China, Malaysia militaries launch joint exercise to cement ties

Source China Military Editor Huang Panyue Time 2016-11-23

SELANGOR, Malaysia, Nov. 23 (ChinaMil) -- The China-Malaysia joint military exercise codenamed "Peace and Friendship 2016", kicked off in Selangor of Malaysia on November 22, 2016.

Themed on humanitarian assistance joint operations, the exercise is divided into two phases, namely desktop deduction and actual-troop drill.

Nearly 300 troops in total will be put into the exercise by both sides with 195 Chinese servicepersons, who are from China's Central Military Commission (CMC) departments, the Southern Theater Command and the PLA Hong Kong Garrison.

General Fang Fenghui, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, and Chief of the Malaysian Defense Force General Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zin attended the exercise opening ceremony, they both delivered a speech at the ceremony.

Fang pointed out in his speech that the Chinese President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership, and the Peace and Friendship-2016 joint military exercise is an important measure to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries.

The exercise also serves as an important mechanism to promote the exchange and cooperation between the two miltaries, an important approach to improve their combat capability and an important platform for the two militaries to jointly cope with challenges and safeguard regional peace and stability, Fang said.

Fang hopes that the two militaries can make continuous joint efforts in combating terrorism, addressing maritime threats, safeguarding maritime security and promoting regional peace and stability.

China has always advocated peaceful resolution of disputes through friendly consultations and negotiations, Fang continued.

We have consistently opposed interference and undermining of the peace and stability in the South China Sea by any outside force as well as any actions that may complicate the situation or escalate tensions in the region, stated Fang.

Zulkifeli said in his speech that this joint exercise is a microcosm of the cooperation between China and Malaysia, which shows the friendly relations and the broad prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations.

Zulkifeli called the joint exercise as a milestone marking the increasingly strengthened bilateral relations, and he believe that it will help strengthen ties and deepen the friendship between the two militaries and have a significant and profound impact on the relations between the two nations and their militaries.

Fang, Zulkifeli and Sitthichai, director of the joint exercise planning office of the Royal Thai Army Command observed together the jungle survival drill staged by the Chinese and Malaysian participating troops and inspected the joint exercise command post.

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang and Lieutenant General Tan Benhong, commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, alsoattended the above-mentioned activities.

Czechoslovak Group signs USD39 million deal with Indonesia

Jiri Kominek, Prague - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
24 November 2016
 
Czechoslovak Group, the largest conglomerate of defence manufacturers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, has secured a deal for the sale of an undisclosed number of Tatra military vehicles, Steyr Pandur II 8x8 armoured personnel carriers, and General Dynamics M3 amphibious bridging and ferrying systems to the Indonesian military.

The group's spokesperson, Andrej Cirtek, told reporters that the value of the deal, which was signed with the Indonesian government on 24 November, exceeds CZK1 billion (USD39 million). However, Cirtek did not provide further details about the equipment being procured by Jakarta.

Czechoslovak Group has an exclusive agreement with General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) to produce, maintain, and market the Steyr Pandur II 8x8 group of armoured vehicles in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in selected Asian markets along with other platforms produced by GDELS.

New Generation Patrol Craft To Be Launched Next Month

Marhalim Abas November 25, 2016 Malaysia- MMEA

SHAH ALAM: The first of six New Generation Patrol Craft (NGPC) for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) is expected to be launch next month. The keel for the first ship, built by Destini Bhd was laid on Nov. 20, last year at its facility at Port Klang.

Although the launch is on schedule, it must be noted that it will take at least another 12 months before the ship is commissioned into APMM. Perhaps APMM will be luckier in this regard compared to the senior service, RMN.

Anyhow, as Malaysian Defence had written various posts on the NGPC, please feel free to read them here HERE and Here.

To recap, the NGPC is a variant of the Fassmer 40M Coastal Patrol Vessel. It is to be armed with a SMASH RWS fitted with a 30mm gun from Aselsan and two 12.7mm machine guns. It will also come equipped with the Fulmar X mini-UAV from Thales for ISR duties. Six of the vessel is being built at the shipyard formerly owned by Destination Marine Services Sdn Bhd. Destination Marine was bought over by Destini in 2015 after it got the contract for the NGPC.

