06 Juli 2017
RAAF E-7A Wedgetail (photo : Brian Lockett)
$582 million for Australian Wedgetail to remain World-best
Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Marise Payne Minister for Defence Industry and the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced the Australian Government will upgrade the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control capability.
The $582.5 million upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-2022. Between $200 and $240 million will flow to Australian industry, creating 165 highly skilled jobs across the country.
Wedgetail nose antennae (photo : joolsgriff)
Minister Pyne said the jobs will be spread across the Boeing Defence Australia offices, with 120 jobs in Brisbane and 45 between the RAAF Bases at Amberley and Williamtown.
“Majority of staff will be based in Brisbane with some staff at Amberley and Williamtown”, Minister Pyne said.
“The Wedgetail is a modified Boeing 737-700, with the addition of advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar and 10 mission crew consoles. It is one of the most advanced pieces of aerospace technology in the Australian Defence Force.”
Wedgetail tail antenna (photo : joolsgriff)
Minister Payne said the aircraft will be upgraded with new and more advanced combat identification sensors, tactical data links and communication and encryption systems.
“The upgrades are an important step in maintaining a potent Australia air combat force and will ensure continued interoperability with Australian allies including the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members,’’ Minister Payne said.
Wedgetail wing tip antenna (photo : joolsgriff)
“The Wedgetail is currently deployed to the Middle East region as part of our contribution to the fight against Daesh. It is a mobile radar and battle space management system that is keeping the international coalition one step ahead of the enemy.”
“The Wedgetail has achieved outstanding results completing over 350 missions and flying more than 4400 hours with our coalition partners on Operation OKRA.”
(Aus DoD)
05 Juli 2017
KAI KUH-1 Surion helicopter (photo : KAI)
S. Korea delivers 12 FA-50PH light attack aircraft to Philippines
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Tuesday it has completed the delivery of light attack aircraft to the Philippines.
The aerospace company said it delivered the 12 FA-50PH light attack aircraft three months earlier than scheduled and expressed hope the Southeast Asian country will place an additional order for the same jets down the road.
The Philippine government which seeks to modernize its military has expressed interest in purchasing the KUH-1 Surion transport helicopter, it said.
KAI has exported a total of 137 KT-1 basic trainers and the T-50 advanced trainer jets valued at $3.4 billion to seven countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Peru and the Philippines.
It is in talks with Thailand, Botswana and the United States to export the trainer jets. Later this year, the U.S. plans to select an aircraft company to supply it with 350 trainer jets worth some 17 trillion won ($15 billion), the aircraft manufacturer said.
In the following 50 years, KAI predicts the world's advanced trainer jet market will grow to 100 trillion won.
See full article Yonhap
05 Juli 2017
Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV) buatan PT PAL (photo : Miraj)
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputi Bidang Usaha Pertambangan, Industri Strategis, dan Media Kementerian BUMN Fajar Harry Sampurno mengatakan Nigeria sedang menjajaki pengadaan kapal perang buatan PT PAL Indonesia (Persero).
"Nigeria tertarik mendatangkan kapal perang buatan Pal Indonesia. Kedua pihak sudah melakukan pembicaraan untuk pengadaannya," kata Harry di Kantor Kementerian BUMN, Jakarta, Selasa.
Menurut Harry, jenis kapal perang yang akan dibangun PAL masih belum ditentukan apakah Perusak Kapal Rudal (PKR) atau Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV).
"Realisasi pengadaan kapal perang ini akan disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan serta anggaran dari negara tersebut. Jika tahun ini (2017) terjadi kesepakatan maka kemungkinan kapal pesanan Nigeria diperkirakan bisa diselesaikan dan diserahkan pada tahun 2019," kata Harry.
Ia menjelaskan sejumlah negara di Afrika juga tertarik mendatangkan kapal perang buatan Pal Indonesia yang berlokasi di Surabaya itu.
"Meskipun di Afrika Selatan ada perusahaan pembuat kapal laut, namun sejumlah negara di kawasan itu lebih tertarik kapal perang Pal," ujarnya.
