Boustead unit gets RM4.8mil contract

Monday, 21 September 2015
 
KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Heavy Industries Bhd's unit, Boustead Penang Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BP Shipyard), has secured a RM4.8 million contract from Trans Resources Corp Sdn Bhd.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Boustead said its unit had received the executed formal contract from Trans Resources to formalise the appointment of BP Shipyard as the technical assistance and coordination services provider in the frame of the main contract entered into between DCNS S.A (France) and Trans Resources relating to the design, construction/adaptation of certain infrastructures of the Royal Malaysian Navy Kota Kinabalu Naval base.

The contract was signed for a period of 12 months, effective from Feb 1, 2015.

The contract will have a material effect on the earnings of the Boustead Group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2015, and will contribute positively to its earnings for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2016. - Bernama

Indonesia ready to buy new submarines in Russia — defense minister

Military & Defense  September 22, 8:36 UTC+3

The minister noted that Russian subs can perform longer missions underwater and cruise at lower depths compared with the subs from other countries

BANGKOK, September 21. /TASS/. Indonesia is considering Russia as a potential supplier of new submarines for its naval forces, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Monday upon the end of his meeting with deputies of the national parliament.

The meeting was held behind closed doors.

The new purchases had been endorsed by the president, Ryacudu said, adding a remark that it was much better to buy five new submarines than ten second-hand ones.

He named Russia as an expected supplier of the submarines, saying the Russian subs could perform longer missions underwater and cruise at lower depths compared with the subs from other countries.

Ryacudu did not specify the type of the submarines the Indonesian Armed Forces had interest in or the possible date for signing of the contract.

Russian Minister of Industry and Energy, Denis Manturov, said during a visit to Jakarta in October 2014 that Indonesia was considering a purchase of diesel-powered submarines of the Varshavyanka class.

Ukroboronprom to ship next batch of tanks to Thailand by year's end

17.09.2015 | 16:48

The next batch of Oplot tanks, the latest development of the Ukrainian armored industry, will be shipped to Thailand by December 31, 2015, First Deputy General Director of state-owned Ukroboronprom Concern Serhiy Pinkas told UNIAN.

"We have met the latest deadline for the delivery of five tanks under the contact with Thailand. The next deadline is set for December 31," Pinkas said in an exclusive interview with UNIAN.

Pinkas also pointed to some difficulties that the company had been facing while manufacturing these tanks.

"I can't say that the production of Oplot tanks is smooth and easy. It's far from being easy. I can only say that a personnel reshuffle at the Malyshev tank plant is a signal that not everything has been good there. Now we have bought metal for [manufacturing] a very large batch of tanks. The situation with the supply of components has improved. In short, the pace may not be the one we would like to achieve, but let us wait until the end of the year, and we'll make an official announcement then," Pinkas said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, in early 2015 Ukroboronprom's management announced plans to produce 40 Oplot tanks in 2015, and reach the production target of 100-120 tanks per year in 2016 and on.

In June 2015, the company's management dismissed the director of the Malyshev plant for the failure to fulfill the Oplot production plans. For this end, Ukroboronprom said private enterprises were engaged in the production of the tanks as the concern's own production capacities are insufficient.

In 2011 Ukraine signed a contract with Thailand for the shipment of 49 Oplot tanks worth about $250 million. The first batch of five tanks was delivered in late 2013. Another five tanks were shipped to Thailand in June 2015.

Ukroboronprom's management repeatedly noted that it was more economically feasible to export Oplot tanks rather than use them in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine, while channeling proceeds from the export to upgrade mothballed military hardware.

Philippine Army's Mechanized Infantry Division to Get Another 114 M-113s

Wilfrey Morena | 23:00 | 0 comments

The Philippine Army (PA)'s Mechanized Infantry Division(MID) is scheduled to get another 114 M-113 armored personnel carriers (APCs) starting November this year."Hopefully, they will arrive by the middle of November this year," MID head Major Gen. Mayoralgo Dela Cruz said in an interview Monday.

All will be coming from the US as these are declared "Excess Defense Articles."Dela Cruz said the Philippines did not pay any money for the acquisition of these M-113s except for the shipping and refurbishment costs.The PA operates around 343 AFVs (armored fighting vehicles) and APCs.

Around 85 percent of these AFVs are on green status (fully mission capable) while another 10 percent are on yellow status (undergoing repair) and five percent are on red (beyond repair).

One hundred and fifty of these are the United Kingdom-built GKN "Simba" with the remaining AFVs consisting of US designed V-150 and V-200 APCs, M-113s, Turkish made ACV-300s and British Scorpion CVRTs.

