Vietnam T-90S/SK tank (photo : KienThuc) T-90S/SK of Vietnam and Leopard 2 SG owned by Singapore are now considered as two of the most modern main tanks in Southeast Asia. The two types of tanks themselves have a few more points than each other in terms of features and combat efficiency. First, in terms of price, the T-90 tank version is said to average around $ 4 to $ 4.5 million each. While the price of a Leopard 2 version of 2A4 is about $ 6 million, other versions can be twice as expensive. In terms of fuel consumption, the T-90 main tank won completely when it cost only about 2.9 liters of fuel per kilometers to move while with Leopard 2 it was 3.75 liters/km. The consumption of more fuel will put more burden on the logistics system when fighting on a large scale. In addition to consuming more fuel, Leopard 2 will also have a shorter journey when only traveling 400 km (on flat roads) before depleting the fuel tank. Meanwhile, this number of T-90 will be 550 km. One of the problems that makes Leopard 2 consume more fuel than the T-90 is because it has a large engine, up to nearly 1500 horsepower. Whereas the T-90 uses only 840 horsepower versions or 1130 horsepower maximum. The reason why only a lower-capacity engine is needed is because the T-90 is much "lighter" than Leopard 2. Specifically, while Leopard 2 weighs 68.7 tons, the T-90 weighs only 53 tons.
Singapore Leopard 2 SG (photo : Reddit) In terms of secondary fire, the T-90 also completely overwhelmed with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun on the roof of the tank. Meanwhile, both Leopard 2 similar machine guns are only 7.62mm in size. The main gun of the T-90 is 125mm caliber with a reserve of 43 bullets. While it is not understood why, Leopard 2's main cannon used only 120mm ammunition, but only brought 42 storage. In terms of armored capabilities, Leopard 2 tanks are armored 1500 mm thick (converted) at every position on the vehicle. Whereas with the T-90, this number ranges from 1150 to 1550 mm. The T-90's cannon is slightly more penetrating when it penetrates uniformly 600mm rolled steel at a distance of 2000 meters, whereas with Leopard tanks, the same firing distance penetrates only 560mm of rolled steel copper. Thus, we can see that the Leopard 2 tanks of Singapore and T-90 that Vietnam is using are equal in overall. When going into details, the T-90 tanks are more capable in field operations, while Leopard 2 has more uniform body armor. (KienThuc)
AIM-120C7 AMRAAM (photo : almrsal) Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $768,283,907 non-competitive fixed-price incentive (firm) contract for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Production Lot 33. This contract provides for the production of the AMRAAM missiles, captive air training missiles, guidance sections, AMRAAM telemetry system, spares and other production engineering support hardware. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an expected completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. This contract involves unclassified foreign military sales to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and United Kingdom, which accounts for 47% of the contract value. Fiscal 2018 Air Force and Navy procurement funds in the amount of $21,606,031; fiscal 2019 Air Force and Navy procurement funds in the amount of $356,753,259; fiscal 2020 Navy procurement funds in the amount of $4,212,839; fiscal 2019 Air Force research and development funds in the amount of $7,343,150; fiscal 2020 Air Force and Navy research and development funds in the amount of $10,295,601; fiscal 2020 Air Force operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,404,956; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $366,668,071 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Dominance Division Contracting Office, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8675-20-C-0033). (US DoD)
RSAF F-16C/D and F-15SG (photo : Sing Gov) SINGAPORE: Singapore and the United States have agreed to set up a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter training detachment in Guam, its fourth such detachment on US territory. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Saturday (Dec 7) by Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and his US counterpart, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. It lays out the framework for the RSAF’s detachment in Guam, covering the deployment of F-15SG and F-16 fighter aircraft and other supporting assets to the Anderson Air Force Base for training. The agreement was reached following studies conducted with the US on a number of factors, including the suitability of the training area, infrastructure and other types of support, said Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). “The vast training airspace in Guam will allow the RSAF to conduct realistic training, to hone their capabilities