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

FORBIN said:

New Zealand ANZAC, same as Australians but no Harpoon, ESSM but have a Phalanx
View attachment 28222

Click to expand...

HANOI (Reuters) - A Russian-made Vietnamese fighter jet was missing on Tuesday after disappearing off the radar during a training flight along the central part of the country's South China Sea coastline, a military official said.

The Sukhoi SU-30 MK2 was flying 30-40 km off the coast of Nghe An province next to China's Hainan island when it went missing and practice flights by the same jet model had since been suspended, said Senior Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, the deputy armed forces chief of staff.

"We haven't found the jet yet, we are still looking," he told Reuters.

Asked about the possible reason for its disappearance, Tuan said: "We have to find it to know it."

The incident follows a series of mishaps in the past two years with its ageing helicopters and at a time when Vietnam recalibrates its defense strategy and oversees its biggest military buildup in four decades.

The country is seeking to modernize its defense capability, ostensibly as a deterrent against the military rise of Beijing and its growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, over which the two communist neighbors have competing claims.

The missing SU-30 MK2 fighter-bomber was one of 30 in use by Vietnam. Fighter jets are on its shopping list and its options are expected to expand following last month's lifting of a U.S. lethal arms embargo on a former enemy Washington is eager to turn into its newest Asian ally.

Vietnam has been in talks with Western and U.S. arms manufacturers towards boosting its air force with jets, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, although experts say it is likely Russia will continue to be its main supplier.

China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Writing Martin Petty; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Click to expand...

joshuatree said:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

antiterror13 said:

ooops, $50M lost, just like that .... $50M is like 1% of total defense budget. Imagine like $1.5B for China and $6B for the US ....oucch

RIP to the pilot

Click to expand...

Nghe An (VNA)– Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, a pilot on the military aircraft that went missing during a training session off the coast of the central province of Nghe An, was saved at 5 am of June 15.

Cuong, who is also the head of the SU30 fighter squadron under Division 371’s Regiment 923 of the Air Defence – Air Force Service, was in stable condition when he was found by fisherman Pham Van Le from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh.

A ship was deployed to the fishing boat’s location to carry the pilot back to the mainland.

Rescue forces are continuing to search for the other on board – Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai, deputy head and chief of staff of Regiment 923, and the missing aircraft.

The Su 30MK2 aircraft lost contact at 6:50 am of June 14 during a training session in the area of Hon Mat Island, about 40km off the coast of Nghe An’s Vinh city.

On June 14, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a dispatch asking the Defence Ministry to seek all measures and mobilise forces to speed up the search for the two pilots and the aircraft.

The ministry is required to investigate reasons for the incident and review the flight control process to learn from experience to avoid similar accidents.-VNA

Click to expand...

Third A400M Arrived in Subang

RMAF’s third A400M air-lifter arrived at the Subang airbase last Monday – four days after it was officially delivered to the service. The A400M – tail number M54-03 – flew some 9,100 km to get to Subang from the Airbus D&S A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain.

The ferry flight from Seville, took two days with one stop-over at the Al Bateen executive airport in Abu Dhabi. Both the previous deliveries, took the same route and stop-overs.

Unlike the arrival of 02 late last year, 03’s arrival today was rather subdued. There was no fly past over Subang and there was no escorts.

An official welcoming ceremony for the aircraft is only expected after Ramadan. It will be a good excuse to hold a Raya open house at 22nd Squadron spanking new hangar.

The prompt arrival of the RMAF third aircraft must be a welcome relief to Airbus D&S which have come under pressure due to delivery delay caused by engine and air-frame issues.

Mean-while, a PDRM Super King Air 350 fitted with the ISR fit also made a landing at the runway after what appears to be a test flight following maintenance.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...