IIRC TNI wanted to buy the Apache and Tiger.

Tim khusus TNI AD dan Kemenhan ini, ia menjelaskan, akan melihat langsung beberapa pilihan sebagai pembanding untuk heli-heli yang akan datang. Menurut KSAD, ada banyak pilihan heli yang akan dilihat.

"Misalnya ada tipe Zulu yang merupakan Super Cobra spesifikasi serang/ serbu yang bisa menjadi pembanding," ujar Pramono, usai memberi pengarahan kepada pasukan latihan gabungan (latgab) TNI dan Satgas TNI untuk misi perdamaian Darfur, Sudan (UNAMID), di Lanumad Ahmad Yani, Semarang, Sabtu (27/4).

source

TNI is preparing for war is it

In Developing Indonesia, the Best Offense Is a Formidable Defense

By Bantarto Bandoro on 09:47 pm Jun 26, 2014

In his conversation with the Jakarta Globe published on June 18, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro asserted that “Indonesia wants peace, but we must also prepare for war.”

It is not very clear what he is really up to when he said this, but when one tries to associate the statement with the main topic of his conversation, it can be assumed that he was referring to the role of Indonesia’s defense industry during peace as well as in wartime.

full article

Indonesian Deputy Defence Minister Syafrie Syamsudin accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Fauzi Bowo and former Army Chief of Staff Gen. TNI (pur) Pramod Edhie, reviewing Rheinmetall Tank leopard plant, Unterluss, Germany, Friday (27/06/2014). The Indonesian government has purchased 180 units of Tank Leopard and Marder (main battle tank). This is a modernization of defense equipment purchases that included in the Strategic Plan compiled by the Government and the military. Actual / PR Kemenhan

Friday, 27/06/2014 14:04

Indonesia Buy 2 Sophisticated Navy Survey Ship US$ 100 Million

Les Sables d'Olonne - Survey and mapping of the ocean is an important factor for the defense of Indonesia is an archipelago. Therefore, the government through the Ministry of Defence (Ministry of Defense) to buy two vessels sophisticated and high-tech survey of France. The two vessel was purchased at a price of US$ 100 million.

Both of these ships being done by OCEA S.A. in the shipyard harbor of Les Sables d'Olonne in, about 620 KM from Paris. Purchase agreement BHO two ships (auxiliary hydro and oceanography) was signed in October 2013 and is the follow-on working relationship between the government of Indonesia and France.

"In the past, in fact that South Korea is also bidding., But, once studied in-depth, including the tools and technology used, it was decided ordering ships from France," said the head of the Defense Planning (Kabaranahan) Rear Admiral TNI Rachmad Lopez on the sidelines monitor the process of shipbuilding in Les Sables d'Olonne, on Thursday (06/26/2014).

The vessel will be equipped with advanced equipment in the field of oceanography. For example, the ship will have the technology to map the bottom of the sea to a depth of 6,000 meters. Also equipped with technology that can record multi-bim-frequency waves and underwater appropriately.

"So later on this ship but can be used for marine mapping and surveys, can also detect objects at sea, as in the search for the plane crashed, and others. Ship later this could also detect enemy submarines that were hidden under the sea , "said Dan BHO Task Force, Colonel Blake.

The main function of this ship is for mapping and surveying in Indonesian waters. These data are very important when Indonesia experienced the worst things like war. Once there is a war, the military already has the data from this survey and mapping, so it can take appropriate decisions related to defense.

Currently Indonesian marine mapping data had not been updated for decades, especially in the eastern waters. With two of the advanced survey vessels, Indonesia will be able to update the data mapping underwater in all waters of Indonesia. Because the survey ship, then the ship is also equipped with sophisticated laboratories.

While the Head of Procurement (Kapusada) Kemhan Marsma Asep S said the survey ship design was decided through a deep coordination between Indonesia and OCEA. "Experiencing improvements in design. OCEA proposed initial design, then Indonesia as desired correcting us," said Asep.

The first vessel will be completed by the end of September 2014. After going through a series of administrative, naming, and the handover ceremony, the ship is expected to arrive in Indonesia in early January 2015. While the second vessel, planned to completed in August 2015 and will arrive in Indonesia In September

Wonder why indonesia want to add tiger into their inventory since it will just burden the logistic, i know they want to be less relied on one vendor/support because of arm embargo risk and such.

MAN: Turning and burning with the best

By Haris Hussain - 28 June 2014 @ 7:50 AM

The Royal Malaysian Air Force and the United States Air Force engage in an air combat exercise called Cope Taufan. Haris Hussain joins the ‘furball’

“FIGHT’s on! Fight’s on!”