and readiness,” it said. Guam to be Fourth RSAF Detachment in US Due to airspace constraints in Singapore, the RSAF has to look overseas to meet its training requirements. Guam will be the air force’s fourth detachment on US territory after the Peace Carvin II F-16 fighter detachment at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, Peace Carvin V F-15SG fighter detachment at Mount Home Air Force Base in Idaho and Peace Vanguard AH-64 Apache helicopter detachment at Marana, also in Arizona. The RSAF also has training detachments in Australia and France. “These overseas detachments serve RSAF’s training needs to maintain operational readiness for Singapore’s air defence,” said MINDEF. “This detachment in Guam, alongside other fighter deployments which train in the region such as in Australia, India and Thailand also allow quick redeployment of assets back to Singapore when required.” The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has trained in Guam since the 1990s and has deployed RSAF aircraft to the island since 2017 to conduct training with the US. The possibility of Singapore establishing an RSAF training detachment in Guam was mentioned in 2016 in a joint statement between the two countries. At the signing of the agreement on Saturday, Dr Ng said the training detachment allows the RSAF fighter force to achieve operational readiness. It also reaffirms Singapore's position that the region's stability requires the influence and presence of the US, he added. In his meeting with Mr Esper, Dr Ng expressed appreciation for the US' support for SAF's training in the country. Both men also reaffirmed the “excellent and long-standing defence relationship” between Singapore and the US, MINDEF said. They also discussed a range of geopolitical developments, including the need to work closely with ASEAN countries to address regional security issues such as counter-terrorism, the ministry said. Dr Ng is in the US until Sunday to attend the 7th Reagan National Defense Forum, where he will speak at a panel session titled Advancing US National Defense: Working with Allies and Partners. (CNA)
SAF special force (photo : Sing Mindef) Singapore Armed Forces' Commandos Celebrate Golden Jubilee Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen officiated at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)'s Commando Formation's 50th anniversary parade at Hendon Camp this evening. Speaking at the parade, Dr Ng commended the fighting spirit and achievements of the Commandos, recounting key operations undertaken during the Commandos' formative years. "These three operations (Laju hijack, Operation Thunderstorm and Operation Thunderbolt) exemplify the modus operandi of our red berets, who are often put in extreme harm's way, but whose professionalism, skill and capabilities result in mission success even under the most trying circumstances."
Dr Ng thanked servicemen for their contributions, adding that "the Commando Formation, as the tip of the SAF's spear, must be kept sharp all the time. It calls for a special breed of men and women, who are physically and mentally agile, able to respond at quick notice, and act decisively and deliberately under great pressure. He also emphasised the continued need for a special force like the Commandos given the clear and present danger of terrorism in the region. "To respond to this growing threat, our Commandos too must evolve their strategies, capabilities and tactic. The inauguration of the Special Operations Task Force's Special Operations Command Centre (SOCC) represents an important step in the Commandos' response to present day security threats," said Dr Ng.
The Rapide-i4 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) was acquired as part of the SOTF's efforts to have an organic surveillance capability. The Rapide-i4 is a weatherproof system that provides the SOTF with an information-gathering system for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Equipped with Electro-Optical/Infra-Red systems, it is able to conduct surveillance in both day and night, and can be connected to the SOCC to provide added surveillance capability to operators (photo : Flare Dynamics) Dr Ng commissioned the SOCC prior to the parade earlier today. The SOCC enhances the SAF's capability to centrally plan, monitor and manage multiple Counter-Terrorism (CT) and contingency operations. It is networked to the rest of the SAF and across various government agencies, tightening linkages for more coordinated responses to incidents. Also present at the 50th anniversary parade were Chief of Army Major-General Goh Si Hou, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the SAF, defence partners, Commando Pioneers as well as the early batches of Commando National Servicemen from the Merdeka Generation. (Sing Mindef)
Vietnam T-90S/SK tank (photo : KienThuc)
Singapore Leopard 2 SG (photo : Reddit)