Destini will also be involved in the construction of the three 80-metre OPV program for APMM. It appears that TH Heavy was cognisant of the claims that it had no prior shipbuilding experience and therefore had entered a JV with Destini – the builder of the NGPC for the OPV program.
Last July when confirming it was in talks with APMM for the OPV program, it stated that the status of talks was in a flux.

Side armor module of the Leopard 2 Evolution defeating a PG-7VLT with tandem warhead

In case of the Leopard 2 Evolution, the side armor of the tank was capable of resisting the PG-7VLT ammunition with tandem warhead, which can penetrate more than 500 mm of steel armor after defeating explosive reactive armor (ERA). In static tests, a similar thick array of AMAP was also capable of protecting against the PG-7VR round (fitted with the same warhead as used by the RPG-29 ammunition), which is capable of penetrating up to 750 mm steel armor (600 mm after ERA).

I/ITSEC 2016: RHEINMETALL TRANSFERS LEOPARD 2 SIMULATORS TO INDONESIA

Rheinmetall formally transferred its LEOPARD 2A4 RI simulators to the Indonesian Armed Forces following a successful site acceptance test on 17 March 2016. By April, future trainers were already being trained at the Army School in Bandung to use the modern simulation technology.

The Indonesian military contracted with Rheinmetall in May 2014 to supply it with state-of-the-art simulation technology for training its armoured corps. In an order worth several million euros, the Simulation and Training business unit of Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, developed and fabricated driver and ballistic simulators for training Indonesian LEOPARD 2 crews.

The LEOPARD Gunnery Skills Trainer (LGST) and Driver Training Simulator (DTS) are systems specifically designed for training LEOPARD 2A4 tank crews, primarily commanders, gunners and drivers.

In developing these simulators, Rheinmetall employed its advanced TacSi technology. One of the world’s leading defence contractors, Rheinmetall was able to draw both on its unsurpassed LEOPARD 2 expertise and its superb simulation skills, combining both with serious gaming technologies. As a result, Rheinmetall simulation systems now bring together the visualisation strengths of the game engine with the high-fidelity reproduction of its simulators.

A further advantage of Rheinmetall systems: Multiple simulators can be networked together to enable tactical training at platoon and company level.

Navy’s second SSV, BRP Davao Del Sur now 91% completed

November 27, 2016 PNA

The Philippine Navy (PN)’s second strategic sealift vessel, the BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), is now 91 percent complete and well in line to meet her May 2017 delivery date. This was disclosed by PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna in an interview with the Philippine News Agency in an interview Sunday.

At the moment, PT PAL (Persero) shipbuilders in Surabaya, Indonesia are now installing navigational, deck and engineering equipment on the PN’s second SSV.

“Ongoing installation of navigational, deck, engineering equipment. I don’t know the exact percentage of completion but for sure she will be (home in the Philippines) by May 2017,” he added.

The BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) was launched last Sept. 29. She is the sister ship of the BRP Tarlac (LD-601), currently the largest Filipino warship in commissioned.

BRP Tarlac was commissioned during short ceremonies at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor last June 1.

She arrived in the Philippines last May 14 after a five-day journey from PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya which started on May 9.

BRP Davao Del Sur is also a Makassar-class landing platform dock like her sister ship BRP Tarlac.

Its delivery to the Philippines, is tentatively scheduled on the midpart of 2017, will complete the two-unit SSV procurement project with an approved budget contract of PHP4 billion sourced from the AFP Modernization Act Trust Fund.

Just like the BRP Tarlac, the PN’s latest SSV will serve as a floating command-and-control ship especially in the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response and will also serve as a military sealift and transport vessel.

Who dafuq is in charge of making up names for your equipment, really

Singapore enhances aerial, maritime surveillance capabilities with 55 m aerostat

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International
29 November 2016


The 55 m aerostat will be deployed at the Choa Chu Kang Camp in the western part of Singapore, once it is operationalised. Source: IHS/Ridzwan Rahmat

Key Points

• The Singapore Armed Forces has taken delivery of a 55 m tethered aerostat
• System will enhance the republic's persistent aerial and maritime surveillance capabilities

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has begun local tests of a 55 m tethered aerostat system that was acquired to enhance the republic's continuous airborne radar coverage and maritime surveillance capabilities.

The system, which can detect aerial and seaborne threats at distances of up to 200 km, will be operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) at the Choa Chu Kang Camp, which is located in the western part of the island.

