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.
U forgot to factor in crew confidence
Some former soldier even admit they rather be in those slow vehicles than in a hummer. The old higher cost is no longer an issue
The first mrap was a stop gap solution which does not really care about maintenance or operating cost But as the vehicles matured, it soon become more economical to operate as the engine and parts are soon standardised. All those new vehicles that you listed some of the selling point is lower operating cost. Of course, it wont be lower than a hummer but at least lower compared to the 1st gen mrap
Any added protection goes a long way at least withstanding an rpg hit
United Technologies Plans to Sell or Spin Off Sikorsky Unit
LONDON — The United Technologies Corporation said on Monday that it planned to either sell or spin off Sikorsky Aircraft, the maker of the Black Hawk helicopters favored by the United States military.
The announcement follows a review of strategic alternatives for the 90-year-old Sikorsky business that United Technologies conducted this year. A decision on whether to spin off or sell the business is expected by the end of the third quarter and is subject to the approval of the company’s board of directors.
“Our strategic review has confirmed that exiting the helicopter business is the best path forward for United Technologies,” Gregory J. Hayes, the United Technologies president and chief executive, said in a news release.
“Sikorsky is the world’s premier helicopter company, and through a series of strategic wins is well positioned for long-term growth,’’ he said. “However, separation of Sikorsky from the portfolio will allow both United Technologies and Sikorsky to better focus on their core businesses. Over the coming weeks, we’ll determine whether a spinoff or direct sale is the best way to enhance Sikorsky’s long-term success and create the most value for customers and shareholders.”
Gregory J. Hayes, the chief executive of United Technologies, said that the manufacturer planned to either sell or spin off its Sikorsky Aircraft unit, the maker of Black Hawk helicopters.
The announcement was made on Monday in conjunction with an investor day hosted by United Technologies at the International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France.
It came after Sikorsky said on June 2 that it planned to cut up to 1,400 jobs, or about 9 percent of its work force.
Founded on Long Island in 1925, Sikorsky manufactures and services military and commercial helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It was acquired by the predecessor of United Technologies in 1929.
In addition to Black Hawks, Sikorsky makes a range of commercial and military helicopters, including the S-76 and the S-92 commercial helicopters and the Seahawk for the military. It is also developing the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter for the Marine Corps and the HH-60W combat rescue helicopter for the Air Force.
Last year, it won the contract to build the next generation of Marine One helicopters, which are used to transport the American president.
The Sikorsky business has more than 15,000 employees at the end of 2014, and it posted net sales of $7.5 billion for that year.
United Technologies, based in Hartford, manufactures technology systems and services for the building and aerospace industries. The company posted net sales of $65.1 billion and had more than 211,000 employees in 2014.
Its brands include the elevator maker Otis, Carrier industrial refrigeration, and Pratt & Whitney, a maker of air conditioning products and aircraft engines.
Some former soldier even admit they rather be in those slow vehicles than in a hummer. The old higher cost is no longer an issue
The first mrap was a stop gap solution which does not really care about maintenance or operating cost But as the vehicles matured, it soon become more economical to operate as the engine and parts are soon standardised. All those new vehicles that you listed some of the selling point is lower operating cost. Of course, it wont be lower than a hummer but at least lower compared to the 1st gen mrap
Any added protection goes a long way at least withstanding an rpg hit
While I do admit the combat variant of the Humvee (M114) is indeed insufficient for todays warfare, you have to remember most Humvees don't see that much battlefield combat. Most of them are just running around bases ferrying supplies and troops. If saying that these kinds of duties also need an MRAP-style vehicle, the US military does need to have its collective head checked.
PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has ordered two AS365 N3+ Dauphin helicopters to boost the search and rescue (SAR) capabilities of Indonesia.
15 June 2015
Airbus Helicopters will deliver these twin-engine rotorcraft to PTDI within one year. These helicopters will be reassembled, tested, qualified, completed and customized by PTDI with mission equipment including hoists, flotation systems, direction finder, an electronic optical system, and casualty evacuation devices.
“We are very familiar with the Dauphin platform and are confident that with the installation of dedicated SAR equipment, we will offer the right solution to the Indonesian Government for its SAR demands,” explained PTDI’s President Director Budi Santoso, during the signing ceremony at the Paris Airshow.
The strategic alliance between PTDI and Airbus Helicopters have seen them manufacturing and delivering more than 130 helicopters over the last 40 years. “PTDI knows the needs of Indonesia and has been instrumental in securing the right assets and equipment for the country’s defense. This acquisition is another good example,” said Fabrice Rochereau, Vice-President of South East Asia & Pacific Sales and Customer Relations at Airbus Helicopters.
