Constructions progress of the Indonesian Navy 2nd Sigma PKR 10514 at PT PAL facility. Credit to Putora Habib Kurniawan.
QUOTE(BorneoAlliance @ Mar 1 2016, 06:10 PM)
HOUTHI FORCES CAPTURE OVER 100 SAUDI TROOPS IN YEMEN
On Monday, the fighters loyal to the Houthi Ansarullah movement captured 71 soldiers in the area of the Ma’rib city. 30 Saudi troopers were captured in the same area on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Yemenis also targeted the Saudi-held Sahn al-Jin military base with missiles. Dozens Saudi-led fighters have been killed.
The Yemen forces conduct these attacks in retaliation for Saudi air strikes which inflict a serious damage to the Yemen’s infrastructure and casualties among civilians.
SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence remembers on Feb.26 Saudi warplanes arrived at Turkey in order to support the Turkish plans to conduct military operations in Northern Syria. Now, Saudi Arabia is in the situation of a war on two fronts, officially. Considering Saudi Arabia is involved in a dragged-out war without any success in Yemen, the attempt to open a new front in Syria puts additional economic and political pressure on the kingdom. Thus, Saudi Arabia faces a real threat to lost a significant part of its influence in the region.
LAWATAN KAPAL PERANG DARI JAPAN MARITIME SELF DEFENCE FORCE (JMSDF)
Kota Kinabalu, 25 Feb 16 – Pangkalan TLDM Kota Kinabalu (PTKK) telah menerima lawatan operasi dari Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) iaitu JS AKEBONO (DD 108), JS YAMAYUKI (DD 129) dan JS HATAKAZE (DD 171).
Ketibaan kapal JS AKEBONO (DD-108) dan JS YAMAYUKI (DD-129) di jeti operasi PTKK
Ketibaan kapal JS HATAKASE (DD-171) di jeti operasi PTKK
Ketiga-tiga kapal tersebut dari Kelas Destroyer. Lawatan Operasi ini dilaksanakan mulai 25 hingga 28 Feb 16. Ketiga-tiga Kapal JMSDF telah berlabuh di Jeti PTKK pada 25 Feb 16 jam 9.00 pagi. Pihak TLDM dan JMSDF telah mengkoordinasikan beberapa program sepanjang berada di PTKK dan perairan Kota Kinabalu untuk mengeratkan hubungan dua hala antara Malaysia dan Jepun serta pertukaran pendapat dan idea pertahanan.
Antara program yang telah dilaksanakan ialah Kunjungan Hormat ke atas Panglima Wilayah Laut 2, YBhg Laksamana Muda Datuk Khairul Anuar bin Yahya dan Panglima Angkatan Kapal Selam YBhg Laksamana Muda Datuk Abdul Rahman bin Hj Ayob, Majlis Resepsi di Kapal JMSDF dan Wisma Kejora, Lawatan ke kapal JMSDF, Perlawanan Sukan Persahabatan bola sepak dan bola tampar dan Latihan Passage Exercise (PASSEX). Kapal Perang TLDM dan JMSDF telah melaksanakan latihan PASSEX di Perairan Kota Kinabalu pada 28 Feb 16.
Kapal-kapal TLDM yang terlibat adalah KD PERAK dan KD LAKSAMANA MUHAMMAD AMIN. Latihan ini dilaksanakan bagi menguatkan hubungan antara Tentera Laut Malaysia dan Jepun. Majlis resepsi telah dilaksanakan di kapal JMSDF yang telah dihadiri oleh Kementerian Negeri Sabah dan Pegawai-pegawai TLDM bagi menunjukkan kehadiran Kapal JMSDF di Negeri Sabah kepada Jabatan-jabatan Negeri Sabah. Kapal JMSDF juga membawa pelatih seramai 110 orang Midshipmen (Pegawai Kadet Kanan) dalam melatih pegawai-pegawai muda tentang selok belok pelayaran dan lawatan ke luar negara.
Rujukan: 260216/08 Sumber: Perhubungan Awam Markas Wilayah Laut 2 Artike: LK PBS Juahry@Johari bin Kornelius Jurufoto: LK PBK Kaharuddin bin Nasir
Test pilot reveals F-35 stealth jet can perform impossible Top Gun ‘fly right by’ manoeuvre as it 'slows down quicker than you can emergency brake your car'
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A test pilot putting the Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet through its paces has revealed that it can perform an 'impossible manoeuvre' made famous in the film Top Gun.
Major Morten 'Dolby' Hanche, who is the first Norwegian to fly the F-35, says the jet can 'slow down quicker than you can emergency brake your car'.
This means that when a pilot being chased by an enemy jet applies the air brake, the jet following them would overshoot and could be shot down.
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According to Hanche: 'I can whip the airplane around in a reactive manoeuvre while slowing down. The F-35 can actually slow down quicker than you´d be able to emergency brake your car.
'This is important because my opponent has to react to me stopping, or risk ending up in a role-reversal where he flies past me. Same principle as many would have seen in Top Gun - hit the brakes, and he’ll fly right by.'
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Major Hanche believes the F-35 is able to lock-on to a target earlier than the F-16 because the aircraft is able to hold a stable Angle of Attack (AOA) at a more extreme angle compared with the older fighter
However, Major Hanche believes his new jet is a dramatic improvement on the F-16.
Hanche has spend the past four months flying the new jet with the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force base in Arizona, he is a firm fan of the weapons system.
In a blog he wrote: 'I now have several sorties behind me in the F-35 where the mission has been to train within visual range combat one-on-one, or Basic Fighter Manoeuvres .
'As an F-35-user I still have a lot to learn, but I am left with several impressions. For now my conclusion is that this is an airplane that allows me to be more forward and aggressive than I could ever be in an F-16.'
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During his intensive training he said he is learning to fully exploit the capabilities of the aircraft: 'As the offensive part, the training objective is to exploit every opportunity to kill your opponent with all available weapons.'
He said the aircraft performs very well in a dogfight situation. 'The offensive role feels somewhat different from what I am used to with the F-16.
'In the F-16, I had to be more patient than in the F-35, before pointing my nose at my opponent to employ weapons; pointing my nose and employing, before being safely established in the control position, would often lead to a role reversal, where the offensive became the defensive part.'
Hanche said he is able to point the nose of the F-35 at a higher angle of attack (AOA) than the F-16 and maintain stable flight.
This is a significant advantage in a dogfight. He said: 'This improved ability to point at my opponent enables me to deliver weapons earlier than I am used to with the F-16, it forces my opponent to react even more defensively, and it gives me the ability to reduce the airspeed quicker than in the F-16.'
He said: 'I have flown additional sorties where I tried an even more aggressive approach to the control position – more aggressive than I thought possible. It worked just fine. The F-35 sticks on like glue, and it is very difficult for the defender to escape.'
Singapore Wants to Defuse South China Sea Tensions With Naval Protocol
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During his two-day visit to Beijing this week, Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, said that Singapore had proposed the expansion of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES)–a series of protocols for the safety of naval vessels–as one of several interim steps to defuse tensions in the South China Sea. He also said that China had indicated that it is an idea worth exploring.
“It is, in a sense, some rules of engagement which will prevent untoward accidents or miscalculations which will lead to tensions and conflict at sea. And we’ve suggested expanding this to cover both naval vessels and coast guards,” Balakrishnan said.
As Balakrishnan himself correctly noted, CUES itself not new. As I’ve noted previously, CUES was negotiated and signed at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium back in 2014. Since then, various countries have been using CUES in exercises as a practical measure to reduce miscalculation at sea, including the United States and China as well as Japan and the Philippines.
Singapore as well as several other countries have also previously suggested–both privately and publicly–expanding CUES to cover disputes areas and non-military vessels. Last December, Malaysia’s new naval chief told a regional security forum that CUES should be expanded to cover disputed areas in the South China Sea as well as “other maritime agencies, especially the coast guards” (See: “Malaysia Wants Expanded Naval Protocol Amid South China Sea Disputes”).
Just last month, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the Japan-based U.S. Seventh Fleet, also said in Singapore that expanding CUES to cover non-military ships would be a wise move, particularly since confrontations in the South China Sea have involved non-military vessels–including large Chinese coast guard ships and smaller ones manned by militia organized by Beijing (See: “China is Building a New South China Sea Fleet for its Maritime Militia”).
Leading Saudi cleric survives assassination attempt in Philippines
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Arabiya quoted an unnamed Filipino official as saying Sheikh Ayed al-Qarni was “in a good condition” after being shot in the hand by an unknown gunman at Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga.
The official added that Filipino security forces shot dead the gunman.
"We pinned down the gunman. He's dead," Filipino spokesperson Helen Galvez told AFP. “We are investigating this incident.”
Galvez said the gunman used a .45-caliber pistol.
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Al Arabiya reported that Saudi authorities are sending a plane to the Philippines to bring the injured cleric back to the kingdom.
Saudi media outlets described Qarni as a senior Islamic scholar.
In his book "Awakening Islam," the French academic Stephane Lacroix included Qarni among "the most famous" Saudi preachers.
In 2012 Qarni was refused entry to the United States despite holding an American visa, and he was later told that he was on a “no fly” list.
The Sheikh has previously advocated religious war against American troops in Iraq and against the Israeli army.
The Army's Fast Stryker Vehicles Get a Big Weapons Upgrade The lightly armed wheeled vehicles are getting more power, in case they ever come up against Russian tanks.
By Kyle Mizokami Mar 1, 2016
The U.S. Army's Stryker vehicles, originally envisioned as lightly armed infantry fighting vehicles, are getting a much-needed firepower upgrade. The Strykers will be equipped with new rapid-fire cannons and anti-tank guided missiles that will allow them to fight Russian tank and mechanized forces.
The Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle came around in the days before 9/11 as a rapidly deployable fighting vehicle carrying a squad of nine infantrymen. Riding on wheels rather than tracks, it was lighter than most Army combat vehicles and easier for transports like the C-17 to carry.
The Stryker emphasized mobility above all else, including firepower and defense. Although the lightly armored vehicle had plating capable of stopping machine gun rounds, artillery fragments, and light cannon fire, tank guns and anti-tank missiles would easily destroy a Stryker. As for firepower ,the baseline Stryker carries only a .50-caliber machine gun. While useful against insurgents in Iraq, it's a peashooter against Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, unable to penetrate the thick hides of either.
The solution? According to DefenseNews, the Army is planning to upgrade the Stryker with a turret armed with new and deadlier weapons. Half of the Strykers will be equipped with Javelin anti-tank missiles, the other half with a rapid-fire 30-milllimeter autocannon.
The Javelin anti-tank missile was first deployed in the mid-1990s. It's a shoulder-fired missile system with an advanced target recognition and tracking system. In combat, the operator locks onto a tank and launches the missile. The missile zooms upward, tracks, and then dives down onto the target, smashing through the thin top turret armor with devastating effect. Javelin has a range of more than 2,500 meters and is also effective against helicopters and buildings.
The 30-millimeter gun will actually be a larger version of the Bushmaster cannon mounted on the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. As such, it will have slightly better range and penetration against armored targets, at the cost of storing fewer rounds. The 30-millimeter gun woulud be useful against Russian BMP and BTR infantry fighting vehicles, and the new generation of Boomerang combat vehicles. It should also be effective against helicopters.
The plan is that half of the Strykers will be able to kill pretty much anything, while the other half will be able to kill lighter armored vehicles in the same class as themselves. While it would be nice to upgrade all Strykers with a turret that mounts both missiles and guns, like the Bradley has, in this age of budget austerity one must settle for a reasonable compromise.
The first of the new turreted Strykers should arrive in 2018. In the meantime, here's a video of a Javelin anti-tank missile destroying a T-72 tank:
Test pilot reveals F-35 stealth jet can perform impossible Top Gun ‘fly right by’ manoeuvre as it 'slows down quicker than you can emergency brake your car'
Test pilot reveals F-35 stealth jet can perform impossible Top Gun ‘fly right by’ manoeuvre as it 'slows down quicker than you can emergency brake your car'
First revealed to the public during the Malaysian Armed Forces 80th Anniversary Parade in September 2013, a new pixelated camouflage design is now in the process of being integrated into the supply system as the standard combat uniform of the Army. The design incorporates foliage green and medium brown fractal shapes on a light tan or sand-colored background, with a very small smattering of dark blue scattered throughout. Colloquially the pattern is simply termed Fabrik Celoreng Corak Digital Tentera Darat (Army Digital Pattern Camouflage Fabric) or simply Celoreng Digital (digital camouflage), but among the special forces community it has been nicknamed Celoreng Komando. It is suspected the uniform will eventually be distributed to all branches of the armed forces, but thus far only the Army that has been observed wearing it.
with its TVC and engine, not surprising still doesn't really justify the amount wasted on the project though...
All the huge investment can be paid off beyond the block 4...especially after F-35 is fully integrated with AEW aircrafts, F-22, drones, ground control, arsenal plane, satellite, warships and other F-35s. It may take more than 10 years to happen...
I can imagine the advantage of fighting as a network....especially with two-way datalink weapons, like Meteor (for UK's F-35B) and AIM-120D
This post has been edited by Frozen_Sun: Mar 2 2016, 10:17 AM
All the huge investment can be paid off beyond the block 4...especially after F-35 is fully integrated with AEW aircrafts, F-22, drones, ground control, arsenal plane, satellite, warships and other F-35s. It may take more than 10 years to happen...
I can imagine the advantage of fighting as a network....especially with two-way datalink weapons, like Meteor (for UK's F-35B) and AIM-120D
Nice if the network is functioning correctly.
Not so nice if the network is down for some reason. i.e EMP attack, natural occurrences like solar storms or the like knocks out the satellite network....
Not so nice if the network is down for some reason. i.e EMP attack, natural occurrences like solar storms or the like knocks out the satellite network....
Then as a network...it needs redundant pathways, ruggedized against EMP, jamming and others. But if it all fails, I think that on its own, a solitary F-35 is still a decent BVR fighter, as long it can avoid dogfights.
Then as a network...it needs redundant pathways, ruggedized against EMP, jamming and others. But if it all fails, I think that on its own, a solitary F-35 is still a decent BVR fighter, as long it can avoid dogfights.
A BVR fighter is only as good as its missiles. How does modern western AAMs stack up?
Also the issue of the limited capacity of the internal weapons bay will come up. Of course extra AAM missiles can be carried externally, but that will mess up its stealth profile, taking away its main advantage in the first place.
Malaysian Army had accepted the offer of 24 units M109 A5/A6 SPH from the United States under the Excess Defence Articles (EDA) programme.
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Army 83rd Birthday
Marhalim Abas March 2, 2016 Malaysian Army
SHAH ALAM: The Army celebrated its 83rd birthday yesterday (March 1) and its obvious its feeling the pain of the current economic downturn though so far the plans announced earlier remained intact. However, the delivery of new assets will be “slowed” down to reflect the challenging fiscal environment.
Speaking at the anniversary celebration in Port Dickson, Army chief Jen Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor said due to the current economic conditions, the delivery times of the assets would need to be adjusted.
“For example, if the asset is supposed to be supplied within two years, now we will make it three years,” he added. One of the assets llaffected by the adjustment is the Gempita 8X8. Last year only 27 Gempitas were handed over to the Army though the original plan was for 40 units.
Nonetheless, despite the difficulties, Raja Affandi announced the Army was standing up two new brigades – a Rocket Artillery Brigade and 31st Infantry Brigade – and the second Army Air Wing squadron, Rejimen 882.
The setting up of the 31st Brigade is covered here while the Rocket Artillery Brigade which controls the two Astros II regiments – Rejimen 51 and 52 and the Rejimen 62 – equipped with the Arthur weapon locating radars – is the culmination of the plan announced around six years ago. It is likely that the brigade finally got its official funding from the Public Services Department this year. It is also likely all this while the positions in the brigade were “borrowed” from other units in the Army.
The second PUTD squadron stood up – Rejimen 882 – is for the new, medium helicopter squadron, the Nuri helicopters handed over by the RMAF. According to the email Q&A for 83rd anniversary, the squadron has received three Nuri while the fourth one is undergoing flight test prior to the handing over. Two of the Nuri was received at Lima 2015.
Rejimen 882 will eventually operate up to 12 Nuri helicopters for troop transport and utility roles. Meanwhile, the Blackhawk helicopters to be handed over Brunei this year will be operated with the AW109 light helicopters already based in Semporna, Sabah as part of the combined arms ESSCOM Brigade which is still being formed up.
Apart from the Blackhawks and AW109, six MD Helicopters MD530G light scout attack helicopters are expected to join the unit in 2017.
Raja Affandi said funding for the setting up of the headquarters and other facilities of the ESSCOM brigade has been approved under RMK11. The brigade is under the operational control of the Task Force 450, which is the fore-runner of the new Fifth Division.
According to Raja Affandi, the Army will be receiving 56 Gempita in various variants in 2016. Most of the IFV variant will be sent to units in Sabah which is already operating the 27 vehicles delivered so far. Other Gempita variants to be handed over to the Army are the Armoured Fighting Vehicle with 30mm turret and AFV with the 30mm turret and ATGM. These variants will be operated by mechanised and armour units.
On the AV4, Raja Affandi said the 20 vehicles expected to be delivered this year will be operated by the Armour Squadron of the ESSCOM brigade.
On the offer of M109 A5/A6 SPH by the United States under the Excess Defence Articles (EDA) programme, Raja Affandi said the Army had accepted the offer and was in the process of finalising the procurement. “If the procurement is completed, it will boost the firepower capability of the Army especially for units operating in Sabah”.
Malaysian Defence had reported on the SPH offer from the US recently. The Army is expected to field 24 M109 SPH upgraded to the latest A6 standard with another six vehicles used for spares and training.
A BVR fighter is only as good as its missiles. How does modern western AAMs stack up?
Also the issue of the limited capacity of the internal weapons bay will come up. Of course extra AAM missiles can be carried externally, but that will mess up its stealth profile, taking away its main advantage in the first place.
One-on-one combat with a fighter, F-35 is still quite good enough. With only internal weapon bay, it can launch a barrage of AIM-120D from extended range.
When air superiority is finally acquired, external pylons can be added; because stealthiness is no longer a concern.
Defense officials tell The Daily Beast that the American military is interrogating an Iraqi man suspected of fighting with ISIS, the second known captive after Umm Sayyaf.
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In May 2015, a raid on the Syrian compound of Abu Sayyaf, the nom de guerre for the ISIS operative who oversaw the group’s gas and oil operations, ended with his death and the capture of his wife, an Iraqi known as Umm Sayyaf. She was interrogated by U.S. authorities and provided valuable intelligence about ISIS’s inner workings, U.S. officials told The Daily Beast.
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The raid and subsequent interrogations yielded information that helped the U.S.-led coalition launch assaults on ISIS’s network of illicit oil sales, the first major assault on the heart of ISIS’s finances. Earlier this year, the coalition also struck three buildings in the Iraqi city of Mosul that housed an estimated $750 million of ISIS funds.
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Umm Sayyaf was interrogated by a special unit called the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group that gathers information primarily for intelligence purposes and not for criminal evidence to use in an indictment or at trial
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Nine months ago, U.S. officials handed Umm Sayyaf to Iraqi Kurdish authorities for eventual prosecution. The U.S. said she’d face swift justice, likely for her role in imprisoning a pair of Yazidi women in her home, where they were sexually abused.
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It’s not clear what charges the Kurds might file against the Iraqi man now in custody. But if Umm Sayyaf’s case is any guide, there may be confusion over what to do with him, too.
When air superiority is finally acquired, external pylons can be added; because stealthiness is no longer a concern.
Not sure about that fact. Even if enemy airborne fighters have lost their air superiority battle, ground-based AA systems are still dangerous to a fighter plane. A stealth fighter still needs to be as stealthy as possible even in that situation.
Probably ground-based AA systems are even more dangerous in that scenario, because without friendly planes the sky is essentially a free-fire zone for AA systems. Anything flying is very probably an enemy and can be shot down without hesitation.
Also arguably ground-based radars are far more powerful than smaller mobile airborne ones carried by fighters and can range out farther (if they can avoid those pesky SEAD attack planes. though)
Not sure about that fact. Even if enemy airborne fighters have lost their air superiority battle, ground-based AA systems are still dangerous to a fighter plane. A stealth fighter still needs to be as stealthy as possible even in that situation.
Probably ground-based AA systems are even more dangerous in that scenario, because without friendly planes the sky is essentially a free-fire zone for AA systems. Anything flying is very probably an enemy and can be shot down without hesitation.
Also arguably ground-based radars are far more powerful than smaller mobile airborne ones carried by fighters and can range out farther (if they can avoid those pesky SEAD attack planes. though)
It's a common practice to suppress air defense first....
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QUOTE(BorneoAlliance @ Mar 2 2016, 07:22 AM)
Test pilot reveals F-35 stealth jet can perform impossible Top Gun ‘fly right by’ manoeuvre as it 'slows down quicker than you can emergency brake your car'
Western pilots who never had the plane capable in executing the maneuver would obviously marvel at the move. Russian pilots meanwhile would probably do a cobra maneuver every day before breakfast.
Involving more than 600 personnel, six warships, and two helicopters from our Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), this year’s Ex Malapura was kicked off by our Fleet Commander RADM Lew Chuen Hong and RMN’s Fleet Commander VADM Dato’ Mohamad Roslan bin Mohamad Ramli at Changi Naval Base.
Held since 1984, this annual bilateral naval exercise enhances cooperation and interoperability between the two navies, through joint planning and various exercise serials out at sea.
Not to mention the perennial crowd favourite – the Malapura Cup – which celebrates the comradeship between both navies through sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball.
Here are snapshots of the happenings during the shore phase of the exercise. Stay tuned to our page as we bring you more actions out at sea!
Not sure about that fact. Even if enemy airborne fighters have lost their air superiority battle, ground-based AA systems are still dangerous to a fighter plane. A stealth fighter still needs to be as stealthy as possible even in that situation.
Probably ground-based AA systems are even more dangerous in that scenario, because without friendly planes the sky is essentially a free-fire zone for AA systems. Anything flying is very probably an enemy and can be shot down without hesitation.
Also arguably ground-based radars are far more powerful than smaller mobile airborne ones carried by fighters and can range out farther (if they can avoid those pesky SEAD attack planes. though)
Peacekeeper Enhances Our Island Defence Operations
With the Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicles (PRV) providing enhanced protection, accurate firepower and better manoeuvrability, it enhances our Island Defence operations, keeping us safe.
Peacekeeper PRV, capable of manoeuvering over undulating terrain with steep slopes.
MMEA installs high-tech IR camera onboard KM Marlin patrol vessel for night operations
Human traffickers, used to operating under the cover of darkness, will soon discover that the night won't be a deterrent to those hunting them. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has been given a new tool in their fight against the people smugglers in the form of a highly-sophisticated Infra Red Camera System (IRCS).
The Japanese-made surveillance camera has been fitted onto MMEA vessel KM Marlin. The camera can zoom on objects as far as two nautical miles away. It can also detect body heat and human movements from suspicious boats at night.
MMEA director-general Admiral Datuk Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar was speaking after the handing over ceremony of the camera system which took place on KM Marlin at the National Hydrographic Centre, here today. The RM1.8 million camera system was a gift to the MMEA by the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) with the cooperation of Tokyo-based KSK Corporation.
"We can detect movements on boats that we want to get closer to, stop or wish to inspect. We are also able to get a clear picture of a situation like how many people are on board and if they have anything in their hands. All this prepares us to face any threats."
"MMEA will evaluate the effectiveness of the camera system for six months. If helps in the our current operations, we will work towards getting the system to be incorporated in all our assets," said Puzi.
Two-thirds of African countries now using Chinese military equipment, report reveals
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According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, in their new report the Military Balance, China has been making significant inroads into the African defence market, “reflecting the broader growth in Beijing’s influence and investment in the continent”.
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Using an analysis of the exports into 51 countries on the continent the IISS determined that 68 per cent of them currently use Chinese military equipment.
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Mr Dempsey, on the IISS report, said: “China has exported to Africa for decades. It’s not a phenomenon per se… but we’re seeing more advanced equipment being exported by China, maybe because they can’t get it elsewhere… armed UAV’s [unmanned aerial vehicles] to Nigeria for example…more types that affordable from elsewhere.”
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“Chinese-manufactured weapons and ammunition have spread across the continent through illicit trade, and have been found in the hands of armed groups and government forces in places like South Sudan, Darfur and the Central African Republic.
Analysis: A weakened Turkey seeks Israel's help to break growing isolation
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Turkey finds itself in conflict with Russia and Iran, at odds with Egypt's Sisi and has lost its standing with NATO and the US.
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Turkey was a large and important market for Israel's security industries, which provided drones, intelligence systems, tank and planes upgrades, and more. For years, there was close cooperation between the Mossad and Turkey's intelligence agency, the MIT, which included meetings, an exchange of each countries' situational assessments and more.
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This cooperation began in 1958 with the initiation of an intelligence pact between Iran's SAVAK, under the Shah, the Mossad and Turkish intelligence. The codename in Israel for this pact was "Clil" (Complete).
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Instead, Turkey finds itself in a conflict with Russia and Iran over Syria, where Erdogan hoped to see President Bashar Assad ousted. Erdogan supported the Muslim Brothers in Egypt and now he finds himself at odds with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Because of Turkey's uncompromising fight against its Kurdish population, as well as in Syria and Iraq, Ankara is also losing its influence with NATO and with the US. Turkey is now more isolated than ever and is therefore interested in renewing ties with Israel, in the hope that the Jewish state can help Ankara improve its standing in Washington. Turkey also needs natural gas from Israel in order to diversify its sources of energy and to reduce its dependency on Russian gas.
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However, the bigger problem to be solved is connected to Hamas in Gaza. Turkey is looking for a foothold in the Strip. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon is strongly opposed to this, with his main argument being, to use a schoolyard expression, "You started it." Meaning, Erdogan broke the rules, and therefore he bears the responsibility for rectifying the situation. Egypt's Sisi as well is not prepared to easily forgive and grant Erdogan a prize for his behavior, as if nothing happened.
2 Israeli fighter jets said to nearly crash into Ryanair plane
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Two Israel Air Force fighter jets reportedly almost crashed into a passenger plane during training exercises in the Negev desert on Tuesday.
The Israel Air Force planes came “dangerously close” to the Ryanair passenger plane, which had 162 passengers on board, close to Ovda Airport, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the southern resort town of Eilat, Army Radio reported.
The incident occurred at 27,000 feet. The Ryanair pilots prevented a crash by changing course at the last moment, Channel 2 reported, citing the speedy and effective reaction of the Ryanair cockpit to the danger.
But Ryanair denied the “false and invented” reports of a near-miss.
“This flight from Krakow to Eilat Ovda (1 Mar) was cruising at 27,000 ft in Israeli airspace when two military aircraft (over 3 miles away) were noticed by the crew ascending towards the Ryanair aircraft flight path. The crew notified local ATC and the military aircraft descended away from the Ryanair jet, which continued on to Eilat Ovda and landed without incident,” it said.
“These military aircraft were at all times over 3 miles away from the Ryanair aircraft, so the reports of a ‘nearly crash’ or ‘evasive manoeuvres’ are all false and invented. All passengers on board the Ryanair aircraft noticed nothing, since our aircraft never diverted from its cleared flight path to Ovda.”
No injures or damage were reported. The Transportation Ministry and air force launched an investigation into the incident.
The Ryanair plane was coming in to land at Ovda, having flown in from Krakow, Ynet reported, when two F-16s flew across its path.
Four fighter jets were engaged in the exercise; two of them flew from east to west across the civilian airliner’s path.
Utah man charged with illegal export of F-16 aircraft parts to Indonesia
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A Utah man who worked at Hill Air Force Base has been charged with illegally exporting F-16 aircraft parts to Indonesia.
Scott A. Williams, 51, of Huntsville, is charged in U.S. District Court with two counts of unlawful exportation of goods from the United States, false statement in a document, and conversion of property of the United States.
Williams is a former civilian contract employee at Hill Air Force Base where he worked with the Foreign Military Sales Program with specific responsibility for F-16 parts, according to federal prosecutors.
An indictment unsealed last week alleges Williams exported two F-16 Aircraft brake assemblies, knowing it was a violation of federal law to export them.
The indictment also alleges Williams prepared a document falsely authorizing two F-16 brake assemblies to be shipped to Indonesia in violation of federal law.
The indictment further alleges Williams exported several documents, identified in the indictment as U.S. Air Force technical orders for F-16 aircraft. The final count of the indictment alleges Williams converted to his own use, and for the use of another, technical data of F-16 aircraft through the use of an external hard drive containing U.S. Air Force orders. The indictment alleges the items were in Williams' care and possession by virtue of his employment as a program and financial manager at Hill Air Force Base.
Williams, who was arrested on the charges in the indictment on Feb. 19, was arraigned Feb. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead.
He entered pleas of not guilty to the four charges. Trial is set for May 2 before U.S. District Court Judge Jill Parrish.
These are the Pentagon’s ‘kinetic fireball incendiaries’ aimed at destroying WMD bunkers
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The Pentagon has been developing a weapon system of highly flammable and intensely hot rocket balls to help destroy weapon of mass destruction (WMD) bunkers.
These “kinetic fireball incendiaries” are specially designed to rocket randomly throughout an underground bunker while expelling super heated gases that rise over 1,000 degrees Farenheit.
These rocket balls are specifically designed for destroying potentially dangerous materials — such as chemical or biological weapons — without blowing them up, which would risk scattering the materials into the surrounding area, Wired notes.
QUOTE
Instead, the fireballs function alongside a 2,000 pound BLU-109B bunker bomb, Flight Global reports. These bunker bombs are able to punch through six feet reinforced concrete. After punching into a bunker, the bomb would then release its internal kinetic incendiaries.
Once inside a bunker or structure, the rocket balls get to work. Essentially, the balls are hollowed out spheres comprised of rubberized rocket fuel that have a hole on the outside. As Technovelgy notes, this hole causes the balls, once ignited, to expel hot air in excess of 1,000 degrees Farenheit.
Additionally, the expulsion of air causes the incendiary balls to rocket wildly throughout a structure with enough force to break down doors. This allows the balls to randomly and fully reach the entirety of a bunker while incinerating everything inside.
Report: Chinese Coast Guard Vessels Take Over Spratly Island Feature From Philippines
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Five China Coast Guard vessels have taken over Jackson Shoal, a disputed feature in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea some 140 nautical miles west of the Philippines’ Palawan Island, according to a report by the Philippines Star.
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The Philippines Star, citing sources, said that the Chinese vessels “chased” fishermen away as early as last week.
“These gray and white Chinese ships, around four of them inside the lagoon, prevented us from entering our traditional fishing ground,” one of the fisherman told the Star. If confirmed, this incident would represent an increase in Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Tanks, Choppers Discussed During Thai Def Min's Moscow Visit
Source : Our Bureau ~ Dated : Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:57 AM
Thailand is expected to procure more armaments from Russia majorly tanks and Mi-17 Choppers.
Thailand also wants to buy more Mi-17 helicopters in addition to the existing four aircraft bought previously to replace UH-1H helicopters, Bangkokpost news daily reported Monday.
Thailand is expected to hold talks regarding the purchase following Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwon’s scheduled visit to Moscow, the news daily quoted an unnamed army source as saying.
"Although Gen Prawit did not make any deal on military armaments during his visit, the two counties have reached an agreement on military technical and technological cooperation which could lead to Thailand buying more weapons from Russia, particularly tanks," the source said.
The Royal Thai Army has set up a committee to consider buying tanks from Russia, China and Ukraine, the source said.
On Russia's proposal to set up an arms production plant in Thailand, Gen Prawit said the issue needs further discussion and he believes Thailand would benefit in terms of military technology from the proposal.
Gen Prawit said no talks were directly held about buying armaments from Russia.
Heavy clashes with suspected IS militants rock northern Jordanian town
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At least five people – including a captain in the Jordanian army – were killed in the fighting in Irbid, some 15 kilometres from the Syrian border and 80 kilometres north of the Jordanian capital Amman.
QUOTE
Unnamed military sources also told the Jordan Times “that anti-terror personnel carried out the operation to arrest a number of hard-line takfiris” a term for a Sunni Muslim who accuses others of being unbelievers.
Philippine stupid again using old tactic by purposely using old ship stranded at Jackson Shoal， so china coast guard/military ship surround Jackson Shoal, and using towing ship to bring out the tranded ship。 I think it possible make china angry than take same chance towing out tranded ship at second Thomas Shoal.
In The Syrian Ceasefire Shell Game, The Good Guys May Be Bad Guys
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A close look at Ahrar al-Sham, the so-called moderate Salafist militia, backed by U.S. allies, that’s actually allied with al Qaeda
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At midnight on Feb. 27, after months of negotiations and meetings in Geneva, New York, Moscow, Riyadh, and elsewhere, and after an intense day of Russian airstrikes, a partial ceasefire came into effect in Syria
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While many are quick to point out Russian and regime aggression is a threat to the truce (and rightly so), less attention is given to concerns about the opposition
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One rebel group in particular, Ahrar al-Sham, has made the situation extremely complicated and is an enormous threat to the ceasefire’s success
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On the one hand, the group has made real efforts to present itself as moderate and distinct from Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, which is excluded from the current ceasefire
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On the other hand, Ahrar al-Sham has worked closely with Nusra since the war began and has been in a formal alliance with it since early 2015
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Ahrar al-Sham may appear to be a group divided—teetering between moderation and extremism, between democracy and Salafism—but this is likely a charade
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Under its original leadership, Ahrar al-Sham was already clearly a radical Salafist militia. Though the group’s founder, Hassan Aboud, refused to pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda and claimed to have ideological disagreements with Nusra
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To Ahrar al-Sham’s credit, its forte was guerilla-style fighting and it steered away from the Nusra-style suicide bombings, but it committed its own war crimes against Syria’s civilians
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After a September 2014 explosion killed Hassan Aboud along with many of Ahrar al-Sham’s senior leadership, Hashem al-Sheikh (also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Jaber) took control of the group
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Off the op-ed pages and on the ground, the reality was entirely different. Over the course of 2015, Ahrar al-Sham’s new, “more moderate” leadership had dramatically expanded its cooperation with Nusra
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Ahrar al Sham’s actions contradicted its rhetoric, yet that was no accident. The group played both angles—boasting democratic values and fighting for Salafism—and it benefited from each
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Nusra could hardly afford to squabble with Ahrar al-Sham when the two groups were busy fighting an Assad reinforced by increased involvement from Iran and Russia
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In September, Hashem al-Sheikh stepped down as emir, making way for Abu Yahia al-Hamawi, who continued to push the notion that Ahrar al-Sham was mainstream and aligned with Western interests
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Al-Hamawi reportedly claimed that Nusra had withdrawn from the Army of Conquest—a rumor that would have been convenient for the umbrella group’s foreign backers, but nonetheless proved false
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In late February, Ahrar al-Sham entered into a new coalition with a handful of Islamist and FSA militias under the leadership of its former emir, Hashem al-Sheikh. The new umbrella group is called “Jaish al-Halab,”
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Why then form this confederation? Jaish al-Halab is a means by which Ahrar al-Sham can play both sides of the newly implemented ceasefire. If hostilities resume (beyond the small scale violations seen already), Ahrar al-Sham can of course continue its close cooperation with Nusra
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But if the ceasefire holds, Ahrar al-Sham can separate from Nusra; go dormant in the fight against the regime; stockpile weapons from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey; and exert significant control in northwest Syria—all legitimized by the international process
Tomorrow's Warplane Is a Mothership Packed With Expendable
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The same P-3 that NOAA's using for hurricane science has been a dedicated submarine-hunter for the U.S. Navy. For this job, the Orion carried a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD), which is basically a giant metal detector for finding subs. The P-3's replacement, the P-8 Poseidon, does not have a MAD. This is something of a relief for the crew, as the MAD required them to fly uncomfortably at low altitudes. Instead, the P-8 will launch drones carrying MAD to dip down and scour the seas below.
Last year the defense company BAE Systems scored a Navy contract to make a MAD small enough for an air-launched drone—the awkwardly named High Altitude ASW Unmanned Targeting Air System (HAASW UTAS). We don't know all the details yet, but the new detector may be more sensitive than previous versions, possibly based on an Atomic Vapour Magnetometer that the Navy has been developing.
A flock of drones scouring the seas with MAD could overcome one of the traditional problems with this technology: A single aircraft searching a single swath gives it relatively short range compared to sonar. MAD drones, though, could hunt far and wide.
Boeing and Northrop Grumman Team Up To Protect Airplanes From Missiles
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What is DIRCM?
Northrop's DIRCM system consists of several parts -- all working together to detect and track incoming anti-aircraft missiles, then defeat the threat by jamming and confusing the missile's infrared tracker, causing it to go off course. Northrop produces DIRCM in various formats:
LAIRCM "is required to defeat the latest and future advanced IR threats" to Large military Aircraft.
CIRCM is a more affordable "Common" system "built on open architecture to work with existing hardware" to protect a wide array of helicopters and medium fixed wing aircraft.
Northrop also offers a "pod-based" DIRCM system, dubbed Guardian , which incorporates "a multiband laser pointer/ tracker and an ultraviolet missile warning sensor." This all gets stuffed into a single, canoe-sized unit that can be bolted onto existing aircraft such as commercial airliners.
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Who wants missile protection?
Northrop Grumman has enjoyed some measure of success selling its DIRCM systems around the globe, including sales to the Canadian military and several other foreign governments in 2014, for example, and to the governments of Oman and Qatar the year before that. The U.S. military has also been investing billions of dollars in outfitting its aircraft with Northrop Grumman LAIRCM systems.
This month, Northrop landed a new client when, in a recent notification to Congress from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the government of the United Arab Emirates expressed its interest in buying a set of eight "AN/AAQ-24 (V)N LAIRCM" missile defense systems from Northrop. UAE hopes to install the systems to protect its fleet of seven (current) and one (on order ) Boeing (NYSE:BA) C-17 military transport aircraft.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's Sukhoi aicraft manufacturer has begun the development of a sixth-generation jet fighter, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday.
Aim Higher: Russia Working on Development of Seventh-Generation Fighter Jet
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"If we stop now, we will stop forever. Work is underway on a sixth and a seventh [generation]. I do not have the right to say much more," Bondarev said.
RoCAF T-34 basic trainer suffered runway excursion during landing at KaoHsiung
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A RoCAF T-34 basic trainer involved in a runway excursion incident today. The T-34C trainer (No. 3433) plane was flown by a cadet performing a solo flight at 3:21pm today.
The plane veered off the end of the airstrip and come to a rest at about 152 meter from the runway. No major injury was reported.
Detailed cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Great to hear the news regarding the SPH. I hope they would upgrade them to A5+ variant (which is less likely since we got this via EDA and I highly suspect that any upgrade programme must be done by US companies)
QUOTE(Fat & Fluffy @ Mar 2 2016, 12:54 PM)
I think it's high time for RMN personnel to be issued with working uniform.