‘Mogwai’ immediately picks up his target off the port side. He’s chugging along at a fairly fast clip. Together, the closure speed of both aircraft is nudging north of 900 knots.

As the two fighters merge and pass within an eyelash of each other in a blur of black and grey, Mogwai doesn’t even have time to flinch as he rolls the jet, yanks the control stick back into his gut and reefs his big fighter into an eye-wateringly tight left turn.

G-forces rip into his body and Mogwai sucks in a lungful of oxygen as he cranes his neck to keep his adversary, a United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor, square in his sights.

He works the throttles and makes constant changes to the engine settings. His eyes are fixed on the target but one eyeball is cocked to the airspeed reading on his heads-up display (HUD). At this turn rate, he’s bleeding off airspeed and energy like they’re going out of style. Dogfighting is all about energy management.

The two jets are in a classic turning fight at 15,000 feet (4.57km) over the air combat range in Grik, Perak. Mogwai and ‘Smegs’, his weapons systems officer (whizzo in RMAF parlance), are flying the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s latest and most capable aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-30MKM Super Flanker multirole fighter.

Outside, the twin nozzles of their thrust-vectoring Lyulka AL-31FP engines crank up at a crazy angle and Mogwai begins to “walk up” the nose of his huge fighter onto the Raptor’s centre fuselage.

Up front, Mogwai eyeballs the Raptor, which is also blessed with thrust-vector control, but only in the pitch plane. The target designator box (TDB) on his HUD is locked onto the stealth fighter. The trick now is for Mogwai to bring the “pipper” or gunsight square inside the TDB before he can squeeze off a shot. In the back seat, Smegs provides a running commentary of the unfolding fight.

“Makan dia! Makan dia, beb! Lagi! Lagi! Lagi!” Smegs yells into the hot mike in his Ulmer oxygen mask. His job is that of part tactician, analysing the threat picture, part cheerleader, pushing his pilot on, and as an extra pair of eyes for Mogwai.

This particular evolution is a 1v1 (one-versus-one) engagement, which calls for the employment of short-range air-to-air missiles or guns. The Raptor is armed with the AIM-9M Sidewinder heat-homer and an internal, six-barrel, Gatling-type 20mm M-61A Vulcan cannon. The Super Flanker is carrying the super-agile Vympel R-73 Archer air-to-air missile and has the 30mm, single-barrel Gsh-301 cannon embedded in the starboard leading edge root extension (LERX).

Launching off from Fightertown RMAF Butterworth, this is the second engagement for the two fighters as part of the biggest air combat exercise in the country. Called Cope Taufan, the joint biennial exercise between the RMAF and the USAF is primarily to enhance bilateral training in a realistic environment, ramp up combined readiness, and improve interoperatability between the two fighting forces. In the first “hop” earlier, the advantage went to the Sukhoi boys. Because both aircraft were still hauling bags of gas, the exercise director gave the go-ahead for another fight.

‘GUNS,GUNS,GUNS!’

The outcome of a dogfight hinges on a number of things — the aircraft’s aerodynamic and engine performance, fuel load, the position of the sun, the individual aircrews’ learning curve and the ability to adapt and react to a fluid and rapidly changing set of circumstances. The advantage enjoyed by one aircrew could be lost and shift over to the adversary in the blink of an eye. A gun track can last only one or two seconds. Miss that shot and you’re toast.

Just as Mogwai is close to getting a gun solution on the Raptor, the USAF pilot rolls his jet level and pitches the nose up in a high-G manoeuvre. Vortices stream from his wing root as moisture is literally squeezed from the air. The American plugs the afterburners on his twin Pratt and Whitney F-119 turbofan engines and his nozzles belch out tongues of blue flame. He goes vertical and grabs sky like a homesick angel.

“Pacak! Pacak! Dia pacak, bai!” screams Smegs, as he instinctively grabs the speed handles on his instrument panel in anticipation of the onslaught of Gs. Pacak, in RMAF fighter lingo, is to go vertical. Mogwai sees the move but he’s nanoseconds too late. The Raptor has so much excess thrust that by the time Mogwai bangs on the throttles and selects Zone 5 on the afterburner, he and Smegs might just as well have been talking to themselves because the Raptor is looong gone...

STEEP LEARNING CURVE

Back on the ground, the RMAF pilots whom Life&Times spoke to said the training and experience they received in the two weeks of Cope Taufan was invaluable.

“The objective of these types of exercises is not to see who wins or loses. It’s more of an opportunity for us to learn new things and expand our mission scenarios and capabilities. It also gives us a chance to validate our procedures,” said a Super Flanker pilot.

