Singapore Airshow 2022 Photo Journal

The Singapore Airshow 2022 was successfully held from 15 Feb to 18 Feb amidst the surging Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a photo journal of some of the exhibits. 

HMNZS Canterbury Begins Dry Dock Maintenance

New Zealand's multirole vessel (MRV), HMNZS Canterbury, has begun an approximately two-month long dry dock maintenance period in Singapore on 20 August 2021.  The necessary refurnishment will enable the MRV to maintain mission readinese in its primary role of maritime survey. 

HMNZS Canterbury was commissioned in 2007. It is based on a modified  Dutch 131m roll-on/roll-off (RORO) passenger ferry designed by Merwede Shipyard, Netherlands. It completed its outfitting in Australia in June 2007. The MRV is ice-strengthened for polar operations, and has thr ability to transport a company of 250 combat troops and equipment.

The 9000 ton ship is so large that it cannot fit into any dry dock in New Zealand. A ship typically undergo dry dock maintenance every five years. ST Marine's shipyard at Benoi, Singapore has two dry docks. The larger one can accommodate vessels up to 70,000 ton, 240m long and 41.8m wide. 

Volga Dnepr's An-124 fleet grounded

On 25th November 2020, Volga Dnepr grounded their AN-124 Ruslan fleet of eight aircraft and they are recommending that Antonov Airlines do the same. The Ukrainians are not following at the moment. Apparently, the Russians are playing safe pending investigation into the catastrophic engine failure that happened at the Novosibirsk-Tolmachevo Airport, Siberia, Russia on 13 December.

In December 1997, multiple engine failure immediately after take-off caused the fatal crash of a Russian Air Force An-124 in Irkutsk.

Aviation Safety Network

Philippines Modernise Navy

The Philippine Navy has commissioned two Leonardo AW159 Anti-Submarine Warfare helicopters. The Lynx Wildcats are formidable ASW weapons for the two modern Jose Rival class missile frigates. The Hyundai Heavy Industries-built vessels will also be equipped with the SIMBAD-RC system with MISTRAL anti-aircraft missiles.

The Diplomat

Navy Today

Thailand's Golden Eagle Get More Lethal

The RTAF will be upgrading its fleet of 12 KAI T-50TH Golden Eagle jet trainer with sensor and self-protection suite.  The advance radar and electronic countermeasure upgrade will confer the same lethal capabilities as the current fleet of upgraded F-5E Tiger II lightweight fighter jets.

AIN

Indonesia Orders AFV With An Eye On Future Local Production

Indonesia has ordered a number of BMP-3F and BT-3F for the Indonesia Marine (Korps Marinir – KORMAR). The two types will be deployed with the cavalry units across the KORMAR’ three divisions.  It is hoped that technology transfer will enable Indonesia to produce similar type of vehicles in the future.

Army Technology

Janes

ROE

Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle

Singapore Army commissioned it's newest armoured vehicle on 12 June 2019.  The Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) will replace the Ultra M113 AFVs.  The Ultra is a locally upgraded version of the M113 first introduced in 1973.

The Hunter AFV was jointly developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) in collaboration with the Singapore Army and ST Engineering. It is armed with a 30mm Cannon in a with a 7.62mm Coaxial Machine Gun (CMG) in a Remote Controlled Weapon Station.  Some variant of the Hunter will have a telescopic twin launcher for Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM).  The defensive system includes a Warning System (LWS) and 8 x 76mm Smoke Grenade Launchers.

The crew of three sit in the hull in an Integrated Combat Cockpit. The vehicle commander and gunner to operate the vehicle and weapons using a common set of controls. The Hunter is equipped with an automatic target detection and tracking system, easing the workload of the gunner. The vehicle commander has an independent commander's sight, which allows him to concurrently scan for other targets whilst the gunner is engaging a target. The vehicle is equipped with a drive-by-wire system, which allows the vehicle commander to take over the driving functions from the driver if necessary.

