rafale are no doubt the best performance according to swiss mrca beating sh, gripen and typhoon

2 thing i dun like about rafale
1) a bit pricey
2) i dun like the fueling rod in front of the cockpit that cannot be kept inside

Leopard 2A4 officially joins 8th Cavalry Battalion

2014 Here We Come!

Marhalim Abas December 29, 2013 1Malaysia

SHAH ALAM: With just a few days before the New Year, I had wanted to write something about 2014, without sounding too pessimistic however.

Nonetheless with the word that there is a push to get the Prime Minister to step down by next March, the mood I must admit sound more pessimistic than before. Even if the rumoured takeover failed to materialise one must expect that the chance for any extra defence and national security spending for 2014 remained remote.

Anyhow, listed below are things expected to have some newsworthy value in 2014:

Royal Malaysian Navy
Even without any new capital ships coming on line, one can expect the commissioning of the two training ships after a delay of almost 12 months. The recommissioning of KD Lekiu is also expected within the first quarter of 2014. The launch ceremony for the first SGPV/LCS is also expected in 2014 but it may well be in the second quarter of the year. The navy is also getting some new RHIBs bound for Sabah.

Royal Malaysian Air Force
The EC725 Cougar are expected to achieve its IOC – the latest by July while a firm word on the Nuri upgrade is expected by February. Whether or not any contracts for the air force will be signed in DSA 2014 remained to be seen. Apart from ordnance, the only new contract expected is for training planes though that also remained shaky. No word yet on the AEW programme.

The Army
The M4 Carbine continue to be delivered as part of the running contract with SME. As for others I am not sure although small procurement of all sorts of munitions are expected to be announced during DSA 2014. It will be at DSA 2014, that the final pattern of the AV8 will be unveiled, perhaps even the one fitted with the Denel turret. Contracts to up-arm the AW109 LUH of the Air Wing is also expected to be announced at DSA 2014 as well as for those involving vehicles, small batches like the prime movers for the 105mm guns.

PDRM
The two GOF battalions meant for the Eastern Sabah Security Zone is expected to be stood up next year. Whether or not they will be equipped with H&K firearms together with VAT69 remained to be seen. We have to wait and see. As announced, the Marine Police will be getting new RHIBs for patrol duties while the Air Wing requirement for new light utility helicopters is not expected to be fulfilled.

APMM
Apart from several new speedboats and RHIBs, I will be pleasantly surprised if the Malaysian coast guard will get anything else. Hopefully, I will be completely wrong this time around.

BTW, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Official Cougar Naming Contest is hereby extended to March 1, 2014. Hopefully with this extension, more entries will come in!

Anyhow, Happy New Year!

Lol, it shouldnt be released maybe?

No one can confirm that news. even in Indonesian forum. A hoax for me.
I prefer to use C-295 AEW than Eriye AEW. good for commonality parts and better operational range.

Moeldoko said he also wants that the TNI could have Sukhoi 35, the latest series of Russian Sukhoi fighter aircraft.

source

SU-35?? woaaa that is overkill indeed.. 

Indonesia Building Fleet of Flanker Fighters

This March, Anatoly Isaikin, director general at Rosoboronexport, announced that Indonesia had placed a follow-on order for six more Sukhoi Su-30MK2 twin-seat multi-role fighters. The deal also includes an unspecified number of Saturn AL-31F engines and other equipment needed to keep the growing Indonesian Flanker fleet intact. To facilitate further sales to Jakarta, the Kremlin-controlled VEB Bank provided the Indonesian finance ministry with an export credit facility worth $399.5 million for a seven-year term.

Following the delivery of new aircraft in February, the Indonesian air force’s current Sukhoi fleet comprises 12 aircraft: two Su-27SKs, three Su-27SKMs, two Su-30MKs and five Su-30MK2s. Four more Su-30MK2s are expected by year-end. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, deputy defense minister, was quoted as saying Indonesia plans to have a full squadron of 16 Sukhoi Su-27/30 fighters by the end of this year. Earlier, his colleagues voiced Jakarta’s ultimate intent to form 10 Sukhoi fighter squadrons comprising 180 aircraft within the next 15 to 20 years.

Victor Komardin, Rosoboronexport deputy director general, told the media at LIMA 2013 that Indonesian officials have asked Russia to create a joint center for repair and maintenance of Sukhoi fighters, and Mil Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters in Indonesia. He believes the agreement could be signed before the planned rotation of the armed forces chiefs in the second half of the year. After the rotation, Russian salesmen expect resumption of negotiations on follow-on orders for the Su-30MK2, and even more advanced Su-35s, as well as other weapons on the Indonesian wish list.

