January 31, 2019
Posted in Air Force, Heritage on January 30th, 2019 – Be the first to comment United States Air Force Veteran Joseph Walker had no family member to attend his funeral at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Jan. 28. The cemetery asked people to attend his military burial and thousands of strangers turned up to honor and remember him. 60 Minutes: Can commercial satellites be used for espionage?
Japan cleared to buy two AEGIS systems
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress on the potential sale of two AEGIS Weapon Systems (AWS) to Japan.
January 30, 2019
Video of the first operational Typhoon sortie carrying the Brimstone air-to-surface missile - part of the CENTURION capability upgrade programme
Video of the first operational Typhoon sortie carrying the Brimstone air-to-surface missile - part of the CENTURION capability upgrade programme #903EAW #83EAG #Typhoon #Brimstone #Centurion @DefenceOps @RoyalAirForce @DefenceHQ @raflossiemouth @RAFCGY @AOC_1_Group pic.twitter.com/P8XDpZHpb3— Air Cdre Justin Reuter (@JustinReuterRAF) January 30, 2019
Israel Air Force lost its sole airworthy KC-130H simply due to negligence at Nevatim
Today, #Israel Air Force lost its sole airworthy KC-130H simply due to negligence at #Nevatim AB. 522, had engine run-up after engine change & suddenly jumped on the wheel chocks & ended up with heavy damages to its underneath. 3 other KC-130Hs, 420, 436 & 545 are now NORM & NORS pic.twitter.com/KMeAEkWLTi— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) January 30, 2019
Amazing RC while approaching, dancing and takeoff
Amazing RC while approaching, dancing and takeoff 🚀 pic.twitter.com/g1f7ytFiQI— Aviationdaily✈️الطيران يوميآ (@Aviationdailyy) January 29, 2019
January 27, 2019
Video of the tragic accident of Russia Air Force's Tu-22M3 (35 Red / RF-94159 from 52 GVTBAP) on 22 January 2019.
Video of the tragic accident of #Russia Air Force's Tu-22M3 (35 Red / RF-94159 from 52 GVTBAP) on 22 January 2019. 3 out of 4 crew of the bomber died in this tragic accident at Olenegorsk/Olenya AB, #Murmansk . Low visibility due to bad weather had key role in this fatal crash. pic.twitter.com/5JbMeQQXLV— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) January 27, 2019
Video of Royal Moroccan Air Force F1 pilot ejecting from his aircraft
The crash of a Royal Moroccan Air Force F1 on Jan. 21 has been captured on a cellphone and uploaded to social media.
January 25, 2019
Russia's new stealth attack drone just leaked
#Russia's new stealth attack drone just leaked - and it may reveal details of Russia next fighter jet pic.twitter.com/7lT4bWt21v— Sukhoi Su-57 frazor🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) January 25, 2019
Minimum Radius Turn to High Alpha Loop, Pedal Turn are some of 14 maneuvers perform by the F-35A demo team
Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander says he’ll be performing 14 maneuvers as part of the show routine.
USS Rushmore pulled into port in Chennai, India to refuel and host Indian Navy personnel
The USS Rushmore pulled into port in Chennai, India to refuel and host Indian Navy personnel. Deployed to the @US7thFleet AOR, the Rushmore supports regional stability, allied partnerships, and operational readiness. pic.twitter.com/xpiJAB8NXg— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) January 25, 2019
India has successfully test-fired its new-generation anti-radiation missile
India’s new-generation anti-radiation missile (NGARM) was test-fired from a Su-30MKI fighter over the Bay of Bengal on Jan. 18.
Egypt expected to announce order for 12 Rafales next week
La Tribune reported that Dassault is expected to secure an order for 12 Rafale fighters from Egypt during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the country next week.
January 24, 2019
Venezuela have rejected socialism - Fall of Maduro's regime and socialism
People of Venezuela were eating rats due to socialism (watered down communism)
The cry of freedom: the people of #Venezuela have rejected socialism and the authoritarianism that accompanies it. pic.twitter.com/NBLgHwZINW— Prof. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) January 23, 2019
#Caracas, #Venezuela tonight. People tirelessly fight for their freedom. Fall of #Maduro's regime is near. My #Iranian compatriots are watching this & are preparing themselves for similar effort to bring the Islamic regime down soon.#MaduroRelambeguebo pic.twitter.com/Qf2Np9rXoH— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) January 24, 2019
The beautiful@people of #Caracas protesting the socialist menace in #Venezuela— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) January 23, 2019
Go you good things. Follow Brazil. Throw off the enslavement of the left
See this @AOC? This is the nightmare you prescribe#VenezuelaGritaLibertad credit please @sol651
pic.twitter.com/LvGfzmWBqf
January 23, 2019
Pilot killed as antiquated Chinese made Pakistan Air Force jet crashes near Mastung
MASTUNG: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot was killed on Wednesday as his aircraft crashed in Khad Koocha area of Mastung during a routine training mission.
