US Army Tests Exoskeleton for Combat Troop

The US Army is testing the Lockheed Martin FORTIS knee-stress-release-device exoskeleton system for potential deployment for combat troop. FORTIS is designed to help soldiers move, carry heavy loads and perform a wide range of combat tasks while preventing hyperextension of the knee. Using independent actuators, motors and lightweight conformal structures, the lithium ion battery powered system allows soldiers to maneuver easily with less energy. The technology involves using uses AI to analyze and augment the walk patterns, provide additional torque, power and mobility for combat troop. It is built with a conformal upper structure that centers on a waist belt. The belt connects with several flexible hip sensors. The sensors feed a computer with data such as where the location of the soldier in space along with the speed and the movements.

Scout.com

times

Lockheed Martin

Russia A-100 AWACS

Russia's prototype A-100 Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft took flight in November.  The A-100 Premier is based on the upgraded Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) airframe.

The A-100 is expected to replace the Beriev A-50 AWACS aircraft. It is built around an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, as opposed to the mechanically scanned of the A-50. The Il-76MD-90A airframe will also reduced crew workload through better avionics and be cheaper to operate while increasing time on station.

Sputniknews

Janes

IAI Proposes Upgrade for Sri Lanka Kfirs

The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is in talks with the Sri Lankan government to upgrade and return to service its five grounded Kfir fighters.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) acquired a total of 15 Kfir C.2, C7 single-seat fighters and TC.2 twin seaters between 1995 and 2005. Five aircraft were lost over the years.

Janes

SLAF

Maiden Flight of World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft In Production

China's AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took off on its maiden flight on 24 Dec 17.  The aircraft flew for an hour from Zhuhai airport, Guangdong on the South China Sea coast.  This first flight delayed from earlier in the year after ground tests were conducted in April.

State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737. The AG 600 is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips. It has a maximum flight range of 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes. It can use conventional airports and also land and take-off from the sea.

The aircraft has received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies.

BBC

Chinaaviationdaily.com

Indonesia Receives AH-64E Apache

The first three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters of an order for eight were delivered to the Indonesia Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Darat or TNI–AD).  The advanced attack helicopter is a more modern version of the AH-64D operated by close neighbour, Singapore. The TNI AD fleet will be fully delivered by March 2018 and will include four aircraft equipped with the Longbow targeting radar. Together with TNI AD's fleet of upgraded Leopard 2 main battle tanks, the AH-64 will substantially increase the firepower of the army to meet the demand of the modern battlefield.

Janes

Kompas

Indonesia's Upgraded F-16C/D Delivered

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has received the last six of 24 refurbished Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcons. The acquisition project is code named Peace Bima Sena II and involves 19 F-16C and five F-16Ds Block 25 which are upgraded to the latest Block 52 ID standard.

The deal includes  28 F100-PW-220E engines, LAU-129A/A Launchers, ALR-69 Radar Warning Receivers, ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management Systems, ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser Systems, Link-16 Situational Awareness Data Link and AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER or AN/AAQ-28 LITENING Targeting Systems.

AIN

Japan to Deploy New Missile Defence System by 2023

Japan approves the introduction of Aegis Ashore missile defence system amid rising threat from North Korea. The approval will allow the Defense Ministry to buy two Aegis Ashore systems to add to Japan’s current missile defense systems which comprises of seven batteries of land based Patriot missile systems and Aegis-equipped destroyers. The Japanese Defense Ministry is also planning to bring forward the deadline, currently set at the end of March next year, for a plan to increase the number of Aegis ships from the current four to five (through upgrading of its fleet of six Kongo and Atago-class guided missile destroyers).

Japantimes

Japan News

Japan's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

The first E-2D for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) was photographed on a test flight from Melbourne, Florida on December 11. Japan operates a fleet of 13 E-2C and four E-767. Two E-2D are on order.

Janes

AF Monthly

Philippine Navy Chief Allegedly Relieved Over Frigate Contract

The Philippines relieved its Navy Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) of duty four months ahead of his retirement. Armed forces spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo confirmed to reporters that Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado was no longer in charge of the 23,000-strong naval forces, but declined to say why.

Military sources quoted in media reports said Vice Adm. Mercado’s removal was connected to controversy over the weapon systems to be installed in the two frigates on order from South Korea. Mercado has allegedly complained about pressured into agreeing to to the contract clauses stipulating that Hyundai Heavy Industries, the frigate contractor, had the right to choose the weapons systems to be installed on the warship.

