While they aren’t exactly known for producing cutting edge armored fighting vehicles, South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem is looking to change that equation by developing and building a next generation battle tank known simply as the K3. As explained in the accompanying video, the K3 is intended to both grapple with the latest drones and loitering munitions that have plagued tanks in recent years, but is looking to go things one better by incorporating an AI-enabled fire control system to seek out and destroy threats before the enemy even knows the K3 is operating on the battlefield. Boasting a clean, stealth-shaping configuration, hydrogen-powered engine, three-man crew, embedded sensors to detect ground and airborne threats, 130mm smooth bore gun, and both noise-quieting and heat-dampening systems to hide the vehicle from enemy detection, and other cutting edge features not previously seen in a main battle tank, the K3 is seeking to become one of the first next-generation tanks to both defend South Korea from a potential invasion from the north but also serve as an export option for those nations that border Russia should the latter decide to attack the eastern flank of NATO. Its not clear how much each vehicle will cost or when the first batch of vehicles will roll off the production line and demonstrate its prowess. Nevertheless, several nations are examining the vehicle for possible inclusion in their own armed forces.
In an age where many are questioning the value of the main battle tank, particularly when they are seen set upon by swarms of cheap drones, the US Army has not only forged ahead with plans to field a new battle tank but demanded that the first new vehicles roll out over the next couple of years. Currently, General Dynamics Land Systems, the creator of the Abrams tanks and all of its many iterations, is hard at work developing the so-called M1E3 main battle tank, the latest version of the Abrams that is not only chock full of both offensive and defensive gear but slimmed down to meet the challenges posed by a fluid battlefield far away from home.
In the accompanying video, Sandboxx, under its Firepower moniker, does an excellent job of tracing the evolution of the Abrams since its inception in the 1980s, then goes on to explain why the US Army still needs a 50-ton armored fighting vehicle that can stand-toe-to-toe with its newest rivals across the globe. Built to use less fuel, deal with all sorts of threats and resorting to an auto loader to cut down on weight and reconfigure the crew compartment so that the occupants have a better chance of survival, the M1E3 looks much like its predecessors, but packing a wallop and sensors few can match on today’s battlefield.
The lineage of the main battle tank, from the WWII era Sherman to the M1E3 Abrams. Sabot up, on the way!
While it may resemble an Abrams tank, the latest iteration of the venerable main battle tank is similar to comparing a Volkswagen to a Porsche. Sporting sensors for all-around exterior viewing, an auto-loader, an Israeli-created Trophy active protective system to ward off incoming missiles and other threats, a fuel efficient hybrid-turbine motor as well as other advanced systems, the newest version of the Abrams looks to soldier on at a time when many strategists and pundits question if the tank has seen its day.
There seems to be no shortage of curious items appearing on e-commerce platforms, fantastical models that are supposedly in the works based on prototype aircraft under development by several nations. In the case of the PRC, I noticed several new diecast models showing up on “the Bay”, and was wondering what the commotion was all about surrounding these strange new items.
One such oddity is the Nantianmen Project. “Nantianmen” means “Southern Heavenly Gate” in Mandarin and refers to different things: a real mountain gate in China, a fictional location in the video game Genshin Impact, and a speculative Chinese military project for a space battleship, according to Quora and China-Arms.
The Nantianmen Project, therefore, is a Chinese concept by AVIC Universal Culture for a future global defense system, featuring science-fiction-inspired, technologically advanced aerospace assets like a massive space carrier, space fighters, and tactical mechs. Unveiled through immersive experiences and conceptual models, the project is a vision for China’s aerospace and multi-domain warfare capabilities, with names for its fictional equipment drawing from Chinese mythology, such as the “Luanniao” carrier and “Xuannv” or “Baidi” space fighters.
Here’s a brief synopsis regarding the purpose of this state-run initiative:
Space Fighters:The project includes advanced, fictional unmanned space fighters such as the “Xuannv” (named after a mythical bird) and the “Baidi” (named after a mythological Chinese deity).
AVIC Universal Culture developed the Nantianmen Project as a science-fiction IP, creating live-action immersive experiences and exhibitions, such as at air shows, to showcase these futuristic concepts to the public.
While the models and concepts are highly futuristic, the project is described as a conceptual framework and an immersive science fiction IP, rather than a fully realized military program under development.
The accompanying YouTube videos do a better job of explaining the concept, which will no doubt be followed by additional behind-the-scenes exposes designed to both shock the world and demonstrate why the PRC is serious about their aims, goals and ambitions in the 21st Century. It remains to be seen if this project has real-world legs or ends up on the cutting room floor of some upcoming sci-fi series.
