Turkish Tanks Head For Saudi Arabia





May 8, 2013: Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy some of the new Turkish Altay tanks. The exact number has not been revealed but the Saudis do have 320 elderly AMX-30 French tanks in urgent need of replacement. The Turkish Army is planning on buying a thousand of the new Altays for about $5.5 million each. These will be acquired four lots of 250 each and not all may be needed (depending on the regional military-political situation. The Turkish Army currently has 720 German Leopard 1 and 2 tanks, 930 American M-60s and 1,370 American M-48s Most (except for the Leopard 2s) are quite old and need replacing soon. Turkey doesn’t really need 3,000 tanks when half the number of more modern ones would do. Altay is similar to the 338 Leopard 2s the Turks currently have. Most of the rest are Cold War era tanks and rapidly approaching retirement age.

Yet another reason for the Saudis to buy hundreds of Altays is to cement an unofficial alliance with Turkey against Iran and anyone else who might threaten Saudi Arabia and its immediate neighbors. Earlier France proposed replacing the French made AMX-30s with the AMX-56 Leclerc. The 65 ton Altay seems a better fit than the 55 ton Leclerc and Turkey is a lot closer than France.

Moreover the Altay is similar in many ways to the 400 M1 tanks the Saudis have (in service or on order). Both have a 120mm gun, composite armor and high-end electronics. The two tanks are so similar because two years ago Turkey paid South Korea $400 million for rights to much of the technology in the new 55 ton South Korean K2 tank. This vehicle was in turn based on the 1980s K1, which deliberately emulated the M1 design in many ways and did so with the cooperation of the United States. The K1 and K2 proved to be successful designs and the Turks already had decades of experience maintaining and upgrading American M-60 tanks (the predecessor of the M1). With the addition of the South Korean tech the Altay rapidly took shape.

The K2 has a number of new electronic defenses. These include a laser detector that will instantly tell the crew the direction the enemy laser beam is coming from. Most tanks use a laser range finder before it fires its main gun. The K2 fire control system also enables the main gun (120mm) to be used to hit low flying aircraft (helicopters, mostly). There are also numerous improvements to the K1 mechanical and electronic systems, as well as more armor (both composite and ERA). This will make the K2 easier to use and maintain. An autoloader reduces the crew to three men. The Altay is more heavily armored than the K2 and does not use the auto-loader.

Source: StrategyWorld

VOTE YOUR ATTACK HELOS


AgustaWestland A/T 129 Mangusta (Italy)



Operators: Italian Army, Turkish Army
Maximum speed: 278 km/h (148 knots, 170 mph)
Cruise speed: 229 km/h (135 knots, 155 mph)
Range: 510 km (275 nm, 320 mi)
Ferry range: 1,000 km (540 nm, 620 mi)
Service ceiling: 4,725 m (15,500 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.2 m/s (2,025 ft/min)


Bell AH-1 SuperCobra / Zulu Cobra / Viper (USA)



Operators (current/former): Imperial Iranian Army (former operator), Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Republic of China, Republic of China Army (Taiwan), Republic of Korea Army, Turkish Army, United States Marine Corps
Never exceed speed: 190 knots (219 mph, 352 km/h)
Maximum speed: 152 knots (175 mph, 282 km/h)
Range: 311 nmi (358 mi, 576 km)
Service ceiling: 10,500 ft (3,215 m)
Rate of climb: 1,090 ft/min (5.54 m/s)


Denel AH-2 Rooivalk (South Africa)



Operators: South African Air Force
Never exceed speed: 309 km/h (167 knots, 193 mph)
Cruise speed: 278 km/h (150 knots, 173 mph) at sea level (max cruise)
Range: 740 km (380 nmi, 437 mi) at sea level(max internal fuel)
Ferry range: 1,335 km (720 nmi, 829 mi) at 1525 m (5,000 ft) (max external fuel)
Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 13.3 m/s (2,620 ft/min)


Eurocopter EC 665 Tiger (France, Germany, Spain)



Operators: Australian Army, French Army, German Army, Spanish Army
Maximum speed: 290 km/h with mast, 315 km/h without mast (157 knots, 181 mph with mast, 170 knots or 196 mph without mast)
Range: 800 km (430 nm, 500 mi) combat (with external tanks in the inboard stations: 1,300km)
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.7 m/s (2,105 ft/min)


