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[BravoZulu]

South Korea:
SpaceX successfully launched South Korea's first military satellite Monday (July 20) and aced a rocket landing, too, to mark its 12th launch of the year.

A sooty Falcon 9 rocket took to the skies today (July 20) at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here, following a 30-minute weather delay.

"It's been a great day," said John Innsprucker, Falcon 9 SpaceX's principal integration engineer, during live commentary. "It took a little while getting here, but well worth it, with a totally successful mission today."

The mission was originally slated to launch on July 14, but was postponed by SpaceX to allow time for additional preflight rocket checks.

https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-south-korean-military-satellite-anasis-2-lands-rocket.html

 

[BravoZulu]

Japan is now immediately scrambling fighter jets against all Chinese military aircraft taking off from an air base in Fujian Province, as tensions continue between the two countries over the Senkaku Islands, government sources said Saturday.

Air Self-Defense Force planes have also been flying daily patrols over the East China Sea from sunrise to sunset to monitor Chinese military aircraft in the area, the sources said.

Before Japan reviewed its policy early last year, it used to only scramble fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft approaching its airspace.

Chinese fighter patrols that operate near the Senkakus used to fly out of Zhejiang province. But China has since moved the location of their base of operations closer to the islands disputed by Beijing, according to the sources.

The distance between the air base and the Japan-controlled islands is about 380 kilometres — a 20-minute flight for Chinese J-11 fighter jets.

Meanwhile, the distance between the ASDF’s base in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, from which it scrambles jets against Chinese military aircraft, is about 410 km, requiring a travel time of about 25 minutes for Japan’s F-15 fighters.

The ASDF now needs to immediately respond to Chinese fighters when they leave from the air base and prevent them from entering Japan’s airspace, the sources said.

Japan’s air command has set a defense line at a latitude of 27 degrees north, to block Chinese military aircraft approaching near the islands, which are located between latitudes of 25 and 26 degrees north, according to the sources.

The ASDF used to respond to each Chinese military plane with two of its fighter jets. But it now does so with four, the sources said.

Japan scrambled fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft 638 times in fiscal 2018 and 675 times in the previous fiscal year through March, according to the Defense Ministry.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/19/national/japan-china-fighters-senkakus/#.XxcHdR3gpmA

 

[BravoZulu]

Indonesia has expressed interest in acquiring Austria’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, in yet another surprise defense procurement plan from the southeast Asian country.
Indonesia’s defense minister, Prabowo Subianto, wrote a letter to his Austrian counterpart, Klaudia Tanner, seeking to initiate negotiations to buy all 15 Typhoons belonging to the Austrian Air Force.
In his letter, which was published by Indonesian news outlets, Prabowo said the potential purchase will assist in his aims to continue modernizing the Indonesian Air Force.
He added that he understood the “sensitivity” of his proposal, which was likely to be a reference to the continued controversy surrounding Austria’s 2002 acquisition of the Typhoon. That purchase has been dogged by questions about cost and the effectiveness of the aircraft. More recently, there have been allegations of corruption related to the original contract award.
These culminated in Austria’s 2017 decision to retire the aircraft from service this year in favor of a “more effective and cost-effective” solution for the central European country’s air defense needs.
Indonesia’s interest in the fleet comes two weeks after the surprise announcement that the U.S. State Department cleared the country to buy the Bell-Boeing MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.
Indonesia has been seeking a fighter aircraft to serve alongside its fleet of 23 refurbished early-block Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon jets. These are all former aircraft operated by the U.S. Air National Guard, and were delivered from 2014 onward.
The decision to seek the Austrian Typhoons, which are all Tranche 1 aircraft configured primarily for air defense missions, is a blow to Russian aspirations to sell the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker interceptor to Indonesia.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/...to-buy-austrias-entire-typhoon-fighter-fleet/

 

[BravoZulu]

Taiwan has decided to add another $1 billion to acquire the Boeing Harpoon Coastal Defense system.

This will force the Navy to delay the purchase of 10 MH-60R naval helicopters in 2021 due to a shortfall in budget. According to the news report, the number of vehicles for the system remains the same. However, the island will be buying more Harpoon missiles instead.