Reuter

Inquirer

Malaysia Lays Keel for Third Littoral Combat Ship

Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd held a keel laying ceremony for the third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) ordered by the Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN). Six LCS are to be delivered to the RMN by 2023 at a total cost of RM9 billion. The second LCS is planned to be launched in October 2018, while the keel laying ceremony for the fourth LCS is scheduled to take place in the second quarter of 2018.

Asian Defence Technology

RMN Tweet

Boeing Unveils MQ-25 Stingray - Unmanned Carrier-Launched Tanker Prototype

Boeing released a photo of its MQ-25 Stingray prototype, an unmanned carrier-based tanker aircraft. Boeing is vying for a Navy contract to build unmanned tankers for aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy is looking for an unmanned tanker that will fly missions to extend the range of Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and F-35C Lightning II fighters.

Boeing's design features robust landing gear for carrier operations and a low-observable configuration. The prototype will undergo engine tests before conducting flight ramp and deck handling trials on an aircraft carrier early next year. After the handling demonstrations, Boeing will need to launch the MQ-25 off a carrier deck using existing catapult system for its first flight.

Lockheed Martin and General Atomics are also expected to submit a proposal for the MQ-25 contract. 

Popular Mechanics

Boeing

Philippines Crack Troops Share Marawi Lesson With Singapore Armed Forces

Two months after the end of military operations in the southern Philippines city of Marawi, soldiers from the Philippines Army held a professional exchange with the Singapore Armed Forces in Singapore. Forty members of the Philippine Army's elite Special Operations Command were sent for the two-week exchange which focuses on Urban Operation (UO).

The exchange culminated in a joint execution of a Platoon UO mission at the Murai Urban Live Firing Facility (MULFAC). Through this professional exchange, Philippine soldiers had the opportunity to further refine their UO skills while Singapore benefited from the knowledge shared about the Marawi operations.

MULFAC is a state-of-the-art live firing facility that enhances the training realism and effectiveness in a safe urban live firing environment. The facility can support collective urban live firing up to company level.

MULFAC comprises of  five UO Buildings, two Firebases (a Close and Far Firebase), a Hand Grenade House and An After Action Review  Facility.

Joint execution of Urban Operation mission by Philippines and Singapore soldiers

Nikkei Asian Review

MINDEF - Murai Factsheet

Brothers-in-arm: SAF and TNI

There can be no clearer symbol of the close ties between the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Soldiers from both armies operating together in the SAF's Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tanks as part of Exercise Safkar Indopura 2017.  This is 29th edition of the exercise and was conducted in Singapore from 13 to 24 November 2017. The 12-day exercise includes a series of professional exchanges, urban operations training, live-firing, a planning exercise, and the conduct of a combined battalion field exercise. What is really significant is that the SAF provided unrestricted access for the Indonesians to their main battle tanks.  The Leopard 2SG are upgraded Leopard 2A4 featuring advanced armour protection and battle management system. Indonesia also operates the upgraded Leopard 2A4, designated as Leopard 2RI (103 ordered). It is the first time that foreign soldiers are allowed to operate the Leopard 2SG in a joint exercise. Ex Safkar Indopura started as an annual Infantry bilateral exercise in 1989, hosted alternately in Singapore and Indonesia.

Straits Times

MINDEF

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Singapore Defence Minister Praised Flight in Indian Light Combat Aircraft Tejas

Singapore's Defense Minister became the first civil foreigner to fly in IAF's Tejas fighter aircraft when he visited Kalaikunda where the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 detachment is training with the Indian Air Force.

On his Facebook, the minister commented, "For 45 minutes, I placed my life in the hands of Air Vice Marshal AP Singh as we flew 20,000ft above the Kalaikunda skies in the IAF’s new fighter plane – Tejas. I have never met him before but my RSAF pilots who have trained regularly with IAF pilots say he is among the best, so it was an easy decision. In fact, the plane ride was so smooth despite the G-turns and manoeuvres that I managed to even take some selfies!"

Straits Times

CNA

Facebook

Japan Denies Plan for Long Range Air Launched Missiles

Separate sources claimed that Japan is planning to fund a study on its F-15 fighters could launch longer-range missiles including Lockheed Martin Corp's extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER). Japan is also interested in the Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace's Joint Strike Missile which will arm the F-35 and the Lockheed Martin AGM-158C LRASM. The JASSM-ER can hit targets almost 1,000km away while the JSM has a range of 500km. The LRASM is based on the JASSM-ER but is expected to have a shorter range of about 500km.

However, the Defense Minister denied that there is any plan to acquire long range missile. Japan's current arsenal is restricted to less than 300km by their constitution.

CNA

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