Israel - Successfully completed first interception series using aerial laser

*הסתיימה בהצלחה סדרת יירוט ראשונה באמצעות לייזר אווירי*

*מפא"ת במשרד הביטחון, יחד עם חברת "אלביט מערכות" בשיתוף חיל האוויר, יירטו כטב"מים בטווחים ובגובהי טיסה שונים באמצעות מערכת לייזר אווירית שהותקנה על מטוס* pic.twitter.com/YcB0FYUtuL

— INTELLINEWS (@INTELLINEWS3) June 21, 2021

Japan will Participate for Malaysia Air Defense Radar Tender

 

It was revealed on the June 19th that the government will participate in a bid starting next month for the export of air defense radar to Malaysia. If the order is successful, it will be the second radar export of domestically produced equipment after Philippines, which was contracted in August last year based on the three principles of defense equipment transfer that paved the way for overseas transfer of equipment. As the threat of Chinese military aircraft in the airspace around Malaysia becomes clear, it is meaningful to strengthen security cooperation in the South China Sea.

On June 2, this year, the Malaysian Ministry of Defense issued a bid announcement for the air defense radar that the Air Force will introduce for aircraft detection, requesting that it propose equipment that can be exported by the end of August. A briefing session on the contents of the bid will be held online on July 1, and the bidding procedure will begin.Only one radar will be introduced for the time being, and it is expected that it will be selected over several months. It is expected that US companies such as Lockheed Martin and European companies such as Indra Systemas of Spain, which Japan lost in the radar export to Thailand in 2018, will also participate in the bidding, and fierce competition for orders is expected.

The radar that Japan proposes for export to Malaysia is likely to be made by Mitsubishi Electric, which received an order from the Philippines. For export to the Philippines, Mitsubishi Electric is developing and manufacturing a new radar based on the FPS3 radar operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with the requirements of the Philippine Air Force, and the government will apply this proposal method to Malaysia as well.As a prerequisite for export, the Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement, which is an indispensable legal framework for having the partner country properly manage equipment, has already been concluded with Malaysia and has come into effect in 2018. Once the order is decided, the environment for smooth export is in place.

Strengthening airspace surveillance is an urgent issue for Malaysia. The Royal Malaysian Air Force announced on May 31 this year that it had confirmed that 16 Chinese military transport aircraft were approaching the airspace over the South China Sea off the coast of Borneo and had scrambled the air force aircraft. The transport plane was flying in a tactical formation within 60 nautical miles (about 110 km) from the coast.

It has been revealed that the government will participate in bidding for the export of air defense radar to Malaysia. Following the Philippines, which Japan succeeded in receiving orders in August last year, the need to increase radar in Malaysia is increasing as evidence that China's threat in the South China Sea is becoming more serious not only in the sea but also in the airspace."I'm not sure if China's threat has pushed the bid forward or the timing coincided, but Malaysia is certainly intensifying the sense of crisis."

A senior Japanese government official points out. Malaysia issued a radar bid announcement on June 2, this year. Two days before that, on May 31, a large number of Chinese military aircraft rushed to the vicinity of the airspace, passing near the air route of a civilian passenger aircraft, and the Malaysian Air Force detected by radar had just been forced to scramble by a fighter.

China PLA - An insightful video clip on the PLA Navy Type-075 Yushen class leader, the landing helicopter, dock (LHD) Hainan

海南舰 pic.twitter.com/aAxr4eOIqO

— 蜜柑🍊 (@KushigumoAkane) June 22, 2021

US Carrier Strike Group Exercises with Republic of Singapore Navy

 

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Shiloh (CG 67) and RSS Intrepid (69) steam in formation while training together in the South China Sea (photos : US Navy, RSN)

SOUTH CHINA SEA - Ships and aircraft from the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG 5) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) conducted integrated bilateral training, June 17.CSG 5 sailed in international waters with RSN’s Formidable-class frigate RSS Intrepid (69) and the Victory-class corvette RSS Vigilance (90). While training together, the strike group and the RSN ships conducted maritime security drills, flag hoist and communication drills as well as formation sailing, and a publication exercise (PUB-EX), during which the watchstanders of each ship quizzed each other on tactical and technical literature.