"The F-7 PG aircraft, while on a routine operational training mission, crashed near Mastung. The pilot of the aircraft embraced martyrdom in this tragic accident," the PAF said in a statement.
A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident, the PAF spokesperson added.
Deputy Commissioner Mastung Mumtaz Khetran said a parachute was found on the site of the crash.
First F/A-18 Super Hornet for the Kuwaiti Air Force come together in final assembly
Watch the first F/A-18 #SuperHornet for the Kuwaiti Air Force come together in final assembly. This #F18 will make its first flight early this year! pic.twitter.com/Xhxw6vLZft— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) January 22, 2019
January 22, 2019
Israel successful tests Arrow 3 missile - a weapon system meant to intercept missiles outside of Earth's atmosphere
WATCH: Today (Tuesday), a successful missile test was conducted using Arrow 3 - a weapon system meant to intercept missiles outside of Earth's atmosphere pic.twitter.com/Zbc2ELBdky— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) January 22, 2019
PAF pilot killed in F-5A jet crash
An aging Philippine Air Force (PAF) fighter jet exploded in midair and crashed into an empty school in Mabalacat, Pampanga during war games with US forces yesterday.
The jet’s lone pilot was killed and at least 16 people on the ground were injured, officials said. It was the second time in a week that a PAF aircraft had crashed during the Balikatan joint military exercises between Philippine and US forces.
A US Embassy spokesman said there was no American soldier on board the single-seater F-5A Freedom Fighter, a mainstay of the PAF.
Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta identified the pilot as Capt. Daniel Teodoro Policarpio of the 5th Fighter Wing.
Mabanta said the plane was returning to an airfield at Clark, a former US military base, from support maneuvers with another PAF F-5A and two US Navy F/A-18 Hornets when it crashed.
"It seems there is no survivor on the plane," Mabanta said. "It did not crash-land. It crashed directly and we are still determining the cause of the accident."
He said the ill-fated aircraft took off from Clark at around 9 a.m. for Ternate, Cavite, accompanied by the three other planes to provide air support for an amphibious exercise by Philippine and US marines.
"It was coming in for a landing when the accident happened," said PAF spokesman Arturo Orticio. That prompted PAF chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor to ground the remaining six F-5A fighter jets and order an investigation.
Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion at around 10:45 a.m. before the jet plowed into the Mabalacat Elementary School, hitting one of the buildings and leveling six bigger rooms.
But a disaster was avoided because the school was empty due to the summer vacation. The three other planes accompanying the F-5A made it back safely.
"I saw badly burned people running away from the crash site. It was terrible," witness Boy Sagad said. Another witness, Daniel Cervantes, said what remained of the plane seemed like a "large piece of crumpled metal."
Before the crash, witnesses said the plane flew so low and clipped the roofs of least 40 houses in Barangays San Joaquin, Mama Titang and Poblacion in Mabalacat.
Metal fragments from the plane set three houses on fire, witnesses said. Police said one of the plane’s wheels smashed into another house, injuring four occupants.
Sixteen civilians were confirmed injured, but military doctors were checking other houses around the crash site for more casualties, Mabanta said.
Radio reports identified three of the injured – Jesus Rivera, a teacher at the school; Junior dela Cruz, a utility man also at the school; and Virginia Garcia, an occupant of one of the damaged houses.
At least three of the injured were treated for serious burns, rescue officer Daryl Manalang told Reuters.
Pampanga Gov. Manuel Lapid said one civilian on the ground was killed, but this could not be independently confirmed. "There is great damage here," he said, adding that the body of the downed pilot was charred nearly beyond recognition.
The pilot was seen apparently trying to bail out moments before the plane exploded. "We saw what looked like a parachute, as though the pilot was trying to bail out," municipal officer Jun Magbalot said.
Col. Horacio Lactao, the Philippine co-director of the Balikatan joint war exercises, said the school building into which the F-5A crashed was only about two kilometers from the end of the Clark airfield.
"There were civilians who sustained minor bruises and they were immediately evacuated for treatment. We are still confirming if there are still others," Lactao said.
Lt. Mary Nancy Pastor, a spokeswoman for the joint military exercises, told AFP by telephone from the crash site, "We have not determined the cause at this time. We are investigating, and we will issue a statement soon."
