RSN has already operationalized the 16-17m Venus USVs for mine clearance.







The current Bedok class minesweepers are not large enough to carry these USVs. Hence, there is a need for a minesweeper mothership class of ships in order for the USVs to keep up with the main fleet or operate further from Singapore waters or waters in the vicinity of Singapore.

The near 3000 ton Belgian/Dutch City class ships fit this profile. These ships will also undertake patrol duties/maritime security in peacetime and will be able to deploy maritime security configured USVs.

RSNs current Bedok class:



This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 5 2023, 08:52 AM

Peons to die to wear down the enemy.

Reminds me of Wagner and their use of prison inmates.

No need expensive systems.

The Brits did the same during the Napoleonic wars

SG's JMMS. Guy who did this is pretty good. Hope he didnt give anything away...











Credit: natemomog

And I doubt RSN will name it the Panglima class..RSN generally uses Royal Navy ship names. We will see. The 2 JMMS vessels are expected to be deployed sometime early 2030s.

SG MOD's own graphic (note: this is just an early idea of the JMMS (what Sg wants) and not drawn to scale):



This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 5 2023, 09:23 PM

The above images show an Italian Trieste LHD variant.

However, Sg has been training on the Juan Carlos type LHD:



Note: Both LHD types can embark F35Bs and helicopters - Up to 25 F35bs and helicopters for the Juan Carlos and up to 30 F35bs and helicopters for the Trieste.

Note 2: Sg will be closing down Payer Lebar airbase (down to 3 major air bases), a major Sg airbase which is also used by allied forces before 2040 and this development could have influenced Sgs decision to get lhds/light carriers. Apart from force projection e.g
amphibious/carrier battle group and HADR, these ships can function as alternative floating air bases.

^ the new mirror-like coating is supppsed to enhance stealth further. But thats only partial coating in the twit.

Both F35s and F22s have been seen with full or near full chrome coats.





It is only a matter of time before f35 users get the coat. F35 without the chrome coating:

Indeed. Open-sourced info points to enhanced mitigation vis a vis powerful IRST systems supposedly deployed by the Chinese.

It may be a singular risk at this point in time. But these tech could be propagated throughout the US air eco systems

Indonesian military defence plans are in a mess.

Uncomfortable truths:

https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/id...ary-priorities/

Several points 2 note

1) it wont achieve its 2024 Minimum Essential Force targets

2) Its 2024 defence budget is about 135 trillion rupiah or about USD 8.6 billion.

https://fulcrum.sg/the-significance-of-pres...budget-address/

3) Its 4 or 5 year military acquisition budget (2020 to 2024) is largely vapourware (recently increased from usd $20 billion to usd $25 billion) as it mostly does not exist. They are loans to be made from other countries and financial institutions. Even the IMF does not dish out such loans. And suitable loans are often hard to come by. Looks like political fanfare to me.

4) Indonesia has a strange policy of signing so called contracts (which are effectively letters of intent in Msian local context) and then source for funding i.e. loans which may not be successfully obtained. This has led to many stalled acquisitions e.g. kf21, f15ex, fremm, etc. Many of these lois have deadlines for payment at the agreed price or they lapse. We do not know how many more announced acquisitions are impacted.

5) News on military acquisitions have been hijacked by politicians i.e. good photos and sound bites. But the contract are not executed.

6) The nascent defence industry lacks sophistication required to push to the next level. There are problems with its UAV e.g. Elang hitam Uav, unbalanced ships by pt pal, critical problems with its locally assembled korean submarines, inability to integrate foreign systems on its merah-puteh arrowhead 140 frigate, inability to complete F16 upgrades, etc.

7) Indonesia is under pressure from the amount of interests she needs to pay for her current loans esp. loans for military purchases. This last point is important as it is a vicious cycle of ever increasing interest payments as you loan more. Can you imagine if another financial crisis hits?

