SABAH SECURITY : Allocation will be used to build initial infrastructure

LANGKAWI: THE government has approved an initial allocation of RM200 million for the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Ess-zone).

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday the allocation would be used to build the initial infrastructure for Eastern Sabah Safety Command (Esscom) in the form of cabins and camps as well as immediate procurement of assets for all the agencies involved in Ess- zone.

" I expect after this (initial allocation), the government will allocate more money to further strengthen Esszone, " he said after witnessing the signing of agreements worth RM4.271 billion at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition here.

Asked what sort of asset procurement was being looked at for Esszone, Zahid said he could not list it as yet because it involved multiple agencies. However, he said, the ministry was evaluating several assets for the armed forces. Among these, said Zahid, wereunmanned aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and fast boats.

Yesterday, the minister announced that two helicopters and three fixed-wing planes would be converted into maritime patrol aircraft for Esszone. Although he did not state it, it is understood that the conversion of the helicopters and planes will take up part of the RM200 million allocation.

A total of five battalions of security forces will be stationed in east Sabah to provide security for Esszone. This followed the intrusion of armed gunmen from Sulu, the Philippines, in Lahad Datu, Semporna and other areas last month.

More than 60 gunmen have been killed during clashes with Malaysian security forces since early this month. Scores more have been detained. The latest incident yesterday morning saw a gunmen killed and two women detained.

source New Straits Times

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Ministry seals RM4.27b Deftech deal

AWV 8x8 PRODUCTION: RM100m to expand Pekan and Nilai plants

DRB-HICOM'S Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech) has begun production for 257 units of 8x8 armoured wheeled vehicles (AWV) for the army, with delivery of the first batch in five years' time.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday said Deftech would develop, manufacture, supply and deliver 12 variants of the AWV over a span of 13 years through collaboration with Turkey's FNSS Savunma Sistemleri AS.

"The AWV deal has benefitted local defence industries leading to over 100 vendors clinching various contracts," he said at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.

Zahid said the Deftech deal with the Defence Ministry was worth RM4.27 billion.

FNSS is a joint venture between British-based BAE Systems Inc, the world's biggest arms group, and Turkey's Nurol Holdings.

DefTech is already spending about RM100 million to expand its plants in Pekan and Nilai to cater to the production of the AWVs.

Codenamed AV-8 8x8 due to its eight-by-eight wheel configuration, the AWV and its 12 variants would be Malaysia's first such indigenous family of armoured vehicles following the transfer of advanced defence technologies and patterns to Deftech, of which Deftech will own its first intellectual property rights on them.

The AV-8 is based loosely on the Adnan armoured combat vehicle which recently saw action in Lahad Datu. It is a longer vehicle, one variant of which will be carrying 120mm mortars, whereas the mortar variant of the Adnan carries 80mm mortars.

Zahid said the success of events like the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) and Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibitions had created spin-offs for numerous local companies, creating over 50,000 jobs since 1991.

"I am proud to note that nearly 50 per cent of these companies consist of retired armed forces officers and other ranks who have become successful entrepreneurs."

On another note, Zahid said that Boustead Heavy Industries had won a RM47.4 million contract to maintain six Eurocopter AS555 Fennec helicopters for the Royal Malaysian Navy.

On Lima, Zahid said that it would continue to be staged in the idyllic island of Langkawi and would continue to be relevant as it exhibits the latest products and services at each series.

"Lima will continue to be an attraction as it has led to the collaboration of new technologies and spun-off new businesses, especially for the Malaysian Defence and Security Technology Park in Sungkai, Perak."

As for Lima '13, Zahid said there were 1,022 business-to-business meetings until Thursday and had drawn nearly 40,000 trade visitors.

Lima opened it doors to the public yesterday and ends today.

source New Straits Times

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Lima third largest after Farnborough and Paris airshows

LANGKAWI: The Langkawi International Maritime and Air (LIMA) Exhibition 2013 is now recognised as the third biggest defence exposition in the world, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said LIMA 2013 was now ranked third after the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom and the Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Airport.

