23 Oktober 2017
Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare (image : Systematic)
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has purchased the Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare, which provides a complete picture of the battlefield and allows information to be shared quickly. Learn why New Zealand decided to invest in SitaWare from Systematic.
Digitising the New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has acquired the Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare from Systematic. Until now, the New Zealand Army relies mostly on manual processes to receive and disseminate information, but with the purchase of SitaWare the army will soon have access to cutting-edge communication systems.
“The purchase is a part of a programme to digitise the Army to provide modern command, communication, battle management, and surveillance capabilities,” the Defence Minister, Gerry Brownlee, says in a press release from the New Zealand Government.
Why have a network enabled army?
“The new system will enable NZDF to gain a complete picture of the situation on the ground and share information quickly,” Gerry Brownlee says.
Furthermore, SitaWare eases the process of collaborating with partners. “It will also enable the Defence Force to operate seamlessly with partners when deployed in a coalition,” Gerry Brownlee continues.
“The SitaWare system will link headquarters, units, vehicles and individuals, allowing Army to get a full picture of the battlefield and share information quickly."
Support for the soldiers
Despite an extensive technological transformation, the acquisition of SitaWare does not change what the Army does. “This system won’t change what the Army does, but it will provide advanced tools and techniques to support our soldiers, such as ‘blue force tracking’ and a common operating picture of troop movements," Gerry Brownlee explains.
The New Zealand Army has used the SitaWare system for several years for training, experimentation, and field exercises supported by Systematic’s local business partner, Eagle Technology Group Ltd.
The role of Systematic
SitaWare is developed by Systematic, but the responsibility goes far beyond that. “We will also assist the NZDF team in providing architecture and system design services, along with implementation and integration support,” Mike Magill, President Systematic Asia-Pacific explains.
“A key feature of the support services is that they will take account of evolving and maturing requirements through the set-up of an ‘Agile’ project environment managed by Systematic,” Mike Magill continues.
(Systematic)
23 Oktober 2017
AK-103 rifle (photo : AK Operators)
The Russian government is expected to turn over 5000 units of Avtomat Kalashnikova AK-103 with a million ammunition on October 25.
Official announcement or confirmation is yet to be made but reliable sources say that Russia will be providing the AK-103 model of Kalashnikov rifle.
AK-103 uses the 7.62×39mm round. It can be fitted with night vision or telescopic sights, and a knife-bayonet or grenade launcher.
It was previously expected that Russia will provide the AK-101 which uses the 5.56×45mm NATO round.
Assault rifles in Philippine military service uses 5.56×45mm NATO round. Department of National Defense – Government Arsenal is also producing the NATO round.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced last week that Russia will be donating 5000 Kalashnikov rifles without providing specific model.
These Russian rifle and ammunition together with 20 military truck will be formally turned over on October 25.
(Update)
23 Oktober 2017
One of the Royal Australian Navy's MH-60 Romeo Seahawk helicopters. (photo : South Coast Register)
A multi-million dollar naval helicopter has been extensively damaged on its way to the Middle East.
It is understood the MH-60 Romeo Seahawk from 725 Squadron at HMAS Albatross was damaged onboard HMAS Warramunga on it’s way to Perth before heading to the Gulf.
It is believed the helicopter may have broken free of its lashing in an hangar area, half way across the Great Australian Bight in rough conditions.
It is understood the helicopter “bounced” around the hangar area, causing significant damage, with one of three sources who spoke to the Register saying the helicopter might be “a write-off”.
Other reports suggest the aircraft has suffered millions of dollars worth of damage.
It is understood no one was injured in the incident.
The Register has been told the aircraft was replaced to allow Warramunga, an Anzac Class Frigate Helicopter (FFH), capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction, to continue to the Middle East.
Defence was contacted for comment over the alleged incident but is yet to respond.
The Australian Government approved the acquisition of 24 MH-60R Seahawk Romeo naval combat helicopters at a cost of over $3 billion.
The Romeo, replacing the S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters, is seen as the future of naval aviation. It is equipped with a highly sophisticated combat systems designed to employ Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and the Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedo.
The Romeo’s primary mission is anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare but also has the ability to undertake search and rescue, logistics support, personnel transport and medical evacuation.