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 6 2023, 03:43 PM

In the case of Indo, it is one thing to sign "contracts" which could be effectively MOUs, LOIs, etc. It is quite another thing for the actual acquisitions to take place or what they call it - come into force after payment (usually loans) is actually made.

Bizzare that they opt for the less capable blackhawks as opposed to more h225m and streamlining maintenance and logistic trainm

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 7 2023, 05:31 AM

This could spell the end of the 130.

Quite a number of countries are waiting for economies of scale for this project because of the 1)issues with the a400 and 2) they do not need the slightly extra carriage or extra costs with the a400.

In Indo procurement style, the contract (if it is one), must be executed (paid or confirm can pay). Otherwise it just a piece of paper and these are camera publicity shots.

Why would Msia want a blackhawk? By specifications, the H225M is technically better. Yes, it is more expensive but it is better. We shld stick with that.

Lastly, I share the Indos procurement process and the bewilderment or confusion it causes to defence industry watchers when claimed announcements (usually with huge fanfare and photo ops) to buy military equipment end up not purchased.

It goes like this: (1) Starts with MOU (2) LOI (3) Real Contract and then (4) effective contract.

The Indos will start to look for loans at (4) and so far it has not been easy and successful.

There may not be real money to make any payment at (1), (2) and (3) and usually these agreements (the press sometimes call them contracts nonetheless) expire or get stalled. Examples are the F15ID ( in spite of what some indo forumner thinks, I checked and found that export controls apply (the FMS still needs internal US approval for specific systems (by the way, Israel is getting F15EX (you think anyone else will get the same level of tech) - likely this will be similar to the F15SG or F15QA), FREMM, KF 21, etc.

The only large scale defence item that managed to get loans and reached effective contract status is the Rafale for batches 1 and 2.

So, it is important to keep the above process in mind when Indo makes annoucements that they are buying something - most of the time if not all the time, they are wishes (and may not end up in an actual purchase).

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 9 2023, 09:42 PM

https://x.com/TheBaseLeg/status/1732926884621787218?s=20


So only F16s are left viable at this point in time..




This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 9 2023, 09:47 PM

The following RSAF MPAs, F15SGs and G550 AEW or AWACs just returned to Singapore after a month of training - anti-surface/anti-submarine:

^

Sg has announced that the Fokker 50 MPAs (about 7 of them) which are armed with harpoons, torpedoes, etc. will be replaced soon (a selection process is currently ongoing). They underwent a final life extenstion/upgrade sometime in 2017.

The candidates are the P8 Poseidon or IAI Bombardier 6500:

Hehe. We will glad to see if the blackhawks reach the "effective contract" stage. Indo needs those helis even if they an old platform.

Bizzare pricess involving Poland, a third country.

There could be an annoucement about it in Feb 24....Sg Airshow.

Both platforms i.e. p8 Poseidon p8 and bombardier 6500 mpa went head 2 head in Canada. Ths p8 won.





The bombardier 6500 is actually more modern and capable - Aesa radar, flies higher and has better agility at lower altitudes as compared to the slightly larger p8.

But US pressure is strong.

In Sg, Boeing and St has signed an agreement 2 develop Sg as a major P8 servicing centre:

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/0...ustainment-mou/

So you tell me who has the advantage...boeing wants p8 as Sgs next mpa.



This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 10 2023, 02:04 AM

Approval for loans and getting them are separate things...concerns are already raised over the increasing interests on loan payments by Indo.

These naval fires are simultaneously coordinated/networked by RSN ships, Type 218G submarines, RSAF F15Sg/F16V+/F35, coastal batteries and time-on-target strikes (the weapons/munitions will all hit at the same time).

Blue Spear X missiles (200km to 400+km for surface launched (290km to 300km for sea-skimming/terrain hugging or low profile mode) or up to 600+ to 700km for air launched) are coming. These missiles are in active production in Sg. Sg and Israel are the OEM manufacturers.

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 11 2023, 10:39 AM

^