Singapore world's 5th-biggest arms importer
Purchases part of SAF's bid to maintain tech edge: Expert
Jermyn Chow
Publication Date : 20-03-2012

Singapore has emerged as the world's fifth-biggest weapons importer in the last five years, says the latest report of a Swedish security and military think-tank.

With its imports accounting for 4 per cent of the world's total spent on arms imports, Singapore trails only four countries - India (10 per cent), South Korea (6 per cent), and Pakistan and China (tied at 5 per cent).

The annual report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) also said the top five countries' imports make up nearly a third - 30 per cent - of arms sales.

Defence specialists The Straits Times spoke to said they were not surprised by Singapore's ranking as it has, in the last few years, acquired 110 Leopard main battle tanks, 24 F-15SG fighter jets, 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System trucks and six S-70B Sikorsky Seahawk naval helicopters - all big-ticket items.

More recently, Heron 1 pilotless surveillance planes and the Spyder-SR ground-based air defence system have been on the shopping list.

Military publication IHS Jane's defence specialist Jon Grevatt said the purchases are part of efforts by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to transform itself into a third-generation fighting force and to maintain its technological edge.

The Bangkok-based specialist noted that countries in the region have recently bought or are intending to buy fighter jets, and that territorial disputes in the South China Sea are triggering the region's bigger defence spending.

"Being the biggest exporter and most important economy in South-east Asia, Singapore has to continue investing in resources to protect its strategic assets and keep the sea lanes safe," he added.

Unlike China, which produces much of its military hardware domestically, Singapore imports most of its platforms from foreign defence contractors like the United States.

More purchases are expected, say defence experts.

The SAF will be looking to replace its ageing hardware, such as the KC-135 airborne tankers and Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft, in the next two years; Singapore is also expected to decide on whether to buy the most advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet, said Grevatt.

Previous Sipri data indicated that defence spending in the Asia-Pacific has more than doubled to US$275 billion since 1990.

Even as the rest of Asia continues on a spending spree, the defence expenditure of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has been growing at a steady clip - as a rule, the budget is no more than 6 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

In the last five years, defence spending has grown by an average of 4 per cent a year, from S$10.7 billion (US$8.50 billion) in 2008 to S$12.3 billion (US$9.78 billion) this year.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen explained in Parliament this month that the steady spending on defence allows Mindef to get the best value for its investments.

Where possible, the SAF has upgraded its ageing war machines instead of buying new ones; it has done this with the M113 armoured personnel carriers, the C-130 transport planes and the Victory-class missile corvettes.

Dr Tim Huxley from the Singapore-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said that as the Republic continues to be on the lookout for newer, more modern fighting platforms, it is likely to stay in the top five list in the years to come.

He added, however, that as the SAF buys new weapons and systems for active ground units, it also needs to pay attention to the units made up of operationally ready national servicemen.

"More money can be spent on the NS units to plug the gap and equip them to the same standards as the active units, so that when they fight alongside, they have the same kind of weapons and are networked the same way to fight more effectively."


http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_779531.html

Singapore gains toehold in world arms industry
By Bhavan Jaipragas (AFP) – Mar. 18, 2012 - 01:32PM

SINGAPORE — Singapore, better known for its clean-cut image and electronics exports, is seeking a place in the global arms industry by exploiting technological expertise honed on its own amply funded military.

From armoured personnel carriers used by British forces in Afghanistan to ammunition and firearms, the city-state is trying to enlarge the overseas market for its homegrown weapons and defence systems.

Its arms exports were in the limelight recently when India's defence ministry banned six weapons manufacturers for alleged involvement in a 2009 bribery case -- one of them a relatively little-known company from Singapore.

ST Kinetics, part of the multibillion-dollar ST Engineering industrial group, swiftly and vigorously denied the accusation but the mere mention of the firm underscored Singapore's growing ambitions in the world arms market.

Singapore's Straits Times newspaper said ST Kinetics was bidding for a contract to supply India with howitzers when the process was put on hold over the bribery allegations.

Its parent ST Engineering, with revenues of Sg$5.99 billion ($4.72 billion) in 2011, was the only Southeast Asian firm on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's list of the world's top 100 defence manufacturers released last month.

Partly owned by state investment agency Temasek Holdings, ST Engineering dominates the defence industry in Singapore. It says it is one of the world's top suppliers of 40mm ammunition as well as portable weapons like its CIS 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher.

The company was the biggest exhibitor at last month's Singapore Airshow where among the equipment on display was a new version of the Bronco, an armoured all-terrain troop carrier used by British forces in Afghanistan.

"Our things are battle-proven. If you need something special, we can also customise to give you an edge over other people," Patrick Choy, executive vice-president for international marketing at ST Engineering, told AFP at the show.

The British Army's 115 Broncos -- first deployed in Afghanistan in 2010 and dubbed the "Warthogs" -- are ST Engineering's pride, and billed as the first armoured vehicles built for a Western army by an Asian firm.

Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, the second-largest foreign contingent after the US troops in the coalition, operating in the the difficult terrain of Helmand province.

Jon Grevatt, a defence specialist for IHS Jane's, a global security think tank, said the firm "has done a grand job with the Bronco" but noted that "the British Army heavily customised it to suit its operational needs in Afghanistan".

Beyond Britain, ST Engineering exports weapons and military equipment to other countries but refuses to divulge details.

According to the Stockholm institute, Singapore has sold defence products to Indonesia, Chad, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil since 2000, generating $1.75 billion in 2010 alone.

Despite its diverse customer profile, ST Engineering is still heavily dependent on the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Grevatt said.