These vehicles give the PA its armor capability and are organized into a 14-vehicle mechanized infantry companion for deployment with regular units.

Navy to buy submarines despite defense cuts

Nani Afrida

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | September 22 2015 | 4:54 PM

Following the government’s decision to cut Rp 7 trillion (US$490 million) from the defense budget next year, the Navy revealed on Monday a plan to purchase two new submarines to augment its fleet.

Navy spokesperson Comr. Muhammad Zainuddin told The Jakarta Post that the force had opted to procure Kilo-class submarines from Russia as part of the 2015-2019 strategic planning. “There are many kinds of Kilo-class submarines, we have yet to decide which type we will purchase,” Zainuddin said.

He declined to provide more information on the financing for the submarine purchase, especially after the cutbacks the government has made to adjust to the current economic slowdown. Zainuddin said the purchase plan was still on the table, awaiting further discussion with the Defense Ministry.

It is reported that the government has proposed cutting the defense budget for next year by 6.3 percent, or Rp 7 trillion, to Rp 95.8 trillion, by rationalizing the ongoing plan to revamp the country’s ageing weapons systems.

Despite the savings being relatively small, and defense still accounting for the second-largest slice of the 2016 state budget, lawmakers have conveyed their concern, saying the cutback will hinder the plan to achieve the defense target known as minimum essential force (MEF).

Submarines, with their stealth capacity, are regarded as effective deterrents and Zainuddin said that Indonesia needed at least 12 submarines to protect its territory.

“So far, we have two submarines and an additional three Chang Bogo-class submarines that are still under construction in South Korea. So we still need at least seven more submarines,” he said, adding that the seven submarines would probably be Kilo-class vessels.

The Navy currently operates two German-made submarines, the KRI Cakra (401) and KRI Nenggala (402), which were built in the 1980s. The submarines are due to be decommissioned in 2020.

In 2013, Indonesia held talks, under the leadership of then defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, with Russia to procure a number of Kilo-class submarines.

Purnomo held talks with Russian Ambassador MY Galuzin to discuss the procurement of the submarines, but no deal was struck. In January, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu met Galuzin, and Russia offered the Kilo-class 636 to Indonesia.

Ryamizard confirmed the Navy’s submarine-procurement plan. “It’s better to have five new submarines, instead of 10 second-hand submarines. This is [in line with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s] instruction to buy new weapons systems,” he said.

I only see one 

At least they alert of the coming and going in their airspace. We don't even detect the MH370 making U-turn.

sarcasm mode off: The plane most likely already informed the TNI of their passage through Indonesian airspace. The intercept was merely to make sure the plane didn't do anything more than flying over. It's also a good training for their pilot.

AFSOC C-146A Wolfhound


Image sourced from public domain | U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor

A C-156A Wolfhound transport aircraft taxis down a runway, January 2015.

The C-146A is a military variant of the Dornier 328 turboprop-powered aircraft more commonly used as a commercial airliner. Within United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the aircraft is used in the nonstandard aviation role i.e. covert insertion, extraction and resupply of special operations forces. AFSOC operate a fleet of light and medium intra-theater aircraft that include the U-28A, C-145A Skytruck and C-146A Wolfhound.

In the military role, the C-146A has been configured with special NVG-compatible lighting in the flight deck and cabin. While not publicly disclosed, the C-146A is likely to include a secure communications fitment as well as the capability to fit a defensive aids system (DAS).

The C-146A's cabin can be reconfigured with different passenger and cargo combinations, including a casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) setup. It can carry up to 27 passengers or 6,000 pounds of cargo or 4 CASEVAC patients on litters.

Performance wise, the Wolfhound has a ceiling of 31,000 feet, a range of approx 1,800 nautical miles with 2,000 pounds of cargo and a top speed of 335 mph (291 kts).

The Wolfhound is operated by a number of AFSOC Special Operations Squadrons (SOS), including the 524th SOS and as of fall 2015, the 49th SOS.

Indonesia to Buy New Submarines from Russia

Officials remain bullish about purchase in spite of budget cuts.

By Prashanth Parameswaran
September 25, 2015

The Indonesian Navy revealed earlier this week that it plans to purchase two new submarines to augment its fleet.

Navy spokesman Comr. Muhammad Zainuddin told The Jakarta Post that it had opted to procure two Kilo-class submarines from Russia as part of the strategic planning for the next few years. The submarine procurement plan was also confirmed by Indonesian defense minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, who noted that it was consistent with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s plan to buy new weapons systems instead of second-hand items.

The choice of Russian submarines is far from surprising. The Russian government has repeatedly approached the Indonesian government to offer Kilo-class Type 636 submarines as part of a broader effort to broaden their defense relationship. In January, Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia MY Galuzin made a similar pitch when he met with Ryacudu.