This post has been edited by cunnilinguist: Mar 3 2016, 12:09 AM
Great to hear the news regarding the SPH. I hope they would upgrade them to A5+ variant (which is less likely since we got this via EDA and I highly suspect that any upgrade programme must be done by US companies) I think it's high time for RMN personnel to be issued with working uniform.
Pentagon Approves 'Bunker Buster' Smart Bombs Sale To Turkey For Fight Against Kurds
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The award of the unknown amount of munitions was given to the Ellwood National Forge and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, which both build BLU-109 "bunker buster" bombs. Their sale is the first to Turkey, and the contract will expire in 2020.
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The Foreign Military Sales system was criticized Tuesday by a prominent Air Force general and last week by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who both said the slow process to buy weapons was pushing potential overseas customers to buy from Russia instead. Not only does that mean less revenue for U.S. defense companies, it can mean that U.S. forces have to work with their allies using different weapons and communications systems on the battlefield.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed opens national service military school
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ABU DHABI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, opened the Seih Hafair Camp National Service School of the Presidential Guard on Wednesday.
The fully-equipped school is built specially for national service recruits.
“The UAE leadership’s keenness to modernise and upgrade capabilities of the armed forces is not limited to procurement of the latest equipment and arms technology, but also to preparing human resources that are capable of dealing with the different defence technologies,” the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said.
Setting off from Kuwait en route to Bahrain, the U.S. sailors had never navigated across the Persian Gulf in small patrol boats, and they were unaccustomed to traveling such a long distance in vessels designed for shorter missions in coastal waters or rivers
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Mechanical problems, communication breakdowns, and a lack of navigation training or preparation all played a role in the blunder, Foreign Policy has learned, based on interviews with officials and others familiar with the case
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The sailors in Kuwait who were captured by the Iranians were trained to operate riverine command boats, or RCBs — small, speedy craft about 50 feet long that are used to transport special operations forces, patrol coastal waters, or escort larger ships. The sailors, under the command of 27-year-old Lt. David Nartker, were ordered to Bahrain to take part in an exercise and had less than 24 hours to prepare. Only one of three boats at their disposal was in working order. The crew members had to cannibalize one of the broken vessels to get an engine part so they could have a second boat to sail
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The trip required the crews to travel about 240 nautical miles, more than twice the usual distance they were accustomed to
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The U.S. sailors were using a GPS device to navigate, but Farsi Island is so small that it did not appear on their screen when it was zoomed out to a wider view. As they drifted within sight of land, the Americans did not even know that it was Farsi Island
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Throughout the cruise, the positions and direction of the two boats were automatically relayed to the operations center every 30 minutes via an electronic tracking device, the U.S. official said. But for reasons that remain unclear, commanding officers or others at the operations center did not inform the boat crews that they were headed in the wrong direction
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As the Iranians encircled the boats, the U.S. sailors managed to repair the faulty engine. Now the Americans had a choice. With 50-caliber machine guns and GAU-19 miniguns on their boats, they outarmed the Iranians. And their RCBs were bigger than the Iranian patrol craft. But escaping would mean opening fire on the Iranian forces or ramming their vessels — actions that could lead to a wider conflagration
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The case has raised a litany of unanswered questions for the military: Did the Navy properly maintain the riverine boats? Did commanding officers ensure the sailors were properly trained in advance? Did the boat crews receive a briefing on how to navigate the Persian Gulf? Who was watching out for the boats as they made their way from Kuwait and began to veer into Iranian waters?
What do we see on the video? We see a T-90 model 1992 with a cast turret. This much is obvious from the presence of Shtora and the shape of the gunner’s hatch. Model 2004 tanks have a welded turret with a higher level of protection.
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The tank is protected by Kontakt-5 reactive armor, and its forward aspects are protected by layered armor. We can see that the missile hit the left front turret face, triggering Kontakt-5, but apparently failed to penetrate the main armor.
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The tank’s crew neglected its battlefield duties: the hatches were open, Shtora was not switched on. It suggests the crew was not very well trained. We have information suggesting Syrian crews are not trained in Russia but on the spot. There are Russian tankers in Syria but they work as instructors at the Ithriyah base.
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The explosion of a 6kg warhead naturally caused considerable blast over-presssure which penetrated into the open hatch, which prompted the stunned gunner to jump out of the tank. If the hatch were closed, he’d not have suffered from the over-pressure. The tank’s frontal protection is several times greater than side protection. Soviet and Russian tanks are designed to withstand hits by most munitions from the frontal aspect, in other words, within the forward 60 degree arc.
QUOTE
The tank’s crew was poorly trained, and the way the tank was being used leaves a lot to be desired. Tanks ought to be part of combined arms teams and operate with close infantry support. As one can see, the crew did not detect the missile’s launch. If at least three tanks, or a platoon, were operating together with mutually interlocking fields of vision and fire, and if infantry were scouting ahead of the tanks, the missile crew would have been destroyed immediately after launch. The tank also makes no attempt to maneuver, and a single, isolated tank that’s sitting still is an ideal target.
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The video was filmed in Sheikh-Akil north-west of Aleppo where the Zaviya Mountain Falcons is operating as part of the Free Syrian Army 5th Corps. It was a reconnaissance in force by Khazara and Afghan Shia fighters. They tried to capture Sheikh-Akil but were repulsed. Later videos from the same town do not show a T-90 wreck, though there are videos showing the withdrawal of troops and equipment. It means that the tank either left the battlefield on its own or was evacuated.
QUOTE
Shtora-1 is standard equipment on a T-90. The two turret-mounted projectors emit modulated radiation in the optical and infra-red parts of the spectrum. The system suppresses optronic ATGM coordinators out to a distance of 2-2.5km. ATGM tracking systems receive false signals from the Shtora emitters so the missiles receive improper course corrections leading to them flying off to the side or crashing.
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Shtora has a probability of success of about 80-90% against an ATGM. It is very effective against older Milan, HOT, TOW, Fagot, Konkurs, and others. But the TOW-2A has not only a xenon lamp but also an infra-red emitter which emits a coded signal, making the Shtora less effective against the missile. Which is why Shtora is not part of more recent Russian designs, for example the modernized T-90SM or the T-72B3.
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Modern missile launch detection system which operate in the UV spectrum can be installed on UAVs and ground vehicles, but so far they are experimental. Such systems detect the rocket motor plume. They can issue launch warnings, allowing the crew to aim the tank’s weapons against the source of the launch and to eject an aerosol screen which conceals the tank from optical and IR detection systems.
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While Syria fighting has seen model 1992 T-90s, there’s also the model 2004 T-90A. But T-72s are more vulnerable against ATGMs with tandem warheads. They can be modernized using Uralvagon-developed applique kits which increases their survivability.
QUOTE
One should add that SAA tanks and other armored vehicles are sometimes equipped with “dazzlers”, or domestically developed systems with function in a way similar to the Shtora, except that they provide all-round field of protection. Since Syrians now have TOW-2A in their possession, they can develop jammers capable of operating against these missiles. As long as one knows the frequencies and spectrum ranges which the ATGM tracker senses.
Using T-90s or Su-35s will not bring about a breakthrough in the fighting, however, if tanks are used with skill, in close cooperation with other arms and in a concentrated, mass fashion, the effectiveness of their operations will increase.
Cambridge Pixel Supplies Radar Simulator Software to OSI Maritime for Malaysian Navy Contract
CAMBRIDGE, England, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Cambridge Pixel to demonstrate radar capability on booth 35 at Maritime Security East, Norfolk, Virginia, USA on 21-23 March 2016 Cambridge Pixel (http://www.cambridgepixel.com), an award-winning developer of radar display, tracking and simulation subsystems, has supplied radar simulator software to OSI Maritime Systems (OSI), a world-leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions for the naval market.
OSI is supplying an Integrated Bridge System to the Royal Malaysian Navy for use in the soon-to-be commissioned Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The fully-functioning radar simulator supports OSI's need to perform integration activities in advance of installation and commissioning on the vessel, and includes comprehensive software emulation of the radar control interface.
The emulator is based upon Cambridge Pixel's established SPx Radar Simulator product. The simulator includes powerful multi-channel radar video generation with full modelling for realistic terrain and clutter returns. Multiple targets may be defined, each either located in a fixed position (such as a buoy or lighthouse) or moving along motion profiles defined as part of the simulator's scenario or under remote control from an external source.
Commenting for OSI, Ken Kirkpatrick, president & CEO, said, "We selected Cambridge Pixel because of their existing highly flexible and powerful radar simulation capability and their experience with the Kelvin Hughes SharpEye radar. The company's engineers were able to respond quickly to the requirement to extend this capability to include full radar control and status emulation, providing us in a timely manner with an invaluable tool to support our own software development and significantly accelerate and de-risk our integration activities."
David Johnson, CEO of Cambridge Pixel, said, "We were delighted to work alongside OSI to support their activities on this significant programme. The modular approach which we bring to all our software products meant that enhancing our existing simulation capability to meet the customer's detailed requirements was a low-risk development and could be delivered on time and fully compliant.
"Our radar simulation software and hardware products have supported many customers needing a realistic radar source that can be used to fully exercise tracking and display functionality," added Mr Johnson. "We have been able to build on this capability to meet OSI's needs."
To enhance the realism of the generated video, the simulator can also take real-world recordings obtained from a radar installation and superimpose synthetic targets, each with specific characteristics such as dimensions and radar cross-section. Furthermore, movement of the simulated radar itself can be controlled either by an external navigation feed to the simulator or via a predefined motion profile. The simulator's local display includes a provision for tiled maps and world vector shoreline displays as an underlay to the primary radar video.
To provide a full emulation capability for OSI, Cambridge Pixel augmented the existing radar simulator by emulating the control and status interface of the Kelvin Hughes SharpEye radar used on the Littoral Combat Ship. The resulting emulator can be used to fully exercise the radar control, tracking and display functions of OSI's application software.
Radar video using the ASTERIX network digital format is generated along with synthesised Automatic Identification System (AIS) reports which would normally be sent by a vessel's transponder. The emulated radar control interface allows the integrator to set radar mode and turning rate, define multiple blind sectors and mimic real radar alarm and fault conditions.
Cambridge Pixel's technology is used in naval, air traffic control, vessel traffic, commercial shipping, security, surveillance and airborne radar applications.
For more information about Cambridge Pixel's software or other products, please visit http://www.cambridgepixel.com or call: +44 (0) 1763 852749 or email: enquiries@cambridgepixel.com.
Cambridge Pixel will be demonstrating its radar display, tracking and simulation solutions on booth 35 at Maritime Security East (http://www.maritimesecurityeast.com/), Norfolk, Virginia, USA from 21-23 March 2016.
Media photo - showing OSI's integrated bridge system:
OSI Maritime Systems has been providing advanced integrated navigation and tactical solutions to military customers for over 20 years. As a pioneer of Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (WECDIS), the company has grown to be a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions designed for naval and maritime security operations. The company develops and delivers integrated bridge systems for warships, integrated dived navigation systems for submarines, and C2 systems for small craft. OSI currently has 20 naval customers from around the world with over 500 warships and submarines operating with its world leading integrated navigation and tactical solutions.
About Cambridge Pixel (http://www.cambridgepixel.com)
Founded in 2007, Cambridge Pixel is an award winning developer of sensor processing and display solutions including primary and secondary radar interfacing, processing and display components for military and commercial radar applications. It is a world-leading supplier of software-based radar tracking and scan conversion solutions through its modular SPx software, and HPx hardware product range. Based near Cambridge in the UK, the company operates worldwide through a network of agents and distributors. In 2015, Cambridge Pixel received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade for 'outstanding overseas sales growth over the last three years'.
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QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 2 2016, 12:40 PM)
Western pilots who never had the plane capable in executing the maneuver would obviously marvel at the move. Russian pilots meanwhile would probably do a cobra maneuver every day before breakfast.
hahaha lol western all goes virtual, only simulator for breakfast. lunch dinner and so on tapau by russian anytime. toilet break also can cobra. anytime anywhere cobra
hahaha lol western all goes virtual, only simulator for breakfast. lunch dinner and so on tapau by russian anytime. toilet break also can cobra. anytime anywhere cobra
would cobra be effective in battle? how often is cobra being used?
western is superior in every way... its not about 1 on 1.. it is about fighting as a whole
EXCLUSIVE: First Western journalist to visit ISIS says US wants to ‘divide’ Syria
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“There is a move now from the rebels to separate their brigades from those of the terrorists, and this gives an opportunity to attack Al Nusra and other Al Qaeda groups, without attacking the rebels,”
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“If the rebels would start to fight with the official government army, against ISIS, then we would have a chance to defeat ISIS, and to have peace in Syria. It is a dream, but a realistic dream,” said the journalist
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The US divided Iraq, they divided Libya, and now they could divide Syria into four or five parts. Divided countries are weak countries, and I have an impression that certain American politicians like weak countries in the Middle East.”
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Having witnesses IS operations during a 10-day assignment in Raqqa, the group’s unofficial capital in northern Syria, Todenhofer believes that it is sufficiently well-organized to exist indefinitely if it is not placed under pressure. He also says new attacks in Europe, like those carried out in Paris last year, are imminent, but little can be done to prevent them.
would cobra be effective in battle? how often is cobra being used?
western is superior in every way... its not about 1 on 1.. it is about fighting as a whole
F-22 and Saab Draken can also do Cobra
Cobra isn't an all-powerful maneuver, performed at the wrong time and wrong situation, it can backfire. The plane that does Cobra will nearly be stationary on air, a good target for cannon or IR missile, if the enemy has a wingman.
would cobra be effective in battle? how often is cobra being used?
While for now the maneuver is only done to look good in an airshow, there is definitively a lot of usefulness for a fighter plane that is able to pull of the maneuver in a dogfight.
A total BVR style of aerial fighting is not 100% foolproof, the longer the range of a missile, the longer the target has time to counter it. There are many instances where missile-armed fighters have lost out to less advanced, more maneuverable fighters. If the fighting devolves into a close-range aerial melee, the fighter with better maneuverability will have the advantage.
While for now the maneuver is only done to look good in an airshow, there is definitively a lot of usefulness for a fighter plane that is able to pull of the maneuver in a dogfight.
A total BVR style of aerial fighting is not 100% foolproof, the longer the range of a missile, the longer the target has time to counter it. There are many instances where missile-armed fighters have lost out to less advanced, more maneuverable fighters. If the fighting devolves into a close-range aerial melee, the fighter with better maneuverability will have the advantage.
in recent battles, i dont think a high % involves dogfights... am i right to say so? the aim of getting air superiority is to win and remove all air treats using whatever ways necessary... i doubt they would allow battles to even reach the stage of a dogfight... *from perspective of majors powers
close range? probably interceptors... 70s n 80s... now? i think its less significant
Sure looks like it, with that fibreglass-looking launcher.
Anyway I was hoping the Ratnik system would have some kind of light reloadable rocket launcher like the RPG-7 or a recoilless launcher tough. For organic infantry support, light anti-armor, those sort of roles. I find disposable rocket launchers rather cumbersome. Each infantryman can only bring one each and they are individually quite bulky.
Whereas reloadable launchers with one gunner and two assistants can carry a good amount of ammunition (an RPG-7 gunner carries the launcher tube, while each rifle-armed assistant carries 3-4 rockets each). That's a significant amount of firepower.
The U.S. Army’s Warplane Recognition Guide Is Hilariously Wrong
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The U.S. Army publishes an official “Visual Aircraft Recognition” manual whose purpose, according to the manual itself, is to “assist the user in the technique of identifying friendly, hostile or foreign-country aircraft.”
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So … there’s a problem. In February 2016, the Army published its first updates to the manual since 2006. And this update adds some gross, even hilarious errors. Louis Gundlach, a retired fighter pilot, first pointed out the errors and aviation aggregator Alert 5 drew attention to Gundlach’s pointers.
The Secret Service's 2010 Guide for Spotting Concealed Weapons
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The majority of Americans, about 88 percent, are right handed, so it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the right side of a suspect first—and check their waist band.
The majority of those righthanded people that carry handguns illegally carry them in the right front waist band, loose.
WHY?
• They see it in the movies. • It's the "cool" thing to do. • That is where it is the most secure and accessible
U.S. military invites experts to 'Hack the Pentagon'
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One senior defense official said thousands of qualified participants were expected to join the initiative.
Details and rules were still being worked out but the competition could involve monetary awards, the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon has long tested its own networks using internal so-called 'red teams,' but this initiative would open at least some of the department's vast network of computer systems to cyber challenges from across industry and academia.
Participants must be U.S. citizens and will have to register and submit to a background check before being turned loose on a predetermined public-facing computer system, the Pentagon said.
It said other more sensitive networks or key weapons programs would not be included, at least initially.
'The goal is not to comprise any aspect of our critical systems, but to still challenge our cybersecurity in a new and innovative way,' said the official.
A Russian Air Force drone reportedly crashed in Hama, Syria
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Syrian Daesh published a picture of an alleged "Russian UAV" that crashed in the eastern Hama countryside. However there is no confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Like most unmanned drone incidents, the main cause of the the crash was most likely due to technical malfunction.
Observers believe that the developments in Syria, the use of surveillance aircraft and advanced military equipment has played a crucial role in the country.
Crimea’s prosecutor provides evidence of Crimean Tatar Mejlis’ extremist activity
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The Mejlis leaders are accused of staging mass riots on February 26, 2014 near the Crimean parliament. Also, the Mejlis is suspected of organizing the blasts of electricity transmission towers in the Kherson Region in east Ukraine that led to a complete blackout of the Black Sea peninsula overnight to November 22, 2015.
JOHANNESBURG - A South African Air Force Caravan aircraft crash landed on a private farm early this morning at the Langebaanweg Air Force Base, Western Cape.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement that the aircraft was conducting a routine night flight exercise.
The pilots were recovered by the Base Rescue Capability with both having sustained varying degrees of injuries and they are currently hospitalised.
It was further stated that Internal SANDF processes have been initiated to convene a Board of Inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.
This chart shows the incredible cost of operating the Air Force’s most expensive planes
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The US Air Force’s unquestioned aerial dominance does not come cheap.
For the Air Force’s 10 most expensive planes, operating costs per hour start at $58,059, and it only climbs from there.
The following graphic, based upon the Air Force’s cost per hour of flight estimations, lists the 10 most expensive planes to operate in descending order:
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Designed as a doomsday plane, the Nightwatch is so expensive to operate due to both its size and its technical abilities. The plane is specially designed to survive electromagnetic pulses, with additional thermal and nuclear shielding. It also can refuel aerially and can fit up to 112 passengers.
Surprisingly, the much maligned F-35 is actually only the seventh most expensive plane per hour that the Air Force flies. The F-35′s costs are partially due to the lack of an efficient supply-chain for the aircraft, something that should be sorted out over the coming years.
Among the cheapest aircraft that the Air Force operates are Predator Drones and the A-10. These aircraft cost an estimated $1,500 and $11,500 per hour to operate, respectively.
One of the possible issues with operating these very,very expensive assets is what will happen if one of them actually goes down and gets destroyed for whatever reason.
Some theorists have suggested even the loss of one or two aircraft carriers in an actual combat scenario can spell catastrophe with the US Navy.
China Closes In On Philippine Islands As Russia Did With Crimea
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ministry was deceptively benign. On Wednesday it announced that Chinese vessels had left the area around Jackson Atoll after freeing a grounded foreign boat.
In fact, Chinese vessels, both coast guard and navy, had swarmed around the uninhabited outcropping for weeks, preventing Philippine fishermen from reaching their traditional fishing grounds nearby.
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China, like Russia, is trying to redraw borders by force, taking down the world’s rules-based order in the process. As Antony Blinken, deputy secretary of State, said in a speech last year, well before this incident, “In both eastern Ukraine and the South China Sea, we’re witnessing efforts to unilaterally and coercively change the status quo—transgressions that the United States and our allies stand united against.”
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But Beijing believes China should be larger than it is at the moment. Its official maps draw a provocative dashed line around about 85 percent of the South China Sea. Beijing claims as Chinese all the islands, atolls, shoals, rocks, and other features inside that supposed boundary.
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To inhabitants of the surrounding area, Beijing’s plan looks threatening. “The Chinese are trying to choke us by putting an imaginary checkpoint there,” Mayor Bito-onon said. “It is a clear violation of our right to travel, impeding freedom of navigation.”
China has used rough tactics against the Philippines before.
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After the attempt to take Jackson Atoll, it’s clear Beijing will continue employing rough tactics, using the slightest excuse to bring its overwhelming power to bear. Chinese leaders obviously intend to annex the South China Sea one reef, shoal, or rock at a time, by force or guile, whatever it takes.
US Army Awards Alcoa $50Mln Contract to Develop Next Gen Combat Vehicle
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“Alcoa’s lightweight solutions have improved troop protection while reducing vehicle weight and assembly time,” Alcoa Defense President Eric Roegner stated in the release. “We look forward to building on our successful track record to help develop the next generation combat vehicle.”
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The contract also includes research on aluminum forming technology, armor development, material fabrication, energy conservation and anti-corrosion technology, according to the release.
"The owner of the boat failed to tow it away after several attempts and abandoned it, dismantling some major equipment on board."
He said the boat had hampered navigation safety and the maritime environment, so the Ministry of Transport had cleared it from the reef and dealt with it "properly".
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Observers said Beijing had "foiled a trap" set by Manila to use stranded boats to infringe upon Chinese territory, a tactic that had been used on China's Ren'ai Reef in the late 1990s.
"The Wufang Reef incident reminds me of the Ren'ai Reef case. They are almost the same," said Chen Qinghong, a researcher of South China Sea issues at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Beijing says Manila deliberately grounded a warship near China's Ren'ai Reef in 1999. The Philippines refused to remove the vessel — despite repeated demands by China — and reinforced the rusting ship's hull and deck. It also sent troops to guard the reef and to occupy it illegally.
"Such actions violated the spirit and provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea by changing the status quo unilaterally," Chen said, adding that the incidents also infringed upon China's sovereignty.
One of the possible issues with operating these very,very expensive assets is what will happen if one of them actually goes down and gets destroyed for whatever reason.
Some theorists have suggested even the loss of one or two aircraft carriers in an actual combat scenario can spell catastrophe with the US Navy.
it will be bad but not enough to cripple the whole armed forces of even power projection permanently... one or 2 out of? of course it depends on the circumstances it got destroyed, if those threats linger then it might be more problematic... aka anti carrier ballistic missiles etc..
pearl harbour got hit badly... but the their industrial might was under estimated
Airbus offers C-295 variant as PH’s long-range patrol aircraft
March 3, 2016 Joel Dizon
Airbus Defence and Space has confirmed that will be offering a variant of its C-295 aircraft for Department of National Defense (DND)’s long range patrol aircraft project. The bid opening for the said project is scheduled on March 14, 10:00 a.m. at the DND Bids and Awards Committee Right Wing Basement, DND Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
This project has an approved budget for the acquisition of two long range patrol aircraft for Philippine Air Force. These aircraft will provide the Air Force with capability to monitor and patrol Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The reopening of this acquisition project is after a failed bidding mid-2015. Seven firms reportedly participated in the said failed bidding: Saab Asia Pacific, L3 Mission Integratio, IAI Elta Systems, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Indonesian Aerospace), CASA-Airbus Defense and Space.
Airbus Defence and Space Press Manager for Military Aircraft Kieran Daly confirmed today in an email to Update.PH that they will be offering the C-295 for this project.
The said aircraft has a variant equipped with integrated surveillance systems, including the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) to effectively act as maritime patrol aircraft.
The Philippine Air Force is currently operating three C-295M aircraft as medium lift aircraft.
Best Choice: Indonesia to Ink Contract for 10 Russian Su-35 Jets in April
10:34 04.03.2016 (updated 10:42 04.03.2016)
A squadron of Russian 4++ generation supermaneuverable multirole jets will reinforce Indonesia's air force.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow and Jakarta will sign a contract in April for the deliveries of 10 Russian Su-35 Flanker multirole fighter jets to replace Indonesia’s fleet of F-5 Tigers, the Jakarta Globe reported Friday.
“We need a squadron of the jets, but for the first phase it will be 10 jets,” Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.
Indonesia currently has 16 F-5 fighter jets that entered service in 1980.
Four Su-35s have been deployed to Syria amid Moscow's counterterrorism campaign.
The 4++ generation Su-35 is characterized by supermaneuverability and has features of a 5-generation aircraft. The fighter has new avionics, a modern radar and advanced engines. It can accomplish incredible tricks without deceleration and can fly at a speed of 2400 kmph, outpacing all rivals in its class. The warplane is armed with 30mm guns, a huge number of missiles and rockets.
it will be bad but not enough to cripple the whole armed forces of even power projection permanently... one or 2 out of? of course it depends on the circumstances it got destroyed, if those threats linger then it might be more problematic... aka anti carrier ballistic missiles etc..
pearl harbour got hit badly... but the their industrial might was under estimated
US has about 20 operational CVs? provided mixed classes, not fully CV
i think losing one also they get farked up real bad
Sure looks like it, with that fibreglass-looking launcher.
Anyway I was hoping the Ratnik system would have some kind of light reloadable rocket launcher like the RPG-7 or a recoilless launcher tough. For organic infantry support, light anti-armor, those sort of roles. I find disposable rocket launchers rather cumbersome. Each infantryman can only bring one each and they are individually quite bulky.
Whereas reloadable launchers with one gunner and two assistants can carry a good amount of ammunition (an RPG-7 gunner carries the launcher tube, while each rifle-armed assistant carries 3-4 rockets each). That's a significant amount of firepower.
The reloadable rocket launcher is carried by specially designated unit, just like the GPMG section. Disposable rocket launcher was not intended to replace reloadable launcher, but to provide ordinary rifle infantry with some anti-tank capability. It's lightweight, easy to operate with very little training and can be carried and operated by a single soldier. Reloadable on the other hand require some training. The weapon was intended to be use repeatedly, and so the operator must be trained on how to maintain and repair the weapon. The weapon and it's munition is also heavier, thus anyone that carry this weapon must sacrifice other combat load like rifle munition, thus making them less effective as a rodinary riflemen.
CHINA'S QUANTUM SATELLITE COULD CHANGE CRYPTOGRAPHY FOREVER
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The new Quantum Space Satellite (QUESS) program is no mere science experiment. China is already becoming a world leader in quantum communications technology; a satellite that delivers quantum communications will be a cornerstone for translating cutting-edge research into a strategic asset for Chinese power worldwide.
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Cryptography operates through the use of an encryption key (such as a numbers pad), which, when applied to an encryption algorithm, can be used to decrypt or encrypt a message. Quantum entanglement is the act of fusing two or more particles into complementary “quantum states.” In such states, no particle can be independently described, instead the particles exist in a hazy shared quantum state that “collapses” when observed.
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Quantum encryption thus takes advantage of this feature, using it to detect would-be eavesdroppers, whose presence causes quantum states to collapse and reveal their spying to legitimate parties. Additionally, the complexity of quantum mechanics makes it virtually impossible to reverse engineer the quantum key generated through quantum entanglement.
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Quantum keys are thus theoretically impossible to crack by even quantum computing -- a theoretical form of supercomputing that promises to defeat traditional forms of encryption. (It is important to note, however, that all is not perfectly secure. Quantum secured communications, like other forms of encryption, are vulnerable to denial of service, physically tampering of the quantum communications device, human failures in operational security and impersonation of sender).
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QUESS's function is to test the phenomena of quantum entanglement. Operated by the China Academy of Sciences, this 500kg satellite contains a quantum key communicator, quantum entanglement emitter, entanglement source, processing unit, and a laser communicator. QUESS will relay transmissions between two ground stations (one in China, and the other in Europe) transmitting quantum keys. Pan remarked that the distances involved (the QUESS orbits at an altitude of 1,000km) is ideal for testing quantum teleportation of photons. Additionally, the Austrian Academy of Sciences will provide the optical receivers for the European ground stations.
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QUESS fits into a broader series of experimental quantum encryption programs which may be intended to address concerns over China's information security, particularly in the post Snowden era. Government, military, and financial networks are juicy targets for espionage, and quantum encryption promises to provide a level of potentially unbreakable encryption for these systems, as well as a sure-fire method to detect any attempts at intrusion.
This Shoulder-Mounted Launcher Will Take Out a UAV With a Net
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That device is the SkyWall, and it looks a whole lot like a shoulder mounted rocket launcher. Which is to say, it looks terrifying and deadly, and at close range, it probably is. But the point isn't destruction. It's to get the projectile up in the air, where it can trap a rogue drone in its net and bring it down, all without a pesky gun.
It has a range of about 328 feet, high enough to get most UAVs (which technically have a flight ceiling of 400 feet). It uses compressed air to launch, and can reload in about eight seconds. Despite its huge size, it can be used by a single operator, and has a smart scope to help hit the drone just right. Once the net grabs the UAV, a parachute deploys to bring to the ground.
Inside China’s Plan for a Military That Can Counter U.S. Muscle
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The plan seeks to transform the 2.3-million-member People’s Liberation Army, which features 21st-century hardware but an outdated, Soviet-inspired command structure, into a fighting force capable of winning a modern war.
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The first piece of the overhaul — announced by Xi during a grand military parade through Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 — calls for eliminating 300,000 PLA personnel by 2017.
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Out are military cooks, hospital workers, journalists and some 10,000 members of the PLA’s famed troops of singers and dancers. Even so, China’s military will remain by far the world’s largest, with more than 600,000 more active service members than the U.S.
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Advanced military actions such as intercepting rival aircraft, carrying out drone strikes and using special forces to extract hostages, demand the sort of close collaboration China’s army-centric military has lacked. Xi intends to fix that by reorganizing the armed forces into five branches under a joint-command structure modeled after that of the U.S.
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PLA Air Force and PLA Navy, a new Rocket Force will be responsible for China’s nuclear arsenal and conventional missiles while a Strategic Support Force will oversee cyberwarfare and protect China’s financial system from attack
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As part of the move toward a unified command, China consolidated its seven military regions into five “Theater Commands” or “Battle Zones,” with each service reporting to a single commander
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Many will be watching to see how far beyond China’s borders the new zones reach and how the revamped military map will shape PLA activities in regional hotspots such as the South China Sea.
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Four existing general departments will be divided into 15 smaller units responsible for everything from training and logistics to punishing corrupt officers and ensuring soldiers get sufficient education in Marxist ideology
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One thing Xi has made clear: he has no plans to transfer control over the PLA to the government from the party, something foreign military experts say is needed to professionalize the services.
According to Air Vice Marshal M. Syaugi, the director general of defense planning at Indonesia’s defense ministry, the country is currently evaluating the purchase of the Chinese-made AF902 Radar/Twin 35 mm AA Gun/PL-9C Missile Integrated Air Defense System (AF902 FCS/35) to bolster its aerial defense capabilities.
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Syaugi also said that the system was “as good as the Oerlikon,” referring to the Swiss-made Oerlikon SkyShield MK2 air defense system which is currently being used by the Air Force Special Forces (Paskhas) in the air force base in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
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While Syaugi’s comments were quite positive, it is unclear whether Indonesia will eventually decide to go with the air defense system and, if so, when a deal might be struck and finalized. Sino-Indonesian defense relations have tended to move quite slowly with respect to new firsts for a variety of reasons. For example, talks for Indonesia to purchase Chinese-made C-705 surface to surface missiles went on for a while before the confirmation that Jakarta would actually begin deploying the missiles on vessels.
History’s Most Software-Dependent Warplane Hasn’t Been Properly Cyber-Tested
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Dr. Keith Joiner, who spoke exclusively to Background Briefing about his concerns, says the JSF is a completely software-driven aircraft, but is yet to be properly tested.
“[The aircraft] hasn’t done any cybersecurity testing yet,” he says. “The only system that has done cybersecurity vulnerability and penetration testing is the logistics software, so ordering spares.
“And it didn’t go very well. The most software-driven aircraft ever built hasn’t yet been tested against cyber security and the modern cyber warfare threats.”
US has about 20 operational CVs? provided mixed classes, not fully CV
i think losing one also they get farked up real bad
10 CVNs (Nuclear) and 10+ other LPD/LPH which mainly operate helis and 4-6 Harriers
Just like in WW2, US can happily trade their CVNs with Russia, India or China's CVs 1 for 1 and still come out winner, even 2 for 1 also they won't cry, some more the Nimitz class is set to be replaced with Ford class soon.
After looking into our Malaysian Army structure I am a little confused.
Kor Armor Diraja is said to have 5 regiments. Naturally 1 regiment operates our PT-91s. Other listed equipment are: 26 FV101 Alvis Scorpion 90 (Para Armd Sqdn) 184 Sibmas 90 IFV (160 90mm, 24 ARV?) 460 Condor APC 80 Bv206 103 K200 KIFV 211 ACV300 Adnan
In what way are they organised into the other 4 regts? At about 80+ vehicles per battalion I can make them fit, sort of. But as far as I can see these are 'empty' IFVs and APCs, except Sibmas 90. Are they intended to mate up with infantry battalions when deployed? And where will the 250 Deftech AV8s go?
Mintak ajar skit...
This post has been edited by KLboy92: Mar 4 2016, 08:51 PM
Cobra isn't an all-powerful maneuver, performed at the wrong time and wrong situation, it can backfire. The plane that does Cobra will nearly be stationary on air, a good target for cannon or IR missile, if the enemy has a wingman.
Eliciting Trouble: US Navy Dispatched Several Ships to South China Sea
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The Navy Times reported Thursday that the US sent the USS John C. Stennis, two destroyers, two cruisers and the 7th Fleet to the South China Sea.
Earlier, it was reported that China had sent fighter jets to the Woody Island, which is one of the disputed Paracel Islands (Xisha) in the South China Sea.
Lugansk republic intelligence: US deployed two electronic intelligence
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MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. US Department of Defense has deployed two radio-electronic intelligence stations in the Kiev-controlled Markovo district of the Lugansk Region, the spokesman for the militia of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, Igor Yashchenko, has said.
"According to our intelligence sources, the US Department of Defense representatives have placed two Trailblazer radio-electronic intelligence stations in the village of Kuryachovka, the Markovo district," the LuganskInformCenter news agency quotes him as saying.
North Korea Says They Have Deployed Nuclear Weapons For "Preemptive" Use
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The statement about North Korea readying its nuclear weapons came from the state-ran news and reported to have come from Kim himself while on a tour of an army artillery unit. The fear is that North Korea could use these weapons in preemptive attacks on South Korea. This terrifying possibility was underlined when the head U.S. military officer in South Korea stated that the Kim regime would use WMDs if they felt their power was endangered.
The F-35's $400,000 Third-Generation "Magic" Helmet Is Here
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The latest version of the F-35's "magic" helmet, which allows wearers to "see" through the skin of the plane, is now being issued to pilots.
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The Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) is a key part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The helmet incorporates LCD displays to take input from the aircraft's various sensors—radar, infra-red, and the electro-optical targeting system—and overlay them on the pilot's field of view.
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The biggest one is the pilot's ability to "see" through the plane; the pilot can look down at his feet, for example, and the view from of the infra-red camera on the bottom of the plane will be projected onto his helmet visor—in effect giving the pilot x-ray vision. The F-35 has six such cameras, all forming the so-called the Distributed Aperture System.
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Rockwell Collins, the contractor responsible for the helmet, has a demonstration video here:
Aircraft manufacturer AgustaWestland was declared as the sole proponent of the Department of National Defense (DND)’s PHP5.4 billion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter project. The government also announced that the manufacturer is undergoing post-qualification checks.
Post-qualification refers to the background check to determine the capability of the manufacturer to deliver the equipment on time and comply with the specifications requested by the contracting party.
AgustaWestland was chosen as the possible supplier for two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters of Philippine Navy before 2015 ended. The firm offered its new AW-159 “Wildcat” anti-submarine helicopter.
In late February 2016, AgustaWestland official handling external relations and communications Alessandro Capocaccia told IHS Jane’s that their company is optimistic that contract will be awarded soon.
“2016 will be an important year for the programme”, Capocaccia said.
Joined: Feb 2014
From: Somewhere in the pacific, or indian ocean
QUOTE(KLboy92 @ Mar 4 2016, 08:42 PM)
After looking into our Malaysian Army structure I am a little confused.
Kor Armor Diraja is said to have 5 regiments. Naturally 1 regiment operates our PT-91s. Other listed equipment are: 26 FV101 Alvis Scorpion 90 (Para Armd Sqdn) 184 Sibmas 90 IFV (160 90mm, 24 ARV?) 460 Condor APC 80 Bv206 103 K200 KIFV 211 ACV300 Adnan
In what way are they organised into the other 4 regts? At about 80+ vehicles per battalion I can make them fit, sort of. But as far as I can see these are 'empty' IFVs and APCs, except Sibmas 90. Are they intended to mate up with infantry battalions when deployed? And where will the 250 Deftech AV8s go?
Mintak ajar skit...
more like 6, para got their own armor i think
dun take face value, most of the sibmas and some of the condor is ady retired,
the armor themselves is considered a "support" elements, so they are always deployed alongside other infantry battalion and other support elements under their corresponding division command
Indonesia Plans Su-35 Squadron Buy, Will Ink Deal for 10 Aircraft Next Month
Source : Our Bureau ~ Dated : Saturday, March 5, 2016 @ 08:49 AM
Indonesia plans to buy a squadron of 18-20 Su-35 aircraft from Russia in a bid to replace its aging F-5 Tiger squadron, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said.
"We need a squadron of the jets, but for the first phase it will be 10 jets," Indonesia's Defense Minister Ryamiard Ryacudu was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe news daily.
"Ryamizard plans to attend the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Russia senior officials meeting in Moscow on April 4th and 5th, and sought to sign the agreement in the sidelines of the meeting," the newspaper reported.
"Indonesia has increased defense spending over the past three years in an attempt to regenerate its aging military arsenal".
Indonesia’s Armed Forces currently use Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 fighters. Sukhoi Su-35 fighters will replace the U.S. F-5 Tiger, which the Indonesian Armed Forces have been exploiting since 1980.
Turkish president plans huge 'refugee city' in northern Syria
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested building a new city in northern Syria to house some of the millions of refugees escaping the country's civil war
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He said that the city would be 4,500sq/km in area and its infrastructure could be built in cooperation with the international community
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Turkey is currently home to an estimated 2.7 million Syria refugees who fled the five year civil war
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Turkey has repeatedly sought to persuade its Western allies to help create a so-called safe zone inside Syria that could house Syrian refugee
‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ Is ‘M*A*S*H’ on the Streets of Kabul
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is more about America’s relationship to Afghanistan than the war itself. Marines want to survive and the journalists want the next fix — a shot of war or whiskey, either will do — and no one seems to care what the Afghans want.
Assalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera YBhg Datuk, Tuanx dan Puanx. Dimaklumkan kepada semua warga AKAS TLDM, rancangan Op Maritim terbitan TV3 berkaitan pengoperasian Kapal Selam negara bakal ke udara pada hari Ahad, 6 Mac 2016 jam 6.30 petang. Siaran ulangan pada hari Rabu, 9 Mac 2016 jam 1.00 pagi. Seluruh warga digalakkan menonton bersama keluarga.Mohon hebahkan kepada seluruh warga PTKK. Sekian untuk makluman YBhg Datuk, Tuanx dan Puanx. #copy paste grup
After looking into our Malaysian Army structure I am a little confused.
Kor Armor Diraja is said to have 5 regiments. Naturally 1 regiment operates our PT-91s. Other listed equipment are: 26 FV101 Alvis Scorpion 90 (Para Armd Sqdn) 184 Sibmas 90 IFV (160 90mm, 24 ARV?) 460 Condor APC 80 Bv206 103 K200 KIFV 211 ACV300 Adnan
In what way are they organised into the other 4 regts? At about 80+ vehicles per battalion I can make them fit, sort of. But as far as I can see these are 'empty' IFVs and APCs, except Sibmas 90. Are they intended to mate up with infantry battalions when deployed? And where will the 250 Deftech AV8s go?
Mintak ajar skit...
KAD administrative bang bukan field formation.the other 4 are combined with infantry regiments forming mechanised brigades
Putin's weapon of mass destruction - migration: By blitzing Syria, Russia's leader is cynically stoking the migrant crisis in a bid to tear Europe apart. The response from the EU to the biggest crisis of our time is, frankly, pathetic
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At the heart of the migration crisis, explained General Philip Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, is a ‘resurgent, aggressive Russia’ that has ‘chosen to be an adversary and poses a long-term existential threat to the United States and to our European allies and partners’.
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Putin’s chosen weapon, according to the General, is the migration crisis itself.
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And in all this toxic mix, Islamic Fundamentalism is ‘spreading like a cancer, taking advantage of paths of least resistance and threatening European nations, and our own, with terrorist attacks’.
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As a former KGB man who yearns to rebuild Russia into a global superpower, President Putin sees the world in terms of ruthless, hard-headed realpolitik — in stark contrast, I have to say, with our own pusillanimous leaders.
Joined: Jun 2007
From: 3°50'**.**"N - 103°16'**.**"E
QUOTE(DDG_Ross @ Mar 5 2016, 01:11 AM)
more like 6, para got their own armor i think
dun take face value, most of the sibmas and some of the condor is ady retired,
the armor themselves is considered a "support" elements, so they are always deployed alongside other infantry battalion and other support elements under their corresponding division command
atreyuangel pls correct me if im wrong
not wrong though the tank are usually refer as Cavalry.
yep Para have their own Armor made of Alvis ifv and Scorpion.
This post has been edited by atreyuangel: Mar 5 2016, 07:44 PM
This helicopter-plane hybrid aircraft could be a game changer for the US military
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The US military's research and development office announced on Thursday the next phase in a bid to build an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing "X-Plane," and it could be a game changer for soldiers on the ground.
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The X-Plane has similarities with the military's V-22 Osprey, which can takeoff and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, but the big difference this time is there's no pilot onboard. It would be flown remotely, much like the military's Predator and Global Hawk unmanned aerial systems.
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the X-Plane could be used in more diverse missions, like transporting troops, rescuing wounded soldiers during medical evacuations, dropping off supplies, and special operations
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If all goes well, it could reach a top speed of about 460 mph, all while being capable of carrying around 4,000 pounds of gear or troops.
dun take face value, most of the sibmas and some of the condor is ady retired,
the armor themselves is considered a "support" elements, so they are always deployed alongside other infantry battalion and other support elements under their corresponding division command
Yeah guessed as much, they are robust but also ancient some sources say jsut about 200 Condor still running
QUOTE(heavyduty @ Mar 5 2016, 07:30 PM)
KAD administrative bang bukan field formation.the other 4 are combined with infantry regiments forming mechanised brigades
Scorpion dengan stormer are with Para.
I understand, I am asking about how they organise for field deployment. Good idea that, a little armour goes a long way with Para. Wonder if we have the airdrop capability
So when forming brigades the armour regiments mate with the infantry battalions to form mechanised battalions. At 14 APCs/IFVs per company and 6 companies (we still use square battalion? A, B, C, D Coys plus Support Coy some more?) I can imagine about 80+ vehicles per battalion. So with that, and looking at a force of about 200 Condors, 100 KIFVs, 200 Adnans, that's 5 mech inf battalions...?
Yeah guessed as much, they are robust but also ancient some sources say jsut about 200 Condor still running
I understand, I am asking about how they organise for field deployment. Good idea that, a little armour goes a long way with Para. Wonder if we have the airdrop capability
So when forming brigades the armour regiments mate with the infantry battalions to form mechanised battalions. At 14 APCs/IFVs per company and 6 companies (we still use square battalion? A, B, C, D Coys plus Support Coy some more?) I can imagine about 80+ vehicles per battalion. So with that, and looking at a force of about 200 Condors, 100 KIFVs, 200 Adnans, that's 5 mech inf battalions...?
What do we use the Bv206 for then?
4 mech battalions.19 RAMD,12 RAMD and 7RRD the other I forget.
The support Coy is oversized because that's where fire support, recce and engineers are
Joined: Jun 2007
From: 3°50'**.**"N - 103°16'**.**"E
QUOTE(KLboy92 @ Mar 5 2016, 08:02 PM)
Yeah guessed as much, they are robust but also ancient some sources say jsut about 200 Condor still running
I understand, I am asking about how they organise for field deployment. Good idea that, a little armour goes a long way with Para. Wonder if we have the airdrop capability
So when forming brigades the armour regiments mate with the infantry battalions to form mechanised battalions. At 14 APCs/IFVs per company and 6 companies (we still use square battalion? A, B, C, D Coys plus Support Coy some more?) I can imagine about 80+ vehicles per battalion. So with that, and looking at a force of about 200 Condors, 100 KIFVs, 200 Adnans, that's 5 mech inf battalions...?
US Army passenger plane makes crash landing in open field near Erbil, Iraq
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—A US passenger plane made a crashing landing near Erbil Saturday morning which according to local officials was due to technical failure.
The plane N6351V registered by the US government under the army landed in an open field near the town of Kawrgosk 37 km west of the capital Erbil and 10 Km from the international airport.
Rudaw correspondent near the site said that US army helicopters evacuated four passengers who were aboard the plane.
Around 30 US soldiers arrived and sealed off the area.
An eye witness who saw the crash landing told Rudaw, “The plane was flying very low and its propellers were not working. When it landed American soldiers came soon afterwards and searched the area. They took away the passengers,”
All Hands On Deck: Russian Military Sets Up High-Tech Radar System in Syria
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The Zoopark-1 missile and artillery ground reconnaissance complex is designed to automatically determine the coordinates of enemy artillery positions (mortars, field artillery, rocket volley fire systems and tactical missile launch positions) to provide target sighting information to its own countermeasure equipment, as well as to monitor its own firing results.
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The Zoopark-1 intelligence and radar complex is completely autonomous and it takes about five minutes to deploy. The complex can conduct reconnaissance of positions of up to 17 kilometers and target artillery with a minimum bore size of 82-120 millimeters.
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The complex is capable of detecting up to 70 firing positions in a minute, while tracking up to 12 targets.
‘Efficient, accurate’: Russian air warfare in Syria praised in classified NATO report
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The document points out that Russia deployed 40 warplanes, performing some 75 sorties a day (until the ceasefire came into effect on February 27). The airstrikes, usually delivered on several targets during each combat flight, are “accurate and efficient,” the analysis reportedly says.
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The US-led counterterrorist coalition, deploying about 180 warplanes against Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL), strikes only about 20 targets a day. The paper says the number of Russian fighter jets on the ground is “clearly inferior in number” to NATO’s group, but the higher frequency of the Russian air raids makes them more effective.
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The US-led counterterrorist coalition has been operating in Iraq and Syria for over a year, while Russia launched its offensive on terrorist groups on September 30, 2015.
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The Russian Air Force has turned the Syrian battlefield into a test ground for advanced military technologies, such as deploying ultra-modern Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Syria’s Khmeimim airbase. The plane is believed by many experts to be superior to most existing warplanes, the report claims
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According to NATO experts, only 20 percent of Russian airstrikes are delivered on IS militants. The other raids have been allegedly directed against anti-Assad militias, some of which are supported by the West.
The Stupidly Simple Spy Messages No Computer Could Decode
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When I was ten years old, I found a shortwave radio in a crumbling old leather trunk where we kept family photos and other memorabilia. As I spun the dial, tinny, modulating noises, like the song of an electronic slide whistle, emanated from the radio’s small speaker.
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“7…6…7…4…3.” Pause. “7…6…7…4…3.”
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Listen. Hear me now. 7…6…7…4…3. Did you get that? 7…6…7…4…3.
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But it would be another 25 years before I learned what I’d really heard on the shortwave radio. That man had been talking to someone. Not me. But someone in particular, who knew exactly what the Numbers Man was saying. I had intercepted a message to a spy.
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“Facilities with giant antenna farms…were positioned at strategic locations in the United States and abroad,” according to the 2008 book Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs, from Communism to Al Qaeda,
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For decades, numbers stations have been a favorite way for Cuban intelligence to make contact with their American agents. The practice didn’t fall out of fashion with the end of the Cold War. In the past 15 years, at least five Cuban spies who used numbers stations to communicate with their handlers in Havana have been sent to prison
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But today, the Russians operate a large numbers network, both to communicate with spies—in Ukraine, for example—and to send messages to military forces. Now, those transmissions can he beard online via shortwave radios connected to the Internet.
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The British are believed to have run a numbers station from a military base in Cyprus from the 1970s until 2008, probably to communicate with their spies in the Middle East and North Africa
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The numbers stations have been all around us for decades, equally disturbing whether in English, Polish, or Mandarin
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Even today, the most powerful supercomputers thrumming away in vast, refrigerated rooms at the National Security Agency couldn’t break the code that protected it. That computer the FBI wants to hook up to the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters to guess its password by “brute force?” Useless against the Numbers Man’s secret message
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CIA or whatever intelligence agency was running him. These numbers were the key. Going number by number, he’d subtract row two from row one and come up with a third row. And those numbers corresponded to letters, which spelled out a message
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But the numbers are just gibberish without that key, known in spycraft as a one-time pad. As its name suggests, it’s used only once. And that’s what makes it so secure.
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The intelligence officer told me that some of the pages were designed to dissolve in water. The agent could flush it down a toilet or even drop it in a glass of water at a cafe. The CIA reportedly made other pad pages that turned into gum on contact with saliva. I don’t know if they were mint flavored.
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Numbers stations have been located in Ukraine, transmitting in Russian and English. Poland operates a large number, in both Polish and English. Egypt has a network, in English and Arabic. Taiwan broadcasts in Mandarin into mainland China. China, in turn, runs its own numbers networks, and many of them are used for military purposes, such as communicating with deployed forces. South Korea and North Korea each run numbers stations, presumably to communicate with spies in each other’s countries, though it’ s possible that each is trying to convince the other that’s what it’s up to. Some numbers stations are believed to be set up only to confuse an adversary and give the appearance that his country must be crawling with spies, thus diverting time and money to hunting them.
The secrets of Pine Gap: Huge high-tech spy facility in the remote Australian outback tracks terrorists and is the most important intelligence gathering unit outside the US
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It’s Australia’s top secret spy base that you may have heard of, but know nothing about.
Now in a series of reports, a group of determined researchers have studied the workings of Pine Gap, offering a closer look into what takes place at the most important western intelligence gathering unit outside the United States.
Pine Gap is a satellite tracking station 20 kilometers south-west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, in the centre of Australia and is operated by both the Australian and the United States military.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 3, 2016
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a military operation to liberate at the strategic village of Kabani controled by Al-Nusra and its allies. Thus, the SAA’s 103rd Brigade attacked the southern flank of Kabani and the Syrian Marines continued an advance along the Aleppo-Latakia Highway (M-4). If Kabani is captured, the SAA will be able to advance on the Jisr Al-Shughour’s southern countryside. This town is a mid-term goal of the ongoing advance.
The SAA stormed the ISIS positions at the village of Fah and forced the terrorist group to pull forces back from the village and nearby farms in the Aleppo province.
Heavy clashes between the Kurdish militias and ISIS have been observed in the area between the border town of Tal Abyadh and al-Kantari and near the Raqqa-Turkey highway.
Meanwhile, the Syrian troops reportedly deployed in Southeastern and Northeastern areas of Aleppo and Hama provinces respectively are preparing to launch a joint anti-terrorism operation to free more lands in the province of Raqqa.
On Mar.2, ceasefire agreements were signed with four commanders of moderate rebel units, which control Kafar, Shams and Gabagib in the Daraa province. Total number of signed agreements has reached 40, talks with 11 more are underway.
The Russian centre for reconciliation of opposing sides also delivered 6 tons of humanitarian aid to the settlements of Kineiba, Vali-Sheikhan and Hansjaus.
SAUDI AIR FORCE DEPLOYS TO SUPPORT TURKEY’S MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA
Following the announcement by the Saudi Defense Ministry on Saturday February 14th that the kingdom intended to commit both air and ground forces to the fight against ISIS in Syria, the first four Royal Saudi Airforce F-15S strike fighters arrived at Incirlik air base on Friday February 26th. These jets were immediately proceeded by approximately thirty officers and men and supporting equipment aboard two C-130 transports. It is obvious that Saudi Arabia is sending air forces and possibly ground forces not to combat ISIS and Al- Nusrah Front, having funded them for years, but to ensure that the Syrian government is not able to regain sovereignty of the entirety of the nation.
Saudi Arabia has one of the most modern and well-equipped air forces in the region and has invested heavily in this military tool for over two decades and fields an impressive inventory of strike aircraft. The Saudi air force uses a mix of both U.S. and European aircraft, from the venerable F-15C and Tornado, to the relatively new Typhoon. The F-15Cs and Tornados have all recently been modernized and 48 units of the Typhoon have been delivered to the Kingdom from Britain. The F-15S is the Saudi version of the F-15E Strike Eagle strike fighter. It is planned to upgrade all of these units to the latest F-15SA standard over the next few years.
The Saudi Air Force has ordered a total of 72 Typhoon T-2 and T3A variants from BAE of the UK. Although this is a modern fighter with strike capabilities, it is rather unproven in combat compared to the F-15s and Tornados historically operated by the Saudis. Saudi aircraft will most likely only operate from Incirlik airbase, along with U.S. and other NATO air forces. This air base has the infrastructure and logistics in place to handle the aircraft of various NATO types. The base is also close to the proposed area of operations (Northern Syria) and is guarded by modern air defenses.
Any Saudi force would most likely only go into battle with the backing of a U.S. or NATO mandate, and the employment of U.S. and NATO aircraft in preliminary strikes. It remains to be seen if the United States and NATO will decide to support Turkey and Saudi Arabia in such an escalation of hostilities. Saudi Arabia’s threat of direct military intervention in Syria also signals the failure of their war by proxy. Their armed gangs of Islamic zealots and terrorists have largely collapsed as a viable threat on the battlefield and face a certain defeat. A failure in Syria along with a stalemate in Yemen may prove to be one failure too many for a Saudi monarchy that is suffering from internal division amongst itself and the hundreds of clans whose loyalty ensures their legitimacy.
It is very clear that any air campaign engaged upon by Turkey and Saudi Arabia alone will be met with a swift and effective Russian response with both ground and naval-based air defenses as well as the most modern and capable air superiority fighters in the region. Russia has made it extremely clear, in diplomatic yet unambiguous terms that it will not allow any outside forces to invade Syria to topple the government and secure their own aims in violation of Syrian sovereignty. Additionally, Russia has international law on its side in any dispute. It is carrying out military operations within Syria at the request of the legitimate government of that nation.
While the assets of the RSAF are modern and capable, they do not represent a technological or combat experience advantage over the forces that Russia can bring to bear in response. Russian air force and air defense forces based in Syria alone present a strong deterrent to any outside power seeking to violate the airspace of Syria without the expressed permission of the Syrian government. It is understood that any direct military confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Russia will further complicate and expand a costly regional conflict into a global one. The arrival of the first Saudi combat aircraft immediately prior to the start of the U.S.-Russia brokered ceasefire sends a clear message that neither Saudi Arabia nor Turkey desire a cessation of hostilities any time soon.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 4, 2016
ISIS militants have launched an advance on the Deir Ezzor Military Airport controlled by the government’s forces. On Mar.3 the ISIS force reached the southern gates of the airport following a successful firefight against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). However, ISIS militants were unable to break the SAA’s defenses. The clashes are ongoing.
The SAA’s 555th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division is advancing in northeast Hama. The Zakiyah Crossroad, located west of the border between the provinces of Al-Raqqa and Hama, remains the goal of the loyalist forces. On Mar.3 the SAA seized Point 4, Point 5, Khirbat Al-Bayda, and several small hilltops on the way to it. Clashes were also observed at the Zakiyah village located located along the Salamiyah-Raqqa road.
Meanwhile, the SAA continued an advance towards the city of Palmyra securing the mountaintop of Jabal Jazal and its neighbouring oil fields. In South of Palmyra, the SAA moved to Wadi Al-Dhakara, seizing a part of the valley after a violent battle with ISIS.
We remember the pro-government group “Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra” have deployed in the Palmyra front to strengthen the SAA’s force seeking to liberate the city.
On Mar.3, ISIS and al Nusra made an attempt to cut the Aleppo-Khanaser-Ithria road one more time. However, the SAA and its allies repealed this attack.
Since the Khanaser-Aleppo road is now free of danger, the pro-government forces, wich have been concentrated in the area, are preparing for a large military operation in Southeastern Aleppo. According to reports, the Syrian Army’s Central Command decided to deploy a significant force to the town of Ithriya. Ithriya is located in the Hama province’s Northeastern countryside. The town borders the Aleppo province to the North and it is situated 15 km West of Raqqa axis.
RUSSIA DEFENSE REPORT – MAR.3, 2016: RUSSIAN AEROSPACE FORCES IN SYRIA AND BEYOND
If the Russian Aerospace Forces’ performance took NATO by surprise, it is because earlier Russian operations did not suggest that level of ability. Russian aviation took serious losses in the 2008 conflict with Georgia: 7 aircraft shot down including a Tu-22M bomber, 4 damaged, or one loss per each 17 combat missions. There was practically no new aircraft procurement since 1994. Russian aircrews flew far fewer hours than their NATO counterparts.
But the Georgia conflict served as a wake-up call and led to reforms which proved both crucial and successful.
Russian airpower was reduced in numbers, and reorganized into 8 air bases, each supporting several air groups based on individual airfields, which allowed individual pilots to get more flying time. In 2012, the air bases and air groups were renamed divisions and regiments.
Starting with 2012, new and modernized aircraft began to enter service in large numbers. By 2014 and 2015, Russian air forces were receiving 100 new or thoroughly modernized aircraft a year, and that pace is expected to continue in 2016. By 2020, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) are expected to have at their disposal about 1500 mostly modern combat aircraft, including 130 heavy bombers such as the Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M, over 800 fighters, and over 500 tactical bombers and attack aircraft.
These reforms led to the Russian VKS demonstrating a number of capabilities which seemed beyond its reach only seven years earlier:
The ability to deploy and sustain a force of 100 combat aircraft for several months in difficult conditions, and the ability to sustain a high rate of combat missions.
The ability to function in a “reconnaissance-strike complex” mode, which enables intelligence data obtained by a variety of sources, including aircraft, satellites, drones, and agents, to be converted into targeting data to allow even mobile targets, such as enemy mobile troop or supply columns to be quickly targeted.
The ability to conduct close air support as well as battlefield interdiction and suppression against an enemy practiced in concealment.
The ability to operate in any weather conditions, at any time of day.
The ability to use precision-guided munitions.
The ability to integrate long-range aerial early warning aircraft such as the A-50 and intelligence and ground surveillance aircraft, such as the Il-20 and Tu-214R, into the overall concept of operations.
The ability to use drones on a large scale and as part of an integrated aerial operation.
Granted, the picture is not perfect. Here is what Russian airpower has not demonstrated in Syria:
The ability to organize and operate large aerial “strike packages” against sophisticated aerial and anti-aircraft defenses. To be sure, while US and some NATO forces may have had that ability a decade ago, it has been degraded by NATO airpower being used in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The ability to use large numbers or a large variety of precision-guided munitions. Russian aircraft did use many satellite-guided KAB-500R bombs and Kh-29L laser-guided missiles. But most of the munitions dropped were unguided bombs and aerial rockets, aided by sophisticated on-board digital ballistic computers which allowed them to strike their targets with a fair degree of accuracy. Russia does not have tactical stand-off munitions like the SDB or AASM or the JASSM tactical cruise missile. Such weapons are in development and have been shown at MAKS-2015, but they will not be in service for years. On the other hand, perhaps there is a silver lining in this, because Russia is not over-reliant on satellite navigation systems to the same extent as NATO which might well experience a shock once it tries to use such weapons against opponents more sophisticated than the Taliban.
The maturity of some of the most modern aerial systems which entered service only very recently. The Su-30SM, Su-35S and Su-34 do appear to have at least minimum operational capabilities, as their performance in Syria did not give reason to doubt their performance. At the same time, the conflict did not push them to the edge of their performance, as most of the missions were performed equally well but much older though upgraded Su-24 bombers. Russian aircraft in Syria did not include the Mi-28N or Ka-52 attack helicopters, which raises questions about the degree of their operational maturity. However, nothing suggests these aircraft are failures in the same sense as the F-35, for example.
Everything suggests that the Russian VKS will not rest on their laurels but instead will continue to build on their strengths and eliminate weaknesses, so that it will be an even more capable force in the next conflict it has to fight.
Isis air strikes: Civilian death toll from western bombing 'set to reach 1,000 within days'
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The civilian death toll from Western air strikes against Islamic State fighters is set to pass the 1,000 mark “within days”, independent monitors told The Independent on Sunday.
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Britain has carried out 591 air strikes in Iraq and 36 in Syria – making up around a quarter of the 2,000 attacks carried out by countries other than the US in the international coalition against Isis. Russian air strikes are estimated to have killed up to 2,900 civilians.
Which only makes sense...if you didn't read the article at all.
It says NATO report, but it also says RT.com. Russia Today reporting on the success of Russia today is hardly an achievement Unless we hear the BBC or at the very least CCTV talk about it the same light, take it with a bucket of salt
Iran’s Basij Fighting Force Bolsters the Syrian Regime
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The most obvious clue as to their presence is the fact that Iranian troops have died in the conflict, including high-profile commanders such as Brig. Gen. Hossein Hamedani of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
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Iran’s Syrian military presence also heavily relies on the Basij — a paramilitary organization numbering between four to five million members
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The Basij is most well known in the West for its terrifying human-wave tactics during the Iran-Iraq War
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“[The Basij] carries out military training and surveillance, supervises public behavior, runs businesses, educates members, and propagandizes through physical space and social media,”
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Officially, the Basij recruits fighters to defend the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus
Watch And Hear This Impressive Stream Of F-35s Blast Off Into The Evening Sky
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Love it or hate it, these two facts that cannot be denied about the F-35—its F135 turbofan engine is very loud, and its afterburner plume is massive. Add in some twilight conditions and you have yourself quite the light and sound show, as can be seen in this video taken at Luke AFB as a bunch of F-35As take to the skies for a night training sortie.
It says NATO report, but it also says RT.com. Russia Today reporting on the success of Russia today is hardly an achievement Unless we hear the BBC or at the very least CCTV talk about it the same light, take it with a bucket of salt
Any news from rt or sputnik need to have a massive bucket of salt because like i say licking own butt and praising your self how clean it is.
Of course bbc and other western news outlet will hardly praise russian effort in syria. Again, is western opposition even praise them then it is really effective then
Ex Eagle Indopura: Singapore and Indonesian Navies Commemorate Over Four Decades of Bilateral Ties
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(Anti-clockwise from left, foreground) The TNI-AL's Diponegoro-class corvette, KRI Sultan Hasanuddin; RSN's Formidable-class frigate, RSS Tenacious; TNI-AL's Diponegoro-class corvette, KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda; and RSN's Fearless-class Patrol Vessel, RSS Gallant participating in the sea phase of Exercise Eagle Indopura 2016.
Philippines: No involvement in joint patrols in disputed seas
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MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang declared yesterday that it has nothing to do with the planned joint naval exercises of allies US, Japan and India in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
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Washington has issued a warning to China following reports that five Chinese ships have surrounded and taken over a Philippine-held atoll, where they even prevented local fishermen from fishing.
Beijing said the Chinese ships have left the area.
Screaming through the air at 400 knots or 740kmh, six red-and-white fighter jets curve gracefully over the showground, flying barely 3m apart. On cue, they break ranks, streaking out and up, painting a perfect bomb burst of smoke trails as their machines surge skyward.
“Smoke off… go!” commands the team leader. The billowing white abruptly ceases as they rendezvous for the next manoeuvre.
These are the Black Knights – the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aerobatics team.
First formed in 1973, the team pulls together some of the best fighter pilots in the service to perform at air shows, and this year in particular, at Singapore’s Jubilee weekend celebrations. Only flying instructors with at least 500 flying hours are eligible to make this year’s team, the 14th in the RSAF’s history.
Formed just six months ago, they train five days a week, practising over the Southern Islands.
While on the ground, the aircraft are taken care of by flight line crew such as Corporal Sean Lim (left), 20, and Third Sergeant Koh Tiang Lip (right), 22, who are checking the exterior of the F-16, while Military Expert 2 Claire He (centre), 32, polishes the inside of the jet's air intake.
Black Knight 6 Major Chang Haw Ning performs the Low & Slow, flying his F-16C so slowly (120 knots or 222kmh) that the leading edge flaps are fully extended to prevent the aircraft from stalling. During this manoeuvre, the nose of the aircraft pitches up so that the pilot can barely see out of the front of the cockpit
Demonstrating the agility of the front-line fighter aircraft, Black Knight 4 Major Derek Chan (left) flies his aircraft in a straight line while Black Knight 3 Major Kevin Lim makes a break to the left.
Black Knight 5 Major Eugene Lim and Black Knight 6 Major Chang Haw Ning, the Lead and Opposing Solos of the Republic of Singapore Air Force aerobatic team, execute a rolling manoeuvre close to each other.
Unlike many aerial display teams, such as the Royal Air Force Red Arrows and the Patrouille de France, the Black Knights are not a permanent or full-time show.
The eight aircraft (two spares), six pilots and 50 ground crew are drawn from combat-ready squadrons and can be returned to operational duties at a moment’s notice.
Because of this, the Black Knights fly unmodified front-line fighters, the F-16C Fighting Falcons, but painted in red-and-white livery featuring the crescent moon and five stars – symbols on Singapore’s flag.
To understand what these military aviators endure, I attended an aviation physiology training course (and passed the exam), experienced oxygen deprivation in a hypobaric chamber (solving maths questions took longer than usual), and attempted the Somatogyral Turntable – a rotating black box designed to make one lose all spatial perception when seated inside.
My biggest challenge, however, was riding the Human Training Centrifuge, a high-tech gondola whirled at speed to generate a continuous gravitational force.
For this, I wore a tight-fitting anti-G suit with air bladders that would automatically inflate during moments of high acceleration.
I also practised the anti-G straining manoeuvre – tensing all the muscles in my lower body and keeping my chest fully expanded while taking short breaths. Both of these would increase my overall blood pressure and maintain circulation to the brain, preventing the G-induced loss of consciousness that could lead to accidents.
I pulled on a control stick and was pressed into the seat as the gondola accelerated. In the background, I could hear an instructor calmly counting off the numbers. At 6.5Gs, I released the controls and was immediately overwhelmed by intense nausea as the machine decelerated.
In comparison, the Black Knights Lead and Opposing Solos endure up to 9Gs as they perform manoeuvres that will push the aircraft to their limits during the Jubilee weekend 25-minute display – one of the longest routines put up by the team.
After the final flypast come Aug 9, the aircraft will be returned to their grey paint scheme, and the crew will rejoin their operational squadrons. The Black Knights will once again disband, until the next big occasion.
The RSAF Black Knights fly in a modified Arrow Head formation (left) during a photo shoot over the South China Sea. The six-ship vertical stack (right) is a particularly difficult formation to maintain as the pilots have to continually adjust their positions relative to one another, with the amount of correction needed by each pilot increasing down the stack
Black Knight 5 Major Eugene Lim (right) and Black Knight 6 Major Chang Haw Ning, the team Lead Solo and Opposing Solo, demonstrate a Needle Cross manoeuvre.
Major Chang Haw Ning, call sign "Jerky", flies the Opposing Solo position in the Black Knights aerobatics team. The 35-year-old is a flying instructor with 145 Squadron, and has flown over 2,500 hours in his 14 years with the air force.
Captain Devdutt Sasidharan, 29, call sign "Gambit", flies the Right Wingman, or No. 2 position in the Black Knights. An F-16 fighter flying instructor with 145 Squadron, he has over 1,500 hours of flight time in his nine years with the air force.
This post has been edited by Fat & Fluffy: Mar 7 2016, 12:07 PM
North Korea threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike on South, US
North Korea threatened "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US mainland if the two allies push ahead with joint military drills scheduled to begin on Monday.
SEOUL: South Korea and the United States kicked off their largest-ever joint military drills on Monday, prompting fresh warnings from North Korea of "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes against Seoul and the US mainland.
The annual exercises always raise tensions on the divided Korean peninsula and the situation is particularly volatile this year, given the North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch and its fury over the tough UN sanctions imposed by the international community in response.
Participation in the joint drills -- known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle -- has been bumped up this year to involve 300,000 South Korean and 15,000 US troops, as well as strategic US naval vessels and air force assets.
In a statement issued hours before the exercises began, North Korea's powerful National Defence Commission said it was prepared for an "all-out" military counter-offensive.
"As the joint military exercises to be staged by the enemies are regarded as the most undisguised nuclear war drills aimed to infringe upon the sovereignty of (North Korea), its military counteraction will be more preemptive and offensive nuclear strike to cope with them," the statement said.
WEAPONS ON 'STAND-BY'
The threat came just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the country's nuclear arsenal to be placed on standby for use "at any moment," in response to the sanctions resolution adopted last week by the UN Security Council.
Pyongyang has issued similar, dire warnings of nuclear attack in the past, usually during periods of elevated military tensions.
While the North is known to have a small stockpile of nuclear warheads, experts are divided about its ability to mount them on a working missile delivery system.
The National Defence Commission said plans for what it called a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" had been drawn up by the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army and ratified by Kim Jong-Un.
The plans would come into operation in the event of "even the slightest military action" by the North's enemies, it said.
"The indiscriminate nuclear strike... will clearly show those keen on aggression and war, the military mettle of (North Korea)," said the statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency.
Targets would include operational theatres on the Korean peninsula, but also US bases on the mainland and in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
'FLAMES AND ASHES'
"If we push the buttons to annihilate the enemies even right now, all bases of provocations will be reduced to seas in flames and ashes in a moment," the statement added.
Despite a pair of successful long-range rocket launches, most experts believe North Korea is years away from developing a genuine inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland.
Pyongyang has long condemned the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve exercises, which stretch over nearly two months, as provocative rehearsals for invasion, while Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature.
The size of this year's drills was ramped up as a show of strength in the face of the North's fourth nuclear test on January 6 and February's rocket launch, which was seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.
A UN Security Council resolution adopted last week laid out the toughest sanctions imposed on Pyongyang to date over its nuclear weapons programme and will, if implemented effectively, apply significant economic pressure on Kim's regime.
It breaks new ground by targeting specific sectors key to the North Korean economy and seeking to undermine the North's use of, and access to, international transport systems.
Pyongyang has rejected the sanctions as "unfair, illicit and immoral" and vowed to keep building its nuclear arsenal.
The National Defence Commission said the US and its allies had failed to realise how the "outrageous" sanctions made "this land boil like a crucible of battle."
South Korea is set to unveil tougher unilateral sanctions against the North on Tuesday -- a move that is likely to draw further threats of retaliation from Pyongyang.
Lawmaker asking why Navy SEALs don't have enough rifles
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The tip of the spear may be losing its edge. Navy SEAL teams don't have enough combat rifles to go around, even as these highly trained forces are relied on more than ever to carry out counterterrorism operations and other secretive missions, according to SEALs who have confided in Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.
After SEALs return from a deployment, their rifles are given to other commandos who are shipping out, said Hunter, a former Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. This weapons carousel undercuts the "train like you fight" ethos of the U.S. special operations forces, they said.
There have been a number of reports, so far without any visual confirmation, that some 200 militants have switched sides and seized part of the city of Raqqa, which is usually referred to as the “ISIS capital.” One has to consider the distinctive possibility such reports represent an effort by local Sunni forces to establish a truce with at least one of the three forces marching in the general direction of Raqqa–the Syrian Arab Army, the Kurdish militias, and even the still more distant Iraqi forces which are currently aiming their offensive at Mosul. Given that ISIS has been declared beyond the pale by all the parties to the Syria peace process, it also means that the Sunni political actors in eastern Syria and western Iraq (and their foreign sponsors, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar) who have provided a considerable portion of both the expertise and manpower for ISIS have to shed their ISIS label if they are to have a place of their own at the negotiating table. Not unlike Austria which was a rather enthusiastic component of the Third Reich, and which contrived to be “liberated” rather than “occupied” by the victorious powers of World War II, here too the Sunni tribes have to make it look like they are being liberated.
We have seen a very similar process unfold less than a decade ago in Iraq. Alarmed by the growing power of the Shia militias and political parties in Iraq, and also by the 2006 success of the Hezbollah against the IDF, the US decided to make a separate peace with the Sunni insurgents. This became the “Sunni Awakening”. However, the Sunnis were hardly “asleep” for the previous three years–they were in fact the insurgents, with only a small smattering of foreign fighters. Once the US came around and sought out the Sunnis as allies, the foreign fighters were mostly evacuated, a few most odious ones were “promoted” (to martyrdom), and the story became how the brave Sunni tribes defeated al-Qaeda which supposedly held them captive for three full years! This led to a series of US-brokered power-sharing deals among Iraq’s major ethnic groups before the arrangement broke down and gave us the Iraqi component of ISIS.
Now it looks like the Sunnis might be poised to repeat that disappearing trick, except that now they will “defeat” ISIS just as they “defeated” al-Qaeda” in 2006. They really have no other choice: the tide of the war has turned against them decisively, they are rapidly losing their logistical lifelines and oil revenues, and the foreign fighter component is already being evacuated for redeployment in more promising theaters–perhaps Libya, perhaps Afghanistan and Central Asia… The only question is, with whom will the ISIS Sunnis strike their deal? There really are only two options: Assad and Russia on the one hand, or US and the Kurds on the other. Erdogan seems to have wanted to become the third option, because a Turkish land invasion down the ISIS-controlled corridor would have had the effect of “liberating” the Sunnis from ISIS as well, but that never came to pass for reasons well discussed elsewhere. Therefore the second (US-backed) option seems like a better deal to them since it would still allow them to salvage something of their original project, namely Sunni autonomies in the two countries so extensive as to make the national border between them irrelevant (which is what ISIS proclaimed a couple of years ago when it declared the Sykes-Picot Treaty moot), to the point of these two autonomies really representing two halves of a de-facto Sunni state. Since the US wants to create a Sunni state between Iran and Syria in order to isolate Hezbollah and create a “pipeline corridor” between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, it has refrained from genuinely fighting ISIS and now would likely jump at the opportunity to strike a deal with them. Assad and the Russians, on the other hand, would hardly agree to a deal like that which makes them less attractive as negotiating partners. And the more inroads the SAA makes into the pro-ISIS Sunni areas, the more likely are the Sunnis to “liberate” themselves and then prostrate themselves before their US “saviors.”
That is most likely the reason ISIS has been trying so hard to take Deir-ez-Zor in recent days, in spite of heavy fighting on other fronts, and to resist the SAA advance on Palmyra. The presence of the Syrian military right in the heart of ISIS territory endangers the idea of Sunni separatism. We can expect ISIS to continue these attacks and focus their defensive efforts against the SAA rather than against US-backed forces in the region, much as Nazi Germany did in the final months of World War 2. However, if the SAA manages to reach Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa ahead of the competition, it will undo this last-ditch Sunni effort to snatch a victory out of jaws of defeat
Satellite Imagery: China Expands Land Filling at North Island in the Paracels
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Satellite imagery from March 2, 2016 shows a marked expansion of China’s dredging and land filling at North Island in the Paracels. The newly manufactured terrain links North Island with Middle Island, along a long and straight reef structure that could accommodate a runway and parallel taxiway with dimensions equivalent to those recently built by China at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys. The new land fill at North Island is 12 kilometers north of Woody (Yongxing) Island, the site of a military base and China’s sole airport in the Paracels. Woody Island was also the site of the PLA’s deployment of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles last month.
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The new land filling operations by China at North Island, first observed in satellite imagery from January 9, 2016, have in the past two months included dredging of the reef to create the beginnings of a harbor basin. The cutter suction dredger observed in January is absent in the current imagery, but the sediment pipe assembly for pumping dredged sand remains. The absence of the dredger in the most recent image probably does not represent any cessation of island building at this site, since the new terrain currently visible has yet to be fortified to survive storm action.
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The island-building activities at North Island are at too early a stage for their purpose to be discerned. Lying at the northern edge of the Paracel Islands, 300 kilometers southeast of China’s Yulin/Longpo naval base, North Island is well situated for sensors to monitor an area through which Yulin-based surface and submarine vessels must frequently pass.
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The reef complex that includes North and Middle islands has a favorable size and geometry for an airstrip, and it occupies a total area of approximately five square kilometers. The land fill area at Fiery Cross, for comparison, is just under three square kilometers, slightly smaller than Woody Island.
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North Island’s proximity to the air base at Woody Island would seem to make it an unlikely candidate for an airstrip. However, Woody is already crowded with military and civilian facilities, and there is little adjoining reef to support an expansion. Woody’s congestion is illustrated by the placement of the recently deployed HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles. Although reported to be positioned on “a beach,” satellite images (not displayed here) show that the site was not a beach but newly filled-in terrain that had been an area of shallow fringing reef waters as recently as December 2015, and was only filled in during January 2016, probably just days before the SAM mobile launchers rolled onto it.
With a single, potentially over-stretched, air base in the strategically important Paracels, and already three airstrips in the Spratlys (at Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief reefs), it would not be surprising if China were to build another air base in the Paracels, even if located near Woody Island.