The helicopters are largely military off-the-shelf built by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin and were acquired through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process from the US Navy.
The final of the 24 helicopters arrived at Nowra’s HMAS Albatross in September 2016, providing navy the capacity to equip at least eight warships with a combat helicopter at the same time.
The remainder are based at Albatross with 725 Squadron which was recommissioned in 2015.
As well as Anzac Class frigates, the Romeos can also be deployed on the new Air Warfare Destroyers.
(South Coast Register)
21 Oktober 2017
Anoa Gurun, produk kendaraan 6x6 sodoran Pindad untuk pasar Timur Tengah (photo : Liputan6)
KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. PT Pindad (Persero) tengah menjajaki kerjasama dan penjualan baru produk militer. Belum lama ini perusahaan pelat merah tersebut telah merampungkan transaksi alutsista di sejumlah negara ASEAN.
Direktur Utama Pindad Abraham Moses mengatakan, pihaknya tengah menjajaki kembali penjualan ke militer Laos, saat perdana menteri negara tersebut mengunjungi Indonesia. “Selain dengan Laos, juga ada Arab Saudi, rencananya produk yang ditawarkan bom dan misil,” ungkapnya di sela acara Indonesia International Cyber Security Leaders, Selasa (17/10).
Lanjut Abraham, selain itu, perusahaan juga menjajaki kerjasama dengan pemerintah Qatar untuk pendirian fasilitas Maintenance, Repair & Operation (MRO). “Kami masih tunggu lampu hijau dari pemerintah (Indonesia), setelahnya segera follow up,” ujar Abraham.
Kerjasama direncanakan dalam bentuk joint marketing & operation, di mana Pindad akan mengirimkan sumber daya teknisinya. “Kebetulan panser dan tank mereka sejenis dengan punya kita (Indonesia),” terang Abraham. Fasilitas MRO tersebut juga dapat menjadi bisnis after sales Pindad.
Pindad tengah getol mengoptimalkan anak usahanya yang bergerak di bidang perdagangan dan ekspor. Baru-baru ini perseroan telah mendirikan PT Pindad Global Source of Trading yang menjual dan mengageni produk-produk Pindad. “Kami juga punya PT Pindad Logistic Prepare untuk jasa pengangkutan, dan kami punya area penyimpanan yakni Pindad Logistic,” urai Abraham.
Bisnis jasa pengangkutan tersebut tidak hanya dikhususkan bagi grup Pindad, namun bisa digunakan pelanggan di luar perseroan. “Lahan di Bandung 60 hektare bisa dioptimalkan. Di sana kami punya tempat penyimpanan, semacam kawasan industrial berikat,” sebut Abraham. Area penyimpanan tersebut tak ubahnya sebuah dry port yang punya akses distribusi lebih efisien.
(Kontan)
21 Oktober 2017
PCG MRRV from Japan (photo : Edison Sy)
Based on the credit package and the number of Japanese patrol boats pledged to help Vietnam with the Philippines, our ship's capacity will be larger.
In 2015, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Philippines (DOTC) announced that Japan had won a tender package for the production of 10 patrol boats under the South East Asian Nations Enhanced Marine Safety Assurance This.
The above package will cost about US $ 170 million, which will be around US $ 170 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and about US $ 30 million from the counterpart fund of the Philippine government.
In addition to the new shipbuilding plan, the project also includes the repair and upgrading process, sailors training, maritime transport and marine insurance. It is expected that the first ships will be delivered by 2016 and end in 2018.
Thus, each new Philippine patrol boat was valued at nearly $ 20 million, and as of now they have received the sixty-MMRV patrol vessel with a length of 40 meters, displacing about 300 tonnes.
Earlier this year, Shinzo Abe announced the decision to provide Vietnam with 6 new patrol boats.
PL-31 Izu large patrol ship of the Japanese Coast Guard (photo : Yochan)
At the same time, Japan continues to support the enhancement of the capacity of the Vietnam Coast Guard, concretizing the cooperation activities of the maritime law enforcement agencies of the two countries.