From a collecting standpoint, we’re not certain how much interest aviation enthusiasts world over will place on models based upon futuristic aircraft tacked to the computerized drawing board. It could end up that models ensconced in the so-called Nantianmen Project may be the next best thing in the diecast aviation community or it could end up as a pie-in-the-sky concept that will garner, at best, a passing interest. So, we’ve asked one of our distributors to look into the matter and see what they can do about bringing in some of the models we’ve spotted online. Time will tell if they will be successful from a financial and collecting standpoint or end up in the bargain heap of notional fliers.
Back in 2024, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, said that the Peoples Liberation Army would be ready to act on the island-nation of Taiwan by 2027, meaning his forces would be prepared to invade the breakaway republic should diplomacy fail. In keeping with that theme, the Chinese armed forces put on a massive military parade earlier today that ostensibly celebrates the eightieth anniversary of their “victory” over Imperial Japan in the Second World War. While a good deal of new armament was on display, much of the newest weaponry was designed with keeping the West at bay should they decide to help defend the tiny island-nation from a PLA airborne and amphibious invasion.
As if this sabre-rattling wasn’t enough, several defense-oriented outlets on YouTube have amped up the rhetoric by providing what they believe would be a play-by-play scenario of how an attack might take place. Granted each has merit based upon past Chinese exploits and their continuance to field more and more armament, it remains to be seen if they truly believe they can succeed in the face of the combined might of Taiwan, Japan, Australia and, of course, the United States.
Recently, the PLA unveiled two new armored fighting vehicles to their growing arsenal of land-based weapon systems, both of which will likely be featured in an upcoming military parade that celebrates their victory over Imperial Japan some 80 years ago. The ZTZ-201, as its been named, is an all-new medium tank that weighs roughly 35-40 tons, and boasts an active protection system that is designed to ward off incoming airborne threats that include both drones and anti-armor missiles.
Smaller than their standard ZTZ-99 main battle tank and featuring a modular design so that a family of armored fighting vehicles can be created from a common base, the vehicles are likely being fast-tracked so that a significant number of them can be built and fielded should a shooting war erupt with Taiwan in the not-too-distant-future. The tank boasts an impressive 105mm caliber gun while its sister infantry fighting vehicle is armed with a 30mm cannon and can likely haul a 10-man squad in its rear compartment.
The tank features a reinforced dynamic protection shell attached to the hull sides and turret, that is designed to rely less upon steel and applique armor to shield the vehicle from various threats in favor of speed and agility. A three-man crew, seated within a capsule towards the front of the vehicle, has been developed for crew protection and survivability and an autoloader has been incorporated within the turret to both reduce the size of the crew as well as speed up target acquisition and firing. Each crew member likely wears an augmented reality head set that provides all-around viewing thanks to a complete set of externally embedded sensors and cameras.
Needless to say information remains classified regarding the composition of these protective shells. And, with the weight reduction, its not clear if these vehicles are designed to be air-transportable, thereby aiding Marines and other ground-based assets in the early hours of a seaborne invasion.
With each military conflict, new weaponry oftentimes get introduced and tested under real-world battlefield conditions, all in an effort to gain the upper hand against the other side. In Word War I, attempts at breaking the stalemate ended up giving rise to the submarine, tank and rudimentary forms of air power. In WWII, the aircraft carrier gained prominence, particularly in the vast Pacific Ocean, forcing battleships to take a less pivotal role. The war in central Asia being waged by both Ukraine and Russia is certainly no different and will quite possibly be known as the “war of the drones” due largely to incredible technological developments being put forward on both sides of the ledger.
Recently, Russia provided a behind-the-scenes look at a factory located within the country that is designed to build and supply their forces with their own fleet of reconnaissance and attack drones. The drones borrow heavily from Iranian-supplied attack drones Russia once purchased early in the conflict as a means of breaking a stalemate they themselves faced largely due to the effectiveness of Ukrainian-deployed drones. Interestingly, now the US has entered the fray with Epirus Leonidas, a new as yet-to-be-deployed system designed to cheaply and effectively locate, identify and destroy incoming drones before they can do any damage. Essentially, the Leonidas is a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon developed to disable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. It was named after Leonidas of Epirus.
Epirus was founded in 2018 to enter the counter-drone market and it unveiled the Leonidas in 2020. The threat of small drones, especially cheap consumer models, is difficult to counter in large numbers using traditional kinetic means. Against regular air defenses, cheap drones can be deployed in large numbers to overwhelm a defender or force them to expend more expensive interceptors. Leonidas is designed as a directed energy weapon that fires electromagnetic pulse (EMP) beams to disable electronics. The system is able to pick individual targets or cover a large area in wide beam mode to affect any electronic device that passes through. While it was intended to be used against airborne drone threats, it has the ability to knock out ground vehicles and sea vessels; it works against any electronics, and has been demonstrated to disable an outboard ship motor.