Any news from rt or sputnik need to have a massive bucket of salt because like i say licking own butt and praising your self how clean it is.
Of course bbc and other western news outlet will hardly praise russian effort in syria. Again, is western opposition even praise them then it is really effective then
No argument then
Western opposition also got to see who is talking... for example US RAND corporation and UK RUSI is probably better informed than Huff Post and the 'Daily Wail'
+10 about not trusting RT, sputnik, tass or their proxies like russia insider, southfront
What Role Will Russia Play in the US-Chinese South China Sea Drama?
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The US-Chinese standoff in the South China Sea is heating up, with Washington dispatching a small armada to the area following reports that Beijing had reinforced a key island with fighters and air defenses. Much has been said and written about the dispute, with Russian analysts left pondering: if push comes to shove, what will Russia's role be?
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The groups of islands are contested by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. The US, for its part, cannot directly contest China's claims with sovereignty counterclaims, but has involved itself in the dispute under the guise of protecting its allies
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"That the dispute between the two great powers is not just over the islands. China is fighting for global leadership, something which the US will not let go of so easily. After all, so long as Washington is recognized as the world's hegemonic power, US debt obligations can be exchanged for the fruits of the labor of countries all across the world."
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Subsequently, the analyst noted, "the Chinese took full advantage of the conflict between Russia and the West. American resources were diverted to the European direction, and to Syria, Turkey and Ukraine. There was even talk of the possibility of war in Europe. The Americans escalated the situation around the Baltic. [Subsequently] they overlooked the fact that China might be strengthened as a result."
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"What can the US do? Provoke a confrontation? Any collision with the Chinese would not be a cakewalk for the Americans. China now has enough strength to repel the attack of two or three [carrier-based US] aviation groups. Moscow could give the Chinese sea-based cruise missiles. So a US victory in a sea battle cannot be assured. And if the Americans lose, or even tie, US hegemony around the world would collapse like a house of cards. Therefore, Washington is taking a serious risk, and they know it."
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"Now, we will see the maneuvering of forces. China will continue to increase its power in the region. America will need to show that it is still the world's most powerful sea power. The arms race will continue until one party runs out of steam –most likely, that will be the US. They have an enormous budget deficit, and a colossal public debt. And Washington will not be able to shoulder the burden if it has to engage in an arms race against Russia as well."
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Ultimately, Alexandrov emphasized, "our goal is to create a polycentric system – that is, to push the US out of its position as global hegemon. Today, the US can dictate its terms and impose its decisions on others. In a multipolar world, it is possible to form tactical alliances in order to counter other players. That is, we are talking about a system promoting the balance of power –one that allows countries to maneuver, and does not allow any one power to hold a 'controlling stake' in world affairs."
"When this polycentric system is created, we will be able to judge whether continued cooperation with China is beneficial for Russia. At the current stage, it is advantageous."
U.S. military spending millions to make cyborgs a reality
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The goal of the proposed implant is to "open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics" according to DARPA's program manager, Phillip Alvelda.
In January, DARPA announced it plans to spend up to $62 million on the project, which is part of its Neural Engineering System Design program.
The implant would be small -- no larger than one cubic centimeter, or roughly the size of two stacked nickels -- according to DARPA.
The implantable device aims to convert neurons in the brain into electronic signals and provide unprecedented "data-transfer bandwidth between the human brain and the digital world," according to a DARPA statement announcing the new project.
DARPA sees the implant as providing a foundation for new therapies that could help people with deficits in sight or hearing by "feeding digital auditory or visual information into the brain."
U.S. airstrike kills more than 150 at Somalia terrorist camp, military says
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The United States launched a series of airstrikes on an al-Shabab training camp in Somalia Saturday, killing 150 militants and averting what a Pentagon official described as an “imminent threat” posed by the group to both U.S. and African Union troops stationed in the war-torn country
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“The removal of these fighters degrades al-Shabab’s ability to meet the group’s objectives in Somalia, including recruiting new members, establishing bases, and planning attacks on U.S. and AMISOM forces,”
Turkey shelling Syrian Kurdish militia in northern Aleppo - YPG
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Ankara continues to shell Kurdish forces in Syria, hampering their operations against Al-Nusra terrorists, and at the same time funneling supplies to militant-controlled areas around the border
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The militants aimed to provoke the Turkish military to return fire and bring troops into Syria, which will inevitably lead to disruption of the peace process in the country
TUNIS - The Islamic State group (IS) in Libya is boosting its numbers by people-smuggling new recruits across Libya’s porous Southern borders and kidnapping migrant workers, Middle East Eye has learnt.
According to military sources as well as a former IS recruit, IS has been busy boosting numbers in Libya by kidnapping migrant workers at gunpoint and forcing them to train to be fighters or suicide bombers.
This has allowed them to swell their ranks quickly, with US intelligence assessments in February saying IS now had an estimated 6,000 fighters in Libya, more than double what was previously thought.
Week twenty-one of the Russian military intervention in Syria: the calm before the storm?
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The ceasefire in Syria (which is not really a ceasefire, but rather a “focusing of combat operations”) is holding surprisingly well
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This is primarily due to the brilliant tactic of forcing each fighting group in Syria to define itself either as a “good moderate”, and be guaranteed safety, or as as en “evil terrorist” and become an indisputably legitimate target which anybody can engage
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By forcing each group to self-define itself the Russians have completely taken away any credibility from the rather ludicrous accusation that they were bombing the “good terrorists”
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Thus anybody taking up arms against the Syrian government is “bad” and a legitimate target for total elimination. QED.
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Ankara and Riyadh are giving all the signs of being up to no good. Not only does their rethoric remain bellicose, they are also playing all sorts of very dangerous military games: in a display of total irresponsibility and recklessness Saudi Arabia has reportedly engaged 150,000 troops in what the Saudis describe as “the 2nd largest military gathering since Desert Storm”. Other sources (here and here) speak of 350,000 troops (20 countries are now officially participating in these exercises). The Saudis have also moved 4 F-15S to the Incirlik air base in Turkey. This is not much, but this could be just a “tripwire force” which, if attacked, could justify the engagement of a much larger and reasonably modern Saudi Air Force (roughly 300 combat aircraft, 5 AWACS and 5 aerial refueling aircraft). Add in the Turkish Air Force (roughly 250 combat aircraft, 4 AWACS and 7 aerial refueling aircraft)
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even if this “Wahabi coalition” brings in a lot of airpower, their ground forces, while large, are far away from the conflict zone and do not have what it takes to take on the Syrian-Iranian-Hezbollah forces on the ground
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since the tiny Russian force in Syria cannot protect itself against such a large adversary, Russia would have no other option than to bring her long range strike capabilities (Aerospace Forces, cruise and ballistic missiles) into the fight
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in case of such a brazen Saudi-Turkish attack on Russian Forces I would fully expect Russian MiG-31s (possibly operating from Iran) to engage enemy aircraft. At the end of the day, neither Iran nor Russia will allow the Wahabis to overrun Syria and thus the Turks and Saudis need to ask themselves if they really want a war against Russia, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah
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A more likely scenario is that the US, Turkey and the Saudis are trying to find some way to rescue Daesh and to carve up some “Syrian Wahabistan”
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It appears that we are in the proverbial “calm before the storm” and that the war in Syria will soon re-ignite with a possibility even bigger intensity than so far
FBI Busts American CEO For Allegedly Shipping Rocket Powder To Iran
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On March 1, agents nabbed 44-year-old Erdal Kuyumcu of Woodside, New York—the CEO of Global Metallurgy, a self-described “provider of specialty metal products
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That Iranian government agencies or companies were allegedly trying to get their hands on cobalt-nickel powder
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despite having agreed to suspend its nuclear program, is still trying to develop ballistic missiles optimized for carrying an atomic warhead
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Iran’s armed forces—and the industries supporting them—are notoriously compartmentalized and prone to roguish behavior, even doing some initial work on weapons programs without official permission from the capital
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Cobalt-nickel powder could, for example, help Iranian engineers build their own jet engines for passenger planes
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In October, Iran test-launched a new Emad rocket with a reported range of more than 1,000 miles, a modest improvement over most of Iran’s existing ballistic missiles
Meet Captain Crunch, the Pentagon's Gun-Eating Machine
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Captain Crunch was put into operation in August 1993 as an efficient way to destroy unwanted firearms. Located at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama and operated by the Defense Logistics Agency, the Captain is an enormous shredder using intertwined blades that turns weapons made of wood, steel, aluminum and plastic into large pieces of junk.
Guns are fed onto a conveyor belt, which then dumps them into The Captain's gnashing maw. What's left is cut up with blowtorches to make sure it cannot be used to assemble a firearm and turned into scrap. The part with the serial number—the firearm's receiver—must be totally obliterated for the gun to be officially considered destroyed. The scrap in turn is sold to civilian buyers, which by 2007 was generating $12 million a year in sales.
Up to 2,500 weapons a day can be scrapped by Captain Crunch. Within just six months of commencing operation, Captain Crunch had ground up 300,000 firearms, including 110,000 M1911A1 semiautomatic pistols, 132,000 rifles, and 20,000 M3 "grease gun" submachine guns. The average cost of destroying each weapon was a mere $3.26. By 1995, the total was up to 600,000 guns.
Fox News reports that Captain Crunch has destroyed one million firearms, a number it could have achieved after just its third year of operation. The Captain is a hungry beast.
Indonesian Navy first Sigma PKR 10514 KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata & Philippine Navy first SSV BRP Tarlac in the background at PT PAL facility. Bridge module for the second Sigma PKR 10514 can be seen on the right. Credit to gombaljaya.
This post has been edited by azriel: Mar 8 2016, 03:42 PM
Myanmar Military Plane Crashes At Nay Pyi Taw Airport
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YANGON, March 8 (Bernama) -- A Myanmar military plane, which was moving from Tounggoo air base to Nay Pyi Taw to prepare for group training flight, had crashed at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport, an official report confirmed Tuesday.
The aircraft ran out of the runway when landing due to technical failure Monday noon, the report said, according to China's Xinhua news agency.
A drag parachute, that controls the speed, was broken, making the plane run out of the runway and hitting some three lamp-poles to stop.
There were no casualties, but some wheels, fuel tank and the front part of the plane were destroyied, the report added.
Because got permit. Everyone can do the same if you have the money and you can convince the Police that you really need such a measure. This one is Sultan Kelantan bodyguard. But still can't challenge Johor bodyguard.
This post has been edited by MrUbikeledek: Mar 8 2016, 04:41 PM
I've always wondered why some fighter planes always deploys parachutes during landing?
I get it in if in war situation, you sometimes have to use shorter field runways than what is needed for the plane and to slow down as fast as possible to land there you use the parachute. It is a good system to have in some adverse war/forward base situations.
But why still use this system in peacetime where you always have all the runway you need to land? Kesian all the parachute packers, each time fighter land have to pack new parachute.
I've always wondered why some fighter planes always deploys parachutes during landing?
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
I get it in if in war situation, you sometimes have to use shorter field runways than what is needed for the plane and to slow down as fast as possible to land there you use the parachute. It is a good system to have in some adverse war/forward base situations.
But why still use this system in peacetime where you always have all the runway you need to land? Kesian all the parachute packers, each time fighter land have to pack new parachute.
From my experience in Kerbal Space Program, it's because they haven't unlocked airbrakes
I've always wondered why some fighter planes always deploys parachutes during landing?
I get it in if in war situation, you sometimes have to use shorter field runways than what is needed for the plane and to slow down as fast as possible to land there you use the parachute. It is a good system to have in some adverse war/forward base situations.
But why still use this system in peacetime where you always have all the runway you need to land? Kesian all the parachute packers, each time fighter land have to pack new parachute.
ISIS Planned To Kidnap Malaysian Leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Says
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Islamic State militants have planned attacks in Malaysia including a plot to kidnap three of the country's top officials last year, a report said Tuesday, a week after Prime Minister Najib Razak vowed an unrelenting anti-terrorism fight
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"On Jan. 30, 2015, a total of 13 people with ties to Daesh [Islamic State group] had planned to kidnap the leaders, including the prime minister, home minister and defense minister," Zahid, who is also the home minister, said.
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The Islamic State group also planned to attack places of worship, as well as entertainment outlets in Malaysia
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And last year, a Malaysian bomb expert called Marwan, who was on the list of terrorists wanted by the United States, was killed by troops
However, an official Army contract document identifies the plane as an MC-12W Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System — a.k.a., EMARSS — based at Hunter Army Air Field in Georgia as of July 2015.
It’s not clear when the ground combat branch took charge of N6351V. The Air Force was clearly the original owner. Starting in 2009, the flying branch bought a fleet of more than 40 MC-12W spy planes to help meet ever-increasing demands for intelligence over battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It called the Beechcrafts after their project code name, “Liberty.” As the U.S. presence in Afghanistan wound down, the Air Force decided to give away the Liberty planes. Beginning in October 2015, the Army took a batch of eight of the MC-12Ws in order to convert them to the EMARSS standard, adding some additional surveillance equipment.
Somewhere along the line, some of the MC-12Ws apparently also adopted civilian guises. Aviation enthusiast Joe Baugher’s detailed database of U.S. military aircraft serial numbers notes that the particular aircraft that wound up in pieces in northern Iraq adopted its nebulous private registration on Aug. 8, 2012.
By 2019, the Army expects to have four different types of EMARSS planes, all with various types of surveillance gear, according to one unclassified briefing. Unless the plane has received additional modifications, this particular MC-12 sports — at the very least — gear that can scoop up enemy radio chatter and powerful video cameras for scanning down below.
The ex-Air Force MC-12Ws will get new Army-specific computer systems and other equipment. The spy systems will remain largely unchanged for the original. When the conversions are finished, the service plans to rename these particular aircraft “MC-12S-2.”
Still, we don’t know what unit owns the aerial spook or what it was doing near Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous region. Hunter is home to both the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
A spokesman at the public affairs office for Fort Stewart and Hunter told War Is Boring that the aircraft does not belong to the 224th. They offered no additional information about the plane or its assignment.
RMN To Receive First Littoral Combat Ships In 2019 - Hishammuddin
LUMUT, March 8 (Bernama) -- The efficiency of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will be further increased when it received the first batch of its Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) in 2019, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein said.
He said with the presence of the locally made combat ships, which also the biggest in Malaysia, the RMN would increase the combat capability of its combatant ships to 10 from four previously.
"With the twofold increase in its capability, of course more operations can be carried out quickly and more effectively, and hence improve the efficiency of our team.
"The LCS have the capability to be fully operational for offshore and deep sea patrol for a period of 21 days without having to resupply," he said at the LCS1 Keel Laying ceremony at the RMN base here today.
LCS are built, integrated and tested at the Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) here.
Hishammuddin said the full construction of the combat ships at the BNS premises had also restored public confidence in the skills and capabilities of local companies.
He said the LCS would be stationed at several vital areas, including in the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) areas.
The defence minister also gave assurance that the government would not compromise in the aspects of national security and defence despite the global economic uncertainty.
In another development, Hishammuddin said two apartment blocks for military personnel and their families at the RMN base here would be upgraded involving an allocation of RM22.5 million.
"The upgrading work is expected to begin in May and completed by year's end," he said, adding that the government would also build 300 houses at Bandar Baru Segari here, which will only be sold to members of Armed Forces Veterans Association at a price of RM100,000 each.
Because got permit. Everyone can do the same if you have the money and you can convince the Police that you really need such a measure. This one is Sultan Kelantan bodyguard. But still can't challenge Johor bodyguard.
that's his own army...
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 8 2016, 07:05 PM)
I've always wondered why some fighter planes always deploys parachutes during landing?
I get it in if in war situation, you sometimes have to use shorter field runways than what is needed for the plane and to slow down as fast as possible to land there you use the parachute. It is a good system to have in some adverse war/forward base situations.
But why still use this system in peacetime where you always have all the runway you need to land? Kesian all the parachute packers, each time fighter land have to pack new parachute.
Top Secret Area 6: Inside the Pentagon’s Drone Proving Ground
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Pike was referring to Area 6, a top secret military base in Yucca Flat. Located roughly a dozen miles southwest of the infamous Area 51, the site was once a testing ground for the US nuclear weapons program. While the base is operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), it is used jointly by both the US Defense Department and Homeland Security.
"They come here to test their own sensors," NNSA spokesman Darwin Morgan told the Las Vegas Review.
"We have controlled airspace and that gives them opportunities to test various types of platforms," he added. "We do a wide variety of work for others…supporting people with sensor development activities. It evolved from the nuclear testing program. We had to have very good sensors to collect data in a split second before they were obliterated."
Little is known about secretive location. Satellite imagery from Google Earth shows three separate hangars, as well as four small buildings. Stretching 5,000 feet into the desert is a runway.
Syria would be fully under ISIS control if not for Russia – Serbian president
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“If it [Russia] didn’t intervene, Syria would be a country of the so-called Islamic State [IS, ISIS/ISIL],”
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“Russia should be in the military aspect involved in the protection of Syria at the request from Syria, as it would mean protection from terrorism, and it is much better to be protected from it in Syria than in Russia,”
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Commenting on the breakthrough ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and the US, he called it “a very encouraging sign” and urged both parties to curb Turkey’s posture in the region, which he said was “the master” while “staying in the shadow.”
Djibouti: We Welcome the Establishment of a Saudi Military Base on Our Territory
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The Saudi Council of Ministers headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz entrusted the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is also Second Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence, or whoever he delegates, with discussions with the Djibouti government about a draft agreement on military cooperation between the two countries. On his part, Djibouti’s ambassador in Riyadh Ziauddin Bamakhrama said his country is looking forward to the signing of an agreement with Saudi Arabia to establish a Saudi military base on Djibouti territory.
Ahmad Zahid revealed that apart from the prime minister, he himself and Hishammuddin had also been the targets.
The deputy prime minister said besides the plot to kidnap, the group also planned attacks on places of worship and public places, steal firearms from army camps, as well as robbing cash to finance their activities.
As such, Hishammuddin gave assurance that all military camps, especially those with firearms store, would be tightly controlled to prevent trespassing by the so-called militants.
I remember that when we first arrived, the talk within the Brigade - we had a Malaysian Brigade Commander - was, "these Singaporeans cannot fight. They are city boys.” - LG (Ret) Winston Choo
What do you remember about National Service (NS)? Whether it’s rolling in the mud, getting drenched in the rain, itching from mosquito bites, waking up in the wee hours, kena-ing weekend guard duty, or surviving the tough training... it isn’t easy. No one said it’s gonna be easy. But like what our NSmen will tell you, all will pass. As much as people think Singaporeans are unfit softies, spoilt by our parents or fussed over by our maids, more than 900,000 of us have served the nation till date - and emerged better, and stronger.
Yes, city boys can fight, too. And city boys must fight as well - because they are all what Singapore has. We are the owners of our own destiny, and we need to be responsible for our own defence. Find out how Lieutenant-General (LG) (Ret) Winston Choo stepped up to the challenge during Konfrontasi, and how our city boys then fought to keep us safe.
“When I joined the military in 1959, the Singapore Armed Forces did not exist. Even Singapore did not exist then as an independent nation. After I was commissioned as an officer in 1961, I was in the 1st Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), who were all career soldiers.
In 1963, then-Indonesian president Sukarno launched the Konfrontasi or Confrontation campaign to oppose the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, which merged Singapore, Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
When the Confrontation broke out, we were sent to Sebatik Island south of Sabah - the northern half was under Malaysia, the southern half was under Indonesia. We were there conducting operations for about seven months.
Our role was to patrol the border areas and ensure that there were no intrusions by infiltrators into Sabah.
We went there expecting to take fire, expecting to fight. We didn't have any experience then and, of course, there was some degree of apprehension that we could lose our lives.
We had a real enemy across the border, and it is only natural that any person would feel fear. We were all carrying loaded weapons, and you don't carry loaded weapons unless you expect to use them.
When you go into an operational zone, you must go in with the expectation that this danger might happen. There was always this sense that we could be shot at.
But if you train your people well and motivate them well, they will fight - and fight well. We knew that it was professionally and operationally expected of us to fight.
I remember that when we first arrived, the talk within the Brigade - we had a Malaysian Brigade Commander - was, "these Singaporeans cannot fight. They are city boys.”
As it turned out, we could. There was shooting and mortar fire, and we continued with our operations. Our soldiers performed their tasks courageously and did not turn tail and run. Fortunately, those of us in 1 SIR didn't suffer any casualties, though our brothers from 2 SIR did in Kota Tinggi.
We executed our duties as professionals and we showed the rest that we were capable of fighting alongside the best of them.
But that was just the first battle that we had to fight.”
Read the rest of LG (Ret) Winston Choo’s journey through Singapore’s separation from Malaysia and independence here:
STRATFOR founder George Friedman: ‘Be ready for war’
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Last month, Business Insider sat down with George Friedman, the founder of Geopolitical Futures. Friedman is also the author of “The Next 100 Years” and founder of STRATFOR, the influential geopolitical forecasting firm
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Friedman warned that in the modern era, every period of peace has been a built-up towards a violent reckoning. “There has never been a century that has not had a systemic war — a systemic war, meaning when the entire system convulses,” Friedman continued, citing the Seven Years War, the Napoleonic Wars, and the world wars
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“When you have the countries like Germany, China, and Russia decline, and be replaced by others, that’s when systemic wars start,” Friedman explains. “That’s when it gets dangerous, because they haven’t yet reached a balance. So Germany united in 1871 and all hell broke loose. Japan rose in the early 20th century, and then you had chaos. So we’re looking at a systemic shift. Be ready for war.”
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Well the most likely emerging countries are Japan, Turkey, and Poland. So I would say Eastern Europe, the Middle East and a maritime war by Japan with the United States enjoying its own pleasures.
But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It’s not that process that’s dangerous, it’s the emerging position that’s dangerous.
Revealed: Anti-Aircraft Missile Sinks US Navy Ship in Test
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The USS Reuben James, which was also featured in the filmed version of Clancy’s The Hunt For Red October, went down after being hit by an anti-surface warfare variant of the Raytheon Standard Missile-6 as part of a test of the U.S. Navy’s new “distributed lethality” warfighting concept. The ship had already been decommissioned in 2013.
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The vertically launched supersonic SM-6 missile, originally designed to intercept incoming aircraft and cruise missiles, was fired from the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones on January 18, hitting the USS James Reuben anchored at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Hawaii.
“The test was a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s concept of ‘distributed lethality,’ employing ships in dispersed formations to increase the offensive might of the surface force and enabling future options for the joint force commander,” according to a Raytheon press release.
“Distributed lethality is about having such overwhelming offensive superiority that no potential threat would consider attacking. And if for some reason they did attack, they would lose decisively and rapidly,” said former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer William J. Parker III, one of the minds behind the distributed lethality concept, in an interview with The Diplomat.
Part of the Navy’s distributed lethality concept has been to modify existing weapon systems and employ them in missions for which they were not originally designed. It was obviously with that in mind that U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told reporters in February 2016: “We are going to create a brand-new capability. We’re modifying the SM-6 so that in addition to missile defense, it can also target enemy ships at sea at very long ranges.”
The Mach 3.5+ SM-6 has an effective range of approximately 200 (some say 250) nautical miles (around 370 kilometers) outranging the U.S. Navy’s other major anti-surface weapon, the Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon anti-surface missile. The SM-6 provides U.S. fleets with an over-the-horizon engagement capability.
The Pentagon Is Finally Designing Combat Gear for Women
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The program was initially suggested to help in recruitment, but a spokesperson for the Department of Defense said that keeping women in the military was a key factor in deciding the program’s effectiveness.
“The pilot is designed as a two-year trial, with an option to renew it up to five times based on the impacts, efficiency, and effectiveness of the program on women’s retention,” the spokesperson said, adding that the department has budgeted $150 million for the program. “We do believe … that this new benefit will have positive effects on women’s retention, over time.”
F-35 Bug Forces Pilots to Turn Radar Off and Back On Again
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Major General Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the F-35 Integration Office, explained the problem being with the fighter's "radar stability—the radar's ability to stay up and running," according to analysts at IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. "What would happen is [pilots would] get a signal that says either a radar degrade or a radar fail—something that would force us to restart the radar."
The issue apparently started cropping up in late 2015, and with coders diverted to fixing the problem, Lockheed Martin is hoping for a reboot-free fix by the end of the month.
This isn't the first knock on the F-35's software. Internal memos from the Department of Defense have highlighted fears that the fighter's software might not be sufficiently shielded against cyber attacks. There have also been an assortment of sensor issues that, if not quickly fixed, stand to push back a declaration of combat readiness for the Air Force's F-35A variant from August 1st until later in the year.
We believe that the Lebanese armed forces deserve the support of the international community," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
"Assistance to the Lebanese armed forces and to other legitimate state institutions is essential to help diminish the role of Hezbollah and its foreign patrons," he said, in an implicit swipe at Iran.
"We've raised our concerns about the reports of aid cut off with the Saudi authorities. I'm not going to talk about the details of that."
Top IS commander targeted in coalition strike in Syria: US official
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Al-Shishani is the nom de guerre of Tarkhan Batirashvili, an ethnic Chechen from the former Soviet state of Georgia who has a $5 million US bounty on his head. He is widely known as “Omar the Chechen".
QUOTE
Known for his flowing red beard, he is believed to be one of IS's top military commanders
QUOTE
A US official speaking on condition of anonymity said al-Shishani "likely died" in the assault by waves of US warplanes and drones, along with 12 other IS fighters.
PT PAL readies lead Philippine SSV for first sea trials
Ridzwan Rahmat, Surabaya - IHS Jane's Navy International 07 March 2016
Key Points
• The first of two amphibious ships on order for the Philippine Navy is being prepared for sea trials • The ships will be delivered to the Philippine government without weapons
The first strategic sealift vessel (SSV) on order for the Philippine Navy (PN) is being prepared for its first sea trials, PT PAL executives told IHS Jane's during a tour of the company's shipyard in Surabaya on 8 March.
The first strategic sealift vessel (SSV) on order for the Philippine Navy is being prepared for its first sea trials in April 2016. (IHS/Ridzwan Rahmat)
The 123 m vessel, which will be commissioned as BRP Tarlac with pennant number 601, is the first of two landing platform dock (LPD)-like vessels procured under a contract worth USD92 million signed in June 2014 between PT PAL and the Philippine government.
Royal Malaysian Navy to consolidate its ship classes to prepare for the future
Depiction of the Royal Malaysian Navy's LCS-SGPV design
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is set to consolidate all its naval units from 15 classes to five in an effort to strengthen the country’s maritime security.
Navy chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said this is part of the RMN’s transformation programme to strengthen its armada and also to be cost effective.
“The replacement process will be done in stages. We will focus on the abilities of the local industry and from 15 classes we will consolidate it to five classes.
“The five classes are New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV), Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), submarines, Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) and Multi Support Ships.
“This will be done in accordance with the allocation set by the Government,” he said after accompanying Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to launch the keel-laying ceremony for the first of six LCS’ at the Boustead Naval Shipyard here yesterday.
The RMN is set to be bolstered by six LCS built by Bousted, an associate company under Bousted Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad (BHIC).
Royal Malaysian Navy to consolidate its ship classes to prepare for the future
Depiction of the Royal Malaysian Navy's LCS-SGPV design
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is set to consolidate all its naval units from 15 classes to five in an effort to strengthen the country’s maritime security.
Navy chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said this is part of the RMN’s transformation programme to strengthen its armada and also to be cost effective.
“The replacement process will be done in stages. We will focus on the abilities of the local industry and from 15 classes we will consolidate it to five classes.
“The five classes are New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV), Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), submarines, Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) and Multi Support Ships.
“This will be done in accordance with the allocation set by the Government,” he said after accompanying Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to launch the keel-laying ceremony for the first of six LCS’ at the Boustead Naval Shipyard here yesterday.
The RMN is set to be bolstered by six LCS built by Bousted, an associate company under Bousted Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad (BHIC).
Considering the expanse of the South China Sea, it seems pretty weird nearly all of RMN's Naval bases in peninsular Malaysia are fronting the Malacca straits.
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Considering the expanse of the South China Sea, it seems pretty weird nearly all of RMN's Naval bases in peninsular Malaysia are fronting the Malacca straits.
Considering the expanse of the South China Sea, it seems pretty weird nearly all of RMN's Naval bases in peninsular Malaysia are fronting the Malacca straits.
We can re-position all the bases to face South China Sea but be prepared for the straight to be re-named from "Selat Melaka" to "Selat Sumatra" one day.
We can re-position all the bases to face South China Sea but be prepared for the straight to be re-named from "Selat Melaka" to "Selat Sumatra" one day.
+1
So, 5 classes of combat and amphib ships la. Okays... MCM? hydro survey? replen?
littoral this littoral that... whatever happened to patrol fucking boat
Probably coined by the same people who coined the phrase 'kinetic military action'.
I think the 'multi support ships' cover those jobs. The job scope seems pretty broad.
Mehsia don't have to follow mah... unless we really do use "aksi kinetik ketenteraan"
If we really can consolidate then it'll be fantastic... but replen and MCM can combine roles? at least need 6th class unless the Littoral Mission Ship is not just patrol boat but actually MCM/patrolboat, which would be verrryy interesting
Mehsia don't have to follow mah... unless we really do use "aksi kinetik ketenteraan"
If we really can consolidate then it'll be fantastic... but replen and MCM can combine roles? at least need 6th class unless the Littoral Mission Ship is not just patrol boat but actually MCM/patrolboat, which would be verrryy interesting
I think these classes do not refer to a single ship class, but rather refers to ship designations. I can see probably 2-3 ship types of each class under this revamp. Different ships under the same designation. For example the term NGPV can be used as a blanket term for several class of frigate-class ships. LCS can be used for any type of OPV/Corvette-class ship, stuff like that.
Surely they don't mean RMN LCS only one single type of ship, NGPV one single type of ship, like that. Because it is rather ridiculous and silly if RMN have 5 ship types only in the entire fleet.
I think these classes do not refer to a single ship class, but rather refers to ship designations. I can see probably 2-3 ship types of each class under this revamp. Different ships under the same designation. For example the term NGPV can be used as a blanket term for several class of frigate-class ships. LCS can be used for any type of OPV/Corvette-class ship, stuff like that.
Surely they don't mean RMN LCS only one single type of ship, NGPV one single type of ship, like that. Because it is rather ridiculous and silly if RMN have 5 ship types only in the entire fleet.
Yeah well, see how it develops. Certainly a good idea if we finally do move away from picking up odd ships here and there and limited production runs of various designs.... but as always with Mehsia, planning excellent but we have to see how its executed
In Queue for Perfection: Indonesia to Receive First Russian Su-35 in 2018
08:47 09.03.2016 (updated 10:30 09.03.2016)
Indonesia will not receive the first batch of Russian Su-35 multirole fighters earlier than in 2018 due to the overload of the aircraft's sole manufacturer with domestic and international orders, media reported Wednesday, citing a source in the Russian Defense Ministry.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in March, Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu announced Moscow and Jakarta would sign in April a contract for the delivery of 10 Russian Su-35 Flanker multirole fighter jets to replace Indonesia’s fleet of F-5 Tigers.
The manufacturer had produced 14 Su-35, several Su-30МК2 aircraft for Vietnam and modernized Su-27 in 2015, the Russian Izvestia newspaper reported.
"Today, a full transition of the enterprise to the production of modern Su-35 is on the agenda. However, this will not affect the queue. The plant is due to produce 50 aircraft for Russia's Aerospace Forces within five years, and 24 for China. Indonesians could expect to receive two jets in 2018 in a best-case scenario," the source told the newspaper.
The Su-35S is a 4++ generation one-seater, an upgraded version of the Su-27 multirole fighter with features comparable to a 5-generation aircraft. It is characterized by supermaneuverability and is equipped with new avionics, a modern radar and advanced engines. It can accomplish incredible tricks without deceleration and can fly at a speed of 2400 kmph, outpacing all rivals in its class. The warplane is armed with 30mm guns, a huge number of missiles and rockets.
More interested what multi roll support ship will be
Sekali bunga mas 5 again is support ship hahah
A ro-ro type ship will be much better use as a logistics support ship between west-east Malaysia. Doesn't really need a good port with heavy duty equipment to unload heavy vehicles, any dock will do. Vehicles just drive away off the ramp.
Renting out land for foreign military bases has been the major income source for Djibouti.
poor country mang.... anything goes
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 9 2016, 04:22 PM)
Considering the expanse of the South China Sea, it seems pretty weird nearly all of RMN's Naval bases in peninsular Malaysia are fronting the Malacca straits.
that's where all major national assets are
QUOTE(KLboy92 @ Mar 9 2016, 04:47 PM)
+1
So, 5 classes of combat and amphib ships la. Okays... MCM? hydro survey? replen?
littoral this littoral that... whatever happened to patrol fucking boat
tada $$$ mang
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 9 2016, 05:24 PM)
I think these classes do not refer to a single ship class, but rather refers to ship designations. I can see probably 2-3 ship types of each class under this revamp. Different ships under the same designation. For example the term NGPV can be used as a blanket term for several class of frigate-class ships. LCS can be used for any type of OPV/Corvette-class ship, stuff like that.
Surely they don't mean RMN LCS only one single type of ship, NGPV one single type of ship, like that. Because it is rather ridiculous and silly if RMN have 5 ship types only in the entire fleet.
true... a certain class might have different modules depending on mission objective
A ro-ro type ship will be much better use as a logistics support ship between west-east Malaysia. Doesn't really need a good port with heavy duty equipment to unload heavy vehicles, any dock will do. Vehicles just drive away off the ramp.
Asia pivot: Aussies may host US long-range bombers, incl. nuclear-capable B-1
QUOTE
We're in the process of talking about rotational forces, bombers and tankers out of Australia and it gives us the opportunity to train with Australia," Commander of US Pacific Air Forces, General Lori Robinson, told journalists in Canberra as cited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
QUOTE
"The Enhanced Air Cooperation Initiative, which is part of the Force Posture Initiative, is in development and will result in increased rotations of US Air Force elements through northern Australia," she said.
QUOTE
While America has no territorial claims of its own, it insists that the area in question should be considered international space with no nation able to restrict access to it. US warships and planes conduct regular ‘Freedom of Navigation’ missions trough the China-claimed waters and airspace, which Beijing rebukes as provocative.
Several news outlets reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense awarded a contract to modernize 154 T-72B-series tanks into “T-72B3 with additional protection”. No photos or specifications of the new vehicle have been published, but a number of analysts have voiced the opinion that the latest round of modernization will bring up the vehicles to the T-72B3 “Tank Biathlon” standard, sometimes referred to as T-72B3M or T-72B4.
The Tank Biathlon vehicles differ from other T-72B3s by having an independent crew commander tank thermal sight (visible on top of the turret right between the crew hatches) which allows the vehicle to operate in a “hunter-killer” mode where the vehicle commander is searching for the next target while the gunner is engaging the current one, which considerably increases the speed of engagement and takes advantage of the T-72B3s improved autoloader’s higher rate of fire. Thus modified T-72B3s apparently demonstrated a sufficient performance advantage over regular T-72B3s to warrant making the experimental modernization into a standard service one.
The vehicles will also have improved protection, which will most likely be based on the experiences from the use of T-72 tanks in Ukraine and Syria, and T-90 tanks in Syria.
It is not yet known which units will receive the new vehicles. 154 tanks is enough to equip 5 tank battalions. These battalions could be assigned to individual motorized rifle and tank brigades, or they could fully equip one of the divisions that are in the process of being reconstituted and whose tables of organization have not yet been announced.
The news of continuing T-72 enhancements also suggests that the Russian military has opted not to modernize T-90 tanks to the T-90SM standard, even though such an upgrade was suggested at the Armiya-2015 exhibition. At any rate, no T-90 modernization contracts have been issued yet.
Joined: Jan 2008
From: KL - Cardiff - Subang - Sydney
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 9 2016, 12:42 PM)
Royal Malaysian Navy to consolidate its ship classes to prepare for the future
Depiction of the Royal Malaysian Navy's LCS-SGPV design
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is set to consolidate all its naval units from 15 classes to five in an effort to strengthen the country’s maritime security.
Navy chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said this is part of the RMN’s transformation programme to strengthen its armada and also to be cost effective.
“The replacement process will be done in stages. We will focus on the abilities of the local industry and from 15 classes we will consolidate it to five classes.
“The five classes are New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV), Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), submarines, Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) and Multi Support Ships.
“This will be done in accordance with the allocation set by the Government,” he said after accompanying Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to launch the keel-laying ceremony for the first of six LCS’ at the Boustead Naval Shipyard here yesterday.
The RMN is set to be bolstered by six LCS built by Bousted, an associate company under Bousted Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad (BHIC).
does this mean there is a bigger ship coming to our inventory? since the gowind is just LCS according to the article
That one until I grow old and have grandchildren also no hope la.
ask your relative or family member join politic & serve country , one day it maybe become minister than have right to built national defense, you can become consultancy/advisory
For that size, most just add light weapon, still ASW i think, AAW too hard for NGPV。 offcouse light Air defense missile/ Anti-Ship missile/Torpedo still possible have。 Even LCS also not enough to built proper AAW ship, maybe even we naver built AAW ship in future due to Gov/MOD culture think Air defense in Airforce job.
This post has been edited by waja2000: Mar 9 2016, 08:44 PM
Believe It or Not, Russia Dislikes Relying on Military Contractors
QUOTE
Russian president Vladimir Putin pointed out the need for Russia to pass contractor-friendly legislation
QUOTE
The right-wing A Just Russia Party proposed a draft of the PMC bill in November 2014, but the Duma defense committee rejected it
QUOTE
The FSB security agency and the Ministry of Defense both voiced concern of one day seeing “tens of thousands of uncontrollable Rambos turning their weapons against the government.”
QUOTE
Only a few months after Putin’s speech in favor of PMCs, the Russian president dismissed Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov for his involvement in an outsourcing scandal.
QUOTE
RSB Group, arguably the most important Russian PMC, offers a wide array of services, from the protection of oil and gas installations and airports, to the provision of escorts for convoys in conflict zones or cargo vessels in piracy-stricken waters.
QUOTE
RSB also provides mine-clearing services, military training, intelligence and analysis. Moran Security Group, another first-rate Russian PMC, offers teams for hostage-rescue and cargo-retrieval.
QUOTE
In eastern Ukraine in 2015, several local separatist warlords died violently in apparent assassinations.