More than 2,000 US troops are taking part in the exercises at Clark.
Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2002/05/03/159470/paf-pilot-killed-f-5a-jet-crash#zwJKLYtpvxI9dWI0.99
The jet’s lone pilot was killed and at least 16 people on the ground were injured, officials said. It was the second time in a week that a PAF aircraft had crashed during the Balikatan joint military exercises between Philippine and US forces.
A US Embassy spokesman said there was no American soldier on board the single-seater F-5A Freedom Fighter, a mainstay of the PAF.
Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta identified the pilot as Capt. Daniel Teodoro Policarpio of the 5th Fighter Wing.
Mabanta said the plane was returning to an airfield at Clark, a former US military base, from support maneuvers with another PAF F-5A and two US Navy F/A-18 Hornets when it crashed.
"It seems there is no survivor on the plane," Mabanta said. "It did not crash-land. It crashed directly and we are still determining the cause of the accident."
He said the ill-fated aircraft took off from Clark at around 9 a.m. for Ternate, Cavite, accompanied by the three other planes to provide air support for an amphibious exercise by Philippine and US marines.
"It was coming in for a landing when the accident happened," said PAF spokesman Arturo Orticio. That prompted PAF chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor to ground the remaining six F-5A fighter jets and order an investigation.
Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion at around 10:45 a.m. before the jet plowed into the Mabalacat Elementary School, hitting one of the buildings and leveling six bigger rooms.
But a disaster was avoided because the school was empty due to the summer vacation. The three other planes accompanying the F-5A made it back safely.
"I saw badly burned people running away from the crash site. It was terrible," witness Boy Sagad said. Another witness, Daniel Cervantes, said what remained of the plane seemed like a "large piece of crumpled metal."
Before the crash, witnesses said the plane flew so low and clipped the roofs of least 40 houses in Barangays San Joaquin, Mama Titang and Poblacion in Mabalacat.
Metal fragments from the plane set three houses on fire, witnesses said. Police said one of the plane’s wheels smashed into another house, injuring four occupants.
Sixteen civilians were confirmed injured, but military doctors were checking other houses around the crash site for more casualties, Mabanta said.
Radio reports identified three of the injured – Jesus Rivera, a teacher at the school; Junior dela Cruz, a utility man also at the school; and Virginia Garcia, an occupant of one of the damaged houses.
At least three of the injured were treated for serious burns, rescue officer Daryl Manalang told Reuters.
Pampanga Gov. Manuel Lapid said one civilian on the ground was killed, but this could not be independently confirmed. "There is great damage here," he said, adding that the body of the downed pilot was charred nearly beyond recognition.
The pilot was seen apparently trying to bail out moments before the plane exploded. "We saw what looked like a parachute, as though the pilot was trying to bail out," municipal officer Jun Magbalot said.
Col. Horacio Lactao, the Philippine co-director of the Balikatan joint war exercises, said the school building into which the F-5A crashed was only about two kilometers from the end of the Clark airfield.
"There were civilians who sustained minor bruises and they were immediately evacuated for treatment. We are still confirming if there are still others," Lactao said.
Lt. Mary Nancy Pastor, a spokeswoman for the joint military exercises, told AFP by telephone from the crash site, "We have not determined the cause at this time. We are investigating, and we will issue a statement soon."
More than 2,000 US troops are taking part in the exercises at Clark.
Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2002/05/03/159470/paf-pilot-killed-f-5a-jet-crash#zwJKLYtpvxI9dWI0.99
Royal Moroccan Air Force F1 crashes
A Royal Moroccan Air Force F1 fighter has crashed in the Taunat region on Jan. 21. The pilot was on a training flight and survived by ejecting.
Ivory Coast Air Force orders one C295
Airbus has sold a single C295 medium transport aircraft to the Ivory Coast Air Force, the company announced on Jan. 21.
Pakistan backed Islamic terrorists Taliban kill 100-plus recuits at Afghan spy agency's training centre
The Taliban killed more than 100 members of the Afghan security forces inside a military compound in central Maidan Wardak province on Monday, a senior defence official said.
“We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center, eight special commandoes are among the dead,” said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said the assault began on Monday morning when the attackers rammed a car full explosives through a military check point and detonated the vehicle inside the campus of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces training center in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak province.Two gunmen entered the campus right after the explosion and shot at many Afghan soldiers before being gunned down during the clashes.
Defence ministry officials said the Taliban had used U.S.-made armoured Humvee vehicles captured from Afghan forces as a car bomb in order to breach the military fortifications.