The aerostat is operated by a ground crew of eight personnel, and has a maximum operating height of 2,000 ft (600 m). The setup comprises a helium-filled airframe, a tether cable made of Kevlar, a mooring station, a high-strength winch system, and a suite of unspecified sensors.

The system, which was originally planned for deployment in 2015, was unveiled in a media event on 29 November in conjunction with a visit by Singapore's defence minister Ng Eng Hen to the aerostat's intended deployment site.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit, Ng described the aerostat as a system that has been acquired to overcome the country's lack of suitable high points from which it can deploy suitable radars that can complement the SAF's existing network of ground and aerial sensors.

"All of us recognise that Singapore is a very small island, and that alone makes us very vulnerable to threats either from the air or sea," said Ng, who then cited the 2010 Mumbai terror attacks as an example of what can happen should seaborne adversaries not be detected in time.

"The very fact that we have [the aerostat system] adds another layer of defence, and confidence in terms of what we are able to detect with regards to aerial and maritime threats," he added.

just a quick question:

why assault rifles typically have 30 rounds max? why not 40? why not 50?
Then some got 20 rounds? i mean is that enough for heated battles??

i admire the germans last time in WW2. Their MP40 got 32 rounds, extra 2 round.

Indonesia’s Naval Special Forces (KOPASKA) were photographed with AR-15/M4 type rifles and Surefire 100 round magazine. This is the first photo I have seen of active duty troops using the Surefire 100 round magazine. The photo was taken during preparations for the 2013 APEC Leaders Summit next month.

I have used this magazine from a fully automatic M4. It works fine, but it is heavy.

Polish “Twardy” Main Battle Tanks Headed to Latvia

PUBLISHED AT: WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2016, 10:39



Jakub Palowski

Antoni Macierewicz, Polish Minister of Defence, announced that the Polish Army is going to deploy a company of the PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks to Latvia. The vehicles in question are to become a part of the battalion group stationed there.

During his visit to Israel, the Polish Minister of Defence confirmed the fact that the PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks are to constitute the core equipment of the company which is expected to become a part of the battalion combat team, the presence of which is maintained by NATO within the territory of Latvia. The aforesaid joint unit is going to be commanded by the Canadians, and it is to involve, besides the Poles, soldiers hailing from Italy, Albania and Slovenia as well.

PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks are a deeply modernized variant of the T-72M1 platform, developed and manufactured by the Polish defence industry. They have been fitted with the new ERAWA-1/2 reactive armour, Drawa fire control system (including Drawa-T system with a FLIR sight), improved S-12U powerpack (850 HP), and Odra laser warning receiver.

PT-91 tanks have been developed at the Bumar-Łabędy facility, both as vehicles manufactured from scratch, as well as in a form of modernized T-72M1 tanks. As the first platform used within the Polish Army, Twardy tanks have been fitted with thermal vision observation systems. The tank has also received the enhanced protection offered by the reactive armour system, which keeps the crew safer from the anti tank weaponry, also from the weapons that are using the tandem warheads, at least to some extent.

When Drawa fire control system was being developed, experience and expertise gathered during the R&D works implemented by the Polish defence industry, related to the Merida FCS for the T-55AM tanks, modernized back in the 1980s, has also been taken into account. Similarly to the Obra system, the solution mentioned above has been delivered by the PCO company.

PT-91 tank’s disadvantages included lack of accuracy, when the cannon was being fired on the move, due to the fact that obsolete stabilizer unit has been applied within the turret. Another disadvantage has been seen in relatively weak mobility (acceleration dynamics or low speed in reverse, making it more difficult to carry out defensive manoeuvrers).

After the process of introducing the Leopard 2A4 tanks into the inventory of the Polish Army (with the 2A5 platform to follow) was finalized, the modernization, regarding the upgrades of the T-72M1 tanks up to the PT-91 standard, has been completed too. Soldiers of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, the first users of the Leopard tanks, when they compared the new platform to the Twardy vehicle, mentioned, above all, the accuracy of the rounds fired on the move or manoeuvrability of the German tank, as the main advantages Leopard had, over the Twardy platform. Leopard tanks have much more effective base armour at their disposal too. The German vehicle is also tailored to be used as a hunter-killer platform, with independent targeting system for the commander available.

PAKISTAN POSSIBLY RE-INTERESTED IN OPLOT-M MAIN BATTLE TANK

With Pakistan reviving industry ties with Ukraine, specifically with the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (KMDB) and Malyshev Factory, could the Pakistan Army be re-interested in the Malyshev Factory Oplot-M main battle tank (MBT)?

