China Selling MA60s to Myanmar and Sri Lanka

3 Maret 2010

Xian's MA-60 (photo : Airliners)

The China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) has ordered nine MA60 transports on behalf of two Asian customers, according to a Xian Aircraft official.



Sri Lanka will be buying six of the turboprop-powered aircraft from CATIC, while the remaining three will go to Myanmar, says the official. The countries are acquiring the aircraft with the help of a Chinese government preferred loan scheme, the source adds.



Sri Lanka is to receive two of its MA60s this year, with the remainder to be delivered in 2011, says the Xian official, with Myanmar's three to be handed over in September. Both countries want the aircraft in a 56-seat configuration, the official adds.



Sri Lanka's ports and aviation ministry confirms that the country is in negotiations to buy six MA60s for the air force. Four of the MA60s will be dedicated for use by the service, but the other two may end up at state-owned carrier Mihin Lanka, it adds.



The Sri Lankan air force currently relies on Antonov An-32s, Lockheed Martin C-130Ks and Chinese-built Harbin Y12s for its transport activities.

F-27 of the Myanmar Air Force (photo : Muzuzu)



Myanmar, meanwhile, relies on ageing Fokker F27s, and is unable to source military equipment from the West because of trade sanctions.



Both nations are close political allies of China, which has been developing relations with them partly to act as a bulwark against its political rival India.

Chinese firms are helping to finance and build airports, roads and other infrastructure in Sri Lanka, and Beijing often makes soft loans to such countries.



(Flight International)

Russia's New Aircraft Carrier will be Developed by the End of 2010

3 Maret 2010

Russia's Admiral Kuznetzov aircraft carrier (image : paradoxoff)

Technical design of Russia's aircraft carrier will be developed by the end of 2010. This RIA Novosti reported with reference to the statement made by Chief of the Navy Vladimir Vysotsky. According to him, after the will identify key tactical and technical characteristics of the spacecraft, will begin development of working documents.

Vladimir Vysotsky said that development work on the creation of Russia's aircraft carrier already started. "In favorable circumstances, I think that by 2020, the ship could be launched," - declared Commander of the Navy. He also stressed that to build an aircraft carrier in the financing of the state defense order will be very difficult. According to Vysotsky, to achieve this task requires federal target program.

In February 2009 the Head of the state defense order the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Anatoly helmets said that Russia's new-generation aircraft carrier will be atomic. He also clarified that the ship will have a displacement of up to 60 thousand tons. According Shlemova, with plans to build three to six aircraft carriers.

In June, Vladimir Vysotsky said that the establishment of standard ships of this type has become bleak. That is why Russia will not build conventional aircraft carriers and naval aviation systems. According to the Commander in Chief of the Navy, they would include "space component, air, sea and advanced technologies in other areas."

(Lenta)

Pakistan Strengthens Relations with Indonesia and China

3 Maret 2010

CN-235 of the Pakistan Air Force (photo : XAirforces)

Pakistan has extended defence ties with Indonesia and China as part of its strategy to diversify military suppliers and industrial co-operation partners.

Statements issued by the Pakistan government on 25 and 26 February said that meetings between Pakistan defence officials and representatives from Indonesia and China would strengthen strategic relations.

The focus of meetings between Indonesian and Pakistani defence officials in Islamabad on 25 February centred on "resolving maintenance problems" with the CN-235 transport aircraft that the Pakistan Air Force purchased from Jakarta in 2004. Closer industrial collaboration on other projects was also discussed, said the statement.

Talks with Chinese officials took place in Beijing a day later as part of the 30th anniversary of the formation of state-owned Chinese defence prime China North Industries Group (Norinco).

A statement said that Pakistan and Norinco had entered "joint venture and joint production projects" in recent years, such as the production of the Al Khalid main battle tank.

Masood Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to China, said that Pakistan and Norinco were also "investing into areas of exploitation of mineral resources, petroleum, defence products, marketing, and research and development".

Pakistan's ties with Indonesia are indicative of an emerging trend that has seen Islamabad establish close defence relations with a number of largely predominantly Muslim nations over the past few years. Similar ties have been forged with Brunei, Jordan, Malaysia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

China, meanwhile, remains Pakistan's closest industrial partner with joint collaboration continuing on a number of platforms, including the Al Khalid tank, the JF-17 fighter and F-22P frigates.