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/par...ops-export-list

biar betul indonesia bakal pakai Su35 ??

Jenderal dengan empat bintang di pundak ini juga mengaku telah melakukan komunikasi dengan Menteri Pertahanan, Pramono Sugiantoro terkait rencana mendatangkan pertahanan udara yang terbaru. Rencananya, pesawat Sukhoi SU 35 akan memperkuat pertahanan udara di Indonesia.

"Saya sekarang sedang membayangkan pertahanan udara Sukhoi SU 30 yang selama ini kita miliki diperkuat dengan Sukhoi SU 35. Kita sudah diskusi dengan Menhan terkait rencana SU 35 ini," jelas dia.

source

a tweet from...

Sweden in Indonesia ‏@SwedenJakarta 19 Dec

@Saab are doing well... not only in Indonesia! RT @Saab: "The Brazilian Government Selects Gripen" http://bit.ly/1cc8FaY  #Gripen #Saab
Saab doing well NOT ONLY in Indonesia...???
"not only" usually follows by "but also"....the brazilian gov selects Gripen..

It is not a confirmation...found it quite interesting...

source

Philippines to Bolster Surveillance with new Maritime Air Patrols, Radar Stations

December 27, 2013
by admin

The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) plans to acquire two long-range patrol aircraft at an investment of US$135 million, (P5.98 billion). Support facilities for these aircraft will be established at the Lipa, Palawan and Zamboanga airfields located at the western and southern perimeters of the Sulu Sea. In addition, DND is set to field three air surveillance radars to expand airspace coverage at key locations, at a cost of $60 million (P2.68 billion).

Manila expressed interest in the CASA CN-235MP assembled and supported in Indonesia by IPTN under a joint venture agreement with the Spanish OEM. On a typical mission the CN-235MP has a mission endurance of over eight hours, cruising at a speed of up to 455 km/h. The US Coast Guards and the Spanish Navy are operating the CN-235MP ‘Persuaders’ since the early 2000s. In SouthEast Asia, Indonesia has recently inducted the first locally built CN-235MP. Other operators include South Korea, Turkey, Brunai and Malaysia.

While CN-235MP seems as the right choice, Manila said it could also consider the Italian C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft, but that plane would have to be converted especially for the maritime patrol role, a process that is likely to be too costly for the budget the Philippines have set aside for the acquisition.

According to the ABS-CBN, these investments are part of the renewed Armed Forces Modernization Act, which took effect in 1995, giving the military a chance to modernize its assets and equipment in 15 years with a $7.5 billion (P331-billion) investment. Back in the 1990s the original program was stalled, but following an evolving conflict with China over the control of the Spratly archipelago last year, President Aquino signed a new modernization law to provide more resources to the military’s upgrade efforts.

The cost of the current modernization program could reach $2 billion (P85 billion). The acquisition program in this budget is the procurement of 12 A/T-50 jet trainers from South Korea, at an estimated cost of about $450 million (P18.9 billion), and a number of naval vessels, acquired from the USA and Italy. The program is funded by nearly $330 million (P15 billion) annual allocation set aside in the national budget until 2017. Additionally, over $100 million (P4.78 billion) will come from proceeds of the Malampaya natural gas project, in which the government has a share from taxes, royalties and charges, and remittances from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

2014 will be the year we get to know what new jet we get??

2014 Here We Come!

Marhalim Abas December 29, 2013 1Malaysia

SHAH ALAM: With just a few days before the New Year, I had wanted to write something about 2014, without sounding too pessimistic however.

Nonetheless with the word that there is a push to get the Prime Minister to step down by next March, the mood I must admit sound more pessimistic than before. Even if the rumoured takeover failed to materialise one must expect that the chance for any extra defence and national security spending for 2014 remained remote.

Anyhow, listed below are things expected to have some newsworthy value in 2014:

Royal Malaysian Air Force
The EC725 Cougar are expected to achieve its IOC – the latest by July while a firm word on the Nuri upgrade is expected by February. Whether or not any contracts for the air force will be signed in DSA 2014 remained to be seen. Apart from ordnance, the only new contract expected is for training planes though that also remained shaky. No word yet on the AEW programme.

First Kilo submarine arrives in Vietnam

01/01/2014 | 18:22:54

Heavy lift vessel Rolldock Sea , carrying the first Kilo submarine Russia is building for Vietnam , arrived at the Cam Ranh port in central Khanh Hoa province, after a one-and-a half month voyage from St Petersburg .

