10 Maret 2015
Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) (photo : Jane's)
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The Boeing Company, which again will have a big presence at the upcoming Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition, is committed to being in Malaysia for the long-haul by teaming up with industrial partners to bring about mutually beneficial outcomes.
Vice-President, F/A18E/F International Sales, Global Strike, Defense, Space and Security, Howard Berry, said the aircraft manufacturer was aware that merely offering a capable and affordable product was no longer adequate.
"We recognise the advantages of doing business in Malaysia and this is why sales in the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme here are that more exciting for us.
"The Malaysian industry will benefit by getting the technology, job creations, interactions with major corporations and become part of the Boeing supply chain," he told Bernama in an interview recently.
"It is not enough anymore to merely offer a capable or affordable product."
"While those are the essentials, it is becoming more important to bring industrial benefits together with your offerings because governments are looking to make politically smart decisions and spending their money most wisely," he said.
Governments, he said, were not only putting out dollars to make important defense acquisitions but it is also for them to reap benefits industrially as well as generate jobs for the populace.
"I often view Malaysia as this big market that's not fully tapped, it is a good and affordable place to do business."
Malaysia is also doing a good job in very quickly becoming more and more technically advanced so we get the best of both worlds here in terms of affordability and capability and this allows for the opportunity to make further investments."
"We believe Malaysian industry benefits by getting the technology, job creations, interaction with major corporations and they get to become part of the Boeing supply chain," he said.
Berry said Boeing also planned to leverage on LIMA which would be held from March 17-21, as a platform to broaden its dialogue within potential customers in the Southeast Asia region.
Some of the assets Boeing would flaunt at the biennial exhibition include two Super Hornets, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA), P-8 Poseidon, B-52 Stratofortress and F-15 Strike Eagle.
During the exhibition, Boeing would also bring images and models of its new AH-6i 'Little Bird' light attack/reconnaissance helicopter, which would suit the Royal Malaysian Air Force's needs, particularly given its porous borderline.
Berry said Boeing was optimistic that the Malaysian military would give the asset a keen consideration for acquisition.
When asked on any potential collaboration in engineering between Boeing and Malaysia, Berry did not discount the possibility given that the country was quickly becoming technically advanced and it was ready to climb up the value-chain.
"We have discussed with a number of Malaysian industrial entities on how we can bring Malaysian engineers to the United States for training as well as provide support for Boeing," he added.
He reiterated LIMA 2015 would yet be another opportunity to engage key customers in Southeast Asia and expose them to our products and services.
10 Maret 2015
Satellite images on Google Maps indicate that Beijing has constructed a model aircraft carrier in Wuhan Province. (photo : Business Insider)
A People's Liberation Army Navy official has confirmed for the first time that China is building its second aircraft carrier, reports Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet.
Ding Haichun, a deputy political commissar of the PLA Navy, acknowledged during an interview with Hong Kong media on March 8 that China's second aircraft carrier is currently under construction and will be more advanced than the country's first carrier, the Liaoning, which was retrofitted from the Soviet-era carrier Varyag and commissioned in September 2012.
Once the industrial manufacturing department has completed construction, the carrier will be handed over to the PLA Navy to commence training, Ding said.
Naval power and electrical engineering specialist Ma Weiming added that China's catapult launch technology has absolutely no problems and can compete with that of the United States.
When questioned by reporters, former PLA Navy political commissar Liu Xiaojiang refused to confirm media speculation that the second aircraft carrier would commcence sea trials as early as this year, noting that the manufacturing process and schedule is highly complex.
Liu admitted he is uncertain just how many aircraft carriers the country intends to build. While some have claimed as many as six carriers are needed to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and interests abroad, Liu said the answer will ultimately lie in how much research and development funding is available.(Want China Times)
China has constructed a life-sized mockup of an aircraft carrier flight deck
Leaked data, quickly deleted news stories, and a giant mockup of an aircraft carrier in an unspecified location in central China all indicate that Beijing is working towards building the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier.
