DSTO Demonstrates Vision Technology for ADF Vehicles

29 Maret 2012

Desert Owl on display at the Puckapunyal Army training facility (photo : DSTO)

Computerised vision technology, designed to enhance ADF vehicle situation awareness has been demonstrated at the Puckapunyal Army training facility in Victoria.

Desert Owl is being developed by computer vision and software firm Sentient, as part of the

Defence Capability and Technology Demonstrator Program (CTD), managed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.

The system analyses Full Motion Video imagery from EO/IR sensors to perform Mobile Target Indication from mobile ground vehicles to identify potential targets and threats.

Alan Hinge, CTD Program director, says that Desert Owl is designed with two distinct technology components, ‘to provide advanced vehicle awareness.’

“A component known as Panoptes provides automated target detection from a stationary, sweeping camera. In Greek mythology, Panoptes was a giant with 100 eyes,” Hinge says.

Vinod Puri, DSTO’s Chief Technology Officer, Land Operations Division, said, "This technology can detect and track moving targets down to a few pixels in size – cueing operators to small or slow moving and hard to see targets, in difficult terrain. It can also detect stationary objects that may have moved since the camera was first directed at that location.”

A separate Ground Change Detection component can identify variations in a landscape, between successive camera transits through an area.

“With this component,” explains Hinge, “Desert Owl records imagery of the environment. On subsequent transits, the system compares live imagery of the road ahead with this recorded imagery and identifies visual changes, including disturbances to the ground surface, additional, moved or removed objects.”

Desert Owl, currently in the sixth of nine Technology Readiness Levels, could be applied to any ADF land vehicle.

The CTD Program was established to improve priority Defence capabilities. It provides Australian and New Zealand industry and research organisations an opportunity to demonstrate technology and allows Defence to assess its potential and associated risks.

(DSTO)

Puluhan Roket Produksi Indonesia Berhasil Diujicobakan

28 Maret 2012

Roket R-Han 122 yang diujicoba telah dipasang di atas platform truk GAZ-63 (eks BM-14) dan truk Perkasa (all photos : Audrey)

Baturaja, Sumsel (ANTARA News) - Sebanyak 50 Roket R-Han 122 produksi Indonesia, berhasil diujicobakan dengan ditembakkan ke sasaran di udara, di Pusat Latihan Tempur TNI AD Baturaja, Kabupaten Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU), Sumatera Selatan, Rabu.

Deputi Menristek Bidang Produktivitas dan Relevansi Riset Iptek, Budi Teguh Raharjo sempat menunjukkan contoh roket R-Han 122 itu, kepada Wakil Menteri Pertahanan, Letjen TNI Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, sebelum melakukan uji coba roket tersebut.

Sebanyak 50 buah Roket R-Han 122 diujicobakan sebagai hasil pengembangan konsorsium dari Kementerian Riset dan Teknologi dan komunitas iptek serta industri strategis, guna mendukung kemandirian roket 2014 bagi Kementerian Pertahanan.

Roket R-Han 122 memiliki kecepatan maksimum 1,8 mach dan jarak tembak hingga 15 km.

Selain Wakil Menhan Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, sejumlah pejabat Pemptov Sumsel dan Pemkab OKU, beberapa petinggi TNI, antara lain Pangdam II/Sriwijaya Mayor Jenderal TNI Nugroho Widyotomo dan Komandan Kodiklat TNI AD Letnan Jenderal TNI Gatot Numantyo ikut pula saat menyaksikan uji coba roket R-Han 122.

Usai peluncuran, Wamenhan juga berkesempatan melakukan pengecekan pada mobil peluncur roket, untuk selanjutnya akan terus dikembangkan sebagai bagian program kemandirian penyediaan alat utama sistem pertahanan (alutsista) nasional.

Menurut Kepala Biro Hukum dan Humas Kemenristek, Anny Sulaswatty, Roket R-Han 122 itu merupakan produksi hasil kerja sama anak bangsa Indonesia, diwujudkan melalui penelitian bersama PT Pindad, PT Dirgantara Indonesia, dan PT Dahana, didukung penuh Kemenristek.

Ujicoba dan demo penembakan Roket R-Han 122 itu menandai keberhasilan bangsa Indonesia untuk menuju kemandirian produksi roket nasional di masa depan.

(Antara)

Super Cobra Akan Jaga Perbatasan RI-Malaysia

27 Maret 2012

Helikopter serang Bell AH-1W Cobra (photo : Airliners)

Balikpapan (ANTARA News) - Selain akan dijaga dengan tank-tank Leopard 2A6, perbatasan Indonesia-Malaysia juga bakal dilengkapi satu skuadron heli tempur Bell AH-1W Super Cobra, kata Panglima Komando Daerah Militer (Pangdam) VI Mulawarman, Mayor Jenderal TNI Subekti.

"Kami akan tempatkan di Berau dan Nunukan," ujarnya di Balikpapan, Kalimantan Timur, Selasa.

Saat ini Kodam VI Mulawarman sedang menyiapkan basis bagi skuadron heli tersebut. "Kami gunakan anggaran antara Rp17 miliar hingga Rp19 miliar untuk persiapan pangkalan skuadron heli tempur tersebut," katanya.

Super Cobra adalah helikopter buatan Bell, Amerika Serikat (AS), dan pengembangan dari Huey Cobra yang berjaya di perang Vietnam. Persenjataannya senapan mesin Gatling 20 mm, roket Hydra, rudal Sidewinder untuk pertempuran udara, dan rudal penghancur tank Hellfire.

