Winning streak: China hits stride in armed MALE UAV exports
China has emerged as a leading supplier of armed UAVs to countries that are unable to acquire Western-made systems due to cost or political inhibitions. Major Chinese UAV suppliers, therefore, are now offering solutions that are fully integrated UAV reconnaissance and strike packages. Kelvin Wong s report follows - shortlisted for Best Unmanned Systems Submission at the 2021 Aerospace Media Awards.
The export of weaponised, multirole, medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been a consistent and prominent feature in China’s efforts to increase its footprint in the global defence market. At least 14 countries – including advanced and developing economies in Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East – have ordered or taken delivery of a range of armed MALE UAV platforms in the past decade alone, with the list expected to grow in tandem with Beijing’s economic and military influen
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Industrial action: Finnish defence-industrial capabilities
by Charles Forrester
This article was shortlisted in the 2021 Aerospace Media Awards.. For more about Janes award-winning insights and analysis, see what we do.
The requirement for the Finnish Air Force to replace its Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet multirole combat aircraft by 2030 has brought with it the need to ensure that Finland has the requisite industrial resilience to operate the aircraft, along with its sensors and weapon systems, with a high degree of independence.
As a result the aircraft under evaluation – the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, the Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab Gripen E/F, and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet – are being tested for their ability to ensure that Finnish requirements for security of supply can be met. The country has set a requirement for a 30% return of the total contract value as part of this, meaning that an estimated EUR2–3
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