Hughes (later McDonnell Douglas/Boeing) AH-64 Apache (USA)



Operators: Egyptian Air Force, Hellenic Army, Israeli Air Force, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Kuwait Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Republic of China Army, United Arab Emirates Air Force, British Army Air Corps (AgustaWestland AH Mk 1 Apache), United States Army
Never exceed speed: 365 km/h (197 knots, 227 mph)
Maximum speed: 293 km/h (158 knots, 182 mph)
Cruise speed: 259 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph)
Range: 537 km (290 nmi, 334 mi)
Ferry range: 1,700 km (974 nmi, 1,121 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,400 m (21,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 12.7 m/s (2,500 ft/min)


Mil Mi-24 "Hind" (Russia)



Operators (current): Afghan Air Force, Algerian Air Force,Defence Force of Angola, Armenian Air Force, Azerbaijani Air Forces,Belarus Air Force, Brazilian Air Force, Bulgarian Air Force, Burundi Army Aviation,Burkina Faso Air Force, Chadian Air Force, Congolese Air Force, Congolese Democratic Air Force, Cuban Air Force, Cyprus Air Forces, Czech Air Force, Djibouti Air Force, Military of Equatorial Guinea , Eritrean Air Force, Ethiopian Air Force, Georgian Air Force, Military of Guinea, Hungarian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Indonesian Army, Military of Kazakhstan, Military of Kyrgyzstan, Free Libyan Air Force, Macedonian Air Force, Air Force of Mali, Mongolian Air Force, Military of Mozambique, Myanmar Air Force, Namibian Air Force, Air Force of Niger, Nigerian Air Force, North Korean Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Peruvian Air Force, Polish Air Force, Polish Land Forces, Russian Air Force, Military of Rwanda, Senegalese Air Force, Sierra Leone Air Wing, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sudanese Air Force, Syrian Air Force, Military of Tajikistan, Military of Turkmenistan, Ugandan Air Force, Ukrainian Ground Forces, United States Army, Military of Uzbekistan, Army of Venezuela, Vietnam People's Air Force, Yemen Air Force, Air Force of Zimbabwe
Maximum speed: 335 km/h (208 mph)
Range: 450 km (280 miles)
Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,750 ft)


Mil Mi-28 "Havoc" (Russia)



Operators: Kenya Army, Russian Air Force
Maximum speed: 320 km/h (172 knots, 199 mph)
Cruise speed: 270 km/h (145 knots, 168 mph)
Range: 435 km (234 nmi, 270 mi)
Combat radius: 200 km (108 nmi, 124 mi) ; with 10 min loiter and 5% reserves
Ferry range: 1,100 km (593 nmi, 683 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,700 m (19,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 13.6 m/s (2,677 ft/min)


Kamov Ka-50 / Ka-52 Hokum "Black Shark" (Russia)



Operators: Russian Air Force
Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (189 knots, 217 mph) in dive
Maximum speed: 315 km/h (170 knots, 196 mph) in level flight
Cruise speed: 270 km/h (146 knots, 168 mph)
Range: 545 km (339 miles)
Ferry range: 1,160 km (720 mi) with 4 drop tanks
Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10 m/s (32.8 ft/s)
Disc loading: 30 kg/m² (6 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.33 kW/kg (0.20 hp/lb)

This post has been edited by noavatar: May 10 2013, 05:34 PM

Manila seeks Golan Heights peacekeeper pullout after abductions


MANILA | Fri May 10, 2013 12:58am EDT

(Reuters) - The Philippines aims to pull out 342 soldiers on peacekeeping duties in the Golan Heights, nearly half the number of its U.N. peacekeepers worldwide, after the abduction of four Filipinos near the Syrian border, the foreign minister said on Friday.

Albert del Rosario said he had sent a recommendation to President Benigno Aquino to withdraw the peacekeepers from the Israeli-occupied area, explaining that the four peacekeepers were being held by Syrian rebels as human shields against attack by government forces.

The four were taken hostage on Tuesday.

"Our recommendation ... is for the early pullout of our people because we believe the exposure now is beyond tolerable limits," Del Rosario told reporters.

"Abduction of peacekeepers is a gross violation of international law and we give great importance to the safety and security of our peacekeepers."