"Super Cobra ini adalah pilihan utama. Namun demikian, kami punya pilihan lain yang lebih bersahabat dengan keuangan, yaitu heli serbaguna Agusta Westland," ujar mantan Asisten Perencanaan (Asrena) Kepala Staf TNI Angkatan Darat (Kasad) tersebut.

Heli tempur buatan Bell itu senilai sekira 11,3 juta dolar AS (setara Rp96 miliar) per unit. Untuk komplet satu skuadron dengan 16 pesawat, maka pemerintah RI menyediakan tidak kurang dari Rp1,53 triliun. Harga tersebut belum termasuk persenjataannya.

Super Cobra berkemampuan jelajah hingga 510 km pada kecepatan maksimum 277 km per jam, kecepatan menanjak 8,2 meter per detik, dan bisa mengambang di udara pada ketinggian 3.720 meter.

Dengan berpangkalan di Nunukan yang berbatasan langsung dengan Malaysia, maka SuperCobra hanya perlu beberapa menit untuk sampai di perbatasan dan menyelesaikan misinya.

Adapun helikopter Agusta Westland nilainya lebih murah. Heli tempur Agusta Westland AW 109LUH harganya 9 juta dolar AS (setara Rp76,5 miliar) per unit, atau total Rp1,22 triliun untuk satu skuadron.

Selanjutnya, Kodam Mulawarman akan dilengkapi tiga batalyon gabungan infanteri dan artileri yang memiliki persenjataan anti tank yang dapat membidik tank dari jarak 6 km, serta sistem peluncur roket serentak (multiple launch rocket system/MLRS) Astros II buatan Brazil.

"Dengan amunisi roket aslinya, jarak tembaknya bisa mencapai 300 km, atau 70 km dengan amunisi roket lain," jelas Subekti.

Bersama satuan tank Leopard, maka seluruh persenjataan dan personel baru ini akan tersedia secara bertahap mulai 2012. Menurut dia, akan sangat berdampak pada perimbangan kekuatan dengan negara-negara tetangga Indonesia, terutama yang berbatasan langsung di Kalimantan.

"Saat ini kita memang tidak memiliki musuh yang eksplisit, yang nyata. Tapi, setiap hari kita dilecehkan di perbatasan dengan adanya patok yang digeser-geser," demikian Pangdam VI Mulawarman, Mayjen TNI Subekti. (T.KR-NVA)

(Antara)

Army Considers German Tank Offer May be Best Option

09 Maret 2012

Germany's Leopard MBT (photo : Militaryphotos)

The Indonesian Army revealed on Thursday that Germany’s offer of the Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks (MBTs) was much more interesting than those offered by the Netherlands.

“Germany’s offer is more promising in terms of filling in the gap. Besides, the Netherlands still has problem with its parliament [in terms of the deal],” Indonesian Military (TNI) chief of staff Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said as quoted by Antara news agency on Thursday.

He said Germany not only offered the transfer-of-technology but also the possibility of joint production in which state-owned arms manufacturers PT Pindad could make some parts for the 60-ton tank.

The Germans, he said, even challenged the readiness of domestic defense industries because good preparation was needed to maintain high-technology systems and it took long time to master them.

“We cannot produce it [the MBT] in three years. The technology isn’t simple,” he said, admitting that the service would also buy the MBTs from Germany.

The Indonesian Army said it needed to modernize its weapons systems with MBTs because it only had light tanks such as the British-made Scorpion and French-made AMX13, which weighed 8 and 14 tons respectively.

Initially, Indonesia planned to buy German-made MBTs at a discounted price as the Dutch government was implementing harsh defense budget cutbacks that included disbanding its armored divisions in the wake of the economic downturn in Europe.

The plan was to buy 50 units of the 2A4 and another 50 units of the 2A6 variants of the MBT at a total price of US$280 including the cost of upgrading the A4 variant to the A6 standard.

Russian MBT T-90 (photo : Militaryphotos)

The plan, however, is reportedly on the brink of collapsing due to the Dutch parliament’s indecisive stance on the issue. The GreenLeft minority political party in the Dutch parliament voiced its concerns over selling the MBTs to Indonesia, claiming that there was a possibility of the MBTs being used to suppress human rights in Indonesia.

On Tuesday, Defense Deputy Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the ministry had given the Dutch until the end of March to decide whether or not to sell its surplus Leopard MBTs, after which Indonesia would look for other sources.

Besides the Dutch and the German governments, Russia reportedly has offered its T90 tank to the Indonesian government, which already earmarked Rp 150 trillion (US$16.41 billion) until 2014 for modernizing its weaponry to meet the so-called minimum essential force (MEF). (sat/nvn)

(The Jakarta Post)

Testing Equipment Control Unit BU-40 for BMP-1

08 Maret 2012

Vietnam's BMP-1 tracked armored vehicle (photo : QDND)

QĐND - Scientists at the Institute of Engineering of the military (General Engineering) has successfully designed and manufactured test equipment Control Unit BU-40 loaded on the system of armored infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1. This is a completely new product, the technical application of modern microprocessors, compact structure, simple operation operation, stable operation and reliable.

BMP-1 tracked armored vehicle, have high mobility, are equipped with automatic reload makes reloading process easier and higher rate of fire. However, during use, the system automatically loaded or damaged, the repairs are complex cases that many soldiers have loaded by hand, a large effect to the tactical skills of the vehicle , the speed of artillery fire on the vehicle so as greatly reduced.

