Navy plans to acquire anti-submarine choppers
_______________________________________________________________________





So the navy checklist

Submarine
NGPV
SGPV
ASW Helicopter
Maritime patrol aircraft
Multi-Purpose Support Ship


This post has been edited by KYPMbangi: Nov 7 2013, 07:40 PM

First ever combat for Rooivalk
By Dean Wingrin | 5 November 2013 Tuesday



After three decades of development and a development cost in excess of R8 billion, the South African designed and built Rooivalk attack helicopter has finally deployed operationally.

Now, not only has it been deployed operationally for the first time, but it has also fired its guns in anger.

Three Rooivalk helicopters, belonging to 16 Squadron based at AFB Bloemspruit near Bloemfontein, were airlifted to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a week ago. They form part of the aviation unit of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and its Force Intervention Brigade (FIB). South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi's soldiers are all part of the United Nations (UN) intervention brigade to bring the various rebel groups operating in the east of the DRC, including the M23 rebels, under control.

Darren Olivier, of African Defence Review, has reported that two SAAF Rooivalk helicopters flew the craft's first ever combat mission yesterday afternoon at approximately 17h00 Congolese time. They fired multiple 70mm rocket salvos against M23 bunkers near the mountainous Chanzu region, close to the Rwandan border.

Olivier notes that early reports from sources in the area indicate that the action was successful, with the Rooivalks' tactical approach through the clouds taking the M23 defenders by surprise and their rocket fire being accurate enough to disperse them and destroy one of the 14.5 mm anti-aircraft guns that had been previously used to fire at the Rooivalks and other helicopters.

The attack was combined with a renewed FARDC assault and subsequent claims by the DRC government that the remaining M23 senior commanders have now fled across the border into Rwanda. However this could not be independently verified.

The Rooivalk project started its design phase in 1984 and had its first flight in April 1990. The development and manufacturing programme only concluded in 2011 when the eleven remaining airframes were upgraded to the "Block 1F" deployment baseline standard.


http://www.saairforce.co.za/news-and-event...at-for-rooivalk

African civil wars, perfect place to advertise the capabilities of military hardwares produced by own countries..

The Republic of Singapore Air Force warmly welcomes Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force) to Singapore for Exercise Bersama Lima 2013.
7 November 2013 Thursday


As part of the exercise, a Fighter Cross Deployment was held between the RSAF and the RMAF today. The RMAF deployed five Hawks to Changi Air Base (East), while five RSAF F-16 Fighting Falcons were also deployed to Kuantan Air Base in Malaysia.

Exercises Bersama Lima is a major Five Power Defence Arrangements exercise designed to enhance regional security and foster cooperation among its member countries, namely Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.



http://www.facebook.com/TheRSAF

This post has been edited by xtemujin: Nov 7 2013, 11:39 PM

I see the second hawk got the kill mark from LD

New offshore patrol vessels for Royal Navy
6 November 2013 Wednesday

MOD plans to commission 3 new ocean-going offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy.

The new ships will be built by BAE Systems at their shipyards on the Clyde in a deal that will sustain jobs in the UK’s warship-building industry, and will play a key role in counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations.

The agreement with BAE Systems provides work for the company between the completion of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, securing the vital skills needed to build the UK’s future warships.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is also announcing today that more than £100 million will be invested in Her Majesty’s (HM) Naval Base Portsmouth, which will be home to both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The money will expand the dockyard to ensure it is ready for the arrival of the Royal Navy’s biggest ever warships as well as for the Type 45 destroyers which are based in Portsmouth.

Under the terms of a business agreement signed with BAE Systems in 2009, MOD would have been liable to pay for any periods when no shipbuilding was taking place at UK yards.

Building offshore patrol vessels means not only are staff at BAE Systems able to continue to work and maintain their skills, but also the Royal Navy benefits from 3 new ships and the taxpayer gets much better value for money.

The cost of building the ships is funded from money that would have been used to pay for idle capacity, finance redundancies and meet the cost of industrial restructuring.

Portsmouth will maintain its proud maritime heritage as the home of much of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet and the centre of BAE Systems’ ship support and maintenance business.

Mr Hammond said:

“This deal will provide the Royal Navy with 3 brand new maritime patrol vessels with a wide range of capabilities which will support our national interests and those of our overseas territories.

