First HIMARS Battery Operational

HIMARS - High Mobility Artilerry Rocket System (photos : Cyberpioneer, Area51)

Pinpoint accuracy over distances as long as 70 kilometres. This is just one of the capabilities which the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) brings to the table.

On 5 Sep, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officially welcomed the HIMARS into its fold with a ceremony to mark its commissioning and the operationalisation of the first HIMARS battery at Khatib Camp.

During the ceremony, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen saw a demonstration of the deployment and operation of the HIMARS as part of a networked force that included other land platforms.

In his speech, Dr Ng said: "The successful induction of the HIMARS reflects well on the ability of the SAF to respond decisively to new challenges and changing circumstances in its operational environment."

Equipped with the Battlefield Management System (BMS), the HIMARS is fully connected to its command headquarters and Strike Observer Mission Teams on the ground. Other SAF air and land platforms, such as fighter aircraft and infantry fighting vehicles, are also connected via the BMS.

With the enhanced situational awareness and transmission of critical battlefield information provided by the BMS, the HIMARS can quickly respond to calls for fire and deliver precision fire on targets.

Deadly accurate and mobile, each HIMARS launcher can dispatch its six rockets within 45 seconds to targets 70km away with an accuracy of 10 metres. Its 6.6 litre turbo-charged diesel engine powers the almost 16-ton behemoth to a top speed of 94kmh.

"With its long range and speed, the HIMARS can stay well behind the front line. When opposing forces open fire, we are able to stay well out of its range but yet still be able to deliver accurate counter-fire." explained Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Koh, Commanding Officer, 23rd Battalion Singapore Artillery (23 SA).

While the Singapore Army's 3rd Generation transformation leverages on technology that provides superior weaponry and reduces reliance on manpower, it translates into heavier responsibilities for the three-man crew which operates each HIMARS launcher. "It is ultimately the professionalism and commitment of our people that will translate the latest weapon systems into effective capabilities," said Dr Ng.
This message was not lost on each of the crew members who work as a tightly integrated team to operate the HIMARS. "When the fire mission comes down, all three of us are very independent and we know exactly what to do," said Full-time National Serviceman 3rd Sergeant Daniel Tan, citing the comprehensive training which the Battery has undergone in the past 12 months.
The SAF took delivery of the HIMARS in July last year, and conducted its inaugural battery live firing in November 2010 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, US.

The HIMARS, which is operated by Bravo Battery of 23 SA, provides artillery forces with precision fire power, enhanced mobility and advanced networking capabilities.

(Mindef)

See Also :

High Mobility Artillery Rocket System

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) provides artillery forces with precision fire power, enhanced responsiveness, mobility, protection, and also networks soldiers and air and land weapon platforms, thus facilitating the delivery of information, and fires in the battlefield.

The key features of the HIMARS are:

Enhanced Fire Power
The HIMARS carries a single pod of six Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) rockets and is designed to launch the entire MLRS family of munitions. The Guided MLRS M31 Unitary rockets used are 227mm surface-to-surface inertial guided and Global Positioning System-aided weapons. Each rocket contains a single 200-pound class controlled fragmentation high explosive unitary warhead capable of providing lethal and precise fires. The HIMARS is able to strike targets as far as 70 km away.

Enhanced Responsiveness
The HIMARS requires less than 20 seconds to be prepared for firing and a full launcher load of six rockets can be fired within 45 seconds.


Enhanced Mobility
The HIMARS is powered by a 6.6-litre, six-cylinder turbo-charge diesel engine that delivers 330 horsepower, providing a top speed of 94km/h. This allows for rapid withdrawal after launching of munitions, enhancing crew and equipment survivability.
Enhanced Protection
The HIMARS is equipped with the Increased Crew Protection cabin, which is designed to protect the three-man operating crew against plume gases, rocket launch debris and small arms.
Enhanced Networking Capabilities
The HIMARS is equipped with the Battlefield Management System (BMS) which enables it to connect with the Artillery Headquarters and Strike Observer Mission Teams on the ground as well as other air and land platforms, such as infantry fighting vehicles, main battle tanks, attack helicopters and fighter aircraft. With enhanced situational awareness and transmission of key battlefield information provided by the BMS, the HIMARS can respond quickly to call-for-fires and deliver precision fires on enemy targets.