A second source residing in Maidan Wardak province said more than 100 members of National Directorate of Security (NDS) were killed in the complex attack.
“I have been in touch with the NDS official in the province and they told me that over 100 members of the NDS were killed in the big explosion,” the former provincial official said.
Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak said he saw bodies of 35 Afghan forces in the hospital.
“Many more were killed. Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul,” said Hotak, adding that “the government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces.”
“The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed,” he said. Government officials in Maidan Wardak and Kabul declined to comment when asked if they were obscuring the death toll.
Two senior officials in the interior ministry said the exact casualty figure was not being disclosed to prevent unrest within the armed forces.
“I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts,” said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul. A senior NDS official in Kabul said at least 50 people were killed or wounded in the complex attack.
Abdurrahman Mangal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Maidan Wardak said 12 people were killed and 12 were injured when the car bomb exploded near the Afghan special forces unit.
President Ashraf Ghani’s office in a statement said the “enemies of the country” had carried out an attack against NDS personnel in Maidan Shahr.
“They killed and wounded a number of our beloved and honest sons.”
In recent years the Afghan government has stopped releasing detailed casualty figures.
Last year Ghani has said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015, breaking the longstanding suppression on casualty data.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group said they have killed 190 people in the complex attack.
WW2 wreckage found by grandson on Norwegian mountainside
WW2 wreckage found by grandson on Norwegian mountainside. Cdr Phil Richardson is such an exceptional man and deserves the closure he was seeking. A truly remarkable story! https://t.co/HKWNQbRDRS— Commander Bob Bond RN (@CdrBobBond) January 21, 2019
January 21, 2019
Iran's Quds Forces in Syria launched a rocket at Israel’s Golan Heights. It was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defence system
Yesterday, #Iran's🇮🇷 Quds Forces in #Syria🇸🇾 launched a rocket at Israel’s Golan Heights. It was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defence system (🎥👇).— Israel Foreign Min. (@IsraelMFA) January 21, 2019
Iran's attempts to entrench itself in Syria endanger Israeli lives and will not be tolerated.pic.twitter.com/wwguO1Qdr1
IAF fighter jets attack several Syrian air defense batteries after they fired overnight
WATCH: IAF fighter jets attack several Syrian air defense batteries after they fired overnight pic.twitter.com/xUCwOip5DB— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) January 21, 2019
January 20, 2019
US military uses Russian-styled air defense systems during training exercise
US military uses Russian-styled air defense systems during training exercisehttps://t.co/GxwoXfZ5hF pic.twitter.com/ORSmkAadA7— Defence blog (@Defence_blog) January 20, 2019
Turkish Operation Olive Branch - Occupation of Northern Syria
Zeytin Dalı Harekatı “1 yaşında”... Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı başta olmak üzere tüm şehitlerimizi rahmet ve minnet; gazilerimizi şükran ve minnetle anıyoruz. pic.twitter.com/ZfFaWvZbnY— Defence and Technology (@SavunmaTekno) January 20, 2019
Drone attack on Saudi Allied Yemeni leader
Armed drones are now a real threat as this attack on Yemeni leader/comnander shows pic.twitter.com/Y468Y3Kbzh— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) January 19, 2019
India plans to buy 8 more Su-30MKIs
The Indian government is considering a plan to buy another eight Su-30MKI fighters to replace attrition aircraft.
USS Gerald R. Ford accepts first Advanced Weapons Elevator
The U.S. Navy has accepted USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) first Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) on Dec. 21.
PAF Eyes Purchase of Blackhawk Helicopters from Poland -- DND
Philippine Air Force (PAF) seeks to purchase Blackhawk Helicopters from Poland to further improve its capability in territorial defense and rescue operations.
In an interview during the awarding of housing units to Wounded-In-Action soldiersand Wounded-In-Police-Operations at Pleasant View Residences in barangay Graceville, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the procurement is part of the Second Horizon of the New Armed Forces of the Philippine Modernization Program along with various military aircraft and vessels.
The planned acquisition of the Blackhawk Helicopters from Poland will replace the cancelled contract of 16 units of Bell 412 EP Helicopters from Canada.
Lorenzana added that PAF has experience in operating Polish-made helicopters since the delivery of the eight units of Sokol PZL W-3 Helicopters in 2012.
Meanwhile, the official disclosed that two units of Cobra Attack Helicopters given by Jordan will be delivered in the next six months.
Myanmar has Received Six More Yak-130 Aircraft
According to the web source sdelanounas.ru, on New Year's Day, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, which is part of PJSC" Irkut Corporation, delivered six Yak-130 combat-training aircraft for the Myanmar Air Force.