Sometimes, they have to make things up as they go along. For instance, fighter pilots use what is called EM or energy manoeuvring charts to figure out how best to tackle an adversary.

“We had EM charts on the F-15s but had nothing on the Raptors, since it is still highly classified. So we had to rely on other sources, go online and even make educated guesses based on the aircraft design to come up with a plan to capitalise on its weaknesses,” added the Sukhoi driver.

“There were a lot of things that we learnt from the Americans. The use of large force employment, planning of strike packages and, overall, how to use our forces effectively were some of the lessons we learnt from Cope Taufan,” added an F/A-18D Hornet pilot with No 18 Squadron, based in Butterworth.

A MiG-29N fighter pilot with the famed Smokey Bandits squadron, home ported in RMAF Kuantan, summed it up best.

“Bro, both sides’ learning curve went right through the roof. On the first day! We both went home with a mutual and healthy respect for each other’s capabilities. And to have these (USAF) guys say that we were s*** hot is the biggest compliment you could give a fighter jock.”

Note: For security reasons, the call signs of the aircrew are fictitious and the engagement is a composite of several dogfights as recounted by RMAF pilots.

Star attractions

THE star attractions for this edition of Cope Taufan were undoubtedly the United States Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor and the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKM Super Flanker multirole fighter.

For the Americans, the Su-30 is an exotic beast, blessed with immense power and agility.

The Russian type’s nose-pointing ability, thanks to its thrust-vector and fly-by-wire flight control system, is second-to-none.

If there’s one aircraft that can pose a serious threat to the USAF in the air-to-air arena, it would be this baby.

On the flip side, the prospect of going head-to-head with the world’s only fully operational, fifth-generation stealth fighter sent RMAF pilots into a tizzy. Many were itching to go up against this much-vaunted fighter. Although the results of the engagements were classified, it was learnt that several RMAF jet jocks acquitted themselves well against the Raptor.

The F-22As are from the 154th Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii and are the only Air National Guard unit equipped with the type. They were joined by a number of Boeing F-15C Eagles from the 131st Fighter Squadron, 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, and other support units.

While RMAF pilots had tangled with the Eagles in previous exercises, Cope Taufan 2014 was the Raptors’ first outing in Southeast Asia.

Cope Taufan is a biennial large force employment exercise designed to improve the US’s and Malaysia’s combined readiness.This year’s edition from June 9-20, collectively involved close to 1,000 personnel.

26 June 2014

AH-64 APACHE – Lifesaver at Work

Pre to Farnborough Air Show Boeing showed the capability of the AH-64 APACHE and the AH-6 LITTLE BIRD at their production line in Mesa, Arizona/USA.



Last year production of the AH-64D-model stopped, so from then on only E-models are built. 40 E-aircrafts are delivered so far in 2014 (117 E’s since October 2011 – 48 to international customers). In 2013 the 2,000 APACHE was delivered – so many because all the older models are reframed, when they are upgraded.



The US Army 229th Aviation Regiment is using AH-64E in combat in Afghanistan since March. Since then 1,700 flying hours have been flown. In the Pacific region AH-64E are used since some weeks from US Navy ships to test interoperability. The APACHE is used in 14 countries (Egypt, Greece, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, UK etc.), Taiwan and Saudi Arabia (Land Forces – National Guard will be next) are the latest with a lot more countries (e.g. India, Indonesia) in a waiting line, according to Colonel Jeff Hager (US Army). Flight evaluation just completed in Qatar and Indonesia (signed LOA for 8 pieces). The AH-64 APACHE features a spectrum of capabilities for attack and reconnaissance missions.