Defence diversification is regarded as an important defence strategy in Islamabad because it remains wary of its relationship with the US, from which it currently procures the majority of defence equipment. The US has previously imposed sanctions on Pakistan throughout the 1960s and again in the 1990s.

(Jane's)

Royal New Zealand Air Force Flying Display Team Grounded Following Mid-Air Collision

2 Maret 2010

CT-4E of the RNZAF's Red Checkers (photo : Airliners)

The Royal New Zealand Air Force's Red Checkers flying display team has been grounded following the 1 March collision of two of the team's aircraft. The incident happened just weeks after a team member died in an air crash.

"During training this morning [1 March] two aircraft of the RNZAF display team touched causing minor damage to one of the aircraft," says the New Zealand Defence Force. The Pacific Aerospace CT/4E trainers then landed safely, it says, adding: "How this incident happened is now being investigated as a matter of course and the prudent decision is not to fly the team again this season."

The incident occurred at the RNZAF Ohakea base, near Palmerston North on New Zealand's north island, where the team had been practising for the New Zealand Warbirds Over Wanaka air show in April. The grounding means the team has pulled out of this show.

Red Checker squadron leader Nick Cree died in an accident on 14 January near Ohakea base. He reportedly crashed his CT/4E trainer after performing a solo manoeuvre as part of an air display practice.

(Flight International)

Five Cavalry and Mechanised Regiments will be Equipped with 8x8 APC Started from Tenth Malaysian Plan

2 Maret 2010



Proposed Zimbru 2000 for the Malaysian Army (photo : KLSR)



KLS: Malaysian Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin announced that the Joint Chiefs Committee has already agreed to equip all five cavalry and mechanized regiments with new type of 8x8 APC.



He said the acquisition program was already registered under the Tenth Plan.

He added Condors and Sibmas APC will reach its service life in near future, and it is not cost effective to refurbish those obsolete platforms anymore.



Apart from that, he said the Army is also planning to equip those 8x8 APC with long range Anti-Tank Missile missile.



The traditional local shipbuilder - BHIC, is also devoting itself in promoting 8x8 APC. BHIC is colloborating with Romanian ROMARM company to study the posibility of assembling Zimbru 2000 8x8 APC in Malaysia and supply to the Army.



(KLSReview)

Vietnam Imports Yakhont Coast-to-Ship Missile

1 Maret 2010

Yakhont mobile : coast to ship version (image : abovetopsecret)

An authoritative source from the Russian shipbuilding industry told Kanwa on a very official occasion that Vietnam would start to receive one battalion of Yakhont coast-to-ship missiles from this year. This is the first time that the coast launched Yakhont SSM has been exported to another country.

(Kanwa)

India Unveils $32B Defense Budget

1 Maret 2010

Indian Army during parade (photo : Militaryphotos)

NEW DELHI - India announced a four percent increase in defense spending to $32 billion in its annual budget Feb. 26, a day after Pakistan voiced concerns over its rival's military modernization.

"Secure borders and security of life and property foster development and needless to say, any additional requirement for the security of the nation will be provided for," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament.

Spending on the military - the world's fourth largest - was put at 1.47 trillion rupees ($32 billion) for the financial year to March 2011.

Last year's budget hiked defense expenditure by almost a quarter - the sharpest rise ever.

Mukherjee earmarked $13 billion for modernization projects, $12.4 billion for the million-plus army, with $3.3 billion for the air force and about $2 billion for the navy.

On Feb. 25, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir - in New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart - had warned that India's military modernization program threatened stability in a "nuclearized" South Asia.

"New war doctrines, a tremendous boost to defense spending, the induction of new sophisticated weapons systems; these are elements that are prejudicial to regional security and stability," Bashir told reporters.

New Delhi, which last month inducted its longest range nuclear-tipped missile into the army, plans to spend up to 30 billion dollars modernizing its military by 2012, according to the defense ministry.

India has fought three wars with Pakistan since independence in 1947 and a brief but bitter war with China in 1962 over a border dispute which remains unresolved.
The largest weapons buyer among emerging countries, India has imported military hardware worth $28 billion dollars since 2000 mainly from Russia, Israel, France and Britain.

(DefenseNews)