Large-scale exercise points to growing Sino-Russian military co-operation

by Mark Cazalet & Gabriel Dominguez

In a sign of growing military co-operation between Moscow and Beijing, about 13,000 Russian and Chinese troops have taken part in the ‘Sibu/Interaction 2021' exercise, marking the first time that such joint strategic military drills are held in China.

The five-day-long manoeuvres began on 9 August at the Qingtongxia combat training base in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in north-central China.

A screengrab from footage released by CCTV on 9 August showing Russian and Chinese troops, along with related equipment, during a ceremony held that day at the Qingtongxia combat training base in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to mark the start of the five-day-long ‘Sibu/Interaction 2021' strategic military exercise. (CCTV)

A screengrab from footage released by CCTV on 9 August showing Russian and Chinese troops, along with related equipment, during a ceremony held that day at the Qingtongxia combat training base in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to mark the start of the five-day-long ‘Sibu/Interaction 2021' strategic military exercise. (CCTV)

Taking part in the large-scale manoeuvres were mainly troops from the PLA's Western Theatre Command and Russia's Eastern Military District, with the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) saying ahead of the drills that they were aimed at “verifying and improving the troops' capabilities of joint reconnaissance, search and early warning, electronic information attack, and joint strike and elimination”.


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New Chinese attack helicopter in development

by Akhil Kadidal

This concept image of China's new attack helicopter, tentatively designated as Z-21, is based on photographs of the prototype aircraft in flight. (Janes)

China is developing a new attack helicopter that appears to be in the same weight class as the US Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc.

Images of the new helicopter, which emerged on Chinese social media in March 2024, show an aircraft that is larger than the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) in-service AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Changhe Aircraft Industries Group (CHAIG) Z-10 attack helicopter, and with a wider central fuselage that is comparable with the Apache. The fuselage includes cheek fairings similar to the AH-64 Apache and a nose configuration similar to the Mi-28. The AH-64E and the Mi-28N have a maximum operating weight of 10–12 tons.

The new helicopter (tentatively designated as Z-21 by Chinese military observers) also appears to incorporate some of the PLA's latest combat helicopter features such as upward-facing engine exhausts to reduce its infrared signature.


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New Aselsan radar makes debut flight on F-16 aircraft

by Olivia Savage & Cem Devrim Yaylali & Raghuraman C S

A screenshot from an Aselsan video showing its new AESA radar in an anechoic chamber prior to flight trials aboard an F-16. (Aselsan)

Aselsan's new active electronically scanned array (AESA) Nose Radar has completed its maiden flight onboard the Turkish Air Force's (TuAF's) Lockheed Martin F-16 Block-30 fighter jet.

According to Aselsan on 26 March, the indigenously developed radar is designed to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and offers capabilities such as multitarget detection and tracking, beyond-visual-range missile guidance, high-resolution imaging, and electronic warfare functionalities.

Commonly referred to as Murad, the Nose Radar is a key component of the Özgür programme, dedicated to modernising the TuAF's F-16 Block-30 fleet. The initiative involves integrating new indigenous software and hardware on the aircraft, including for the mission control computer, and replacing elements of the avionics and cockpit displays.

After successful integration of the Nose Radar on the F-16 Block-30s, the aircraft will become a 4.5-generation platform, according to the President of Defence Industry Agency (SSB), Haluk Görgün. İsmail Demir, then president of SSB, noted in November 2022 during an unveiling of the radar that its capabilities were “equivalent to the most advanced radars in the world”.


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GA-ASI sets out Reaper upgrade plan for Netherlands

by Gareth Jennings

One of four Reaper UAVs now operated by the RNLAF. As well as doubling its fleet to eight, the Netherlands plans to upgrade its Reapers with a raft of enhanced capabilities. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)

The Netherlands is to equip its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a raft of enhancements over the next three years, the manufacturer said on 27 March.

Following previously disclosed plans by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) to double its fleet size from four to eight air vehicles, GA-ASI spelled out some of the capability upgrades that the service intends to add.

“Upgrades to their aircraft [will] include capabilities such as maritime radars, a communications relay, extended range fuel tanks, electronic support measures (ESM), and weapons,” the manufacturer said.

As noted by Lieutenant Colonel Jan Ruedisueli, the commander of the RNLAF's 306 Squadron that operates the type, the Netherlands plans to use its Reapers across an increasing range of mission sets for its national and NATO needs. “With these upgrades, we will support NATO's ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] and maritime surveillance missions throughout Europe,” he was quoted as saying by GA-ASI.


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In a sign of growing military co-operation between Moscow and Beijing, about 13,000 Russian and Chin...

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