QUOTE
numerous separatists point to a single culprit — the TchVK (that’s Russian for “private military company”) Wagner, a band of Russian contractors who allegedly also took part in the battle of Debaltseve in February 2015
QUOTE
The TchVK Wagner saga does not end in the Donbass region. On Dec. 18, 2015, The Wall Street Journal revealed that at least nine contractors, allegedly members of this armed group, died in western Syria
QUOTE
In the autumn of 2013, the Slavonic Corps, 267 men strong, traveled to Syria to help defend an oil installation in the sector of Homs
QUOTE
Badly equipped and misinformed, the contractors decided to return to Russia
QUOTE
Furthermore it seems the Russian army in Syria does not make use of these two PMCs. For sure, these companies do employ droves of former FSB agents, and one can easily imagine that they offer piecemeal services to the Russian state while on duty abroad, especially in Africa
QUOTE
Russia already has perfectly suitable pawns — and need not legalize private military companies to staff its shadowy foreign forays. “History has shown it is far more simple to use ‘volunteers’ in order to resolve problems abroad,” Krinitsyn says. “It is always possible to disown them.”
does this mean there is a bigger ship coming to our inventory? since the gowind is just LCS according to the article
I think the NGPV will refer to frigate-class ships
QUOTE(DDG_Ross @ Mar 9 2016, 07:50 PM)
apparently one of rmn wishlist is more kedah class "improved" version
according to marhalim abas - editor of malaysiandefence.com
Wanna improve how la pulak? Just install those 'fitted for but not with' RAM and Exocet missiles la. Too long time waiting if you ask me. You'll practically get instant 6 brand-new missile corvettes instead of stuck with 6 OPVs that can't do much.
Their radar and electronics are very modern and capable AFAIK but they lack the punch to do real Navy work.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 9 2016, 09:53 PM
Houthis and Saudis agree border 'calm' and prisoner swap
QUOTE
Houthis have freed a Saudi soldier in return for seven detained Yemenis as part of a tribal-mediated border truce agreed by both sides
QUOTE
The Houthis had sent a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss a truce along the frontier
QUOTE
"There will be talks between Saudi and Houthis to seek a way to build trust and end the war in Yemen because all previous negotiations with UN mediation saw lots of things lost in translation, so it is better to meet directly for all side to talk about steps to stop the war,"
QUOTE
More than 90 people - both military and civilian - have been killed on the Saudi side of the border by fire from Yemen during the conflict
North Korea’s state-news agency claimed early Wednesday that the country has successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads that are able to fit atop ballistic missiles. The claim came a month after the Hermit Kingdom reported a successful nuclear test that again rattled the international community. In new photos released by the state-run news service, leader Kim Jong Un is shown meeting with nuclear scientists and technicians while standing next to a purported warhead. CNN reports that analysts say North Korea does not yet have the ability to launch a strike on U.S. soil, despite fears of the nation’s progress.
Putin warns Kim Jong-un that making threats of 'preventive nuclear strikes' could create a legal basis for military action against the rogue state
QUOTE
Russia has warned Kim Jong-Un to stop threatening to launch nuclear weapons on foreign powers, as it could create 'a legal basis' for military action against North Korea.
The Houthi forces recaptured Al-Kabeen region in Lahij province on Sunday night. Dozens of Saudi soldiers were killed and injured from the Yemeni forces’ assault. Meanwhile, the Yemeni army and popular forces made considerable advances in Marib province, killing a large number of Saudi forces and injuring many others.
QUOTE
The industrialized countries of Western Europe depend on oil from the Persian Gulf, and the shortest route for tankers is through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal.
QUOTE
This maritime route is also important for China, who wants to include it in its project of the Maritime Silk Road
QUOTE
During the Cold War, Yemen represented a battlefield between Tellurocratic and Thalassocratic powers. The major continental power, the Soviet Union, managed to seize control of Southern Yemen, a former British colony, gaining control over the port of Aden near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, unified Yemen fell under Saudi influence.
QUOTE
It is significant that the Saudi Najran region, which borders Yemen, is populated by Shia Sulaimani Ismailis, who are ethnically close to the population of Northern Yemen and are oppressed by the Wahhabi leadership of the kingdom. 10% of the Saudi population is Shia-Muslims. They populate the part of the country that is close to the Persian Gulf where the major oil reserves are situated. By supporting the oppressed Shia population in the Saudi kingdom, Iran can eventually destroy its main enemy in the Middle East. In turn, Saudi Arabia firstly wants to eradicate the Houthi rule in Yemen, and at the same time terrorize its own Shia population
QUOTE
The kingdom cannot defeat the main enemy – the Houthi led government. The Houthis control the Yemeni capital Sana, and most of the former Northern Yemen.
The Saudi proxy, Al-Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula, acts more independently. It is capturing more and more cities previously controlled by the Hadi-government supported by Riyadh.
QUOTE
Houthi rebels use tactical ballistic missiles including SCUD, Tochka, and Qaher-1 against interventionist forces, hitting bases on Saudi territory and destroying the ships of the coalition. Jizan airport, Aramco oil installations, and the Faisal military base were all attacked.
QUOTE
Houthi-rebels, with the support of local tribes torn from Saudi Arabia, are now attacking the province of Najran, and have invaded Jizan, capturing another Saudi base
QUOTE
Saudi Arabia and their allies are trying to salvage the situation by using mercenaries from all over the world, including Latin America (specifically Columbia) and the US. Houthi forces have managed to kill some of the mercenary commanders
QUOTE
Saudi Arabia is forecasted to lose the war. The impasse that is the Yemeni war could be the beginning of the collapse of the kingdom
For that size, most just add light weapon, still ASW i think, AAW too hard for NGPV。 offcouse light Air defense missile/ Anti-Ship missile/Torpedo still possible have。 Even LCS also not enough to built proper AAW ship, maybe even we naver built AAW ship in future due to Gov/MOD culture think Air defense in Airforce job.
Japan’s New 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Jet Doing Well in Tests
QUOTE
Japan’s new Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) revealed that tests of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries experimental fifth-generation fighter technology demonstrator (ATD-X), now dubbed X-2 and unofficially named ‘ShinShin,’
QUOTE
Delays in the development of the X-2 prototype have not been unusual; various technical problems, including issues with the engine control software, have repeatedly pushed back the testing timeline
QUOTE
The X-2 is the country’s first domestically produced full-scale test model—a technology demonstrator—of a new indigenous stealth fighter jet design, which has been under development at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant in Toyoyama since 2009, with total program costs estimated at 39.4 billion yen (around $331 million).
QUOTE
The aircraft—an “advanced technology demonstration unit,” according to the Defense Technical Research and Development Institute –unveiled to the press will not be armed and is slated to be retired in three years, after having undergone extensive tests of advanced fifth-generation fighter technologies, for which Japan’s Defense Ministry has allocated 2.3 billion yen ($19.3 million) in the next fiscal year alone. It will be a testbed platform for multiple technologies including next generation electronically scanned array radar systems, multi-dimensional 3D thrust vectoring concepts, and fine-tune the aircraft’s stealth capabilities. (The X-2 features a special carbon-fiber composite material that absorbs radar waves.)
QUOTE
The X-2 will be the basis for the production of the country’s first indigenously-designed fifth-generation air superiority fighter, dubbed the F-3, with serial production tentatively scheduled to begin in 2027.
North Korean Nuclear Missile Could Explode on Launch - Military Tactician
QUOTE
Any attempt to mount a warhead on a missile is fraught with danger at the launching pad," Macgregor stated on Wednesday. "The modest North Korean nuclear stockpile presents more of a danger to North Korea than to anyone outside of the country."
QUOTE
North Korea’s threat to the US mainland is negligible, if that. North Korea is a dead man walking," he maintained.
QUOTE
The country’s] rocket scientists have performed miracles given the terrible working conditions and paucity of resources to support the North Korean missile development program, but the outcome is pathetic," he noted.
QUOTE
"It’s a mistake to impute too much capability to North Korea. North Korea is weaker now than at any time since US forces approached the Yalu River [in December 1950]," Macgregor added.
QUOTE
Doug Macgregor is a US war commander whose squadron destroyed an entire Iraqi Armored Brigade in 23 minutes, while suffering only one casualty, at the Battle of 73 Easting, a decisive tank fight during the 1991 Gulf War
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Is Still a Huge Mess
QUOTE
Buried inside 48 pages of highly technical language is a gripping story of mismanagement, delayed tests, serious safety issues, a software nightmare and maintenance problems crippling half the fleet at any given time
QUOTE
Some of the technical challenges facing the program will take years to correct and, as a result, the F-35’s operationally demonstrated suitability for combat will not be known until 2022
QUOTE
Tests of the F-35’s ability to fire and drop the majority of its planned weapons in a combat-realistic operating environment won’t actually begin until the Block 3F configuration in 2021. Accomplishing those will require a total of 50 test events
QUOTE
DOT&E believes these more complicated test events “cannot be accomplished within the remaining time planned by the Program Office to complete Block 3F flight test” in May 2017.
QUOTE
The program currently has a five- percent discovery rate for simpler developmental testing. This means that for every 100 tests, five new problems are discovered. These new discoveries then have to be fixed and tested again, which is a costly and time-consuming process
QUOTE
testing of the fixes — “include the ejection seat for safe separation, wing fuel tank over-pressurization and the life-limitations of the F-35B bulkhead.”
QUOTE
The F-35 has had significant trouble with uncommanded “wing drop.” This means flaws in the aircraft’s aerodynamics under heavy maneuvering loads cause the aircraft to occasionally make sudden, uncommanded movements in the air.
QUOTE
During one test flight of an F-35C — the U.S. Navy’s JSF model — excessive buffeting “adversely affected performance in defensive maneuvering where precise control of bank angles and altitude must be maintained while the F-35C is in a defensive position and the pilot is monitoring an offensive aircraft.”
QUOTE
Buffeting and the reduced maneuverability caused by the associated control law software “fixes” featured prominently in the now famous example of the F-35 losing 17 dogfights to a 35-year-old, heavily-laden F-16
QUOTE
In an attempt to find a less compromising buffet fix, spoilers were fitted to test F-35s. These spoilers somewhat reduce the separation of airflow from the wing to lessen the shaking of the airplane during heavy maneuvering, and test pilots have reported some improvement in the buffeting as a result.
QUOTE
October 2015 after it emerged that he had grounded pilots weighing fewer than 136 pounds because mannequin tests showed that the ejection seat would kill them — and that no mannequin testing at all had been done for pilots weighing 137 to 244 pounds.
QUOTE
The ALIS software went through four different versions in 2015 — ALIS 1.0.3, ALIS 2.0.0, ALIS 2.0.1, and ALIS 2.0.1.1. While evaluating the software, personnel identified two Category I deficiencies and 56 Category II deficiencies in ALIS 1.0.3. One of the Category I deficiencies, for example, could prevent aircraft from taking off.
QUOTE
These false positive health reports are not rare. Field reports say that 80 percent of ALIS-reported problems turn out to be false. This places a massive extra burden on the F-35’s already over-worked maintenance force.
QUOTE
Pentagon officials have already acknowledged the F-35 program suffered a major breach when a foreign power, presumably China, hacked into an unclassified F-35 contractor computer network and stole massive technical data files.
QUOTE
The program office validated the strong need for F-35 cyber testing in the reasoning they gave for cancelling it. The computer glitch that allows ALIS to ground an aircraft would be an obvious target for an enemy cyber warrior.
QUOTE
Operation Steel Knight is an annual event for the Marine Corps. Detailed planning for it begins at least six months before the first units move out to the field. Maintenance crews had months to prepare the necessary aircraft to support this exercise and they still barely managed to get the planes to fly once every three days. A future enemy will likely not be so considerate as to provide advanced notice.
QUOTE
But DOT&E found that significant combat deficiencies remain. “If used in combat, the Block 2B F-35 will need support from command and control elements to avoid threats, assist in target acquisition, and control weapons employment for the limited weapons carriage available (i.e., two bombs, two air-to-air missiles).”
QUOTE
The same problem preventing F-35s from taking off in a lightning storm also prevents them from performing hard maneuvers with full fuel tanks. Fully fueled F-35’s are limited to only three Gs because harder maneuvering could increase the pressure in the siphon tanks beyond their limits.
QUOTE
The cost to implement retrofits and the purchase price of planes made obsolete because they never are fixed add up to the program’s “concurrency tax.” With several years of development and testing still to come, the amount of this tax will continue to spiral ever upwards.
QUOTE
The DOT&E report makes perfectly clear that any further F-35 production at this point is unwise. The plane has yet to prove itself capable of performing even the basic combat tasks used to originally sell the program to the American people.
National Security Council deploys 5 Platoons of Askar Wataniah to help clear illegal exploration in Cameron Highlands
Yesterday, the National Security Council (NSC) has directed five Territorial Army platoons to assist Cameron Highlands District and Land Offices to help clear illegal exploration in the highlands.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the directive was issued to military personnel involved to conduct operations against illegal exploration in situ involving three shifts.
Shahidan also asks the Cameron Highlands District Officer, Datuk A. Rahman Hamzah to launch a campaign to plant a million trees in the highlands immediately.
Basic Amenities Committee chairman and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Ir. Mohd. Soffi Abdul Razak said the state government welcomed any action and the government's efforts to restore the resort concerned. "Continuous efforts to conserve and preserve not only the areas in Cameron Highlands but across the country are actions that should be supported by all parties," he said.
National Security Council deploys 5 Platoons of Askar Wataniah to help clear illegal exploration in Cameron Highlands
Yesterday, the National Security Council (NSC) has directed five Territorial Army platoons to assist Cameron Highlands District and Land Offices to help clear illegal exploration in the highlands.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the directive was issued to military personnel involved to conduct operations against illegal exploration in situ involving three shifts.
Shahidan also asks the Cameron Highlands District Officer, Datuk A. Rahman Hamzah to launch a campaign to plant a million trees in the highlands immediately.
Basic Amenities Committee chairman and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Ir. Mohd. Soffi Abdul Razak said the state government welcomed any action and the government's efforts to restore the resort concerned. "Continuous efforts to conserve and preserve not only the areas in Cameron Highlands but across the country are actions that should be supported by all parties," he said.
RELA many are old folks now, young pipul dont join as much at least based on MY grandpa's RELA pictars Wataniah got Khairy
Donno about your area, but my area got a good percentage of young people (20-30 years old) in RELA. I know at least 10 RELA members around my age (I'm 29) in my housing area alone. I guess it helps that the RELA leftenant in my district very active in recruiting for new members.
Ridzwan Rahmat, Surabaya - IHS Jane's Navy International 08 March 2016
Key Points
* Indonesia is acquiring a fourth KCR-60M missile-armed fast attack craft * Vessels in the class will be equipped with a Chinese-developed combat management system
The Indonesian government has placed an order for a fourth KCR-60M-class missile-armed fast attack craft, PT PAL officials told IHS Jane's during a visit to the shipyard on 8 March.
A KCR-60M-class fast attack craft seen off Langkawi during the LIMA 2015 exhibition. Indonesia is acquiring a fourth vessel in the class. (IHS/Ridzwan Rahmat)
"Although a contract for the vessel has not yet been signed, we have been given instructions to build it. A formal contract is expected very soon, most probably in the next few months," said Tjahjono Yudo, general manager of corporate strategic planning at the state-owned shipyard.
PT PAL targets September 2016 completion of submarine-building facility
Ridzwan Rahmat, Surabaya - IHS Jane's Navy International 08 March 2016
A plant for constructing submarines is being built at PT PAL's premises in Surabaya, where work on the complex is scheduled to complete by September 2016, the company's executives told IHS Jane's on 8 March during a tour of the shipyard.
The submarine-building facility under construction on PT PAL's premises in Surabaya as of March 2016. (IHS/Ridzwan Rahmat)
"Construction of the third Chang Bogo-class submarine is scheduled to begin from October 2016 at this facility," said Tjahjono Yudo, PT PAL's general manager of corporate strategic planning.
The plant's set-up has been designed to mimic Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's (DSME's) facility in South Korea, he said. He added that PT PAL personnel are currently in Okpo to understudy the construction of the first two boats.
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International 08 March 2016
Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) has laid down the keel for the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) first Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS) at its facilities in Lumut.
A model of Malaysia's SGPV-LCS platform currently under construction in Lumut. (Dzirhan Mahadzir)
The vessel, which is the first of six 111 m platforms ordered under a MYR9 billion (USD2.2 billion) contract awarded to BNS in July 2014, was laid down on 8 March in a ceremony attended by Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
The 3,000-tonne platform is based on the Gowind 2500 corvette designed by French shipbuilder DCNS. The SGPV-LCS's suite of sensors includes the Thales Nederland SMART-S Mk 2 3-D multibeam radar, Rheinmetall's TMEO Mk 2 TMX/EO radar/electro-optical tracking and fire-control system, and the Thales Captas-2 low-frequency variable-depth sonar for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.
Just some basic labor job, no need to call regular army, reservists are enough. Don't even need weapons deployed I bet.
I was surprised the RELA corps wasn't given the job in the first place. At least a welcome break from terrorizing illegal immigrants.
a lot of them are giving rela a bad name... some are making them look like thugs in uniform... extorting $$$ and abusing their authority
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 10 2016, 01:32 PM)
Donno about your area, but my area got a good percentage of young people (20-30 years old) in RELA. I know at least 10 RELA members around my age (I'm 29) in my housing area alone. I guess it helps that the RELA leftenant in my district very active in recruiting for new members.
yea... to help create employment i think.. some being made to work as secu guards at gov installations... lelz
yea... to help create employment i think.. some being made to work as secu guards at gov installations... lelz
Most members are part-time volunteers. Very hard to find full-time professional RELA members as they pay around RM6 per hour as allowance. I think most cases of corruption and thuggery happen in non-urban areas that have many illegals. In most cases they are decent people.
In my area they mostly do night patrols of the neighborhood. Most residents very supportive of them and leave out snacks and coffee for them. Sometimes they also help manage traffic if there are events like weddings and such.
Most members are part-time volunteers. Very hard to find full-time professional RELA members as they pay around RM6 per hour as allowance. I think most cases of corruption and thuggery happen in non-urban areas that have many illegals. In most cases they are decent people.
In my area they mostly do night patrols of the neighborhood. Most residents very supportive of them and leave out snacks and coffee for them. Sometimes they also help manage traffic if there are events like weddings and such.
see some old folks guarding bus n ferry terminals... i guess they are paid... sad to see black sheeps spoil their image
During the 60s - 80s, Wataniah spend as much time in deployment as a regular army. At that time, if you see soldiers guarding/patrol roads, they are most likely wataniah.
Russia to test-fire SLBMs from its most advanced Ballistic Missile Submarines
Borei-class SSBN Yuri Dolgoruky
The Russian Navy is set to conduct a massive live-fire nuclear exercise on a scale not seen since before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Two new 24,000-ton Project 955 Borei-class ballistic missile submarines are participating in the exercise. Of the two Northern Fleet boats participating—Yury Dolgoruky and Vladimir Monomakh—one will sequentially launch its entire payload of sixteen RSM-56 Bulava missiles in a drill that replicates the Soviet-era Begemot II exercise which took place in August 1991—reports the Russian media outlet Izvestia. It’s not clear which of the two boomers will conduct the test.
The Russians want to confirm that the new submarines will be able to launch all sixteen ballistic missiles in sequence from a depth of 164ft while the boat is operating at sea states of between six and seven. At those sea states, waves can be anywhere from 13ft to 30ft in height.
The last time Russia successfully launched all sixteen missiles from a ballistic missile submarine in sequence was during the August 1991 Begemot II exercise.
ARLINGTON, Va. — A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft was destroyed in a March 8 mishap.
The aircraft, on assignment from a Marine attack squadron to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, suffered catastrophic engine failure during takeoff, according to the Naval Safety Center.
The pilot survived, though no details are yet known of how he exited the aircraft.
The location of the mishap has not been announced, but may have occurred during takeoff from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations.
The Iraqi man being held and interrogated by U.S. officials is a suspected mid-level Islamic State operative whose knowledge of the group’s chemical weapons program allowed coalition strikes to destroy at least two related facilities
QUOTE
The terror group is suspected of launching as many as 20 chemical weapons attacks across Syria
QUOTE
The Syrian regime also is suspected of using chlorine in attacks against opposition forces
QUOTE
The officials would not elaborate on the man’s role in ISIS, the depth of his knowledge of ISIS’s chemical weapons program, or where he was captured in Iraq
Philippines To Get Five Aircraft from Japan Amid South China Sea Tensions
QUOTE
“We are also leasing from Japan five TC-90 training aircraft to assist our navy in patrolling our territories, particularly in the West Philippine Sea,” he said according to Reuters, using the Philippine term for the South China Sea.
QUOTE
Aquino did not offer specifics, such as when exactly the planes would arrive or how much they would cost. The cash-strapped Philippines had initially wanted the planes for free, but The Diplomat understands that the TC-90 aircraft, which constitute Japanese defense equipment, will likely be transferred in accordance with the Three Principles of Transfer on Defense Equipment and Technology approved by Tokyo in April 2014 governing arms exports
Russia is bringing back the world’s largest surface combatant ship
QUOTE
Aerial starboard view of the foredeck of Kirov shows four single 30mm Gatling guns (in purple) 2 pop-up (lowered) SA-N-4 SAM launchers (in red) 20 SS-N-19 cruise missile launchers (in green) 12 SA-N-6 SAM launchers (in blue) and one twin SS-N-14 antisubmarine warfare/surface-to-surface missile launcher (in yellow). These weapons systems will be updated by 2020, Russia claims.
QUOTE
Russia intends to return the Admiral Nakhimov to their fleet in 2019, at which time the Pyotr Veliky will be docked to undergo the same upgrades.
These include missiles of the Kalibr variety that recently hit targets in Syria from the Caspian Sea, Zircon hypersonic missiles which are slated to be ready by 2020, as well as a nasalized version of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system
Essentially...to compensate for the lack of credible naval aviation of the Russian Navy. With the recent sinking of USS Reuben James with SM-6, Kirov class is no longer a special kind of cruiser. SM-6 can hit warships from 350km away at Mach 3.5.
Pekan, 10 Mac - Seorang pekerja DRB-HICOM Defence Tenchnologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH) maut setelah dihempap oleh kereta perisai di kilang terbabit dalam kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira 12 tengahhari tadi.
Laporan dari Harian Metro berkata, mangsa Abdul Razak Jabbar, 45, sedang mngajar seorang pelatih mengendalikan kenderaan terbabit ketika kejadian.
Bagaimanapun, kereta perisai yang dinaiki mereka itu dikatakan hilang kawalan sebelum terbalik menghempap mangsa.
Mangsa yang parah dikepala dan badan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian manakal pelatih tersebut mengalami cedera ringan.
Mayat mangsa telah dihantar ke Hospital Pekan untuk tujuan bedah siasat sebelum dituntut oleh ahli keluarga mangsa.
Pekan, 10 Mac - Seorang pekerja DRB-HICOM Defence Tenchnologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH) maut setelah dihempap oleh kereta perisai di kilang terbabit dalam kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira 12 tengahhari tadi.
Laporan dari Harian Metro berkata, mangsa Abdul Razak Jabbar, 45, sedang mngajar seorang pelatih mengendalikan kenderaan terbabit ketika kejadian.
Bagaimanapun, kereta perisai yang dinaiki mereka itu dikatakan hilang kawalan sebelum terbalik menghempap mangsa.
Mangsa yang parah dikepala dan badan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian manakal pelatih tersebut mengalami cedera ringan.
Mayat mangsa telah dihantar ke Hospital Pekan untuk tujuan bedah siasat sebelum dituntut oleh ahli keluarga mangsa.
Essentially...to compensate for the lack of credible naval aviation of the Russian Navy. With the recent sinking of USS Reuben James with SM-6, Kirov class is no longer a special kind of cruiser. SM-6 can hit warships from 350km away at Mach 3.5.
Pekan, 10 Mac - Seorang pekerja DRB-HICOM Defence Tenchnologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH) maut setelah dihempap oleh kereta perisai di kilang terbabit dalam kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira 12 tengahhari tadi.
Laporan dari Harian Metro berkata, mangsa Abdul Razak Jabbar, 45, sedang mngajar seorang pelatih mengendalikan kenderaan terbabit ketika kejadian.
Bagaimanapun, kereta perisai yang dinaiki mereka itu dikatakan hilang kawalan sebelum terbalik menghempap mangsa.
Mangsa yang parah dikepala dan badan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian manakal pelatih tersebut mengalami cedera ringan.
Mayat mangsa telah dihantar ke Hospital Pekan untuk tujuan bedah siasat sebelum dituntut oleh ahli keluarga mangsa.
Vintage attack planes used in Vietnam are brought out of retirement to help US special forces defeat ISIS in Iraq
QUOTE
Two vintage planes used in the Vietnam War have been brought out of retirement to help US special forces in Iraq.
A pair of OV-10 Broncos completed 120 combat missions over the Middle East between May and September last year, it has been revealed.
The turbo-prop jet is thought to have carried out 134 sorties over 82 days in May, acting as cover for the soldiers fighting ISIS terrorists on the ground.
Watch These CH-47 Chinooks Get Thrashed During Testing
QUOTE
All this testing over the Chinook’s 50 year plus career has kept the type as one of the most useful, adaptable, reliable and hardy heavy lifting helicopters ever built. In fact, Chinook production is still in high gear and there is an upgrade path being put into place by the U.S. Army that should see the type serving for many decades to come. In fact, as it sits now Chinooks could still be thumping their way through the air past 2060, by which time the design will be 100 years old.
Russian cruisers were special because they have supersonic, long range anti ship missiles...but after SM-6 is fully deployed in USN. They are no longer special....just equal
Philippines To Get Five Aircraft from Japan Amid South China Sea Tensions
Just so you know, this is the type of airplane the Philippines are leasing.
The Philippines are literally flying a basic twin-engine trainer airplane with no equipment whatsoever and passing it off as an maritime patrol aircraft with the hopes that the Chinese Navy won't notice.
They originally wanted the planes for free, even though the plane costs only around $3 million USD brand new. Note that these are older JSDF airframes, purchased back in the 1980s and should be worth less than $1 million USD today.
Japan said bullshit and said friendly country or not there's no way they'll give them away for free.
Just so you know, this is the type of airplane the Philippines are leasing.
The Philippines are literally flying a basic twin-engine trainer airplane with no equipment whatsoever and passing it off as an maritime patrol aircraft with the hopes that the Chinese Navy won't notice.
They originally wanted the planes for free, even though the plane costs only around $3 million USD brand new. Note that these are older JSDF airframes, purchased back in the 1980s and should be worth less than $1 million USD today.
Japan said bullshit and said friendly country or not there's no way they'll give them away for free.
Japan is very uncooperative with country they are not familiar with. With pinoy most likely under US pressure
We already have good relationship with japan. They may pass us some free stuff but there away a trade deal especially japanase industry here. Nothing come free at the back at least.
The funny thing however is that why japan choose to cooperate with pinoy the first place. We are better partner anyway.
Just so you know, this is the type of airplane the Philippines are leasing.
The Philippines are literally flying a basic twin-engine trainer airplane with no equipment whatsoever and passing it off as an maritime patrol aircraft with the hopes that the Chinese Navy won't notice.
They originally wanted the planes for free, even though the plane costs only around $3 million USD brand new. Note that these are older JSDF airframes, purchased back in the 1980s and should be worth less than $1 million USD today.
Japan said bullshit and said friendly country or not there's no way they'll give them away for free.
use eyes to search n look around? more for rural transportation... lelz
Russian cruisers were special because they have supersonic, long range anti ship missiles...but after SM-6 is fully deployed in USN. They are no longer special....just equal
By the time fully operational
India and russia will already deploy brahmos 2 hypersonic missile
use eyes to search n look around? more for rural transportation... lelz
Visual all the way.
Malaysians have similar small twin-engine planes as maritime patrol (4 Beechcraft B200T MPA), but at least Malaysian ones have surface search radar and FLIR.
TUDM B200T MPA (note bulge for search radar on the underside of the fuselage)
I wished we had more of these though, 4 seems to be an awfully small number of MPA for a country that has as much coast line as Malaysia.
India and russia will already deploy brahmos 2 hypersonic missile
The problem with testing anti-ship missiles is that the target is always a empty stripped hull without the damage-control equipment and personnel of a running ship. With the target unable to mount any sort of defense (figuratively a sitting duck), the test will be more about testing the accuracy and evaluating the performance of the missile rather than its destructive effects. You're better off floating an 'x' in the middle of the ocean and shooting at that.
This will always skew the advantage of the test in favor of the missile, seeing its target is just a floating piece of hull with no means to avoid, fight back or even contain the damage. It's the equivalent of testing a tank's battle performance by shooting at a static farmhouse instead of another active, fighting tank. In the end you just get a blown up farmhouse and nothing more. You can never get the sort of data you need testing against something like that.
As far I don't think no country dare to test anti ship missiles on a fully functional ship and see how extensive the damage will be with damage-control protocols in place and working. So I take all of these tests with the usual grain of salt.
The problem with testing anti-ship missiles is that the target is always a empty stripped hull without the damage-control equipment and personnel of a running ship. With the target unable to mount any sort of defense (figuratively a sitting duck), the test will be more about testing the accuracy and evaluating the performance of the missile rather than its destructive effects. You're better off floating an 'x' in the middle of the ocean and shooting at that.
This will always skew the advantage of the test in favor of the missile, seeing its target is just a floating piece of hull with no means to avoid, fight back or even contain the damage. It's the equivalent of testing a tank's battle performance by shooting at a static farmhouse instead of another active, fighting tank. In the end you just get a blown up farmhouse and nothing more. You can never get the sort of data you need testing against something like that.
As far I don't think no country dare to test anti ship missiles on a fully functional ship and see how extensive the damage will be with damage-control protocols in place and working. So I take all of these tests with the usual grain of salt.
It depends on how you see it i guess.
Even shooting a sitting duct does give a ample indicative how effective the missile is.
Most of time, no one will show to public in actual testing. What i heard off before is that they will do a static jamming on a stationary missile and see it target aquasition is able to lock on target under heavy jamming.
Indonesia - AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs)
WASHINGTON, Mar. 10, 2016 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Indonesia for AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), equipment, training, and logistics support. The estimated cost is $95 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on March 9, 2016.
The Government of Indonesia has requested a possible sale of thirty-six (36) AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs and one (1) Missile Guidance Section. Also included in this possible sale are; control section support equipment, spare parts, services, logistics, technical contractor engineering and technical support, loading adaptors, technical publications, familiarization training, test equipment, and other related elements. The total estimated value of MDE is $80 million. The overall total estimated value is $95 million.
This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a key partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region.
The proposed sale improves Indonesia’s capability to deter regional threats and strengthen its homeland defense. Indonesia is able to absorb this additional equipment and support into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support does not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The prime contractor will be determined by competition. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Indonesia.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
The problem with testing anti-ship missiles is that the target is always a empty stripped hull without the damage-control equipment and personnel of a running ship. With the target unable to mount any sort of defense (figuratively a sitting duck), the test will be more about testing the accuracy and evaluating the performance of the missile rather than its destructive effects. You're better off floating an 'x' in the middle of the ocean and shooting at that.
This will always skew the advantage of the test in favor of the missile, seeing its target is just a floating piece of hull with no means to avoid, fight back or even contain the damage. It's the equivalent of testing a tank's battle performance by shooting at a static farmhouse instead of another active, fighting tank. In the end you just get a blown up farmhouse and nothing more. You can never get the sort of data you need testing against something like that.
As far I don't think no country dare to test anti ship missiles on a fully functional ship and see how extensive the damage will be with damage-control protocols in place and working. So I take all of these tests with the usual grain of salt.
if you have to ask.... the Falklands War witnessed the sinking of HMS Sheffield by Exocet launched by Argies.
Sinking[edit] Sheffield was first detected by an Argentine Naval Aviation patrol aircraft Lockheed SP-2H Neptune (2-P-112) at 7:50 AM on 4 May 1982. The Neptune kept the British ships under surveillance, verifying Sheffield's position again at 8:14 and 8:43. Two Argentine Navy Super Étendards (3-A-202 and 3-A-203) both armed with Exocets took off from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego at 9:45 and met with an Argentine Air Force tanker KC-130H Hercules at 10:00 hours.
At 10:35, the Neptune climbed to 1,170 metres (3,840 ft) and detected a large and two medium-sized contacts at the coordinates 52°33′55″S, 57°40′55″W map. A few minutes later, the Neptune contacted both Super Étendards with this information. Flying at very low altitude, around 10:50, both Super Étendards climbed to 160 metres (520 ft) to verify these contacts, but, not finding any, decided to continue. 25 miles (40 km) later they climbed again and, after a few seconds of scanning, the targets appeared on their radar screens.[4][5]
Both pilots loaded the coordinates in their weapons systems, returned to low level, and after last minute checks, launched their AM39 Exocets at 11:04 from 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 km) away from their targets. The Super Étendards did not need to refuel from the KC-130 again, which had been waiting, and landed at Rio Grande at 12:04. Supporting the mission were an Argentine Air Force Learjet 35 as a decoy and two IAI Daggers as the KC-130 escorts[4][5]
At approximately 10 a.m. on 4 May, Sheffield was at defence watches, second degree readiness, as part of the British Task Force dispatched to the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War. Sheffield had relieved her sister Coventry as the latter was having technical trouble with her Type 965 radar.[6] Sheffield and Coventry were chatting over UHF. Communications ceased until an unidentified message was heard flatly stating "Sheffield is hit".[6]
The flagship, Hermes dispatched the escorts Arrow and Yarmouth to investigate, and a helicopter was launched. Confusion reigned until Sheffield's Lynx helicopter unexpectedly landed aboard Hermes carrying the air operations officer and operations officer,[6] confirming the strike.
Sheffield picked up the incoming missiles on her Type 965 radar (an interim fitting until the Type 1022 set was available), and the operations officer informed the missile director, who queried the contacts in the ADAWS 4 fire control system.[6] The launch aircraft had not been detected as the British had expected, and it was not until smoke was sighted that the target was confirmed as sea skimming missiles. Five seconds later, an Exocet hit Sheffield amidships, approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) above the waterline on deck 2, tearing a gash in the hull.[6] The other missile splashed into the sea half a mile off her port beam.[7]
Damage caused by the missile impact severed the high-pressure fire main on board. The resultant fire caused by burning propellant ignited diesel oil from the ready-use tanks in the engine room, and other inflammable materials used in the ship's construction. These fires burned unchecked for a number of days after the ship was abandoned.
The MOD Board of Inquiry on the sinking of the Sheffield concluded that: "Evidence indicates that the warhead did not detonate".[10] Some of the crew and members of the Task Force believe that the missile's 165 kilogram warhead had detonated.[6] This was supported by a MOD re-assessment of the loss of the 'Sheffield' which reported in Summer 2015. In a paper delivered to the RINA Warship Conference in Bath in June 2015 it was concluded that the Exocet warhead did detonate inside 'Sheffield', with the conclusion supported by analysis using modern damage analysis tools not available in 1982 and evidence from weapon hits and trials conducted since the end of the Falklands Campaign.[11]
This post has been edited by TechSuper: Mar 11 2016, 01:53 PM
I find the HMS Sheffield case very bizarre. A warship in an active warzone should not have been that caught unaware by a strike like that. In fact they should have anticipated any attack and all measures should have been in place 24/7 from day 1 of hostilities, especially after the Argentine Navy cruiser General Belgrano was sunk by a RN sub just 2 days earlier.
Also HMS Sheffield wasn't even alone at the time. She was part of an forward patrol squadron with 2 other Type 42 Destroyers , her sister ships HMS Edinburgh and HMS Coventry which were, ironically, ordered to act as an air defense screen to protect the carrier HMS Invincible from any air attacks. None of them could detect the Argentine missiles or the aircraft launching them?
How all 3 (at the time) modern warships can be caught totally by a surprise anti ship strike is puzzling. An air defense Destroyer which has the Sea Dart SAM as its main weapon, no less!
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 11 2016, 01:11 PM
I find the HMS Sheffield case very bizarre. A warship in an active warzone should not have been that caught unaware by a strike like that. In fact they should have anticipated any attack and all measures should have been in place 24/7 from day 1 of hostilities, especially after the Argentine Navy cruiser General Belgrano was sunk by a RN sub just 2 days earlier.
Also HMS Sheffield wasn't even alone at the time. She was part of an forward patrol squadron with 2 other Type 42 Destroyers , her sister ships HMS Edinburgh and HMS Coventry which were, ironically, ordered to act as an air defense screen to protect the carrier HMS Invincible from any air attacks. None of them could detect the Argentine missiles or the aircraft launching them?
How all 3 (at the time) modern warships can be caught totally by a surprise anti ship strike is puzzling. An air defense Destroyer which has the Sea Dart SAM as its main weapon, no less!
complacency... under estimating their opponent and being over confident of themselves.. just like how malaya fell... people tend to judge a military force by numbers... but certain qualities cant be quantified
complacency... under estimating their opponent and being over confident of themselves.. just like how malaya fell... people tend to judge a military force by numbers... but certain qualities cant be quantified
*cough* ISIS *cough*
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
what so bizarre abt the sinking of HSM Sheffield..... Argentinian fighters too sunk HMS Coventry which equipped with Mid range Sea Dart SAM and paired with HMS Broadsword which equipped with short range Sea Wolf missile.. this duo has best short and mid range protection against missile or jets..
2 Argentinian skyhawk failed to sink but damaged HSM Broadsword in first run and the skyhawks returned to finish off HSM Conventry in 2nd run... they did fired Sear Dart which failed to hit the skyhawks because Argentinian pilots knew the tactic to defeat them.... if the lady luck was with the Skyhawk.. they alread sunk both Frigate and Destroyer
This post has been edited by sukhoi35mk: Mar 11 2016, 02:09 PM
what so bizarre abt the sinking of HSM Sheffield..... Argentinian fighters too sunk HMS Coventry which equipped with Mid range Sea Dart SAM and paired with HMS Broadsword which equipped with short range Sea Wolf missile.. this duo has best short and mid range protection against missile or jets..
2 Argentinian skyhawk failed to sink but damaged HSM Broadsword in first run and the skyhawks returned to finish off HSM Conventry in 2nd run... they did fired Sear Dart which failed to hit the skyhawks because Argentinian pilots knew the tactic to defeat them.... if the lady luck was with the Skyhawk.. they alread sunk both Frigate and Destroyer
Both HMS Coventry and HMS Broadsword was under the disadvantage of being inside San Carlos Water, a very narrow bay in which the surrounding landmass was playing havoc with their Naval search radars. In the battle itself the HMS Coventry and HMS Broadsword had lost their radar missile locks on the Argentine Skyhawks multiple times. The attacking planes came in very low, mostly from the landward side where ground clutter helped hide them from radar.
Dramatic picture of attacking Argentine A4 Skyhawks skimming the waves during the attack on San Carlos Water, picture taken from HMS Broadsword
HMS Broadsword also had a major FCS system malfunction that day. Remember by then they were already under heavy daily air attack for the preceding 4 days, during the Royal Marines' landings in San Carlos before the HMS Coventry was sunk on 25.5.1982. During that period the Royal Navy also lost the Frigates HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and the container shipMV Atlantic Conveyor from Argentine air attacks during that time period, so you can probably imagine the intensity of the air attacks.