Control Unit BU-40 as the "brains" of the automatic reloading system. So, in the process of inspection and repair system, workers must always be placed on top of quality control BU-40 control block. BU-40 control block structure is complex with many elements such as relays, semiconductors so to test, evaluate quality control block, if using manual methods today will to disassemble parts, take a long time, labor and the quality and efficiency is not high.

Testing Equipment Control Unit BU-40 size 460x320x120mm, weight 3.5 kg, using 220V-50Hz power and instructed by the LCD-2x20. The device can work in temperatures less than 700C, capable of directly testing the relays, switches of motor control block, helping utility workers need not removable from the vehicle control block no need to remove parts of the block that can accurately assess the quality of each element, significantly reducing time and manpower in the process of inspection and repair. Products can be equipped for the repair factory-armored up in full military uniform inspection and repair of the Control Unit BU-40's automatic system loaded on the vehicle BMP-1.

(QDND)

RTA Shown Interest in the Smar Hunter Radar

08 Maret 2012

China's Smart Hunter radar (photo : ADJ)

China’s SmartHunter in Thailand

The “SmartHunter” TH-5711 portable air defence missile operation and command system/ stealth air defence guard is being promoted by well knowned China Xian-based defence equipment producer at Bangkok’s Defense & Security 2012 exhibition.

SmartHunter offers the best solution against modern air threats with the integration of a Manpads/VSHORAD air defence missile system with a long range detection (30km) capability and reliable IFF, fully automated target information and commanding/ network operation.

The SmartHunter system has already been selected and supplied to the Chinese armed forces and also the armed forces of several other countries.

Following the strong interest by the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the producer is keen to provide Thailand with such effective systems.

(ADJ-Defense & Security 2012 News Bulletin)

Astross II Gandakan Kuasa Tempur TD

07 Maret 2012

Pembelian Astross II dari Brazil merupakan sebagian dari rancangan jangka panjang sistem pertahanan Tentera Darat di Malaysia. (photo : Kosmo)

KUALA LUMPUR – Tentera Darat (TD) bakal memiliki satu lagi rejimen sistem pelancar roket berganda (SPRB) jenis Astros II buatan Brazil tidak lama lagi bagi menggandakan kuasa tempur negara.

Sebanyak 18 unit SPRB Astross II akan dibeli bagi melengkapkan kekuatan Briged Artileri Roket yang ketika ini mempunyai dua rejimen roket jenis yang sama dan sebuah rejimen artileri pengesan.

Rejimen baharu SPRB Astross II itu nanti dijangka ditempatkan di Sabah.

Difahamkan, pembelian aset terbaharu itu telah dipersetujui Tentera Darat (TD) menerusi belanjawan pertahanan dalam Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10.

Sumber memberitahu, kontrak perolehan akan dimeterai antara Kementerian Pertahanan dengan pembekalnya pada Pameran Perkhidmatan Pertahanan Asia 2012 di sini pada April ini.

“Pembelian ini adalah sebahagian daripada rancangan jangka panjang TD bagi memperkukuhkan kuasa tempur khasnya, Briged Roket.

“Ia juga merupakan strategi bagi memperkasakan sistem pertahanan darat dengan adanya dua rejimen roket di Semenanjung dan di Sabah atau Sarawak,” ujar sumber tersebut di sini semalam.

(Kosmo)

The Dutch Told to Decide on Leopard Sale by End of March

07 Maret 2012

Dutch's Leopard MBT (photo : Militaryphotos)

Indonesia has given the Netherlands a deadline to decide whether or not to sell its surplus Leopard main battle tanks (MBTs) after which Indonesia will look for other sources, a top defense official said Tuesday.

Defense Deputy Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the ministry had given the Dutch until the end of March before deciding to buy the MBTs from other countries.

“We can buy the tanks directly from Germany, although the quantity might be different,” he told reporters at the Defense Ministry after a press conference on the results of a meeting of the Defence Industry Policy Committee (KKIP).

Initially, Indonesia had planned to buy the German-made MBT at a discounted price as the Dutch government was implementing harsh defense budget cutbacks that included disbanding its armored divisions in the wake of the economic downturn in Europe.

The plan was to buy 50 units of the 2A4 and another 50 units of the 2A6 variants of the MBT at a total price of US$280 including the costs to upgrade the A4 variant to the A6 standard.

The Indonesian Army said it needed to modernize its weapons systems with MBTs because it only had light tanks such as the British-made Scorpion and French-made AMX13 which weigh 8 tons and 14 tons respectively.

The Leopard weighs more than 60 tons leading to heavy criticism from lawmakers and NGOs who oppose the buying of the MBT, which is made by German firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Maschinenbau (KMW).

Deputy Defence Minister studied the possibility of locally assembling Sherpa tactical vehicle in Indonesia (photo : Bronco1978)

A minority party in the Dutch parliament, the Left Green, has also voiced its concerns at selling the MBTs to Indonesia taking note of what it claims is the possibility of the tanks being used to supress human rights in Indonesia.

Sjafrie has just returned from a tour of several European countries to discuss various aspects of defense cooperation.

In France, Sjafrie studied the possibility of locally assembling Sherpa light tactical, armored vehicles at state-owned arms manufacturer PT Pindad.

(The Jakarta Post)

Military to Replace All Its Military 4WDs

06 Maret 2012

Malaysia will replace its ageing military 4x4s by next June (photo : Army Recognition)

BANGKOK: Malaysia will replace all its ageing military four-wheeled drives beginning next June, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Monday.