Satellite images on Google Maps indicate that Beijing has constructed a model aircraft carrier in Wuhan Province. The model is estimated at being 300 meters (984 feet) long and 80 meters (262 feet) wide. The model is complete with a helicopter landing pad and a model of a carrier-borne aircraft.
The mockup is likely to be used for the testing of communication systems aboard the carrier. The model may also be used for military training exercises, although the model may be too structurally weak to support the landing of actual aircraft on its deck.
Satellite images of the aircraft carrier coincide with the emergence, and subsequent deletion, of a number of local Chinese media reports related to the construction of a second aircraft carrier.
According to AFP, Chinese local media reported on how a company won a contract to supply the cabling necessary for the vessel’s construction. Late last year, another Chinese media story quoted Wang Min, the Communist Party secretary of Liaoning province, talking about how Beijing was expecting to have a second aircraft carrier by around 2020.
Both stories were promptly deleted from Chinese media after being posted.
The drive to develop an aircraft carrier is in keeping with Beijing’s general drive towards becoming its region’s military power. In addition to the carrier, China has been developing a new generation of anti-ship cruise missiles, guided missile naval destroyers, and ballistic missile submarines in an effort to more effectively project power away from the Chinese coastline.
China is locked in maritime disputes with both Japan in the East China Sea and Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea. To more effectively force its interests in the South China Sea, Beijing has begun the construction of a string of man-made islands that can be outfitted as military bases.
By having multiple aircraft carriers, China would be able to effectively projects its aerial power far away from its shores thereby further placing pressure on rival countries in the region (Business Insider)
10 Maret 2015
Malaysia's first A400M aircraft will be displayed at the LIMA Airshow from 17 to 21 March. (photo : Airbus Defence and Space)
Malaysia has received the first of its four Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the company announced on 10 March.
The handover of aircraft MSN022 to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) took place at the final assembly line (FAL) in Seville, Spain, the day before the announcement. The Chief of the Malaysian Defence Force, General Tan Sri Dr Zulkifeli, accepted the aircraft along with other dignitaries on behalf of the RMAF.
The aircraft will shortly arrive in Malaysia, ahead of the LIMA Airshow that is to take place in Langkawi from 17 to 21 March.
Malaysia became the A400M's first (and so far only) export customer when in 2005 it signed a MYR8 billion (USD2.5 billion at the 2005 rate) contract for four aircraft to supplement its ageing Lockheed Martin C-130H-30/KC-130H Hercules fleet.
The RMAF was originally due to have received its first two aircraft in the second half of 2013, with the remaining pair to follow in 2014. However, this timeline was revised when the programme was re-baselined in 2009, with the commencement of deliveries put back to the first quarter of 2015. Malaysia is due to receive two more aircraft this year, with the final one set to arrive in 2016.
While the A400M programme has cost Malaysia MYR8 billion, it has received back at least MYR907 million in an offset deal with domestic company Composites Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
With 12 of the 174-aircraft orderbook now delivered to five customers (France, Germany, Malaysia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) in a logistics configuration, Airbus DS will shortly begin rolling out additional tactical capabilities (featuring full airdrop, self-defence, and a tanker role). This will lead through to the release of the Full Common Standard Aircraft in 2018, at which time Airbus DS will then set about retrofitting all earlier aircraft already delivered to this final standard.
Billed as a competitor for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, the A400M can carry strategic payloads over strategic distances, while being able to deliver them in a tactical fashion to where they are needed. Figures released by Airbus DS show that with a 20-tonne payload, the A400M can fly an unrefuelled 3,400 n miles at 37,000 ft and at near-airliner speeds of Mach 0.72.