The Philippines has deployed more than 800 soldiers in U.N. peacekeeping operations in eight hotspots across the globe. Nearly 350 of them are on duty in the ceasefire zone in the Golan Heights.

Two months ago, Syrian rebels held 20 Filipino peacekeepers near the border and used them to demand the pull back of Syrian government forces. They were freed after a few days.

On Wednesday, the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) pulled back from an observation post in al Jamiah zone in the Golan Heights, where the Filipino soldiers were taken captive.

The UNDOF, which has been monitoring a ceasefire between Israel and Syria since 1974, has about 1,000 peacekeepers and civilian staff from Austria, Croatia, India, Moldova, Morocco and the Philippines.

Source: Thomson Reuters

Yes they did admit earlier...

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 05/10/2013 12:07 PM | Updated as of 05/10/2013 1:05 PM

MANILA - The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed Friday that a Taiwanese fisherman was killed after the PCG shot at a fishing trawler that tried to ram their boat near Batanes.

The PCG identified the fatality as Hung Shih-Cheng, 65, one of 4 crew members of the Taiwanese fishing vessel "Guang Ta Hsin 28."

Officials said the BFAR MCS 3001 vessel first spotted 4 Taiwanese vessels 164 nautical miles off the southernmost tip of Balintang Channel in Batanes. One of the trawlers tried evasive maneuvers and was about to ram the BFAR boat, causing them to fire at the foreign vessel.

Three crew members on board the Guang Ta Hsin 28 were unharmed.

"They fired at the machinery to disable it... if somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo told reporters.

PCG Commandant Admiral Rodolfo Isorena has ordered the relief of 11 PCG personnel onboard the vessel during the shooting incident.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Asis Perez said 2 BFAR personnel on board the vessel were also sacked.

Perez said the Taiwanese vessels were already in Philippine territorial waters when they were spotted by the Coast Guard.

Isorena said the PCG fired warning shots at the much larger fishing trawler when it tried to ram their vessel. The Coast Guard then shot at the trawler's engine, causing it to stop.

He said the PCG withdrew its vessel after another ship arrived in the area.

Taiwan's foreign ministry earlier said that a Taiwanese fishing vessel carrying three Taiwanese and one Indonesian crewman was fired upon early Thursday by a "Philippine government boat".

The incident, some 164 nautical miles off the southernmost tip of Taiwan, left one of the Taiwan crewmen dead.

The ministry did not specify what type of government boat allegedly fired upon the vessel.

Indonesia To Hold Largest Military Exercise Next Year


SANGATTA (East Kalimantan) May 10 (Bernama) - The National Defense Force or TNI will hold the largest military exercise in the country next year, Indonesian news agency ANTARA reported.

In 2014, Indonesia will hold two military exercises consisting of a fast reaction force (PPRC) exercise at battalion level and a joint combat exercise involving the Army, Navy and Air Force as the last activity of the second United Indonesia Cabinet, TNI Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono said Thursday.

"The most complete and biggest-ever exercise will be held late September or early October to demonstrate all of the military's main armament systems procured by the Defense Ministry and the TNI," he said.

The TNI will demonstrate the capability of the entire military equipment and combat force as part of the government and TNI's responsibilities to the people, Suhartono said.

"As 2014 is the final year of the second United Indonesia Cabinet's tasks, one of the activities high on the TNI's agenda is demonstrating all military development programmes next year," he said.

Suhartono said all programmes to develop minimum main forces will not be completed by 2014 as they will continue until 2024.

However, nearly 20 percent of the programmes will have been completed by 2014.

"Nearly 40 percent of the programmes have been completed, thanks to the role and support of the House of Representatives Commission I," Suhartono said.

-- BERNAMA

Source: BERNAMA

China already responded:

TAIPEI, Taiwan --

(AP) The shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coast guard has become the latest incident to roil tensions over territorial disputes in and around the South China Sea, with Taipei calling Friday for Manila to apologize for the shooting.

Taiwan said that the Philippine Coast Guard opened fire Thursday on a 65-year-old fisherman in waters claimed by both governments. The Philippines acknowledged the Taiwanese claim, but said its personnel were acting in self-defense.