By January 3, all the attached equipment of the submarine will be unloaded before it is released into the sea.

The Kilo-636 submarine, named Hanoi , is the first of the six 636 Varshavyanka (kilo)-class submarines run by diesel power that Vietnam buys from Russia to modernise its navy, enhancing the capacity to defend the country’s territorial waters. The submarines are being built at Admiralty Verfi Shipyards in St. Petersburg.

Having a displacement of 3,000-3,950 tonnes, the 73.8m long submarine can operate at a maximum depth of 300 metres and at a range of 6,000-7,500 nautical miles for 45 days and nights with 52 crewmembers. It has the quietest engine in the world and is the best choice for reconnaissance and patrols.-VNA

Apache helicopters to arrive Jan.2

Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2014-01-01 05:41 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The second batch of Apache AH-64E helicopters Taiwan ordered from the United States will arrive in Kaohsiung on Thursday afternoon even though technical problems had still not been solved, reports said.

On December 17, manufacturer Boeing Defense and Space Industries informed the Army of a transmission failure problem which led to the immediate grounding of the first six of the 30 attack helicopters bought from the US.

The first six arrived in Taiwan in November and were officially inaugurated at a Tainan army base on December 13, just days before the technical issues arose.

The second batch of six will arrive at Kaohsiung harbor on Thursday afternoon and be transferred to the Kueijen Army Base in Tainan, the military said.

Because they left the US before the grounding and because no new messages were received about a solution, the new craft will immediately be subjected to inspections and will not be allowed to fly, according to the military. Training using simulation on the ground will proceed as normal though.

The next batches of six helicopters each are scheduled to arrive in Taiwan in March, May and July respectively, reports said.

The whole Apache deal was worth NT$59.31 billion (US$2 billion) and formed part of a US$6.4 billion (NT$189 billion) arms package announced in 2008. The contract also included 1,000 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and 66 Hellfire Longbow missile launchers.

The new helicopter was praised by commentators as an effective force against tanks and armored people carriers, eventually after an invasion. Taiwan was reportedly the first country outside the US to be entrusted with using the aircraft.

The Apache joined the Bell 60 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters which Taiwan purchased in 1990.

The new helicopters were seen as a necessary counterweight to China’s rapid military modernization. The Apaches feature sophisticated communications systems, including the reported ability to control drones.

There was no clear answer yet as to when the US would work out the technical problems with the helicopters, military sources said.

2014 TNI Q1!

Febuary/March Kasau(AF Chief) will negotiate for SU35 in Rusia

No MRCA and AEW But…

Marhalim Abas January 3, 2014 Malaysia - RMAF

KUALA LUMPUR: Both of RMAF most capital extensive programmes – MRCA and AEW – has been put into the backburner.
RMAF chief Jen Tan Sri Rodzali when confirming this today said there was no indication on when both projects will be revived.

He was answering queries from Malaysian Defence on the status of both projects following the announcement of the 2014 budget. See budget announcement.

However, all is not doom and gloom. Jen Rodzali said the air force obtained the allocation for the procurement of the Pilatus PC-7 Mk 2 turboprop trainers and the upgrades for both the Nuri and C130H Hercules fleet.

He did not mentioned numbers for the Mk 2s but I was told earlier that it will be a dozen or so, rounding up the fleet to 30 aircraft. As for the upgrades of Nuri and Hercules, Jen Rodzali said the commitment was for the whole fleet (15 Hercules and 15 Nuris) but he did not elaborate further.

As I had mentioned earlier, the Nuri upgrade project will most probably involved re-zeroing the airframe and the installation of a glass cockpit while the Hercules project will probably involved installation of cockpit and navigation improvements to meet evolving air traffic management regulations.

Meanwhile, Jen Rodzali said that a single Eurocopter EC725 Cougar will be on static display at the Singapore Aerospace show scheduled on the second week of next month. At the last show, RMAF Mig-29N Fulcrum aerobatic display team took part in the daily air displays.

It must be noted that both projects (additional Mk 2s and upgrades for the Nuri and Hercules) were holdovers from the Ninth Malaysian Plan (2005 to 2010). As we are now in the tail end of the 10th Malaysian Plan (ending in mid-2015) as I had stated earlier that the MRCA and AEW programmes will most probably be funded in the 11th Malaysian Plan.

Southeast Asian States Deploy Conventional Submarines

By Carl Thayer
January 03, 2014

On December 31, Vietnamese media reported the delivery of the first Russian Project 636 Varshavyanka-class (enhanced Kilo) conventional submarine to Cam Ranh Bay. The sub was transported from the port of St. Petersburg on the heavy lift vessel Rolldock Sea.