The move has created some resistance in the military as Taiwan has been trying to increase its anti-submarine capability, the delay in purchasing the naval helicopters will lead to a capability gap in undersea warfare in the short term.

 

[Chazman]

260 Chinese fishing boats are massed just outside of Ecuador's territorial waters, waiting to move in.

The CCP: Bullies of the Sea

What do bullies do? Usually they look around for the weak kid who doesn’t have many friends or has friends who are equally weak. To see how things work in a new school or playground, he’ll do a little testing first - just to see if the weak kid he’s going to pick on has any...

blog.usni.org

 

[BravoZulu]

Japan:
American company Boeing announced that it had signed a Direct Commercial Sale agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to upgrade Japan’s F-15J to the F-15JSI.

The rendering by Boeing shows the jet carrying a JASSM or LRASM cruise missile on station 5 on the centerline. The aircraft is believed to be armed with the AAM-4 air-to-air missiles as well. The medium-range active radar homing is made by Mitsubishi. Besides having new air-to-ground weapon, the F-15JSI will have a new cockpit system along with a powerful mission computer. The electronic warfare system will be state-of-the-art, Boeing said in the press release.

On October 30, 2019, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency cleared the upgrade of 98 F-15J aircraft to the Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI) configuration. The fighter will be equipped with APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) Mission System Computer.

https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2020-0...to-Japans-F-15J-fleet#assets_20295_130712-117

 

[BravoZulu]

Thailand:
Thailand will spend $30 million to upgrade 12 C-130H cargo planes instead of purchasing new aircraft. The cabinet approved the project on August 4.
Royal Thai Air Force commander ACM Maanat Wongwat explained that the budget to finance the upgrade will come from tie-over funds over the next two fiscal year.

Earlier this year, the Royal Thai Air Force published a white paper that calls for the replacement of the C-130H by 2030. It said that the aircraft was commissioned in 1980 with 40 years in service and is nearing the end of its lifespan.

 

[BravoZulu]

South Korea:
The South Korean navy’s first aircraft carrier will look a lot like the U.S. Navy’s America-class assault ships, according to the defence ministry in Seoul.

The South Korean government’s new five-year defence plan includes a rendering of the so-called “LPH-II” flattop.

The vessel, a variant of the Dokdo-class helicopter carrier, has a rectangular deck, two elevators, a long island with twin exhaust funnels and partially-enclosed masts that could help to reduce her radar signature.

Officials in Seoul previously specified that LPH-II would displace around 30,000 tons, making her twice as large by tonnage as a Dokdo is and slightly smaller than America and her sister Tripoli are.

The large, twin funnels point to a big boost to the LPH-II’s engine power relative to the two Dokdos with their 32,000-horsepower diesel propulsion.

Notably, the South Korean carrier lacks both catapults and a bow ramp, meaning her F-35B jump jets only can take off with a flat, unassisted take-off roll. This launch-method has implications for the fighters’ payload—and thus range.

Seoul in July announced it will buy at least 20 F-35B vertical-landing stealth fighters. With 20 jump jets, the South Korean air force probably could embark on LPH-II a wing of a dozen or so planes. The balance would be in maintenance or busy with training.

That’s consistent with the capabilities of the America class, which are aviation-optimized variants of the basic Wasp-class assault ships. Where the Wasps combine aviation capabilities with a floodable well deck for landing craft, the Americas swap the well deck for additional fuel and weapons-storage.

The upshot is that Wasp normally embarks just five jump jets—more in an emergency. But an America easily can accommodate a dozen or more fighters. Twenty in a pinch.

LPH-II also lacks a well deck.

South Korea’s new flattop could fit into the country’s existing strategy for defending against, and ultimately rolling back, a North Korean invasion. Under current planning, U.S. and South Korean marines would land behind North Korean forces in order to open a second front. LPH-II could provide air cover for the landing force.

But Seoul also has ambitions to compete with China and Japan for influence over the western Pacific. A carrier could function as the flagship of a blue-water navy with regional reach.

