DND Officially Recommends T-50..!!!

                                                      TA-50 Golden Eagle (photo : KDN)

Purchase of Korean Jets Recommended

The Department of National Defense (DND) has recommended to President Aquino the purchase of South Korean-made jet fighters to boost the country’s external defense capability.

Fernando Manalo, DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, installations and materiel, said the assessment conducted revealed that it is South Korea’s T50s which is ideal for the country’s Philippine Air Force.

“Based on our assessment it is the T50 of South Korea that is most advantageous to us in consideration to the obtaining situation in the West Philippine Sea,” said Manalo.

Aside from capability, the T50s are also ideal in terms of the country’s limited budget for Air Force modernization, he said.

If the contract is signed with South Korea before the end of 2012, Manalo said the fighter jets could be delivered to the country within two years from 2013.

What would happen if the contract is signed, according to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, is that they would request for immediate delivery of two of the T50s to facilitate the training of Air Force pilots.

“We will negotiate so we can get the two immediately for training so that when the rest of the 10 arrives, our pilots are already trained,” said Gazmin.

Manalo stressed the need to sign into law the P75-billion modernization budget for military modernization.

“Without the law, we cannot implement the acquisition of these fighters . . . because there is no budget,” said Manalo.

The Philippines is now focusing on its external defense after it became locked in a standoff with China a few months ago near the Scarborough Shoal.

The two Philippine civilian ships have already pulled out several weeks ago to deescalate the tension but Chinese ships remain in the area and even set structure to block other ships from entering the Shoal.

(Manila Bulletin)

Philippine Navy Buying 2 Italian Warships..!!!

                                  Maestrale class, 3.100 ton frigates (photo : Militaryphotos)

MANILA, Philippines - Two Italian warships are set to strengthen the Philippines' maritime defense capabilities, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Thursday.

Gazmin said the Philippine Navy is buying the P11.7-billion Maestrale class-frigates , which have anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry.

The move is part of the Armed Forces' modernization program, the defense chief said at a forum in Camp Aguinaldo.

"These frigates are warships. These have anti-air, sub-surface, they have anti-submarine (capabilities). What we are getting are really meant for war," Gazmin said.

The frigates, which were commissioned in the 1980s, are being used by the Italian Navy.

He said the Navy is waiting for the approval of contract that is expected to be signed in January 2013.

The ships will then be delivered by November after they are refurbished.

"These are operational. They are being used by the Italian Navy. They will be refurbished and overhauled," Gazmin said.

The Philippine Navy bought a Hamilton-class cutter from the US Coast Guard for about P400 million last year.  A similar vessel is expected to be delivered to the Navy within the next few month.

"These will be a big help because they will be giving us a very good defense posture," Garzmin said. "These will help in guarding (our territory), against terrorism, enforcement of maritime laws."

Fernando Manalo, defense undersecretary for finance, munitions, installations and materiel, said a separate P3.2-billion contract for the purchase of 10 attack helicopters from Eurocopter could be signed this month.

The helicopters will be delivered this year if the contract gets the green light.

Multi-role fighter jets

The Department of National Defense is also eyeing KAI T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainers and multi-role fighters from South Korea.

Manalo said Malacañang has received the department's proposal to buy the aircraft.

"We are also looking at other options for the lead-in (fighters) but to be specific, based on our assessment, it is the T-50 of South Korea that is most advantageous to us in consideration to the obtaining situation in the West Philippine Sea and what is affordable to us," he said.

However, the T-50's purchase will rely on the modernization law that is still being deliberated by Congress.

"We have been engaging the company (Korea Aerospace Industries) and for as long as the contract is signed before the end of the year, then the target of 2 years delivery period is still doable," Manalo said.

(ABS-CBNNews)

Denel Inks R3.5 billion Deal with Malaysia..!!!

Denel GI30 30mm canon (photo : cari)

Denel has signed a 340 million euro (R3.5 billion) contract with Malaysia to supply a range of turret and integrated weapon systems to be fitted onto 8 X 8 armoured infantry fightingvehicles. The deal has been several years in the making.

Zwelakhe Ntshepe, the Group Executive Business Development and Corporate Affairs of Denel, says this is the largest export contract in the company’s history and will result in a significant cash injection and job creation in the local industry. The turrets will be exported to Malaysia over a seven year period – with the first consignment ready for delivery this coming January.

Ntshepe says the final negotiations with Malaysia were concluded at the recent Defence Services Asia Exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur, together with their local partners DRB-Hicom (Deftech). 