He said Malaysia would procure the vehicles from Thailand, produced by a Malaysian company, Weststar Group, based in Pattaya.

"The existing 4x4 used by the three services are obsolete and no longer cost-effective to maintain," he told Malaysian reporters after meeting with his Thai counterpart Sukumpol Suwanatat, here.
Both leaders were attending the Defense and Security 2012, a tri-service Asian Defense and Internal Security Event for Land, Sea and Air, at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre, here.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the priority of the new 4WD programme would be the usage of Malaysian components including for its spare parts.

However, he refused to provide details on the number of vehicles to be replaced and its cost.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said Weststar had also supplied the vehicles for military use in the United States, some NATO members, Singapore and Thailand.

Weststar Group with its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur is led by Group Managing Director Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim and its core businesses include defence, engineering, aviation services, automobile and construction.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said Weststar had also supplied specialised vehicles such as ambulances to the Malaysian government.

More than 200 defence and internal security equipment manufacturers from 35 countries participated in the four-day event starting Monday.

(Bernama)

Tiga Unit Helikopter Bell-412 Perkuat TNI

02 Maret 2012

Bell 412 TNI Angkatan Laut (photo : Kaskus Militer)

Bandung (ANTARA) - PT Dirgantara Indonesia menyerahkan tiga unit helikopter Bell-412 kepada Kementerian Pertahanan untuk operasional TNI Angkatan Darat dan TNI Angkatan Laut.

Penyerahan dilakukan Direktur PT DI Budi Santoso kepada Wakil Asisten Logistik Kasad Brigjen TNI Nengah Widana, Asisten Logistik Kasal Laksda TNI Sru Handayanto di hanggar helikopter PT Dirgantara Indonesia di Bandung, Jumat.

Penyerahan tiga capung besi itu disaksikan Menteri Pertahanan Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Asisten Logistik Panglima TNI Mayjen TNI Hari Krisnomo, Kasal Laksamana TNI Soeparno dan Wakil Kasad Letjen TNI Budiman.

Tiga helikopter yang diserahkan itu terdiri atas dua unit Bell-412 EP untuk TNI Angkatan Darat dan satu unit Bell-412 EP untuk TNI Angkatan Laut.

Pengadaan tiga helikopter produksi bersama Bell Helicopter--divisi Textron Inc. dan PT Dirgantara Indonesia itu menggunakan APBN Tahun Anggaran 2011.

Kementerian Pertahanan menyatakan penyerahan dua helikopter itu merupakan bagian dari rencana strategis peningkatan skuadron udara serbu Puspenerbad dengan 32 helikopter yang terdiri atas 24 unit helikopter serbu dan delapan helikopter serang.

Helikopter angkur/serbu merupakan helikopter medium dengan kapasitas 15 personel. Helikopter ini sudah dioperasikan Skuadron-11/serbu dan Skuadron-21/Sena Puspenerbad.

Begitu pun satu unit Bell-412 2 EP. Helikopter itu merupakan helikopter generasi terakhir yang masuk jajaran Skuadron 400 Puspenerbal.

Skuadron-400 Puspenerbal telah mengoperasikan Bell-412 SP dan Bell-412 HP.

Helikopter Bell-412 EP merupakan seri terbaru di kelasnya dan merupakan helikopter angkut militer yang andal dengan kemampuan angkut 10-15 personel serta mampu mengangkut beban sekitar tiga ton.

Meski berfungsi sebagai helikopter angkut militer, helikopter tersebut dapat dipersenjatai dengan senapan mesin untuk mendukung kegiatan operasi militer.

Direktur PT DI Budi Santoso mengatakan dalam waktu dekat akan diserahkan kembali dua unit TNI AD dan dua unit TNI AL.

"Ini komitmen PT DI dan TNI untuk memprioritaskan pengadaan alutsista dari dalam negeri, dan dapat bersaing secara kompetitif,". (rr)

(Antara)

Experts Doubt North Korea’s Rocket Upgrade

27 Februari 2012

North Korea's M-1991 multiple launch rocket system (photo : Korea Times)

Military experts and insiders downplayed Monday media reports that North Korea has succeeded in doubling the range of its 240-millimeter multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) in time to celebrate the centennial of the nation’s founder Kim Il-sung’s birth in April.

They said it was nonsense to believe that the impoverished North has made significant progress in the development of a propulsion system that doubles the range of the rockets.

Citing an anonymous government source, media outlets, including Yonhap News Agency, claimed that the communist North recently completed upgrading its model of the 22-round M-1991, a truck-mounted MLRS.

They argued that the South’s entire capital area, home to more than 20 million people, will come under the range of the modified rocket, dubbed “Juche 100 Gun,” as it is capable of travelling more than 120 kilometers.

A senior rocket expert at the Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) said the media reports were baseless unless the North has successfully developed a propulsion system that is a quantum leap ahead of advanced countries, including the United States and Russia.

“I’m highly skeptical that the North has technology that even the United States has yet to develop and the world has yet to witness,” he said.

“The range of the South’s 227-millimeter multiple launch rocket system is limited to 45 to 46 kilometers, despite the fact that it has employed the advanced technology of the United States.”

The expert said the range may be doubled if nearly all of the rocket’s explosives are removed to add more fuel. However, then not only the weapon’s accuracy, but its impact too would drop radically.

A senior missile expert at the Ministry of National Defense (MND) also downplayed media reports, saying military intelligence authorities have yet to recognize any noticeable improvement in the North’s 240-millimeter M-1991 rockets.

