Royal Malaysian Navy denies training ship caught fire

By FAISAL ASYRAF - 19 January 2016 @ 1:04 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: Royal Malaysian Navy refuted claims that the engine of the Teguh Samudera training ship was caught on fire.

Navy Chief Admiral Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, in a statement, said that in the small incident which occurred at 9.50am yesterday was actually the canvas of the engine cover in the main engine room which was caught on fire.

"There was no casualty involving the Navy personnel. The fire was put down by Sitiawan Fire and Rescue Department in half an hour," he said.

Ahmad Kamarulzaman also stated that the Royal Malaysian Navy would not be held responsible for the incident as the training ship was under maintenance by Limbungan Grade One Marine Services Sdn Bhd at Kampung Acheh in Sitiawan, Perak.

The company will investigate the matter.

I don't know why is it so hard to get a decent picture of the AV8 ATGM variant? 

Tuesday, 19 January 2016, 16:47 WIB

Parliament pushes for boost of defense industry

Red: Julkifli Marbun


Antara/Zabur Karuru

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission I and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) held a hearing on the development of the primary weaponry defense system (Alutsista) at the Navy Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, Tuesday.

The hearing was held to discuss the modernization of alutsista as the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) chief had earlier emphasized that strengthening the Navy and Air Force (TNI AU) is a priority, Commission I Chairman Mahfuds Siddiq stated.

During the meeting, a plan was also discussed to grant some naval ships to the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla).

In accordance with the nation's maritime axis vision, the naval weaponry system must be modernized to guard Indonesian waters, he affirmed.

"Currently, the TNI AL is actively supporting the tasks of the maritime affairs and fishery ministry, but it does not only detain boats involved in illegal fishing activities as it has to guard the nation's entire maritime territory," the politician from the Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS) said.

Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Ade Supandi said the hearing with the legislators also discussed defense budgeting.

"The role of the DPR's Commission I is crucial," he added.

The first priority is to stop operating old or outdated alutsista. Ten warships will enter the conservation stage and will no longer be operated.

However, the warships will still be maintained if their replacements are not yet available.

Therefore, the Navy needs the DPR's support regarding the allocation of the budget, he said.

Communication with the Commission I is crucial for the Navy's development planning, he added.

On Monday, PT PAL Indonesia launched two warships: a Destroyer with guided missiles (PKR) and a Strategic Sea lift Vessel (SSV)-1.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli emphasized that it is time for Indonesia to control the shipbuilding market in Asia as the nation has the ability to build modern warships.

He said the government will continue to support the maritime industry by providing facilities, including for the shipbuilding industry.

Govt orders 50 Pindad-made armored vehicles

Rabu, 20 Januari 2016 21:46 WIB

Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - State-owned weapons manufacturer PT Pindad has received an order from the government for 50 armored vehicles to strengthen its main armament system, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said.

"With approval from the Defense Minister (Ryamizard Ryacudu), we will order 50 units if the vehicle passes the test," he said here on Wednesday.

The government is in the process of negotiating with PT Pindad regarding the purchase price of the armored vehicle called Badak.

He said once these vehicles are received, the government is planning to upgrade its weapons in the interest of state defense.

"We are still negotiating the price. We have agreed to buy 50 units in the first stage. The next stage will be upgrading of all weapons which are still in good condition," he said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, accompanied by Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu and Industry Minister Saleh Husin, was in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung to visit the factories owned by state-owned weapons manufacturer PT Pindad and state-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia.

During the visit, the vice president reached an agreement for purchase of several kinds of weapons to strengthen the countrys military armament system.(*)

S. Korea puts KF-X fighter jet project in full swing

2016/01/21 11:25

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea officially kicked off its multi-billion-dollar project Thursday to produce home-made fighter jets over the next decade.

Under the Korean Fighter Experimental (KF-X) project by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, contractor airplane maker Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) will come up with six units of a home-grown prototype fighter by 2021.

The test fighters will undergo flight tests for four years before the development project will be completed by mid-2026, according to DAPA.

In the project the KAI will manufacture 120 fighter jets from 2026 through 2032 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters, DAPA said.

DAPA held a meeting with KAI and military officials from Indonesia earlier in the day in the KAI's factory in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, to officially start the project.

Indonesia is the KAI's foreign partner for the fighter jet project, having signed a contract last year to finance 20 percent of the cost in the development phase.

Under the deal, Indonesia will also be entitled to acquire the aviation technology of the project and bring home one experimental airplane.