Technical Specifications
Dismounted Troops : Up to 8
Dimension: Length 6.9m, Width 3.4m, Height 3.4m, Weight 29.5 Tonnes

Power to Weight Ratio: 24 hp/ton
Maximum Speed: 70km/h
Range : 500km




CyberPioneer

MINDEF

Indonesia to Co-Produce Medium Battle Tanks

Indonesia will be co-producing a number of Medium Battle Tanks with Turkey. The Kaplan MT =, also known as Harimau Hitam in Indonesia is a 35-tonne vehicle armed with a CMI Cockerill 3105 turret and a 105mm low recoil cannon. The gun is complemented by an automatic loader, aiming stabilisation, thermal sights as well as a commander panoramic hunter-killer sight. The tank is protected by modular armour that can provide protection to STANAG 4569 Level 4 (14.5mm armoured piercing and 155mm shrapnel). In term of mobility, it has a top speed of 70km/h and a range of 450km.

DefenseNews

Janes

Update on Indonesia SU-35 Purchase

Indonesia had announced the intention to procure 11 Sukhoi Su-35 'FLANKER E' multi-role fighter aircraft from Russia for USD1.14 billion in 2017. The deal could be sealed for the deliveries of aircraft to start within this year, according to news agency TASS who quoted the Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu.

According to Jane's, the contract execution had been delayed, partly by Indonesia's just concluded presidential election and negotiations within the Indonesian government about what commodities will be exported to Moscow as part of the payment.

The deal had to comply with Indonesia's Defence Industry Law which specifies the conditions for defence procurement to include offset benefits. Half of the contract's value will be financed through counter-trade, with Russia expected to take in a list of commodities and goods such as palm oil, rubber, coffee, cocoa, copra, paper, spices, tea, textiles and footwear, processed fish, furniture and machinery.

The Su-35 Flanker-E is the latest variant of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker-series of heavyweight twin-engine fighter aircraft. It is equipped with two 117S powerful turbofan engines with thrust-vectoring capability. The advance Irbis-E passive electronically-scanned array radar can detect targets up to 400 km away.

Indonesia already operates 5 Su-27SKM, 21 Su-30MKK and 9 Su-30MK2 fighters.

TASS

Janes

Mercury Mine Countermeasure Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

The MERCURY AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) has been customized for mine countermeasure mission (MCM) for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The MERCURY has a modular design that can be fitted for different operational requirements. In the MCM role, it has been optimized for underwater surveys and can provide high-quality seabed data. In a collaboration with the defense scientists from the Defence Science Organisation (DSO) and Defence Science Technology Agency (DSTA), the MERCURY has been enhanced with improved endurance and detection capabilities. There is no need to retrieve the AUV for manual data processing. The AUV is able to process sonar images in real time and then transmits the information at pre-set surfacing intervals. The MERCURY AUV is one of the world’s smallest AUVs to be fitted with a sophisticated

High-Frequency Synthetic Aperture Sonar, which can capture high-resolution images of underwater objects in challenging conditions.

The MERCURY AUV is not tethered and carries out its missions autonomously. This allows it to cover a much larger area, go deeper or operate at a longer standoff range from the launch vessel.  Multiple vehicles can also be operated cooperatively for better operational effectiveness. The AUV is easily deployed from shore or any Craft of Opportunity without the need for specialized handling equipment. 

ST Engineering

Pioneer Magazine

China Tests Massive Conventional Bomb

China tests its version of the the USAF's "MOAB" ("Mother of All Bombs"). The little details known are based on a report by the Global Times which analysed a publicity video from NORINCO. The weapon was dropped from a H-6 bomber. The weapon made by NORINCO is between five metres to six metres long. The American GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast is slightly more than nine metres long and pack 8,500kg/ 18000lbs of explosive that is equivalent to 11,000 ton of TNT.

The Straits Times

Global Times

Wikipedia

NORINCO

Singapore Operationalised SPYDER Air Defence Missile System

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) replaced its 30-years old Rapier air defence system with the Surface-to-air PYthon-5 and DERby (SPYDER) ground based air defence system beginning in 2011. The system was declared fully operational in July 2018.

Singapore has a multi-layered networked island-wide networked  Island Air Defence (IAD) system. The IAD system integrates sensors, weapon systems as well as the command and control systems.