(Jane's)
10 Maret 2015
TNI AU dalam kurun waktu 2015-2019 akan membeli 3 pesawat AEW&C dengan basis pesawat jet (all photos & image s : Saab)
Gotheborg, Swedia (ANTARA News) - SAAB AB, perusahaan industri sistem pertahanan dan keamanan Swedia, telah memulai serangkaian pembicaraan tentang penawaran sistem pengamatan udara Erieye AEW&C kepada pemerintah Indonesia untuk mengawal wilayah udara, darat, dan maritim Tanah Air.
"Kami akan senang jika sistem kami itu bisa diterima Indonesia dan kami telah melakukan pembicaraan soal ini dengan pemerintah Indonesia,” kata Wakil Presiden dan Kepala Sistem Pengamatan Udara dan Bisnis Sistem Pertahanan Elektronika SAAB AB Lars Tossman di Gotheborg, Swedia, Senin waktu setempat.
Penawarannya itu, kata Tossman, terkait juga dengan penawaran sistem pesawat tempur JAS-39 Gripen yang turut dalam proyeksi pengganti pesawat tempur F-5E/F Tiger II pada Skuadron Udara 14 TNI AU.
Menurut dia, sistem yang dikembangkan SAAB AB pada piranti Erieye AEW&C sangat pas dengan keperluan Indonesia yang memiliki wilayah udara sangat luas.
Dari ketinggian operasionalnya, sistem pengamatan dan intelijen Erieye AEW&C ini bisa menjangkau wilayah pada radius lebih dari 900 kilometer yang berarti sudah di balik kelengkungan Bumi, setara dengan “volume” ruang diawasi 500.000 kilometer persegi horisontal dan 20 kilometer vertikal.
Berbasis sistem Active Electronically Sensor Array, sistem ini bekerja pada frekuensi S-band, dengan sensitivitas ultratinggi, dan pencitraan objek diamati secara seketika. Data-link yang diterapkan berbasis NATO data-link L16 dan L11.
Jika ditempatkan di wilayah udara Indonesia, maka cuma diperlukan dua Erieye AEW&C di udara Jakarta dan Makassar agar bisa melingkupi 80 persen wilayah udara Tanah Air.
Secara teknis, jika ada pesawat terbang penyusup berkecepatan suara (sekitar 900 kilometer perjam), sistem ini bisa segera mengetahui kehadirannya sehingga pesawat tempur Indonesia memiliki cukup waktu untuk menangkalnya.
Sejauh ini, TNI AU hanya memiliki satu skuadron udara pengamatan (surveillance) itu, yaitu Skuadron Udara 5 yang terdiri dari tiga pesawat Boeing 737-200 Maritime Patrol. Pesawat ini dilengkapi sensor SLAMMR ( Side Looking Airborne Modular Multimission Radar), peralatan navigasi INS (Inertial Navigational System) dan Omega Navigation System. Semuanya berbasis teknologi dasawarsa 1980-an.
Lossman menyatakan, sistem Erieye AEW&C memiliki beberapa keunggulan, antara lain bisa disesuaikan dengan keperluan domestik pemakainya. "Bahkan, pijakan alias platform pesawat terbang pembawanya bisa disesuaikan. Yang sudah disertifikasi sejauh ini adalah SAAB 2000 dan Embraer 145," kata dia.
Tipe pesawat terbang "penggendong" yang pertama, SAAB 2000 adalah turboprop.
"Kami sangat memperhatikan aspek operasionalisasi dan biaya ikutannya. Itu sebabnya, pengoperasian pesawat terbang turboprop bisa menekan biaya operasional tanpa mengenyampingkan fungsi dan efektivitasnya," kata dia.
Direktur Pemasaran Sistem Udara SAAB AB Magnus Hagman menyatakan, dari Asia Tenggara, baru Thailand yang menandatangani pemesanan jadi Erieye AEW&C. Angkatan Udara Kerajaan Thailand juga menjadi operator perdana JAS-39 Gripen di ASEAN.
