South East Asia Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

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So Vietnam’s second attempt, VNREDSat-1, which measures 600 x 570 x 500 mm and weighs 120 kg, was put into orbit in May 2013 and successfully transmitted the first images back to Earth two days after launch. VNREDSat-1 was designed by Astrium SAS, a European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) affiliate, and its $70-million project cost bankrolled jointly by the French and Vietnamese governments. Whffen Astrium SAS handed over VNREDSat-1’s control to VAST four months later, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan called that a milestone in Vietnam’s space technology development, claiming full mastery of “small satellite technology” and the ability to independently process images. Most importantly, according to the National Space Science and Technology Research Programme chairman Nguyen Khoa Son, VNREDSat-1 helps reduce Vietnam’s reliance on foreign-sourced images.

To be sure, the military significance of VNREDSat-1 cannot be overlooked. In February 2014, Nguyen Xuan Lam, Head of MONRE’s National Remote Sensing Department, said that VNREDSat-1 will used for monitoring Vietnam’s waters and islands for the purpose of socioeconomic development as well as defense and security purposes, under the project “Monitoring Offshore Key Waters and Islands with Remote Sensing Technology.” At a conference in May the same year, Deputy Minister of MONRE Nguyen Thai Lai said that VNREDSat-1 serves as an effective tool in managing Vietnam’s environmental resources and defending national sovereignty over its land, sea, islands and airspace.

Vietnam is evidently buoyed by the success of VNREDSat-1 – and of Pico Dragon, which has roughly the same dimensions as the ill-fated F-1 and was launched shortly after, managing to transmit its first signals to Earth. By 2016, according to Pham, Vietnam plans to launch the 10 kg NanoDragon, which will be entirely developed locally, to be followed by the 50 kg MicroDragon in 2018, and then LOTUSat-2, a 500-600 kg satellite capable of capturing X-band synthetic aperture radar images with 1-16 m resolution, by 2020. Clearly, Hanoi has adopted an incremental approach, moving from small to bigger and more capable satellites.

As it stands, VNREDSat-1 carries a camera that can capture images with a 2.5 m resolution – certainly falling short of the high resolution of one meter or less afforded by military satellites. This hampers Vietnam’s ability to identify and observe with high precision the types of activities taking place in the SCS. VNREDSat-1’s limitation and the growing urgency of the SCS situation thus catalyze follow-on initiatives. In October 2014, Hanoi inked a deal with Belgium to develop VNREDSAT-1B, planned for launch in 2017. Unfortunately, however, it later backed out of the deal, following the breakdown of prolonged negotiations over its terms.

Hence the deal with India to build a satellite tracking station in Vietnam, allowing Hanoi access to data from India’s constellation of civilian and military remote-sensing satellites. Facing a remote-sensing capability gap until the more capable LOTUSat-2 comes on line, Vietnam possibly views this as a short-term stopgap measure to acquire more precise, militarily useful data generated from sophisticated Indian military satellites such as the radar imaging satellite RISAT-2 which, despite Indian officials’ insistence that it is used solely for disaster management, is capable of monitoring objects with dimensions as small as 10 cm. In the longer term, Hanoi may have assessed that collaboration with New Delhi may facilitate its ultimate goal of attaining self-sufficiency in its satellite remote-sensing capabilities.

Drones Seeing Steadier Progress

Compared to satellites, UAVs constitute a field where Vietnam has arguably achieved more success, in no small part attributable to the relative ease of accessing dual-use technologies commonly found in such platforms. Indeed, UAVs have been a critical facet of Hanoi’s quest to develop ISR capabilities, and rightfully so since drones have become a perennial asset in modern warfare. In fact, Vietnam had begun developing UAVs as far back as 1978 when its air force’s Institute of Technology launched the TL-1 program. The first dedicated military UAV, HL-1, was based on a French model but financial constraints meant it was only partially completed.

In recent years, Hanoi has taken steps to revitalize its UAV program. Since 2010, it has cooperated with the Russian aerospace corporation Irkut to develop UAVs. Russo-Vietnamese UAV cooperation was enhanced in March 2012 with a new agreement signed between Vietnam Aerospace Association (VASA) and Irkut to develop a UAV weighing less than 100 kg with endurance of 16 hours. The deal was reportedly worth $10 million and covers technology transfers to Vietnam. But it is also evident that Hanoi seeks to diversify its sources of UAV technology. Notably, in November 2012, VASA inked a UAV deal with a Swedish firm, with its first phase covering Swedish support to initially build two Magic Eye-1 UAVs, each weighing 40 kg and capable of staying up for six hours. The subsequent two phases cover technical collaboration in associated UAV electronics, such as automatic drive mechanisms and cameras, and joint exports.