Meanwhile China sought to make common cause with Taiwan against Manila, deploring the shooting in harsh rhetoric that threatened to spark another diplomatic tussle between Beijing and the Philippines, a key U.S. ally in one of Asia's most contentious areas.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Foreign Minister David Lin blamed the Philippine coast guard for opening fire on the fisherman's boat, the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, on Thursday, from a vessel belonging to the fisheries department of the Philippines Department of Agriculture in the Bashi Strait, about midway between southern Taiwan and the northern Philippines.

"We strongly condemn the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine fishery department," Lin said. "We urge the Philippine government to open a full investigation on this case and send their apology to Taiwan's government."

Even before Lin spoke, the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing had condemned the incident, a clear attempt to make common cause with Taiwan on a matter of nationalistic pride involving disputed maritime territory.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying called it a "brutal act" and echoed Taiwan's demand that Manila investigate.

"We are expressing our deep grief on the death of the Taiwan compatriot and condolences to the victim's family," Hua said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949 and Beijing continues to claim the democratic island as part of its territory. In recent months it has made repeated attempts to bring Taiwan onto its side in its maritime disputes with Japan and other countries in the region. Taiwan has so far resisted, reflecting its own claims of national sovereignty.

Underscoring China's interest in playing the incident up, government channel CCTV led its noontime news on Friday with an emotional report on the death of the Taiwanese fisherman, and the Communist Party-controlled Global Times newspaper called on the Chinese navy to increase its presence in the South China Sea, amid angry condemnations of the Philippines as a "savage" country.

Taiwan's freewheeling media also gave prominent attention to the incident, with newspapers reporting it in banner headlines and cable TV news stations giving it round the clock coverage.

In Manila, the Philippine coast guard acknowledged that its personnel had opened fire on the Taiwanese boat, but claimed they acted in self-defense.

"They were forced to fire the shots because the fishing vessel attempted to ram them," said coast guard chief Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena.

Isorena said an investigation into the incident was being launched.

Relations between the Philippines and China, already hampered by simmering tensions over the Spratly Islands, deteriorated sharply last year when Chinese maritime vessels took control of a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has turned to its American ally to beef up its dilapidated military assets and train its forces, and angered Beijing by seeking U.N. arbitration on South China Sea disputes.

___

I also like the Blackshark.....some of its interesting features:

-The Ka-50 was designed to be small, fast and agile to improve survivability and lethality. With minimal weight and size it means maximum speed and agility. The cockpit is framed with steel aluminium shields weighing, which makes it practically impenetrable to 20-mm shells.

-It is uniquely among gunships–to be operated by a single pilot only which reduced both fuselage weight and cross-section. Kamov concluded after thorough research of helicopter combat in Afghanistan and other war zones, that with well-designed support automation a single pilot can carry out the entire mission alone. For example when a tank appears at a range of 8-10 km all the pilot needs to do is to frame it, switch on the automatic lock-on mode and open fire.

- With its coaxial contra-rotating rotor system it has no tail rotor. Because of this, it is unaffected by wind strength and direction, has an unlimited hovering turn rate, and gives a smaller profile and acoustic signature. It also means that it can perform maneuvers that is referred to as super-agility. So it is fully aerobatic and can perform loops, roll, and so on.

- The Ka-50 is the first helicopter to receive an ejection seat, so that the pilot can eject to safety the way a fighter pilot does. Explosives in the rotor head blow off the rotor blades, in order to clear the seats’ exit path. The Ka-50's avionics ensure automatic flight and landing in case the pilot blacks out.

- It has a remote targeting system with a capability to provide for a sudden attack from a distance without direct visual contact with the target. This gives a better chance against Imaging Infra Red operators. The firing computer will turn the aircraft to keep the gun on target. It is equipped with downlink to provide information from the battlefield.

-The vulnerable boom and rear gearbox are fairly common causes of helicopter losses in combat; the Black Shark's entire transmission presents a comparatively small target to ground fire. Kamov maintains that the co-axial drive assembly is built to survive hits from 23 mm ammunition. The rotor blades are made of super-strong composites. They can provide adequate lift after sustaining several bullet holes.

-It was designed for remote operations, and not to need ground maintenance facilities for 2 weeks.