“This is an investment not only in 3 ships but also in this country’s warship-building industry. It prevents workers standing idle and sustains the vital skills needed to build the planned Type 26 frigate in the future.

“I am also pleased to announce additional investment in Portsmouth Naval Base to prepare for the significant increase in tonnage as the home port for the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers and destroyers.”

Work on the new offshore patrol vessels is due to begin next year, with the first ship being delivered to the Royal Navy in 2017. The ships are expected to replace the current, smaller River Class vessels, HM Ships Tyne, Severn and Mersey, which have been policing the UK’s waters since 2003, but a final decision will be taken in the next strategic defence and security review.

Admiral Sir George Zambellas, the First Sea Lord, said:

“These new patrol vessels will build on the proven performance of the River Class by adding a flight deck to take the Navy’s Merlin helicopters and by adding operational flexibility through extra storage capacity and accommodation. They are very welcome.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-offs...-for-royal-navy

First batched of Taiwan's AH-64E delivered



Longbow fitted



This post has been edited by sniper on the roof: Nov 8 2013, 12:43 AM

Nice 1 from saab

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlQyPOiRuE

Japan eyes government support for military aircraft exports




By Tim Kelly | TOKYO | Mon Nov 4, 2013 9:05pm GMT







ShinMaywa US-2




(Reuters) - Japan is considering providing low-interest loans from a state-run bank to support exports of aircraft designed for military use, the first time such sales are being considered since the end of World War Two, according to officials with knowledge of the still-developing policy.

The step would mark an extension of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to bolster the self-reliance of Japan's military and could open an overseas market worth tens of billions of dollars in coming years for the country's defence contractors.

It would also mark a sharp reversal of the near-total ban on exports of military equipment, a development that could strain ties with China as a more assertive Japan seeks a market for military technology in Asia and beyond.

Japan's post-war constitution, written by the U.S.-led occupation forces, renounced war and a standing army. Major military equipment makers moved into other fields and the current ban did not formally take effect until the fast-growth era of the 1960s and the evolution of Japan's Self Defence Forces put the issue on the agenda.

Two of the initial test cases for Japan's policy shift are likely to be the C-2 military transporter, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and ShinMaywa Industries' US-2 amphibious plane, according to three officials involved.

Both companies are looking to export civilian versions of the aircraft, which would allow them to avoid the ban. Both companies have also made inquiries about the Abe government's willingness to provide financing to help close sales against established aircraft makers.

In one partial precedent, Japan has extended overseas development assistance (ODA) to the Philippines and Indonesia to help those governments buy Japanese-built ships for coastal patrols.

But the rules of Japan's $17-billion annual ODA programme forbid military support. Japan's government approved the aid after winning assurances that the boats would be used only to counter piracy and terrorism and after winning an endorsement from the United States, Japan's main ally.

A more likely option for aircraft exports, according to the three officials involved in the discussions, would be low-interest loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a state-operated lender headed by former Toyota Motor Corp chief Hiroshi Okuda, to the buyers.

The bank is funded largely by borrowing from the nation's Foreign Exchange Fund Special Account, the pool of money available for intervention in currency markets.

A spokesman for JBIC said the bank does not discuss any loan applications as a matter of policy.

Masanobu Oogaki, a project manager at Kawasaki's aerospace division helping oversee the C-2 project, said officials led by the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry had discussed seeking JBIC loans for the military transporter once the company had a potential overseas buyer.

JBIC typically charges interest of just over 1 percent on a loan of less than five years. The bank has recently been recruited to help Japanese companies win contracts for big infrastructure projects. Most of its lending is linked to securing overseas oil and gas reserves for Japan.


INDIA WEIGHS HISTORIC PURCHASE

ShinMaywa's US-2, used for search and rescue, may be the first Japanese military-designed plane to win an overseas order. Negotiations with India's military for what would be the first sale are already underway, both sides say.

The plane, which could be outfitted for firefighting or as a kind of amphibious hospital, costs an estimated $110 million per unit.

An official at India's Defence Ministry who asked not to be named confirmed that India has shown an interest in buying the US-2 but said no decision had been made.

" Our policymakers are yet to take a decision as they are still assessing how far it would be relevant to Indian conditions, " the official said.