Hanoi appears to have adopted a double-pronged strategy of acquiring foreign systems while developing them through technology transfers. At least five UAV models had been tested so far, equipped with various specialized payloads. However, not all such effort yielded success. For example, also in February 2014 Vietnam’s navy reportedly discussed with Austrian firm Schiebel to purchase the Camcopter S-100 rotary-winged UAV, ostensibly for deployment from the Dutch SIGMA corvettes Hanoi was earlier said to be acquiring. But the corvette deal has since fallen through, though it is not implausible for the same UAV to be flown from other types of warships if Vietnam remains keen on it. Undeterred, Hanoi persists with this double-pronged UAV development strategy, starting with tactical systems optimized for short-range battlefield ISR.

Following the successful test flight of a prototype AV.UAV.S2 over the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong in May 2013, touted by Vietnam’s state media as paving the way for follow-on development of UAVs to perform “other necessary tasks”, in February the following year military-owned Viettel Group unveiled its indigenous Patrol VT tactical UAV, reportedly equipped with a high-definition infra-red sensor capable of taking high-quality images within 600 meters. About seven months later, Vietnam acquired the Orbiter-2 mini-UAV from Israel. It debuted on Vietnamese television in December, supporting a navy coastal defense artillery live-firing exercise featuring an Israeli-made EXTRA rocket system. Hanoi is possibly satisfied with the Orbiter-2 and therefore decided to acquire more of the system, as well as the larger Orbiter-3 that is capable of 7-hour endurance.

But such tactical UAVs are typically handicapped by limited endurance and payload. Vietnam clearly seeks more capable UAVs. A senior official responsible for UAV development at Viettel’s Flight Instrument Center stated in June 2013 that the firm’s longer-term goal is to develop a UAV capable of 15-24 hours’ endurance. In this respect, Vietnam seems to have reaped the most out of its military-technical links with Belarus, following a UAV purchase and joint development pact signed in May 2013. It is very plausible that HS-6L, a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) drone reported in December 2015, is developed with Belarussian assistance. Capable of a 4000km-range and 35-hour endurance, this UAV is poised to conduct SCS flight tests during the second quarter of 2016.

Clearly, while its scope is dwarfed by China’s, Vietnam is keen to develop a holistic range of UAVs optimized for various tactical and strategic-operational missions. Within barely a decade, it has made notable progress in no small part due to its access to foreign technologies. In the near future, Hanoi would attain a degree of self-sufficiency in UAVs to complete such an important facet of its envisaged suite of ISR capabilities.

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Persistent ISR Capability Gaps

While the pathway undertaken by Hanoi in building its ISR capabilities has so far been sound and pragmatic, clearly there is still some way to go before a comprehensive, multi-layered suite of ISR capabilities can be established for maritime domain awareness and targeting purposes in the SCS. There is a persistent capability shortfall in manned aerial ISR platforms, and particularly in airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) and maritime patrol aircraft.

An AEW&C plane is primarily optimized for aerial surveillance while possessing a secondary maritime surveillance function but such platforms are expensive. Maritime patrol aircraft are the next alternative, being optimized for maritime surveillance roles. At present, Vietnam’s stable of such planes – the Canadian DHC-6 Guardian-400 and Spanish CASA-212 – are handicapped by limited endurance, payload and range. Time-sensitive, close-in ISR can be accomplished with only larger MPAs in view of the vast maritime area of responsibility Vietnam has.

Ever since Hanoi reportedly expressed “a lot of interest” in acquiring the P-3C Orion from the United States back in April 2013, thus far no follow-on moves had been made even though Washington partially relaxed its arms export ban on Vietnam in September the following year. A less costly strategy could be to modify Vietnam’s new C-295 medium airlifters to perform ISR roles. But these planes are intended in the first place to replace the antiquated fleet of Soviet fixed-wing air transports, leaving little or no surplus assets for such conversions.

In any case, Vietnam’s current ISR focus constitutes a logical progression from the previous emphasis on reinvigorating its kinetic military capabilities. Having already invested so much in new fighter jets, missiles, warships and submarines, Hanoi clearly recognizes the need for more attention to ISR. Its ongoing programs are geared towards building space-based remote-sensing and unmanned aerial ISR assets that would augment “traditional” ISR capabilities found in Vietnam’s existing aerial, surface, sub-surface and shore-based platforms.

Ultimately, the eventual realization of a comprehensive ISR capability suite would allow Vietnam to maximize the potential of its arsenal for the purpose of conducting sea denial and defensive sea control missions, in effect realizing its own version of anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategy in the SCS. Considering the relatively small arsenal mustered by Hanoi vis-à-vis China’s, a comprehensive suite of ISR capabilities would serve as a valuable force multiplier.