Also, at the moment of the hit, it was reported that the HMS Coventry was maneuvering erratically to avoid the Skyhawks that it inadvertently crossed into the HMS Broadsword's line of fire, forcing to abort the launch its short-range Sea Wolf SAMs at the Skyhawks. That's when the Argentines hit.
From what I learn the Argentine fighters also had it lucky. One of the two bombs bomb they hit the HMS Coventry just caused some minor internal damage, but one lucky bomb struck and exploded in exactly the largest non-partitioned bulkhead in the entire ship, just between its two engines. This immediately had a very disastrous effect of flooding and disabling both engines while water filled into the engine space. After that the ship went down fairly quickly, in less than 20 minutes. Marine experts say if the bomb hit anywhere else, the ship would have survived.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 11 2016, 04:33 PM
the plane flew so low and follow surface, trying to evade radar
The battle was ridiculous, the bay was really, really narrow, like 2-3 km wide only at the most. And all those RN ships were all bunched up, unable to maneuver. It was probably like shooting fish in a barrel for the Argentine planes. The Brits called the bay 'Bomb Alley'.
The very low altitude attack had one flaw though, the Argentine bombs were dropped so low that 13 bombs that hit british ships didn't have time to arm their fuses properly before impacting their targets unexploded, leaving only impact damage. Lord Craig, the retired Marshal of the Royal Air Force, is said to have remarked: "Six better fuses and we would have lost the war"
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 11 2016, 04:54 PM
Falklands War has already been extensively analysed, there's a public report that details all the points stacked against HMS Sheffield that day.
On top of all the points already stated above, Sheffield was apparently making a 1 minute long satellite communication which interfered with her radar at the exact time of the attack. Furthermore the Argentines also possessed a same type destroyer with Sea Dart and the radar they had bought from the Brits, and practised on this extensively to know exactly how to defeat the radar; flying at x height and y speed in z weather etc etc which was actually lower than their Super Etendard radar could track, they had an AEW aircraft vectoring them in... which again was missed by the Harriers on CAP patrol for some reason I forget.
Bottom line, the Argentines fought well and got very lucky a couple of times. But well, so did the British. That is just war.
So? apa titik Daily Wail? B52 also Vietnam War era what... and as has been pointed out, fighting ISIS with OV-10s and even A-10s is nothing like flying in a modern AA/AD zone.
QUOTE(DDG_Ross @ Mar 11 2016, 07:29 AM)
some of the ships got different weapons, some got russian gatling, looks like they still tinkering what to put on it
Kirov reporting! My god, what year is it anyway?! 2016 or 1976?!
QUOTE(thpace @ Mar 11 2016, 09:11 AM)
By the time fully operational
India and russia will already deploy brahmos 2 hypersonic missile
Still a very strong refutal to that 'consultant' who said USN can't hit anything over 70 miles... Some abilities kept quiet only, and besides Tomahawk ASM and LRASM coming soon. And with SM-6 an Arleigh Burke could launch saturation attacks like crazy, the weakness of the Russisn type supersonic missiles is that they're so big there's only so many shots they can carry.
This post has been edited by KLboy92: Mar 11 2016, 06:23 PM
So? apa titik Daily Wail? B52 also Vietnam War era what... and as has been pointed out, fighting ISIS with OV-10s and even A-10s is nothing like flying in a modern AA/AD zone.
Kirov reporting! My god, what year is it anyway?! 2016 or 1976?!
Still a very strong refutal to that 'consultant' who said USN can't hit anything over 70 miles... Some abilities kept quiet only, and besides Tomahawk ASM and LRASM coming soon. And with SM-6 an Arleigh Burke could launch saturation attacks like crazy, the weakness of the Russisn type supersonic missiles is that they're so big there's only so many shots they can carry.
Why worry when they have the biggest missile destroyer in the world
Indian Army chopper crash lands in Hoshiarpur’s Maili village; crew safe
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An Indian Army helicopter crash landed in Hoshiarpur district’s Maili village, approximately 30 kilometres from here, Friday morning at around 11:45 am, after it developed a technical snag. Two of the four crew members on board were injured in the mishap.
As per sources, the chopper (Z 1883) had taken off from Jalandhar cantonment and was on a routine sortie to Border Security Force Training Camp in Kharkan. On detecting a snag, the pilot made an emergency landing in farmer Balram Singh’s fields.
People from nearby areas rushed to the spot and rescued the crew. Pilot Aditya Verma and co-pilot Ajit were unhurt while the two other crew members - Major Guriqbal Singh and Lt Col D S Chohan sustained minor injuries. They were taken away by army officials from Jalandhar.
The oddest fighter plane you've ever seen: Radical low cost twin tailed design is so manoeuverable it '
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is one of the oddest plane designs ever created - a tiny propeller-driven craft with twin tails and two pilots sitting almost on top of each other.
However, Boeing and a South Africa's Paramount Group firm hope the wacky design, currently used to patrol borders, could be turned into a low cost fighter plane.
The two firms plan to add missiles and a slew of sensors to the advanced, high-performance, reconnaissance, light aircraft, which has been named Mwari after an all-seeing mythological being in Southern African folklore.
Russia to Start Mass Production of Advanced Radio Sets for Army in 2017
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The serial production of a new generation radio sets for the Russian army, ensuring the secure transfer of data over distances of up to 600 km (about 370 miles) without silent zones
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"UIMC has completed the development of a new generation of manpack radio sets for the army, security agencies and the Emergencies Ministry. The digital MO1 radio set provides high-speed secure data transfer over distances of up to 600 kilometers ensuring the absence of 'dead zones' where other means of communication cannot work reliably… The start of its serial production is scheduled for 2017,"
Lavrov calls on US to influence Turkey on issue of including Kurds in inter-Syrian talks
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"Kurds, including the Democratic Union (party) headed by Salih Muslim, control, in accordance with common estimates, at least 15% of the territory where they live in peaceful times," Lavrov said. "Now, when Kurds have become allies to the US-led coalition and Russia in the fight against Islamic State and Jebhat al-Nusra (terrorist organizations banned in Russia), they (Kurds) have strengthened their influence ‘on the ground’, their positions," he added.
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"Only Turkey blocks inviting Kurds - the only country that hopes to continue using only ultimatums in the future not only on Syria but also in the dialogue with EU. Other participatns of Syria Support Group speak clearly for the importance of including Kurds from the very start of the negotiations process,"
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"At least US understands it as they are, just like us, the allies to Kurds, including the Democratic Union Party, on the battlefield against terrorists. The main thing is that this understanding is followed by political will to influence one of their allies,"
AFAIK the AK-630 CIWS are on the KCR-40s made by PT Palindo. The KCR-60s are made by PT PAL. Different type of ship different type of weaponry.
last 4 unit (total 8 unit) KCR-40s is built by PT Citra Shipyard have small different hull with KC-40 built by PT Palindo. also KCR-40 last unit KRI 648 which is improve version with ship hull design change & some enhancement。
Super Stealthy: New-Look Russian Nuclear Sub to Join Pacific Fleet
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“The Kuzbass is undergoing sea trials and will soon return to her permanent station in Kamchatka. The submarine now carries a new systems of life support, radio and hydro-acoustic communications,”
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To increase stealth, the sub carries a two-tier anti-vibration mechanism. All the units are placed on elastic foundations and each one is separated from the next by pneumatic shock absorbers. This helps lessen the impact of underwater blasts on the sub’s mechanisms and crew
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The Kuzbass is a multirole Akula-class attack submarine. Unlike a Barracuda sub, which has a titanium hull, the Kuzbass features a steel hull
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The Soviet Union once acquired a number of high-precision metal-cutting lathes from Toshiba to build more streamlined screws and make the subs less noisy. The news of the secret deal was eventually leaked to the media and Toshiba came under US sanctions.
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The modernized Project 971 submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL cruise missiles and jet-powered torpedoes, designed to destroy submarines and surface ships as well as land-based targets
Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 10 March 2016
The British Army has retired its Warthog (ST Kinetics Bronco) articulated armoured tracked vehicles, seen here in service in Afghanistan. Source: Crown Copyright
Key Points
• The ST Kinetics Warthog has been retired from British Army service • The move is a U-turn on previous plans to keep the vehicle in service
The British Army has retired is ST Kinetics Warthog articulated tracked armoured vehicles from service, IHS Jane's can reveal.
In total, 115 Warthogs (an improved version of the ST Kinetics Bronco) were purchased by the United Kingdom as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) for use in Afghanistan instead of the less-well protected BvS 10 Viking articulated tracked vehicle.
In December 2013 the MoD announced that 100 Warthogs would be brought into the 'core' equipment budget, meaning they would remain in service once UOR funding for operations in Afghanistan ended. Under this plan the Warthogs would be modified and transferred to the Royal Artillery's 32 and 47 Regiments to support unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.
However, speaking to IHS Jane's on 10 March, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that this decision had been reversed, with Warthog instead having been retired from service in October 2015.
In a statement the MoD said: "Warthog was delivered in 2010 to replace Viking and was designed specifically for use in Afghanistan. A number of protected mobility vehicles have been brought into core; it was decided that the capability required from Warthog could be delivered by other vehicles, therefore Warthog was withdrawn from service in 2015. The Army has a fleet of other protected mobility platforms still in service delivering this capability."
The MoD were not able to answer questions from IHS Jane's on whether work was indeed undertaken to modify Warthog for post-Afghan use after the 2013 decision to keep them, or if any money was wasted on this effort. The MoD also did not answer questions on exactly what vehicles 32 and 47 regiments would operate instead of the Warthog in the future.
last 4 unit (total 8 unit) KCR-40s is built by PT Citra Shipyard have small different hull with KC-40 built by PT Palindo. also KCR-40 last unit KRI 648 which is improve version with ship hull design change & some enhancement。
Could THAAD Encourage Negotiations With North Korea?
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United States finally entered into formal discussions with the ROK government over the prospective deployment of the American-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system
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Deploying THAAD could make negotiations with North Korea more palatable to the United States and even act as a precursor to engagement
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First, THAAD deployment will further cement ties with the ROK
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Chinese leaders surmise that THAAD’s true target is China’s own missile arsenals
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Prospective engagement with North Korea sounds very unattractive if South Korea forces the U.S. to accommodate Chinese interests at every turn.
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Accepting THAAD deployment sends a strong message about alliance cohesion and provides Washington with the confidence that when push comes to shove, South Korea will stand with the U.S.
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In early 2012, during a military parade in Pyongyang, a number of North Korean ballistic missiles were ferried by six heavy transport vehicles
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Because of the size and sophistication of these vehicles, they were suspected of being of Chinese origin.
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Deploying THAAD may encourage the U.S. to relax this precondition, knowing that there exists a safety-net should negotiations break down or if North Korea decides to cheat and expand its nuclear and missile programs once more
North Korean submarine missing, presumed sunk: Reports
WASHINGTON - A North Korean submarine is missing, reports said on Saturday (March 12), as the reclusive state issued a fresh threat of retaliation against United States and South Korean forces involved in joint military drills.
The unknown class of vessel had been reportedly operating off the North Korean coast earlier in the week when it disappeared.
A South Korean Defence Ministry official told AFP that Seoul was investigating the reports. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the matter.
The US military had been observing the submarine off the North's eastern coast, CNN said, citing three US officials familiar with the incident.
American spy satellites, aircraft and ships have been watching as the North Korean navy searched for the missing sub, the report added.
The US is unsure if the missing vessel is adrift or whether it has sunk, CNN reported, but officials believe it suffered a failure during an exercise.
The US Naval Institute (USNI) News said the submarine was presumed sunk. "The speculation is that it sank," an unidentified US official was quoted as telling the USNI News. "The North Koreans have not made an attempt to indicate there is something wrong or that they require help or some type of assistance."
The incident comes as tensions were further heightened on the Korean Peninsula by a fresh threat from Pyongyang.
The official KCNA news agency, citing a statement from military chiefs, warned of a "pre-emptive retaliatory strike at the enemy groups" involved in the joint US-South Korean drill.
Pyongyang added it planned to respond to the drills with an "operation to liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul" with an "ultra-precision blitzkrieg".
Responding to the statement, South Korea's Defence Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop making threats or further provocations, according to Yonhap news agency.
North Korea's navy operates a fleet of some 70 submarines, most of them being rusting diesel submarines that are capable of little more than coastal defence and limited offensive capabilities.
But the old, low-tech submarines still pose substantial threats to South Korean vessels.
In 2010, a South Korean corvette was reportedly torpedoed by a North Korean submarine near their sea border.
In August last year, Seoul said said 70 per cent of the North's total submarine fleet - or around 50 vessels - had left their bases and disappeared from South's military radar, sparking alarm.
According to the US, the military had been observing the submarine operate off North Korea's east coast when the vessel stopped.
US spy satellites, aircraft and ships have been secretly watching for days as the North Korean navy searched for the missing vessel.
US officials said they are unsure if the missing vessel is adrift under the sea or whether it has sunk, but believes it suffered some type of failure during an exercise, said the report.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 7, 2016
Russian warplanes targeted the ISIS oil transport routes near the villages of al-Zara’yah, Wadi al-Dhakara, al-Sakhanah and Arak in Northeastern Homs. Russian air raids in the area forced ISIS oil smugglers to refrain from travel.
On Saturday, the Syrian Army troops repelled ISIS’ attack on Jazal oilfield in the eastern part of the Homs province and forced the terrorist group to pull forces back from the battlefield. Pro-government sources report a heavy death toll among terrorists.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, mainly Kurdish YPG units, struck al Nusra militants’ concentration centers near Tal al-Shaqif and a road towards Castello in Northern Aleppo, which ended in the killing or wounding of several militants and destruction of their military vehicles and equipment.
The YPG Kurds have been coordinating with the Syrian government. The Syrian army sent several arms cargoes to the YPG militia in the province of Hasaka and trained the first group of Kurdish volunteer forces in the city of Hasaka last month.
On Saturday, the ISIL attempted to capture part of the strategic Ithriya-Khanaser road near the village of Sheikh Hillal. The attempt was prevented by the Syrian Army troops.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 9, 2016
The Syrian Army supported by the Russian warplanes continued an advance against Al-Nusra and its allies in the province of Latakia liberating Jabal Zuwayqat. The nearby village of Zuwayqat was also liberated. Thus, the Syrian forces are in position to launch and advance on Kabani which is one of the highest points inside the province’s northeastern countryside.
On Mar.8, Kurdish units and its allies took control of the villages of Al-Hamd, Al-Jad’an, Al-Jadou, Al-Badr, Al-Sarad, Delian and Delian Matli in the province of Raqqa after clashes with the ISIS. In a relevant development on Monday, the Kurdish forces liberated the village of al-Makman in the Hasaka province.
A top ISIS emir, Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Kaleezi, has been assassinated by unknown assailants in the Tabaqa Military airport on Mar.8. Al-Kaleezi is the third ISIS emir to be killed in the last 7 days.
On Mar.7, nearly 100 men left ISIS for the Faylaq al-Sham militant alliance in northern Aleppo. The pro-militant sources claimed that defectors had been mistreated at the hands of ISIS, including being repeatedly accused of treason. On the other hand, there are numerous cases of sharing manpower among militant groups in Syria. Faylaq al-Sham has been formed from 19 different Islamist militant groups some of which directly affiliated with the Qatar-backed Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. Considering Qatar’s role in creation of ISIS, it could be suggested that the case of Mar.7 is an attempt to re-brand ISIS militants excluded from the ceasefire supported by the US and Russia.
According to Syrian officials, over 100 villages have agreed on the ceasefire. The majority of the reconciliation agreements have taken place in the province of Hama.
International Military Review – Syria, Mar. 11, 2016
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies are continuing to clash against ISIS in Southeastern Aleppo. On Wednesday, the pro-government forces seized the villages of Shabib, Kharbeel, ‘Akeel, Al-Qalay’at, and Sirada in Khanasser Plains expanding a buffer zone along the strategic supply route to Aleppo.
At least 26 members of al Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa have been killed in a series of their failed offensives in Tal al-Eiss. However, there are no indications that militants will cut their attempt to counter-attack in the area.
Syrian and Russian warplanes intensified air raids on ISIS positions at Palmyra. According to reports, the aerial operation focused on as-Sawwanah and al-Bayarat areas near the city. The Syrian artillery units also pounded the militants’ positions in the oil-rich region of Jezl.
Meanwhile, ISIS launched offensive in the Eastern and Southeastern parts of Homs province attacking the loyalists’ strongholds in al-Maqale’a (quarries), Thaniyeh al-Rajmeh and Dhuhour al-Hayyal. The SAA repel these attacks.
The SAA launched an offensive on an ISIS stronghold near the town of Quaryatayn. Calshes are ongoing there.
On Mar.9, there reportedly were sporadic clashes between the civilians and ISIS militants in the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed Caliphate’s capital in Northeastern Syria. ISIS answered with setting up additional checkpoints and a new wave of arrests across the city. Earlier there have been a series of reports that some 200 militants switched sides and seized part of the city of Raqqa.
One has to consider the distinctive possibility such reports represent an effort by local Sunni tribes to establish a truce with at least one of the two main forces marching in the direction of Raqqa: the Syrian Arab Army or the Kurdish militias. Such developments represent the fact that ISIS has started to lose the influence even in the formally controlled territories of Syria.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 11, 2016
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has advanced in the East Ghouta region of Greater Damascus targeting Al Nusra militants and its allies in the area. Following a violate battle with militants, the SAA seized the villages of Bala Al-Jadida and Hatita Al-Jarsh. Thus, the SAA split the militant forces in 2 different pockets. The government forces’ next step will likely be to clear the Northern pocket where the concentration of Al Nusra militants is especially high.
The SAA and its allies are continuing to expand a buffer zone along the Khanasser-Aleppo road advancing to the East in direction of the Raqqa province. The SAA’s mid-term goal in this advance is to capture such strategic points as Tabqa Airbase and Jirah Airbase. In turn, ISIS is strengthening defenses in the area east to the Al Jaboul Lake.
On Mar.10, the Kurdish YPG units continued their advances against al-Nusra in the Ashafiyeh neighborhood of the Aleppo city. Pro-Kurdish sources report that at least 8 militants have been killed in firefights. The clashes are ongoing there.
Meanwhile, heavy clashes reportedly took place between ISIS and other militant groups near Qara Koubri region in the Northern parts of Aleppo.
Iraqi forces have liberated the Zankura area from ISIS in the western province of Anbar, evacuating some 10,000 civilians, Sabah al-Noman, spokesman of the Counter-Terrorism Service, said on Mar.10. According to al-Noman, 80 ISIS militants were killed in the operation and 56 were arrested.
On Mar.9, the Iraqi security forces also retook villages of Hit, Zankura and Qariya Asriya near Ramadi.
Apache Attack Helicopters Get Skis And Crew Survial Pods For Arctic Combat
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The Pentagon is realizing that fighting in the frigid north may be more of a possibility than ever as Russia prepares its forces for sustained arctic operations
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The Apache’s permanent presence in Alaska is still a relatively new development
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Alaska is the first Army Apache unit to permanently bolt on skis to their aircraft. They are now in the process of training on how to fly and fight with them attached, including developing procedures that will keep themselves from blasting the skies to pieces with their articulated 30mm cannon
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Skis are nothing new when it comes to helicopters in Alaska, Army ones included. They distribute the weight of the helicopter over a much broader area than wheels or skids, and allow for aircraft to land on even marshy areas, known as muskeg
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The skis are build by renowned purveyor of such apparatuses Airglas and weigh just 400 pounds in total
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25th Aviation Regiment is also testing a crew survival pod that will hang on one of the Apache’s weapon stations. The pod provides an additional 13 cubic feet of space for Apache crews to use, which is just enough for the bare minimum cold-weather survival necessities
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An arctic-capable Apache is a good thing for the Pentagon, which is racing to catch up and adapt to Russia’s emerging hawkish foreign policy stance in regards to the arctic
If I'm not mistaken one sub, the SSBN is called 'Akula' (Shark) by the Russians themselves, this sub is more known to the world as the 'Typhoon', its NATO designation.
The other one, the SSN is called an 'Akula' by NATO. The Russians actually call the class the 'Shchuka' (Pike).
So it's actually we are the mistaken & confused ones.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 12 2016, 07:08 PM
Ready for action: American and South Korean soldiers carry out full scale amphibious beach landing exercise amid growing threats from North Korea who pledged to ‘annihilate' its enemies
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The North has denounced the exercises as 'nuclear war moves' and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive
As part of Xi’s reorganization of the armed forces to focus on five theaters of operation, China has formed a new science and technology committee to manage defense R&D. According to a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Defense, the committee, known in Chinese asjunweikejiwei, is designed to meet the needs of China’s ongoing military modernization. The committee will strengthen management of defense S&T, promote indigenous innovation in national defense, and coordinate integrated development of military and civilian technologies, the spokesperson says. China’s central government plans to spend $147 billion on defense this year; the amount allotted to defense R&D is a state secret. “Nobody knows how much is spent on military R&D,” says Dennis Blasko, a former Army attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
PLA Navy buoyed by 3 new landing ships and wave of upgrades
Three vessels, CNS Wuyishan, CNS Culaishan and CNS Wutaishan, are delivered to the East Sea Fleet at an unidentified naval port on Monday. (Photo: China News Service/Zhou Pengcheng)
The People's Liberation Army Navy has commissioned three new landing ships with designs it said will improve amphibious capabilities.
The three vessels, CNS Wuyishan, CNS Culaishan and CNS Wutaishan, were delivered to the East Sea Fleet at an unidentified naval port on Monday, the Navy said in a news release.
It said the ships have a displacement of 5,008 metric tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). Compared with predecessors, the new design has a lower radar signature, which makes it harder to detect it at sea, and a streamlined design that helps speed up the loading of amphibious vehicles.
The ships are armed with close-in weapons systems capable of hitting mid- and short-range targets, and include a flight pad that can accommodate a helicopter.
The ships will strengthen the Navy's capabilities in joint landing operations and transportation, the news release said.
According to IHS Jane's Navy International, the new-type vessel is able to transport 10 armored vehicles and 250 fully armed troops, which means that three ships can ferry roughly an entire amphibious assault battalion.
This is the first time the PLA has received three ships in a single day, even at a time of unprecedented upgrades since 2012. At least 100 new ships and submarines have joined the Navy since then, including an aircraft carrier, three Type-052D guided missile destroyers that have cutting-edge air defense abilities, 13 Type-054A large multi-role frigates and four Type-903A supply ships. In February, the Navy commissioned the CNS Xiangtan, a Type-054A frigate, the CNS Tongren, a Type-056A corvette and the CNS Yimengshan, a Type-071 amphibious transport dock.
However, much of the Navy's new equipment is still not as good as that of their counterparts in the United States Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, according to a PLA officer who wished not to be named.
"There are a great number of things that we need to catch up on - for instance, the technological level of ships and submarines as well as our crew's skills and experience," he said.
Korean Spies Hack Cell Phones, Create Zombie PC Army
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South Korea's intelligence agency has reported a wave of cyberattacks by neighbor North Korea on the cell phones and internet of government officials.
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According to ZDNET, South Korea's National Intelligence Service claims North Korean hackers were able to hack the cell phones of senior government officials by sending texts that in turn planted malicious codes when clicked
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Twenty percent of the attacks were successful.
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The report also says that North Korea created an army of 60,000 zombie PCs—also called a botnet—in South Korea, capable of being tasked remotely to perform tasks such as bombarding servers in a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS)
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North Korea's hacking appears to be for spying purposes, gathering intelligence on what South Korea is up to. It could also be looking for information to blackmail southern politicians and government officials, whatever it can get its hands on
Mexico's 'sexiest police force' instructed to dress down
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A unit of Mexican policewomen dubbed “the sexiest force in the world” has been disbanded by the new security chief.
Ever since 2010 the women-only group, in the city of Aguascalientes, have donned skintight leggings, heeled knee-high boots, aviator sunglasses and caps to patrol the streets.
They say their job was to provide a female face to policing, and increase trust in the force. Rolando Hidalgo Eddy, in charge of the city’s police, described them as being “very well trained” and spoke proudly of how they received the same training as their male counterparts – including weapons instruction and abseiling from helicopters.
Syrian MiG crashes in Hama ‘killing one pilot,’ jihadists claim attack – reports
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Syrian rebels claim to have downed a Syrian air force MiG-21 fighter jet that crashed in Hama Province while bombing militant positions. At least one pilot died, for which conflicting reports blame either fire from the ground or a jet malfunction.
A Syrian military source told Sputnik agency that the jet was “shot down near the Hama military airfield,” and that one pilot had managed to eject, while the second one died.
“After the Syrian Air Force plane was hit, one pilot ejected and landed at the al-Magir village, which is controlled by the Army. The second pilot attempted an emergency landing at the Hama military airfield. The landing failed and the pilot died,” the source said.
“The pilot was ejected and brought to safety in al-Mughayr,” a military source told the Syrian Al Masdar News outlet. The same source insisted that the plane was not taken down by militants, but crashed due to a technical failure.
However, other reports also quoting sources in the Syrian army suggest that the pilot was shot and killed while parachuting to the ground.
Indonesia seems to be inducting ship into their fleet almost every month..compare to TLDM..that is quite upsetting
they have few shipyard, so Gov have to make order to keep those Shipyard still on business, at the same time keep growing and getting oversea business. and those order are small ship so not cost Gov much budget.
Our Gov should Lunch small FAC project, the ask few local shipyard to built too. since our current 10 FAC over 40 year old, should replace asap, we can have plan like every year built 1 unit, which not cost much to Gov.
A South African Air Force helicopter has been damaged by unidentified gunfire in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the SANDF said on Saturday.
“The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirms that on Friday 11 March 2016 at around [12.30pm] a South African Air Force (SAAF) Oryx helicopter came under unprovoked gunfire from an unidentified ground attacker(s) while conducting routine aerial patrols in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),” Brig-Gen Xolani Mabanga said.
The helicopter suffered minor structural damage after being hit by a small firearm projectile.
The crew and all members on-board at the time of the incident were not injured. The Oryx was able to continue its flight and landed safely at the SANDF base in Goma in the DRC.
A board of inquiry would be convened to determine the extent of the damage done to the helicopter, Mabanga said.
Trump win could spark 'clash of civilisations': UAE general
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Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, who is Dubai’s deputy chairman of police and security, invoked political scientist Samuel Huntington's theory of a future war fought between opposite cultures when suggesting a Trump victory could fuel a similar outcome with IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"If Trump beats Hillary [Clinton], that means that the scenario of the clash of civilizations created by Samuel will come to light at the hands of the candidate and [IS leader] al-Baghdadi,” Tamim tweeted on Friday.
Launching of Indonesian Navy fourth Fast Patrol Craft PC-43 KRI Cakalang (852) built by non state-owned shipyard PT Caputra.
Credit to original uploader.
Will be equipped with Oto Melara Marlin WS turret 30mm
The MARLIN - WS is an advanced system developed to meet the emerging requirements of modern naval warfare at best level of effectiveness and suitable either as main armament for small size vessels or as secondary armament for larger ship, with no deck penetration and simple installation.
The MARLIN - WS is a highly accurate and reliable multirole system, particularly effective in the simultaneous engagement of multiple targets such as swarms of Fast Inshore Attack Crafts.
The MARLIN – WS can be fitted with either a 25mm or 30mm cannon and it is modular as to be configured according to an wide range of customers’ requirements. The modular architecture offers an extensive combination of characteristics. Optical sensor suite with day and night vision and laser range finder can be mounted coaxially to or independent from the line of fire or not installed at all.
The excellent performance provided by the fast and accurate servo systems, are also ensured working either as a stand-alone system with own Remote Control Console or linked to the ship’s Combat Management System. The latest generation of builtin digital architecture provides a straightforward interface for being simply slaved to the ship’s Fire Control System or being fully integrated into the CMS through LAN technology with Fire Control System and video tracking capabilities residing within the weapon.
RUSSIA DEFENSE REPORT: RUSSIA’S ANTI-MISSILE SHIELD
March 4 saw the 55th anniversary of the first successful anti-ballistic missile intercept performed by a Soviet defensive system, the Sistema A, which used the V-1000 anti-missile equipped with a conventional blast-fragmentation warhead, to destroy the warhead launched by an R-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile.
This initial experiment led to the ultimate development and deployment of the A-135 Amur ABM system around Moscow, as permitted by the 1972 ABM Treaty. The system employed 32 51T6 Azov long-range anti-missile interceptors (which are currently no longer in service) and 68 short-range 53T6 short-range anti-missile interceptors. In accordance with the ABM Treaty which permitted a single ABM site with no more than 100 missiles, the A-135 was deployed to protect Moscow against nuclear attack. None of these missiles were ever used in combat, and hopefully they will never have to be, for even the short-range 53T6, which can intercept incoming warheads out to 60km and up to 45km in altitude, carries a 10-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Now that the ABM Treaty is no longer in force, since the United States abrogated it in 1972, and US and NATO anti-ballistic missile systems are creeping closer to Russia’s borders both in Europe and Asia, ostensibly to deal with mostly imaginary Iranian and North Korean “threat”, this naturally raises the question of whether the US efforts to endanger the viability of Russia’s nuclear arsenal will result in a symmetrical response, in addition to improving the offensive systems’ ability to overcome defenses.
Russian defense industry has not been sitting still in the face of NATO ABM expansion. Long-range air defense systems like the S-300, S-400, and the upcoming S-500 have considerable ability to destroy ballistic threats, though none of them have been tested against the extremely fast ICBM re-entry vehicles which are far harder to defeat than short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It is, however, possible that they could be effective in the so-called “boost-phase” intercept against missiles which have just left their launchers, which is far easier to perform than intercepting a very small and fast warhead.
Moreover, Russia is working on the successor to A-135, the A-235 which will likewise use multiple types of missiles to provide an ability to destroy incoming warheads at long ranges and at extremely high altitudes bordering on orbital. However, the A-235, whose development has been highly classified, to the point of very little information being available through open sources, will have a couple of major differences from the A-135.
The first is that it will use conventional high-explosive and kinetic-energy warheads, rather than nuclear ones. That fact will greatly decrease the system’s cost and complexity, and also the associated infrastructure needs which will no longer have to ensure proper security for its nuclear munitions. The second and related difference is that the A-235 will be mobile. A number of published A-235 concept drawings show a mobile transport and launch vehicle similar to what is used by the S-400. It means that the A-235 will have a level of flexibility that the fixed-site and silo-based A-135 does not.
The mobility of the A-235 means that it can be not only deployed at any location within Russia’s territory but also outside of its borders, including on the territory of friendly countries. The current geopolitics suggest such locations could include not only the islands and archipelagos of the Arctic (where an ABM system could easily shoot down NATO submarine-launched missiles in their boost phase), but friendly countries such as Syria, Egypt, Iran, possibly Vietnam and others, with the ultimate “prize” being, of course, Cuba, where a Russian ABM system easily negate any advantage from stationing comparable US systems in Poland and Romania.
Whether or not such deployments ever take place largely depends on the future course of Russia-NATO relations. The only reason the ABM Treaty was ever signed and ratified was USSR’s demonstrated ability to deploy effective ABM systems. US withdrawal from that treaty was driven by its leaders’ arrogant assumption that the US could launch a new nuclear arms race with no country able to counter it. Once Russia demonstrates its ability to field the next-generation of strategic anti-ballistic systems, we may the world’s great powers once again return to the negotiating table.
Syria's Downed MiG-21: How Russian Aircraft Will Defend Themselves
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Tuchkov, for his part, explained that even if the militants were equipped with the latest SAMs US manufacturers have to offer, Russian planes and helicopters, in any case, have the countermeasures systems capable of neutralizing them.
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"Russian Mi-24 helicopters in Syria have been equipped with the latest airborne defense system, the President-S, which entered production last year, developed by the Samara-based Ekran Scientific Research Institute,"
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"The Stingers supplied to the Mujahideen by the Americans were truly an effective weapon against the Soviet Air Force during the Soviet-Afghan War. The decoy flares shot by aircraft after detecting incoming ground-air missiles turned out not to be the most effective protection. The flares were capable of deceiving missiles of previous generations, which operated in the infrared (IR) spectrum. The Stinger featured another channel – ultraviolet (UV)," making the missile more capable of distinguishing targets from countermeasures.
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"This American invention," Tuchkov noted, "along with our [9K38] Igla, which has since been pirated by several countries, has allowed for successful attacks against low-flying targets, including helicopters, jets and bombers descending to carry out airstrikes."
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"Aircraft equipped with the President-S," meanwhile, are "invulnerable to contemporary MANPADS; even if we are speaking about a helicopter hovering in the air in the immediate vicinity of the shooter, the missile targeting it will miss. The complex is capable of countering not only IR/UV-guided missiles, but radar-guided ones as well."
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Russian aircraft-based anti-missile systems have come a long way from the thermal decoy-based systems of the early 1980s used in Afghanistan. These include the L116V1A 'Lipa' optoelectronic IR jammer, fixed to the upper part of the fuselage, "consisting of a powerful Xenon lamp operating in the infrared spectrum," creating hot air vortices, and thus helping to prevent the rocket from accurately determining its target. The use of such systems in Afghanistan, Tuchkov recalled, reduced the losses of Mi-8s and Mi-24s operating in Afghanistan significantly, up to 90%.
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"However, the Americans found a way to increase the sensitivity and selectivity of their IR receivers, shifting the operating frequency from 1-3 to 3-5 microns, which allowed them to lock on not to the decoy, but to the engines' exhaust. Moreover, heat-seeking missiles were equipped with liquid nitrogen cooling, which weakened their own thermal noise in flight."
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Aimed at countering US advancements in MANPADS technology, the Ekran Scientific Research Institute developed the President-S, which amounts to a multilayered, customizable countermeasures system allowing for the placing of multiple stations (units) in various combinations inside the fuselage and mounted externally onto planes and helicopters.
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Along with a control device placed on the on-board computer, these include a radar warning receiver station, a laser warning system, a missile attack warning station, a decoy dispenser (featuring chaff cartridges, IR-based cartridges, single-use cartridges with transmitters), noncoherent active radio-interference station, optical-electronic suppression station, and laser optical-electronic suppression station
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"What makes the system truly invulnerable," Tuchkov explained, "is the laser-based optical-electronic jamming system," which detects the rocket launch, transmitting its coordinates to the computer unit, which with the help of the optical mechanical unit monitors the missile's movement, drawing a bead on it with its laser. "At the right moment, the laser is turned on, 'blinding' the missile, and causing it to lose its ability to track the target."
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The complex, effective at a range from 500 to 5,000 meters, is capable of simultaneously deflecting two missiles, with an azimuth range of 360 degrees, and an elevation angle of 90 degrees. In standby mode, the system consumes 3 kW, which rises to 6 kW while in operation.
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"In addition, the complex can be equipped with a towed radar decoy, which lures the missile toward itself, with a tow line length of 150 meters."
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"As far as both the types of aircraft [it can be attached to] and the missiles which might attack them, the President-S is truly a universal system." In addition to MANPADS, the President-S is capable of counteracting both stationary SAM stations and air-air systems.
Type 056 Coast Guard version armed with a 20mm RWS station. Also note the two fast speedboats located at the waist position, presumably for boarding parties and the aft observation bridge.
p.s. The black colored board near the radar mast is a LED message board to flash messages to other ships.
NEW DARPA PROGRAM WANTS YOU TO TURN HOVERBOARDS AND BB-8S INTO WEAPONS
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“We have to respect the laws of the United States,” said Weiss. That means if you propose something like a flamethrower attached to a drone, you'd better not be living in Connecticut where the practice is outlawed.
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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Improv program is soliciting innovative research proposals for prototype products and systems that have the potential to threaten current military operations, equipment, or personnel and are assembled primarily from commercially available technology. The program definition of “commercially available technology” is largely unrestricted and ranges from generic and widely available technology such as cell phones, to highly specialized, domain-specific technology such as construction, salvage, or surveying equipment. The technology scope of Improv is broad, and the program is structured to encourage participation by a wide range of technical specialists, researchers, developers, and skilled hobbyists. Proposers are free to reconfigure, repurpose, program, reprogram, modify, combine, or recombine commercially available technology in any way within the bounds of local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Use of components, products, and systems from non-military technical specialties (e.g., transportation, construction, maritime, and communications) is of particular interest. The specific mechanisms for preserving the central role of commercially available technology in the program are: (1) constrained budgets, and (2) short development periods between award and prototype delivery. The purpose of these mechanisms is to keep the focus of each individual project on the integration of easily procured technology rather than on developing completely new technology. However, new technology development activity – within the bounds of the Improv program structure – is acceptable and encouraged.
Japan is very uncooperative with country they are not familiar with. With pinoy most likely under US pressure
We already have good relationship with japan. They may pass us some free stuff but there away a trade deal especially japanase industry here. Nothing come free at the back at least. The funny thing however is that why japan choose to cooperate with pinoy the first place. We are better partner anyway.
Japan never give free lunch. Maybe pinoy have to pick this one up because they have no option and desperately need some gears. Malaysia are not in the same situation and can afford to bargain kau kau. In short, pinoy is a much easier target than Malaysia.
Japan never give free lunch. Maybe pinoy have to pick this one up because they have no option and desperately need some gears. Malaysia are not in the same situation and can afford to bargain kau kau. In short, pinoy is a much easier target than Malaysia.
US and Russia Begin Race for Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet
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While Russia remains relatively secretive regarding the next-generation fighter jet, the US military industry has released several concept designs aimed at tenders. The most creative thus far has been by Britain's BAE Systems, which proposed a modular design, which would allow a UFO-like rhombus-shaped jet to separate into different functions while in mid-flight.
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A concept by Northrop Grumman proposed a space plane which fires lasers, while Boeing has focused on the F/A-XX, which is aimed primarily at the US Navy's carrier fleet.
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Bondarev then said that the shift to unmanned aircraft is in part because the human body "has limits," presumably for both long flights and extreme maneuvers. Drone equipment, he said, is "much more functional and low-maintenance," and "can withstand any g-force," referring to the human body's inability to survive plane maneuvers, leading to death or loss of consciousness.
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"What we’re looking at UCLASS is to be the bridge between manned systems and completely autonomous unmanned strike — which will be sometime in the 2020s — to develop that program using UCLASS to get us there,"
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Another issue with Russia's T-50 project has been in coordinating the program with India, which has been unhappy with the cost and has leaked complaints about the project to the press in the midst of the country's stalled deal to buy Rafale jets from France.
UAE jet goes 'missing' in Yemen while fighting al-Qaeda
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"The Supreme Command of the Armed Forces announced today that a fighter jet taking part in the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia... in Yemen was missing," said a statement on the official WAM news agency.
