has completed Early User Testing (EUT) at the Utah Test …

• Military Logistics

  Iran unveils new tank transporter

  22nd July 2013

  The Iranian Army Ground Forces have developed a new tank transporter called ‘Sayyad’ or Hunter, it has emerged. According to reports coming from Iranian state …

• Defence Helicopter

  MD Helicopters overcomes Boeing legal challenge

  20th July 2013

  MD Helicopters (MDHI) has overcome a legal challenge from Boeing aimed at preventing it from offering the MD 540F helicopter in direct competition to Boeing’s …

• Military Logistics

  Australia contracts LHD and AWD support improvements

  19th July 2013

  The Australian DoD has appointed a managing contractor to lead improvements to naval facilities in Sydney that will support the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) new …

• Digital Battlespace

  USN awaits MUOS-2 launch

  17th July 2013

  The second satellite of the five-strong Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation will be launched on 19 July, Lockheed Martin has announced. Due to lift-off …

• Land Warfare

  US Army selects new 'Game for Training' solution

  16th July 2013

  A team headed by Calytrix Technologies will supply the US Army with a next-generation game-based training technology called the Virtual Battlespace 3 (VBS3) simulation product. …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon’s 3rd Generation FLIR system undergoes testing

  15th July 2013

  Raytheon has demonstrated its 3rd Generation Forward Looking Infrared (3rd Gen FLIR) technology for the Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS) in a series of laboratory …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  iRobot announces US Army PackBot FasTac UGV contract

  12th July 2013

  iRobot will supply its PackBot FasTac unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to the US Army following the award of a $30 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Germany selects EC645 T2 LUH for special forces

  11th July 2013

  The German Federal Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Eurocopter’s EC645 T2 Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) for Germany’s Special Forces Command. The MoD has signed …

• Land Warfare

  Kongsberg wins Stryker ECP smart display contract

  10th July 2013

  Kongsberg Integrated Tactical Systems (KITS) will supply commander’s and driver’s smart displays for the US Army Stryker Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) programme under a new …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ground Guidance software to be integrated into FalconView

  9th July 2013

  US warfighters will have enhanced situational awareness following the award of a contract to Primordial for its Ground Guidance software. The software will be integrated …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...