Future of AH-64

Even if the AH-64E is under production the development is still going on. The capability lot Nr. 4 will be tested in August and after successful passing be integrated in the series production. Lot 4 will see new external fuel tanks, Link 16 integration and some other upgrades. The next step will be capability lot 6 (5 does not exist) with testing in 2017. This will be mostly software upgrades and a new mission processor. The UAV controller (APACHE crew can take control of UAV vehicle and sensors) was already integrated and is operational. In Afghanistan the steering of GRAY EAGLE becomes more and more. The E-model is more lethal (30 mm M230 cannon is now more accurate, capacity 1,200 rounds), more powerful (engine GE-701D shifts up from 2,800 to 3,400 shp), faster (up to 163 mph instead of 140 mph with D-model), can fly higher and the Link 16 will be another capability booster. All other services are already using Link 16 and it is the base for the interoperability. Link 16 will allow to pass targets/targeting information between/from AWACS, ships, ground troops or AH-6/AH-64 to each other (target handover). With the higher speed the APACHE can now follow the MedEvac CH-47 CHINOOK, so fare the CHINOOK had to lower the flight speed. So far not in theater is the new day sensor upgrade (except the new laser). The E-model got also a new transmission and composite rotor blades. Other new features: Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensores (MPNVS), Modernized Target acquisition & Designation System (MTADS – Day/Night sensors & laser). Nearly all E-models are refurbished older models, with a new airframe, a new fuselage, new wiring and new composites blades, but a lot of the parts are reused (12%) or coming from the fleet (engines). Every 2.5 to 3.5 days an AH-64E is leaving the production line. Boeing is working at 12 assembly positions at the same time. Altogether it takes 42 days to assemble an APACHE. According to Boeing a reused AH-64E has only a third of the costs of a totally new one. At the moment most air frames are produced for Saudi Arabia. At the nose they carry slogan “God Bless You” in English and Arabic. So do the F-15 and TYPHOONS of Saudi Arabia. The Netherlands are just getting an AH-64 Block 1 upgrade (to Block 3), the UK is still flying Block 1 machines.

“The AH-64E APACHE is the most advanced attack helicopter today”, said Mike Burke, Director Boeing Defence Attack Helicopters. Colonel John Lynch (US Army) is expecting to stay the AH-64 in the Post-ISAF mission in big numbers.

The US Army is looking at the Future vertical Lift, but between the end of E-production and the start of the Future Vertical Lift will be a gap, so maybe there will be an F-model to fill that. Boeing is planning to use and maintain the AH-64 fleet up to the 2080s – then it will be 100 years flying!

Rela member, navy man arrested in latest counter-terrorism move by police

The Malaysian Insider – 1 hour 21 minutes ago

A Rela member and a Royal Malaysian Navy officer were arrested in two separate operations conducted by the Special Branch and Counter Terrorism unit for their alleged involvement in militant activities.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar in a statement today said the Rela member, aged 46, was arrested on June 25 in Kuala Kangsar.

Police seized a home-made rifle and 433 live bullets from him.

Khalid said police suspected that the Rela member aided the militant group which underwent combat training at Gunung Ara Para, Kampung Nyior Ketior in December last year by producing and supplying home-made rifles to them.

On the navy officer, Khalid said, the 29-year-old was detained yesterday for helping a member of a militant group based in southern Philippines to get into Sabah.

He was believed to help the suspect to enter the country illegally on June 11.

A police source said the two suspects detained belonged to the same cell which had been linked earlier to a rebel group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Middle East and the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines.

The IGP's statement also said that police raided a "safe house" in Shah Alam today. The property was allegedly used as a meeting point by the militant group's members.

The latest arrests brings the number of those arrested from the group to 19.

On June 18, police arrested a suspected weapons handler for the group which had been planning to carry out suicide bombings and attacks in Syria and Iraq.

Bukit Aman’s Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division arrested the 25-year-old man in an operation at a house in Kampung Kelebor, Kuala Kangsar, at about 2pm.

They seized a home-made rifle and 48 bullets from the man.

The police team previously arrested 15 people linked to ISIS.

The weapon seized was believed to be used by the militant group for training purposes.

Initial investigations revealed that the militant group was training their members at Gunung Arang Para in Kampung Nyior Ketior, Kuala Kangsar.

All suspects are currently detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

It is learnt that the grounds at Gunung Arang Para was used for two days last December by at least 10 militant members for weapons training.

Other than Kuala Kangsar, the group also used a training site in Port Dickson.

The more militant groups are discovered all over the country, the higher the probability that there could be more training sites yet to be uncovered by the authorities.

It is learnt that the militants also trained in southern Philippines and made their way to Sabah and later planned to fly to Syria and Iraq, where ISIS was carrying out persistent attacks to topple the existing regimes.

The militant group’s plan was to go to Syria and launch attacks before heading to Iraq for their “end game”.

The Counter Terrorism Division has been rounding up members of the militant group since April 28.

The suspects were detained in Selangor, Kedah, Perak and Sabah. – June 28, 2014.

Military spending on the rise in Brunei

by Paulius Kuncinas. Posted on June 28, 2014, Saturday

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have highlighted the ongoing tensions between China and countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, with the US also weighing in recently with its proposals for a bigger military presence in the region.

Both Vietnam and Malaysia are undergoing regional military build-ups, and the Philippines doubled its defence budget in 2011 after pledging to conduct joint military exercises with the US.

Meanwhile, Brunei has not been complacent, with additional spending and partnerships shaping the defensive posture of both the nation and the region for coming years.