Zainuddin’s comments come weeks after news that the Indonesian government under Jokowi would cut the country’s defense budget for next year amid economic woes despite earlier conditional pledges – including from Jokowi himself – to increase it (See: “Will Indonesia Double its Military Budget in 2016?”).

As I reported then, while some had worried about the implications for Indonesia’s ongoing military modernization, including Jokowi’s own “global maritime fulcrum” vision, defense officials and legislators had suggested that key purchases – including submarines – would not be impacted (See: “Why is Indonesia Set to Cut its Military Budget for 2016?”).

When asked about these concerns following an address to the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO) earlier this month, Indonesia’s Speaker of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto told The Diplomat that officials were in the process of ensuring that “priority purchases” – including submarines, helicopters and planes – would not be affected. Zainuddin seemed to echo this sentiment, noting that the purchase plan for submarines was still on the table despite the budget cuts and was awaiting further discussion with the Defense Ministry.

Indonesia currently has only two German-built Type-209 submarines, which is woefully inadequate for the world’s largest archipelagic state. It is also a far cry from the 1960s and 1970s, when Jakarta operated one of the most powerful submarine forces in the Asia-Pacific, with 12 Whiskey-class submarines purchased from the Soviet Union. Those submarines were gradually decommissioned, the last in 1990.

If successfully procured, the two Russian submarines, in addition to three South Korean submarines ordered back in 2012 that are expected to arrive around April 2017, would give Indonesia a total of seven submarines. But with the two Type-209s expected to be decommissioned by 2020, Indonesia would still be far short of the 12 submarines that Indonesian defense officials – including former navy chief Admiral Marsetio – have said that the country needs to police its waters, as Zainuddin himself reiterated.

But that would still constitute an advance for Jakarta in Southeast Asia’s ongoing submarine race amid concerns about its capabilities (See: “Between Aspirations and Reality: Indonesian Foreign Policy After the 2014 Elections”). Within the subregion, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam already have submarines, while Thailand and the Philippines are eyeing the capability as well as part of their broader military modernization ambitions (See: “Is China’s New Submarine Deal with Thailand Now in Peril?”).

That being said, specifics still remain unclear. Zainuddin reportedly said that Indonesia had yet to decide which type would be purchased. He also declined to provide further information on how the purchase would be financed in the wake of the economic slowdown, which is an important consideration. Russian media reports also noted that no date or deadline was specified for the signing of a potential contract.

OCEA Prepares Delivery of the Second Indonesian Oceanographic Vessel

25 September 2015


KRI Spica 934 oceanographic vessel (all photos : Mer et Marine)

Floated by OCEA at Les Sables d'Olonne on August 3, the second Oceanographic vessel for the Indonesian Navy is completing its tests, while the manufacturer was training his crew which arrived in France last month.



As part of this sea trial test, the KRI Spica rebounded yesterday to Brest, and then return for its delivery. Expected in October departs to Indonesia and normally will arrive by November.



The OCEA 190 SC-WB type vessel has 60.1 meters long and 11.5 meters wide. This is the sistership of KRI Rigel, floated by OCEA in March and up to Jakarta on May 14 after traveling 8,300 miles.

Thai military acquires two new Airbus helicopters

Submitted by TNA on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 11:51

BANGKOK, September 8 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Armed Forces have acquired two EC155 B1 Airbus helicopters, totally worth 1.2 billion baht, for their operations.

Presiding over a ceremony to receive the two EC155 B1 Airbus helicopters in Bangkok on Tuesday, Thai Supreme Commander General Worapong Sa-nganetra said they will be used in rescue mission, while their main duties are to help conduct aerial surveys.

General Worapong told journalists that the two EC155 B1 Airbus helicopters should help boost the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ capacities and there is no need to buy more similar helicopters.

Manufactured by France’s Airbus Helicopter, the EC155 B1 Airbus helicopters are high end 5-tonne twin-engine choppers with a five-bladed, low-vibration- level Spheriflex rotor head each.

Their outstanding functionality and users' friendliness allow pilots to fully concentrate on their mission during all flight phases over the full flight envelope, showcasing their excellent hover stability and smooth high-speed flights.

Other cutting edge technologies include Terrain Awareness Display, Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System and satellite phone.

The EC155 B1 helicoppers are equipped with two Turbomeca Arriel 2C2 turbine engines, which are fitted with Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC) for fully automated One Engine Inoperative (OEI) safety. (TNA)

Indonesia Raises Military Budget By $2.5 Billion To Fund Arms Purchases

Source : Our Bureau ~ Dated : Saturday, September 26, 2015 @ 12:42 PM

The Indonesian Commission I of the House of Representatives has approved the proposal to raise the military budget by US$2.5 billion to fund new arms purchases.

