Taiwan Displayed Its Lethal Drone Swarm At TADTE 2019
Via TADTE 2019.
A welcome surprise at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2019 (TADTE 2019), which shared its floor space with Drone Taiwan 2019, was a single 10×10 semi-trailer carrying the launchers for small autonomous UAVs. Taiwanese media described them as “anti-radiation drones” and their intended purpose was far from secret. News agency Radio Taiwan International even ran a 3D animated clip depicting an aircraft carrier and its escorts being struck by the drones. Elsewhere online, comparisons were immediately made with the IAI Harop or Harpy, the notorious “kamikaze drone” that has earned itself a fearsome reputation.
Iran Weaponized Its Favorite Military Pickup Truck
Via Iranian Media.
With the US and its Middle East nemesis avoiding direct confrontation for now, Iranian media have stepped up coverage of local military “achievements.” For critics of the Islamic Republic it’s easy to dismiss these as shallow propaganda churned out by a rogue state. However, paying closer scrutiny to the portrayal of Iranian-made equipment and weapons does provide valuable insight on how its armed forces are modernizing. In mid-August, for example, a 6×6 MRAP was unveiled called the “Raad” along with the Aras 2 pictured above.
The latter is the newest variant of the Aras pickup truck used by the Artesth and the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).
The Maritime Empire That Vanished Without A Trace
Via Wikimedia Commons.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that European, rather than Asian, scholars rediscovered a long forgotten empire that once flourished in Sumatra for hundreds of years. Its very existence proved present day Indonesia had a deeper and more colorful past than assumed. Sumatra itself is recognized as the core of a unique civilization that harmonized Hindu and Buddhist culture before Islam began spreading across the island and into the nearby Malay Peninsula in the 15th century. Often framed as a “polity” occupied by Austronesians*, the Srivijaya Empire was established along the banks of the broad Musi River where it received ships traveling through the narrow Malacca Strait.
Highlights Of OEWatch For August 2019
Each month the US Army’s think tank the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) publishes its open source OEWatch magazine as a free download on the APAN Community Network. The latest issue runs 67 pages filled with snippets and commentary from the stable of analysts under the editorial triumvirate of Tom Wilhelm, Karen Kaya, and Thomas Tolare.
The Singaporean Hunter AFV Is A Real Killer
Via MINDEF.
Last week’s National Day Parade (NDP) in Singapore featured a lavish spectacle that paid tribute to the armed forces, considered the best equipped among ASEAN militaries. The hardware that rolled in Padang on August 9 could match, or in some cases overmatch, the arsenals of much larger states. But in a ceremony imbued with highlights a notable detail was a very public showing for the Hunter Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV).
Unveiled on June 11 to mark the army’s 50th anniversary, the Hunter AFV is a troop carrier (seating eight soldiers) mounting considerable firepower. During the NDP, in fact, the formation of Hunter AFV’s involved revealed their most lethal weapons–top attack missiles!
This Russian Technology Conference Is A Big Deal
Via Groteck Business Media.
All-over-IP 2019 is taking place at Moscow’s Sokolniki Expo from November 20 to 22. The event promises to be among the largest of its kind in Russia’s technology sector, bringing so many important brands and companies under one roof. A recent announcement by the organizer revealed three major participants–Faceter, Hanhwa Techwin, and Milestone–joined the Intelligent Video 2.0 Conference, which is a venue “to discuss exciting opportunities…that event-related video analytics, AI technologies, and IoT can bring to surveillance projects in 2019-2023.”
Visitors who wish to participate in the Intelligent Video 2.0 Conference can register here. 21st Century Asian Arms Race (21AAR) is a recognized media partner for All-over-IP 2019.
Companies Can Now Book Their Stands For AeroDef 2019
Via Wikimedia Commons.
A unique industry-specific trade show is happening in Bengaluru from December 3 to 5 this year. The third installment of AeroDef India–billed as an expo for defense manufacturing, supply chain, and sub-contracting–will be held at the immense BIEC complex and offers space for up to 200 exhibitors. The show’s organizer Infinity Expo Pvt Ltd are now welcoming serious inquiries from the Asia-Pacific, the European Union, and North America. Companies who serve the aerospace supply chain and have any kind of role in military production are encouraged to get in touch and explore their options.
AeroDef India 2019 is an irresistible opportunity to explore India’s growing role as a destination for high value manufacturing and engineering. 21st Century Asian Arms Race (21AAR) is a recognized media partner for the show.
The Indian Army Is Looking For An Articulated APC
The BvS10 manufactured by BAE Systems. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Last month the Indian Army published a Request for Information (RFI) describing an “articulated all-terrain vehicle” or AATV to meet its logistical needs in remote areas. The RFI was open from July 8 until July 30 although the documents, which are available for download on the army’s website, specified that a “a tentative date of issue of Request for Proposal (RFP)” was set for December 2019. An RFP is the official designation for the review process that leads to a contract signing with a chosen supplier.
AATVs are quite rare for military inventories but their usefulness is transporting men and material over great distances without paved roads. Indeed, the RFI stated the AATV must be able to run at least 30 kilometers per hour “cross country over hard terrain.”
Will This Handheld Quadcopter Find Its Niche In Asia?
Via Aeronáutica SDLE.
Small enough to be held in the palm of one’s hand, the Individual Recognition Platform (IRP) is among the nimblest UAVs ever manufactured by a European company. Spain’s Aeronáutica SDLE introduced the IRP at the FEINDEF 2019 arms show in Madrid last May. This month the company announced it was “working on equipping its UAS with artificial intelligence.” This allows the IRP to “detect shapes and spaces” and broadens its usefulness. Among the scenarios where the IRP can be deployed are navigating remote areas, environmental intelligence, emergency search and rescue, and infrastructure security.
Armored Cars: SDPR BOV M11
Via Wikimedia Commons.
It’s easy to confuse the M11 with the Textron M1117 since they look alike–at first glance, that is. But it turns out the M11 has a storied lineage of its own. Since it was first revealed at an arms show in 2013, the M11 has guaranteed the continuity of the distinguished BOV armored car; a true relic of the Yugoslav armed forces. During the cruel wars that engulfed the Balkans in the 1990s, the BOV and its variants saw constant use among the belligerents.
The M11 aspires to modest goals, however, and was meant as a reconnaissance vehicle foremost.
The Syrian Civil War Did Wipe Out The Syrian Arab Army
Via Wikimedia Commons.
A remarkable analysis of the battered Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was published last week by the Middle East Institute, a think tank specializing in the region’s current events. The researcher Gregory Waters spent months trawling social media and compiling sources for The Lion and the Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army’s Death and Rebirth. To balance his data Waters corresponded with an unnamed Syrian he described as having “extensive contacts throughout the military.”
The result is a useful pocket history of the institution that tried hardest to preserve Syria’s dictatorial regime and almost failed if not for the well-timed intervention by Russia.
China, Not Russia, Makes The Best Rocket Artillery
Via China Military Online.
The PLA’s news website released photos of its latest rocket artillery weapon this month. After some perusal of open sources, it turned out the tracked vehicle mounting 122mm rocket cells is known as the PZH-10. The naming system used by the Chinese military for its kit corresponds to the type and date. This means the PZH-10 is classified as a “tracked rocket artillery launcher” that entered service in 2010. As per Chinese media, the PLA’s 76th Group Army are its first known operators.
The PZH-10 is based on a proven chassis with six road wheels housed in rubber treads. Its layout features a small cab at the front and a spacious bed where a pivoting mount supports two cells of 20 tubes for 122mm rockets.