Singapore has the largest defence budget in Southeast Asia, thanks to public funds generated by its phenomenal economic growth. It has set aside Sg$12.28 billion ($9.68 billion) for defence in 2012, at 24.4 percent the largest single allocation in the government's total budget.

Surrounded by far larger neighbours, Singapore has pursued a robust defence strategy since its acrimonious split with Malaysia in 1965, and was initially advised by Israel.

All able-bodied Singaporean men are required to devote two years of full-time military service upon turning 18, providing additional manpower on top of the estimated 20,000 armed forces regulars.

"As a defence manufacturer ST is driven largely by what the SAF needs... which is still conventional systems," Grevatt said.

"ST's conventional land systems for the SAF will be difficult to sell outside Singapore because several factors are against it... the Western market is in decline and conflicts are also winding down."

However, ST Engineering's non-defence sectors contribute about 60 percent of revenues, with the diverse portfolio bolstering growth potential, he added.

Apart from its defence business, the company has worldwide operations in commercial land systems, aerospace, the marine industry and engineering, with over 100 subsidiaries in 23 countries.

Its aviation arm ST Aerospace is the largest independent aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in the world.

"Defence manufacturers today have to be diverse and have their fingers in many pies to survive," Grevatt said.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/2012031...d-Arms-Industry

That may be true but no technological wonder in the world beats old fashioned intelligence gathered from assets/operators on the ground.

This post has been edited by DeFaeco: Mar 20 2012, 05:37 PM

babee
bodoh gileee editor BH

another one!


This post has been edited by atreyuangel: Mar 21 2012, 12:56 PM

M.A.S.K

Dzirhan Mahadzir ‏ @DzirhanDefence

Indonesia said it chased out RMAF CN-235 from Ambalat region, ironically CN-235 bought frm Indonesia http://bit.ly/GFGkJa (in indonesian)

This post has been edited by xtemujin: Mar 22 2012, 11:02 PM

RNZAF Boeing 757

Kiwi plane makes distress landing

KOTA KINABALU: A Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft made an emergency landing following problems to its hydraulics system.

The aircraft, carrying between 12 and 15 airforce personnel, turned back after taking off from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) for Australia at 10.32am yesterday.

Malaysia Airports Berhad senior airport manager Kamaruzzaman Razali said the Boeing 757 aircraft touched down seven minutes later.

The aircraft will be parked at the KKIA's Terminal 1 overnight to allow the airforce technicians to rectify the glitch.

In Ranau, two passengers were killed and two others seriously injured after they panicked and jumped out of an express bus which was rolling downhill at 5pm on Tuesday.

Police chief Deputy Supt Abdul Rahman Kassim said the bus which was heading to Tawau stalled after it grazed a car while overtaking at the 35KM Telupid-Ranau road.

“We believe the bus started rolling downhill on a hilly stretch when the four jumped out,” he said.

DSP Abdul Rahman said the dead had been identified as Nahawara Beddu, 44 and Irlisafatin Jaffar, 23, while the identities of the injured were unknown.

He said the occupants of the car continued their journey.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...6128&sec=nation

Right after a C check in Singapore too. But better Sabah than the Celebes Sea.

Anybody knows when M'sia will make a decision on Fighter acquisition ? And what's wrong with the Su-30MKM that we need a whole new model ?

right after C check?
man someone screw up

No1 knows for sure when Mindef will make decision on MRCA.
There is nothing wrong with the MKM. these acquisition is made to replace the Migs which going to retired soon 2015 perhaps.

Indian Rotorcraft breaks ground on Hyderabad facility


By : Siva Govindasamy Singapore


Indian Rotorcraft, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Tata Sons, has broken ground on a new helicopter manufacturing facility next to Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International airport, where the companies will assemble, customise and flight-test helicopters, starting with the eight-seat AW119KE light helicopter from mid-2013.

" The project is integral to our plans in the aerospace sector and we look forward to an enduring and successful partnership with AgustaWestland, " says Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons.

Bruno Spagnolini, chief executive of AgustaWestland, says the facility will not only build helicopters for the Indian market, but also supply them to AgustaWestland's customers worldwide.


" Indian Rotorcraft will initially create jobs for more than 70 highly-skilled staff who will be trained by AgustaWestland. We see great potential to expand this facility in the future to become a support and production centre for other helicopter types, " Spagnolini adds.

The facility is being built on a 40,000m2 (430,500ft2) site in Hyderabad, where the Andhra Pradesh state government is keen to attract more aerospace businesses. Indian Rotorcraft's operation will include a 9,000m² building incorporating a main assembly facility, flight hangar, offices and several helicopter landing pads. It will have capacity to produce up to 30 helicopters a year and is designed to be further developed for other helicopter types, right up to the 16t AW101, say the companies.

India is viewed by helicopter manufacturers as one of the biggest potential growth markets in the next few years. AgustaWestland says it has sold nearly 50 commercial helicopters in the country during the past six years for missions including VIP and corporate transport, offshore oil and gas support, and general charter operations.

The joint venture is another step by Tata, India's largest and most well-known business group, to move into aerospace.

A separate joint venture between Tata and Sikorsky produces cabins for the S-92 helicopter in Hyderabad. There are also plans to manufacture up to 80% of the S-92 at the facility. The joint venture also manufactures components for various other military and commercial aircraft.



Sources : http://www.flightglobal.com/

MMRCA but specialize in maritime strike.

ayone can id this aircraft?

Taufan Prototaip

This post has been edited by azriel: Mar 24 2012, 10:37 AM

abih pilihanraya

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Added on March 25, 2012, 5:00 amanyway is it a normal practise to use plank as LPD's floor?

This post has been edited by ayanami_tard: Mar 25 2012, 05:00 AM