"The KF-X project will take the role to lead the development of our aviation industry," DAPA Minister Chang Myoung-jin said during the meeting. "DAPA will develop a locally-made fighter jet which all South Koreans can be proud of."

The project is worth some 18 trillion won (US$14.9 billion).

Posted : 2016-01-21 17:23
Updated : 2016-01-21 21:07

Korea starts KF-X fighter development

6 prototypes will be produced by 2021

By Jun Ji-hye

Korea officially kicked off a project to develop indigenous high-tech fighter jets, Thursday, with the goal of producing six prototypes by 2021 and completing development by 2026.

Officials from all entities involved held their first meeting at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the main contractor, in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

They are the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, the Indonesian Defense Ministry and Indonesia's state-run defense firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI).

The government plans to spend 8.5 trillion won in the development of the KF-X, and an additional 10 trillion won to produce 120 jets by 2032 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.

DAPA said the nation will domestically develop some 90 items necessary for the aircraft, including the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and electronic optics targeting pod (EOTGP), which the U.S. government earlier refused to hand over to Korea for security reasons.

"Our goal is to localize 65 percent of the components for the aircraft," DAPA said in a release.

The project will also proceed with the help of Lockheed Martin which will transfer 21 technologies used in the F-35 stealth fighter. In early December, the U.S. government approved the transfer of the technologies in a "large frame," according to DAPA.

For its part, the Indonesian government will invest some 1.6 trillion won in the project, and its defense firm will participate in the process of design and component production. The country will also be given one prototype and technology data afterward.

But concerns still remain over the possibility that the U.S. might once again refuse to approve the handover of some of the technologies requested by Seoul, as negotiations between DAPA and Lockheed officials are still ongoing to list the details, as hundreds of technical items are part of them.

DAPA head Chang Myoung-jin said earlier that negotiations will continue for the next two to three years.

In addition, some critics are still skeptical about whether the nation will be able to domestically develop the AESA radar and other integral technologies by the target deadline.

As part of efforts to manage such risks involving the multi-million-dollar project, the National Assembly established a subcommittee comprised of professors and experts in the aerospace field to consistently monitor the costs and schedule of the development process, according to DAPA.

It said in a release, "We will dispatch professional manpower comprised of DAPA and Air Force officials to KAI headquarters from the end of this month in an effort to maximize oversight."

KAI President and CEO Ha Sung-yong said, "We will concentrate all our capacity to succeed in the KF-X project and contribute to the nation's economy."

Before its official kickoff, the program had suffered a severe crisis after the U.S. government refused in April to allow Lockheed to hand over four core technologies — the AESA radar, the EOTGP, the infrared search and radio frequency (RF) jammer and the infrared search and tracking (IRST) system.

A transfer of a total of 25 technologies was included in an offset deal signed in September of 2014 with Lockheed Martin in return for Korea's purchase of 40 F-35s.

Amid growing skepticism about the feasibility of the KF-X program at the time, DAPA said that the nation could domestically develop them and the U.S. government had promised to approve the transfer of the other 21 technologies.

KF-X/IF-X EMD kick off meeting

by DFNS · January 22, 2016

Officials from KAI, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Lockheed Marin, the Indonesian Defense Ministry and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) gathered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province for the first KF-X/IF-X joint meeting on Jan. 21.

Photos: KAI

cost-benefit / weight-armor ratio i guess wont be good
barrel looks long... any idea what's the range?

KD TAR undergoing refit

Marhalim Abas January 22, 2016 Malaysia -RMN

SHAH ALAM: KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, RMN’s first submarine is undergoing its first major refit. Based on the pictures taken by the RMN during the visit of its chief, Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Badaruddin, it is an extensive one though nothing official has been announced on the things to be replaced on the submarine.

By all accounts – a refit or overhaul – extends a submarine’s life by repairing its hull and modernising its combat capability. It involves examining, repairing and even replacing parts of the hull; replacing worn-out cabling and piping ; and replacing or upgrading major weapons, sensors and communication systems.

Boustead DCNS Naval Corp Sdn Bhd, received the RM1.232 billion contract to provide the the refit services to KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Razak, it was announced on Nov 16, 2015. The company is a joint venture between Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd’s (BHIC) with French ship builder DCNS SA.

In a statement released then, BHIC told Bursa Malaysia that Boustead DCNS Naval Corp Sdn Bhd, a 60:40 JV between BHIC’s unit BHIC Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd and DCNS SA, had received and accepted a letter of acceptance (LOA) from the Government at a total dual currency contract price of 169.859 million euros (RM799.28mil) and RM432.404mil (inclusive of goods and services tax).