Sebelumnya, Pal Indonesia telah membuktikan kemampuannya untuk memenuh pesanan kapal perang yang merupakan buatan anak bangsa.
Pada September 2016, perusahaan mengekspor kapal perang pesanan Filipina jenis SSV.
Kapal perang dengan kecepatan maksimal 16 knot itu diberi nama Davao Del Sur.
Spesifikasi umum kapal SSV itu termasuk panjang 123,0 meter, lebar 21,8 meter, serat air 5 meter, bobot 7.200 ton, dan daya angkut 621 orang.
Dengan suksesnya ekspor kapal perang ke Filipina itu mengundang investasi berupa pesanan kapal perang serupa dari negara lainnya.
(Antara)
04 Juli 2017
FA-50PH with AGM-65 Maverick missile (photo : Update)
Philippine Air Force’s FA-50PHs are now armed with AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground tactical missile (AGM) designed for close air support, this was highlighted by Pinoy Aviators Facebook page.
This was evidenced by FA-50PHs aircraft displayed during the 70th anniversary celebration of Air Force held today in Clark Air Base.
The said aircraft were also armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile and unguided Mark 82 low-drag general-purpose bomb.
One of the celebration’s highlight was the presentation of certificate of complete delivery for 12 FA-50PH ‘Fighting Eagle’ Fighter/Surface Attack/Lead-in Fighter Trainer (F/SA/LIFT) aircraft.
Earlier today, National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that a Philippine C-130 military transport aircraft flew to Arizona, United States to pick up munitions for PAF aircraft.
The said C-130 left the country June 23 and was back July 1
(Update)
04 Juli 2017
The BAE Systems Type 26 Global Combat Ship. (image : BAE Systems)
The recent UK decision to procure a first batch of Type 26 frigates from BAE Systems has provided a boost to the company’s bid to supply the platform to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in meeting its Future Frigate requirement.
BAE Systems Australia chief executive Glynn Phillips said in comments to Jane’s on 4 July that the new contract means the company’s proposal for the RAN will be “significantly de-risked” through support provided by the UK’s “live programme” to build the Type 26 frigates for the UK Royal Navy.
The RAN programme will also benefit through wider growth margins and related technological advancements, he said.
Type 26 tailored to Australian needs (image : BAE Systems)
The UK contract with BAE Systems – worth USD4.8 billion – was signed on 29 June and covers the construction of the first three of a planned class of eight ships. BAE Systems will begin production of the first of these frigates later this month in Glasgow, Scotland. A UK contract for the second batch of five ships is expected to be negotiated in the early 2020s.
The construction schedule coincides with the RAN requirement for nine frigates under Project SEA 5000. Construction of these vessels is scheduled to commence in 2020, with the programme set to be based at Osborne, South Australia, home of state-owned shipbuilder ASC.
Commenting on the new contract announcement, Phillips said, “This news is very exciting for Australia as it’s a turning point for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme. With construction starting in the coming weeks, the most modern, most capable, most future-proof anti-submarine warfare [ASW] platform in the world will soon become a reality.”
(Jane's)
03 Juli 2017
Pulau Bunyu, Kalimantan Utara (image : GoogleMaps)
PROKAL.CO, TARAKAN – Meski sudah lama tidak digunakan melayani penerbangan, bandar udara Bunyu ternyata masih memiliki daya tarik yang mampu membuka minat beberapa pihak untuk mengelolanya. Selain pihak Bandar Udara Juwata Tarakan yang berminat membuka flying school, kini TNI Angkatan Udara (AU) juga melirik bandara milik PT. Pertamina yang dibangun sejak 1983 ini untuk kegiatan TNI AU.
Ketertarikan ini diawali kunjungan langsung ke bandara Bunyu kemarin (26/5), yang dilakukan Komandan Lanud Tarakan Kolonel Pnb Umar Fathurrohman bersama Kepala Bandara Juwata Tarakan Samsul Banri dan Kepala Dinas Perhubungan, Komunikasi dan Informatika (Dishubkominfo) Kalimantan Utara Ahmad Haerani. Umar menilai bandara Bunyu bisa digunakan untuk pangkalan TNI AU. Terutama landasannya yang bisa didarati pesawat TNI AU. “Memang landasanya sangat bagus sekali dan cocok,” ungkapnya pasca meninjau bandara Bunyu.