You can read the story of the Blackshark at the following links:

The history of the Black Shark (Part1) http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070130/59927298.html
The history of the Black Shark (Part 2) http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070131/59996649.html
The history of the Black Shark (Part 3) http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070201/60066880.html


The Russian learnt a lot about attack helos deployment especially during the Chechnyan War and Blackshark is one of the development based on Afghan and Chechyan experience. I quote the following from the paper The War in Chechnya: A Military Analysis by G.D. Bakshi, Army Officer, (The Blackshark was not fielded in the operations)


"Helicopters took heavy losses from Chechen ZU-23 AD guns and Dshk Machine guns mounted on jeeps and Toyota trucks. Besides, they used Strellas, Iglas and Stinger SAMS. An interesting feature was the Chechen use of RPG-7 Anti Tank Rocket Launchers against helicopters. Five helicopters (two Mi-8s and three Mi-24s) were lost in the first three months of the conflict. By the end of the first Chechen campaign, statistics indicated that every tenth Russian helicopter was lost and every fourth damaged. The noise of the helicopters alerted the opposition and its slow flight speed permitted them to lay ambushes for these. The Chechens employed a unique tactic. They would pinpoint the location of the Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircraft by radio direction finders and ambush them regularly."


PS. The Ka-52 “Alligator” is a 2-seat version of the Ka-50, using a side by side instead of the tendem layout common in attack helicopters. Kamov design this variant as a dedicated helicopter to conduct battlefield reconnaissance, provide target designation and support group attack helicopter operations. This changes the helicopter’s aerodynamics somewhat, reducing maximum speed from 310 km/h to 300 km/h (192 – 186 mph), and increasing fuel consumption slightly, armoring, and gun ammunition. On the other hand, this change is expected to make it easier for the helicopter crew to perform battlefield observation and coordination roles.

This post has been edited by noavatar: May 10 2013, 08:22 PM

IINM There was talk of us wanting to buy Rooivalk in 90's. Then Financial crisis so shelved. Denel also lost the British and Turkish deal. Now they are having hard time in development. They need foreign buys badly.

sorry to say in united states also got

"'According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions,' Rumsfeld admitted. $2.3 trillion — that's $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America."
-- CBS News, 1/29/02, U.S. Secretary of Defense raises evidence of government and military corruption

"A GAO report found Defense inventory systems so lax that the U.S. Army lost track of 56 airplanes, 32 tanks, and 36 Javelin missile command launch-units. When military leaders were scrambling to find enough chemical and biological warfare suits to protect U.S. troops, the department was caught selling these suits as surplus on the Internet 'for pennies on the dollar.'"
-- San Francisco Chronicle, 5/18/03

"The Defense Department spent an estimated $100 million for airline tickets that were not used over a six-year period and failed to seek refunds even though the tickets were reimbursable."
-- New York Times, 6/9/04




This post has been edited by noavatar: May 11 2013, 11:11 PM

hehehe....not meant for sarcasm

Taiwan threatens sanctions over Philippines shooting

TAIPEI: President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday Taiwan would consider sanctions against the Philippines amid widespread public outrage at Manila over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman.

"We will definitely seek justice for our fisherman. We will not rule out the possibility of taking any kind of sanctions" against the Philippines, Ma said while inspecting a coastguard drill in central Taiwan.

"The Philippines shot an unarmed fishing boat. This is very brutal and cold-blooded," he said, reiterating Taipei's demand for Manila to apologise, apprehend the killer and compensate.

Some Taiwanese lawmakers urged the government to freeze the hiring of Philippine workers to protest after the Philippines admitted its coastguard had fired at a Taiwanese fishing boat.

Taiwanese authorities said 65-year-old fisherman Hung Shih-cheng was killed during Thursday's incident, which also left the boat riddled with more than 50 bullet holes.

Abigail Valte, a spokeswoman for Philippine President Benigno Aquino, told a government radio station that authorities had launched a "transparent and impartial investigation" into the incident.

She expressed hopes that economic ties with Taipei will not be affected and added that the coastguard crew involved in the incident have been temporarily suspended to ensure a fair probe.

"Let's wait for the investigation," Aquino's spokesman Ricky Carandang told AFP when asked to comment on Taiwan's sanctions threat.

Ma's government has come under pressure from the opposition and the media to take action, with the Philippines refusing to apologise and saying the coastguard was tackling illegal fishing.