ShinMaywa, which sees Canada's Bombardier Inc. as its main competitor, estimates that there could be a global market of about 100 amphibious planes for which it could compete.

Kawasaki's Oogaki, said his company believes it can compete for as many as 300 orders over the next decade or so with potential customers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The chief competitor to Kawasaki's twin turbofan C-2 is the A400M military transport built by Europe's Airbus. Similar in size and capability, the Airbus cargo plane has racked up 170 orders in Europe at a price tag starting at around $160 million.

So far, Japan's Defence ministry has ordered three C-2s at just over $200 million each in the most recent budget.

By opening export markets for military equipment makers, the per unit cost of such equipment could fall because of the volume of production, making it cheaper for Japan's own military as well, a security panel that drafted recommendations for Abe said last month.

The C-2 represents a major upgrade in the ability of Japan's military to shift equipment and troops to far-flung locations.

Compared to its predecessor, the C-1, which is currently in service, the new plane can lift nearly four times as much cargo - enough to carry a mid-size helicopter, as depicted in sales brochures drawn up by Kawasaki.

While the C-1 struggles to reach Japan's outlying islands, the C-2 could carry a load from Tokyo to Kabul, for example.

Abe plans to release a review of Japan's military policy by the end of the year that is expected to include a commitment to open up military exports and arms development programs.

Mitsubishi Heavy is currently in talks over joining the Lockheed Martin Corp led F-35 fighter jet programme as a supplier after Japan placed an order for the aircraft.

In the meantime, Kawasaki, a major wartime maker of fighters and bombers that has became better known for its motorcycles in recent decades, plans to have the C-2 ready for service with Japan's military by 2015.

The company has a team of around 10 people marketing the C-2, which will be sold as the YCX overseas, Oogaki said.

Investors have anticipated a boon to heavy equipment makers from a pivot in security policy under Abe and the sector has outperformed in a rising market. Shares of Kawasaki are up 122 percent over the past year, while ShinMaywa is up 78 percent. Mitsubishi Heavy has gained 90 percent. Over the same period, the benchmark Topix index has gained 58 percent.



(Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo and Frank Jack Daniel in Delhi; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

that sub-par tanks meets our requirement.

Thai Defence Technology Institute will partner with Ricardo to develop Black Widow Spider armored.




Thursday, November 7, 2013 08:45 AM



The Defence Technology Institute (DTI) – the Thai ministry of defence’s research and development agency – today announced that it will partner with Ricardo on the next phase of development of its Black Widow Spider 8x8 armoured vehicle programme in support of the Royal Thai Army.

DTI was set up to develop Thailand’s defence technology capability and to help build the local defence industry; the Black Widow Spider represents its first major military vehicle programme. DTI and Ricardo have already completed the initial phase of technology development for the Black Widow Spider 8x8, and displayed the vehicle configuration at the recent Defence & Security 2013 exhibition hosted in Bangkok. The vehicle has been designed to provide protected firepower and extreme mobility in reconnaissance, command and control and fire support roles.

“ DTI and Ricardo have agreed to work together to develop the next phase of the Black Widow Spider 8x8 project, ” confirmed Colonel Tawiwat Veeraklaew, DTI’s executive director of R&D. “I am looking forward to working closely with Ricardo on this important project for Thailand’s defence industry. ”

“ Ricardo is proud to have been selected by DTI to partner with it on this key vehicle programme, ” commented Andy North, Ricardo chief engineer, defence. “ This work builds upon our extremely strong reputation for the design, development and production of class-leading, agile and highly crew-protected defence vehicles, including the Foxhound, WMIK and Vixen platforms used by British forces. We look forward to working with DTI on this important programme and helping to develop a truly world-class defence vehicle. ”




Sources : http://www.armyrecognition.com

2013 Exercise Bersama Lima



https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4...91993998&type=1

source

This post has been edited by azriel: Nov 8 2013, 02:38 PM

2013 Exercise Bersama Lima, 6 - 21 November 2013, FPDA.

KUANTAN , Nov. 7 13 - Kuantan Space reverberate with the sound of the engine hum of the aircraft Involved in the exercise Joint LIMA 2013 from 7 to 21 November 13 .

