we should at least study how they did this, their weapons and tactics..

still gotta know how they did it, even with old Leos

More important than the technology used on a tank might be the tactics on how the tank is being used. The Turkish Leopard 2 tanks seem to be poorly employed, sitting always behind heaps of ground in a hull-down position. While a hull-down position is favourable in certain situations -  such as symmetric warfare when the direction from which the enemy will approach is known - it is not a good idea for the tanks to remain in a static position without proper protection, when they can be attacked from the side and rear aswell. In the incident where two tanks were hit, the crew of the second tank was apparently not reacting at all - they simply ignored that the other Leopard 2 has been hit by an ATGM some time ago, the crew apparetnly didn't care about taking out the enemy ATGM team.

When using tanks in a static emplacement just for fire support, one should expect them to be used in a secured perimeter. If the tanks are not capable of securing the area by themselves, then infantry or other combat vehicles should take over the task. Surveillance and reconnaisance vehicles with thermal imagers should have no issues detecting enemy ATGM teams and infantry even at long distances. The Turkish Army doesn't seem to employ the tanks as part of a combined arms doctrine - tanks are always seen operating alone and not together with (mechanized or motorized) infantry. Instead the Leopard 2 tanks seem to play sitting ducks and serve as more expensive artillery replacement... a cheap 120 mm mortar carrier vehicle would probably be better suited for this job.

Indonesian Army Plans to Buy Austrian Pandur Armoured Vehicles

Senin, 23 Januari 2017 18:55 WIB
Pewarta: Supervisor

Jakarta, (Antara) - The Indonesian Army plans to procure Pandur II 8x8 armored vehicles developed and produced by an Austrian company in an attempt to strengthen Indonesia's primary weapons defense system.

"We have discussed to buy Pandur to substitute our old military equipment," Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Mulyono stated during a leaders' meeting of the Army here on Monday.

He said that the purchase of Pandur had been included in the 2017 strategic plan.

Mulyono pointed out that the Pandur II 8x8 was an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armored vehicle.

"The purchase will become our priority," he noted.

However, Mulyono could not divulge the number of Pandur units that would be purchased.

"We have not spoken about the number of units. We are still discussing the specification and the functions of the Pandur," he stated.

Based on wikipedia.com, the vehicle is an all-welded steel hull, with optional armor upgrades. The basic armor package is designed to protect against 7.62-14.5 millimeter (0.300-0.571 inch) armor-piercing rounds, and customers can select the armor thickness.

The vehicle is designed to be carried aboard a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

The driver is seated on the left at the front, and the engine is to his right. The driver is provided with a single-piece hatch cover as well as three day periscopes, one of which can be replaced by a passive periscope for night missions.

The vehicle is fitted with a two-stage synchronized distribution gear box for both road and cross-country use. Improved suspension will be fitted for optimum cross-country mobility. The vehicle's design enables several turret systems, such as the SP 30 turret, which is also mounted on the ASCOD AFV of the Spanish and Austrian Armies, or it can be used as a standard APC, with a mounted machine gun.

With a mounted turret, the vehicle can carry six infantry soldiers, while without the turret, it can carry 12.(*)

The bengkak lips is part of the floatations purpose?

Looks sibeh ugly

DSME launches Thailand's first multipurpose frigate

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
23 January 2017

South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) launched a 122 m frigate on order for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on 23 January.

The vessel, which has been ordered under a THB14.6 billion (USD396 million) contract inked between the Thai government and DSME in August 2013, was launched at DSME's facilities in Okpo, the company confirmed to IHS Jane's on the same day.

The frigate, which has been given the pennant number 471, derives its design from the Kwanggaeto Daewang (KDX-1) destroyer in service with the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).

The platform displaces 3,650 tonnes, features an overall length of 122.5 m and an overall beam of 14.4 m, and can accommodate a crew of 136.

ST Kinetics outlines Bronco 3 capability

Shaun Connors, Norfolk, United Kingdom - IHS Jane's International Defence Review
25 January 2017


The latest production-ready example of STK's Bronco 3 features a five-door front section, early examples having just two doors. Source: Shaun Connors

ST Kinetics' (STK's) Bronco 3 is the logical evolution of the Bronco 2 (Warthog in British Army service) and factors in many lessons gained from more than 15 years of service of the Bronco 1 with Singapore's ground forces, as well as operational experience of the Warthog in Afghanistan, Dominic Phoon, head of business development with the company's Design and Manufacturing Group, told IHS Jane's.