Due to its use of gallium nitridetransistors previously used in radars instead of magnetronvacuum tubes, Leonidas can maintain a durable microwave beam while being smaller and requiring less power. As a directed EMP, the system has advantages over other DEWs; lasers can only be used against one target at a time while an HPM can focus on a large area, and it works against autonomous UAVs with no link back to an operator that radio jamming would be ineffective against. Because it is software-based, it is able to discriminate between enemy and friendly aircraft, allowing it to take down enemy drones while enabling friendly ones to operate in the same vicinity. The original configuration was as a towed trailer. In October 2021, Epirus and General Dynamics announced they were teaming to integrate Leonidas onto the Stryker to provide mobile short-range air defense. Epirus unveiled the Leonidas Pod in February 2022 capable of being carried by a heavy-lift UAV. The Leonidas Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) was unveiled in September 2024 as a small version for mobile forces such as the U.S. Marine Corps. The Leonidas H2O, a system one-third the size of the original, was used in a U.S. Navy exercise in August 2024 to disable small boat motors. It was effective at 100 meters working at half power, and can achieve greater ranges than normal by reflecting off the water’s surface.
On January 23rd, 2023, Epirus was awarded a $66.1 million contract by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to deliver the Leonidas to the U.S. Army as part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) program after outperforming six other systems. Four prototypes were to be produced by 2024 and then transitioned to a program of record in 2025.Epirus announced on November 1st, 2023, that the first prototype had been delivered and all four were delivered by March 2024. Some of the IFPC-HPM prototypes were deployed to CENTCOM to see how they perform in a real-world environment, with two deployed by early 2025.
Presently, its not clear if the US will purchase and deploy the Leonidas as a means of bolstering their own forces should they come into contact with swarms of drones on the battlefield. If they do, you can bet the system will first be deployed in Ukraine to both demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and gain an understanding of drone warfare and the best means of defeating them.
While much of the focus on the Middle East has either been about the War in Gaza or Iran’s teetering nuclear program, an important headline surfaced last week that seems to have eluded many. Giora Epstein, known by aviation enthusiasts as the “Ace of Aces”, passed away at the age of 87. Having been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, Epstein, later known as Giora Even, was an Israeli Air Force (IAF) officer and a fighter ace credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets and one against an Egyptian Mi-8 helicopter, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the Israeli Air Force. Epstein was an active IAF pilot from 1961 until May 26th, 1997, when he retired at age 59. Like many retired IAF flyers, he later worked as a pilot for El Al Airlines.
After we learned of his passing, we brought this news to the attention of Hobby Master and they confirmed that they already had a 1:72 scale replica of Epstein’s Mirage in the works. According to William Liu, head of development at Hobby Master, Epstein’s Mirage will probably come to fruition in early 2026. There’s also a good chance that the Company will make a 1:72 scale take on his F-16 Viper, although Epstein was never impressed by the plane since much of the emphasis on the F-16 was on the aircraft’s fly-by-wire capabilities, thereby making the jet less of an actual aircraft and more of a computer, as he himself explains in the accompany video.
“We’re doing an upgrade, a simple upgrade, but we’re also doing an F-55. I’m going to call it an F-55, and that’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s going to be also with two engines because the F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.”– President Donald Trump, May 16th, 2025
It pays to stay current whenever President Donald Trump speaks to the media because you never know what you’re going to get. At a press conference held earlier this week in Qatar, Trump said he welcomes the idea of developing and potentially funding a twin-engine F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which he has dubbed the F-55. Essentially, the F-55 would combine the best attributes of the Lockheed F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter with the technological advancements put forward by the F-35 Lightning II, thereby giving it more muscle and a more reliable power plant should a conflict erupt over the vast Pacific Ocean. Frankly, the idea isn’t as far-fetched as some might claim, considering how the US Navy has long advocated for an aircraft equipped with two engines over one, an important consideration when landing areas are few and far between should the aircraft have to put down in an emergency. Moreover, Lockheed, which recently lost out to Boeing in the NGAD competition, claims an F-55 would be far cheaper to produce than Boeing’s F-45 Air Dominance Fighter, which is equally important when you take into account how many different Air Force projects are currently in the works. Its not clear if an F-55 would perform as well as the F-45 the Air Force is currently betting on, but sometimes funding issues are just as significant as performance when it comes to bringing a new aircraft to fruition. For more information on what Trump shared, visit The War Zone.
At a press conference held in the Oval Office of the White House, President Trump unexpectedly announced that Boeing had won the contract to develop and deploy the US Air Force’s sixth generation fighter jet. Dubbed the F-47, to honor Trump as our nation’s 47th president, the aircraft, which as yet does not have a name, “came after a tumultuous competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the prized rights to build the aircraft that is meant to anchor the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems,” said Aviation Week.
“The Air Force wants a new aircraft with the range, speed and stealth to operate effectively over the vast Indo-Pacific region and against some of China’s most advanced weapons systems, including current and future stealth fighters and surface-to-air missile systems.