(Mindef)

Kopassus dan Pasukan Khusus Australia Latihan Bersama

 

Kopassus dan SAS berlatih bersama di Bandara Ngurah Rai, Denpasar, Bali tahun lalu. (Foto: Reuters)

8 September 2011, Jakarta (TEMPO Interaktif): Komando Pasukan Khusus TNI Angkatan Darat menggelar latihan bersama pasukan khusus Australia, Special Operations Command (SOCOMD). Latihan dengan sandi Dawn Komodo XI/2011 ini akan berlangsung selama dua minggu dan diikuti 40 personel Kopassus dan 34 personel Pasukan Khusus Australia.

Latihan bersama dibuka Komandan Jenderal Kopassus Mayor Jenderal TNI Lodewijk F Paulus di di lapangan Ahmad Kirang Satuan-81 Kopassus Cijantung, Selasa 6 September lalu. Pasukan khusus dari kedua negara akan berlatih menembak reaksi, penanggulangan teror aspek laut dan pengetahuan sandi yudha. Lokasi latihan digelar di Pulau Kotok dan Pulau Sebaru, kawasan Kepulauan Seribu Jakarta Utara.

Lodewijk melalui siaran pers, Rabu 7 September 2011 malam mengatakan latihan bersama itu merupakan wahana untuk saling tukar pengetahuan antara kedua delegasi. "Juga bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dan ketrampilan prajurit dalam bidang tehnik dan taktik pertempuran baik perorangan maupun kelompok," katanya.

Lodewijk menambahkan latihan ini juga dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan kerjasama antara Pasukan Khusus kedua negara. Latihan bersama Dawn Komodo telah berlangsung sejak tahun 1992 dan dilaksanakan bergantian di Australia dan di Indonesia.

Sumber: TEMPO Interaktif 

TNI AL Latma Kapal Selam dengan Tiga Negara

KRI Cakra saat latihan (photo : TNI AL)

Jakarta - Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut Laksamana TNI Soeparno mengatakan, pihaknya tengah merintis latihan bersama kapal selam dalam latihan bersama dengan tiga negara yakni Amerika Serikat, Singapura dan Korea Selatan.

"Kami sedang merintis, bahkan dengan AS kita harapkan sudah bisa dimulai pada 2012," katanya menjawab ANTARA di Jakarta, Senin.

Kasal mengemukakan, tahapan kerja sama latihan kapal selam diawali dengan pertukaran awak kapal selam TNI Angkatan Laut dengan awak kapal angkatan laut tiga negara itu.

"Selanjutnya awak kapal selam TNI Angkatan Laut akan diperkenalkan dengan kapal selam dari angkatan laut tiga negara itu, begitu pun sebaliknya," ujar Soeparno.

Tahapan selanjutnya, tambah dia, latihan bersama kapal selam antara TNI Angkatan Laut dengan angkatan laut AS, Singapura dan Korsel dalam bingkai latihan bersama bilateral yang rutin dilakukan TNI Angkatan Laut dengan angkatan laut tiga negara itu.

"Latihan bersama kapal selam itu, tidak melulu kapal selam dengan kapal selam. Bisa saja kapal selam dengan kapal atas permukaan sesuai skenario latihan yang telah disepakati. Jadi banyak ragam dan pola latihan yang akan dilakukan disesuaikan dengan pola ancaman keamanan maritim nasional, regional maupun internasional," tutur Soeparno.