Contract for the supply of an unnamed number of Yak-130 planes to Myanmar (supposedly 16) was signed by Rosoboronexport on June 22, 2015. The first three Yak-130 aircraft built by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of PJSC Irkut Corporation under this contract were delivered to Myanmar at the end of 2016 and transferred to Myanmar Air Force in February 2017, receiving Myanmar airborne numbers "1801", "1802" and "1803 "(serial numbers from 130.12.03-0101 to 130.12.03-0103).In the fall of 2017, the Myanmar Air Force received the next batch of three Yak-130 aircraft with tail numbers "1804", "1805" and "1806" (estimated serial numbers from 130.12.03-0104 to 130.12.03-0106). The official ceremony of entering the first six received Yak-130s into the Myanmar Air Force took place on December 15, 2017 at the airfield of the Myanmar Air Force Flight School in Meythil (near Mandalay).
Now Myanmar has received six more Yak-130 aircraft under this contract. Judging from the published photograph of the transportation of one of the aircraft of this party, this aircraft has a Myanmar airborne number "1808"
Thus, in 2018, ten Yak-130 combat training aircraft were delivered for export from Russia - six to Myanmar and four to Laos.
Northrop Grumman Prepares to Support RAAF Tritons
Australian firms stand to gain substantial work from the Triton unmanned aircraft program as the RAAF progressively rolls out an advanced capability to conduct long-range maritime surveillance.
The first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton aircraft isn’t expected to reach Australia until 2023 or later but already local firms are gaining work.
Long-term sustainment will be all-Australian, while Australia will work with the US Navy on future development.
Northrop Grumman director of international programs for Triton Ed Graziano said there was a robust plan for Australian industry involvement in production of aircraft and in their long-term support.
Graziano said some industry partnerships were already in place for supply of components such as cables and sheet metal, which would be expanded to include electronic equipment, composites for airframe parts and sensors.
“We are working with Quickstep, Qinetic, Daronmont, Ferra, Marand and others,” Graziano told Australian media last week.
“They will support not just the buildup and delivery of Australian aircraft and systems but also US Navy systems.
“We need to ensure we have a cost-effective solution for both Australian and the US Navy. We need to find the sweet spot where there is a technology and a capability that the (Australian) SMEs can take on to be able to provide either that work required or the sub-systems. We are going through that. “
The government finally announced in June last year that it would acquire the first of six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high altitude long endurance (HALE) in a deal worth almost $7 billion.Triton has been a long time coming. The government first disclosed an interest in a HALE capability close to two decades ago when Triton’s predecessor the Global Hawk made a record-breaking flight from the US to Australia in 2001.
Triton flies at altitudes above 50,000 feet and can conduct surveillance of 2.5 million square kilometres of ocean on each mission, descending to take a closer look at items of interest.
Triton will be based at RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia and operate in conjunction with the RAAF’s new Boeing P-8A Poseidon manned maritime ISR aircraft.
Although Australia is looking to a fleet of six Tritons, the initial approval was for a single aircraft plus all ground stations and infrastructure.
Graziano said Northrop Grumman planned to train Australian nationals to be able to support, operate and maintain the aircraft.
“Once we deliver the aircraft to Australia, the sustainment starts at that point.”
There’s no mandated level of Australian industry involvement in the Triton program but Northrop Grumman did submit an industry plan.
Although Australia has announced it will buy Triton, nothing has yet been signed and Northrop Grumman hasn’t yet been contracted for long-lead items for Australian aircraft.
Australia and the US Navy have signed a cooperative agreement for future development of Triton.
“We do also look at industry capability development as part of road mapping with the SMEs. We have had some dialogues with (Australia radar firm) CEA Technology…about sensor concepts and development.”
The US Navy plans to declare EOC (early operational capability) in the next few months, a slight delay following an incident in September in which one aircraft made a belly landing at the US Navy station at Point Mugu, California.
So far eight aircraft of the US Navy have been produced from the planned 68 aircraft.
RSAF and DSTA Complete Technical Evaluation of F-16 Replacement
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) have completed their technical evaluation to select the next generation fighter to replace its F-16s. The F-16s will have to retire soon after 2030 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been identified as the most suitable replacement to maintain the RSAF's capabilities.
However, the technical evaluation also concluded that the RSAF should first purchase a small number of F-35 JSFs for a full evaluation of their capabilities and suitability before deciding on a full fleet. In the next phase, MINDEF will discuss details with relevant parties in the US before confirming its decision to acquire the F-35 JSFs for Singapore's defence capabilities.
