Category Archives: Intelligence

China Launches Additional Type 094 SSBNs

Posted on November 25, 2018

Workers at the Bohai Shipyard at Huludao have constructed two additional Type 094 JIN-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines (SSBN), satellite imagery from Planet Labs suggests. One Type 094 relocated from the shipyard’s fabrication hall to the nearby fitting-out pier in … Continue reading →

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Angola Takes Delivery of Four Su-30KN

Posted on November 14, 2018

Four Su-30 multi-role fighter have been delivered to Angola as of October 2018, satellite imagery confirms. The aircraft are part of a $1 billion deal for 12 airframes signed with Russia in 2013. Imagery captured the aircraft parked on the … Continue reading →

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Clarification: China has yet to build an Underground Facility at Gonggar

Posted on October 30, 2018

New infrastructure upgrades were completed at Lhasa-Gonggar earlier this year, satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows. Workers at the civil-military airfield widened a road and built an additional parking apron near the base of the mountain. Earlier this month, India’s … Continue reading →

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Iran: New SAM Site At Masshad

Posted on October 22, 2018

Satellite imagery shows some new developments at Iran’s Masshad civil-military airfield. A new surface to air missile (SAM) site has been constructed on the north side of the runway to support Khatam al-Anbia’s S-300PMU-2 deployments. Between 2017-2018, Iran jumped the … Continue reading →

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Syria remains the foremost proving ground for the world’s most powerful armed forces

Posted on June 9, 2018

by Paul Iddon For years now Syria has been the foremost proving ground for major military powers to test their equipment in real combat conditions. The first half of 2018 has proven no exception and in fact demonstrates that this … Continue reading →

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PLAN Vessels Mobilize in South China Sea: A Timeline

Posted on March 30, 2018

Almost fifty People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were mobilized in the South China Sea not far from Hainan Island, satellite imagery acquired in late March by Planet Labs confirms. Hainan Island is host to China’s strategic base for military … Continue reading →

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Soar Dragon UAVs Deploy to Yishuntun Airbase

Posted on March 23, 2018

New satellite imagery acquired on 04FEB2018 by DigitalGlobe shows that China has deployed the Guizhou Aviation Industry Group (GAIG) Xianglong (Soar Dragon) high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to Yishuntun airbase in Jilin province. The platform, identified by … Continue reading →

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Iran Relocates Radar and Expands UAV Airfield on Qeshm

Posted on March 13, 2018

Iran continues to upgrade the UAV airfield on the island of Qeshm which sits near the Strait of Hormuz, an important maritime choke-point. Satellite imagery acquired in late 2017 and early 2018 by Planet Labs shows workers widening and lengthening … Continue reading →

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India Conducts Unannounced Air Exercise near Doklam

Posted on February 9, 2018

Indian Air Force (IAF) rotations of SU-30MKI Flanker continued in 2017/2018 at Bagdogra Airbase, likely for an unannounced air exercise. Previous commercial imagery acquired in January 2016 also showed a squadron level deployment of the IAF’s advanced fighter. Up to … Continue reading →

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IAF Su-30MKI Deploy to Hasimara

Posted on January 8, 2018

Due to ongoing tensions with China, the Indian Air Force has deployed a flight of at least four Su-30MKI Flanker multi-role fighter to Hasimara, the nearest Indian airbase to the recent Doklam standoff. Commercial imagery first captured the aircraft in … Continue reading →

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