MUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Rainforests and tactical radios don’t get on. Fortunately, help is at hand in ensuring armies can communicate more easily in thick vegetation.

FRIGATES STEPPING-UP

Modern frigates are now being equipped with greater capacity to deliver ‘high end’ force protection.

ANALYSING SINGAPORE'S F-35B ACQUISITION

Last month, the United States approved the sale of up to 12 Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter jets and related equipment and services to Singapore in a $2.75 billion deal.

Unmanned Transformation

'Autonomous Warrior' drives RAN to boost unmanned system roles in sea control, situational awareness

Renewing The Assault

Lessons learned from recent conflicts has seen a greater focus on modularity and ambidextrous customisation of small arms, as well as reducing weight and the introduction of new ammunition types to increase lethality.

HF Radio: Still Valid After 100 Years

Discovered almost one century ago, High Frequency (HF) radio has never lost its appeal thanks to its ability to move traffic across long distances, and its resilience to electronic attack.

Cheaper Options For Ground Attack

There is now a growing range of ground attack aircraft available now, the purchase of which will not break a nation’s defence budget.

Ballistic Missile Shields

Obtaining a ballistic missile defence capability adds another layer to a nation’s nuclear and/or conventional deterrence.

Preparing For The Unthinkable

Tackling any type of CBRN attack demands the proper equipment. Some Asian-Pacific countries have the capability to react if the worst should happen.

Light Guns Keep Heads Down

The strength of light artillery lies in its responsiveness and reliability in support of ground forces. Its firepower can make the difference between winning or losing in an engagement.

South Korea Joins Asia's Carrier Race

The Republic of Korea (ROK) recently announced that it plans to launch by 2030 a large-deck amphibious-warfare ship that could handle Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft.

Asia-Pacific Naval Directory 2019

The potential for maritime conflict in the region - and increasingly beyond - continues to increase with the growth of the Chinese Navy and the unpredictability of North Korea.

Anti-Ship Missile Evolution

The anti-ship missile has come a long way since the crude guided weapons first witnessed during the Second World War.

Submarines To Space; The Challenge Of Maritime Security

While submarines have become ‘flavour of the moment’, increased spending on defence has meant that a small number of nations are improving their 3D maritime posture.

The Quad Returns - But What's Changed?

The Quad Returns - But What's Changed?

Constabulary Maritime: OPVS And Corvettes On Patrol

Not all naval ships have to be big to be useful. Home waters maritime security can be adequately prosecuted by smaller, yet increasingly more capable vessels.

'Tank!!' The Psychological Impact Of Armour

Mobility, firepower and protection. Three qualities of the main battle tank that ensure that they are retained, modernised or replaced.

Defence Services Asia 2018 Snapshot

DSA has become one of South East Asia’s leading defence shows which this year celebrated its 30th anniversary, having started in 1988. Here are some of the highlights.

China Flexes Maritime Muscle To Warn Taiwan And Regional Rivals

The South China Sea has witnessed growing Chinese naval presence, but the People’s Liberal Army Navy (PLAN) parade on 12 April was of another magnitude. Chinese ambitions to become a leading ‘blue water’ navy and maritime power were on full display, with President Xi Jinping, as chairman of the Central Military Commission, donning camoufl age military fatigues.

The Naval Workhorse

Offshore Patrol Vessels are gaining popularity as a cheaper but increasingly more capable option to more sizeable and expensive ‘grey navy’ warships.

To The Beach And Beyond Amphibious Assault

The development of ship-to-shore landing vessels means more volume arriving per trip at higher speed.

Turning Night Into Daytime

As with anything that infantry is expected to carry, night vision device design must incorporate compromises balancing capability  against the load they impose in terms of weight, bulk and power consumption.

Remote Control

There has been an increased demand for Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) and unmanned turrets in recent years. These systems provide a range of benefits, and are seen as particularly useful in certain roles where an inhabited turret may not be necessary.

Face-Off, Step Back

While the mini-crisis between India and China over a road-building programme in a controversial area claimed by Bhutan has been averted (for now), China continues to push its tactics for territorial and maritime influence.

Mittens Or Masters, Blue Magpies Or Golden Eagles?

As the complexity of fighter aircraft keeps increasing, the need for better training aircraft that can prepare pilots for this higher level of performance are required.

Amphibious Sustained Reach

Large ships can, by definition, support a number of tasks. Such flexibility inherent in both amphibious and logistics platforms is being exploited by a number of Asia-Pacific navies, as they seek to cover a range of operational requirements.

David Versus Goliath

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF), as part of that country’s armed forces, faces a nearly impossible primary mission on paper, to defend the airspace of Taiwan from the might of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

Pulse

New radar deliveries are in the offing from Thales and Saab, with this year’s Paris Air Show seeing the launch of new airborne self protection systems, while new tactical radio waveforms and transceivers are entering the market place, alongside SATCOM systems.

Tactical Change Of Tune

The challenge of upgrading to software defined radios will reduce the need to overcome issues with upgrading traditional hardware for Asian militaries.

Fast Attack: Still A Threat In The Littoral

Small, swift missile-bearing attack craft can do great damage at range if allowed to do so.