Thai Army To Bolster Armour With Tanks, Armored Vehicles Worth US$ 116M

Our Bureau 03:03 PM, April 6, 2017



Thai Army has ordered 34 armored personnel carriers 8x8 ZBL-09 (VN-1) armed with 30mm turret from China’s North Industries Corporation (NORINCO).

Each VN-1 will cost U.S. $1.7 million per vehicle – for a total of $58 million for the full purchase, which will also include 30 mm cannons, 7.62 mm coaxial machine guns and ammunition, Soha News reports.

According to the report, ZBL-09 will be delivered by 2020. The contract also includes delivery of 12,506 rounds of 30 x 165mm guns for the ZBL09 artillery shells.

The VN-1 is the export version of the ZBL-09, which is powered by a 440 hp diesel engine and can travel a range of 800 km. It can carry 7 to 10 persons.

In addition, the Chinese side has signed a deal worth 400 million baht (about $ 11.6 million) to modernize the armored vehicle repair facilities for Thai Army. And have also committed to organize maintenance and repair of Chinese-made armored tanks and tanks - 85 VT4 tanks and ZBL09 armored vehicles ordered by Thailand.

Thailand will also add another 10 VT-4 MBTs to its outstanding order of 28. According to IHS Jane’s report, this batch will cost $58 million. A contract to support the VT-4 acquisition is expected to be signed soon.

The VT-4 is China’s latest export-grade MBT. Weighing 52-tons, the VT-4 draws from the People Liberation Army’s (PLA) ZTZ-99A; it is armed with a 125-mm smoothbore cannon that can fire anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and is powered by a 1,300 hp diesel engine.

Selasa, 11 April 2017 - 15:30 WIB

AS Segera Kirim Heli Apache dan Jet F-16 Tahun Ini

Hambali - Okezone

TANGERANG SELATAN - Peralatan tempur canggih buatan Amerika Serikat (AS) akan segera memperkuat arsenal Alat Utama Sistem Senjata (Alutsista) TNI. Di antaranya adalah, helikopter Apache tipe AH-64E Guardian serta sisa sejumlah unit jet tempur F-16C/D yang sebagiannya sudah tiba di tanah air.

Duta Besar AS untuk Indonesia, Joseph R. Donovan mengatakan, sebagai bentuk kemitraan yang terus dibangun sejak lama antara kedua negara, maka sudah jadi keharusan bagi pemerintah AS untuk turut serta memperhatikan kondisi armada pertahanannya. Apalagi, Indonesia merupakan negara terbesar di kawasan Asia Tenggara.

"Baru-baru ini kami kirim kembali 4 F-16, lengkap dengan senjata dan radar paling modern. Indonesia juga akan segera mendapat heli Apache akhir tahun ini, helikopter tempur tercanggih di dunia, ini bagian dari kerjasama di bidang militer yang terus kami bina," kata Donovan saat menjelaskan hubungan bilateral antarkedua negara dalam kuliah umum di UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Ciputat, Tangerang Selatan, Selasa (11/4/2017).

Indonesian Navy receives pitch for Type 214 submarine from Golcük Shipyard

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International
13 April 2017
 

A computer generated image of the Type 214 submarine, which has been offered to meet the Indonesian Navy's requirements. Source: HDW

Key Points

• Indonesia has added the Type 214 class to a list of submarine platforms it is now considering
• Talks are in line with the Indonesian Navy's strategy of diversifying the mix of its future submarine fleet

The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) has received an offer from Golcük Shipyard to supply a variant of the Reis (Type 214)-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK).

Multiple TNI-AL sources have confirmed with Jane's that meetings and presentations on the Type 214 class were conducted from early 2017 by a team of Golcük Shipyard and TKMS officials at the TNI-AL headquarters in Cilangkap near Jakarta.

The meetings will be followed by a visit of TNI-AL officials to Golcük Shipyard's facilities near Istanbul, where they will observe construction work on the Turkish Navy's first Type 214 boat, Pirireis (S 330). This visit is currently scheduled to take place from 7 to 12 May 2017, in parallel to the IDEF 2017 exhibition.

The Turkish Navy is anticipating the delivery of six Type 214 submarines from Golcük Shipyard. The first of-class is slated for launch in 2019, and all six boats are expected to be commissioned by 2025.

According to Jane's Fighting Ships , the Reis-class SSK features an overall length of 67.6 m, an overall beam of 6.3 m, and a hull draught of 6.0 m. The platform, which can accommodate a crew of 27 including five officers, has a top speed of 20 kt when dived, and 12 kt when surfaced.