“If the North has already deployed such a long range rocket as reported, intelligence sources would have spotted it much earlier during the testing of such weapons,” he said.

An intelligence official at the MND concurred with him, saying no intelligence has been received on a major breakthrough in the improvement of the communist nation’s MLRS.

“I’m not sure how the news was generated. It is doubtful that the North has succeeded in doubling the range of a rocket,” he said.

“The North might have intentionally tipped off sources to such misleading information in an attempt to exaggerate its military might without actually having to prove it.”

He said the Pyongyang might have been pressured to do so to dodge criticism of failing to fulfill its pledge of becoming a “powerful and prosperous nation” by 2012.

Officials of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) declined to comment on the matter, saying they are not allowed to provide any explanation to North Korean weapons development.

The North is known to have been operating two types of 240-millimeter rocket launchers, the 12-round M-1985 and the 22-round M-1991.

According to media reports, intelligence officials here believe the Stalinist state will likely unveil an upgraded version of the M-1991 to the public during a massive military parade on April 15 this year, the 100th birthday of the late Kim.

(Korea Times)

Pembelian Tank Leopard sebelum 2014

16 Februari 2012

Tank Leopard 2 Angkatan Darat Belanda (photo : Militaryphotos)

Surabaya, Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat (KSAD) Jenderal TNI Pramono Edhie Wibowo berharap pembelian 100 unit Tank Leopard dari Belanda dapat selesai sebelum 2014.

"Sampai sekarang masih tahap penjajakan dan belum berhenti. Tim yang kami bentuk masih membahasnya dan diharapkan sebelum 2014 sudah selesai," ujar Jenderal TNI Pramono Edhie Wibowo kepada wartawan di Surabaya, Rabu malam.

Ia mengaku, tim yang dipimpin Wakil KSAD Letjen TNI Budiman dalam rangka melihat dan mengadakan perkembangan negosiasi lanjutan. Hingga kini belum ada perubahan berarti dan masih menjadi tarik ulur di parlemen Belanda.

"Sekali lagi saya tegaskan, kalau Belanda menjual kami beli, tapi kalau tidak kami pergi. Tunggu saja perkembangan berikutnya," kata mantan Pangkostrad tersebut.

Pihaknya juga mengatakan saat ini Jerman juga sedang menjajaki dan menawari Indonesia. Menurut Pramono, tank buatan Jerman menjadi alternatif jika target awal tidak kesampaian.

"Memang ada tawaran dari Jerman. Hanya saja kami belum bersikap, tapi itu bisa dijadikan alternatif. Yang pasti sebelum 2014 sudah harus selesai," tutur mantan Danjen Kopassus tersebut.

Jika pembelian Tank Leopard yang alokasi anggarannya mencapai 280 Juta US Dollar berjalan mulus, diharapkan bisa menjadi prestasi serta menaikkan wibawa bangsa.

Sementara itu, alokasi anggaran dari pemerintah Indonesia untuk modernisasi peralatan TNI AD sebesar Rp14 triliun. Dana tersebut digunakan untuk sejumlah alat utama sistem senjata (alutsista) lainnya.

"Diantaranya pengadaan tambahan helikopter, PT Pindad yang menyiapkan anoa atau panser, serta alutsista lainnya. Bahkan Leopard ini hanya bagian kecil saja kok," tukas jenderal yang juga pernah menjabat Pangdam Siliwangi tersebut.

Khusus tahun ini, direncanakan pembelian meriam, rudal anti pesawat, peluncur roket multiras dan lainnya. Apalagi sekarang Indonesia masih tertinggal jauh daripada negeri lain seperti Malaysia maupun Thailand.

(Antara)

DPR Ajukan Tiga Klausul Pengadaan Tank Leopard

15 Februari 2012

Tank Leopard 2 Angkatan Darat Jerman (photo : Spiegel)

JAKARTA – Komisi I DPR menyatakan tidak menolak niat pemerintah untuk melakukan pengadaan alat utama sistem senjata (alutsista) jenis tank. Namun, khusus untuk pengadaan tank jenis Leopard dari Belanda, Komisi I DPR mengajukan syarat tiga klausul.

Ketua Komisi I DPR Mahfudz Siddiq menyatakan, Komisi I DPR kemungkinan besar tidak akan menyetujui anggaran untuk pembelian tank Leopard bekas dari Belanda jika Kementerian Pertahanan (Kemenhan) dan TNI tidak bisa memenuhi klausul utama tersebut.

Klausul itu adalah secara teknis Indonesia membutuhkan tank jenis tempur berat itu, kemudian ada jaminan tidak akan ada embargo pemeliharaan dan suku cadang di masa mendatang.

Klausul selanjutnya, ada alih teknologi (transfer of technology) dalam pembelian tank Leopard tersebut. “Jika memang Mabes TNI tetap meminta Leopard bekas itu, Komisi I DPR harus diyakinkan secara teknis dan politis. Jika hal itu tidak dipenuhi oleh tim negosiasi Mabes TNI, lebih baik membeli yang baru kendati jumlahnya menjadi separuhnya,” ungkap Mahfudz di Jakarta kemarin.

Mahfudz menduga, Kemenhan dan Mabes TNI akan mati-matian berusaha untuk melancarkan rencana pembelian tank Leopard itu,termasuk melancarkan klausul yang diinginkan Komisi I DPR. Langkah ini dilakukan agar tidak ada benturan di kemudian hari. Karena itu, Kemenhan dan TNI harus menjajaki semuanya. “Semua klausul tersebut harus dipenuhi mengingat belanja alutsista setiap tahun selalu menelan anggaran negara yang besar,” tandasnya.