Tentang ancaman terhadap kedaulatan RI utamanya wilayah perairan dengan kehadiran kapal selam tiga negara itu dalam rangka latihan bersama, Kasal mengatakan,"semua hal tentu sudah diperhitungkan sangat matang,".

Soeparno menambahkan,"banyak kapal selam negara tertentu yang melintas di sekitar wilayah perairan Indonesia selama ini. Indonesia merupakan negara kepulauan dan berada di persimpangan dua samudra besar. Jadi semua kemungkinan sudah dipertimbangan dengan matang,".

Terkait kesiapan kapal selam TNI Angkatan Laut beserta awaknya, Kasal menyatakan sangat siap.

(Antara)

Join Fighter Weapon Course di Lanud Pekanbaru

 

7 September 2011, Pekanbaru (Pentak Lanud Pekanbaru): Setelah dibuka secara resmi oleh Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara, Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat S.IP di Singapura bulan lalu, Join Fighter Weapon Course (JFWC) mulai di gelar di Lanud Pekanbaru, Selasa (6/9). Latihan bersama antara TNI AU dan RSAF tersebut melibatkan berbagai jenis pesawat tempur sergap yang dimiliki oleh kedua Angkatan Udara tiap-tiap Negara.

Lanud Pekanbaru yang dijadikan pusat latihan menurunkan satu flight pesawat Hawk 100/200 dan ditambah dengan satu flight pesawat Tempur Sergap F-16 dan satu flight pesawat F-5 yang didatangkan dari Lanud Iswahyudi. Sedangkan Singapura menurunkan lima unit pesawat F-16 dan tiga unit pesawat F-5. Berbagai perlengkapan dalam mendukung latihan tersebut sudah mulai berdatangan di Lanud Pekanbaru, baik personel maupun materiil datang dengan menggunakan pesawat Hercules maupun melalui kapal laut.

Latihan yang bertujuan mengasah kemampuan para penerbang tempur kedua Negara dalam menggunakan pesawat tempur sebagai senjata yang dapat diandalkan dalam memenangi setiap pertempuran tersebut direncanakan akan berlangsung selama dua bulan kedepan.

Sumber: TNI AU

F-16 TNI AU dan F-18 Australia Berlatih di Bali

06 September 2011

Latihan Elang Ausindo 2011 (photo : Pikiran rakyat)

DENPASAR, KOMPAS.com - Latihan bersama antara TNI Angkatan Udara dan Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) dengan sandi Latma Elang Ausindo 2011 digelar di Pangkalan udara (Lanud) Ngurah Rai, Bali, Senin-Sabtu (5-10/9/2011).

Sebanyak 117 orang personel TNI AU dan 76 personel RAAF terlibat dalam latihan tersebut. Dinas Penerangan Lanud Ngurah Rai menjelaskan, Selasa (6/9) pada latihan tersebut TNI AU menggunakan 6 pesawat tempur jenis F-16 Fighting Falcon sedangkan RAAF menggunakan 8 pesawat tempur jenis F-18 Hornet.

Acara dibuka secara resmi oleh Wakil Asisten Operasi (Waasops) Kasau, Marsekal Pertama TNI Ida Bagus Anom selaku Inspektur Upacara yang didampingi oleh Air Commodore Mel Hupfeld, Commander Air Combat Group di Appron Base Operasi Lanud Ngurah Rai.

Waasops Kasau mengatakan bahwa tujuan utama dari latihan ini adalah untuk mempererat tali persaudaraan dan memperkuat hubungan baik antara kedua negara, Indonesia dan Australia, serta secara khusus untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dan profesionalisme personel-personel yang terlibat dalam pengkayaan taktik dan teknik pada operasi udara.

Setelah melaksanakan upacara pembukaan dilanjutkan dengan acara foto bersama dengan latar belakang pesawat F-16 dan F-18 Hornet serta ramah tamah di Base Ops Lanud Ngurah Rai, disela-sela acara ramah tamah dilaksanakan pertukaran cindera mata.