It’s unclear how much the LPH-II project might cost. It’s worth pointing out that a Dokdo cost around $300 million. LPH-II’s sticker price could be double that. The flattop could enter service as early as 2026.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davida...aircraft-carrier-will-look-like/#3de49b536047

 

[Junglejim]

PH Air Force seeks funding for 5 C-130J cargo planes

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force needs funding to acquire five C-130J cargo planes to boost its transport capacity. At a budget hearing at the House of Representatives, Air Force

newsinfo.inquirer.net

 

[BravoZulu]

Philippines:
A female pilot, a male co-pilot and two male flight crew members of an Air Force ambulance helicopter were on their way to Jolo, Sulu on Wednesday (Sept. 16) to airlift a blast victim when they flew into bad weather over Basilan province.

The S76 Sikorsky helicopter crashed at the village of Upper Manggas in Lantawan town past 1 p.m.

Maj. Al-Nasser Abdurakman, information officer of the Edwin Andrews Air Base, confirmed that all four on board died in the crash.

“All the bodies have been recovered. As of now, we dont have concrete details as to the cause of the accident,” Abdurakman said.

The S76 is an ambulance helicopter used for humanitarian missions, including search and rescue operations.

Abdurakman said the team left the air base around 12:33 p.m. and were expected to land at the Western Mindanao Command helipad when they got back.

Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman said prior to the crash, a helicopter was seen hovering over Isabela City at a very low altitude.

Salliman said the helicopter could have been battered by strong winds and fell in the town of Lantawan.

“Later, we learned the helicopter had a crash landing,” Salliman added.

 

[BravoZulu]

Taiwan:
Chinese warplanes have intruded into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) about 40 times over the past two days, threatening regional peace and endangering international air traffic, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.

During a press conference on Thursday evening (Sept. 10) Vice Defense Minister Chang Che-ping (張哲平) said People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) warplanes and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships have conducted exercises off the southwest coast of Taiwan for two consecutive days. Chang said this has raised the alert level of Taiwan's air defenses and "threatened regional peace and stability."

In addition, the defense ministry pointed out China's military actions are taking place on international air routes. Thus, these aggressive incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ "are affecting the safety of international flights," said Chang.

"We call on the Beijing authorities to order the PLA to exercise restraint," said Chang. He added the recent harassment of Taiwan's ADIZ has "aroused the resentment of the Taiwan people."
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4006519

 

[nobitadaidamvn]

You should see the comments from the USCG forums when they found out the US will sell them to the Philippines. Besst comment I remember was "What?! I thought they were our ally?" Those ships were unfit for deployment, with one needing a replacement engine before leaving the US.

Im not blaming the US, but if you were a true friend and you know your friend is addicted to crack, in this case used ships... you dont give them one.

The coasties justification that they saw was, it was better for the US to sell them and make money as it would cost more to scrap them.

lol you should have seen Vietnam defense joke our coast guard ship = your biggest war ship haha ( we both buy old girl diffirent we keep it for the coast guard to ram with the Chinese haha ) btw the American really made a lot of fubar decision , first let the Chinese take paracel in 1974 then again in 1988 when they let the Chinese take sallow shoal in spartly from Vietnam which now the Chinese built fake island on it , then again in recent when Obama let Chinese take a shoal in phil eez and now they have a airbase on the fake island lol in the 90 a American oil company even cooperate with the Chinese to try to explore oil in our eez near vung tau ( southern Vietnam )our navy have to send war ship out and shot few warning round to tell them F off , let hope this time the American wont sold us out to the Chinese and screw us aseaner like they did back in the day

 

[BravoZulu]

South Korea:
Hyundai Rotem said Tuesday it has signed a contract worth 407.7 billion won ($348.4 million) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to supply wheeled armored vehicles by 2023.

According to the rolling stock and arms manufacturing unit of Hyundai Motor Group, it will mass-produce the third batch of K806 and K808 armored personnel carriers to DAPA by 2023.

Hyundai Rotem won the order for the first batch worth 26.9 billion won in 2016 and completed the delivery in 2018. It also grabbed the order for the second batch worth 412.9 billion won in 2017 and aims to complete the delivery within this year.

“Based on its know-how from the mass production of the first and the second batches, Hyundai Rotem will supply high-quality armored vehicles for the third batch,” a company official said.

K806 armored vehicles are designed for mobile strikes and reconnaissance missions in the rear, while K808 are intended for swift troop deployment and reconnaissance missions in front-line areas.