Denel Land Systems (DLS) CE Stephan Burger says his company will be responsible for a number of strategic components that have been designed and developed at its campus in Lyttelton:

·         69 x two man turrets fitted with the South African GI30 30mm main gun.

·         54 x missile turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missile system. The order also includes the supply of 216 laser-guided Ingwe missiles.

·         54 x remote control weapons systems.

Burger says the production of the first consignment of turrets is on schedule and will be delivered in January 2013 for trials by the Malaysian Army. The turrets and weapon systems will be integrated on the Malaysian Army’s new 8 X 8 vehicles which are based on the Pars armoured vehicle platforms from the Turkish company, FNSS.

Ingwe ATGM (photo : Army Recognition)

Through the contract Denel is participating in the Malaysian Economic Enhancement programme which entails the production and assembly of the turrets in Malaysia.  The agreement provides a platform to transfer weapon system integration technology to Deftech in order to create a sustainable capability in Malaysia. Burger adds the contract opens the door to future industry cooperation between the two countries including on-going maintenance and future upgrades of the turrets.

Ntshepe reminds the manufacturing of the turret systems grew out of DLS’s development of the Badger infantry combat vehicle on behalf of the South African Army. The Badger, he says, meets the requirements of a modern army involved in both high-intensity warfare and peacekeeping operations and will replace the 30-year old Ratel as the mainstay of the mechanised infantry force.

Denel in a statement adds the Malaysian contract strengthens DLS’s reputation as a strategic hub of innovation and advanced manufacturing capabilities on the African continent. It will enable the company to retain skilled and highly-skilled engineers and artisans and attract a new generations of innovators.

Ingwe specification and detail (image : Denel)

Riaz Saloojee, the Denel Group Chief Executive says “I am excited by this contract as it confirms Denel’s position as a global player in the defence manufacturing industry and will lead to a growing interest from the international community in the quality and range of products and services produced by us.”

Deftech earmarked Denel as its technology partner in April 2010. The New Strait Times in Singapore at the time reported Deftech would build 257 of the 8x8 vehicles for eight billion Malaysian ringit or 3.436 billion Singapore dollars (about ZAR18.5 billion).

Malaysian Minister of Defence Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi on April 20, 2010, handed over a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Deftech for the supply of vehicles at a ceremony at the 12th Defence Services Asia (DSA) Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Denel, in a media statement, at the time, said the letter served to confirm Malaysia’s intention to buy the vehicle over seven year period. Other technology partners selected for the programme include FNSS from Turkey for the PARS vehicle and Sapura Thales Electronics (STE) for the communication equipment on the vehicles.

Denel added Deftech “in turn handed over a LoI to Denel as a technology partner for the joint manufacture of turrets and for the systems integration of the programme.

(Defenceweb)

RMAF to Receive Two New Helicopters by January Next Year

 

Two from 12 EC-725 helicopter will be delivered by year end or Januari (photo : Frederic Lert) 

BUTTERWORTH (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is set to take delivery of two Euro copter EC725 helicopters from the 12 it ordered, to replace the S61-A4 Sikorsky, by year end or January, next year.

RMAF chief General Tan Sri Rodzali Daud said RMAF pilots had also been sent to France several days ago to undergo training, using the new aircraft, before they are flown back to Malaysia.

"The last aircraft is expected to be delivered in January 2014. Two of the 12 aircraft will be placed at our base in Kuantan while the simulator for the new aircraft will be placed in Subang," he told reporters after handing flight wings to 41 officers who completed their training at the RMAF Base, here, today.

From the total, 25 of them, including two from the Royal Malaysian Navy, underwent advanced flight training for the Pilatus PC-7, and 16 in basic course for helicopter.

Three officers also received excellence awards during training, namely, Lt Muhammad Osman Mohd Sidek who received the Commander''s Cup for Education and Air Training (Best Academic), Lt Ezraini Azrin Khoo Mohamad Erwan Khoo (Air Force Commander''s Cup for Best Fixed Wing Flight) and Lt M Khairul Azwan Ismail received the (Nuri Cup for Best Helicopter Flight).

In addition, Rodzali said RMAF was expected to receive four new A400M aircraft to replace the Charlie aircraft in January 2015.

He said all the new aircraft would be delivered in stages and the last aircraft was currently still being put together in France.

In another development, Rodzali said RMAF was planning to replace its training aircraft with new ones that are equipped with the latest technology.

"Indeed, we have such a plan and are waiting for an allocation. The existing ones are old and need to be replaced," he added.

(Bernama)