Philippine coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said Friday the incident took place in Philippine waters and the Filipino personnel had been properly carrying out their duties to stop illegal fishing.

"If somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," Balilo told reporters.

Hung's son has insisted that the boat did not cross into Philippine waters.

The Taipei-based China Times called the incident a "criminal case" and demanded Manila shoulder the full responsibility.

"The Philippines' uncivilised action apparently violated maritime convention, the Taiwan government must take strong counter moves to defend our fishermen's rights and prevent similar tragedy," it said in an editorial.

The Apple Daily newspaper called the shooting "an act of brigands" and said Taiwanese people "angrily demand the blood debt be paid".

Some Taiwanese Internet users allegedly attacked and temporarily paralysed several Philippine government websites Friday night, according to Apple Daily.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions around the region over rival claims to the nearby South China Sea.

China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims to parts of the sea. -AFP

The Philippine military is reporting the presence of two Chinese military surveillance vessels near Spratly Shoal

Taiwan media is reporting phl patrols gun fired "lots of rounds" instead of just a warning shot. so they believe that phl patrols sort of massacred the taiwanese fisherman thats why a lot are very angry in taiwan

This post has been edited by noavatar: May 12 2013, 12:51 AM

pinoy like to talk big

already there is strong public opinion in TW for some military reaction....show of force

Credit: Cpl. Christopher Lyttle


A Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked Wire-Guided gunner fires an M220 TOW missile from a Humvee turret.

Lamborghini Reventon Military Edition

For pilots who are so used to fly at mach speed

Chinese hackers reportedly broke into the networks of defense contractors working on the F-35 (including Lockheed Martin, maker of both the F-35 and F-22). In an interesting coincidence, China revealed its J-20 stealth jet in late 2010 boasting a nose section that looks a lot like the F-22's, right down to parts of the canopy design and what might be a 3-D heads up display. Then, last year, China unveiled its second stealthy fighter, the J-31. That plane bears a way-too-close-for-comfort resemblance to the F-22 and the F-35. (Last year, a U.S. Air Force official pointed out that the F-35's computerized maintenance system containing tons of information about the jet had to be redesigned after it was found to be vulnerable to hackers.)

Read more FOREIGN POLICY

Taiwan beefs up patrols in waters near Philippines

TAIPEI: Taiwan Sunday dispatched four coastguard and naval vessels to beef up patrols in waters near the Philippines following public outrage over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coastguards.

"The government is determined to protect our fishermen," cabinet spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said in a statement as a Lafayette-class naval frigate and coastguard vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was killed Thursday.

The move came shortly after authorities issued a strongly-worded statement late Saturday night demanding Manila apologise to Taiwan and compensate the family of the dead man.

In its statement, Taiwan also asked the Philippine authorities to bring to justice the coastguards responsible and start negotiating with Taipei on a proposed fishery agreement.

"If the Filipino government fails to respond in a positive manner within 72 hours, the hiring of Philippine workers will be frozen," presidential office spokeswoman Lee Chia-fei warned.

Hung Shih-cheng, the skipper of the 15-tonne "Kuang Ta Hsin No 28", was killed during the incident, which also left the boat riddled with more than 50 bullet holes.

"This is nothing but a slaughter," prosecutor Liu Chia-kai told reporters after examining the ship.



Taiwan policemen inspect bullet holes on the damaged "Guang Ta Hsin 28" fishing boat © at Liuqiu harbour, southern Pingtung county on 11 May. (AFP PHOTO)


In Manila, Abigail Valte, a spokeswoman for Philippine President Benigno Aquino, told a government radio station Saturday that authorities had launched a "transparent and impartial investigation" into the incident.

She expressed hopes that economic ties with Taipei would not be affected and added that the coastguard crew involved in the incident had been temporarily suspended to ensure a fair probe.

Taiwan's government has come under pressure from the opposition and the media to take action, with the Philippines refusing to apologise and saying the coastguard was tackling illegal fishing.

Philippine coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said Friday the incident took place in Philippine waters and the crew had been carrying out their duties to stop illegal fishing.

"If somebody died, they deserve our sympathy but not an apology," Balilo told reporters.

The victim's son, who was with his father and two other sailors on the boat when the shooting took place, has insisted they did not cross into Philippine waters.

- AFP