He called on those, who had belittled LIMA by claiming that the exhibition was purportedly drawing less response and that a smaller number of defense assets such as aircraft and warships were on display, to come for themselves to the next LIMA exposition.

"Our LIMA is unique because at other shows, they separate the air show from the maritime exhibition but here, we merge the aerospace and maritime shows. This is the biggest success for our country," he told reporters at the closing ceremony of LIMA 2013.

The LIMA exposition, among other things, aimed to bring together decision-makers in the defence and trade sectors as well as key players in the defence industry.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the objectives of LIMA 2013 had been achieved and the exposition had attracted more than 40,000 professional visitors and traders as well as 632 media personnel comprising 337 local media and 295 international media representatives.

A total of 180,000 members of the public including local residents and tourists had visited the exhibition.

The Farnborough Air Show last year attracted 100,000 professional visitors and traders as well as 109,000 local visitors.
- BERNAMA

source New Straits Times

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Taiwan vows to step up patrol in East China Sea

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan’s president has commissioned a new vessel to beef up patrol in a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea also claimed by China and Japan.

President Ma Ying-jeou Ma on Saturday commissioned the 2,000-ton Xinbei cutter, which is equipped with machine guns and water cannons. The vessel will join a fleet of smaller ships to patrol the islands, known in China as Diaoyu and in Japan as Senkaku.

On board the ship off southern Kaohsiung harbor, Ma renewed his calls for parties to negotiate and set aside their claims to the islands and jointly develop the rich natural resources there.

China has so far ignored Ma’s offer because it still sees Taiwan as part of its territory more than six decades after they split amid civil war.

source New Straits Times 

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12 F-35 Lightning II For RSAF

Singapore is expected to announce within the coming days its plans to buy the first 12 of some 75 of the stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft. It is expected to submit a “letter of request” soon for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, said two U.S. government officials who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.



The B version is a STOVL variant similar to those destined for the United States Marine Corp (USMC). The latter is acquiring the F-35B as a replacement to the AV-8B Harrier II STOVL aircraft which remains till this day the backbone of its aviation branch.

LM F-35B Lightning II

Given the fact that Singapore is an island nation with limited land, the F-35B makes great sense for its ability to operate from limited areas. The procurement of the F-35B also allows the RSAF to work closely with the US Marines as well as with the US Navy’s F-35Cs operating from the aircraft carriers.

With this recent development, there will be three Asian-Australasian operators in this region namely the RAAF with 50 to 100 Australian F-35As, Japan’s JASDF with 42 F-35A and the RSAF with the expected 75 F-35Bs in the pipeline.

Singapore’s defence minister, Ng Eng Hen, said on March 12, the air force “has identified the F-35 as a suitable aircraft to further modernise our fighter fleet”.

“Our F-5s are nearing the end of their operational life and our F-16s are at their mid-way mark,” he said in parliament. “We are now in the final stages of evaluating the F-35.”

Ng gave no timeline but said the defence ministry “will have to be satisfied that this state-of-the-art multi-role fighter meets our long-term needs, is on track to be operationally capable and, most importantly, is a cost-effective platform.”

Singapore’s RSAF now has 24 F-15SGs, 20 F-16Cs and 40 F-16Ds, 28 F-5Ss and nine F-5Ts, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It also has 19 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters among its other assorted aircraft.

For more than 11 years, Lockheed Martin has been promoting the state of the art F-35 Lightning II to the RSAF. Mock up of the aircraft has been without fail, attended Asian Aerospace and Singapore Airshow exhibition since 2002. (here)

source Malaysia Flying Herald

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Sukhoi, Malaysia Sign $100 Mln Deal on Fighters' Maintenance

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), March 28 (RIA Novosti) – Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi and the Malaysian Defense Ministry have signed a $100-million contract for the technical maintenance of Malaysia’s fleet of Su-30MKM fighters, said a spokesman for the organizing committee of the LIMA-2013 aerospace exhibition.

