Rocket launchers, radar system in Johor from China, with love

Jahabar Sadiq
Updated about 8 hours ago · Published on 9 Aug 2017 11:00AM · 2 comments

CHINA will offer Malaysia advanced rocket launchers and a radar system, to be based in Johor, reflecting the widening defence and trade ties between the two countries in the South China Sea region, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

The generous low-interest offer will be made by a high-level delegation headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy visiting Malaysia for the East Coast Rail Link launch tomorrow.

"Up to 12 units of the AR3 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) will be offered to Malaysia in a purchase programme with a loan period of 50 years," a source told The Malaysian Insight.

"The MLRS, which has a top range of 220km, will be located in Johor with a radar system," added the source, confirming The Malaysian Insight'sreport last April.

n the catch? be their boy?

was it a success?

35mm CIWS ordered for Indonesian Frigates

14 Agustus 2017


35mm CIWS Millenium Gun (photo : Rheinmetall)

Rheinmetall has received an order for its Millenium Gun 35mm naval weapon system to outfit Indonesia's two new Sigma 10514 Perusak Kawal Rudal (PKR) light frigates.

Damen handed over the first frigate in February this year, with the second undergoing contractor sea trials at press time (late May). Delivery of this ship is planned for October 2017. The primary mission of the 105m, 2,365 tonne ships is anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. Secondary roles include maritime security, search and rescue and humanitarian support.

DTR believes four Millenium Gun systems are part of the Indonesian order. Each Sigma 10514 PKR frigate is allocated one Millenium Gun system installed forward of the bridge. The first Sigma 10514 PKR frigate was delivered without its Millenium Gun system, although the plinth mount is visible in photographs.

Able to fire Rheinmetall's Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction (AHEAD) programmable 35mm ammunition, a single Millenium Gun mount can operate as both CIWS and secondary armament on surface combatants of various sizes. Millenium Gun's Oerlikon revolver cannon fires at up to 1,000 rounds per minute. Using AHEAD ammunition natures, figures from Rheinmetall cite that a 25-round burst can achieve a kill a manned aircraft at 3,500m against guided missiles/cruise missiles at 2,000m and against a sea-skimming anti-ship missile at 1,500m. Keep out range against surface targets is approximately 4,000m.

The Indonesian Air Force already operates the Oerlikon 35mm revolver cannon as the effector elements of its land-based Skyshield very short-range air defence system. These system can be ground or truck-mounted.

Indonesia shortlists BT-3F amphibious tracked vehicle from Russia for marines corps

Ridzwan Rahmat - IHS Jane's Navy International
13 August 2017


The BT-3F amphibious tracked armoured personnel carrier. Source: Nikolai Novichkov

Key Points

• Indonesia has shortlisted the Russian developed BT-3F amphibious tracked vehicle to replace its marines corps’ ageing BTR-50PKs
• Contract may see Indonesia become the first international customer of the BT-3F

A request by the Indonesian Marines (Korps Marinir – KORMAR) to formally withdraw from further acquisitions of the BTR-4 8x8 amphibious wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs) is close to being approved by the Indonesian government, and the service has singled out Russia’s BT-3F platform as a front runner replacement in the programme.

Sources from the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) told Jane’s on 14 August that as part of a due diligence process to select the replacement, KORMAR chief Major General Bambang Suswantono, and a delegation of senior officers from the service, will arrive in Russia in the week beginning 21 August to witness a demonstration of the BT-3F near Moscow.

Major Gen Bambang will also participate in the Army 2017 military-technical forum as part of his visit, and visit the premises of Concern Tractor Plants, the Russian heavy industry equipment developer that designed BT-3F. KORMAR is a service under the TNI-AL’s command structure.

The Indonesian House of Representatives’ commission on defence, intelligence, and foreign affairs (Komisi I) had previously approved a sum of USD95 million under the country's 2017 defence budget to replace the KORMAR's ageing BTR-50PK APCs with BTR-4s. This approval was granted in addition to the initial batch of five BTR-4 APCs ordered by the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) from Ukraine's defence industry holding group UkrOboronProm in February 2014.