Pensiunan instruktur penerbang tempur pada Angkatan Udara Kerajaan Swedia itu juga berkata, "Salah satu prinsip penting dalam operasi udara militer tempur adalah menempatkan ataus menerbangkan pesawat tempur pada tempat dan waktu yang tepat. Antara sistem Gripen dan Erieye AEW&C saling melengkapi.(Antara)
Radar militer Erieye AEW&C SAAB juga bisa untuk sipil
Gotheborg, Swedia (ANTARA News) - Sistem radar, peringatan dini, dan komando Erieye AEW&C dari perusahaan otomotif, dirgantara dan pertahanan Swedia, SAAB AB, bisa dipergunakan juga untuk keperluan sipil, selain untuk kepentingan militer.
"Ada berbagai tingkatan skala konflik yang bisa diputuskan selain status perang secara militer. Kami menawarkan solusi dari peralatan yang kami kembangkan ini, yaitu Erieye AEW&C yang ditempatkan pada pesawat terbang untuk keperluan selain militer,” kata Kepala Pengembangan Bisnis Pemasaran SAAB AB, Lars Ekstrom, di Kantor Sistem Pertahanan Elektronika SAAB AB, di Gotheborg, Swedia, Senin.
Gotheborg di selatan Swedia adalah "rumah" bagi pengembangan piranti lunak dan sistem pertahanan elektronik. SAAB AB menghabiskan 28 persen dananya untuk riset dan pengembangan produk dan sistem.
Ekstrom menyebutkan, ada banyak keunggulan dari penerapan Erieye AEW&C yang selama ini bisa ditempatkan pada empat jenis pesawat terbang, di antaranya SAAB 340, pesawat terbang turboprop. Tak kalah penting adalah menambah jangkauan pantauan radar hingga 10 kali dari pada radar berbasis daratan.
Menurut data SAAB AB, Erieye AEW&C bisa menjangkau jarak hingga 200 mil laut dengan mampu mendeteksi objek bergerak atau tidak bergerak sampai seukuran sepeda kayuh, baik di darat, udara, maupun permukaan laut. Ini adalah sistem pengawasan yang lebih maju ketimbang sistem peringatan dini AWACS.
Saat memberi penjelasan, Ekstrom didampingi sejumlah petinggi SAAB AB, yang juga mengembangkan pesawat tempur generasi terkini, JAS-39 Gripen A/B, C/D, dan NG.
"Misi selain militer sangat bisa dilakukan Erieye AEW&C, mulai dari pemantauan pencurian ikan di laut, penyelundupan di perbatasan negara, penanggulangan penyelundupan narkoba, operasi SAR, sebagai ATC, hingga gerilya,” katanya.
SAAB AB memiliki dokumentasi operasionalisasi armada Erieye AEW&C saat berpatroli udara.
Dari semua performansi Erieye AEW&C, semua produk informasinya bisa dilimpahkan ke dalam sistem datalink sehingga pusat komando operasi —berada di dalam pesawat pembawa Erieye AEW&C atau di darat dan laut— bisa segera mengambil keputusan dan perintah.
Menurut Ekstrom yang puluhan tahun mengembangkan sistem ini, Erieye AEW&C bisa dioperasikan dalam berbagai mode secara bersamaan.
Berlainan dengan AWACS, Erieye AEW&C dapat memokuskan pada bidang pengamatan dalam satu atau beberapa objek untuk segera kembali “menyapu” bidang pengamatan secara keseluruhan, kata Ekstrom.
(Antara)
09 Maret 2015
The New Zealand Defence Force officially accepted ownership of the new three Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopters from Kaman Aerospace in a ceremony at RNZAF Base Auckland/ (photo : NZDF)
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) officially accepted ownership of the new Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopters from Kaman Aerospace in a ceremony at Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Auckland this morning.
There are three new Seasprites at Base Auckland and the remaining five will be delivered by September. The new SH-2G(I) replaces the SH-2G model that is presently being used.
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Jack Steer said the handover marked a significant milestone for the Defence Force’s maritime aviation capability.