Development of Bronco 3 commenced in 2010 and Phoon explained that based on its predecessors' survivability records a key design aim was to provide at least Warthog levels of protection, but at no more than Bronco 1's base design gross vehicle weight of 16 tonnes, and not Warthog's ultimate operational weight, which peaked at 21 tonnes. An amphibious capability comparable to that of the original Bronco 1 was also desired. These aims have been achieved with Bronco 3 attaining 5 km/h in the water, and tipping the scales at around 10.2 tonnes unladen.

Phoon disclosed that throughout its use in Afghanistan the UK's fleet of 115 Warthogs survived around 30 direct improvised explosive device strikes, with no crew fatalities, the relatively low strike rate part-attributable to the design's ability to traverse terrain inaccessible to other vehicles, wheeled or tracked.

Actual protection levels for Bronco 3 remain classified beyond basic hull protection of up to Level 4 ballistic. However, both modules have been redesigned and now feature blast deflecting V-shaped hulls suspended from a redesigned and stiffened chassis by four rubber isolators. Additional benefits of this isolator interface include the ability to swap the rear module in less than 30 minutes, and a reduction (when compared to Bronco 2) in noise, vibration, and harshness levels of 50%.

Individual crew seats are an in-house blast-attenuating design and are suspended from the cabin roof. Bronco 3 normally seats 12, the four front cabin seats located as close to the vehicle centreline as possible.

Perkasakan ATM

Perolehan MRCA, MPA, MRSS

MOHD. ASRON MUSTAPHA  |  26 Januari 2017 12:51 AM


Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein ketika sidang akhbar program Retreat Halatuju Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia Tahun 2017 di Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Yang turut hadir Timbalan Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Mohd. Johari Baharum (dua dari kiri); Panglima Angkatan Tentera, Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor (kiri); Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Mohd. Radzi (dua dari kanan) dan Panglima Tentera Darat, Jeneral Datuk Seri Zulkiple Kassim. – BERNAMA

SHAH ALAM 25 Jan. - Perolehan pesawat pe­juang pelbagai peranan (MRCA) baharu bagi menggantikan pesawat MiG-29N, sama ada dari jenis Eurofighter Typhoon atau pun Dassault Rafale akan diputuskan sebelum tahun 2020.

Langkah serupa juga akan dibuat ke atas perolehan Pesawat Rondaan Maritim (MPA) generasi baharu serta Kapal Sokongan Pelbagai Peranan (MRSS) untuk ke­gunaan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM).

Perkara itu diumumkan Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein sebagai langkah memperkasakan kesiap­siagaan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dalam mendepani cabaran keselamatan terkini.

“Biar ATM selaku pengguna nilai kesesuaiannya dan selaku Menteri Pertahanan, saya mahu rundingan terbaik untuk negara dan aset terbaik buat tentera,” katanya ketika berucap merasmikan Retreat Hala Tuju Kementerian Pertahanan di sini hari ini.

TUDM memerlukan sekurang-kurangnya satu skuadron (18 buah) pesawat MRCA baharu dan empat buah pesawat MPA gene­rasi terkini, manakala TLDM pula memerlukan tiga buah kapal MRSS moden bagi menjamin kedaulatan negara.

Ditanya lanjut dalam sidang akhbarnya selepas itu, apakah beliau optimis perolehan tersebut mampu dilakukan dalam tempoh ditetapkan memandangkan ekonomi negara tidak menentu, Hishammuddin berkata, perkara itu mesti dilakukan.

“Bukan lagi soal optimis tetapi kita perlu lakukan (perolehan), namun kita juga sedar pembe­lian aset ketenteran banyak dipe­ngaruhi faktor kewangan negara,” jelasnya.

Sementara itu, kepada laporan yang mengaitkan Sabah sebagai transit bagi kumpulan militan Daesh, Hishammuddin berkata, laporan berkenaan adalah tidak benar kerana semua negara terdedah kepada ancaman pengganas.

“Mereka boleh bertindak walaupun bersendirian dan jika sekalipun militan itu ditahan di Sabah, tidak bererti Sabah adalah transit kerana mereka ini boleh berada di mana-mana sahaja,” katanya.

Denel’s Malaysian contract delayed

Written by Guy Martin, Thursday, 26 January 2017



Denel received the R3.7 billion contract in 2011 to develop, manufacture, supply, deliver and commission the turrets. The contract requires industrial participation in Malaysia and as a result the production and assembly are taking place in that country.