PHL Coast Guard Commissions Final Two 24-meter Patrol Boats from France
The Philippine Coast Guard commissioned the last two 24-meter fast patrol boats with the Department of Budget and Management Secretary, Honorable Benjamin Diokno as guest of honor and speaker and the Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Administration and Finance, Atty. Gary V. De Guzman as the presiding officer at the National Headquarters Philippine Coast Guard today, January 16.
Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Malamawi (Fast Patrol Boat-2403) under the helm of Lieutenant Commander Rolando l Lorenzana PCG and BRP Kalanggaman (FPB-2404) with Commander Glen B Daraug PCG as its Commanding Officer.
The four 24-meter fast patrol boats acquired from France were named after the prominent Philippine islands known for their tourism aesthetic and environmental features.
As a tradition, a vessel is being commissioned to grant its identity to belong to a service and to authorize it to perform the mandated missions of the agency, fly the national ensign, jack flag and the commission pennants.
PCG commandant, Admiral Elson Hermogino said in his speech, “These four patrol boats will be the new face of the PCG’s multi-purpose fast craft. Measuring 24 meters long and with top-speeds of 30 knots, the fast patrol boat is both agile and sturdy, perfect for patrolling our maritime boundaries as well as the narrow straits in between the islands of the archipelago. These ships are newly constructed by our friends from OCEA in France and made to our specifications, built for the Philippine seas.”
More so, Admiral Hermogino stated that since the commissioning of the first two FBSs in October 2018, they have been performing well in the PCG’s surveillance and law enforcement operations against smuggling, among others.
“With the introduction of two more such fine ships to our fleet, our operations will only become better and more efficient. This is the way of the modern Coast Guard- modern equipment to match the skill and courage of our men and women”, he added.
Meanwhile, an 82-meter Offshore Patrol Vessel is scheduled to arrive in August 2019.
Vietnam’s Coast Observation Satellite Goes into Orbit from Japan
Vietnamese satellite MicroDragon was successfully launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan Friday morning.
The satellite, built by a team of Vietnamese engineers with help from Japanese experts and launched aboard Japan’s Epsilon 4 launcher, will be used to observe Vietnam’s coast line.
MicroDragon measures 50x50x50 centimeters (19.6 inches) and weighs around 50 kilograms (110 pounds).
It will help evaluate water quality, locate fisheries resources and monitor changes to serve aquaculture.
It will also detect cloud coverage and aerosols, collect ground-based sensor signals and transmit them to stations on Earth.
In 2013 the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) sent 36 engineers to five top universities in Japan for master’s programs in satellite technology as part of a joint Vietnam-Japan project to prevent natural disasters and climate change using satellites.Using official development assistance from Japan and counter capital from the Vietnamese government, the engineers worked with Japanese experts to build MicroDragon in Japan.
The satellite marks a milestone for Vietnam in building satellites. The VNSC told the media earlier that the satellite is expected to provide imagery of a specific area within six to 12 hours compared with at least two days when is it obtained from a commercial satellite imagery provider.
Vietnam sent its first indigenous satellite into space in 2013. The one-kilogram PicoDragon was in space for three months. The country had launched four satellites before that, but all made by foreign companies.
Plans are underway to build LOTUSat-2 (500 kg) by 2022, which would place Vietnam among the leading countries in the region in terms of space technology, alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, Pham Anh Tuan, general director of the VNSC, said.
PHL Air Force Black Hawk Pilots to Train in United States
The training of Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots who will operate the 16 Black Hawk helicopters to be acquired from Lockheed Martin Sikorsky will be carried out in Florida, United States, National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on January 16 during the plenary discussion on DND’s 2019 budget.
The defense chief made the statement when asked by Senator JV Ejercito regarding the training materials and trainors. “Since [the manufacturer is] Sikorsky, will this already be in English? I assume that these (manuals) will not be in Polish,” Ejercito said.
Though built in Poland, the S-70i Black Hawk helicopters will be certified by US-based Lockheed Martin Sikorsky.
“They will be in English your honor,” Secretary Lorenzana said.
“That’s good to hear. Because what I heard from some Air Force personnel before, that the problem with Sokol, since mayrong language barrier, ‘yung mga manuals tapos the trainors instead of them having actual performance nangyari demo nalang, kasi mayron ngang language barrier,” the senator explained.
“Yes your honor, in fact the training of our pilots will be done in Florida,” Secretary Lorenzana noted. “So all the manuals and everything will be in English.”
Lorenzana added that PAF wants delivery to start in six months after the contract signing.
“According to the manufacturer, they can produce the whole lot in two years time, but what our Air Force want is once the contract is signed they want deliveries in the next six months – even just couple of choppers to be delivered, maybe monthly thereafter until the whole lot is delivered,” he said.