“The Seasprites perform a vital function for the Navy, and enhance the roles of our ships at sea, by undertaking a range of tasks including maritime surveillance, search and rescue, counter-terrorism and utility lift. We’ve operated Seasprites since the 1990s and they have proven to be a great capability for us.
“We deployed a Seasprite on HMNZS TE MANA to the Gulf of Aden in 2014 in support of the multi-national Combined Task Force undertaking anti-piracy activities in the region. The Seasprite flew over 120 hours and was used for surveillance and reconnaissance adding substantial value to the operation. We currently have a Seasprite embarked on HMNZS TE KAHA who is on operational deployment until May and the helicopter is an integral part of this mission,” said Rear Admiral Steer.
Operation of the Seasprites is a joint effort between the Navy and Air Force. Seasprites are flown by Navy personnel and maintained by Air Force engineers and technicians who form No.6 Squadron at Whenuapai.
(NZDF)
09 Maret 2015
AFP modernization program (image : AFP Modernization Insider)
AFP thanks DBM for modernization funds
MANILA (PNA) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has expressed gratitude to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for allocating funds for its ongoing modernization program.
"This is a welcome development that would truly enhance the AFP's capacity and capability in order to effectively accomplish our mission areas such as in internal security operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, territorial defense operations, peacekeeping operations, and international defense and security engagements," newly-appointed AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said in a message to the PNA.
The DBM earlier said that AFP Modernization Program will receive a budget of Php20 billion from the allotment of the AFP General Headquarters as well as Php10 billion from the 2015 Unprogrammed Funds.
The Army, Navy, Air Force and AFP General Headquarters were allotted with a total of Php95.8 billion.
“Creating an environment where there is just and lasting peace, security, and the prevalence of the rule of law is an integral part of our thrust to create inclusive growth,” it added.
(PNA)
07 Maret 2015
US has transferred 5 fast patrol vessels to Vietnam (photo : US Navy)
US Helping Strengthen Vietnamese Coast Guard
A senior U.S. diplomat has confirmed that Washington has transferred five fast patrol vessels to Vietnam as part of a plan to assist the former foe’s maritime forces.
The assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs, Puneet Talwar, spoke with VOA this week following a visit to Hanoi, where he attended a dialogue on a broad range of issues.
“We have been doing a lot of cooperation in terms of supporting the development of Vietnam’s Coast Guard," he said. "We are very proud of that work and we hope that it is also appreciated by the Vietnamese counterparts. Yes, we have been providing vessels, and we will continue to do that to help improve Vietnam’s Coast Guard’s capabilities."
The provision of $18 million and five boats was first announced by Secretary of State John Kerry during his 2013 visit to Vietnam.
Analysts say the assistance would strengthen Vietnamese maritime forces at a time when China is expanding its claims over the South China Sea. The two neighbors were at odds for nearly two months last year, after Beijing deployed a controversial oil rig in disputed waters.
According to observers, the tension that plunged the bilateral ties to the lowest point in decades also show the need for Vietnam to upgrade its Coast Guard to deal with similar incidents in the future.
The partial lifting of the United States' lethal arms ban against Vietnam last year led the public to believe that Hanoi would seize the chance to acquire American military equipment to protect its maritime sovereignty.
When asked whether Vietnam mentioned anything about its military equipment purchase plan, Talwar said his delegation’s visit to Vietnam is not about “selling any particular weapons systems or about transactional issues.”
“It was really about the growing depth of the partnership and relationship between Vietnam and the United States," he said. "We covered a wide range of issues, all the way from maritime security, to peacekeeping, to non-proliferation, to humanitarian issues such as the removal of unexploded ordinance and MIA's. Things of that sort, which really show the breadth of our relationship."
The senior official said the U.S. decision to provide maritime defense assistance was taken in a wider context in which “human rights is a very important part.”
Talwar said that during the annual dialogue, Vietnam and the United States also “exchanged views on the situation in the South China Sea and reaffirmed their shared interest in maintaining peace, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight.”
(VOA News)
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