huh what did I miss?
Rafale in the testing?

http://mymil.forums2u.com/t1184p765-semban...abit-v40#150711

some1 just post a very sexy pic there.

that banner is atreyu handy work.

Nah not until the contract were sign and LOA were given.
anything possible.

perhaps I should add these in the front page.

MAF Moves A Step Further With Own Satellite Transponder By 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- The country's defence transformation will take a step further when the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) has its own satellite transponder to enhance the military's communication network.

MAF Chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, said the communication device which was expected to be used in mid-2014, was vital, particularly in ensuring transmission and reception of confidential information from other military warfare assets, such as aircraft fighters and warships, were well secured.

"The satellite transponder is being developed through cooperation with a satellite company, which is helping us in using this technology. For the time being, MAF will rent the device from the company.

"We will rent the transponder for 15 years as it is more economical, compared to developing a military satellite, costing billions of dollars," he told Bernama when met recently.

Zulkifeli said, the X-Band specification transponder was capable of operating for up to 25 years, where in the same period, the MAF was expected to improve its defence capabilities.

"The satellite transponder will be used specifically to improve our communication capabilities in areas at risk of receiving low communication signals," he added.

Zulkifeli dismissed assumptions that the satellite was for intelligence purposes as the focus was more on strengthening the military's communication system.

The X-band satellite transponder is a special digital communication device for the military to transmit a high data, sounds and videos between the receiving and transmitting antennas.

-- BERNAMA
Sosej

The FAS (Forces Armées et de Sécurité) Commandoes



It’s standard issue in FAS (Forces Armées et de Sécurité, Chad military) commandos, which, unlike Malians, are both well trained, highly mobile and are extremely experienced in desert warfare (the tale as how they infiltrated an Qaddafi column with a handful of their own vehicles a couple years back under the cover of a sand storm, wreak havoc and destroyed the whole unit is a famous one in some circles).

sosej

Gong Xi Fa Cai.
to all Malaysian and Friends.

Hope they done it right these time.

All procurement is based on 5 years budget. in short Rancangan Malaysia Ke X.
also procurement takes few years to be completed not a overnight purchase.

Eglin F-35 pilots fly tactical intercepts

Pilots at Eglin AFB, Florida, are starting to do a little bit of tactical training in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

"I was fortunate to be part of the first USAF F-35A four-ship formation this morning," Col Andy Toth, commander of the 33rd FW told me on Jan 31 (it's been a very busy week). "We conducted a tactical intercept mission versus F-16s and it went well."



Toth adds, "One of our newest instructors, Maj Scout Johnston did a great job of leading the WG/CC, Sq/CC and deputy operations group commander on the four-ship mission."

Four-ships are actually part of how a normal fighter wing operates, but given the relative immaturity of the F-35 as a weapons system, it was a morale booster for the airmen at the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit to be able to do that. They're starting to learn how to take care of the jet themselves without help from Lockheed Martin.

"We are learning the ins and outs of the aircraft and showing we can handle the maintenance on our own," says Senior Master Sgt. Eric Wheeler, a production superintendent at the maintenance unit.



Right now, most of the information on the F-35 comes from the contractor, the program office, the occasional interview with a military test pilot attached to the JSF program, or reports put out by the Pentagon.

Pilots at Eglin can't really say since they are allowed to operate only in a very restrictive envelope, but Andy Toth was able to say this: "I will say in afterburner during takeoff, the acceleration is impressive and if you do not pull the nose up significantly higher than I'm used to in an Eagle or a [F-16] Viper, you could over-speed the gear very quickly and the retract 'in the well' speed is 300 knots versus 250 in the Eagle."



During the interview with Lockheed, I noticed something curious:

If one were to overlay the energy-maneuverability (E-M) diagrams for the F/A-18, F-16 or Typhoon over the F-35's, "It is better. Comparable or better than every Western fourth-generation fighter out there," Flynn says. That applies even to the F-35 B and C models with their respective 7g and 7.5g limits. "You're not going to see any measurable difference between the aircraft," Flynn says. In terms of instantaneous and sustained turn rates and just about every other performance metric, the F-35 variants match or considerably exceed the capabilities of every fourth-generation fighter, he says.

However, about a year and half ago, I spoke to Lt Col Matt Kelly, a US Marine Corps test pilot at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, when I was still at Defense News. Read the old DN story here.

Operational pilots should be thrilled with the F-35's performance, Kelly said. The F-35 Energy-[Maneuverability] diagrams, which display an aircraft's energy and maneuvering performance within its airspeed range and for different load factors, are similar to the F/A-18 but the F-35 offers better acceleration at certain points of the flight envelope.

"The E-M diagrams are very similar between the F-35B, F-35C and the F/A-18. There are some subtle differences in maximum turn rates and some slight differences in where corner airspeeds are exactly," Kelly said.

The two accounts don't seem to quite mesh, unless there has been some sort of substantial new discovery during that timespan that accounts for it. I believe Kelly was talking about a relatively clean classic F/A-18 Hornet--if memory serves--so that could account for part of it. Later that same year, Kelly again told me the F-35B and C both fly similarly to the Hornet when I was onboard the USS Wasp. And, I heard Kelly tell another senior Marine aviator stationed at the Pentagon that the F-35B flew like a Hornet during that same visit to the ship. 

I suppose it could be possible a loaded up Typhoon offers performance comparable to a relatively clean Hornet, but I don't know that for a fact. I think we're missing some important information in this case and hard numbers are something no one is willing (with good reason) to provide.

We'll find out soon enough once the fleet aviators get their hands on the full envelope jets.

Photos by Capt Edward Schmitt, flight doctor, 58 Fighter Squadron.

Sosej

This post has been edited by yinchet: Feb 10 2013, 04:02 PM

because their quality is still on doubt.
It is better for us to look at proven technology and with good quality assurance.

It will never be on par with Rafale in term of technology.

beside JF-17 have trouble passing the valuation team by the PLA airforce.
Currently JF-17 is solely used by the PAF.

Twin engine allow the fighter to carry more Armament.

the only jet fighter come with open source. would be mig29.
other would require you to paid certain amount of $$.
besides we don't have the industry that can make use of the source code.
rafale, ef and gripen does offer us the source code. is just marketing gimmick IMO.

US is unlikely giving the source code.

This post has been edited by yinchet: Feb 11 2013, 02:42 AM

From what I heard of the AV4.
It simply did not meet the ATM specification. It design also resemble certain vehicle that ATM use once which it failed badly in Malaysia terrain.
Anyway AV4 have also been offer to other branches. but none interested in its.

Anyway They should have design it like the Gurkha LAPV that should catch some eye.