In late May, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) took a step closer towards establishing a formal arrangement for a regional defence industry collaboration during the eighth Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

Defence ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam met to discuss regional defensive needs and future defensive cooperation and concluded the conference by agreeing to a three-year programme.

Defence budget boost

The meeting followed a March announcement by Second Finance Minister Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman Ibrahim about the state’s proposal to increase the government’s defence budget in the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

The budget for the Ministry of Defence, unanimously approved later that month by the Legislative Council, is set to rise by 39 per cent in this financial year to US$719 million. Around 45 per cent of the budget is earmarked for payroll, while recurring expenses represent nearly 24 per cent of the total.

The largest increase however come from the 32 per cent earmarked for “special expenditure”, which in 2013/2014 represented only nine per cent of the budget. Special expenditure includes materials and equipment procurement, with the hike a clear indication that Brunei may purchase new military equipment in 2014/15.

A Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) commander was among the first to speak up about the intended use of a budget of around US$183 million.

RBAF Commander Pehin Major General Dato Mohd Tawih told the local media in March, “We are in the process of looking for an aircraft. But from which particular country, you will just have to wait for the announcement.”

The commander also declined to comment on what sort of aircraft, though the RBAF has a fleet primarily comprising helicopters.

Training programmes

The rise in budget may also lead to an uptick in the number of personnel being trained with the government partnering with CAE, a Canadian aviation firm, for the construction of a pilot training centre.

The CAE Brunei Multipurpose Training Centre is expected to be complete in mid-2014 and will be a regional destination not only for pilot training but also for professionals in healthcare and emergency management.

The facility will house PC7 and Blackhawk attack helicopter simulators, which will be used by the RBAF to improve the skills of its pilots as well as the only S92 helicopter simulator in the region for training professionals from the offshore oil and gas sector. To date, eight countries have agreed to send helicopter pilots to train at the centre.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) conducted their annual bilateral naval exercise in early June. Exercise Pelican, as the operation is called, is a programme aimed at deepening the interoperability of the fleets of the RSN and RBN involving naval and helicopter units.

Medical and disaster response

The increased focus on military spending and operations, has also led to a medical and disaster response component. In May, the Asean Chiefs of Military Medicine Conference (ACMMC) was held in Brunei to bring together the regional authorities in combat medicine. The ACMMC, though focused on military medicine, took on a theme of regional cooperation.

Lieutenant Colonel Dr Mohd Hafizul Hj Mohd Hassan, RBAF chief medical officer and ACMMC chair, highlighted the military medical partnership among ASEAN states. “In recent times, we have witnessed remarkable military medical collaboration between nations in response to major disaster in the Asia-Pacific region whether in real-time or in exercises,” he told conference attendees.

In the same month, Brunei hosted the Asean Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) in a bid to promote regional co-operation.

With the regions’ militaries looking to collaborate, particularly in medicine and disaster response, which have civilian applications, regional countries appear to be also looking towards the peace-time benefits of military build-up.

Marty praises RI-Turkey defense bill

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Tue, July 01 2014, 6:13 AM

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has applauded the House of Representatives’ move to begin the deliberation of a bill to ratify an defense industry agreement between Indonesia and Turkey.

Marty said cooperation was part of comprehensive relations between the two nations.

“This is a very strategic move,” Marty said after a closed-door meeting with House Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defense.

Marty said as quoted by Antara news agency that the agreement did not cover the sale and purchase of weapon systems but was aimed at developing the capacity of the defense industries of both countries.

He added that the House and the ministry had agreed to endorse the bill.

“This clearly reflects the partnership between the government and the House,” he said.

Deputy chairman of House Commission I TB Hasanuddin of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said lawmakers would endorse the bill in a plenary session soon.

The two countries signed a cooperation agreement on the defense industry during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s visit to Turkey on June 28 and 29, 2010.

PN Frigate project specifications out by July

Posted on June 30, 2014 · 7:45 PM

Naval Station Jose V Andrade, Roxas Blvd., Manila (DWDD) - Specifications of the two frigates worth P18 billion, which will be armed with a variety of weapons capable of dealing with surface, sub-surface and air threats, will be released by July.

According to Philippine Navy Technical Working Group Head Commodore Roland Mercado, the specifications will be released this July and it will be presented to the PN leadership to get their comments and approval.

Mercado declined to give the frigates’ specifications pending his presentation to Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Jesus Millan.

Earlier, two more foreign shipbuilders have joined the Navy’s P18-B frigate program, which were Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. of India and STX France SA.

They were allowed to join in the bidding after their motions for reconsideration were considered by the Department of National Defense’s Special Bidding Awards Committee after they were earlier excluded from the project due to deficiencies in documentary requirements.