“Any opportunity to train and exercise with our Singaporean partners, especially in the South China Sea, is essential in demonstrating our commitment to freedom of navigation and peace in the region,” said Capt. Fred Goldhammer, commanding officer of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). “As America's flagship, Ronald Reagan maintains a forward presence here, or anywhere else where our mission may take us. Our crew always remains focused, flexible and ready.”The strike group is committed to upholding U.S. security agreements with regional allies and partners, demonstrating the capability of forward-deployed naval forces to quickly respond across the region.

"We are always pleased with the opportunity to operate with and improve our cohesiveness with our partners, and this was no exception," said Capt. Sharif Calfee, USS Shiloh commanding officer. "The Shiloh Hornets were proud to exhibit our shared commitment to maritime security and freedom of the seas with the RSN."This exercise accomplished the mission of strengthening the U.S. Navy’s bilateral relationship and cooperation with RSN by demonstrating the ability to integrate and coordinate maritime operations.The U.S. and Republic of Singapore navies work together on a number of initiatives at sea such as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX), Exercise Pacific Griffin, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), and Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), as well as combined operations such as multi-national counter-piracy.

The strike group consists of the Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, the embarked staffs of Task Force 70 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97).

CSG 5, is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet. The U.S. Navy has operated in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years, through 7th Fleet, helping allies and partners from 35 other maritime-nations by providing credible, ready forces to develop interoperability that fosters maritime security, promotes stability, and prevents conflict all in order to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

India to retire MiG-21 in three years, stands up second Rafale squadron

 

The Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshall R K S Bhadauria has said that the ageing MiG-21 fighter jets will be phased out by the IAF in the next two to three years, Times of India has reported.The IAF Chief added that the force is currently focusing on inducting the 36 Rafale fighter jets after which the focus will shift to inducting LCA Tejas jets over the next three and half years.

"Discontinuation of flying the MiG-21 immediately is not the answer. In another 2-3 years they will be phased out as soon as they get to their life's end. Our plan to induct 36 Rafales is on target. Once the Rafales are inducted, the focus will be on the induction of the LCA over the next three-and-a-half years", the IAF Chief has been quoted as saying.The IAF is also focusing on developing the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) in collaboration with the DRDO and the industry.

The IAF has so far received six batches of Rafale fighter jets.The arrival of this sixth batch of Rafale jets means that the country has now received two-third of the total number of planes that it had ordered ie 24 jets. Earlier, the fifth consignment of four jets had traversed a total distance of 8,000 km from the Merignac Air Base to reach India on 22 April.

Indonesia to take $700 million foreign loans to buy 2 aerial refueling tankers

 https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/indonesia-approves-usd700-million-in-foreign-loans-for-aerial-tanker-buy

Ridzwan Rahmat

The Indonesian Ministry of Finance (MoF) has granted approval for the country to obtain up to USD700 million in foreign loans to procure two aerial tankers for the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) in 2021.

This was revealed in a notice issued by the MoF on 26 April listing a total of 31 Ministry of Defence (MoD) programmes for which funding through foreign loans has been approved.Issued after consultations with the MoD and the Ministry of National Development Planning (Kementerian Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional: BAPPENAS), the list, which was initially classified, has been provided to Janes by a government source. The document also shows that a total of 56 requests for foreign funding were rejected.Janes was first informed by a source at the Singapore Airshow 2018 that the TNI-AU had appointed GMF AeroAsia, a subsidiary of national carrier Garuda Indonesia, for assistance with an in-depth study on Indonesia's aerial refuelling capabilities.Among the matters that were explored in the study were life cycle costs, local capabilities in maintaining the airframes, compatibility of refuelling methods with the TNI-AU's fleet of aircraft, and inter-operability with existing and future TNI-AU assets.

As part of its findings, the TNI-AU and GMF AeroAsia recommend that the new tankers be equipped with both the probe-and-drogue and flying boom aerial refuelling methods, Janes has learnt.Prior to the joint study with GMF AeroAsia, the TNI-AU had conducted its own preliminary study comparing Airbus' A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), Boeing's KC-46A Pegasus, and Russia's four-engined Ilyushin Il-78.

Malaysia launches tender for the supply of 18 light combat aircraft

 Malaysia has published the tender for the supply of eighteen Fighter Lead In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft for the Royal Malaysian Air Force on Jun. 22.

Life under Pakistani Taliban Rule