The contractual refit period for each submarine is 18 months from the respective start dates. BHIC, is 73.15% owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).

It is believed that once KD Tunku Rahman refit was completed, KD Tun Razak will undergo the same programme.As only one submarine will be operational during this time period, no submariner’s training could be conducted, according to a DCI blog. Even at sea days will be limited.

It was for this reason, RMN has always call for an extra submarine or two so its underwater service could be operated optimally. As usual funding is the big hurdle.

Meanwhile, during the visit to the Kota Kinabalu base, Kamarulzaman also accepted the Bunga Mas 5, the auxiliary ship.

whats with the tni-au and their camo stripes? 

my take is that maybe it eases visual iff identification? cuz many of their fighters are also used by their neighbours like the f5 (msia & sg), hawk (msia), f16 (sg), su-30 (msia)

Is this really relevant nowadays? There are IFF systems for everyone, also the kind of ranges modern fighter planes engage each other, I doubt they could identify each other by either type or color.

Saturday, 23 January 2016

Navy ship to be sea base
 
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s east coast security will be further strengthened as the navy received the support auxiliary vessel Bunga Mas Lima (BM5) that would act as a sea base for the security forces.

Navy chief Admiral Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the vessel would be deployed anytime now in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) to work with all security agencies in the area.

Admiral Kamarulzaman, who officially received the Bunga Mas Lima from Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) at the Sepangar naval base near here, said it would provide various forms of support for ground forces in the area.

BM5 has a helipad for air surveillance and is also equipped with interceptor boats, he added.

There was also logistics support like fuel and food for ground troops, he said, adding that there would be communication equipment for rapid sharing of information.

He said the ship could accommodate a total of 70 personnel at any one time.

Admiral Kamarulzaman said the handing over of BM5 was a strategic partnership between the navy and MISC to ensure that the country’s security is maintained at all times.

“It is a historic day for us with the delivery of the vessel by MISC to the navy and its placing in the Esszone will bring more confidence to the people,” he said at the ceremony attended by MISC president-cum-chief executive officer Yee Yang Chien along with the navy’s Region II commander Rear-Admiral Datuk Khairul Anuar Yahya and Submarine Unit commander Rear-Admiral Datuk Abdul Rahman Ayob.

Admiral Kamarulzaman, who also visited the submarine base, checked on operational activities before checking out the refitting progress being done on one of the Scorpene submarines KD Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Sailing crew, officers of SSV now formed, ready for deployment

MANILA, Jan. 25 (PNA) -- The sailing crew of the country's first strategic sealift vessel (SSV) has already been formed and will be deployed to Indonesia to pick up the ship this coming March.

The SSV's sailing crew is composed of 98 enlisted personnel and 17 officers, including the ship's captain.

This was disclosed by Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo Sunday.

He added that the commanding officer of the first SSV, also known by the designation of "LD-601," has already been selected by a PN committee.

Arevalo did not name disclose the name of this pioneering commanding officer as this is still subject for confirmation.

The SSV's trials are scheduled to start in March.

This is to determine on whether all the ship's systems are operational for the voyage to the Philippines.

"It's akin to a car doing road test. The facilities and other navigational instruments are being tested to ensure seaworthiness especially before its embarks on its voyage to the Philippines," Arevalo added.

The first SSV was launched at the PT PAL (Persero) shipyard in Surabaya, Indonesia last Jan. 17.

The Philippines has a two-SSV order with PT PAL (Persero) for PHP3.87 million which is sourced from the AFP Modernization Fund.

The SSV acquisition project for the PN was initiated upon the approval of Acquisition Decision Memorandum Number 2012-060 by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin last October 30, 2013.

The Department of National Defense declared Persero as the Single Calculated Responsive Bidder with a bidding price of PHP3.87 million on November 18, 2014.

The SSVs are programmed to be the PN’s floating command center carrying out their main purpose as military sealift and transport vessels and also for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The ships are estimated to weigh around 7,300 gross register tons.

Further, these vessels are critical assets for civil-military operations due to their capability of transporting large number of soldiers, logistics, and supplies.

Moreover, each SSV has the capacity to house three helicopters. The Navy’s Augusta Westland-109s are programmed to be on-board components of these vessels.

These forthcoming landing platform dock strategic sealift vessels will improve the transport capability of the PN and boost the defense capabilities of the country. (PNA)