There are currently five Dauphin helicopters in service in Indonesia, for the Police and Basarnas for law enforcement and SAR missions respectively. The Indonesian Navy ordered 11 Panthers (the military version from the same family) for anti-submarine warfare last year, which will also be delivered by PTDI within the coming three years.
Pakistan sells its JF-17 fighter jet at Paris Air Show
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France – Pakistan has won the first-ever order for its JF-17 Thunder jet fighter, an air force spokesman said Monday, as the revamped plane dazzled crowds at the Paris Air Show.
Pakistan has been years without a buyer for its first home-made jet, which was designed with the help of close ally China.
Commodore Syed Muhammad Ali, spokesman for the Pakistan Air Force, confirmed an order for the plane had been finalized.
ADVERTISEMENT However, he declined to give any more details, citing sensitivities for not naming the client, the number of aircraft or the date of delivery.
Latest model
The latest model, which is capable of Mach 2.0 (twice the speed of sound) with an operational ceiling of 55,000 feet, roared over the crowds on the first day of the Paris Air Show soon after the confirmation.
A report on the aviation website Flightglobal.com quoted another senior officer, Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood, as saying the sale had been made to an “Asian country” and the delivery would take place in 2017.
Pakistan’s large and well-funded military has long been a major importer of defense equipment, particularly from China.
But Pakistan is hoping the updated JF-17, along with Pakistani-made tanks and surveillance drones, will help increase military exports and bring in much-needed foreign exchange.
Beijing's land reclamation in South China Sea almost complete
The land reclamation project of China's construction on some stationed islands and reefs of the disputed Nansha (Spratly) islands, as planned, will be completed in the upcoming days, according to related authorities.
"Apart from satisfying the need of necessary military defense, the main purpose of China's construction activities is to meet various civilian demands and better perform China's international obligations and responsibilities," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on Tuesday in a press release.
The obligations and responsibilities are in the areas such as maritime search and rescue, disaster prevention and mitigation, marine scientific research, meteorological observation, ecological environment conservation, navigation safety as well as fishery production service, Lu said.
After the land reclamation, China will start the building of facilities to meet functional requirements, Lu said. He stressed the construction activities on the islands and reefs fall within the scope of China's sovereignty, which are "lawful, reasonable and justified."
"They are not targeted at any other country, do not affect the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by all countries in accordance with international law in the South China Sea, nor have they caused or will they cause damage to the marine ecological system and environment in the South China Sea, and are thus beyond reproach," Lu said.
Lu reaffirmed China's commitment to the path of peaceful development, saying that China follows a foreign policy of forging friendship and partnership with her neighbors and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. He said China remains a staunch force for regional peace and stability.
China, while firmly safeguarding her territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, will continue to dedicate herself to resolving relevant disputes with relevant states directly concerned in accordance with international law and through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts, Lu said.
China will work with the ASEAN member states to push forward actively the consultation on a "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea" within the framework of fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Lu said.
China will continue to uphold the freedom of navigation as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, Lu said.
China claims almost all islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which has brought the country into conflict with neighboring countries with competing claims to the same features. Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim the South China Sea in whole or in part.
Malaysian defence minister outlines procurement priorities over next five years
Dzirhan Mahadzir, Kuala Lumpur - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 14 June 2015
Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has outlined some of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF's) procurement requests under the 11th Malaysia Plan of 2016-2020.
Speaking in parliament on 10 June, Hishammuddin said future procurement would be based on the Malaysian Armed Forces' Fourth Dimension Development Plan (4D MAF) and that the Defence Ministry and the armed forces were discussing what programmes to move forward.
However, Hishammuddin cautioned that everything would be subject to the country's finances and that the government had to be realistic about what it could afford.
He cited the RMAF's Multi-Role Combat aircraft (MRCA) procurement as an example of a capability that Kuala Lumpur might not require and said limited finances meant any procurement made must be in line with the threats Malaysia faced.
Islamic State Gains Military Expertise From Ex-Soldiers
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The recent defection to the Islamic State (IS) of a special operations colonel in Tajikistan and the group’s infiltration of the Malaysian military are raising new concerns that the Islamist terror group is gaining military expertise, according to U.S. officials and experts.
Col. Gulmurod Khalimov, a commander of the Interior Ministry security unit known as OMON, disappeared in April and late last month surfaced in an IS video calling for jihad against Russia and the United States. Tajikistan is a former Soviet republic that is currently aligned with Russia.
