RTA Ordered ZBL-09 (UPDATE)



22/03/2560 07.45 น. ThaiArmedForce.com - RTA ordered ZBL-09 from NORICO to be commissioned in the cavalry unit.

Foreign correspondent said to TAF in LIMA 2017 yesterday that the Royal Thai Army signed the order to buy 34 ZBL-09 8x8 and 12,506 30 mm round from China's NORICO.

ZBL-09 can be compared to BTR-3E1 earlier procured and deployed in the infantry units. RTA will buy one battalion of ZBL-09 and aim for 2020 delivery at the price of 1.695 mil USD each. TAF believe that this order is a part of the 400 million Baht project to upgrade the RTA maintenance factory to be able to maintain and refurbish all Chinese-made vehicle in RTA, including VT-4 tank, Type-85 and ZBL-09. Thy aim to become the regional center for Chinese vehicle maintenance.

LIMA 2017: Malaysian shipbuilders plough ahead

27th March 2017 - 9:10 by Gordon Arthur in Langkawi



Progress in shipbuilding, rather than the aerospace industry, was most observable at the LIMA 2017 exhibition in Langkawi, with some naval projects making significant progress.

These include the Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS), new coast guard OPVs and plans for multirole ships.

Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) is constructing six 3,100t SGPV-LCS vessels. Abdul Aziz bin Ahmad, head of Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC), told Shephard that the first of class will be launched in August and that it would definitely be delivered in time for LIMA 2019.

The hull is in the construction phase and the majority of the ship's equipment is ready to be installed.

The second and third SGPV-LCS vessels are also under construction. The keel for the second vessel's hull was laid on 28 February and is 30% complete.

Aziz said he expected follow-on boats to be completed on a rolling drumbeat every 10 months, with construction speeding up as BNS's experience grows.

The SGPV-LCS for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) measures 111m long and it is based on DCNS's Gowind 2500 design. A $2 billion contract was signed in 2011. As part of the RMN's '15-to-5' plan, the navy eventually wants to field 12 of this class.

Elsewhere, Malaysia has long professed a desire for multirole ships for the RMN. Such platforms are necessary for moving equipment between Peninsula and East Malaysia, amphibious operations and for providing a versatile capability for disaster relief missions.

Malaysia has lacked a strategic sealift capability gap since the loss of the landing ship tank KD Sri Inderapura owing to a fire in 2009.

The leading contender to build three so-called Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) is a tie-up between Malaysian shipyard Boustead and PT PAL of Indonesia. The two signed an MoU on 2 November 2016 at the Indo Defence exhibition.

The MRSS, an evolution of the Indonesian Navy's Makassar class, displaces 12,000t and is 163m in length. Data shown at LIMA listed a cruising speed of 18kt, and accommodation for 140 crew and 500 troops.

It can accommodate four helicopters (two in hangars and two on the flight deck), as well as up to 16 main battle tanks and six other armoured vehicles. Its well deck can host two landing craft, plus two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) are mounted on davits.

The MRSS will have a medium-calibre gun (either 57mm or 76mm), two 30mm cannons and four 12.7mm machine guns.

A PT PAL spokesman said it has not yet been decided whether they would be built in Indonesia or Malaysia.

Notably, the Indonesian Navy brought KRI Banjarmasin, its third Makassar-class landing platform dock (LPD) on which the MRSS is based, to LIMA 2017.

A spokesman from PT PAL told Shephard that it will hand over similar ships to the Philippine Navy. The Philippine's second LPD is due in May, if not sooner. The Philippine ships, 2m shorter than Indonesia examples, are based on the same Makassar-class platform. The Philippines holds an option for two more vessels too.

It is unclear when funding for the MRSS will be allocated, as the project depends on the financial health of the government coffers, especially as the SGPV-LCS and four Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) from China have been prioritised.