January 19, 2019
Indian Prime Minister visits Larsen & Toubro facility which produces K-9 Vajra Self Propelled Howitzer
Checking out the tanks at L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira. pic.twitter.com/zf7wRrbX7Y— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2019
First glimpse of Qatar Emiri Air Force AH-64E helicopter..QEAF will receive first batch AH-64E during this year
[EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]: first appearance of Qatar Emiri Air Force AH-64E helicopter..QEAF will receive first batch AH-64E during this year and the delivery of 24 will complete in 2020+with an option for 24 more..the contract include training of 70 pilots & 100 technicians pic.twitter.com/EfzKG3WBgh— Abdulmoiz (@abdulmoiz1990) January 19, 2019
Russia carried out seventh test of the A-235
CNBC says Russia carried out a seventh test of its A-235 PL-19 Nudol anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite weapon system on Dec. 23.
January 18, 2019
Two Su-34 fighter-bombers collide in Russia’s Far East
Two Su-34 fighter-bombers have collided mid-air during flights in Russia’s Far East on Friday, according to a source in the regional law enforcement agencies.
“Two Su-34 aircraft flying from the sea collided mid-air. The crew of one aircraft ejected. The fate of both crews is unknown yet,” he said.
According to the source, “the incident occurred about an hour ago.”
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed information about the mid-air collision.
“The aircraft crews have ejected. An An-12 and two Mi-8 helicopters from the search and rescue forces are searching for the pilots in the area where they ejected. The planes performed the flight without ammunition,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
At around 11:00 Moscow time, the search and rescue helicopter rescued one of the Su-34’s pilots on the life raft at sea with adverse weather conditions.
Later, rescuers managed to find the second pilot of the Su-34.
Based on the Soviet Union’s potent Su-27 air superiority fighter, the Su-34 Fullback is the Russian Air Force’s long-range strike aircraft of choice.
The Su-34, dubbed “Fullback” by NATO, is one of Russia’s most capable aircraft — able to engage targets on the ground and in the air — and has been used extensively in Syria.
The 45 ton, Mach 1.8-capable Russian Su-34, designed to carry up to 8 tons of weaponry, has a tactical radius of 4,000 km, and a flight ceiling of 18,000 meters.
The plane can also be equipped with up to three additional fuel tanks, allowing it to fly 8 hours without refueling.
January 17, 2019
Indian Air Force Light Combat Helicopter successfully carries out air to air missile firing on a moving aerial target
First time in the country, LCH achieves a unique milestone by successfully carrying out air to air missile firing on a moving aerial target completing all weapon trials. @drajaykumar_ias @gopalsutar @SpokespersonMoD @DefProdnIndia @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/n3ezqTyI0m— HAL (@HALHQBLR) January 17, 2019
Spanish frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez arrives in Norfolk for COMPUTEX with CVN 72
Spanish navy frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez arrived in Norfolk on Jan. 14 and the warship will soon join the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) for Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX).
Laos bought 10 Yak-130s
10 Yak-130 will enter the country
Russia delivered four Yak-130 combat trainers to Laos. As stated in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the equipment has already been fully paid. According to “Kommersant”, this is only the first part of a batch of ten such machines. The total cost of the procurement, as estimated by “Kommersant”, is about $ 300 million. Earlier, Laos handed over to Russia 30 fully operational T-34-85 tanks. Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin declared “Kommersant” that this is a free transfer of equipment, for which Moscow is extremely grateful to Vientiane.
The fact that Laos purchased four Yak-130 combat training aircraft from Russia was reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday, stressing that the equipment had already been delivered. “Under the contract signed in 2017, four Yak-130 combat training aircraft were delivered to Vientiane on a commercial basis. Aircraft paid in full, "- said the military department. They also noted that armored and lightly armored vehicles, as well as other Russian-made weapons, were simultaneously delivered to Laos. The contract was signed on August 26, 2017 by the head of the Russian government, Dmitry Medvedev, and the Prime Minister of Laos, Thonglun Sisulit, in Gorki, near Moscow. On January 10, 2019, Interfax, citing a source, announced the delivery of several Yak-130 to Laos. Then the FSMTC of Russia did not comment on this information.
According to “Kommersant”, we are talking about the beginning of the implementation of a larger supply. According to the source of “Kommersant”, according to the above contract, ten such machines will be delivered to Laos. The estimated cost for all of the Yak-130 was about $ 300 million. Laos became the fifth foreign recipient of the Yak-130 aircraft produced by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of PJSC "Irkut Corporation" after Algeria (16 units), Bangladesh (16 units), Myanmar (six units) and Belarus (eight units).