 

[BravoZulu]

Japan has launched the first of a new class of diesel-electric submarines that will complete the US allied’s proposed expansion of the U.S. ally's submarine fleet to 22 boats upon commissioning.
The new submarine, named Taigei (Big Whale), was launched on Wednesday at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Kobe City. It is the first of a successor class to Japan's current Soryu class boats.
The Taigei is a 3,000-ton diesel-electric attack submarine with a length of 84 meters. The design was previously known as the 29SS class, named after Emperor Akihito's 29th year of reign in Japan, which corresponds to 2017 on the Gregorian calendar.
Like the last two boats in the Soryu class, the Taigei will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries as a power source. Japan has done extensive research into the use of lithium-ion batteries on board submarines since the early 2000s, and says they require less maintenance and longer life at high speeds compared to lead-acid batteries at high speeds exhibit.
Japan is the only known country where submarines with lithium-ion batteries can operate.
The Taigei will now be equipped by the contractor and tested at sea before it will be used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force in 2022. When operational, it will be the 22nd submarine in service with the force, completing plans to expand the Japanese submarine fleet by 22nd.
The enlarged submarine force will consist of nine older Oyashio-class submarines, 12 Soryus and the Taigei. Japan has plans for two more Taigei-class submarines and has requested $ 654.1 million for another submarine in the latest Defence Department budget inquiry.
The decision to increase the submarine force of 16 boats was announced in the 2010 National Defence Program guidelines. Japan continues to keep a close eye on China's military modernisation and growing assertiveness in the region.

The external appearance of the Taigei is not much different from the Sōryū-class, but inside of it is a completely different submarine. Japan MoD picture.

 

[pigmode]

Japan’s Suga Set to Authorize Arms Sales to Vietnam
Prime Minister Suga is also promising to bolster Japan’s economic engagement with Southeast Asian Nations.

On his maiden overseas trip, Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is expected to sign an agreement allowing his government to export defense equipment and technology to Vietnam.

The likely move, which was reported by Nikkei Asia on October 14, is intended to stiffen the military capabilities of Southeast Asian partners who share Tokyo’s concerns about China’s growing maritime power. Suga will sign the deal on his upcoming state visit to Vietnam, part of a tour that will also take him to Indonesia, another important Japanese partner in Southeast Asia...

Japan’s Suga Set to Authorize Arms Sales to Vietnam

Prime Minister Suga is also promising to bolster Japan’s economic engagement with Southeast Asian Nations.

thediplomat.com

 

[Buster23]

Philippine Air Force formally inducts A-29B Super Tucano aircraft
by Gabriel Dominguez



The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has officially inducted into service the six A-29B Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft it ordered from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer Defense & Security in late 2017.

The aircraft were commissioned in a turnover and blessing ceremony held on 13 October at Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga Province, that was presided over by Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.


In a speech to mark the event the secretary said he was open to acquiring six more A-29Bs. “I was discussing with the Commanding General [PAF chief Lieutenant General Allen Paredes] a while ago [that] having six Super Tucanos is good but another six more would be better,” Lorenzana was quoted by the state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) as saying.

The first four of the recently commissioned A-29Bs had arrived at the base on 19 September, with the remaining two arriving on 2 October after being flown by Embraer pilots from Sao Paulo in Brazil, and making refuelling stops in the Canary Islands, Portugal, Malta, Egypt, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The platforms were initially scheduled to be handed over by the end of February but the delivery was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Embraer will now train selected PAF pilots for two months as part of its agreement with the air force.

The A-29s, which are now part of the PAF’s 15th Strike Wing, will supplement the service’s Boeing (Rockwell) OV-10 Bronco ground-attack aircraft. The aircraft are expected to be employed in several roles, including close air support, light attack, surveillance and reconnaissance, air-to-air interception, and counter-insurgency.

Philippine Air Force formally inducts A-29B Super Tucano aircraft

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has officially inducted into service the six A-29B Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft it ordered from Brazilian manufacturer...

www.janes.com

 

[Junglejim]

Elbit to supply Sabrah light tanks to Philippine Army

Philippine blog MaxDefense reports that the country's military decided in early 2020 to purchase the Sabrah light tank produced by Israel's Elbit Systems. However, the spread of the coronavirus epidemic is said to be preventing the final signing of the agreement. The blog estimates that the...

www.israeldefense.co.il

In its original proposal, Elbit Systems offered a version of the ASCOD 2 medium main battle tank (MMBT) and the Pandur II tank destroyer. Elbit used the same Oto Melara Hitfact 105mm tank turret found on the ASCOD 2 MMBT, but with the gun and subsystems from Elbit Systems. Elbit also incorporated the ASCOD turret into the Pandur II tank destroyer, all in order to meet the requirements of the Philippine Army acquisition project.