Tim exercise of the Republic Singapore Air Force ( RSAF ) arrived with a C-130 Hercules aircraft and five fighter aircraft from 140 Sqn RSAF F16 at Kuantan Air Base at 8.45 am . Tim exercise of the Republic Singapore Air Force ( RSAF ) arrived with a C -130 Hercules aircraft and five fighter aircraft from 140 Sqn RSAF F16 at Kuantan Air Base at 8:45 am .

Team led by Lt Col Dean Tan Wah Kheng RSAF were greeted by Base Commander , Brig Gen YBhg Hj Mohammad bin Hj Osman Salleh Force and Senior Officials Base . Team led by Lt. Col Dean Tan Wah Kheng RSAF were Greeted by Base Commander , Brig Gen YBhg Hj Mohammad bin Hj Osman Salleh and Senior Officials Force Base.

Flower garland given to eight RSAF pilots in a symbolic welcome and welcome them to this base . Flower garland given to eight RSAF pilots in a symbolic welcome and welcome Them to this base .

Further members of 140 Sqn RSAF was briefed by the base commander and the officers involved in this exercise in Auditorium No. 17 SKN Simulator . Further members of 140 Sqn RSAF was briefed by the base commander and the Officers Involved in this exercise in Auditorium No. . SKN 17 Simulator .







Photos.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.7...98455497&type=3

prolly we're getting the brand new AW159. the pilots/ground crew already have experience with super lynx and this seems to be the logical choice

source

Revenue lost as US navy cancels visits

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian economy is losing millions because US Navy ships have stopped making port calls at the Port Klang Cruise Centre owned by Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

The United States suspended its contracts with the company on Sept 20 after its Malaysian owner, Leonard Glenn Francis, was arrested in the States for bilking the Pentagon of millions and bribing US Navy personnel.

US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus had announced the suspension, which can last until the investigation is over, but not longer than 18 months unless legal proceedings have begun, said an Associated Press report.

It is likely that US Navy ships will now use Singapore as their port of call. Aircraft carrier USS George Washington made a stopover there in late October.

The US Navy has the option to dock ships at Westport, North Port or Southport in Klang, but it prefers not to because there is a lot of commercial shipping in these areas.

The cruise centre, on the other hand, was relatively isolated.

The number of visits by US warships to Malaysian ports has jumped from “three annually in 2003 to well over 50” nowadays, according to business magazine Forbes on its website.

Last year, the US Navy ships that made stopovers at the cruise centre included two aircraft carriers and a couple of destroyers, and their crews had the opportunity to rest and relax in Kuala Lumpur and nearby cities.

An aircraft carrier has a crew of about 5,000. If each man or woman spends just US$100 (RM330), the local economy would get a US$500,000 (RM1.65mil) injection per visit.

Typically, a destroyer has a crew of about 280 while a cruiser has about 400 personnel.

Based on those numbers alone and a rough count of the US Navy ships that called on Malaysia last year, the sailors would have spent about RM3.9mil here.

It could have been much more as the sailors usually spend on sightseeing tours, shopping, souvenirs, entertainment, food and hotel accommodation.

Also, fast-food chains and restaurants as well as other businesses operating in Malaysia would set up shop on the dockside whenever navy ships sailed into the cruise centre.

Francis, 49, better known as Fat Leonard, has been charged in San Diego, along with two US Navy commanders, in a widening bribery scandal involving prostitutes, Lady Gaga shows, luxury travel and multimillion-dollar government contracts.

Meanwhile, CAVINA LIM reports from George Town that the Francis family were pioneers in the security business – supplying guards for ships at the Penang Port.

According to a risk management consultant, who requested anonymity, the company known as Glenn Security – which was somewhere in the Bishop Street area – was started by Francis’ father in the early 1960s.

“The company existed long before the family’s shipping and salvadoring business. And, definitely well before he (Francis) was jailed for firearms possession (in 1989),” he said.

The consultant said that in those days, foreign warships and other types of ships would call at the port to take on supplies of rice, oil and sugar.

“Penang was notorious for its many pirates who would slip into port and steal things at night from the ships docked there.

“Also, (steel) containers were not yet used in the early 1960s and goods were kept in crates that could easily fall off or break during loading or unloading,” he said.


http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013...e-after-Fr.aspx

haizz..another corruption again..damn these people..

even, the US system that are very strict pun ada loop hole for corruption
lady gaga pulak lagi

Oh mai, this is the new procured Heli right?
R.I.P, what a sad news