© RIA Novosti.

Su-30 Multirole Fighter

The contract covers technical maintenance as well as supplies of spare parts for 18 Russian Su-30MKM fighters that were delivered to Malaysia between 2007 and 2009 under a $900-million contract signed in 2003.

In addition to its 18 Su-30MKM Flanker fighters, Malaysia also has 16 MiG-29N Fulcrum fighters in its combat aircraft fleet.










source Ria Novosti

















The Su-30MKM is a multi-role Flanker based on the Su-30MKI model and features a customized avionics package built to Malaysian specifications. Su-family fighters constitute the bulk of Russia's arms exports.

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Need to buy new ships, aircraft

LIMA EXHIBITION: PM says govt has identified maritime and aerospace industries as key sectors to support


Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (second from right), his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyidddin Yassin, and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at the 12th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition in Langkawi. Pic by Effendy Rashid

LANGKAWI: THE Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition is poised to become a gateway for defence spending by the Asian market, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.

The prime minister said the exhibition was well situated to take advantage of the growth in military spending in Southeast Asia which went up by 13.5 per cent last year, with Asian defence spending set to overtake Europe for the first time.

"Military modernisation programmes continue to drive defence spending in Asean. (The) acquisition of ships and aircraft, drones and armoured vehicles will continue to be the focus of procurement within the region and form the majority of defence procurement spending until 2020," he said when launching the 12th Langkawi International Maritime and Aero-space exhibition (Lima 2013) here.

Najib said Lima was important for Malaysia as the government had identified the maritime and aerospace industries as key sectors for investment and support.

He said the launch of the Malaysian Shipbuilding/Ship Repair Industry Strategic Plan 2020 at the last edition of Lima and the recent inclusion of the industry in the Economic Transformation Programme were clear acknowledgement of its importance, not just in accelerating Malaysia's growth but also in providing high-income jobs.

"We have also pushed aviation to the centre of our industrial policy. Through the Malaysian Aerospace Council, we have steered the development of the aviation industry."

Najib said the aviation industry had grown from RM8.2 billion in turnover in 1998 to RM30 billion, with more than 230 active companies and a workforce of 65,000.

Last year, he said the aerospace industry recorded RM2.3 billion in investments, creating 2,700 new jobs.

"Situated as we are in the heart of one of the most vibrant maritime and aerospace markets, with strong connections to Asia and an open business-friendly economy, I believe the future prospects for growth are strong."

As expected, Najib began his speech by touching on what must have been on his mind for the last month or so -- the intrusion in Sabah by gunmen.

"I stand before you today in unique circumstances. I have served as defence minister, as deputy prime minister and now as prime minister. I have spoken at this exhibition and others like it but this is the first time I have done so while an internal security situation is ongoing.

"Six weeks ago, a group of armed militants landed on Borneo's eastern shore pursuing a grandiose territorial claim that is without merit or basis in fact.

"It was the beginning of the biggest internal security threat since the communist insurgency ended in 1989."

As former defence minister, he said he had made big decisions on defence procurement and policy and advised forces and companies on spending and strategies.

"These were big questions. They involved potential loss of life and deployment of national resources," he said, mentioning the country's decision to send troops on peacekeeping missions under the United Nations' umbrella to places like Bosnia, Somalia and Lebanon.

Nothing, he said could adequately prepare someone for a situation like the Sabah incursion.

"I urge the men and women currently on duty in Sabah to remain steadfast and vigilant. Our prayers are with you always."

Najib also paid tribute to those who had fallen in Ops Daulat in Lahad Datu and Semporna, adding that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure that its security forces were provided the best equipment the country could afford and to show that the lives lost in protecting Malaysia's sovereignty were not lost in vain.

"You shall not be forgotten."

Yesterday's opening ceremony was held on the tarmac of the Langkawi International Airport, the first time since Lima's inception in 1991.