The boat is equipped with bow, flank and towed array sonars, and eight tubes that can launch 533 mm torpedoes including the Raytheon Mk 48 Mod 6, and the Atlas Elektronik DM2A4.

Lockheed Martin’s F-16C Fighting Falcon: Flying Until 2048 (Thanks to the F-35)?



Dave Majumdar
April 12, 2017

The venerable Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon multirole fighter could be flying with the United States Air Force for decades to come. Indeed, the jet could be flying until 2048 before it finally retires.

The Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is slated to eventually replace the long-serving “Viper”—as the F-16 known by its pilots—but the new stealth fighter is not being built fast enough or in the quantities needed to recapitalize the Air Force’s vast fleet of Fighting Falcons in the near term. As such, the Air Force is funding a program to extend the F-16’s airframe life from 8000 hours to 12,000 hours to “augment” the F-35 as it struggles to maintain its force structure.

"This accomplishment is the result of more than seven years of test, development, design, analysis and partnership between the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin," said Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 program. "Combined with F-16 avionics modernization programs like the F-16V, SLEP [Service Life Extension Program] modifications demonstrate that the Fighting Falcon remains a highly capable and affordable 4th Generation option for the U.S. Air Force and international F-16 customers."

With the F-16 SLEP structural modifications installed, the Air Force could safely operate its fleet of F-16 Block 40 through 52 aircraft out to 2048 and beyond. “The Air Force and Lockheed Martin also reduced projected service life costs for the Block 40-52 fleet, paving the way for safe, cost-effective F-16 flight operations decades into the future,” reads a Lockheed Martin statement.

INFORMATION ABOUT INDONESIA’S REFUSAL TO BUY UKRAINIAN BTR-4 IS ANOTHER TOOL OF INFORMATION WARFARE

11.04.2017



Information in the media about the possibility of Indonesian Marine Corps refusal to buy Ukrainian BTR-4M is the demonstration of competitive struggle for markets after the successful delivery of the first batch of Ukrainian BTR-4M in Indonesia. UKROBORONPROM enterprises will continue to fulfill all the commitments to foreign partners.

In January 2017, 5 units of armored personnel carriers BTR-4 M were successfully delivered to the Marine Corps Indonesia according to the contract signed in early 2014 between SFTE “SpetsTehnoEksport” and the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia. Testing of the military equipment in Ukraine and Indonesia by a special commission of the Customer took place prior to military equipment transfer.

Thus, in January 2017 Indonesia Ministry of Defense tested Ukrainian armored vehicles on their territory prior to accepting those into service. The Customer tested amphibious capabilities of the vehicles in the sea, conducted fire tests, checked their driving performance. According to test results the Protocol was signed. Ukrainian armored vehicles showed excellent results in accordance with all 47 evaluation parameters of this Protocol. Special commission of the Indonesian Defense Ministry had no complaints concerning the vehicles.

Similar tests were conducted in Ukraine before sending military equipment to Indonesia. On 06.15.2016 – according to the results of BTR-4M tests – representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia confirmed with the official document that the Ukrainian vehicles meet all the requirements of the international contract, and that there are no comments/complaints about the armored vehicles.

Last week media distributed false information about UOP’s alleged loss of the Thailand market. The State Concern “UkrOboronProm” once again emphasizes the need to verify the information, distribution of which can result in losing Ukraine’s image on the international arena.

Selasa, 11/04/2017 17:36

Latihan Militer Gabungan, AS Terjunkan Heli Apache

Reporter: Riva Dessthania Suastha & Riva Dessthania Suastha , CNN Indonesia

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Angkatan Darat Indonesia dan Amerika Serikat berencana memulai latihan bersama penggunaan helikopter Apache tahun ini. Duta Besar AS untuk Indonesia, Joseph R Donovan, mengatakan latihan ini dilakukan sebagai komitmen penguatan kerja sama militer antar kedua negara.

“Militer kedua negara akan mulai latihan bersama helikopter Apache yang baru saja dibeli Indonesia dari salah satu industri AS,” tutur Donovan, saat memberi kuliah tamu bertemakan hubungan bilateral AS-Indonesia di Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah, Tangerang, pada Selasa (11/4).

Meski tak menjelaskan kapan waktu pastinya, Donovan memaparkan, latihan tersebut merupakan bagian dari latihan gabungan militer kedua negara yang telah berjalan sejak 2009, dikenal dengan misi Garuda Shield.

