Author: Defenceline Webdesk

The HQ-9 (红旗-9, ‘Red Flag-9’) is a Chinese long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). Pakistan operates two variants: the Pakistan Army’s HQ-9/P and the Pakistan Air Force’s HQ-9BE — making the HQ-9 family Pakistan’s only strategic-tier ground-based air defence system. The HQ-9/P entered service on 14 October 2021 and was combat-proven during the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict — the first confirmed operational use of any HQ-9 variant. Export variants marketed by CASIC include the FD-2000 (baseline export) and FD-2000B (enhanced export, 250 km range). The HQ-9 sits at the top of…

Within a month, the Uzbek football team will make its debut at the FIFA World Cup as the only representative from Central Asia and the Caucasus. This is an important achievement that underscores the positive momentum of Uzbek football across both the men’s and women’s national squads. Uzbekistan is in a tough group, with three difficult opponents: Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Portugal. The good news for fans of Uzbekistan is that the squad is composed of players already in top-level leagues. The best example is Abdukodir Khusanov, currently playing for Manchester City; in fact, Khusanov is…

Pakistan has claimed that it has conducted a fresh training launch of its Fatah‑4 ground‑launched cruise missile, organised by the Army Rocket Force Command. The missile, equipped with modern avionics and navigational systems, demonstrated long‑range precision targeting and validated multiple technical parameters, defence experts believe that the missile has Chinese origins.The Pakistan Army confirmed that the Fatah‑4 cruise missile was test‑fired on Thursday under the supervision of the Rocket Force Command. According to the statement issued by the Inter‑Services Public Relations (ISPR), the missile is fitted with advanced avionics and state‑of‑the‑art navigational aids, enabling it to engage long‑range targets with…

Marine Corps Compass Points If the US Navy is serious about rapidly getting more ships on more seas, the Navy should take a hard look, not only at the ESBs, but also the EPFs, the fleet of… Source link

The momentum to fundamentally transform America’s defense acquisition system has never been stronger. Galvanized by growing threats from peer adversaries and the rapidly changing nature of modern warfare, House and Senate lawmakers spearheaded acquisition reform efforts in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed last December. The NDAA codified many bold and necessary changes proposed by Republican and Democratic leaders on the armed services committees and by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in his Acquisition Transformation Strategy. The effort to implement these vital reforms has now entered a pivotal stage. To maintain the momentum built last year…

The LY-80 is the export designation of the Chinese HQ-16 medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Derived from earlier versions of the Russian Buk missile system, the HQ-16/LY-80 fills the low-to-medium altitude air defence layer — sitting between short-range point-defence systems and long-range platforms like the HQ-9. Pakistan is the largest export operator of the HQ-16 family. The Pakistan Army inducted nine LY-80 batteries in a US$600 million programme beginning in 2013–2014, the Pakistan Navy operates the LY-80N aboard its Type 054A/P frigates,…

U.S. President Donald Trump made his long awaited trip to China this week, arriving in the country on May 13 and holding a bilateral meeting, as well as a state banquet, with China’s Xi Jinping on May 14. He will have tea and lunch with Xi on May 15 before departing for Washington. Trump’s visit marked the first by a U.S. president to China since 2017 – during Trump’s first term. From Beijing, Trump and Xi promised a new era for the bilateral relationship. Xi even presented an entirely new formula: “building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.” According…

Pakistan’s sudden activation of multiple restricted air corridors just days after India’s successful test of an advanced Agni-series ballistic missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicle capability has sharply intensified strategic signalling between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.The restrictions, issued through a sweeping NOTAM covering major low-altitude aviation corridors over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab between 12 and 14 May, coincided with the simultaneous activation of the Gadani and Somiani firing ranges along the Balochistan coastline.This pattern strongly resembled previous Pakistani live-fire missile validation procedures linked to the Army Rocket Force Command, fuelling speculation of significant military activity.Open-source intelligence accounts monitoring…

CDR Salamander …the best we can do, really… Source link

On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced a new effort called the Low-Cost Containerized Munitions program, aiming to deliver 10,000 small cruise missiles in the next three years. In this episode of The Pentagon Buzz, Breaking Defense Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta explains who is making them, and why the Pentagon is moving in this direction. Subscribe to our Pentagon newsletter to get the latest information from the building delivered directly to you. Source link