These companies now join Navantia Sepi (RTR Ventures) of Spain and South Korean firms STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., and Hyundai Heavy Industries Inc. who successfully passed the first stage of the bidding.

Design assessments of the frigate proponents started last February.

Each bidder was given five working days to present its concept.

During this period, hull, power plant, communications, and weapon systems designs were scrutinized closely by the technical working group. PN PAO / AES

Typhoon Re-evaluation and Last Super Hornet Contract

Marhalim Abas July 1, 2014 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: A couple of RMAF test pilots went to the UK recently to re-evaluate the Eurofighter Typhoon some two years after the evaluation flights of the MRCA candidates were carried out.

Industry sources told Malaysian Defence that the re-evaluation was carried out on the requests of the RMAF for a first hand look of some of the enhancements that had been carried out on the Typhoon since the EVAL.

Among the enhancements are the provisions of an active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the work on integrating the Harpoon and Brimstone missiles. Other enhancements included increased avionics computing power and capacity, a fuel-dump capability high-speed data network, fiber-optic weapons bus and conformal fuel tanks.

The enhancements are part of the so-called Tranche 3 standard. Under the Tranche 3A contract signed back in 2009, a total of 112 aircraft have been ordered by Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, with 40 examples for Royal Air Force. It must be noted that the first AESA radar equipped Typhoon is only expected to be in service in 2016.

Typhoon two other competitors for the MRCA programme namely the Super Hornet and Rafale are already flying with the AESA radar. The other MRCA candidate the Gripen, will also be equipped with the AESA radar when the E variant is introduced by 2018.

Among others, RMAF MRCA programme called for a fighter jet with an AESA radar and equipped with stand-off precision weapons and anti-shipping missiles. Hence the work into integrating the Harpoon and Brimstone into the Typhoon. BAE Systems BAE Systems has in 2013 conducted first wind tunnel tests to assess the suitability of integrating Boeing’s Harpoon with the Typhoon.

Unlike the Harpoon which is meant for export customers, UK MOD has recently committed funds for the integration of the Brimstone for RAF Typhoons.

Industry sources had told Malaysian Defence previously that UK had initially proposed Brimstone as an ASM candidate but later added the Harpoon into the mix after the specification for an ASM was included in the MRCA document.

So does this mean that the Typhoon has emerged as the favourite for the MRCA deal? My sources played down the prospects as premature as cost remained a huge factor in swinging the deal to one aircraft. Malaysian Defence has reported previously that the Typhoon and Gripen as the front runner for the MRCA programme as both had offered a lease-and-buy option to the RMAF which plans to retire its Mig-29N fleet by 2015.

Anyhow, a contingent of RAF Typhoon is expected in October for the FPDA exercise slated this year. My sources told me that it was still too early to know whether they will remained in Malaysia until 2015 for the Langkawi International Aerospace and Maritime (LIMA) show.

Meanwhile, it appeared that the deadline for the RMAF to select the Super Hornet for the MRCA programme has considerably shortened as the US Navy on June 30 announced the final contract award for the strike fighters. While it might conceivable that we may be able to take directly the Super Hornet meant for the US Navy from the latest batch, it must be done soon as long lead items need to be sourced early.

From NAVAIR news:

“NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) announced today a contract award to Boeing for 44 F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft over the next two years.

“The F/A-18 and EA-18G program continues to thrive, and it is by far the predominant tactical force for naval aviation – both U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,” said Capt. Frank Morley, PMA-265 program manager. “The hard work of the government and industry team to negotiate this contract will ensure that the great capabilities provided by these variants continue to serve our warfighters and foreign partners.”

With this production contract in place, the Navy will acquire the remaining aircraft included in the program of record by the end of fiscal year 2016 in addition to the 12 EA-18Gs requested by Australia in July 2013 for the Royal Australian Air Force.

“The Navy’s long-range strike fighter procurement strategy is to have a mix of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-35 Lightning IIs by the early-2020s,” Morley said. “We will operate F/A-18 E/F and F-35 aircraft together from our aircraft carriers through the 2030s.”.

Thailand considers medium-range SAM purchase

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
30 June 2014
   
Thailand's military government is contemplating the procurement of a medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a spokesman confirmed to IHS Jane's on 1 July.

The programme is thought to be the first major military purchase outlined for consideration since the Thai military staged a coup d'état on 22 May.

The detailed specifications of the SAM system have not been revealed.

According to a government document, the potential SAM purchase is valued at THB2.558 billion (USD80 million), with funds to be sourced from the defence budgets through 2014 to 2017.

The government spokesman said that the purchase is under consideration and that the proposal reflected a legacy SAM requirement in the Thai military.