Wakil Menteri Pertahanan (Wamenhan) Letjen TNI Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin mengaku, tawaran tank Leopard sebenarnya bukan hanya dari Pemerintah Belanda, melainkan juga dari pemerintah Jerman. “Tawaran Belanda adalah tank bekas yang jika jadi dibeli oleh Indonesia akan di upgrade kemampuannya,” ungkap Sjafrie.

Sedangkan Leopard yang ditawarkan Jerman, ujarnya, adalah refurbishment. Artinya bukan tank bekas yang akan dibeli sebab Leopard asal Jerman ini sudah ditingkatkan lebih dulu kemampuannya.

(Seputar Indonesia)

Bell Helicopter Receives Contract to Refurbish Royal Thai Army 212 Series Helicopters

15 Februari 2012

Royal Thai Army Bell 212 helicopter (photo : Thai Aviation)

Singapore Airshow, -- Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company TXT +4.01% , announced today it received a contract to modify and refurbish eight Royal Thai Army Bell 212 helicopters. Bell Helicopter Asia will work with Bell Helicopter's independent representative Royal Airport Services on this in-country program.

"Modifying and refurbishing these Bell 212s will provide the Royal Thai Army improved mission capabilities," said Danny Maldonado, senior vice president and Chief Services Officer for Bell Helicopter. "We have had a long, strong partnership with the Royal Thai Army and are looking forward to continuing this relationship."

The Royal Thai Army operates a large fleet of helicopters in Thailand with the majority of them being Bell Helicopter products.

The Bell 212 is a two-bladed, twin-engined, medium helicopter. It is a derivative of the "Huey" family of helicopters that have proven their reliability, ruggedness, and multi-mission capabilities for many years.

Bell Helicopter is home to an industry-leading customer support network made up of more than 100 customer service facilities in 34 countries, six strategically located supply centers and nearly 100 customer service engineers and dedicated product support engineers all focused on executing on customer requirements, increasing global responsiveness and lowering direct operating costs.

(Bell Helicopter/VerticalMag)

Indonesia Berencana Beli 8 Helikopter Tempur Amerika

09 Februari 2012

Helikopter tempur Apache buatan Amerika (photo : Defense Industry Daily)

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pemerintah berencana untuk membeli sejumlah helikopter tempur jenis Apache dari Amerika Serikat. Hal itu dilakukan untuk menambah kekuatan alat utama sistem persenjataan (alutsista). "Kalau tidak salah sebanyak delapan unit," kata Wakil Menteri Pertahanan Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin di kantornya, Kamis, 9 Februari 2012.

Menurut dia, pengadaan delapan unit helikopter tempur jenis Apache itu bukan karena ditawarkan begitu saja oleh pihak Amerika kepada pemerintah Indonesia. Rencana pembelian pesawat sejumlah itu dilakukan sesuai dengan kebutuhan Indonesia. "Mereka tidak menawarkan, kita yang mencari," ujar Sjafrie.

Namun, ia menambahkan, hingga kini belum ada deal antara pemerintah Indonesia dengan Amerika Serikat ihwal pembelian helikopter tempur tersebut. Sejauh ini, yang sudah disepakati adalah pembelian pesawat tempur jenis F16 dari Amerika Serikat. "Kita semua tahu yang F16 sudah deal," katanya.

Sebelumnya, Menteri Pertahanan Purnomo Yusgiantoro menyatakan saat ini banyak proyek pengadaan alutsista. Jenis alutsista yang dibeli Indonesia pun beragam, ada yang bergerak dan ada yang tidak bergerak. Yang jelas, pemerintah mengusahakan agar pembelian senjata tersebut sesuai dengan kebutuhan. "Prosesnya dari user (TNI AD, TNI AL atau TNI AU), ke Mabes TNI, baru ke Menhan. Dari situ (baru) ada pembelian," kata Purnomo.

(Tempo)

Harris Corporation Receives $235 Million Order from Australian DoD

02 Februari 2012

AN/PRC-150(C) Type HF Radio (photo : Harris)

MELBOURNE, FLA./BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has received a US$235 million (AUD$223 million) order to deliver Falcon® tactical radio systems to the Australian Department of Defence in the next phase of its tactical radio modernization program. The radios will provide Australia's armed forces with reliable and secure Type-1 tactical voice and data communications.

Harris will supply the Australian Defence Force (ADF) principally with Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-152(C) multiband, multi-mode handheld tactical radios for portable line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight voice and data communications. The AN/PRC-152(C) is the most widely deployed JTRS Software Communications Architecture-certified handheld radio, with more than 160,000 units shipped to U.S., NATO and other allied forces worldwide.

The ADF is also acquiring the Falcon II® AN/PRC-150(C) manpack, the world's only type-1 certified HF radio. Both radios are being delivered to the ADF under the Joint Project 2072 program. Harris will support delivery, installation and training for the radios through its newly opened Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane.

"This order expands our ongoing collaboration with the Australian Department of Defence, which is working toward developing a networked Australian brigade in 2013," said Brendan O'Connell, president, International Business, Harris RF Communications. "Our solutions and proven expertise in tactical communications are making a difference for ADF forces by delivering voice, video and data across the battlefield. We're also providing the ADF with world-class field support, highlighted by the recent opening of our regional headquarters in Brisbane."