Kawamura Yasuhisa, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, said at a press conference Friday that the total value of six new Japanese ships provided to Vietnam was about 38.5 billion yen ($ 320 million) , with preferential loans from the Government of Japan to Vietnam.
It can be seen that six patrol boats for Vietnam need $ 320 million to build, while 10 MMRVs for the Philippines cost less than $ 200 million.
Based on the above two sources, it is highly probable that the Vietnamese vessels will have a larger water displacement than the Japanese vessels built for the Philippine Coast Guard, showing that your side has given you a decent incentive. large.
The construction of larger patrol boats in Japan is also justified because the MMRV that the Philippines has just received is equivalent to Vietnam's TT-400 - the class that we have fully mastered in construction technology in the country, no need to hire foreign.
(BaoDatViet)
21 Oktober 2017
The BT-3F with gross combat weight 18.5 tons (photo : Tractor Plants)
MANAMA (Bahrain) - RIA Novosti. Russia is negotiating with Indonesia for the delivery of amphibious armored personnel carriers (BTR) BT-3F, Deputy Director General of Rosoboronexport (RoE), who heads the ROE delegation at this arms salon, Sergei Goreslavsky, told reporters on Tuesday at the BIDEC-2017 exhibition.
"The negotiations on this subject are underway, the command of the Armed Forces gives exceptional importance to two-armored vehicles," he said, responding to a journalist's question.
Goreslavsky noted that initially the Indonesian side raised the issue of doubling its fleet of fleet infantry fighting vehicles by Russian BMP-3F.
Earlier in some media, information was published, according to which Indonesia intends to abandon the purchase of amphibious Ukrainian production BTR-4 in favor of a new Russian armored vehicle BT-3F.
Indonesia want to double its fleet of BMP-3F (photo : defence.pk)
It was assumed that the negotiations will be held during the visit of the Indonesian delegation to the international military-technical forum "Army-2017".
According to these publications, Indonesia's Marines, testing the BTR-4 floating wheeled vehicles, concluded that the Ukrainian armored car was excessively "buried" in the water while overcoming water obstacles at full speed.
BT-3F developed by the enterprise "Kurganmashzavod" was first introduced at the forum "Army-2016". He can move on water and despatch from transport aircraft. The crew of the BT-3F is three men, with the armored personnel carrier taking on board up to 14 paratroopers.
On the roof of the combat vehicle is a remotely controlled combat module with a 7.62 mm machine gun with a thermal imaging sight and a laser range finder. A diesel engine with a capacity of 500 horsepower allows onshore to develop a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour, and afloat - up to 10 kilometers per hour.
(RIA Novosti)
21 Oktober 2017
HMAS Hobart - Air Warfare Destroyer (photo : Aus DoD)
HMAS Hobart sets sail
HMAS Hobart has “slipped her lines” and set sail for the first time since commissioning on 23 September 2017.
Her departure from Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney on Wednesday heralded the much anticipated return to sea for the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) of the Royal Australian Navy.
During her journey to and from Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast, HMAS Hobart’s ship’s company will perform a series of exercises to test core mariner skills.
Commanding Officer, HMAS Hobart, Captain John Stavridis, said the ship’s company were eager to put their skills to the test.
“This is really the first key milestone in proving that we can operate the warship safely and effectively,” he said.
“My crew have worked very hard to get the ship commissioned and ready for sea.”
The week long Mariner Skills Evaluation (MSE) period will see the ship’s company put through their paces in a series of essential navigation and seamanship exercises off the east coast of Australia to prove Hobart’s safe and effective operation at sea.
The MSE will feature boat drills, man-overboard, casualty and damage control exercises.
“The ship’s company will be tested in toxic hazards, fire-fighting, flood stop and repair, all the essential emergency responses to ensure a ship can operate safely at sea,” Captain Stavridis said.
“It’s a challenging time for the ship’s company but the sense of accomplishment will make it very worthwhile.”
“We’re all very proud to wear the name Hobart on our shoulders and carry the motto ‘Grow with Strength’,” he said.
“This is an opportunity to live up to that legacy.”
On return to Fleet Base East, Hobart will continue with a complex series of system trials and unit readiness tests and evaluations, working towards full operational capacity late next year.
(RAN)
