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Singapore and US Navies Conduct Bilateral Exercise Pacific Griffin

 

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the United States Navy (USN) are conducting the third edition of the bilateral Exercise Pacific Griffin from 22 Jun to 7 Jul 2021. The exercise is held in the waters off Guam.The RSN's Formidable-class frigates RSS Tenacious and RSS Stalwart, and the Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Fearless, exercised alongside USN's Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold, auxiliary ship USNS Amelia Earhart and a Los Angeles-class submarine, in a series of naval serials for the air, surface and underwater domains. RSN naval divers and their USN counterparts also conducted maritime counter-terrorism training and a combined boarding of a vessel of interest, simulated by RSN's training ship MV Avatar. In addition, the RSN fired torpedoes and conducted an Aster anti-air missile firing.Exercise Pacific Griffin also saw the participation of RSAF fighters, who were rotationally deployed to Guam for unilateral training from May to Jul 2021. Exercising together, the RSN and RSAF executed a successful coordinated missile firing against a surface target. The RSN and RSAF also conducted other integrated missions in support of maritime operations during the exercise, strengthening the sea-air integration between the services.

RSN's Deputy Fleet Commander and the exercise task force commander, Colonel Ooi Tjin Kai highlighted the value of the exercise in enhancing professionalism between the two navies. He said, “Exercise Pacific Griffin is an important part of a series of regular bilateral interactions with our US counterparts. We always look forward to training with the USN as it provides us the opportunity to conduct exercises to hone our capabilities and enhance our cooperation."

The USN's Commander Task Force 71, Captain Chase Sargeant said that the exercise benefits the two navies by allowing each to deepen their shared knowledge, while bolstering a strong and enduring maritime relationship. "Exercises like Pacific Griffin emphasise cooperation while building competencies in a complex and technologically-advanced training environment. This exercise demonstrates the trust and expertise we have built over the years with the RSN through increasingly complex and integrated training and live fire events," he said.First conducted in 2017, Exercise Pacific Griffin highlights the strong navy-to-navy relations between Singapore and the US, as well as the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relations between both countries. Apart from bilateral exercises, both navies also engage in a wide range of activities, including professional exchanges, cross-attendance of courses and participation in multilateral exercises. These regular interactions have enhanced cooperation and mutual understanding between the two militaries, and deepened personal and professional ties between their personnel.

PAF is Eyeing on KT-1B Wongbee as SF- 260 Warrior Replacement

 

As the Philippines Air Force (PAF) is receiving high performance combat aircraft to rejuvenate and modernise its fleet, so to the need to have a more capable basic training aircraft that fills in the gap to train new generation pilots to fly aircraft such as the Embraer A-29B Super Tucano Counter Insurgency (COIN) aircraft, the KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle Lead In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) and the winner of Multi Role Fighter (MRF) program which could be either the LockheedMartin F-16V Viper or the SAAB JAS-39C/D Gripen.

The locally assembled SF-260 Warrior side by side trainer is simply outdated and ill suited for new generation Air Force. All of ASEAN operators namely Brunei, Singapore and Thailand have shed their respective SF-260 with better training platform such as Pilatus PC-7Mk II, Pilatus PC-21 and Raytheon T-6 Texan II.

In order to match the training quality disparity, it is said that several types of training aircraft have been studied by PAF. It is widely believed that there is a need for 12 new aircraft in training role. In the end, it has been recently reported that KAI KT-1 Wongbee will be procured once green light has been given by the Government (of course budget permitted too).Procuring the KT-1B is of course a logical choice. With tandem seat arrangements, the KT-1B provide seamless transition to student pilots destined to fly the FA-50. They will fly the PADC built SIAI Marchetti S.211 jet trainer to give them a feel of flying jet aircraft but will rely on experience of flying in the KT-1B which has similar cockpit layout once already in the cockpit of the FA-50.

Buying another South Korean made defence product would further boost the relationship between the two countries.

It is not only those who will fly the FA-50 would benefit from the KT-1B procurement. Pilots selected to fly the A-29B would find their time on tandem seating configuration and high speed turboprop aircraft such as the KT-1B crucial to help them to fly the much faster but similarly turboprop driven Super Tucano, procured by the PAF to replace the ageing Rockwell OV-10F Bronco COIN aircraft.

Royal Thai Air Force's 2nd Satellite Launched into Space

 

 The Royal Thai Air Force's second satellite was successfully launched into space on Thursday, according to Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).

The Napa-2 earth observation satellite was launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida in the United States at 02:31 a.m. local time, the GISTDA announced on its Facebook page.The Napa-2 satellite launch followed Napa-1 satellite, the first of the Thai Air Force, which was successfully launched into space in last September from French Guiana.

Those satellites were primarily designed to collect data pertaining to Thailand's natural resources, climate, air defense and national security.