U.S. General Admits F-35 Is Actually Three Separate Airplanes
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The variants were supposed to be 70-percent common. But Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, head of the JSF program office, told a seminar audience on Feb. 10 that the three F-35 models are only 20- to 25-percent common, mainly in their cockpits.
In other words, the F-35 is actually three different warplanes. The F-35, F-36 and F-37.
RIYADH, March 14 (KUNA) -- Two pilots of the UAE Air Force died when their warplane crashed into Yemeni territories at dawn on Monday, the Coalition for Restoring Legitimacy in Yemen announced.
The Coalition said in a statement, broadcast by the Saudi Press Agency, that the Mirage fighter jet crashed due to a technical malfunction at the dawn time.
Earlier in the UAE, military authorities initially said the fighter jet had gone missing.
The Saudi-led Arab Coalition is carrying out "the restoration of hope" operation in Yemen, aimed to back up the legitimacy in the troubled country.
The £2.99 app that could sink UK's war on smugglers
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The International Maritime Organization requires vessels of more than 300 tons and passenger ships to have AIS transmitters. Warships and ships operated or owned by governments are supposedly exempt.
Ex-Navy chief Lord West said the app was ‘something else that the military commander has to bear in mind’.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The Border Force vessels in the Aegean are on a humanitarian operation to support the Greek and Turkish coastguards and not part of a covert operation.’
He added: ‘All Border Force cutters have the ability to avoid tracking if necessary.’
A MarineTraffic spokesman said: ‘Naval officers are fully aware that AIS signals transmitted by their vessels mean that their positions are publicly visible.’
Joined: Feb 2014
From: Somewhere in the pacific, or indian ocean
QUOTE(thpace @ Mar 14 2016, 10:58 PM)
why not.. as long you have the $$$ tough as usually, there bound to be restriction imposed by US but given our relationship now they might even close one eyes
better go for ruag kawest standard, longer barrel longer range msia have been a good customer for ruag, maybe its a possibility
Guess the money dries up. It shows that no countries on earth can maintain sustained war effort (even a limited warfare such as in Syria) outside their own soil other than US.
QUOTE(thpace @ Mar 14 2016, 09:28 PM)
A6 or A7 PIM
I getting the felling that the m109 is just a stop gap measure before a capable is sourced
M109A6 is already a capable platform. The main reason why US army went to the A7 variant is because of chassis commonality with Bradley. If anything, I'd rather if we get more 155mm towed howitzer and replace Oto melaras with new 105mm howitzer.
South Korean KH-179 155mm howitzer seems to be a great option. It's a lot cheaper M777(less than 1 million USD compared to M777's >6 million USD) and unlike M777, it even has 52 caliber variant
This post has been edited by cunnilinguist: Mar 15 2016, 03:22 AM
Not a complete pullout imo, just scaling down operations. I don't think cost was a problem cause they mentioned that the intervention was funded as part of the Air Forces annual budget and not part of extra war funds?
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Critically, sophisticated air defence systems seem set to stay. And as we have never been told officially how many troops were ever sent to Syria, we are unlikely to know how many will remain.
Besides, could be a political move as a response to the talks with the White house over the Syrian Crisis.
Not a complete pullout imo, just scaling down operations. I don't think cost was a problem cause they mentioned that the intervention was funded as part of the Air Forces annual budget and not part of extra war funds? Besides, could be a political move as a response to the talks with the White house over the Syrian Crisis.
Whatever they said their aims were, it was quite clear Russia's main concern is to secure their bases at Latakia and Hmeimem. Late 2015 saw the rebels get dangerously close to area. Now that the SAA have significantly pushed the rebels back and Russian assets are in no immediate danger they can scale down and eventually stop the air campaign.
The security troops and military advisors would probably stay though.
Guess the money dries up. It shows that no countries on earth can maintain sustained war effort (even a limited warfare such as in Syria) outside their own soil other than US. M109A6 is already a capable platform. The main reason why US army went to the A7 variant is because of chassis commonality with Bradley. If anything, I'd rather if we get more 155mm towed howitzer and replace Oto melaras with new 105mm howitzer.
South Korean KH-179 155mm howitzer seems to be a great option. It's a lot cheaper M777(less than 1 million USD compared to M777's >6 million USD) and unlike M777, it even has 52 caliber variant
Public face say pull out
Maybe just pull out a few people and that it. Syria is a key ally for russian.
Losing syria is a huge lost to russian. Don't think they will let it happen
This post has been edited by thpace: Mar 15 2016, 08:55 AM
Malaysia sends new contingent of military observers to Mindanao
Malaysia continues its commitment to support the government peace process in Mindanao as it deploys another contingent of Malaysian peace monitors to replace another contingent which completed its one year tour of duty on Sunday.
The new contingent replaces the outgoing team after observing for the past 12 months the enforcement of ceasefire agreement between Philippine government forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Malaysian Major Gen. Datuk Wira Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain of the Malaysian Royal Armed Forces will lead the new peace monitors called 11TH International Monitoring Team (IMT-11), replacing a team (IMT-10) led by Major Gen. Dato Sheik Mokhsin Bin Sheik Hassan.
The team is composed of representatives from Brunei and Indonesia, and civilian experts from Norway, Japan, and the European Union. It has been helping the GPH and the MILF enforce the ceasefire accord since 2003.
Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) welcomed the new Malaysian peace monitors, noting the “big role” its contributions make to the over-all peace situation in the region.
“This peacekeeping mission plays a very big role in keeping peace in many areas inside the autonomous region," Hataman said.
Saudi Arabia Upgrades C-130 Fleet With Advanced Aerial Refuelers
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Saudi Arabia has taken delivery of two Super Hercules airplanes, massive cargo carriers that are capable of refueling aircraft in flight, the US defense giant Lockheed Martin said in a press release on Monday.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Lockheed Martin explained that the KC-130J is an advanced version of the C-130 plane that can be used to transport troops, vehicles in addition to refueling aircraft.
"These new KC-130Js were acquired by the kingdom through a foreign military sales program with the US government."
Why Were Hellfire Missiles Shipped From Beirut Aboard A Passenger Jet?
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Something very strange is going on with a pair of Hellfire air-to-ground training missiles. Loaded onto a civilian airliner in Beirut, Lebanon, their paperwork said the final destination was Portland, Oregon. But before they could get there, the plane stopped in Belgrade, Serbia, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear right now, where Serbian police and canines sniffed them out. So what the heck is going on here?
Hellfires are used by Lebanon’s small fleet of Cessna 208 Caravan counter-insurgency aircraft, so the reality that the pair’s journey originated from Beirut is not beyond imagination. But very little beyond that is making any sense, as the AP and Portland’s local NBC affiliate, KGW, note:
The [Lebanese] army says the missiles were being sent to the American company that produced them. It says the return was in accordance “with administrative and legal measures after the training ended.”
Lockheed Martin officials told KGW the company has had no contact from the federal government about the missiles. It’s Portland office deals with energy, not weapons.
Oregon also doesn’t have any military units that use AGM-114s, nor does any local industry directly associated with the production or transfer of the missiles come to mind. The closest military units to Portland that employ Hellfire missiles are located up at McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington.
What remains uncertain is if this was an official shipment that went awry or were these missiles being transferred with illegal intent to a private party. Although the later of the two is unlikely, if it is the case the implications of such a event would be much larger than if this whole thing was just some logistical mistake made by legitimate handlers of these types of weapons.
The FBI has no information on the issue as of yet, but the missiles are being inspected to find out if they are indeed live or training units and an investigation into how they ended up in an airliner in Belgrade is underway.
Obama, Putin discuss Russia's 'partial withdrawal' from Syria
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"They discussed President Putin's announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities," the White House said in a statement.
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A political transition is required to end the violence in Syria," Obama said.
Kurdish forces capture American in IS-held north Iraq
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An American citizen, who is reportedly an Islamic State fighter, has been captured by Kurdish security forces after leaving Islamic State-held territory in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government's security council announced on Monday.
According to CNN, the man, who reportedly has an American passport, was captured near Sinjar and handed over to Kurdish authorities in the region.
Major General Feisal Helkani of the Peshmerga forces identified the individual as a Palestinian-American named Mohammed Jamal Amin.
He added that he was carrying a large amount of cash, three cell phones and a United States driving license.
Nuclear missile submarines, which spend months at a time submerged in classified patrol areas, are considered the most "survivable" of the so-called nuclear triad (land-, sea-, and air-launched nuclear weapons). The downside is that they are less accurate than land-based missiles and tend to be assigned retaliatory missions against "countervalue" targets—civilian targets such as cities, factories, oil refineries, and transportation infrastructure. The United States Navy still maintains 14 Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines. Each "boomer" carries 20 Trident D-5 missiles, and each Trident packs up to twelve nuclear warheads, each six times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
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The next-generation sub—known as SSBN(X)—will enter service in 2021 with a host of new improvements. One item high on the Navy's wish list is a nuclear fuel supply that will last the lifetime of the submarine, allowing the Navy to avoid a costly and time-consuming refueling job two decades into the ship's tenure. The Navy also wants an electric drive propulsion system, which will be much quieter than current mechanical drive systems.
SSBN(X) will be slightly larger than the existing submarines, displacing 20,815 tons, compared to 18,750 tons for the Ohio subs. It will have a beam of 43 feet, making it a foot wider than the Ohio class and nine feet wider than the Virginia class attack submarines.
The new submarines will carry fewer nuclear missiles than their predecessors. Each will have launch tubes for 16 Trident D-5 missiles, for a grand total of 192 tubes spread out between the dozen ships. While that may not sound like a lot, each Trident can carry up to ten nuclear warheads. So we're talking about 1,920 nuclear warheads overall.
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All of this will cost money—a lot of money. The total cost of the SSBN(X) program is expected to be $95.8 billion, including $11.8 billion in research and development costs and $84 billion for the submarines themselves. The first sub is expected to cost a whopping $14.5 billion, and $4.9 billion a pop for the rest. Consider that most Pentagon programs inevitably encounter cost overruns of approximately 20 percent and the true cost of this program boggles the mind
Guess the money dries up. It shows that no countries on earth can maintain sustained war effort (even a limited warfare such as in Syria) outside their own soil other than US.
Even US can't sustain that. It's just how long can they tahan.
Things are going the Russian way in Syria. It has been their plan to use military to force a political solution that favour them (or at least will keep their presence in middle east). US has been stretched thin this time.
Germany approves arms exports to Saudi Arabia and Oman: ministry letter
Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:12am EDT
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has approved several arms export deals with countries in the Middle East, including delivery of 23 Airbus helicopters to Saudi Arabia, according to an Economy Ministry letter seen by Reuters on Monday.
Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has vowed to be much more cautious in licensing arms exports, unnerving Germany's sizeable defense industry and signaling a change in policy from the previous coalition government under which sales rose.
However, in a letter to lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house of parliament's economy committee, Gabriel said the government's Federal Security Council had also approved a deal by Heckler & Koch to deliver 660 machine guns, 660 additional gun barrels and 550 sub-machine guns to Oman.
It also gave the green light for Heckler & Koch's delivery of 130 machine pistols and automatic rifles to the United Arab Emirates and allowed Rheinmetall to export 65,000 mortar cartridges to the country, the document showed.
The government also approved the delivery of five military helicopters by Airbus to Thailand and the export of nearly 490 machine pistols and automatic rifles by Heckler & Koch to Indonesia.
In January, Gabriel said Germany may look harder at its arms exports to Saudi Arabia after the Gulf kingdom carried out its biggest mass execution for decades.
In addition, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has repeatedly said that Berlin wants to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold,; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Toby Chopra)
The fight against dengue and other diseases might be an unseen war but it is just as important as dominating the battlefield.
Speaking at the International Military Conference on Dengue and other Arboviruses, Colonel (COL) (DR) Tang Kong Choong, Chief of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Medical Corps, said: "Dengue and other arthropod-borne viruses such as Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis and most recently, Zika, affect the Asia-Pacific region with substantial impact on health, military training and operations.
"Sometimes it's difficult to tell soldiers to use repellent, roll down their sleeves and sleep under a net. But if we don't do these things, the fighting strength of a unit can be severely reduced." The three-day conference, which began on 8 Mar, brought together about 60 healthcare professionals and military medicine practitioners from 12 countries in the region.
Though dengue is concentrated in the tropical regions of the world, temperate countries are not spared. Even the Himalayan country of Nepal has seen cases of dengue and malaria. "Mosquito-borne illnesses are a challenge to military forces around the world. The worldwide spread of dengue is perhaps more widespread and severe than anticipated," said Rear-Admiral (RADM) Colin Chinn. "That's why conferences like these are so important," said RADM Chinn, who is Command Surgeon, United States Pacific Command (US PACOM).
During the conference, industry experts provided updates on the latest developments in vaccines and disease control measures. Each participating country took turns to share knowledge on disease control in their territories. The participants also visited the Environmental Health Institute, the national laboratory in Singapore that conducts research and surveillance on vector-borne diseases.
"The conference is a good opportunity to learn from my colleagues around the region, and the talks are very enlightening," said COL (Dr) Syed Edi Sazaly Bin Syed Haidzir.
As someone who has had dengue before, he understands the pain of recovery. "Even the most mild forms (of dengue) require a few days of rest. In the military, (mass infections) would reduce the fighting force and that is a concern." He is a practising clinician based in a military hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he is a respiratory specialist.
Said Brigadier-General (Dr) Chan Davaruth, from the Cambodian Armed Forces, who is Deputy Director of the Department of Health in Cambodia: "There are dengue outbreaks every four years or so in Cambodia and the information shared here will be useful to our efforts in reducing the number of cases.
"It's important that we talk about this so that we can learn from each other. I will be sharing what we learnt here with my colleagues back in Cambodia." The conference, held at the National University of Singapore, was co-hosted by the SAF Medical Corps and US PACOM. It is supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, National University of Singapore.
Russian Defense Ministry is developing stealth bridges
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MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry jointly with domestic defense contractors is developing demountable auto bridges invisible for the potential enemy's detection systems, Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov said on Monday.
"The bridges must be invisible for [the enemy’s] modern detection means to raise the survivability of bridge-crossing," he said.
According to Bulgakov, the new structures are being developed of composite and other innovation materials to facilitate the bridges’ assembly and reduce their weight while the carrying capacity and the length of the bridge spans will be increased.
The costs of maintaining these bridges will be lower while their service life will be longer, the deputy defense minister said.
Russian industrial enterprises are carrying R&D to improve the operational characteristics of demountable auto bridges without attracting state budget funds, the deputy defense minister said.
MEET CHINA'S NEW SPY PLANE (WITH AN AUSTRIAN BODY)
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CETCS builds the mission avionics for a family of light surveillance planes using the Diamond DA42, the CSA-003 Scout is the ELINT variant. It has electronic signal gathering pods, processing systems, satellite uplinks and options for a nose-mounted infrared/EO camera turret.
The CSA-003 is China's newest Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft. Built by the China Electronic Technology Corporation's Avionics division, the CSA-003 is a family of special mission aircraft that include maritime patrol and oil spill response.
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Also using the same Diamond DA42 airframe, the CSA004 Aerial Star uses digital cameras and LIDAR in its forward to conduct survey missions, disaster monitoring, cartography, and mineral exploration.
ELINT is a vital part of today's military activities and future battlefield. In addition to collecting intelligence on potential enemies' electronic activity, in a battlefield situation, it enables electronic and cyber attacks against enemy electronics through pinpointing their location and vulnerabilities.
Just set up 12 teams of light, portable ATGM...like Metis-M on the landing beach. After all 48 missiles fired...then withdraw to the next defense line.
Huge losses on the attacking side.
This post has been edited by Frozen_Sun: Mar 15 2016, 05:09 PM
This Afghanistan National Army's Rapping Recruitment Video Isn't Totally Horror
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This recruitment music video for the Afghan National Army may sound far cooler than the translation suggests, but for a country that had previously lived under Taliban rule and remains mired in a never ending insurgency, you can’t be too hard on them.
The Latest: Russia may keep about 1,000 personnel in Syria
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The head of the parliamentary defense committee, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday that he estimated about 1,000 Russian military personnel would remain in Syria at the two bases. That's according to the Interfax news agency.
Ozerov says Russia would need a minimum of two battalions, a total of 800 troops, to protect the two bases. He says it will continue to conduct air reconnaissance, requiring some of the plane crews to remain, and the military specialists advising the Syrian army also would stay.
The estimate follows President Vladimir Putin's announcement Monday that some of the Russian aircraft and troops would be withdrawn. Russia has not revealed how many soldiers it has deployed to Syria, where it maintains a naval facility as well as an air base, but U.S. estimates of the number of Russian military personnel varies from 3,000 to 6,000.
The world’s most advanced missile system has China spooked — and we got an up-close look
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“THAAD is a purely defensive weapon. It is purely capable of shooting down a ballistic missile it intercepts. And it is there for the protection of the United States,” Kerry said.
“If we can get to denuclearization, there’s no need to deploy THAAD,” he added.
Malaysia to discuss South China Sea military buildup with Australia, Vietnam
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Hishammuddin said he would meet Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne to ensure efforts are made to “hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area”.
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“If the reports we’ve received from various sources regarding the build-up and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true — this forces us in a pushback against China,” Hishammuddin told reporters.
Military 'invisibility cloaks' could breach Geneva conventions
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“Invisibility cloaks” and other future advances in military camouflage techniques could violate the Geneva conventions, a top military lawyer has warned.
Refinements of technologies that are already used on stealth bombers could breach compliance with international laws regulating armed conflict if equipment is disguised or soldiers’ weapons are hidden, according to Bill Boothby, a former air commodore and deputy director of RAF legal services.
Scientists and military contractors are spending tens of millions of pounds researching methods for generating effective invisibility through more sophisticated “metamaterials” – substances designed to absorb or bend light and/or radar waves in order to conceal approaching aircraft or troops.
The Ukrainian developer of intercontinental ballistic missiles Yuzhnoye is reported to have sold abroad documents on the small liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Kopye, that was designed in 1985 for a mobile ground missile system of the same name. How probable is it and which of the South-Eastern Asian countries could purchase the documents?
Viktor Murahovsky, chief editor of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission:
"There is a strong probability that documentation sale has taken place. We could evidence last year that the enterprise was visited by various foreign delegations, including the United States of America. There were even representatives from Pakistan, China, Myanmar as well as other countries. So, it is difficult to say for the moment which of the countries purchased it, unless any reliable information is revealed. However, if such countries as Pakistan or North Korea obtain the documentation, it will pose a serious threat to both the US and Russia."
Singapore’s acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has shifted from an unlikely possibility to a plausible probability in recent months.
The F-35 is being touted as a state-of-the-art fifth generation fighter, described as only second to the U.S. Air Force’s prized F-22 in air-to-air capabilities and the best in air-to-ground abilities. While many Western and pro-West states, such as the UK and Japan, have already received the F-35, the tiny city-state of Singapore has been a financial contributor as a ‘Security Cooperative Partner’ in the F-35 programme since its launch in 2003, though they since remained characteristically tight lipped on any involvement.
This changed in 2013, when Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen announced that they were in the ‘final stages of evaluating the F-35’. In December last year, Dr Ng was given a tour of F-35 training facilities at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where he told reporters that he was ‘pleased’ with the progress of the F-35 programme and that it continued to ‘tick boxes’ in evaluation. These recent developments, along with an appearance of a replica F-35 at the Singapore Airshow suggests that Singapore’s interest in the programme is higher than ever.
Singapore’s move for the F-35 is atypical; the state has exhibited a preference for depending on their own industry for military equipment. When required to look abroad, the usual defence procurement habit has been to purchase second-hand or slightly dated equipment, before refurbishing and modernising it. Recent examples of this include Singapore’s acquisition and refurbishment of second-hand Leopard II tanks in 2006 and the purchase of heavily upgraded F-15 fighters that became operational in 2013. Despite the tradition of obtaining hand-me-downs, Singapore’s military is already considered the most advanced in South East Asia. Thus, a move alongside Western states for the brand new F-35 is intriguing.
The F-35 would no doubt enhance the RSAF’s capability. The F-35 programme’s director of business development Steve Over said that the F-35 is equipped to handle ‘today’s developing advanced threat systems’ which fourth-generation aircraft, still in use by US and Singapore air forces, may not be able to handle.
QUOTE(IReallyNeed Answers @ Mar 15 2016, 08:32 PM)
Have the 35 improve recently,
All I know is that the f35 is unbelievably bad overall last time
Or sinkie buy to counter indon su35?
Or because want Uncle Sam happy happy?
To counter both Malaysia & Indonesia.
QUOTE
In recent years Indonesia and Malaysia, along with the rest of Southeast Asia, have increased their defence budgets and have started modernising their armouries. Malaysia’s air force suffers from being overly diverse, outdated, and expensive to maintain, and seeks to replace several aging aircraft with modern alternatives. Malaysia has already procured a number of modern Sukhoi Su-30 fighters from Russia, and is looking to further expand its fleet by forty modern aircraft by 2020. Indonesia’s air force is similarly outdated, but they have announced that they will be adding the multi-role Su-35 to their fledging fleet of sixteen modern Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft. The Su-35 is a 4++ generation aircraft, meaning that it is placed just below the F-35. However, even without the F-35 the RSAF still outmatches the new Malaysian and Indonesian air forces, but it is unsurprising that the RSAF is evaluating a fifth generation aircraft in order to maintain its defence premium in the face of their neighbour’s modernisation programme.
In recent years Indonesia and Malaysia, along with the rest of Southeast Asia, have increased their defence budgets and have started modernising their armouries. Malaysia’s air force suffers from being overly diverse, outdated, and expensive to maintain, and seeks to replace several aging aircraft with modern alternatives. Malaysia has already procured a number of modern Sukhoi Su-30 fighters from Russia, and is looking to further expand its fleet by forty modern aircraft by 2020. Indonesia’s air force is similarly outdated, but they have announced that they will be adding the multi-role Su-35 to their fledging fleet of sixteen modern Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft. The Su-35 is a 4++ generation aircraft, meaning that it is placed just below the F-35. However, even without the F-35 the RSAF still outmatches the new Malaysian and Indonesian air forces, but it is unsurprising that the RSAF is evaluating a fifth generation aircraft in order to maintain its defence premium in the face of their neighbour’s modernisation programme.
lol... mig29 havent event find replacement yet still got $$$ buy up to 40?
the su-35 is a threat no doubt but the f-15s are at least on par with them... taking into acct training, shouldnt be a prob
doubt will purchase any until it reaches a certain level of maturity..
Russia seeks to reassure Israel over Syria pullout plan
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Israeli officials have privately said Russian forces sent in last year to help Syrian President Bashar Assad turn the tide against a now five-year-old rebellion also served to restrain his anti-Israeli allies - Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.
QUOTE
Israel was further helped by a hotline to the main Russian airbase at Hmeymim in Syria, which let it continue covert strikes to foil suspected Hezbollah or Iranian operations against it on Syrian turf without fear of accidentally clashing with Moscow.
QUOTE
He clarified that the Russian decision was made in an effort to promote negotiations between the sides. "Russia is sending a clear message to everyone involved in the Syria crisis - it's time to give political dialogue a chance, a change for an internal Syrian dialogue between the government and the different factions in the opposition," he said.
QUOTE
Zvi Magen, formerly Israel's ambassador to Moscow, told Ynet that "the discussion is not the withdrawal of troops, but the announcement that they will stop fighting, and that has a different type of meaning. Russia is probably not going anywhere, but it was more important for Putin to announce that he is now stopping the fighting."
Just set up 12 teams of light, portable ATGM...like Metis-M on the landing beach. After all 48 missiles fired...then withdraw to the next defense line.
Huge losses on the attacking side.
range of Metis doesn't fill me with confidence
QUOTE(IReallyNeed Answers @ Mar 15 2016, 08:32 PM)
Have the 35 improve recently,
All I know is that the f35 is unbelievably bad overall last time
Or sinkie buy to counter indon su35?
Or because want Uncle Sam happy happy?
F35 is not completely shit IMHO but yeah... sounds like SAF trying to justify budget and reason for existence
I have never heard of malaysia want to add more su-30. Probably just to justify singapore need f35.
The article only mentioned "looking to further expand a fleet of forty modern aircraft by 2020". Maybe that includes the RMAF MRCA & F-5 replacement plans.
This post has been edited by azriel: Mar 16 2016, 07:39 AM
I think you'll have to choose whether you use shorter-ranged portable light infantry-based ATGM like Metis-M or heavier, longer-ranged ATGM like TOW that are larger and much more difficult to carry around.
If your tactics depend of fast hit and run infantry tactics, a lighter weapon would probably be more appreciated. Heavy ATGMs are really suited best for vehicle mountings or fixed ambushes, not fast infantry action. You could always mount them on a truck or Humvee, but vehicles are easier to detect and destroy than small units of 3-4 soldiers.
Metis-M has longer range than the original Metis...roughly equal to tank gun range. Enough.
Tanks guns shoot further these days too. Just sayin'
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 16 2016, 07:47 AM)
I think you'll have to choose whether you use shorter-ranged portable light infantry-based ATGM like Metis-M or heavier, longer-ranged ATGM like TOW that are larger and much more difficult to carry around.
If your tactics depend of fast hit and run infantry tactics, a lighter weapon would probably be more appreciated. Heavy ATGMs are really suited best for vehicle mountings or fixed ambushes, not fast infantry action. You could always mount them on a truck or Humvee, but vehicles are easier to detect and destroy than small units of 3-4 soldiers.
True enough, and in denser terrain it should do fine. But for the purpose of countering amphib attack? Its no substitute for e.g. NSM coastal battery
QUOTE(IReallyNeed Answers @ Mar 15 2016, 08:32 PM)
Have the 35 improve recently,
All I know is that the f35 is unbelievably bad overall last time
Or sinkie buy to counter indon su35?
Or because want Uncle Sam happy happy?
QUOTE(Fat & Fluffy @ Mar 15 2016, 11:28 PM)
lol... mig29 havent event find replacement yet still got $$$ buy up to 40?
the su-35 is a threat no doubt but the f-15s are at least on par with them... taking into acct training, shouldnt be a prob
doubt will purchase any until it reaches a certain level of maturity..
Meanwhile....Indonesia's Menhan takes it easy, he said recently in Singapore Airshow 2016...... that there won't be war and the purchase of Su-35 is enough for TNI-AU modernization, the next step would only be the induction of K-FX. Indonesia has confidence in size, knowing that no one will dare to attack and they don't have any intention to attack anyone.
Jokowi's administration is planning for a huge infrastructure boom. About $400 billion will be spent on infrastructure while he's in office.
------------------- Tak Akan Perang, Menhan: Peremajaan Alutsista Udara Cukup
TEMPO.CO, Changi - Menteri Pertahanan Ryamizard Ryacudu mengklaim Indonesia tak akan perang dengan negara lain dalam kurun waktu yang panjang. Hal ini menjadi alibi mantan kepala staf angkatan darat tersebut tak akan melakukan peremajaan terhadap semua alutsista TNI, terutama pesawat-pesawat tempur uzur. Desakan peremajaan mulai mencuat setelah sejumlah pesawat TNI Angkatan Udara jatuh.
"Mau perang dengan siapa?" kata Ryamizard dalam acara Singapore Airshow, 16 Februari 2016. "Sudah cukup."
Ryamizard mengklaim seluruh peremajaan yang dilakukan Kementerian Pertahanan dan TNI sesuai dengan kebutuhan. Hingga saat ini, menurut dia, pemerintah baru merasa perlu mengganti 12 pesawat Northrop F-5E Tiger II dengan sekitar 10 unit pesawat Sukhoi Su-35. Peremajaan ini dilakukan di Skuadron Udara 14 Tempur Lanud Iswahyudi, Magetan, Jawa Timur.
Ia juga berdalih pembelian dan peremajaan alutsista hanya menyesuaikan jenis ancaman yang bakal dialami Indonesia beberapa tahun mendatang. Ia menilai lawan satu-satunya terhadap keamanan negara hanya kelompok teroris. Penangkalan ancaman tersebut tak bisa dijawab dengan peremajaan alutsista TNI yang orientasinya pada penjagaan teritori dan kedaulatan negara.
Ryamizard juga enggan memaparkan alasan pemerintah membeli Sukhoi Su-35 dibandingkan dua kompetitor lainnya, yaitu F-35 Lightning II dan SAAB Gripen. "Jangan sampai ibaratnya ancaman ke arah kiri, malah beli alutsista ke arah kanan," katanya.
Selain F-5E Tiger, armada tempur TNI AU memiliki pesawat tempur jenis Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-27, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Embraer Super Tucano EMB 314, T-50 Golden Eagle, dan BAE Hawk 209. Pemerintah juga sudah mengantongi kontrak pengadaan pesawat tempur multiperan dalam proyek pesawat IF-X dengan Korea Selatan.
Selain F-5E Tiger, armada tempur TNI AU memiliki pesawat tempur jenis Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-27, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Embraer Super Tucano EMB 314, T-50 Golden Eagle, dan BAE Hawk 209. Pemerintah juga sudah mengantongi kontrak pengadaan pesawat tempur multiperan dalam proyek pesawat IF-X dengan Korea Selatan.
guess they dont fly often... or not good luck on their logistics
I guess when those infrastructure investments pay dividend in terms of accelerated economic growth, the defense budget will be higher too. Jokowi hinted that the defense budget could reach up to $19 billion per year, if the economic growth is high enough.
But, still a lower priority in the next few years.....
Russian Defense Ministry is developing stealth bridges
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The Russian Defense Ministry jointly with domestic defense contractors is developing demountable auto bridges invisible for the potential enemy's detection systems, Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov said on Monday.
"The bridges must be invisible for [the enemy’s] modern detection means to raise the survivability of bridge-crossing," he said.
According to Bulgakov, the new structures are being developed of composite and other innovation materials to facilitate the bridges’ assembly and reduce their weight while the carrying capacity and the length of the bridge spans will be increased.
Last week, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned its seventh Soryu-class diesel-electric attack stealth submarine, christened the JS Jinryu, at a ceremony held at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in central Japan, according to a MHI press release.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior Japanese defense officials including State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya, JMSDF Chief of Staff Tomohisa Takei, and Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency Commissioner Hideaki Watanabe.
The JS Jinryu is the seventh Soryu-class submarine delivered to the JMSDF and the fourth built by MHI. (Other ships were built by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation.) “MHI also built the first Soryu-class submarine, and has produced a total of 26 submarines at the MHI Kobe Shipyard over the last 70 years,” the MHI press statement reads. The keel for the JS Jinryu was laid in February 2012. The vessel was launched in October 2014.
Russia claims its deadly T-14 Armata tank is in full production
QUOTE
Chemezov notes that the Kremlin has made a $400 billion dollar overhaul of their military a priority.
“If we are talking about the defense sector, our businesses aren’t experiencing particularly big economic pressures from the financial market, because there’s an opportunity to export abroad, and thanks to that, we are making a pretty good profit, and plus domestically, our defense orders also aren’t small,” Chemezov said.
When asked specifically if the Armata tank family was impacted by the cuts, Chemezov said it’s “already in serial production.”
“Money has already been invested, and if we stop without finishing, then that will be lost money. Everything that has been started will be finished, and money will be allocated to it,” Chemezov said.
True enough, and in denser terrain it should do fine. But for the purpose of countering amphib attack? Its no substitute for e.g. NSM coastal battery
It would go without saying that the beach and any immediate inland defenses in question would be under heavy air and naval attack even before the landings begin.
As the suppression attacks would no doubt be lifted before the actual landing wave lands, it is easier to embed and infiltrate the coastal area with small, scattered tank-hunter infantry teams on foot with light ATGMs rather than vehicle-mounted heavy ATGMs that would undoubtedly attract the attention of patrolling CAS airplanes supporting the landings.
As in Normandy in 1944, small teams of German tank-killer infantry armed with Panzerfaust grenade launchers did significantly much more damage to allied forces than Panzers who were mostly destroyed on their way to the area by patrolling allied CAS airplanes.
It would go without saying that the beach and any immediate inland defenses in question would be under heavy air and naval attack even before the landings begin.
As the suppression attacks would no doubt be lifted before the actual landing wave lands, it is easier to embed and infiltrate the coastal area with small, scattered tank-hunter infantry teams on foot with light ATGMs rather than vehicle-mounted heavy ATGMs that would undoubtedly attract the attention of patrolling CAS airplanes supporting the landings.
As in Normandy in 1944, small teams of German tank-killer infantry armed with Panzerfaust grenade launchers did significantly much more damage to allied forces than Panzers who were mostly destroyed on their way to the area by patrolling allied CAS airplanes.
True that. ATGMs like Metis would work well on the beach-head armour. But like the Argentine objectives at Falklands, I was thinking of going for the LPDs and/or even LCACs/LCUs to deny followup and strand the initial wave...
Helmets courtesy of the Soviets.their old bases were full of these helmets .seemed they left in a hurry
Whaat? I would have guessed steel helmets left behind in 1989 would have worn away by wear and tear already. I would rather think that the Afghans based their military steel helmet production based on the old Soviet design and for some reason still produce them today.
The article only mentioned "looking to further expand a fleet of forty modern aircraft by 2020". Maybe that includes the RMAF MRCA & F-5 replacement plans.
I see. Not sure about f5 replacement probably there is none. I think any big ticket procurement will be put on hold for very long time. Unless there is changes is political landscape and economy turn around. New aircraft perhaps after 2020. .
True that. ATGMs like Metis would work well on the beach-head armour. But like the Argentine objectives at Falklands, I was thinking of going for the LPDs and/or even LCACs/LCUs to deny followup and strand the initial wave...
I don't think that will work, the longer you delay hitting the initial wave, the more time it gives the landing force to consolidate. The best time is to hit them the moment the first soldier lands on the beach amid the confusion and fog of war.
Interestingly, Marshal Rommel was fully committed to this approach during the D-Day landings. His superiors ordered for tanks to be held back inland and only deployed to engage the allies when the allies broke out of Normandy. Rommel argued allied tactical air power would neutralize their tanks even before they can be deployed to the area. Turns out he was right.
It would go without saying that the beach and any immediate inland defenses in question would be under heavy air and naval attack even before the landings begin.
As the suppression attacks would no doubt be lifted before the actual landing wave lands, it is easier to embed and infiltrate the coastal area with small, scattered tank-hunter infantry teams on foot with light ATGMs rather than vehicle-mounted heavy ATGMs that would undoubtedly attract the attention of patrolling CAS airplanes supporting the landings.
As in Normandy in 1944, small teams of German tank-killer infantry armed with Panzerfaust grenade launchers did significantly much more damage to allied forces than Panzers who were mostly destroyed on their way to the area by patrolling allied CAS airplanes.
I would see infiltration of small scouting teams of navy seal/marines into the landing zone.
I guess when those infrastructure investments pay dividend in terms of accelerated economic growth, the defense budget will be higher too. Jokowi hinted that the defense budget could reach up to $19 billion per year, if the economic growth is high enough.
But, still a lower priority in the next few years.....
I would see infiltration of small scouting teams of navy seal/marines into the landing zone.
Where the force is expected to land is also can be an indication of where the landing will actually occur. Feints and deception games will try to throw off the defender on where the attacker will land, but generally there are some fixed rules on how to engineer an amphibious landing.
One of the most important thing is the proximity of the proposed landing area to a working port will usually give a general view on possible landing sites. Armies consume a lot of supplies and landing supplies on the landing beach itself isn't sustainable except in the very short term.
That's why the D-day landings were landed in Normandy and not anywhere else, in fact the main objective of the D-day landings itself is to cut off, capture and secure the nearby major port of Cherbourg. Once the allies are in control of Cherbourg then they could properly plan the invasion in earnest. The Allies knew that without access to the harbor the landings could actually fail due to lack of supplies. Even if the landing force could break out of Normandy, lack of supplies would made it very hard if not impossible to maintain the invasion.
That's why most large-scale amphibious landings will try to land as close as possible to a working port, to bring in supplies necessary to maintain the landing force.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 16 2016, 12:01 PM
I don't think that will work, the longer you delay hitting the initial wave, the more time it gives the landing force to consolidate. The best time is to hit them the moment the first soldier lands on the beach amid the confusion and fog of war.
Interestingly, Marshal Rommel was fully committed to this approach during the D-Day landings. His superiors ordered for tanks to be held back inland and only deployed to engage the allies when the allies broke out of Normandy. Rommel argued allied tactical air power would neutralize their tanks even before they can be deployed to the area. Turns out he was right.
If possible then yes it should be done. But can't always predict where the first wave lands, just like Normandy. So priority IMHO is take out the LPDs and LCUs. To this day amphib capability even of USN cannot put ashore and support anything bigger than a battalion, and landing ops always presume 3-4 days time is needed to build up supplies (though I understand they're working hard to fix this). If we make choking that lifeline a priority within that time period we can limit the effectiveness of the landed troops. Attack indirectly not head-on.
Ecuador army plane crashes in Amazon region killing 22
QUOTE
An army plane with 22 people on board has crashed in Ecuador's Amazon region.
"There are no survivors. Our embrace of solidarity to the families and the armed forces. It is a tragedy," President Rafael Correa said on Twitter (in Spanish).
Nineteen of the people on board were Ecuadoran soldiers travelling for a parachuting exercise.
The Israeli-built Arava plane crashed at 14:30 local time (19:30 GMT) in the eastern province of Pastaza.
The cause of the accident is unknown.
There were also two pilots and one mechanic on board, EFE news agency reported.
Defence Minister Ricardo Patino and rescue teams are travelling to the area.
Hishammuddin to meet Australian defense minister to discuss China moves in disputed South China Sea
Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Monday he will meet his Australian counterpart next week to discuss China's military buildup in the disputed South China Sea and hold talks with fellow claimants the Philippines and Vietnam.
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
Hishammuddin said he would meet Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne to ensure efforts are made to "hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area".
"If the reports we've received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true - this forces us in a pushback against China," Hishammuddin told reporters.
Hishammuddin said he would also meet with authorities in Vietnam and the Philippines as, if reports on China's military expansion were true, Malaysia "cannot act alone in stopping the aggressive actions".
"We need the support of other ASEAN countries, and I will continue to (seek that support)," Hishammuddin said. "This is important for us to maintain balance, and to curb the actions by superpowers, whether it is China or the United States."
ISIS has created a youth wing called Fityan al-Islam, meaning boys of Islam. The precedent seems to have been set by the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussain in Iraq, which in the late 1970s established the Futuwah (Youth Vanguard) movement with the most important Iraqi child soldier units known as Ashbal Saddam, or Saddam’s Lion Cubs.
QUOTE
Apparently after studying the Nazi regime, which created the Hitler Youth, ISIS is now busy training and indoctrinating children en masse.