In its latest annual report, Denel noted that, “The contract execution has been extended by two years to nine years due to the economic situation in the end-user country. The required industrial participation activities have been implemented and the first systems have been successfully manufactured, assembled and tested in the end-user country. The base value of the programme is R3.7bn and revenue of R1.193bn (2014/15: R590m) was recognised during the 2015/16 financial year.”

The Malaysian contract, the largest export contract in Denel’s history, is seeing Denel Land Systems responsible for 69 two man turrets fitted with the South African GI30 30mm main gun; 54 missile turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missile system (the order also includes the supply of 216 laser-guided Ingwe missiles); and 54 remote control weapons systems.

The annual report said key highlights and achievements over the last financial year included the completion of the light combat turret (LCT) 30 product baseline and the assembly of 20 LCT30 systems for Malaysia.

Through the contract Denel is participating in the Malaysian Economic Enhancement programme which entails the production and assembly of the turrets in Malaysia. The agreement provides a platform to transfer weapon system integration technology to DefTech in order to create a sustainable capability in Malaysia.

Manufacturing of the turrets grew out of Denel Land System’s development of the Badger infantry combat vehicle on behalf of the South African Army.

South Korea completes deployment of 36 AH-64E Apache helos

Gabriel Dominguez, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 January 2017
 
The Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) has put into service all of the 36 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters ordered from Boeing in 2013 as part of a USD1.6 billion contract under the US Foreign Military Sales programme, a South Korean military official was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying on 27 January.

The AH-64E has a sophisticated Longbow fire control radar that can track up to 256 targets simultaneously within a 55 km2 area. It can be armed with up to 16 Hellfire missiles and also has a 30 mm gun, according to IHS Jane's World Armies.

Texstars to develop canopy and windshield transparencies for the KF-X fighter

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Courtney Sturniolo

Grand Prairie, Texas – 24 January 2017. Texstars LLC, a leading innovator and manufacturer of aerospace transparencies and plastics, was awarded a multi-year Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Under the EMD contract and working closely with the KAI design team, Texstars will develop flight-qualified canopy and windshield transparencies for the KF-X single-seat and tandem-seat advanced multirole fighter aircraft.

Texstars will provide the KF-X fighter with bird-strike resistant transparencies with high-quality optics. The company’s extensive manufacturing know-how will provide KAI with transparency systems that operate in the extreme flight conditions of the KF-X fighter while providing maximum survivability and pilot safety.

Texstars has significant experience providing single- and tandem-seat transparency configurations for a variety of platforms. Texstars co-developed the F-16 transparencies and has been the primary producer since 1977. The company is also a long-time supplier for the B-1B, B-2, E-2C/D, EA-6B, A-10, F-15 and many other fixed-wing aircraft.

ST Kinetics unveils new tracked AFV

27th January 2017 - 14:46 by Victor Barreira in Istanbul

Singapore Technologies Kinetics has officially unveiled a new tracked armoured fighting vehicle this week, but has yet to give it a formal name.

Design development has been completed with several vehicles built in different configurations. The platform is clearly based on the company's Next Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle destined ...

First MD 530G For Malaysia To Be Delivered in March

9 Jan 2017
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

KUALA LUMPUR—MD Helicopters will begin delivering six MD 530G light scout attack helicopters in March, filling a Malaysian army requirement of more than two ...

TNI optimistic of showcasing Apache helicopter at its anniversary

Senin, 23 Januari 2017 20:38 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (TNI) General Mulyono expressed hope that the US-made Apache helicopter ordered by the TNI would be displayed at its 72nd anniversary on Oct 5.

"I hope on that day the helicopter can be brought in physically and be displayed as part of the armys programs that should be carried out," Mulyono stated at the Army Headquarters, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

The TNI has signed a contract worth US$295.8 million to purchase eight Apache helicopters.

The procurement process of the helicopters is still underway.

"It is a lengthy process. We are communicating intensively with the manufacturer, so the helicopters can be immediately delivered in the country," Mulyono noted.

Eight units of the Apache AH-64E Guardian, ordered from the US manufacturer Boeing, were expected to be delivered gradually between 2016 and 2018.

The upgraded specifications of the Boeing Apache AH-64E helicopter include improved digital connectivity, Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, and a more powerful T700-GE-701D machine, with face gear transmission to accommodate more power.