 The SPYDER is an improvement on the Rapier system as it is able to intercept not just aircraft but also missiles and projectiles. The all-weather SPYDER can intercept aerial threats at more than twice the range and three times the altitude of the Rapier, while engaging multiple targets at the same time. The SPYDER system is also more manpower-efficient. It only takes four men 15 minutes to deploy a SPYDER – a vast improvement from the one hour needed for 15 men to deploy the Rapier.


MINDEF

New Zealand Buy P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft

New Zealand has agreed to a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) buy of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the United States Government.

The aircraft will replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) six aging P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft that have been in operation since the 1960s. The current Orion fleet is expected to each the end of their operational life in 2025. The new aircraft, training systems and associated infrastructure will cost a total of $2.346 billion. The aircraft will be delivered and begin operations from 2023.

beehive.govt.nz

Philippine Navy's Submarine Ambition

The Philippine Navy (PN) has advanced its plan to operate diesel-electric submarine from the 2023-2027 time frame to 2018 - 2022. The PN is discussing with the Russian Navy on possible collaboration on submarine training, operation and maintenance. Russia has expressed willingness to provide the PN with two "Kilo"-class diesel electric submarines.  This design is already more than 30 year old although there is an improved Kilo design (Project 636).  A newer design is the yet un-ordered Amur.

philstar.com

Preparation for the RSAF's 50th Anniversary Airshow [Link to Video Clip]

Video clip on the preparation that goes into the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) airshows for its 50th anniversary air spectacle.



Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/videos/what-it-takes-to-be-a-top-gun-in-the-rsaf-10674156

CNA

Malaysia Reveals Force Structure for Air Force in 2055

The Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) has published an infographic detailing its force structure plans up to 2055. Based on the plan, RMAF fighter jet fleet will be two types, a multi role combat aircraft (MRCA) and the light combat aircraft (LCA) organised into five squadrons. Currently, the RMAF operates a mixed fleet of Su-30, F-18C/D and MiG-29 with additional supplement for the light attack roles from the trainer fleet - Hawk and MB339.

The transport squadrons will be reduced from four to three units with the aircraft type reduced from four to two. The A400M should still be a major transport asset in the next few decades. The helicopter fleet will be standardized into a single aircraft type. This seems to indicate that attack helicopter procurement is not in the plan.  However, there are plans for one squadron of Airborne Early Warning aircraft  and long endurance Unmanned Aircraft as well as one squadron of maritime patrol aircraft. The RMAF of the future will maintain air defence radars and one regiment of ground based air defence system which does not seems to be adequate for wide geographical spread of the country.

RMAF

Singapore's Littoral Mission Vessel Programme

On 18 August 2018, ST Engineering Marine launched the seventh vessel for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) under the Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) programme. The RSN LMV fleet will comprise of eight ships. The first-of-class, RSS Independence, RSS Sovereignty, RSS Unity and RSS Justice have been delivered. Each 1250 tonnes LMV is equipped with one 76mm, one 25mm and two 12.7mm guns as well as non-lethal weapon in the form of two Long-Range Acoustic Device 500 Xtreme. Air defence coverage is provided by a 12-cell vertical launched MICA surface to air missile system.

Australia Sign for MC-4 Triton

Australia will acquire six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to enter service starting in 2023. The initial A$1.4billion investment includes the first aircraft, training, and the necessary infrastructures to operate from RAAF Base Edinburgh, Adelaide and RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory.

The Triton will undertake a range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. It will complement the new RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft by providing sustained long-range surveillance to cue the P-8A for close-in investigation.

ADT

Thailand To Operate Elbit H450 Hermes Unmanned Aerial Systems

Thailand has placed a 28million dollars order for the H450 Hermes unmanned aerial system (UAS) to be operated by the Royal Thailand Army (RTA). The H450 Hermes UAS consists of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and a ground control station.

The H450 will be used for tasks such as Imagery Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), target designation, and aerial mapping. The H450 will be operated by the 21st Aviation Battalion, RTA Aviation Centre in Lopburi Province. The base has been operating the IAI Searcher Mk II UAVs since 2001.

ADT

BMW of the Deep: Insights Into the Type 218SG Submarine

Interesting insights into the design considerations of the Republic of Singapore Navy's newest submarine - the Type 218SG.

CNA