China, fresh from its surprising success in scooping a contract for the aforementioned LMS, may fancy its chances of supplying an LPD-type vessel instead of Boustead/PT PAL. The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) exhibited a scale model of a 20,000t LPD at LIMA 2017, while another Chinese shipbuilder showed a similarly sized landing helicopter dock.

Rafale…Non and Orions

Marhalim Abas
March 28, 2017
Malaysia - RMAF

........


Kawasaki P-3C Orion

Anyhow, apart from the Saudi/Kuwait aircraft, Malaysia has also been offered surplus P-3C Orions MPAs from Japan. The Defence Ministry is hoping Japan will pay for the refurbishment costs just like what happened with the two ex=Japanese Coast Guard ships donated to the Malaysian Coast Guard.

Japan paid for the RM26 million refurbishment cost of KM Pekan, the media was told at LIMA 17.

No one can tell me the cost of refurbishing the four aircraft offered but RMN chief Admiral Kamarulzaman Badaruddin told me that if accepted that the Orions will be stripped of the submarine hunting equipment and no weapons will be donated as well. The other surveillance gear will be maintained.

Japan has some 81 Orions in service with its navy. These aircraft were licensed built Kawasaki of Japan, which is manufacturing their replacements, the P-1 MPA.

Indonesian shipbuilder cuts steel on seventh PC-40-class vessel

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
28 March 2017
 
Key Points

• The Indonesian Navy has ordered another lightly armed variant of the KCR-40 missile attack craft
• Platform is meant to bolster the service's maritime surveillance and fishery resources protection capabilities

Indonesian shipbuilder PT Caputra Mitra Sejati has begun work on a PC-40-class patrol vessel on order for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL).


A model of a PC-40-class vessel on display at Indo Defence 2016. PT Caputra Mitra Sejati has begun work on a seventh vessel in the class. (IHS Markit/Ridzwan Rahmat)

A first steel-cutting ceremony for the platform was held on 23 March at the company's premises in Banten, about 100 km west of Jakarta, according to a TNI-AL media statement the day after. The vessel is the second PC-40 contract awarded to PT Caputra Mitra Sejati, but the seventh overall ordered by the TNI-AL.

Another Indonesian shipbuilder, PT Palindo Marine, launched the first three vessels in the class in September 2016, while PT Karimun Anugrah Sejati launched a subsequent two hulls in October the same year. The first PC-40 contract awarded to PT Caputra Mitra Sejati, which has been named Kurau and given the pennant number 856, was launched on 7 March 2017.

First AS565 MBe Panthers arrive in Indonesia

29th March 2017 - 18:00 by The Shephard News Team



Two base AS565 MBe Panther platforms have arrived in Indonesia for completion by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), Airbus Helicopters announced on 29 March.

The Indonesian Navy has 11 AS565 MBe Panthers on order with Airbus Helicopters. The aircraft are being equipped by PTDI with an anti-submarine warfare suite, which includes a dipping sonar and torpedo. The first two will be fitted out and delivered by the middle of 2017.

Airbus Helicopters and PTDI are cooperating on a number of programmes for the Indonesian armed forces, delivering one H215M and two H225M helicopters to the Indonesia Air Force, and two armed scout Fennec helicopters to the Indonesian Army.

The two Fennec rotorcraft delivered in January 2017 are the first armed scout units for the Indonesian Army. Together with the first unit delivered in 2015, these three helicopters will be used for pilot training. The remaining nine of the 12 ordered will be delivered this year.

The two H225Ms delivered in mid March to the air force are the third and fourth of a batch of six units on contract. The remaining deliveries are set to be completed within the next few weeks. The fleet will be deployed for CSAR.

UPDATE 1-Indonesia in tentative deal for Airbus A400M military planes

8 Hours Ago
Reuters

PARIS, March 29 (Reuters) - Indonesia has signed a letter of intent to buy Airbus A400M military aircraft, French President Francois Hollande's office said on Wednesday.