The ceremony was followed by a short show by 22 Royal Malaysian Air Force -- the F-5E Tiger, MiG-29N Fulcrum, Sukhoi SU-30MKM, Boeing F/A-18D Hornet, BAE Systems Hawk and Aermacchi jets and Eurocopter EC-725 Cougar helicopters.


Malaysia’s Krisakti aerobatics team going through its routine over the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre on the first day of the Lima exhibition yesterday. On the tarmac are Dassault Rafale multirole fighters of France’s Armee de l’Air.

Read more New Straits Times

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France says Malaysia can build jets if it buys Rafale

France dangled Tuesday the possibility of manufacturing its Rafale fighter plane in Malaysia if the nation selected the aircraft as its new combat jet.

"We are considering an assembly line in Malaysia," said Eric Trappier, chief executive of the Rafale's builder Dassault Aviation, in a telephone interview from the Langkawi air show in northern Malaysia.

Malaysia is looking to buy 18 combat fighters to replace its ageing Russian Mig-29s, with the Eurofighter, Boeing's F-18 and Saab's Gripen also in the running.

The multi-role Rafale, which entered service in the French military in 2001, can carry out air-ground or air-sea attacks, reconnaissance, aerial interception or nuclear strike missions.

France is keen to make its first foreign sale of the Rafale, which has struggled to find buyers, to support a project that has cost tens of billions of euros.

India has selected the Rafale, with most of the 126 fighter jets they plan to buy expected to be built there if the final contract is signed this year as hoped.

Malaysia is keen for its local companies to be involved in the manufacturing, and Trappier said that Dassault has spent considerable effort in lining up local suppliers should the Rafale be selected.

Dassault has already signed deals with Malaysian companies CTRM, Zetro Aerospace and Sapura, he noted.

Two Rafales were at the Langkawi air show to provide demonstration flights.

pmr/rl/fb

DASSAULT AVIATION

BAE SYSTEMS

EADS - EUROPEAN AERONAUTIC DEFENCE AND SPACE COMPANY

FINMECCANICA

BOEING

SAAB AB

source Global Post

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LIMA 2013: Some News On RMAF

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) would upgrade 30 of the RMAF’s existing Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopter so that they could be used for combat support operation for another 12 years. 

The upgrade works on these helicopters, reportedly worth RM 500 million would involved the installation of digital display system, advanced gear box as well as rotor blade. Works will be done by a local aerospace company.

The RMAF Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-29N/NUB Fulcrum replacement aircraft might be announced after the coming 13th General Election. 10 Mig-29N/NUB are currently in service with No 17/19 Skn at Kuantan AFB. The Government is currently studying the proposals of suitable candidates including Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Saab JAS-39 Gripen, Dassault Rafale as well as Eurofighter Typhoon.

A Eurofighter Typhoon during LIMA 2013. Aircraft parked below include F/A-18F Super Hornet, Dassault rafale and RMAF Mig-29N

Nevertheless, local aerospace industries will benefit from various cooperation program which include transfer of technology through the acquisition of the new MRCA which will replace the Mig-29N/NUB.

The condition shall be adhere to so that to ensure that Malaysia would not only be as a mere operator of the aircraft but also as an industrial partner.

source Malaysia Flying Herald

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LIMA 2013: DRB-HICOM Ink MoU With SAAB

DRB-HICOM signed an MoU with SAAB AB which outline an industrial cooperation to look into areas of technology and expertise transfer to Malaysia. 

Saab is offering Erieye system to fill in RMAF AEW&C requirement

The MoU broadens and deepens the existing relationship between the companies which has already signed an Industrial Cooperation Teaming Agreement at LIMA 2011 to collaborate on AEW&C system.

Through the MoU, both parties have agreed to explore the various areas of cooperation that include the design and manufacture of composite systems and components for both military and commercial aerospace application, composite repair technology and system integration of electronic warfare, avionics and other airborne systems.

Source Malaysia Flying Herald

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