Problem is MRAP-style vehicles have a quite limited niche outside of protecting personnel against IEDs and ambushes. The high cost of maintenance and heavy weight doesn't make them that great in doing all round utility duties. Utility military vehicles like the Humvees and Land Rovers have a lot more to do in the battlefield that don't require it to be enveloped in 5 tons of armor plating; like ferrying supplies and light vehicle transport. These mundane jobs don't exactly need a 10-ton beast that will cost the same as 3-4 basic Humvees.

It's Thailand-Malaysian Joint venture MRAP afaik.

We should get this for Esscom. That way we can release AIFV and AV-8 for purely conventional deployment

Read more: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/def...nd-euro-canards

I just love the Soviet airborne troops. Unlike US paratroopers who only function as light infantry, Soviet-style paratroopers bring all of their armored toys in a drop mission. Soviet doctrine also calls for armored vehicle crews to be dropped inside their vehicles and rolling off to combat instantly upon touchdown, instead of being dropped separately and the crew taking time running around looking for their vehicle.

Patria AMV can be fitted also with BMP-3 turret.

I dun think it is unproven it was just a naming term.
perhaps sound more catching rather than using light frigates.
Let just put it as evolution of tech for light frigate toward speed, stealth design and smarter weapons system.

so I assume that is a good thing since the procurement can be more flexible now..ATM wont be tie down with the budget from RMK for 5 years..

yeah..that is what i mean..maybe i put it wrongly..what I mean is that they can procure what they need and not what the RMK had decided for the next 5 years..   

BAe Hawk 208 more of a light fighter/bomber aircraft, a duty it shares with FA-18. Unlike F-5 which is a pure air superiority fighter.

In TUDM air superiority fighter duties all passed to MiG-29 and Su-30 already. So a replacement for a light air superiority fighter is redundant.

guys how much in term of percentage in gdp we spend yearly for military??

EC725 price also not cheap, last time we buy about usd 42 million each.

Probably also fighter with the lowest cost to operate in TUDM.

Wonder why we never got more than 20 last time. AFAIK we only bought 18 Hawk 208 fighters & 4 Hawk 108 trainer planes , nowadays all probably only 13-14 left in service.

not only low cost, but mainly Hawk (like other traning jet) have higher Airframe/fuselage usage hours,  Hawk have 20,000 hrs, than extend to 30,000 hours.
F18 still have design 6000 hours, than can extend to 8000, maximum should be around 10,000 hrs.
so Hawk as buruh kasar is very true,

CAN YOU PUT A SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

France will hand over the FREMM (Frégate Européenne Multi-Missions) frigate Normandie (D651) to the Egyptian Navy on 23 June at the company's shipyard in Lorient, Western France.

The ship will retain its pennant number, although despite reports suggesting it will be re-named Al-Cairo , its new name is still to be revealed.

The ceremony will take place in the presence of Rear Admiral Osama Rabie, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Navy, and Admiral Bernard Rogel, Chief of Staff of the French Navy.

The 5,200-tonne ship was scheduled to be the French Navy's second Aquitaine-class frigate, with delivery to the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the French procurement directorate Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) originally planned for late 2014.

However the development of a government-to-government arrangement, that culminated in an agreement signed on 16 February 2015, saw the ship heading for Egypt instead.

The arrangement will see DCNS undertake outfitting work including translation of man-machine interfaces into Arabic, and the delivery of logistics support, spares, and maintenance services, as well as training activity alongside DCI-NAVFCO.

The ship will retain its original SYLVER A43 vertical launching system (VLS) (for Aster 15 missiles purchased by Egypt); the Sagem Vigy MM fire-control system; Thales' UMS 4110 CL and CAPTAS 4 sonar systems; the Nexter Systems NARWHAL 20B remote weapon stations; DCNS's Contralto-V anti-torpedo decoy launchers and Sagem's NGDS multiple decoy launchers; and launchers for MBDA Exocet MM 40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles and Eurotorp MU90 Impact lightweight torpedoes.

DCNS will, however, remove both its own SYLVER A70 VLS (that fires the MBDA Missile de Croisière Naval [MdCN] long-range land-attack cruise missile) and the Elettronica Radar-Electronic Counter Measures (R-ECM) system.

The frigate will sail for Egypt around 20 July, before taking part in Egypt's new Suez Canal inauguration ceremony on 6 August.

Anybody can confirm whether this true?

I usually just read thru but i saw that post then feeling abit uncomfy must confirm with ltz

Just Pinoy forum, off course there writing want to increase incite angry to china.
if really turn on fire control radar, is normal to leave to avoided case become serious, just like japan case.
anyway pass 2-3 day don't see china major military forum got this kindly of report.
i very day visit china military forum few time a day.