The provisional agreement was signed during a visit to Indonesia by Hollande and covers an unspecified number of aircraft, according to a list of deals issued by his office.

If completed, it would provide the troubled European military programme with a second export customer after Malaysia.

A previous deal to export A400M airplanes to South Africa was cancelled in 2009. Chile was also at one time seen as an export partner for the aircraft, which has run into billions of euros of cost overruns and years of development delays.

Hinting at industrial work as part of any deal, the head of Airbus Military Aircraft, Fernando Alonso, said the aircraft would form the basis of further industrial co-operation and could eventually boost the Indonesian Air Force's Mobility Arm - a type of unit which typically handles troop transport.

At present Indonesia operates Lockheed Martin C-130 transporter planes and Spanish CASA planes built under licence.

Airbus said the letter of intent was signed by Pelita Air, representing a consortium consisting of state-owned companies.

"Future discussions will address, among other things, the number of aircraft to be encompassed in an eventual contract and possible industrial cooperation arrangements," Airbus added. (Reporting by Cyril Altmeyer, Tim Hepher; editing by Alexander Smith)

PH Air Force now has 8 FA-50 fighter jets

Four more FA-50s are expected to arrive in the next months

Rappler.com
Published 1:12 PM, March 29, 2017
Updated 8:45 AM, March 30, 2017


4TH BATCH. The Philippine Air Force formally receives two more FA-50 lead-in fighter trainers it acquired from South Korea. DPC photo

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday, March 29, formally received the 4th batch of FA-50 lead-in fighter trainers from South Korea.

The arrival of two more jets puts the total number of FA-50s in the PAF inventory at 8. Four more will arrive in the next months to complete the PAF's squadron of 12 fighter jets.

The FA-50 is technically a fighter trainer but the PAF acquired it to perform multiple roles. These aircraft have been deployed for surgical airstrikes against local terrorists in Mindanao.

The jets were acquired for P18 billion by the previous administration, one of two big-ticket items as the country embarked on a modest modernization.

The Philippine Navy also acquired two brand new warships from South Korea, also for about P18 billion.

The acquisition of the FA-50s marked the PAF's return to the supersonic age a decade after retiring the last of its US-made F5 fighter jets in 2005.

Maintenance training of FZ219 rocket launcher for Fennec at PT Dirgantara Indonesia

Aug 28, 2016

Members of the Indonesian Army  followed a training course on the maintenance of the rocket launcher FZ219 (12- tubes), calibre 2.75” (70 mm) at the premises of our indonesian partner PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in Bandung in August 2016.

As part of a strategic industrial agreement signed with Airbus Helicopters, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has installed the mission equipment, including FZ rocket launchers FZ219, on five H125M (formerly Fennec AS555) helicopters  at its in-country facilities in Bandung.

The H125M helicopters is part of a fleet of twelve H125M helicopters to form an Indonesian Army light-attack squadron. 8 units will be placed in the 12th Attack Squadron Waytuba, South Sumatra, 3 units in Tanjungredep Attack Squadron-13, East Kalimantan, and 1 unit in the Army Pusdik Flight Semarang, Central Java.

KRI Torani-860 dan KRI Lepu-861 Resmi Perkuat Armada Tempur TNI AL

30 March 12:26 2017
by RISFAN BADRIAN
 
KBRN, Tanjungpinang : Kekuatan armada tempur TNI Angkatan Laut semakin kuat dengan diresmikannya dua Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia (KRI) oleh Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut (Kasal) Laksamana TNI Ade Supandi, S.E., M.AP. pada suatu upacara militer yang dilaksanakan di dermaga pelabuhan Batu Ampar Batam Kepulauan Riau, Kamis (30/03/2017).

Dua KRI yang diproyeksikan untuk memperkuat Satuan Patroli (Satrol) Koarmabar adalah KRI Torani-860 dan KRI Lepu-861. Keduanya merupakan alutsista karya cipta anak bangsa yang di produksi oleh PT. Karimun Anugerah Sejati Batam.