(Kompas)

SBY: Peremajaan Senjata TNI-Polri Tuntas 2015

SBY meminta, setiap dana yang dipakai bisa dipertanggungjawabkan.

Presiden Yudhoyono mencoba senjata buatan PT Pindad (ANTARA/Widodo S Jusuf)

VIVAnews - Pemerintah merencanakan pembaruan terhadap alat utama sistem persenjataan atau alutsista bagi TNI dan Polri. Salah satunya soal pembelian senjata. Untuk anggaran pembelian senjata meningkat sebelumnya.

"Alhamdulilah kita dapat mengalokasikan anggaran yang lebih besar, dibandingkan lima tahun pertama saya memimpin pemerintahan di negeri ini," kata Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono di Kantor Presiden, Jakarta, Kamis 8 September 2011.

Menurut SBY, saat ini sudah ada urgensi yang tinggi untuk melakukan modernisasi dan pembangunan kekuatan. Mengingat, sejumlah alutsista dari sisi generasi sistem persenjataan pada saatnya diremajakan dan dimodernisasi.

Target pemerintah, kata SBY, pada tahun 2014 atau 2015 pembangunan kekuatan atau modernisasi TNI dan Polri sudah bisa tercapai. Selanjutnya SBY meminta dalam pengadaan Alusista itu dilakukan pembenahan termasuk mekanisme pengadaannya.

"Ada masalah transparansi dan akuntabilitas," kata SBY. Terlebih lagi anggaran di Kementerian Pertahanan paling tinggi, utamanya untuk pengadaan alusista. SBY meminta, setiap dana yang dipakai bisa dipertanggungjawabkan.

"Pastikan pengadaan alutsista yang mahal ratusan milliar bahkan triliunan kalau menyangkut kapal selam, pesawat tempur dan alutsista sejenis, tepat sasarannya," kata dia.

Pengadaan senjata itu kata SBY, untuk kepentingan pertahanan negara dan pertahanan internal. SBY menekankan, pembelian senjata itu tidak menggunakan pinjaman luar negeri. "Wajib hukum membeli alusista itu sudah bisa dibuat industri dalam negeri kita," kata SBY. (umi)
• VIVAnews

Turkey and Indonesia near arms agreements

Pars 6x6. (Foto: FNSS)

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey and Indonesia are close to signing several defense agreements altogether worth $400 million, procurement officials and industry sources said Tuesday.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, and Turkey have increasingly closer political relations, and their industrial ties also are boosting. The two countries decided to bolster their defense cooperation when President Abdullah Gül visited Jakarta in April as a guest of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, when the two nations signed a defense industry pact.
Later, major defense industry companies from both nations met multiple times to explore potential areas of cooperation. They decided to work together in military electronics, rockets and armored vehicles.
As a result, Aselsan, Turkey’s military electronics powerhouse, and its Indonesian counterparts agreed on Aselsan’s production of several types of military radios and other wireless equipment for the Indonesian military. Roketsan, Turkey’s state-owned rocket maker, reached a general agreement to produce various short-range rockets for the Indonesians.
Meanwhile, private Turkish vehicle-maker FNSS agreed to develop a 6X6 wheeled tactical vehicle for the Indonesians. FNSS already is the maker of 6X6 and 8X8 Pars armored vehicles. Under the agreement with Indonesia, FNSS will modify the Pars 6X6 and then the two sides jointly will manufacture it.
The Aselsan deal is expected to be signed before the year ends, industry sources told the Hürriyet Daily News. Roketsan and the FNSS deals are expected to be closed in 2012. The Aselsan agreement should exceed $100 million, and the two other deals are expected to cost around $150 million both.
Separately, a team of German and Turkish companies and Turkey’s procurement agency are seeking to jointly sell two HDW-class Type-209 submarines to Indonesia’s navy. They are competing against South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine.

HURRIET DAILY NEWS