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ISIS lays its hands on, the group has taken its brutality involving children way beyond anything Hitler or Saddam ever did
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ISIS has abducted between 800 and 900 children ranging between the ages of 9 and 15 from various regions of Mosul city and province
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Many are being trained as spies, preachers, soldiers, executioners and suicide bombers
QUOTE
Media outlets within the “caliphate” have issued statements warning that children who refuse to conform with ISIS orders will be flogged, tortured or raped.
QUOTE
The girls fair no better. While in captivity young women and girls have been taken and raped on a daily basis by ISIS fighters. Most girls are being processed to be molded as wives and mothers of future soldiers. As if shaping an unborn army, estimated ++31,000 women living under ISIS rule are currently pregnant
This epic map shows the border disputes that could tear Asia apart
QUOTE
As the US makes a military and strategic “pivot to Asia,” it is entering a highly complex and fluid geopolitical environment.
China’s territorial disputes with its neighbors in the South China Sea have become a major point of contention in the region and maybe even a source of future violent conflict — and the rising superpower is far from the only country in the area with conflicts on its borders.
This map shows that the borders in Asia aren’t nearly as fixed as they might seem. China and India, the two most populous countries in the world, have numerous simmering boundary disputes. So do regional powers like Russia and Japan, along with more peripheral players in central Asia and the South China Sea.
ANALYSIS: Enough is enough... Russia's message to Assad
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Russia's partial pull-out from Syria does not end its mission but could be seen as a message to President Bashar al-Assad that Moscow wants him to take peace negotiations seriously, according to analysts.
QUOTE
"It was becoming clear to them that their objectives in Syria were not necessarily the same as Assad’s,” she said.
QUOTE
“The Russians were angered by Assad’s presidential decree to set 13 April for the elections. They felt that such a decision upended the Vienna timetable [on peace talks] and finally they were very angry with [Walid] Moallem’s ‘red line’ about Assad – setting a precondition when the agreement was there were no preconditions,” she added
QUOTE
“The primary message is to Assad, the secondary message is to the Americans and the Arab governments saying 'we are serious about the political process'. The third message is to the opposition that they should also be serious.”
QUOTE
“I don’t think [the Russians] would object to the idea of Assad eventually contesting elections, but I don’t see them fighting for it and I don’t think they share Assad’s objectives that he has to regain control over all of Syria,” Slim said.
QUOTE
“[Assad] in a way took Russia for granted and that is partly what Putin is trying to say: ‘you cannot take us for granted. We are not going to help you achieve control over all of Syria, we are not going to help you not negotiate in good faith, we are not going to help you if you are not serious about the political process.’”
QUOTE
“What the withdrawal does is put pressure on the Assad regime, because they have to be wondering whether or not the Russians will come back in or not.
THE PENTAGON WANTS TECHNOLOGY TO FIGHT WARS IN BIG CITIES AND UNDERGROUND
QUOTE
“From the Halls of Montezuma, To the shores of Tripoli, We fight our country’s battles, In the air, on land, and sea.” So opens the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps, and it covers the great scope of the American military. The Marines in particular find themselves fighting in all domains, with the Air Force, Army, and Navy each getting their fair share of air, land, and see. Yet as war evolves, and as the military looks to the future of combat, there are places it hasn’t yet fought. The Pentagon wants ideas on how to fight a war in megacities and caves. And they want to know by next week.
QUOTE
Today, there are at least 148 underground transit systems in cities across the world, and with them, lots and lots of tunnels and alternative routes through cities. Fighting a war in the future may mean fighting in a giant city, and it may mean fighting literally underground.
The Latest: Syrian Kurds to declare federal region in Syria
QUOTE
Nawaf Khalil of the Democratic Union Party told The Associated Press that his party is not lobbying for an only-Kurdish region but wants to see the "model of federalism applied to all of Syria."
Khalil, in a phone interview, says the area envisioned for northern Syria would include representation for Turkmen, Arabs and Kurds.
The declaration is expected to be made at the end of a Kurdish conference that is being held Wednesday in the town of Rmeilan in northern Syria.
What’s Behind China’s ‘New’ South China Sea Tsunami Warning Center?
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To the untrained eye, the Reuters article might seem to suggest that this tsunami alert center is a new development with potentially nefarious intentions, particularly given China’s recent behavior in the South China Sea. While some of these assertions can be debated, it is important to get some facts straight first.
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First, the idea of a Chinese tsunami alert center is not a new one and has in fact been in the works for years.
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China then openly offered to build its own tsunami early-warning center in subsequent UN meetings. In September 2013, as was widely reported by Chinese media outlets, Beijing’s proposal to build the center was approved by the assembly of the IOC within UNESCO, and China’s National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center was made responsible for building the center.
QUOTE
Second, tsunami warning centers typically do not cover one body of water exclusively, and China’s new one appears to not only cover the South China Sea. For example, the U.S.-based PTWC mentioned earlier issues advisories to countries of the Pacific Ocean as well as the South China Sea and Caribbean, while the Japan-based JMA issues advisories for the Northwest Pacific as well as the South China Sea. Up to this point, according to China’s State Oceanic Administration which Wang now heads, Beijing’s new tsunami early-warning center had been meant to cover not just the South China Sea, but also the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas.
QUOTE
Third and finally, while one would not put it past Beijing to use its new tsunami alert center as part of its expansionist agenda in the South China Sea, up to this point it has yet to do so. The Reuters article suggests China may be using the center for “bolstering its jurisdiction in the disputed waters” of the South China Sea, which would be in line with its “assertive pursuit of territory.” And, indeed, given China’s assertive acts there as well as some of its rather laughable justifications for them, it is not too hard to imagine Beijing publicizing the tsunami early-warning center as part of the range of “public services” – as navy chief Wu Shengli put it last year – that it can provide in the South China Sea with its reclamation and future militarization efforts
Navy training helicopter makes hard landing in Florida
QUOTE
A Navy helicopter with a Florida-based training squadron made a hard landing Tuesday afternoon with two crew members aboard.
Around 4:25 p.m. local time, a helicopter with Helicopter Training Squadron 18, made a hard landing at Naval Outlying Airfield Santa Rosa, Florida, according to a Navy release. Police and fire crews responded to the scene.
An instructor and student aviator exited the aircraft and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. There were no visible injuries, the release said. The incident is under investigation.
HT-18 is based at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, where aviators in training fly the TH-57 Sea Ranger as part of advanced helicopter training.
Iraqi Air Force Cessna plane crashes, 3 crew missing
QUOTE
Baghdad (AFP) - An Iraqi army plane crashed during a reconnaissance flight near the city of Kirkuk on Wednesday and its three crew went missing, a high-ranking military source said, blaming a "technical problem".
The Islamic State jihadist group claimed it had shot down an Iraqi military plane in the area, killing five crew members.
The military source said authorities had launched a search for the crew after the Cessna 208 Caravan went down near Kirkuk, around 220 kilometres (135 miles) north of Baghdad.
In a statement on Twitter, IS said it had shot down a military plane with anti-aircraft artillery and that it been on a bombing run against the city of Hawija, a stronghold of the jihadists in Kirkuk province.
Iraqi forces have been making gains against the jihadists in recent months as they seek to reclaim territory seized by IS during a major offensive in 2014.
23-year-old man on way to Syria to join Kurdish militia fighting against ISIS arrested under ISA
SINGAPORE - Late last year, Wang Yuandongyi learnt about the Kurds in Syria and how they were facing attacks from terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He began to empathise with their plight, and started detesting ISIS.
Two months later, he left Singapore to make his way to Syria, but was stopped in time, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday (March 16), in announcing his arrest.
Wang, a naturalized Singaporean of China origin, has been placed on a Restriction Order with effect from this month.
4 Singaporeans arrested under ISA for involvement in armed violence abroad
The 23-year-old was looking to escape from personal setbacks, the ministry said in its release, which gave a summary of what its investigations found.
He was in debt from a failed business venture.
In December 2015, Wang got in touch with a Kurdish militia group online to express his interest to join them in fighting ISIS.
At the same time, he communicated with like-minded individuals online about joining the militia group.
He also discussed possible travel routes to Syria with at least two of them .
In January 2016, Wang left Singapore for a third country, and planned to make his way to Turkey and then Syria from there.
The ministry did not name the third country.
But it said Wang brought with him some Singapore Armed Forces-issued military gear like his uniform and boots, which he planned to use on the battlefield.
However, his plans were thwarted when someone who became aware of his intentions reported him to the authorities.
At Singapore's request, Wang was located by the authorities of the third country and was turned back to Singapore.
The ministry also said Wang had arrived in Singapore as a child and was educated here. He completed National Service and obtained his citizenship in 2014.
He was arrested in February 2016 under the Internal Security Act and placed on a Restriction Order(RO), which limits his movements and activities, from March 2016.
As part of the rehabilitation programme, Wang will undergo psychological counselling to steer him away from resorting to violence. He will also be closely monitored by the authorities under the RO regime.
The ministry said in its release that the Government "takes a stern view against anyone who supports, promotes, undertakes or makes preparations to undertake armed violence, regardless of how they rationalise such violence ideologically, or where the violence takes place".
"In the case of Wang, even though his motivation to join the Kurdish militia group and fight against ISIS in Syria was not ideologically-driven, the fact remains that he intended to engage in an armed conflict overseas.
"Geography does not mask the fact that such individuals would have demonstrated a dangerous tendency to support the use of violence," it said.
"Their involvement in overseas conflicts can also jeopardise Singapore's national interests, including our bilateral relations. They are deemed to pose a threat to Singapore's security, and will be firmly dealt with in accordance with our laws," the ministry added.
Tanks guns shoot further these days too. Just sayin'
No they are not. At least not how you're thinking. When Rheinmetall introduced the L55, the focus is on penetration power, with range increase being an added bonus (because increased gun length=longer range)
You can only get significant increase in gun range by employing gun-launched ATGM
No they are not. At least not how you're thinking. When Rheinmetall introduced the L55, the focus is on penetration power, with range increase being an added bonus (because increased gun length=longer range)
You can only get significant increase in gun range by employing gun-launched ATGM
True, but you don't need super penetration to kill a missile team or even ATGM-armed IFV. Metis-M has a 2km range, standard L55 range is 2.5km with older rounds, probably more now. Bushmaster 3km+. Hell even Mk 19 40mm AGL goes out to 1.5km+. Point is, Metis-M isn't that amazing any more, we should shop for Kornet or the Chinese knockoff
Speaking of which, what weapons do our infantry battalion weapons coy carry? Do all squads carry Milkor MGL or just certain battalions or just GGK?
Russia ready to start production of dual-control version of Night Hunter attack helicopter
QUOTE
According to him, the Mi-28UB helicopter will be largely similar in characteristics to the Mi-28NE export version with the dual control system that makes it possible to control the helicopter both from the pilot’s cockpit and from the cockpit of the operator pilot who acts as an instructor.
Barannikov said that the company is currently in negotiations with "two or three foreign customers" on possible supplies of the Mi-28NE helicopters. "And at the MAKS-2015 exhibition about five or six countries took a serious interest in them", the Rostvertol deputy director said.
According to him, the countries that have experience in using real combat helicopters and operating Russia’s Mi-8 and Mi-24 type helicopters are the customers for Mi-28NE.
Barannikov also said that the Mi-28 helicopters are equipped with the VK-2500 engines manufactured by a Russian company, so there is no problem with the engines.
"Keeping all the functions of an attack helicopter, the dual-control Mi-28NE greatly simplifies the training process of military pilots who need flying hours on the Night Hunter. The new helicopter has a larger cockpit, equipped with modern energy-attenuating seats", the holding said earlier on Wednesday. According to Rostvertol, the first prototype of the Mi-28NE helicopter with dual flight controls was made in 2014, and in late 2015 the joint state tests were completed. Two contracts on the helicopters’ supply to foreign customers have been signed by now.
"The unique capabilities of the new combat helicopter open excellent prospects for its sale both in Russia and abroad", Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheyev was quoted by the company’s press service.
The dual-control Mi-28NE is a new-generation all-weather attack helicopter. Its main objectives are to destroy armored vehicles, hit low-flying low-speed air targets, aerial reconnaissance, as well as target detection for combat helicopters and warplanes.
The U.S. Air Force Wanted to Build a Stealth Transport Plane
QUOTE
On Oct. 19, 2001, 200 U.S. Army Rangers parachuted onto a dry lake bed near Kandahar, Afghanistan. After securing the drop zone and finding a nearby Taliban compound empty, the elite soldiers boarded a number of U.S. Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II transports and left the battlefield.
Even if Taliban forces had been nearby, they lacked radars to spot the incoming raiders or large numbers of deadly surface-to-air missiles that might’ve scuttled the American mission before it even started. Even so, the Pentagon sent stealthy B-2 bombers to hit nearby targets before the Rangers touched down.
Against a more high-tech enemy, the specialized troop-carriers and their human cargo might’ve been much more vulnerable.
QUOTE
By 2009, the Air Force’s commando headquarters had started looking at acquiring a stealthy transport plane to make infiltrating hostile areas a safer proposition. Dubbed “Project IX,” the proposed plane would have filled multiple “gaps and shortfalls” in existing aircraft such as the Combat Talon, according to the Air Force.
“Project IX will provide significantly better aircraft performance,” Air Force officials write in a concept document that War Is Boring obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. “The … configuration has yet to be determined and additional analysis will be required.”
QUOTE
Most importantly, the new plane would take advantage of “low-observable” technology — in other words, it would be stealthy. A radar-evading shape would be central to the design. Like the Air Force’s upcoming B-21 bomber, the project would require the utmost secrecy.
“There are lessons learned and precedents for such responsibility regarding other specialized aircraft (F-117, B-2, F-22, etc.),” the report explains. “Project IX will take full advantage of them.”
A graphic in the report features nondescript black silhouettes to depict the Project IX planes in their larger context. No other art is present in the declassified portions of the document.
QUOTE
The new commando transport would have to be just as good on impromptu dirt airstrips as it was on well-maintained, concrete runways. Of more than 10,000 airfields around the world in a 2007 National Geospatial Intelligence Agency database, fewer than 1,500 were paved, according to the document.
Big Military Surplus Helicopter Sale Starts At $14,000
QUOTE
The choppers are being sold off by Witham Specialist Vehicles Limited, which hocks surplus equipment for the British Ministry Of Defense (MoD) just like GovPlanet does for the American military over here.
A fleet of about 30 Sea Kings, which can carry 27 people and lift about 5,000 pounds on slings, are now sitting at the unused Grantham airfield in conditions ranging from potentially-flyable to “lawn art only” according to the Telegraph.
But what lawn art! Witham’s Managing Director Paul Southerington says the “hulks” could be bought for £10,000 to £20,000 ($14,000 to $30,000) while “working” helicopters would be over $200,000.
So far it looks like they’ve only listed this three-pack of Sea King HC4 Commando MK 4 variants that were designed to run in the mountains of Afghanistan. You can buy them directly from military storage for £150,000 ($211,723.52) with all necessary paperwork, but you’ll have to provide your own engines to get them off the ground.
Marines Will Soon Need to Know How to Shoot a Moving Target, Because That Wasn't a Thing Before
QUOTE
According to a report in the Marine Corps Times, the military’s Semper Fidelis contingent is finally adding moving targets to its list of marksmanship qualifications. Soon, in addition to stationary targets, Marines will also need to know how to successfully gun down a mobile object.
The precise training method is still in development—the request was reportedly made to the Weapons Training Battalion in October, and made public in February—but apparently Marines have been talking about their lack of success with moving targets “for years.”
The actual practical implementation of a training method, however, is a tad more complicated. There are a few shooting ranges right now that serve as testing sites for moving targets, but they’re expensive because of the targets themselves: ROBOTS!
Australian submarines should be built entirely at home - Germany's TKMS
Australia's new AUS$50 billion (27 billion pounds) submarine fleet should be built entirely within Australia, ThyssenKrupp AG's shipbuilding unit said on Thursday, making the German firm the first bidder to publicly endorse domestic construction as the best option.
Germany is up against Japan and France for one of the world's most lucrative defence contracts. Each was required under the terms to provide three proposals for construction - entirely overseas, entirely in Australia and a hybrid of the two.
A decision on the politically sensitive contract is expected within months, ahead of an Australian national election in which the deal and the jobs it will create are expected to be a key issue for the conservative government.
"An all-Australian build is the best option for Australia as it offers the most efficient and lowest-cost approach," TKMS Chairman Hans Atzpodien said in an address in Canberra.
"It has become quite clear to us that Australia has the local engineering and technical skills as well as capacity to help build the new submarine fleet."
Competition for the deal has been narrowing to a race between Japan and France, sources have told Reuters, with Tokyo playing up its strategic support from Washington and Paris emphasising how its proposal would help Australia's slowing economy.
This week, France sent executives from French corporate giants Airbus, BNP Paribas, Thales and dozens more to Canberra to talk up the economic benefits of its bid.
TKMS is proposing to scale up its 2,000-tonne Type 214 class submarine, while Japan is offering a variant of its 4,000-tonne Soryu boats made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
France's state-controlled naval contractor DCNS has proposed a diesel-electric version of its 5,000-tonne Barracuda nuclear-powered submarine.
Tokyo was initially seen as the frontrunner, due to close ties between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted in a party coup by Malcolm Turnbull last September, and perceived support from Washington to build closer ties between two key Asian allies.
Australia announced in a long-awaited White Paper released last month that it would increase defence spending by nearly AUS$30 billion over the next 10 years in order to protect its strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
(Reporting by Matt Siegel; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
True, but you don't need super penetration to kill a missile team or even ATGM-armed IFV. Metis-M has a 2km range, standard L55 range is 2.5km with older rounds, probably more now. Bushmaster 3km+. Hell even Mk 19 40mm AGL goes out to 1.5km+. Point is, Metis-M isn't that amazing any more, we should shop for Kornet or the Chinese knockoff
Although a basic HE tank shell can kill soft targets effectively, a good co-axial autocannon/HMG will be more useful in countering ATGM teams. The main gun can only fire one shell per shot, while an autocannon/HMG allows you to sweep the suspected area with heavy rapid fire in an extended burst. This is where a good APS with missile launch detection system can be a life-saver. Some systems can even automatically turn the turret towards the general area of a missile launch.
Also need to remember that unless the ATGM is a fire-and-forget system, the operator of a SACLOS-type missile needs to keep the aiming reticle on the target with the aiming optics at all times from launch to impact. Even a near miss by the tank's autocannon/ HMG return fire would probably enough to distract or flinch the missile operator into missing the target entirely, especially is the target is moving.
Even if the ATGM team is behind some kind of hard cover, the autocannon shells would also be quite effective in penetrating cover like sandbags or building walls that the ATGM team may take cover behind. Also, lighter ATGM carrier vehicles can also be easily destroyed by anything larger than 20mm explosive/AP shell.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 17 2016, 12:45 PM
US CYBERCOM at Turning Point for ‘Real World’ Operations - Commander
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In 2013, the Cyber Command was given the mission set to stand up a Cyber Mission Force capable of supporting US combatant commanders across the whole of the Department of Defense. In 2016, CYBERCOM will meet 90 percent of its goal to stand up 133 cyber teams.
"I believe fiscal year [20]16 is a tipping point for us as an organization, where we will go from a focus on developing capacity to a focus on actually employing the capacity that we have been developing over the last three years," Roger stated.
Kurd turns on Kurd as Turkey backs new faction in Syria
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The group, known as the Grandsons of Salahadin after the famed 12th-century Muslim Kurdish leader, has already captured several villages in the IS-controlled border region between Jarabulus and Azaz following Turkish artillery attacks and missile strikes. In response, IS hit the Turkish town of Kilis earlier this month, killing two civilians.
But threats to attack the YPG unless it withdraws from territory seized from opposition rebels during an advance by pro-government forces in northern Syria last month have stoked concerns of a possible “Kurdish civil war”.
Mahmoud Abu Hamza, a Grandsons of Salahadin commander based in Turkey, told Middle East Eye that the group was backed by both the US and Turkey and considered itself part of the international coalition fighting IS.
“Turkey doesn't support us with arms. Our arms are American,” he said.
QUOTE
"This organisation is best understood as Turkey's attempt to activate a Kurdish proxy in Syria. Turkey is willing to consider a Kurdish force that is part of that equation, but it has to be anti-PKK,” he added.
Galip Dalay, a senior associate fellow on Turkey and Kurdish Affairs at Al Jazeera Center for Studies, also told MEE that Ankara was ready to support a Kurdish force in the fight against IS provided it also opposed the YPG's military and political ambitions.
Upgraded air surveillance capabilities go hand-in-hand with the more active role that the Coast Guard has assumed since 2012 in both Japan’s territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). At a ceremony commissioning of two additional patrol vessels last year, Admiral Yuji Sato, Commandant of the Japan Coast Guard, emphasized that “this is one of the largest-ever investments in the 66-year Japan Coast Gua
QUOTE
According to the press release, the H225 Super Puma will be equipped with advanced search and rescue mission systems and “operated in security enforcement, territorial sea guard duties as well as disaster relief missions.”
The 11-ton, twin-turbine H225 Super Puma can accommodate up to 19 passengers. It is equipped with state-of-the-art electronic instruments and autopilot, and, according to the company press release, “offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed and can be fitted with various equipment to suit any role and purpose.”
The mystery surrounding Khweis’ journey into the heartland of ISIS was heightened with the revelation that he’d been traveling with an unidentified Iraqi woman, who accompanied him as he traveled through Turkey and into Syria in December 2015, according to Kurdish authorities
QUOTE
the group has a network of women responsible for recruiting and retaining new members, U.S. officials have said.
QUOTE
There was no obvious reason why Kurdish authorities would want to imprison a U.S. citizen, or that the Obama administration wouldn’t want to see an American who joined ISIS face justice in a U.S. court, Chesney noted.
QUOTE
While Khweis may not have been a senior ISIS member, he could still provide details on how Americans and other foreigners are recruited and make their way overseas to fight.
US: Yes, China we want to stockpile military supplies in countries around the South China Sea
QUOTE
The supplies, Breaking Defense reports, would be placed in such Pacific and Southeast Asian countries as Vietnam, Cambodia, and other unnamed nations — although the Philippines is a likely option.
The basing of such permanent supplies would form a basis for potential temporary rotational troop deployments throughout the region.
Such deployments would send a sharp signal to China that its continued militarization of the South China Sea will be met with increasing pushback by both the US and neighboring nations.
However, the current US plans are for the basing of light equipment that are not immediately scalable for war time. Instead, the equipment will instead be tailored for use in humanitarian mission sets.
Top Army general tells Congress that the military is not ready for a war against Russia and China
QUOTE
The Army's top general says military forces on the ground face a high level of risk if the United States gets into a large-scale conflict against a power such as Russia or China.
Testifying Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley says years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, constrained budgets and troop cuts have had a cumulative effect on the service.
Milley says the Army is ready to fight the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations.
But what Milley describes as a 'great power war' against one or two of four countries - China, Russia, Iran and North Korea - would pose greater challenges.
AMERICA WILL REPORTEDLY BLAME IRAN FOR CYBER ATTACK ON WATER-HOLDING INFRASTRUCTURE
QUOTE
Next week, the Obama Administration plans to identify Iran as the cause of a 2013 attack on New York’s Bowman Avenue Dam, CNN has learned from officials familiar with the investigation.
QUOTE
Hackers are believed to have gained access to the dam through a cellular modem, according to an unclassified Homeland Security summary of the case that doesn’t specify the type of infrastructure by name. Two people familiar with the incident said the summary refers to the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small structure used for flood control near Rye, N.Y. Investigators said hackers didn’t take control of the dam but probed the system, according to people familiar with the matter.
Futuristic military railgun 'bullets' could travel at Mach 6
QUOTE
New “bullets” for military railguns, which could strike enemy targets traveling at a whopping six times the speed of sound, are being tested.
Electromagnetic railguns and lasers are two technologies the military is harnessing as an alternative to gunpowder. The U.S. Navy is pioneering the futuristic weapons that could play a vital role in future combat.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems announced Wednesday that its Blitzer railgun hypersonic projectiles successfully passed tests at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground in Utah between 7 and 9 March 2016.
Both General Atomics and BAE Systems have created cutting-edge Electromagnetic Railguns. In 2012, the Office of Naval Research began testing them.
DARPA is launching its 132-foot submarine-hunting drone in April
QUOTE
Despite weighing 140 tons, the ACTUV is one of the quietest ships around and will be able to withstand months at sea without any crew on board.
As well as hunting down rogue submarines, the ACTUV may also carry out the more mundane task of carrying supplies out to other ships at sea.
DARPA has not explicitly referred to the ACTUV as a weapon but it has been compared to the much more robust naval destroyers, which often seek and eliminate enemy submarines.
Our f18 is geared toward land attack role. The amraam is just a completion for any air self defence need on the f18. The one that will doing the air to air will be our mkm
Hmmm dyou think Western armies overlooked this area for too long? Their SAM units like... tak berapa cukup even including MANPADs
Hmmm dyou think Western armies overlooked this area for too long? Their SAM units like... tak berapa cukup even including MANPADs
Ya la, somehow when mention western SAM all we probably hear are Patriots and Stingers.
Too much confidence in the Air Force perhaps. Probably rightly so given current western air superiority, but but always pay to be prepared for when there is no friendly fighter planes available overhead.
as long black frame, non transition, non reflective... they have got optometrist at camps but usually people just use their own
i read that US must use the military supply spectacle which is more tough, the glass is not easy to brake and scratch and the size can fit in the standard dust goggle, this is why alot of them say it is ugly and heavy
Hmmm dyou think Western armies overlooked this area for too long? Their SAM units like... tak berapa cukup even including MANPADs
The us always thought was their air supremacy will supplement their lack of longer range air defence. Not to mention heavy reliance on aegis system on destroyer
Russian know that their air force is weak in comparison to us. So they focus on air defence development more as all the s-series.
So now US is carrying fast track deveoplment on air defence system because it have become quite obselete in comparision to russian system.
i read that US must use the military supply spectacle which is more tough, the glass is not easy to brake and scratch and the size can fit in the standard dust goggle, this is why alot of them say it is ugly and heavy
Good ballistic glasses can even resist a shotgun birdshot blast. Current issue dust goggles are smaller and can't fit over glasses though (not like those HUGE 1980s one that cover half your face) so you have to remove your glasses first or you have to use corrective prescription inserts if you are short-sighted.
But unless you are in a middle of a dust storm in the desert just wearing ballistic glasses should do fine.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 18 2016, 10:13 AM
i read that US must use the military supply spectacle which is more tough, the glass is not easy to brake and scratch and the size can fit in the standard dust goggle, this is why alot of them say it is ugly and heavy
Good ballistic glasses can even resist a shotgun birdshot blast. Current issue dust goggles are smaller and can't fit over glasses though (not like those HUGE 1980s one that cover half your face) so you have to remove your glasses first or you have to use corrective prescription inserts if you are short-sighted.
But unless you are in a middle of a dust storm in the desert just wearing ballistic glasses should do fine.
these are the newest BCG seems smaller than the 80's some how the strips are not provided , have to buy your own
This post has been edited by Cabin88: Mar 18 2016, 10:25 AM
Still ugly as hell. Quite weighty too, and believe me, the whole thing will start to slide down your nose when you start to sweat.
I also wonder what is the vision requirement for the US military, because of course you can't always get recruits with 20/20 vision every time, but at my count I see about 1 out of 5 US servicemen wear some sort of corrective eyewear.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 18 2016, 10:37 AM
Most US military folks will tend to buy their own equipment.
Hence why you see some folks with oakleys or Pmags. Own LBE or plate carriers.
Some commercial stuff are simply better than standard issue ones and are worth buying, as long as regulations permit them to be used. Depends on the unit Sergeant though, some NCOs are very insistent on unit uniformity.
i read that US must use the military supply spectacle which is more tough, the glass is not easy to brake and scratch and the size can fit in the standard dust goggle, this is why alot of them say it is ugly and heavy
well, US have a voluntary army... singkieland is mostly conscript nskids.. 2 years and most of them eff off... and i doubt they would use their issued specs outside... regulars gets subsidies for lasik
also like 60% of them here are speckies... kekeke
QUOTE(thpace @ Mar 18 2016, 11:36 AM)
The us always thought was their air supremacy will supplement their lack of longer range air defence. Not to mention heavy reliance on aegis system on destroyer
Russian know that their air force is weak in comparison to us. So they focus on air defence development more as all the s-series.
So now US is carrying fast track deveoplment on air defence system because it have become quite obselete in comparision to russian system.
because it is an air defense system, it still works well for US... i believe to improve is not because of deficiency but more of complementary and as a backup... you can have planes in the air 24/7 or even on standby all the time
QUOTE(Cabin88 @ Mar 18 2016, 12:38 PM)
this is what u need can wear gas mask as well but super ugly
i have seen them wearing thinner bands before..
QUOTE(MilitaryMadness @ Mar 18 2016, 12:54 PM)
Some commercial stuff are simply better than standard issue ones and are worth buying, as long as regulations permit them to be used. Depends on the unit Sergeant though, some NCOs are very insistent on unit uniformity.
standard issue is not always the best... as long as it meets guidelines you can buy civi ones.. of course certain equipment are regulated
The us always thought was their air supremacy will supplement their lack of longer range air defence. Not to mention heavy reliance on aegis system on destroyer
Russian know that their air force is weak in comparison to us. So they focus on air defence development more as all the s-series.
So now US is carrying fast track deveoplment on air defence system because it have become quite obselete in comparision to russian system.
They do have long range air defence and it was with nuke warhead. 1980's US going toward thaad and currently thaad-er is being develop. Not that they heavily reliance on aegis but the development of thaad is too darn slow.
Not all Hercules missiles were nuclear-armed though. A battalion made up of 4 Hercules launch batteries will only have one nuclear warhead, to be used for extreme measures only. Usual load is a 1,000lbs HE-Frag warhead.
Russia to Supply President-S Aircraft Defense Systems to Egypt in Weeks
QUOTE
The ODS allows to detect and track incoming rockets, as well as repel them by directing coded laser rays at their multispectral optical seekers or creating radio jamming.
Cairo and Moscow agreed to increase military, trade, security and economic cooperation following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Egypt in February 2015.
The U.S. State Department has recently approved a potential sale of AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to Indonesia, according to a news release by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
QUOTE
In detail, the sale includes 36 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs and one missile guidance section. “Also included in this possible sale are; control section support equipment, spare parts, services, logistics, technical contractor engineering and technical support, loading adaptors, technical publications, familiarization training, test equipment, and other related elements,” DSCA explains.
QUOTE
The total estimated value of the sale is around $95 million. In May 2015, the State Department approved the sale of AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder missiles to Indonesia for an estimated price of $47 million. In December 2015, the Indonesian parliament signed off on a $38 million budget for the initial purchase of a number of air-launched missiles for the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara, or TNI-AU).
ANALYSIS: 'This is a new Syria, not a new Kurdistan'
QUOTE
They have been locked out of Syrian peace talks, and by extension a future Syrian government, despite controlling much of northern Syria
QUOTE
Syria's government, opposition and regional powers have rejected the new system, saying the Kurds have no right to carve up Syria for their own purposes
QUOTE
“There is no autonomous Kurdish region, so there is no question of recognising it or not," he said. “It is part of a democratic Syria, and it might expand all over Syria. We want to decentralise Syria, in which everyone has their rights
QUOTE
The federalism we talk about is not a geographical line. Maybe tomorrow it’s going to be expanded to [IS-controlled] Raqqa, and other places," he added. "Maybe even the people of De
QUOTE
"The Syrian Kurds recognise that if you use the word Kurdistan, it’s radioactive - it sets of all kinds of alarms, triggers reactions make life much more difficult for them, particularly the Turks obviously, but also the Arabs too,” said Zaman.
QUOTE
“Which is ironic given that it is the war between regime and rebels which is actually responsible for de facto dividing Syria,” added Spyer.
As Russia's Tactical Jets Leave Syria, Its Most Advanced Attack Helicoter Arrive
QUOTE
Both the Mi-28 and the KA-52 attack helicopters have been spotted around the base within the last 24 hours. Here’s why the Kremlin is upping its combat helicopter capability just as it is pulling its fixed wing fighter and attack aircraft.
QUOTE
First off, there is still a clear mission for Russian combat helicopters in Syria. The Kremlin has said that it will be leaving a residual force to keep its new base secure. This could likely even mean going on combat missions nearby in order to keep a safe buffer zone in the region. Attack and utility helicopters are the perfect tool for such a mission.
QUOTE
What have arrived at least partially in their place are aircraft that are known to have more modern missile launch detection and infrared countermeasures suites that can be optionally installed. In other words, these high-end attack helicopters, when properly equipped, are far more suited for a battlefield with a MANPADS threat present than their predecessors.
The V-22 Can’t Spend Even One Minute in a Dust Cloud
QUOTE
In their official report on the Creech crash, Marine investigators declared that it was clear Ospreys could suffer an “unsafe” drop in engine power if the aircraft spent too long dust clouds After reviewing the findings, Lt. Col. Jason Holden — then head of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 — and his superiors talked candidly about the V-22’s potentially dangerous habits in sandy and dusty environments.
“The rate of engine degradation that occurred in this event has not been seen or identified in the past,” Holden wrote. “The distinguishing characteristic of this event is the extended amount of time the crew spent hovering in [restricted-visibility landing] conditions. It should be noted that this crew did not violate any regulations or procedures.”
Col. Anthony Bianca, the commander of Marine Aircraft Group 16, recommended that crews should rely more on the Osprey’s computer in reduced-visibility situations. In a dust clouds, pilots would “wave off” if the plane didn’t “catch” the hover, then straighten out and land within 30 seconds.
Holden concurred but said the V-22 community needed a long-term solution to the problem. Boeing, which builds the V-22 alongside Bell, should upgrade the tiltrotor so this would stop happening.
“We cannot deny assault support to Marines that depend on us because of our unwillingness to train to, and execute landings in brownout [landing zones],” Holden wrote. “Unfortunately, there is a lack of guidance in hover-time limitations and engine vulnerabilities of the MV-22.”
The US Army is developing encrypted radar that 'looks like noise' and morphs continually to remain anonymous
QUOTE
A new secure waveform developed by the US Army can change continually, masking its identity to allow military and police officials to become entirely anonymous to radar detectors.
The encrypted system allows radar transmissions to look like noise, making it difficult to intercept and exploit. Researchers say this design aims to meet the challenges of the evolving battlefield, and is programmable in real-time to optimize performance.
Russia radioelectronic warfare complexes proved effective in Syria
QUOTE
The operation of Russia’s air group in Syria has proved the effectiveness of Russian radio-electronic warfare means, the first deputy CEO of the Radioelectronic Technologies concern (an affiliate of Rostec), Igor Nasenkov, told the media.
"The equipment was tested. I won’t say what was tested and how. It proved combat-ready and demonstrated the expected tactical and technical parameters. We were able to see for ourselves that all terms of reference we had received from the Defense Ministry have been met. First and foremost this concerns radio-electronic warfare means," he said.
The Army Has a Deadly Machine Gun Shipping Container
QUOTE
Made by Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg and security contractor HDT Global, the Containerized Weapon System (CWS) is made from a 20-foot-long Tricon shipping container. The roof is replaced with a hinged door system, and an electro-mechanical lift is installed inside. The lift can go from hidden to a height of 15 feet in just 30 seconds. It can support and power weapon systems including the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, Mk.19 grenade launcher, M134 Dillon 7.62-millimeter minigun, and the M249 squad automatic weapon. The lift can even support the Javelin anti-tank missile.
The system is designed for quick deployment and setup on the battlefield. The use of a shipping container for a hull makes it easier to transport, and the weapons station can be set up in less than an hour by two soldiers. CWS can be internally or externally powered, and can use solar panels to provide power. Its makers envision the deadly shipping container being deployed to distant combat outposts, patrol bases, and forward operating bases, providing a defensive firepower boost that needs little or no infrastructure support. CWS could even be used on ships at sea as a defense against pirates and other threats.
The system is not autonomous—everything is controlled by a remote operator who can be stationed as far as 1,093 feet away to avoid enemy fire. So a human being still makes the decision to use lethal force. That's good, but having the operator located a thousand feet from the weapon can make it hard to figure out where enemy fire is coming from. To remedy that, the Army is pairing the CWS with the Firefly 360 threat detection system. Firefly 360 uses acoustics and shortwave infrared sensors to detect enemy fire— differentiating between small arms fire, machine guns, rockets and mortars—and locate the source.
Ya la, somehow when mention western SAM all we probably hear are Patriots and Stingers.
Too much confidence in the Air Force perhaps. Probably rightly so given current western air superiority, but but always pay to be prepared for when there is no friendly fighter planes available overhead.
The US has SM-3 and THAAD as part of their multi-layered air defence. In fact, NORAD (which covers USA and Canada) is the most extensive air defence system in the world. Besides, the US doesn't have any immediate air threat from neighboring countries, unlike Russia or China
On tactical/operational level (foreign bases installations, in the front line, etc) other than Patriots and Stingers, they also have Avengers, land-based Phalanx(or C-RAM) and Surface-Launched AMRAAM
QUOTE(Cabin88 @ Mar 18 2016, 10:23 AM)
these are the newest BCG seems smaller than the 80's some how the strips are not provided , have to buy your own
They were called rape protection glasses for a reason.
This guy's crazy. He openly visits NPA guerilla bases, is suspected of having a personal death squad that murdered at least 600 people, his presidential campaign platform is "I'm going to kill all the criminals in the Philippines and dump their bodies in Manila bay until the fish are fat from eating them". And yet somehow he is a mayor of one of the largest cities in the Philippines (Davao) for the last 12 years and is a strong contender for future president.
NATO confirms no casualties as helicopter makes hard landing in Helmand
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A helicopter belonging to the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission made a hard landing in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan today. The alliance the confirmed the incident and said there were no casualties as the helicopter was recovered from the incident area.
“We can confirm a Resolute Support helicopter made a hard landing in Helmand province on 18 March 2016. Initial reports indicated that there was no enemy activity in the area,” Resolute Support public affairs director, U.S. Army Col. Michael Lawhorn said.
He said “All personnel on the aircraft have been recovered with no casualties. The incident is currently under investigation. ”A local security official earlier said the helicopter made hard landing in Jami area of Nad-e-Ali district where heavy clashes continue.
The officials further added that the helicopter made hard landing due to technical problems and additional choppers were deployed to assist the personnel on board.Helmand is among the volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups are actively operating in its various districts and frequently carry out insurgency activities.
The Taliban militants have repeatedly launched coordinated attacks to capture key districts in Helmand province during the past several months.
Military Thread V20 
Mar 2 2016, 12:42 AM, updated 10y ago
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should be built entirely within Australia, ThyssenKrupp AG's shipbuilding unit said on Thursday, making the German firm the first bidder to publicly endorse domestic construction as the best option.
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