The requirements dictate an aircraft with performance that defies familiar categories for combat aircraft, such as a fighter or bomber. Boeing’s future aircraft is expected to feature a supersonic speed and perhaps a lack of vertical control surfaces to enhance its survivability, along with a large structure to carry all fuel, sensors and weapons internally.
The NGAD contract also offers a reprieve for a defense and space business within Boeing that has reported over $18 billion in reach-forward losses on fixed-price military and NASA programs since 2014, including $5 billion in new charges from 2024 alone. Despite the losses, Boeing invested heavily to win the NGAD contract, including starting construction nearly two years ago on a new factory in St. Louis to produce the aircraft.
The development deal could sustain for several more decades Boeing’s historic combat aircraft production site in St. Louis, a line that dates back to the first flight of the FH-1 Phantom in 1945, reached peak output with the F-4 Phantom II and continues today with the F-15EX Eagle II. If the NGAD contract can stay on track, Boeing gains the opportunity to revitalize its defense engineering and operations, advancing on the digital engineering and manufacturing practices pioneered by the T-7A Red Hawk trainer and MQ-25 Stingray, an uncrewed, carrier-based air refueling aircraft.
Boeing’s victory also stops Lockheed Martin from attaining a monopoly on Air Force crewed fighter production after the end of the decade, with future U.S. orders for the F-35A still uncertain under the new Trump administration.
The NGAD award will reverberate in the defense industry beyond the crewed aircraft market. The aircraft is expected to feature the winner of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program—GE Aerospace XA102 or Pratt & Whitney’s XA103. Both feature a new three-stream architecture that increases bypass flow in cruise mode to reduce fuel consumption by more than 20%.
The capabilities of the NGAD also will influence requirements for the Air Force’s proposed family of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The CCAs are expected to operate alongside NGAD aircraft on some missions, expanding options for sensors and weapons.”
Thus far its not clear what the aircraft will look like but it is expected to be tailless, boast an internal weapons bay, feature the latest in avionics, a cutting edge powerplant and incorporate a variety of stealthy characteristics that are designed to reduce its radar cross section. It had been thought that the F-47 (previously known as the NGAD) was on hold due to rising developmental costs so the announcement comes as a shock to both the aviation and defense community. The move is already being viewed with a measure of skepticism given Lockheed-Martin’s history of producing some of the finest cutting edge jets in recent years, among them the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. So, it remains to be seen how Bowing gained a leg up on the competition given its current spate of miscues in the general aviation industry and its problems delivering astronauts into space via its problem-plagued Starliner capsule.
Looking to maintain its place in today’s headlines, the Chinese PLAAF recently showed a video of its Xi’an H-20 stealth bomber. Resembling both the USAF’s B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider stealth bomber, rumors concerning its development have persisted for several years, although it wasn’t until this past weekend that actual footage surfaced of the aircraft’s maiden flight.
According to The War Zone, “The U.S. military says it still does not expect China’s long-awaited H-20 bomber to make its “debut” – unclear if this means its entrance into operational service or just its emergence publicly – until sometime in the next decade. Earlier this year, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) deputy commander was quoted as saying the unveiling of the aircraft, at least, would be coming “soon.” There have been reports for years now that the bomber, expected to be a stealthy flying wing design broadly reminiscent externally of the U.S. B-2 Spirit, could be about to break cover.
“A general assessment of the state of the H-20 bomber program is included in the U.S. military’s latest annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments. The Pentagon released an unclassified version of the report today, which also says that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is still developing a stealthy medium-ranged bomber referred to in the past as the JH-XX.
“The PLAAF is seeking to extend its power projection capability with the development of a new H-20 stealth strategic bomber, with official PRC state media stating that this new stealth bomber will have a nuclear mission in addition to filling conventional roles,” the report states. “The PLAAF is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers to strike regional and global targets.”
“The PRC is developing a new generation of long-range bombers, likely named the H-20. The H-20, which may debut sometime in the next decade, will have a range of more than 10,000 km [nearly 6,214 miles], enabling the PLAAF to cover the Second Island Chain and into the western region of the Pacific,” another section of the report says. “The H-20 bomber’s range could be extended to cover the globe with aerial refueling. It is expected to employ conventional and nuclear weaponry and feature a stealthy design.”
The Second Island Chain mentioned here refers to an area of the Pacific to the west of a boundary stretching between Japan and eastern Indonesia and includes the U.S. territory of Guam. The remarks here about the H-20 are also largely identical to what the Pentagon included in its China report last year.”
Most analysts agree that the unveiling of both the H-20 bomber and several smaller sixth generation aircraft are designed to strike fear in the hearts of their adversaries even though it isn’t clear if any of these new aircraft measure up to their western counterparts. Still, it does demonstrate progress on multiple fronts should a cold war turn hot in the mid 2020s.