In Southeast Asia, authorities in Malaysia broke up an Islamic State terrorist plot in March that involved two Royal Malaysian Air Force soldiers. The arrests revealed the terrorist group has infiltrated the military and that around 70 Malaysian army personnel are believed to be supporters or sympathizers with the Islamic State, according to U.S. officials.
Analyst Warns Russia Will Respond to F-22 Deployment in Europe
The US' possible deployment of its F-22 Raptor fighters in Europe will inevitably provoke confrontation between Russia and NATO; in any case, the Russian side may respond in kind to Washington's move, Vladimir Batyuk, from the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.
"As for the fifth-generation Raptor fighter jets, their deployment will certainly be an additional impetus for Moscow to speed up the process of developing and putting on service the Russian response, the fifth-generation T-50 fighter. The Russian side may also retaliate against other similar actions by the Americans and their allies, Batyuk said.
He recalled that the Russian Defense Ministry did not rule out that Moscow may deploy additional Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile systems in Kaliningrad, in response to the possible deployment of US heavy military hardware in Eastern Europe.
When asked whether the F-22 fighter poses a threat of a fundamentally different level to Russia, Batyuk said that it's too early to jump to conclusions.
"It is difficult to say to what extent these [F-22] planes are superior to those systems that are currently on service in Russia. In this respect, there are different points of view, but in any case, Moscow has the necessary means to neutralize this threat," Batyuk said.
He predicted that this will mean an additional buildup of Russian troops and arms in its western edge, which will, in turn, result in "not only political but also military confrontation with the between Russia and NATO."
On Monday, the Wall Street Journal quoted US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James as saying that Washington is considering increasing the number of its forces in Europe as well as the deployment of F-22 fighter jets there in the face of strained relations with Russia.
Bondholders clash with Colt as US gun maker's bankruptcy begins
WILMINGTON, Del: Bondholders of gun maker Colt ripped into the bankrupt company's private equity owner in a court hearing on Tuesday, saying the firm sped up its decline by starving it of cash and investment.
A Colt lawyer also told a U.S. bankruptcy judge that the gun maker may ditch its plan to sell itself to its current owner, Sciens Management, and wipe out US$250 million of bond debt.
Colt Defense filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, after a year of sharply falling sales and dwindling cash that made it hard for the company to meet demand for its sports rifles and handguns.
A bondholder attorney told Judge Laurie Silverstein in Wilmington, Delaware, that Sciens was to blame for Colt's inability to compete.
"What do they (Sciens) do with the cash? They take it for themselves," said Robert Stark, of Brown Rudnick, which represents a group of large bondholders. "There is no corporate governance here. There is only Sciens."
Colt had planned to use the hearing to seek approval to borrow US$20 million from its current lenders. John Rapisardi, an attorney with O'Melveny & Myers, which is representing Colt, said the company needed cash to make Wednesday's payroll.
Just hours before the hearing began, Stark's group presented the company with its proposal for lending Colt desperately needed money. Stark wanted the judge to order Colt to accept the proposal, which he said was more favorable toward Colt.
Silverstein approved an interim loan to carry the company for the coming days and scheduled a hearing on Monday on the bondholder loan proposal.
Colt has said it needs to quickly get out of bankruptcy to reassure customers such as the U.S. government that it remains a viable provider of weapons. To overhaul its debt quickly, it has proposed selling the company to Sciens, essentially setting the price at zero dollars. Colt would exit bankruptcy much as it is today, but without its bond debt.
"This one is a bit odd," said Rapisardi, describing the proposed sale. He said Colt may end up abandoning the sale and move ahead with a traditional Chapter 11 turnaround.
The case Colt Defense, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 15-11296
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Richard Chang)
Russian RT-2 Topol-M (NATO: SS-27 'Sickle-B') mobile ICBM
Over 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles will be delivered to Russia’s strategic forces in 2015, President Vladimir Putin announced at the opening ceremony of the Army-2015 Expo, an international military forum held near Moscow.
“This year, our nuclear forces are going to get more than 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of penetrating all existing, even the most advanced missile defenses,” the Russian president said, adding that the state would persist in paying specific attention to realization of a massive military rearmament program and modernization of the defense industry, Putin said. Russia is committed to gradually replacing its aging Soviet-era strategic missile forces in the face of renewed hostility with NATO over the Ukraine Crisis.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern over Putin's missile announcement and said no one wanted to see backsliding "to a kind of a Cold War status."