The AN/PRC-152(C) is a Type-1 certified single-channel multiband handheld radio that provides voice and data communications over the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range. The radio supports SINCGARS, Havequick II, VHF/UHF AM and FM, APCO P25 and both DAMA and the new Integrated Waveform for satellite communications. The Falcon II AN/PRC-150(C) is part of the most-widely deployed family of HF radios and the only one to offer NSA-certified Type-1 information security. The radio covers the 1.6 MHz to 60 MHz frequency range and comes with a removable keypad/display unit.

(Harris)

Acceptance of Two CH-47D Chinook Helicopters

01 Februari 2012

ADF's CH-47D Chinook helicopter (photo ; Australian Aviation)

Minister for Defence Stephen Smith today announced that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) fleet of Chinooks has increased to seven following the arrival of two additional CH-47D Chinook helicopters in Townsville.

In November last year, the Government approved the purchase of the two ex-United States Army Chinooks following the loss of one ADF Chinook on operations in Afghanistan in May 2011.

The Minister said the new Chinooks would enter a period of deep maintenance and modification to bring them up to the same configuration as the existing ADF Chinook fleet.

Both Chinooks are scheduled to be delivered to the Australian Army to support operations by the middle of 2012.

The CH-47D Chinook is a highly capable medium-lift utility helicopter. Its roles include troop movement, battlefield equipment transport, search and rescue and disaster relief.

Chinooks have been highly capable workhorses since they entered ADF service in 1995 in operations both in Australia and overseas.

Chinooks have been deployed on Operation Slipper in Afghanistan since 2006.
They have performed an outstanding service for both ADF and International Security Assistance Forces and are in high demand across Afghanistan due to their superior performance in hot and high altitude conditions.

The ADF CH-47D fleet will be replaced with seven new CH-47F Chinooks from around 2016.

(Aus DoD)

TNI Lirik Tank T90 Rusia dan Tank Pindad Indonesia

30 Januari 2012

Tank T-90 buatan Rusia (photo : pic2fly)

TRIBUNNEWS.COM, JAKARTA - Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) memiliki opsi alternatif untuk belanja alat perang. Mereka melirik tank T 90 buatan Rusia sebagai pilihan lain selain rencana membeli tank Leopard buatan Belanda.

"Iya, salah satu, tapi kan banyak sekali opsi," ujar Panglima TNI, Laksamana Agus Suhartono di gedung DPR, Jakarta, Senin(30/1/2012).

Menurut Panglima, PT Pindad beberapa waktu lalu juga sudah membuat rancangan tank menengah. TNI kata Panglima, juga akan mempertimbangkan tank buatan PT Pindad itu.

"Itu salah satu opsi juga, bisa kita pertimbangkan. Bagus sekali kalau bisa dalam negeri,"jelasnya.

Dalam pembelian tank lanjut Panglima ada aturannya, apabila TNI tidak bisa membeli dari luar negeri pihaknya mempertimbangkan dalam negeri.

"Kan ada aturannya. Begini, kalau bisa diproduksi dalam negeri, harus di dalam negeri. Kalau tidak bisa harus join production. Kalau tidak bisa baru beli dari luar negeri. Itu ada pedomannya. Harus kita ikuti saja,"pungkasnya.

(TribunNews)

Anggaran TNI Fokus Alutsista

29 Januari 2012

Rancangan Kapal Cepat Rudal 60 meter (image : incoherrent)

JAKARTA– Penambahan anggaran yang diterima TNI Angkatan Udara pada 2012 akan difokuskan untuk pengadaan dan peningkatan kemampuan alat utama sistem senjata (alutsista) sesuai program kekuatan pokok minimum (MEF).

Angkatan Udara

Tahun ini TNI AU yang mendapat dana total sekitar Rp8,010 triliun akan mendapat tambahan beberapa pesawat tempur, angkut, maupun pesawat tanpa awak. Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara (KSAU) Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat mengatakan, dalam rapat pimpinan TNIAngkatan Udara telah ditetapkan beberapa sasaran untuk 2012, di antaranya percepatan pengadaan alutsista dan peningkatan kesiapan pesawat.

“Untuk peningkatan kemampuan, kebutuhan jam terbang pesawat 2012 adalah 60.061 jam dan 18 jam per hari untuk radar,”katanya kemarin. Sejauh ini ada beberapa program pengadaan pesawat yang sudah mulai berjalan dan tinggal menunggu kedatangan. Diantaranya 16pesawattempur ringan Super Tucano dari Brasil, 6 pesawat tempur Sukhoi asal Rusia, 24 unit F16 Fighting Falcon hibah dari Amerika Serikat, dan 4 pesawat angkut Hercules hibah dari Australia.

TNI Angkatan Udara juga membeli pesawat tempur latih dari Korea Selatan yakni T-50 Golden Eagle serta program bersama pembuatan pesawat tempur antiradar KFX/IFX. Pesawat- pesawat itu akan tiba di Indonesia secara bertahap dimulai pada tahun ini hingga 2024. Terkait pesawat Hercules hibah dari Australia,KSAU menuturkan, pihaknya sudah melakukan pengecekan ke Australia dan diketahui kondisinya masih baik.

“Ini hibah murni yang sudah disetujui Australia dan Amerika Serikat selaku produsen,”sebut dia. Tahun ini juga akan diluncurkan skuadron UAV atau pesawat tanpa awak di Lanud Supadio, Kalimantan Barat. Penempatan skuadron UAV itu melengkapi skuadron pesawat tempur Hawk 100/200 di sana.

