India Seeks 25 Military Training Models Including J-20, J-35, DF-17, DF-41 and Type 055 Destroyer

India’s Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) has floated a procurement for 25 three-dimensional military training models representing a range of foreign combat aircraft, missiles, warships, armoured vehicles and other weapon systems. Several of the models depict some of China’s most advanced military platforms, including the J-20 and J-35 stealth fighters, DF-17 hypersonic missile system, DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile and Type 055 destroyer.

The procurement is for physical 3D training models, not operational Chinese military equipment. Such models can provide military personnel with accurate visual representations of foreign systems for platform-recognition training, professional military education, operational briefings and familiarisation.

China features prominently in the proposed collection. In addition to the J-20, J-35, DF-17, DF-41 and Type 055, the requirement includes representations of platforms such as the Fujian aircraft carrier, ZTZ-99A main battle tank, HQ-9 air-defence system, Z-10 attack helicopter and a Chinese submarine type.

The selection reflects the rapid modernisation of China’s armed forces. The J-20 represents Beijing’s operational fifth-generation combat aircraft capability, while the newer J-35 family is being developed for both land- and carrier-based operations. The DF-17 combines a ballistic-missile booster with a hypersonic glide vehicle, while the road-mobile DF-41 represents one of China’s longest-range strategic missile systems.

At sea, the Type 055 large destroyer has become one of the most powerful surface combatants operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. With a large vertical-launch system and sophisticated sensors, the class plays an increasingly important role in Chinese carrier groups and long-range naval operations.

However, the tender is not exclusively focused on Chinese weapons. The wider collection covers systems from several countries and includes aircraft such as the F-16, Mirage III and JF-17 Thunder, along with the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aircraft, VT-4 tank, Tughril-class frigate, Fateh-II rocket system, M198 155mm howitzer and RPG-7.

The diverse selection indicates that the models are intended to expose personnel to a broad cross-section of military equipment that could be encountered in regional or international operational environments.

Three-dimensional models remain useful despite the widespread availability of digital imagery and simulation because they allow personnel to study the physical configuration and distinctive features of aircraft, ships, missile launchers and ground vehicles from multiple angles. Recognition of silhouettes, sensor arrangements, weapon positions and vehicle layouts can be valuable during training and battlefield familiarisation.

The presence of sophisticated Chinese systems in the requirement is particularly noteworthy given the growing technological complexity of the People’s Liberation Army. China has rapidly fielded stealth aircraft, hypersonic weapons, large surface combatants and modern missile systems, increasing the importance of maintaining updated knowledge of their visual characteristics and configurations.

The procurement also illustrates how relatively simple training aids form part of a much broader military readiness system. Effective situational awareness depends not only on advanced sensors and intelligence networks but also on personnel being able to rapidly identify and understand the platforms those systems detect.

The current tender should nevertheless be described as a procurement process rather than a completed order. The publication of the GeM requirement confirms that Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff is seeking the 25 models, but an award or completed acquisition would require a subsequent procurement decision.

Once supplied, the models could provide India’s joint military establishments with a compact physical reference library covering some of the most consequential aircraft, missiles, warships and armoured systems currently operated or developed across the region.