Kerry told reporters at a news briefing that Putin's stance could be posturing but he added, "Nobody should hear that kind of announcement from a leader of a powerful country and not be concerned about what the implications are."
Indonesian Army military drills June 16, 2015 - Martapura, South Sumatera.
damn yankees arming indons well...
Malaysia sends planes to search for missing Petronas oil tanker PUBLISHED ON JUN 17, 2015 8:59 AM 358 109 0 0
The missing oil tanker MT Orkim Harmony.
PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The search for missing Malaysian-registered oil tanker MT Orkim Harmony has been stepped up with more assets added to the 13 vessels involved in the mission.
Maritime Vice-Admiral Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar said five aircraft - two from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), two from the Royal Malaysian Air Force and one from the Royal Malaysian Navy - joined the effort yesterday.
"This is on top of 13 search vessels that have been mobilised since Day One.
"We are also widening our search area to include the Malacca Strait as well as Sabah and Sarawak waters," the MMEA deputy director-general told The Star yesterday.
The search team was also checking satellite images, he added.
"At this point, we are sure that the ship did not capsize.
"If it did, an automatic sensor on the ship would have alerted the authorities," he said.
Admiral Ahmad Puzi said the tanker, which was carrying 5,879 tonnes of RON95 fuel belonging to Petronas worth RM21 million (S$7.5 million), could be at sea for about 20 days before it runs out of fuel.
"It is frustrating that there is still not a trace of the tanker.
"However, we are not giving up. We will search for the tanker until it is found and rescue the crew," he said.
Asked whether the ship's 22-member crew had been taken hostage, Admiral Ahmad Puzi said no ransom demand had been made as of yesterday.
"We are not concluding it is a hijack yet. We are cooperating with agencies from neighbouring countries in searching for the tanker," he said.
The tanker left Malacca last Wednesday and was to arrive at Kuantan port 10.30am the next day, but communication was lost at about 8.57pm. The MMEA was notified at about 6.30am on Saturday that it was missing.
The ship's last known location was 30 nautical miles off Tanjung Sedili.
In Kundasang, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said "insiders" could have been a factor in the tanker's disappearance.
He said those who were well versed with the vessel and its movements might have provided information to individuals who had caused its disappearance.
In Putrajaya, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Hasan Malek said there would be no petrol shortage in east coast states.
He said the missing fuel was for next week's supply for Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
"We met with Petronas Dagang on Monday and it said a new consignment would be sent," he said after chairing an annual consultation with cooperatives yesterday.
PARIS: UAC reaffirms plan to export Su-35 to China
By: Stephen Trimble Paris Source: Flightglobal.com a day ago
China could still become Russia's first export customer for the Sukhoi Su-35 by the end of the year.
United Aircraft (UAC) chairman Yuri Slyusar on 15 June re-affirmed the Russian government's plan to complete the deal with China in 2015.
"Our position is we still believe that we will sign the contract to sell 24 aircraft [to China] this year," Slyusar told reporters at the Paris air show.
Russia and China have been negotiating the deal for several years already.
The Su-35 represents the latest version of the venerable Flanker-series of thrust-vectoring fighters.
The new model adds the Tikhomirov Irbis-E passive phased array radar and a modern cockpit.
Argentina decides to purchase 110 VN-1 armored personnel vehicles
Argentina has finalized an order of 110 8×8 VN-1, the export version of ZBL08 wheeled fighting vehicles from China North Industries Corporation, reports Reference News, a subsidiary of China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Designed with an operational weight of 21 tons, a single VN-1 armored vehicle is capable of carrying 11 soldiers in full equipment and an additional three-man crew. The VN-1 Argentina was developed for amphibious warfare. Unlike other ZBL08, usually fitted with 105mm anti-tank gun or 155mm howitzer, it is only equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun. Argentina is licensed to assemble the vehicles at its Tandanor-CINAR shipyards, according to the report.
While the first batch of the vehicles will be supplied to the Cruz del Sur, a joint peace keeping force formed by Argentina and Chile, the rest are going to be provided to the 10th Brigade of the Argentine Army. Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner made her decision to purchase the vehicles during her visit to Beijing earlier this year to improve the relationship between the two nations, said the report.
The VN-1 is not the first type of armored vehicle Argentina has purchased from China. Four WZ5516 wheeled fighting vehicles, made in China, were deployed to Haiti for peacekeeping operations by the Argentine Army before. Various Chinese military vehicles have been exported to other Latin American countries as well. Venezuela currently has VN-16 amphibious tanks, VN-8 infantry fighting vehicles and VN-1 armored personnel vehicles in service.
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