Indonesia recently okayed the purchase of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia as part of its military modernization.

"In principle, Commission I agrees to the proposal to increase the military budget by Rp37 trillion (2.5 billion)," Mahfudz Siddiq Chairman of the Commission I was quoted as saying by Antaranews.com today.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has proposed the increase in budget to buy more military equipment and improve the welfare of the soldier. In the draft state budget, the defense ministry was given a budget of Rp95 trillion (US$6.4 billion) less than its original proposal of Rp105 trillion (US$7.1 billion). Further about Rp30 trillion (2 billion) of the proposed additional budget would be used to buy military equipment, Mahfud said. In 2015, the budget for the military is Rp102 trillion (US$6.9 billion). Ryamizard also proposed to set aside Rp450 billion (US$30.7 million) of the military to strengthen military bases in border areas such as on the island of Natuna. Strong Natuna base is important with potential conflicts in South China Sea, the retired four star general said.

Published: Tuesday September 22, 2015 MYT 11:26:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday September 22, 2015 MYT 11:29:44 PM

Malaysian Navy needs more ships to improve security

BY DINA MURAD

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) will require additional assets, especially ships, in order to step up security in local waters.

At the moment, six more multi-role naval vessels are needed, said Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

Speaking at a press conference during the Navy Media Day on Tuesday, he said the Navy needs to have 50 ships, but currently only has 44.

Abdul Aziz explained that apart from the assets mentioned, other naval systems are at a very satisfactory level.

"What is lacking are only platforms to conduct patrols and surveillance," he said.

Here is why Apache and Chinook helicopters are game changers for India

By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau | 23 Sep, 2015, 04.00AM IST

After a three-year delay, the government has finally cleared the purchase of new attack and heavy lift helicopters from the US. The $2.5 billion deal for a new fleet of 15 Chinook and 22 Apache choppers are a huge boost for the air force & the contract is likely to be expanded to larger number in coming years. The private sector will benefit as the contract will bring in over $600 million into the defence & aerospace sector as offsets for the deal. Besides, both helicopters are game changers for India and not just on the military front. Here is why:

AH-64E APACHE, the battlefield game changer:

THE MACHINE: Described as the most lethal attack helicopter in the world, the Apache has been in service since 1984 with over 2,100 machines produced. The version that India is purchasing is the latest Block III configuration that the US first got in 2011. A total of 22 choppers are being bought for $ 1.4 billion.

ITS ROLE: The stealthy, versatile chopper is designed for all kinds of missions. Equipped with laser and infrared systems for a weather, day-night operability, the Apache fires the Hellfire missiles, besides its arsenal of 70 mm rockets and an automatic cannon.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR INDIA: The Apache will be the first pure attack helicopter in India's possession. While the Russian origin Mi 35 has been operated for years and is now on the verge of retirement, it was an assault chopper that was designed to carry troops into heavily defended territories. The two pilot Apache is a dedicated attack chopper that experts believe will be a 'game changer' in the tactical battle scenario.

THE CONTROVERSY: The Army and the Air Force have been sparring over who should operate the Apaches. While the procurement for 22 choppers was mooted by the IAF, the army has put in a strong case for inducting the machines as they are meant for close operations. The Army has now moved a proposal to purchase 39 Apaches for its aviation wing.

CH-47F CHINOOK, the road builder giant:

THE MACHINE: The iconic twin rotor chopper is a battle proven machine that has fl own countless missions into warzones from Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq. While the original Chinook first flew in 1962, it has undergone several upgrades and is now one of the most modern heavy lift choppers in the world.

ITS ROLE: The massive helicopter can carry 9.6 tons of cargo, including heavy machinery, artillery guns and even light armoured vehicles to high altitude. Suited for mountain operations, the Chinook is highly maneuverable and can get in and out of tight valleys. Its missions range from ferrying troops to disaster relief operations.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR INDIA: The long pending acquisition will not only augment air force's heavy lift capability for military tasks but is a vital addition for the construction of strategic roads and infrastructure projects on the border. The Border Roads Organisation has been waiting in particular for the Chinook to complete road building projects in the North East that have been stuck for years for want of a heavy lift chopper that can carry material and equipment through narrow valleys.

THE CONTROVERSY: Since being chosen as the winner in a contest with the upgraded Mi 26 chopper in October 2012, the Chinook deal has been hanging fire. Its manufacturer Boeing had to extend its commercial bid for the contract 13 times before being cleared. Any further delay would have significantly pushed up the price of the deal from $1.1 billion.