 

[BravoZulu]

Taiwan:
A notice released Wednesday says the State Department has approved the sales to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of 135 Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missiles and related equipment estimated for more than $1 billion, 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers and related equipment for an estimated $436.1 million and six MS-110 Recce Pods and related equipment for an estimated $367.2 million.

"This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," the Defence Security Cooperation Agency announcement said.

 

[BravoZulu]

Elbit to supply Sabrah light tanks to Philippine Army

Philippine blog MaxDefense reports that the country's military decided in early 2020 to purchase the Sabrah light tank produced by Israel's Elbit Systems. However, the spread of the coronavirus epidemic is said to be preventing the final signing of the agreement. The blog estimates that the...

www.israeldefense.co.il

In its original proposal, Elbit Systems offered a version of the ASCOD 2 medium main battle tank (MMBT) and the Pandur II tank destroyer. Elbit used the same Oto Melara Hitfact 105mm tank turret found on the ASCOD 2 MMBT, but with the gun and subsystems from Elbit Systems. Elbit also incorporated the ASCOD turret into the Pandur II tank destroyer, all in order to meet the requirements of the Philippine Army acquisition project.

The Philippines Department National Defense has awarded the contract for the Philippine Army’s Light Tank and Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier Acquisition Projects to the Israeli company Elbit Systems.
According to information released on Army Recognition on October 24, 2020, the Israeli company Elbit Systems has offered its new Sabrah Light Tank for the Philippine Army’s Light Tank Acquisition Project, which is in competition with Hanwha Systems K21-105 and Otokar Arma 105 light tanks, and Pindad Harimau Light Tank.
The Elbit Systems Sabrah light tank is available in two configurations including a tracked variant based on the General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) ASCOD 2 and a wheeled version based on the Pandur II 8×8 armored vehicle also produced by GDELS.
Elbit Systems’ “Sabrah” configurable light tank solution adds highly effective firepower to Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV’s). Based on the success of Elbit fully combat-proven armored vehicles and turrets in use by numerous armed forces around the world, the “Sabrah” series of solutions is the latest generation AFV system developed by Elbit Systems.
The modular design enables using the same 105mm turret for tracked or 8X8 wheeled platforms to deliver reliable, high-performance firepower to the battlefield.

https://militaryleak.com/2020/10/26...fire-support-vehicles-to-the-philippine-army/

 

[BravoZulu]

Taiwan:
A notice released Wednesday says the State Department has approved the sales to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of 135 Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missiles and related equipment estimated for more than $1 billion, 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers and related equipment for an estimated $436.1 million and six MS-110 Recce Pods and related equipment for an estimated $367.2 million.

"This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," the Defence Security Cooperation Agency announcement said.

BEIJING, Oct. 22 -- China resolutely opposes the United States selling weapons to Taiwan and urges the U.S. side to stop its military contacts with the island, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Thursday.

Tan made the remarks when asked to comment on the U.S. Department of State's newly approved plans to sell weapons worth 1.8 billion U.S. dollars to Taiwan, which was released on Wednesday by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

The spokesperson pointed out that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan seriously violates the one-China principle and three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, severely interferes in China's internal affairs and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. "The move seriously damages relations between the two countries and the two militaries, as well as the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, China firmly opposes it," Tan said.

The Taiwan question matters for China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is vital to China's core interests, stressed Tan. "China strongly urges the U.S. side to immediately cancel the plans of selling weapons to Taiwan and cease military contact with the island and handle issues related to Taiwan prudently, so as to avoid serious consequences to Sino-American bilateral and mil-to-mil relations, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," said the spokesperson.

He added that if the U.S. side discards the basic norms of international relations, violates its commitment and acts capriciously and obstinately, China will for sure resolutely strike back.
http://eng.mod.gov.cn/news/2020-10/...urges the U.S.,peace and stability across the