100th soldier killed in Marawi day after gov't takes key bridge

The death toll reaches the 3-digit mark a day after troops scored a major triumph in the battlefield. They gain control of Mapandi Bridge.

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – The death of an elite Army soldier early morning on Friday, July 21, brought the military's death toll in Marawi City to 100.

The yet to be named soldier – a fighter of the Army Light Reaction force – was advancing to clear another building in the battle zone when a sniper's bullet killed him, according to a Rappler source privy to the operations on the ground.

"He's our 100th KIA (killed in action)," said the source. The military has not released the number of wounded soldiers.

He also died on the 60th day of the clashes against homegrown terrorist groups that pledged allegiance to the international terrorist network Islamic State (ISIS). A few hundred buildings have yet to be cleared in the battle zone.

Official tally shows 99 government forces have been killed in Marawi. The military waits 24 hours before releasing its latest death toll.

Up to 427 terrorists and 45 civilians have been killed, according to military data. A total of 525 firearms were also recovered.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/176315-soldi...ath-toll-marawi

somebody playing the spy games 

Vietnam confirms order of Russian T-90 tanks

Jon Grevatt - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
24 July 2017


A Russian T-90S MBT fitted with Shtora defensive aids suite. Source: Uralvagonzavod

Vietnam has ordered 64 T-90S/SK main battle tanks (MBTs) from Russia, state-run news agencies in Hanoi confirmed on 21 July.

The reports, which cited comments from Russian defence officials who were speaking at a press conference at the MAKS-2017 aerospace exhibition in Moscow, said that the acquisition will be funded by credit provided by Moscow.

Jane’s first reported in early July that Russian tank manufacturer UralVagonZavod revealed in its annual report that it had secured an order from Vietnam for the T-90S/SK MBTs. The T-90S is the basic export model, while the 'K' postfix is a reference to command versions.

The value of the T-90 deal was not disclosed but is thought to be about USD250 million. The investment represents the first major order of new MBTs that the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has secured for many years. Investment over the past decade and more has been firmly focused on modernising the Vietnamese navy and air force.

In addition to the MBTs, the reports said Vietnam is also positioned to procure from Russia four S-400 Triumf missile systems to boost surface-to-air missile capability and MiG-35 multirole combat aircraft to replace the Vietnam People’s Air Force’s (VPAF’s) MiG-21 fighters, which are now thought to have been retired.

Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, yesterday

Second batch of 18 Caesar SPH, to be assembled locally

More lethal sting for RMAF's Hornets



By HARIS HUSSAIN - July 24, 2017 @ 7:29pm
HARIS HUSSAIN

“STICK me in this jet, and I’ll take her anywhere,” said a Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornet ‘driver’.”

The pilot’s confidence in the much-vaunted strike fighter’s ability to handle modern threats is due to the fact that the RMAF’s 20-year-old fleet recently underwent a comprehensive upgrade that gives it an even more lethal “sting”. The best just got better.

The programme, carried out in phases, was to enhance the Hornet’s combat effectiveness in its primary tasking in the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

This included the integration of four primary elements — Boeing’s Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), the super-agile, thrust-vectoring AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile, Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance kits for the GBU-31, -32, -38 and -54 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) “smart” bombs, and the Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pods for the strike mission.

THE UPGRADES

Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS)

The JHMCS combines a magnetic head tracker with a display projected onto a pilot's visor, giving the pilot targeting information he needs to prosecute a target. It does this by synchronising the aircraft’s sensors with the user’s head movements so that they automatically point to where the pilot is looking. Pilots can also view any desired data (airspeed, altitude, target range, etc.) while ‘heads-up’, eliminating the need to look inside the cockpit during visual air combat.

AIM-9X Sidewinder

The AIM-9X continues the legacy of the AIM-9M in the RMAF F/A-18D Hornet inventory and operations. All AIM-9 versions are ‘heat-homers’, first designed back in the 1950s. AIM-9X now has all-moving control surfaces in the front and rear. While the AIM-9M is a third-generation infrared-guided missile, the AIM-9X is a fifth-generation, all-aspect missile. This digital, field reprogrammable missile has agile, thrust-vector control, a new processor, autopilot, a full envelope, off-boresight capability and high-resolution imaging infrared seeker. Combined with the JHMCS, the AIM-9X makes the RMAF F/A-18D Hornet a particularly lethal air-to-air adversary.

Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM)

The Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into all-weather, ‘smart’ bombs. JDAM bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system linked to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. Now, the aircrew only has to insert the coordinates of the target, fly at very high altitudes and drop the bombs. Their delivery is unconstrained by the weather, smoke or any other atmospheric conditions that would normally prevent the delivery of laser- or optically-guided weapons.

Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR)

ATFLIR is a multi-sensor, electro-optical targeting pod incorporating a thermographic camera. Compared with the previous Nitehawk FLIR used by the RMAF’s F/A-18D Hornets, ATFLIR now has a low-light television camera, target laser range finder, laser designator, laser spot tracker and IR marker. It is the world’s first Generation III Targeting FLIR, developed in response to a requirement for the aircrew to be able to acquire a target with improved target recognition and at a greater stand-off ranges.

Looks like a new Unimog chassis for the Caesar SPH.

Should be Renault trucks and not unimog.

A Royal Saudi Land Force CAESAR self-propelled howitzer on a Unimog U2450 chassis.

Indonesian DM confirms acquisition of 11 Su-35 fighter jets

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 21:19:33|

JAKARTA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Wednesday that Indonesia decided to purchase 11 Russian-made Sukhoi 35 fighter jets as negotiations over the deal had already been finalized.

"There will be 11 planes. After two years, it was finally finalized," the minister said in the presidential palace.

The Russian-made aircraft were intended to replace F5 E/F Tiger II warplanes, which have been in service with the Indonesian Air Forces since 1980s.

Reports said delivery of the Su-35 fighter jets to Indonesia would be conducted next year.

The Su-35s would join the Flanker-family fleet of the Indonesian Air Forces, which now operate 11 Su-30s and five Su-27s respectively.

It looks the same as the Saudi Caesar SPH Unimog chassis.


https://milinme.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/saudi-caesars/