Jika mendapatkan restu sebagai pengelola bandara ini, Umar mengaku TNI AU siap menambah panjang landasan pacunya. “Masih bisa ditambah 100 meter dan sekitar 250 meter. Jadi sekitar 1.500 sampai 1.700 meter mungkin bisa,” jelasnya. Jika terealisasi, bandara Bunyu ini nantinya bisa digunakan untuk pangkalan alternatif selain Lanud Tarakan, untuk mobilisasi alutsista milik TNI AU di Kaltara. Sekaligus untuk mengamankan obyek vital nasional di Bunyu seperti kilang minyak milik PT Pertamina.
Bandara Bunyu (photo : Prokal)
Selain akan ada personel yang ditugaskan untuk pengamanan, sejumlah pesawat TNI AU bisa saja stand bydi bandara Bunyu. Bahkan, melihat kondisi apron yang cukup luas, memungkinkan pesawat Hercules dan pesawat tempur siaga di Bunyu. Sementara untuk pasukan, pihaknya akan membentuk satuan detasemen yang jumlahnya mencapai 20 sampai 30 prajurit. “Ini juga arahan Pak Gubernur dan telah disetujui Kementerian Pertahanan,” lanjutnya.
Umar berharap keinginan ini bisa terealisasi. Karena itu, pihaknya segera berkoordinasi dengan Mabes TNI AU untuk menindaklanjuti hasil peninjauan ini. Sementara itu, Supertendent PT Pertamina Regional Unit (RU) V Perwakilan Bunyu Antonius Hariyanto mengatakan, akan segera menyampaikan permintaan Lanal Tarakan ini ke Balikpapan. Secara pribadi, Antonius mendukung dioperasikannya kembali bandara Bunyu, dan berharap tidak hanya digunakan untuk kepentingan pertahanan, tapi juga mampu memobilisasi kepentingan masyarakat Bunyu.
Landasan pacu Bandara Bunyu tampak masih layak untuk didarati pesawat. (photo : Prokal)
Kepala Bandara Juwata Tarakan Samsul Banri yang berniat membuka flying school juga terus diwacanakan. Meski baru sebatas wacana, namun pihak bandara akan berupaya agar niat ini bisa tercapai. Namun, untuk saat ini yang terpenting komitmen pihak terkait untuk pengunaan bandara ini bisa terus digaungkan. “Statusnya dulu. Kan perlu ada MoU antara pemilik dan pemakai, itu tahapannya,” jelas Syamsul.
Adapun cepatnya atau lambatnya pengoperasian bandara Bunyu tersebut, tergantung dukungan semua pihak. Jika secepatnya diketahui akan direalisasikan, tentu pihaknya akan segera mengebut persiapannya. “Termasuk melengkapi sarana pendukung lainnya yang belum ada,” ujarnya. Selain membuka sekolah penerbangan, jika bandara Bunyu kembali beroperasi, pihaknya akan mengupayakan agar bandara tersebut bisa melayani rute penerbangan reguler. “Melihat kondisi runwayyang masih baik, bandara Bunyu layak didarati pesawat komersil. Seperti kelas Kalstar hingga sekelas ATR bisa,” ujarnya.
(Prokal)
03 Juli 2017
RTA UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (photo : Thierry Gsab)
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has proposed the procurement of four additional Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the US government, RTA chief General Chalermchai Sitthisart confirmed on 29 June.
The procurement, if finalised, will be the first major US defence sale to Thailand since the military coup in 2014. It is expected to be negotiated during Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s visit to Washington in July.
In comments reported by state-run news agencies, Gen Chalermchai said funding for the purchase was approved by the Thai government in late 2016 and the deal is now progressing through US government channels.
(Jane's)