Hal ini membuktikan bahwa industri pertahanan dalam negeri telah memiliki kemampuan dalam hal kemandirian teknologi alat utama sistem pertahanan sekaligus wujud nyata dukungan terhadap program pemerintah mengenai kemandirian pengadaan alutsista TNI.

KRI Torani-860 dan KRI Lepu-861 memiliki kemampuan untuk melaksanakan peperangan anti kapal permukaan, peperangan anti udara dan pertempuran kepulauan serta melaksanakan tugas tambahan yakni melaksanakan patrol laut dalam rangka menegakkan hokum laut dan melaksanakan fungsi Search and Rescue (SAR).

Dipersenjatai dengan meriam kaliber 30 mm otomelara pada haluan dan dua pucuk Senapan Mesin Berat (SMB) kaliber 12,7 mm pada buritan. Masuk dalam kelas kapal patroli cepat atau PC-40, panjang keseluruhan 45,5 meter dan lebar 7,9 meter dengan kecepatan maksimal 24 knot serta kecepatan jelajah 15 knot. Kapasitas bahan bakar dalam sekali jalan adalah 70.000 liter dan memiliki endurance berlayar selama 6 hari. Dapur pacunya didukung dengan 2 buah mesin diesel MTU yang masing-masing berkekuatan 2480 HP.

EPI signs support contract for TP400 engines powering Malaysia’s A400M military aircraft

March 27, 2017 - Europrop International GmbH (EPI) has signed an In-Service Support (ISS) agreement with the Malaysian government for the TP400 turboprop engines powering the Royal Malaysian Air Force's A400M military transport aircraft, at the 2017 Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA). The agreement was signed by Christophe Bruneau, President of EPI, and Dato' Sri Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi, Secretary General at the Malaysian Ministry of Defense.

This contract follows a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on March 21 by EPI and Global Turbine Asia (GTA), a Malaysian joint venture with Safran that provides maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for helicopter and airplane engines.

EPI and GTA provide support services for the TP400 engines' fleet powering the Royal Malaysian Air Force's four A400M airlifters. The first phase of the contract runs until the end of October 2017, leading to the second phase, when GTA will become the prime contractor for these support services.

Under the terms of the agreement, EPI and GTA will provide local support services. GTA's Subang facility already deploys a Customer Support Representative (CSR), Field Support Representatives (FSR) and Logistics Support Representatives (LSR) to ensure that the Royal Malaysian Air Force continues to receive timely support for their engines.

"We are delighted to continue to build a successful partnership with GTA, which enables us to provide local support for the TP400 engine fleet," said Christophe Bruneau, President of EPI.

EPI will support GTA to obtain Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) certification from EPI, as well as certifications from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA-Part145) and the Malaysian airworthiness authority DGTA.

Navy operates new RI-made patrol boats in Malacca Strait

Fadli
The Jakarta Post
Batam | Fri, March 31 2017 | 01:13 am

Made in Indonesia: A member of the Navy stands in front of the KRI Lepu 861 at the Batu Ampar port in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday. The boat is one of two military vessels made by a Batam-based shipyard, that were inaugurated by Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Ade Supandi on Thursday.(JP/Fadli) (JP/Fadli)

TNI AL Targetkan Memiliki 42 Kapal PC-40

Anwar Sadat Guna    •    Kamis, 30 Mar 2017 15:31 WIB

Metrotvnews.com, Batam: TNI Angkatan Laut (AL) menargetkan memiliki 42 kapal Patroli Cepat (PC)-40 untuk memperkuat pertahanan wilayah perairan Indonesia. Perairan itu di wilayah Komando Armada RI Kawasan Timur (Koarmatim) maupun Komando Armada RI Kawasan Barat (Koarmabar).

Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut (Kasal) Laksamana TNI Ade Sopandi mengungkapkan, dari 42 KRI kelas PC-40 yang ditargetkan TNI AL, 16 kapal telah rampung pengerjaannya di awal 2017.

"Anggaran pembuatan seluruh kapal PC-40 ini berasal dari APBN 2015-2016. Diharapkan, pengerjaan seluruh kapal dapat rampung 2017 hingga 2018 sehingga dapat dioperasikan untuk memperkuat pertahanan wilayah perairan Indonesia," kata Ade usai meresmikan KRI Torani-860 dan KRI Lepu-861 di Pelabuhan Batuampar, Batam, Kamis 30 Maret 2017.

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Selain PC-40, sambung Ade, ke depan guna memperkuat pertahanan wilayah dan industri alutsista TNI, TNI AL memproyeksikan membuat kapal PC-60. Kapal ini ditargetkan memiliki kecepatan lebih tinggi dan daya jelajah lebih luas dibandingkan PC-40.

"Bahkan target kami bisa membuat 6 kapal PC-60 tahun ini. Kita berharap pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia dapat lebih baik lagi agar pembangunan KRI ini dapat terealisasi," pungkasnya.

PH’s anti-submarine warfare helicopters to be armed with Israeli missiles

March 26, 2017 PNA Nation 0

The Philippine Navy (PN)’s first two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters will be armed with Spike NLOS missiles giving it a capability to engage hostile vessels beyond visual range.

The said weapon manufactured by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. NLOS is short for “non-line of sight”. It was originally designed to destroy tanks.

PN spokesperson Capt. Lincuna said these helicopters are the AgustaWestland AW-159 “Wildcats” which are scheduled to be delivered by 2018.

The Department of National Defense signed a contract with AugustaWestland, now Leonardo, to buy two AW-159 ASW helicopters for PHP5.362 billion, March 2016.

It will be deployed aboard the two frigates the Philippines has ordered from South Korea worth PHP16 billion.

Lincuna said the PN will be using Spike NLOS as an anti-ship weapon due to its claimed range of 25 kilometers.

“The missile has a built-in camera that allows it to be operated day or night,” the PN spokesperson.

“The Spike NLOS weapon system can be operated in either direct attack or mid-course navigation based on target coordinates only. These modes enable defeat of long-range hidden targets, with pinpoint precision, damage assessment and the obtaining of real-time intelligence,” weapon manufacturer Rafael said in its website.

Lincuna said the missiles will complement the AW-159s’ detection and tracking equipment.

“The helicopters will be a full package, from detection, tracking, up to prosecution,” he said.

French DCNS, Indonesian PT PAL sign cooperation agreement


Photo: DCNS

French shipbuilder DCNS has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesian shipyard PT PAL to increase cooperation in the fields of submarine and surface ship construction.

The MoU confirmation comes following the visit of French president François Hollande to Indonesia.

Indonesia wants to reinforce its naval capacity and is mulling ordering French submarines and surface ships to be built in Indonesia with a high level of local industrial content.

DCNS said the two companies had been cooperating over the past few years to identify the best industrial solution with a multipurpose submarine from the Scorpene-class family now on offer. The submarine would be able to perform both shallow and blue water missions.

Other opportunities on corvettes and frigates are going to be assessed in the near future, it was further said.

“As the European leader in naval combat systems, warship designer and builder, DCNS is committed to establishing long-term partnerships with the Indonesian industry to enhance Indonesia’s local high-tech industrial content,” DCNS CEO Hervé Guillou said after the MoU signing. “Our cooperation with Indonesia’s largest shipyard PT PAL is a perfect illustration of this ambition and we are looking forward to bringing our strong expertise in technology transfers for complex naval programs to provide an industrial project and develop Indonesian Navy operational capability.”

Indonesia currently operates two German Type 209 submarines and has three South Korean Chang Bogo class submarines on order (two were already launched in South Korea).