In early January 2019, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Laos transferred 30 T-34-85 tanks to Russia in a fully operational condition. Until recently, armored vehicles were in service with the army of Laos. Agreements on the return of T-34-85 tanks to Russia were reached in January 2018 during the visit to Laos of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu. The military department stressed that this decision was made by Laos "in recognition of the many years of military and military cooperation, which in many ways contributed to the protection of sovereignty and strengthening the defense capabilities of the Lao PDR) Patriotic War. The echelon with tanks is now following Siberia (on Tuesday it was in Krasnoyarsk, and on Wednesday should arrive in Novosibirsk) and is heading for Naro-Fominsk.
January 20 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Army. According to the Russian defense ministry, a representative Russian military delegation will take part in the celebrations in Vientiane. The opening of the representative office of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is also timed to this date. In addition, a detachment of the International Mine Action Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is currently working in Laos.
Recall that the previous contract was signed during the HeliRussia exhibition at the end of May 2016: the holding company “Helicopters of Russia” and the Ministry of Defense of Laos agreed on the repair of military products. According to the contract, the holding’s specialists had to repair four helicopters during the year, among them two Mi-17-1Bs and two Mi-17s.
Official confirmation that TK-3 air defense missile system deployed to Hualien, Taiwan
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen toured bases in Hualien and Taitung on Jan. 15 and she was shown speaking to troops with the Tien-Kung 3(TK-3) surface-to-air missile launcher in the background.
Raytheon wins competition to upgrade USMC F/A-18s with AESA radar
Raytheon has secured the contract to upgrade the U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 fleet with a new AESA radar, the company will install its APG-79(v)4 AESA radar from next year.
U.S. Army seeking two Iron Dome units
News reports says the U.S. Army is asking Congress for $373 million to buy the two Iron Dome missile interceptor batteries.
Japan, South Korea held talks in Singapore over P-1 radar lock incident
Defense officials from Japan and South Korea met in Singapore on Jan. 14 to try resolve their differences over an alleged radar lock on a Japanese P-1 maritime patrol aircraft by a South Korean destroyer.
January 16, 2019
Flying Torpedoes Help P-8A Poseidon Attack Enemy Submarines
Airborne weapons experts at the Boeing Co. are building add-on kits to create flying torpedoes that can attack submerged enemy submarines from long ranges and from high altitudes.
The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington announced a $9.3 million order Wednesday to the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to design and build the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) Air Launch Accessory (ALA).
The HAAWC ALA enables the Raytheon MK 54 lightweight torpedo carried aboard the Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon long-range maritime patrol jet to glide through the air from altitudes as high as 30,000 feet, essentially transforming the torpedo into a glide weapon that the P-8A aircraft can release from high altitudes.
As the flying torpedo nears the water, it jettisons its wings and tail and takes on its original role as a smart torpedo that can detect, track, and attack enemy submarines autonomously.
After shedding its control surfaces, the HAAWC ALA activates a parachute that lowers the torpedo into the water to begin its run toward the target. When launched from 30,000 feet the HAAWC-equipped MK 54 torpedo will glide for seven to 10 minutes before entering the water.
While in flight the HAAWC is completely self-contained. The ALA includes a flight control computer, a GPS-based navigation system, and power sources. When near the water the system sheds its wings and activates a parachute that lowers the torpedo to the water to begin its run toward the target.The MK 54 always has been launchable from aircraft, but before the HAAWC ALA, crews of anti-submarine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters had to release the torpedo from altitudes no higher than about 100 feet.
The HAAWC will enable the P-8A aircraft -- a modified Boeing 737-800ERX passenger jetliner -- to maintain optimum surveillance altitudes without wasting time and fuel to drop to low altitudes and then back to high patrol altitudes.
Attacking from high altitudes also enables the P-8A to reduce the time between target acquisition and attack, as well as to launch anti-submarine weapons outside the ranges of shore-based anti-aircraft defenses.
The Mk 54 is an all-digital lightweight torpedo that has advanced software algorithms developed originally for the larger submarine-launched Mark 48 torpedo.
The Boeing HAAWC ALA for the MK 54 torpedo consists of wings designed originally for the Boeing AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER). The ALA tail assembly includes the guidance kit designed originally for the Joint Direct-Attack Munition (JDAM), which contains a GPS navigation system. Boeing also is fitting the HAAWC with a data link to transmit target position updates while in flight.
On this order Boeing will do the work on this contract in St. Louis, and should be finished by May 2020.
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