Thursday, May 20, 2021
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Chinese Army Inducts New Armored Vehicles, Howitzers & Rocket Launchers
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Xinjiang Military Command has taken delivery of three new advanced weapon systems – armored vehicles, howitzers and self-propelled rocket launchers – over the past week.
The unit deployed in a snowy plateau region at an elevation of more than 4,500m inducted dozens of Type 08 eight-wheeled armored vehicles of different variants with some of them equipped with large caliber rifled guns, auto cannons, machine guns and howitzer systems, js7tv.cn, a video news website affiliated with the PLA, reported on Sunday.Another newly delivered weapons system is a new-type, four-wheeled 122mm-caliber self-propelled howitzer, to a group which recently conducted its first live-fire target practice deep in the Karakorum Mountains at an altitude of 4,500m. The howitzer partially uses technologies from the PCL-181 155mm-caliber self-propelled howitzer.
In addition, a batch of new PHL-03 long-range self-propelled heavy rocket launchers, which are highly mobile, fast-reacting, highly accurate, very deadly and jamming-resistant, recently went into service at a unit deployed in a snow-covered region at an elevation of more than 5,200m, Chinese media reported.
The command received the first batch of newly developed Type 15 light tanks in early 2021.
Indonesia Close to Signing Rafale Contract
Indonesia could become the latest customer for the French Rafale fighters with an agreement expected to be signed soon.
The contract is awaiting Indonesian presidential acceptance to route money from the Ministry of Defense account to buy the jets, LA Tribune reported today.Indonesian Air Force plans to buy at least 36 Rafales. During a visit to Paris in October 2020, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto reiterated his keen interest in the Dassault Aviation fighter plane.
The two countries have initiated a strategic dialogue this year with the objective of quickly signing a cooperation agreement in the field of defense.Indonesia recently turned down an offer from the U.S. to buy F-16 jets after the U.S. declined to sell it F-35 fighters. Besides, its deal to buy 12 Su-35 jets from Russia is in cold storage since 2018.
Dassault is on a roll with a recent order from Egypt and Greece to buy Rafale jets and on-going contracts with India and Qatar. The company might be ok to a parts-manufacturing eco-system which Indonesia is said to be proposing.According to reports, Jakarta’s wish list also includes eight Boeing F-15s, Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, three Airbus A330 tankers for aerial refuelling and six MQ-1 Predator drones.
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