The Malyshev Factory Oplot-M was among the armoured combat vehicles exhibited by Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s state-owned defence industry dealer, at the 2016 International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS), which took place last week in Karachi, Pakistan. The Oplot-M was among the tanks the Pakistan Army evaluated as part of its Haider program in 2015.

During IDEAS, Pakistan’s state-owned armoured vehicles manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) inked a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) worth $600 million U.S. with Ukroboronprom for the provision of 200 diesel engines for al-Khalid 1 MBTs and other heavy armoured related support (e.g. possibly upgrading the Pakistan Army’s T-80UD MBTs), likely upgrades of existing vehicles and infrastructure work at HIT. Pakistan may also consider the KMDB’s new 6TD-3 diesel engine for use on the recently disclosed al-Khalid 2 MBT, which is to use a 1,500-hp powerplant.

It is not clear if Pakistan is interested in extending this collaboration to an off-the-shelf tank such as the Oplot-M. However, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence stated that during IDEAS, it did discuss the prospect of jointly manufacturing tanks with Pakistan. This is likely in reference to the Oplot-M.

The 51-ton Oplot-M is the latest development of the T-80, Ukraine’s mainstay MBT platform. The Oplot-M uses a new welded turret and multi-layered armour. It also benefits from an updated onboard electronics suite (e.g. fire control system) and passive as well as an active protection system for defensibility against incoming projectiles. The Oplot-M is armed with a 125-mm smoothbore gun capable of firing armour-piercing, high-explosive, and fragmentation rounds, and anti-tank guided missiles. Although it is powered by a variant of the 1,200-hp 6TD-2, there is the option of having it use the 1,500-hp 6TD-3.

For Pakistan, there are three main considerations.

First, the reality of Ukraine’s geostrategic situation vis-à-vis Russia, which will place uncertainty in terms of the Ukrainian industry’s ability to commit to schedules and contractual commitments.

Pakistan’s uncertain financial long-term condition, which is the second main issue, will have Rawalpindi and Islamabad approach procurements and industry collaboration with Kiev carefully. Uncertainty on both sides could either yield equitable exchanges or failure in actual negotiations.

Third, the technical considerations. In this respect, Ukraine has a strong case. The Oplot-M could share a high margin of commonality with the forthcoming al-Khalid 2, especially in terms of the powerplant. The procurement of the tank could also yield valuable work-share in relation to the 6TD diesel engine, which would be a valuable gain for the Pakistan Army in terms of localizing the supply chain of its armour. The Oplot-M could also be among the more affordable off-the-shelf tanks today.

Analysis: Terrexgate politics and defence collide

28th November 2016 - 8:33 by Gordon Arthur in Hong Kong



Diplomatic telephone lines between Singapore and China were glowing red after nine Singapore Army Terrex 8x8 infantry carrier vehicles (ICV) were impounded in Hong Kong on 23 November.

Being carried aboard the commercial ship APL Qatar 041, nine vehicles and three containers holding ancillary equipment were en route from Kaohsiung in Taiwan to Singapore. They were confiscated for allegedly being undeclared military equipment.

What emerged is that the Chinese authorities were responsible for this act using the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. The ship stopped in Xiamen in China on 21 November before reaching Hong Kong two days later.

Is Hong Kong Customs likely to allow access by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) or its affiliates to examine the Terrex vehicles? Customs did not respond to Shephard’s query on this issue, but this is clearly a fear since Singapore despatched a team to help secure the vehicles.

While the Terrex is a decade-old design, of far greater interest to China would be any digital battlefield management system (BMS) aboard the vehicles. MINDEF stated there was ‘no sensitive equipment on board’ the Terrex vehicles, although this is a denial one would expect.

The Terrex has international connections too. ST Kinetics entered the Terrex 3 (Sentinel II) in the Australian Army’s Land 400 Phase 2 competition, although it was not selected. Elsewhere, the Terrex 2 is a contender in the US Marine Corps ACV1.1 requirement. 

For this reason alone, the Terrex and its underlying design philosophy should be of interest to Chinese engineers.

In a statement issued on 24 November, MINDEF said it expected ‘the shipment to return to Singapore expeditiously’. However, the fate of these nine vehicles is far from assured and will depend on negotiations with China’s Foreign Ministry.