The submarine was accompanied by experts from Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg who will undertake final work before the formal handover ceremonies. The submarine will be named HQ 182 Hanoi. The last of the remaining five Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarines is expected to be delivered by 2016.

In late November, during the visit of Vietnam’s party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong to India, it was announced that India would provide training for up to 500 submarines as part of its defense cooperation program with Vietnam. Training will be conducted at the Indian Navy’s modern submarine training center INS Satavahana in Visakhapatnam. The Indian Navy has operated Russian Kilo-class submarines since the mid-1980s.

The arrival of HQ 182 Hanoi provides a timely reminder that regional navies are embarking on naval modernization programs that increasingly include the acquisition of conventional submarines.

As long ago as 1967 Indonesia became one of the first Southeast Asian countries to acquire an undersea capability when it took delivery of a batch of Soviet Whiskey-class submarines. These were later replaced in 1978 by two West German diesel submarines.

In 2012 Indonesia’s Defense Ministry announced it was planning to expand its submarine fleet to twelve by 2020. Twelve is the minimum number of submarines required to cover strategic choke points or maritime entry passages into the  archipelago.

At present Indonesia has an order for three U-209 submarines that are being built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in cooperation with PT PAL Indonesia. The U-209s are expected to be delivered between 2015 and 2016.

In addition, Indonesia is mulling two options. The first option is to buy and modify used Russian Kilo-class submarines. An Indonesian technical team headed by Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Marsetio will visit Russia this month to inspect the submarines and associated weaponry. It will report on the cost and feasibility of this option.

Indonesian sources report that the Kilo-option is attractive because the submarine can be armed with either the supersonic Yakhont or Klub-S cruise missiles. The latter can be fired underwater and strike surface targets up to 400 kilometers away.

Indonesia’s second option is to purchase new submarines from South Korea. This option is attractive because the new submarines are compatible with existing port infrastructure.

Press reports indicate that Indonesia’s new submarines will be berthed at the recently built Palu Naval Base in Central Sulawesi. These submarines would be able to operate in the deep waters around Indonesia’s eastern islands.

In late November Singapore announced that it had signed a contract for the purchase of two new Type 218SG conventional submarines from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Germany. The sales contract included provisions for servicing and crew training in Germany.

Singapore’s submarines will be outfitted with the Air Independent Propulsion system and are expected to be delivered by 2020. The new submarines will replace four older Challenger-class submarines and will join the two refurbished Archer-class (formerly Swedish Västergötland-class) submarines to form Singapore’s undersea fleet.

Malaysia acquired two two Scorpène-class submarines from France following a contract signed in 2002. The two boats, RMN Tunku Abdul Rahman and RMN Tun Abdul Razak  entered service in 2007 and 2009, respectively. They are based at Sepanggar, Sabah. In May 2012 Malaysia indicated that any further submarine acquisitions would depend on the availability of funding. That year Malaysia signed a contract for the purchase of a Submarine Escape and Rescue Service vessel to be built in Singapore.

US hands over second Apache batch to Taiwanese Army

By Editorial
12 hours ago

The Taiwanese Armed Forces have taken delivery of the second batch of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the US.

The six Boeing-built helicopters arrived at a harbour in the southern city of Kaohsiung, and will subsequently be transferred to an army aviation special forces base in Tainan City for final assembly, Central News Agency reports.

Around 30 AH-64E Apache helicopters were ordered by the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence (MND) under a NT$59.31bn ($2bn) deal from the US in 2008, to help supplement the national army's ageing AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter fleet.

The first batch comprising six AH-64E Apaches was delivered in November 2013, but the helicopters have been grounded since mid-December, following reports of a malfunction in a helicopter of the same type in service with the US Army.

An unnamed military source familiar with the matter, however, noted that no problems have been found in Taiwanese fleet, but the helicopters will remain grounded for safety checks.

The deliveries of third, fourth and fifth batches of Apache helicopters are scheduled for March, May and July 2014, respectively, according to the news agency.

Nicknamed 'Guardian,' the AH-64E is a heavily-armed helicopter featuring powerful, fuel-efficient T700-GE-701D engines, enhanced rotor blade technology and electronics, as well as improved aircraft handling, performance and agility at higher altitudes.

Designed to replace the existing AH-64D Longbow helicopters, the helicopter also features a joint tactical radio system, electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors to improve pilots' situational awareness and an oversea capacity, enabling potential strikes on smaller ships.

Apart from Taiwan, the helicopters have also been ordered by the Indonesian and South Korean armies.