Indonesia close to ratifying Turkish defence industrial agreement

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
30 June 2014
   
Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) is expected to ratify an accord later this year that will formalise defence industrial ties with Turkey.

The ratification process commenced in the DPR on 30 June. This process has been delayed since the accord was proposed in 2010 due to administrative issues, although vice chairman of the DPR's defence commission, Tubagus Hasanuddin, indicated that the agreement will soon be sanctioned.

The accord is geared to support bilateral collaboration in the fields of development, technology transfer, production, sustainability and investment. These activities are likely to hinge on Indonesian purchases of Turkish-designed military equipment.

Hasanuddin added that, once ratified, the accord is expected to promote deeper defence industrial ties between the two countries, particularly in land systems.

Surface Forces: Gowind Now Goes To Egypt

March 30, 2014: With a recent sale French warship builder DCNS has won its second export customer (Egypt) for the new Gowind concept warship. Egypt is buying four of the 2,400 ton corvette version of Gowind for about $330 million each. These will be armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles and VL-MICA anti-aircraft missiles. Three of the four Egyptian Gowinds will be built in Egypt.

Malaysia, the first export customer took a somewhat different approach. In 2012 Malaysia ordered six Gowind corvettes. As part of the deal the French builder agreed to set up production in Malaysia and to modify the Gowind design to meet Malaysian requirements. Because of this arrangement the first Gowind will not enter service until 2019, two years later than if they were built in France. Malaysia is using this deal to develop its own warship building capability.

The Malaysian Gowinds were originally to be 2,400 ton corvettes but then Malaysian modifications produced 3,000 ton frigates with a crew of 106. The Malaysian Gowinds are still armed with a 57mm gun, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, and an EC-275 helicopter. It has a top speed of 48 kilometers an hour. Some of the modifications made include the turret for the 57mm gun being modified to maintain its low-radar visibility aspect in the expanded superstructure. Design modifications like this were part of the basic Gowind design, which can be applied to ships using the basic Gowind design but varying from 1,100-4,000 tons displacement. These ships have a maximum endurance (assuming mostly using cruise speed) of 21 days. Malaysia is buying the Gowinds for about $500 million each. France is supplying eight Exocet anti-ship missiles for each Gowind, along with quad launchers of VL-MICA anti-aircraft missiles (with a range of 20 kilometers) and two 30mm anti-missile autocannon. The success of this deal was crucial to getting the Egyptian sale.

DCNS initially had a very difficult time finding any export customers for Gowind. The French Navy wasn't buying either. So in 2010 DCNS began building one of the 1,100 ton OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) Gowinds with its own money and persuaded the French Navy to provide a crew to operate the ship for 18-36 months. Thus, DCNS could pitch potential customers with the fact that at least one Gowind has been built and successfully served with the French Navy. This worked for Malaysia, as did the willingness to move construction (and assembly of some of the electronic subsystems) to Malaysia.

Military build-up inevitable under Indonesia’s new president

4 July 2014

Authors: Pierre Marthinus and Isidora Happy Apsari, Marthinus Academy

The third Indonesian presidential debate on international politics and national defence, held on 22 June, has shed further light on the foreign policy platforms of presidential hopefuls Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo (‘Jokowi’).

Both candidates are offering two entirely different grand designs for foreign policy.

Prabowo’s foreign policy outlook is introverted and revolves around the old-school New Order rhetoric of internal stability and territorial integrity. It is focused on maintaining and accumulating Indonesian power, while promoting international clout through domestic prosperity. Prabowo’s foreign policy platform prioritises domestic issues, leaving the international realm in the periphery.

On the other hand, Jokowi’s foreign policy outlook appears to be more extroverted. It focuses on international clout and Indonesia’s power projection capabilities — expanding Indonesia’s power to the oceans, the skies and cyberspace, with an outward-oriented focus on economic competitiveness. It is a foreign policy platform that sees Indonesia’s new and enlarged sphere of influence in the international realm.

For an insight into the candidates’ policies, observers need to look at the intellectual teams backing each presidential hopeful. Jokowi’s team consists of crème de la crème intellectuals with stellar track records, well-versed in international relations, security and defence — an advantage that backfired in the presidential candidates’ debate. Jokowi sounded scripted, his two-metre-long notes revealing a poorly-rehearsed intellectual ventriloquism. Understandably, Jokowi was trying to keep up and made the honest mistake of presenting himself as an academic expert, instead of presenting himself as a macro-strategist and a creator of national solidarity. Statements on hybrid wars, cyber wars, drone technology and primary weapons defence system(Alutsista) ensured that most of his audience was just as lost as he was on the subject of defence.