Koh Swee Lean Collin is associate research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University based in Singapore. He can be reached at [email protected]
 

FORBIN

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Vietnam, SSK Kilo

Sixth Submarine will be Delivered at the end 2016

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - last of six diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 "Varshavyanka" will be transferred to the Vietnamese Navy in November and December 2016, told RIA Novosti on Wednesday, the press service of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

The contract was signed in 2009. In 2014-2015 "Admiralty Shipyards" have transferred to Vietnam four submarines that are currently serving in the naval base in Cam Ranh. The fifth submarine has already been delivered to the customer as noted in the CCA.

"Transfer of planned foreign customer on schedule in November-December 2016 In January 2017 the submarine should be delivered at the place home.", - Reported the press service of the corporation.
Submarine Project 636 "Varshavyanka" refers to the third generation, have a displacement of 3.95 tons, speed of 20 knots, dive depth of 300 meters, the crew of 52 people. They can detect a target at a distance of three to four times greater than the one where they can detect the enemy. For his stealth boat project received NATO name "black hole".

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FORBIN

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Indonesia to retire Ahmad Yani-class frigates from 2017

The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) is scheduled to decommission the first of its six Ahmad Yani-class frigates in 2017, a TNI-AL source told IHS Jane's on 10 February.

The schedule was decided at the 2016 iteration of an annual naval technical and logistics work plan meeting that took place in early January at the TNI-AL's Western Fleet (KOARMABAR) headquarters in Jakarta. "The Ahmad Yani class will be decommissioned at a rate of one ship a year from 2017 until 2022," the source said.

According to IHS Jane's Fighting Ships , the vessels were first commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) between August 1967 and May 1968 as the Van Speijk class. They were then transferred to the TNI-AL between 1986 and 1989.

Ahmad Yani-class vessels have an overall length of 113.4 m, an overall beam of 12.5 m, and a hull draught of 4.2 m. The platform displaces 2,880 tonnes at full load and can accommodate a crew of 180.

The vessel is armed with an Oto Melara 76 mm main gun as a primary weapon and four 12.7 mm machine guns for point defence. Submarine prosecution capability is facilitated by six 324 mm tubes that can deploy the Honeywell Mk 46 lightweight torpedo.

The TNI-AL, however, has not specified which of the six ships is slated to be decommissioned first in 2017.

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Jeff Head

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Incat-Crowther-to-Design-Multi-Mission-Vessels-for-Philippine-Government.jpg

Naval Today said:
The Philippine Government has contracted the Australian vessel designer Incat Crowther to design a 50m multi-mission monohull patrol vessel.

Two identical vessels of this type will be built in Manilla by Josefa Slipways. The primary role of the vessels is to combat illegal fishing for the Philippine government.

With the local fishing industry losing billions of dollars to illegal fishing, these assets are expected to enhance law enforcement’s capability to patrol and protect territorial waters.

The multi-mission nature of the vessels allows them to be used for disaster relief and/or rescue operations, as well as to serve as a platform for research.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) with their operating agency, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will operate the vessels.

The 50-meter vessel will be powered by two (2) Mitsubishi S16R2-T2MPTK engines, coupled with a Masson MMW18000 gearboxes and fixed pitch propellers. Two (2) Yanmar 6HAL2-WHT generators will service the vessel’s electrical needs with an additional emergency generator.

One embarked 9-meter riggid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) will be deployed from a specially designed well with a transom door.

These are going to be built in Manila apparently. The Philippines needs newer patrol craft.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
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Finaly only one, It was planned 4, the prototype had burned.

Indonesia halts Klewang-class stealth attack craft programme

The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL) has suspended the 63m stealth fast attack craft programme known as the Klewang class and will not be making further acquisitions beyond the single vessel that is currently under construction.

Vice-president and head of Saab Indonesia, Peter Carlqvist, told IHS Jane's at the 2016 Singapore Airshow that the company's weapons and systems will now also not be fitted onboard the vessel that is under construction at Indonesian shipbuilder PT Lundin's premises in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Saab previously said the Klewang-class vessels would be equipped with the company's suite of combat systems including a four-console 9LV Mk 4 combat management system, a Sea Giraffe 1X surveillance radar, the SME-150 radar electronic support measures (ESM) and the CEROS 200 fire-control director. The vessel was also to have been armed with a BAE Systems Bofors 40mm Mk 4 gun concealed in a stealthy cupola and four Saab RBS 15 Mk 3 anti-ship missiles.

"Saab will continue to promote the trimaran concept with our combat systems with other customers and we remain open to producing the platform with other shipbuilders in other countries", said Carlqvist who added that the concept has received strong indications of interest in other parts of the world. "We have even been called in by the United States' Littoral Operations Center [an institute of the United States Naval Postgraduate School] and they have shown strong interest in this trimaran concept so we remain optimistic", he said.

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LOL I've done some reading about the Formidable-class but missed the front view completely:

defense-large.jpg

(the picture is dated 7/26/2015, comes from
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so it's not exactly news :)
 
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