Untuk memperluas jangkauan radar di Indonesia timur, akan dibentuk Satuan Radar 246 di Timika. Radar ini akan saling overlapping dengan jangkauan dua radar yang diresmikan November tahun lalu,yakni Satrad 245 Saumlaki di Kabupaten Maluku Tenggara Barat dan Satrad 241 Buraen di Kupang.

KSAU menegaskan, setiap instansi yang terkait dengan program pembangunan kekuatan dan kemampuan TNI AU harus betulbetul merencanakan dan melaksanakan program sesuai prosedur dan tataran kewenangannya. Dengan demikian,program yang dilaksanakan akan berjalan lancar dan tidak menjadi permasalahan.“

Anggaran yang diberikan oleh negara kepada TNI AU berasal dari rakyat dan diawasi oleh rakyat sehingga harus mempertanggungjawabkan apa yang dilakukan dengan anggaran tersebut,”pesannya. Wakil Ketua Komisi I DPR Tubagus Hasanuddin menuturkan, jangkauan radar sekarang ini belum mampu mencakup seluruh wilayah Indonesia sehingga hal ini masih harus terus ditingkatkan. Sejauh ini baru sekitar 2/3 wilayah yang mampu di-cover radar.

Angkatan Darat

TNI Angkatan Darat yang total mendapat anggaran sekitar Rp30,297 triliun pada 2012 berencana untuk menambah sejumlah alutsista sesuai kebutuhan.“ Kami mem-breakdown apa saja yang dibutuhkan dan hasilnya kita ingin membeli main battle tank (MBT),MLRS, rudal antipesawat,maupun meriam,” kata Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat (KSAD) Jenderal TNI Pramono Edhie Wibowo.

Angkatan Laut

TNI Angkatan Laut yang mendapat alokasi sekitar Rp9,024 triliun juga menambah sederet kapal perang, kapal angkut, maupun helikopter. “Kita sudah memesan Kapal Cepat Rudal 60 meter, kapal tanker, juga helikopter Nbell. Kita sudah mulai persiapan untuk produksi kapal selam,” ungkap Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut (KSAL) LaksamanaTNI Soeparno.

(Seputar Indonesia)

Rencana Pembelian Tank Leopard Mungkin Berubah

27 Januari 2012

Tank Leopard 2 dirancang untuk mampu menyeberangi sungai (photo : Bundeswehr)

Jakarta, PelitaOnline -- PANGLIMA TNI Laksamana Agus Suhartono mengatakan, rencana pembelian Tank Leopard masih belum final. Menurutnya, masih ada opsi selain pembelian 100 tank bekas asal Belanda tersebut.

Seperti diketahui, Pemerintah RI sudah melakukan negosiasi dan membentuk tim dalam upaya pengadaan sekaligus penguatan alat utama sistem senjata NKRI.

"Tank itu belum final, kemungkinan masih ada opsi lain," kata Agus saat rehat Kapat Kerja dengan Komisi I DPR RI, Selasa (24/1).

Sementara, Menteri Pertahanan Purnomo Yusgiantoro mengakui bahwa DPR terkesan masih belum begitu yakin dengan kemampuan tank tersebut.

Kendati demikian, Purnomo berjanji akan menjawab keraguan DPR terhadap kemampuan tank buatan Jerman itu dan kecocokannya dengan medan di wilayah NKRI.

"Nanti saya jelaskan bagaimana sebenarnya tank itu," kata Purnomo, seolah hendak meyakinkan.

(Pelita)

Baca Juga :

Wamenhan: Jika Belanda Tak Mau Jual Leopard, Masih Ada Jerman

25 Januari 2011

Jurnas.com WAKIL Menteri Pertahanan Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin menyatakan tidak khawatir dengan penolakan parlemen Belanda atas penjualan tank Leopard ke Indonesia. Menurutnya, jika memang Belanda tidak mau menjual, sudah ada negara lain yang juga menawarkan pada Indonesia. “Jerman sebagai negara produsen juga menawarkan pada Indonesia,” kata Sjafrie usai meninjau kesiapan produksi perdana PT Kaltim Nitrate Indonesia (KNI) di Bontang, Kalimantan Timur, Rabu (25/1).

Dikatakan Sjafrie, tawaran Belanda adalah tank bekas yang jika jadi dibeli oleh Indonesia akan diupgrade kemampuannya. Sedangkan Leopard yang ditawarkan Jerman adalah refurbishment, “Jadi bukan bekas, karena sudah ditingkatkan lebih dulu kemampuannya,” jelasnya.

Namun begitu, Sjafrie menegaskan Indonesia akan lebih diuntungkan dengan membeli pada Belanda. Dengan dana US$280 juta, Indonesia akan mendapat 100 unit tank Leopard. “Kalau di tempat lain tidak bisa. Dana itu kami alokasikan untuk 44 tank, tapi bisa mendapat 100 unit,” imbuhnya.

Sebelumnya, Menteri Pertahanan Purnomo Yusgiantoro menyatakan penolakan yang muncul dari kalangan parlemen Belanda bukanlah sikap resmi parlemen maunpun Pemerintah Belanda. Pemerintah Belanda sendiri telah mendesak kepastian Indonesia dalam membeli tank mereka.

Purnomo juga mengatakan, kebutuhan Indonesia sebenarnya pada main battle tank(MBT), bukan pada Leopard. Bisa saja MBT yang dibeli Indonesia bukan jenis Leopard. Sementara itu Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat (KSAD) Jenderal TNI Pramono Edhie Wibowo menyatakan, Jerman yang juga menawarkan Leopard-nya akan segera melakukan pertemuan dengan Indonesia.

(Jurnal Nasional)