Despite his own foreign policy platform not even sounding remotely ‘international’, Prabowo called out Jokowi’s platform for being too theoretical and impractical. Prabowo’s team consists of the intellectual underdogs, but he — not his team of advisors — will be the one calling the shots. Prabowo repeatedly made the point that he will ignore his advisors and agree with Jokowi on issues where they both share similar views. Unfortunately, ‘agreeableness’ might not compensate for the lack of creative thinking and alternative policies from his camp.

In terms of Indonesia’s military build-up, each candidate’s foreign policy will dictate adifferent strategy.

Prabowo’s strategy will consist of military and armament build-up, with less attention paid to its quality and relevance to threats. He will focus on a land-based military build-up and on strengthening the Indonesian military’s territorial command structure. Prabowo will oversee the prioritisation of the army at the expense of the navy and air force. This can be discerned from his strong position on the lack of battalions in many Indonesian districts, his reference to the territorial command structure and his insistence upon the value, usefulness and relevance of Indonesia’s Leopard tanks.

Jokowi’s military build-up strategy will consist of a relative downsizing of the military and armament build-up with more attention paid to attaining superior quality, technology and relevance to threats. His strategy will see a more centralised and coordinated military structure, as well as more synchronised cross-theatre operational capabilities between the army, the navy and the air force.

In terms of accommodating foreign interests, Prabowo made it clear that he will continue President Yudhoyono’s overtly pro-West foreign policy, citing the ‘million friends and zero enemies’ rhetoric. Just like Suharto and Yudhoyono, Prabowo will probably adopt an unthinking pro-West attitude. Jokowi’s team, however, seems more capable of devising alternative and creative policies and more capable of making cool-headed calculations on the national interest — even at the expense of Western powers.

Prabowo’s plan is more conservative, grounded in pragmatism and feasibility, making it the least destabilising and threatening to Western interests and regional stability. In contrast, Jokowi’s platform is more radical, ambitious and optimistic. It is breathtakingly progressive — to the point of advocating for ‘leaps’ in military technology — which also makes it potentially more destabilising to Western interests and regional stability.

When asked about Australia’s spying and incursion into Indonesian waters, both candidates said trust was an issue. But Prabowo went the extra mile to defuse the very tense atmosphere by joking that the audience was much more ‘hostile’ than the presidential candidates themselves.

Prabowo’s ‘inward-looking’ military build-up may avoid a regional arms race, though it promises a check on China’s power should it lay claim to Indonesian territories.

But Jokowi’s team might be more experimental and open to new possibilities. Jokowi might even consider more provocative policies such as brandishing Indonesia’s Islamic credentials over its democratic identity, taking up the issue of Palestine, growing out of ASEAN and playing the role of regional balancer and imposing a maritime toll fee — the last one would surely raise objections from the West.

Even with modest economic growth projections, an Indonesian military build-up is inevitable. Both candidates, running on nationalist platforms, desire a more powerful Indonesian military that can project its power. The only difference is that Prabowo prefers a powerful — yet stationary — military presence initially and power projection capabilities later on, while Jokowi seems to prefer it the other way around.

Singapore buys tanks Merkava Mk 4

July 4th, 4:36



Resource IntelligenceOnline.com reports that Singapore will be the first foreign buyer of major Israeli tanks series Merkava. According to these reports, Singapore signed a contract for the purchase of 50 tanks Merkava Mk 4 new construction. According to the resource, the transaction amount reaches $ 500 million

Earlier, at the beginning of June 2014, the Israeli newspaper "Yediot Ahronot", citing a source in the Israeli Defense Ministry announced the signing of export agency of the Ministry of Defence Shibata first export contract for the Merkava Mk 4 tanks, without naming the customer and saying only that it is a country, "related long-term relationships with Israel in the field of security. "Also does not provide any details, except that the amount of the contract is "several hundred million dollars."

Merkava tanks series produced in the Israeli public a tank factory in Tel Hashomer in 1979, however, despite the considerable interest shown in him at different times by different potential foreign customers, never exported. This let low rates of production of tanks Merkava, their high cost, as well as export restrictions by both the U.S. (acting supplier significant portion of the tank units and systems and provide partial funding for the program of the issue), and most of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Now, for reasons mainly economic plan, Israel's Defense Ministry has issued export permits Merkava Mk 4.

Singapore since 2007 acquired are considered 182 Leopard 2A4 tanks from the German Bundeswehr presence (part of them for use on parts and conversion into special machines), and is currently carrying out a program of modernization.

50 unit merkava for 500million, 10milion each woo ....
we buy china MBT-3000 ok lah.... weight more suite as ....