China tank deal cut 'due to cash woes'

14 Apr 2017 at 04:00

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has cut the number of Chinese VT-4 battle tanks it wants to buy from 98 to 60 due to insufficient funds, army chief Chalermchai Sittisat said Thursday.

Gen Chalermchai said the 60 new tanks will be divided equally between the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Battalions in the northeastern provinces of Udon Thani and Khon Kaen.

The new tanks will replace US-made M-41 models which will be decommissioned after having been in service for more than 40 years, he said.

Of the 60 VT-4 tanks, 28 worth four billion baht were purchased by the army last year. The tanks are expected to be delivered late this year.

The army also recently proposed the purchase of 20 additional tanks to the cabinet but only 10, worth two billion baht, were approved. A request to purchase 10 more tanks will be forwarded to the cabinet...

As for the remaining 12 tanks, the procurement will be earmarked for the next fiscal year.

Last year, the RTA also cancelled the procurement of 39 T-84 Oplot tanks ordered from Ukraine after only 10 of 49 were delivered to Thailand.

Selasa 18 Apr 2017, 13:47 WIB

Tank Baja Kolaborasi RI dan Turki Masih Proses Perakitan

Mochamad Solehudin - detikFinance

Bandung - PT Pindad (Persero) khususnya Direktorat Teknologi dan Suplai tengah merakit medium tank. Kendaraan tempur ini dirakit atas kerja sama Pindad dengan perusahaan asal Turki, FNSS.

Menurut General Manager Divisi Kendaraan Khusus Pindad, Agus Edy Suprihanto, medium tank ini merupakan kendaraan tempur beroda rantai dilengkapi dengan canon kaliber 105 milimeter.

"Kendaraan ini dikembangkan bersama antara dua negara, kita Pindad, dan Turki," katanya, di Lapangan Tembak Kendaraan Khusus Pindad, Jalan Terusan Gatot Subroto, Kota Bandung, Selasa (18/4/2017).

Saat ini kendaraan tempur tersebut masih dalam tahap perakitan dan masih berupa prototipe. Satu berada di Turki, dan satu lagi di Indonesia.

Rencananya kendaraan ini akan dipamerkan dalam pameran milter di Turki pada Mei 2017 mendatang. Sementara di Indonesia rencananya akan dipamerkan Oktober saat Ulang Tahun TNI Oktober mendatang.

Baca juga: Tank Buatan Bandung Mejeng di Turki Bulan Depan

"Posisi sekarang masih dalam tahap perakitan," ujarnya.

Quad A 2017: AH-64E becomes army’s guardian

19th April 2017 - 13:00 by Jim Dorschner in Washington DC



The US Army is well on its way in fielding new-build versions of the latest iterations of its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

In April 2016, Boeing concluded a contract with the US Army to remanufacture 117 AH-64D Apaches to the latest, more capable AH-64E Guardian standard at its Mesa production centre, along with acquisition of Longbow Crew Trainers, logistical support and spares. Total contract value is about $1.5 billion.

Overall, the army plans to acquire 690 AH-64E Apaches, 290 of which are now under contract.

In January, Boeing officials confirmed that the company had already delivered 15 new-build and 155 remanufactured Guardians to the army.

McDonnell Douglas and Boeing have produced more than 2,200 Apaches since the first AH-64A joined the army in January 1984, with deliveries continuing to the US Army and 11 other customers around the world.

With the AH-64E fleet reasonably expected to remain on duty with the army into the 2030s or 2040s, the lifecycle of the aircraft is likely to exceed 50 years.

The AH-64E represents a quantum leap in capability for the Apache, reflecting the latest technology trends, particularly in the realm of secure digital data connectivity through the joint tactical information distribution system, improved sensors, advanced aerodynamics and integration with unmanned platforms.

Singapore To Upgrade Boeing Apache Choppers With New Mission Systems

Our Bureau
03:16 PM, April 20, 2017


Singapore To Upgrade Boeing AH-64D Apache Choppers With New Mission Systems

The Republic of Singapore Air Force is upgrading its fleet of 20 Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters with new mission systems to enhance the helicopter's survivability and improve its mission capability.

The upgrading programme involves equipping the AH-64D with a Helicopter Integrated Electronic Warfare System (HIEWS) to enhance survivability and SATCOM for more robust communications, Singapore Government issued a press statement today.

The upgrading programme is expected to complete over the next few years, the statement added.

According to Shephard Media, a Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow featuring numerous modifications was recently spotted on an evening training flight in Singapore. The report says the latest helicopter design is similar to the Israel Defense Forces AH-64D-I Saraf.