Tuesday, 26 December 2017

SOUTH CHINA SEA CONFLICT – TIME FOR MALAYSIA TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE

Press release from Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (PPM-005-14-22052017)
On 26 Dec 2017. 25/2017.

SOUTH CHINA SEA CONFLICT – TIME FOR MALAYSIA TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE

It is widely accepted that the current South China Sea territorial and maritime conflict can escalate into confrontation and a war. Over the last few decades the protracted conflict saw the more adventurous nations like China and Vietnam positioned their troops and built structures in several of islands they claimed. War of words became more heated over the last few months. Our country has maintained a low profile approach preferring a soft diplomacy or ‘amicable way’ to handle problems. It is time for Malaysia to be more assertive in this South China Sea conflict. 

The Reuter report on 25 Dec 17 stated that China has ‘reasonably expanded its islands’, and also reportedly said, ‘China has enhanced its military presence there…. with large radar’. Any major power, be it US or China, building up bases in ASEAN region is an absolute no, no. In the event of a war where nuclear weapons are employed, hundreds of million lives in South East Asia will perish. In this case, the path of the monsoon wind will cause widespread nuclear particles fallout and total destruction to our land.

It is a different story if claimants to the uninhabited islands and atolls send their troops with small arms to occupy or even build structures. Building up the area into a huge military base with offensive capability is a definite no. Even for territorial occupation, the basic international convention, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has to be abided. 

Unfortunately for ASEAN countries, superpowers rivalry to exert hegemony has caused nations to be more aligned to one than the other. Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan  (Patriots) applaud our government’s stand to stay neutral in this geopolitical conflict. Otherwise the Asean’s declaration of ZOPFAN (Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality) in 1971 where Malaysia played a prominent role, risked being trashed. Critics to our nation’s passive stand regarding China’s aggressive development in the Spratly region pointed to our country’s close dependence on China’s funding and investment. While this may be so, Patriots have our views and it is beyond the scope here to make our argument to caution against so-called ‘foreign investment’.

At the very least, our country should not adopt a soft diplomacy approach to China’s Nine-Dash Line maritime territorial claim, which is based on history dated back to the Han dynasty. This is absurd, as it will encroach very close to our 12-mile territorial water. UNCLOS allows for 200 miles EEZ beyond our shore. It is imperative for Malaysia to be more assertive as our low profiling can be construed as tacit approval to China’s aggressive stance. 

Being neutral to superpowers contention in this territorial and maritime conflict, our country is suitable, and Patriots will fully support Malaysia to play a leading role to hasten all efforts to bring all claimant countries to the negotiating table. In the meantime, we support our government to take the following actions:
1. Besides the islands that are already occupied and patrolled by our troops (Layang-Layang, Ubi, Mantanani, Siput, Peninjau, Laya, Semarang Barat Besar, and Semarang Barat Kecil), more permanent features need be constructed on atolls and reefs, which are within and beyond the 200 miles from our shore. Numerous of such atolls may appear during low tide. Structures constructed will strengthen our case in future tribunals.
2. More allocation for our troops, in particular the RMN, to position and patrol our claimed territories. More frequent military exercise in the area involving our quick reaction force. The presence of our Navy will give protection to our off-shore fishing activities. Furthermore, it gives enhancement to the tourism activities in the region of Layang-Layang. 
3. Exert our sovereignty over our claimed areas with our military presence. This has potential to secure our economic life line in the future.

The role of our Armed Forces in this South China Sea conflict is very important. Patriots is with and for our government to give full support to our Armed Forces. We are also for our government to play a more assertive diplomatic role. Our country’s territorial, maritime, and economic interest is of utmost importance. 

BG Dato Mohamed Arshad Raji
President 
Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan

(PPM-005-14-22052017)

Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Argentina's missing submarine

  • The ARA San Juan submarine was last seen on Wednesday 15 November 2017.
  • If it's intact on the ocean floor the crew will have 7-10 days worth of oxygen, analysts estimate
(CNN)Efforts to locate an Argentine submarine that has been missing since last week have been ramped up dramatically by a multinational search team of boats and planes, the country's navy says.
Searchers are working against time: If the submarine has not been able to reach the surface, it may run out of oxygen as early as Wednesday, in a worst-case scenario.
"We have tripled the search effort, both on the surface and underwater, with 10 airplanes," said Gabriel Galeazzi, a spokesman with the Mar del Plata naval base. Ships and aircraft from at least seven countries are scouring the southern Atlantic for the submarine ARA San Juan, which was last seen last Wednesday. 
"We have 11 ships from the Argentine navy, from municipalities, and from countries that have collaborated with research ships such as Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Peru, the United States, and (the UK).
Here's what we know -- and don't know -- about the disappearance of the ARA San Juan:

How long could the crew survive?

Under normal circumstances, the vessel has sufficient fuel, water, oil and oxygen to operate for 90 days without external help, said Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi, and the vessel could "snorkel" -- or raise a tube to the surface -- "to charge batteries and draw fresh air for the crew."
If the sub is bobbing adrift on the surface and the hatch is open, it will have an available air supply and enough food for about 30 days, he said.
But if it is submerged and cannot raise a snorkel, its oxygen may last only about seven days. When the sub last made contact on Wednesday, six days ago, it was submerged, Balbi said.
"This phase of search and rescue is critical," he said. "This is why we are deploying all resources with high-tech sensors. We welcome the help we have received to find them."

When was it last heard from?

The submarine was heading from a base in southern Argentina's Tierra del Fuego archipelago to its home port in Mar del Plata, about 260 miles south of Buenos Aires. It was scheduled to arrive there Sunday.
The San Juan was last spotted in the San Jorge Gulf, a few hundred kilometers off the coast of southern Argentina's Patagonia region and nearly midway between the bases. The submarine has a crew of 44.
On Saturday, seven communication attempts were recorded and were initially believed to originate from the ARA San Juan. But on Monday, officials said the radio calls did not come from the missing sub.
The frequency used for the calls was similar to that used by ARA San Juan's, said Balbi, the Navy spokesman.
"We do know they have an emergency satellite communication system," said William Craig Reed, a former US Navy diver and submariner who writes on the subject. 
"That is a buoy that will pop up to the top. They can send signals from this. They believe that might be the case. Although, unfortunately, it's not panned out. They have not been able to triangulate the signals. There's no way to confirm that they came from the submarine."

Any progress in the search?

Argentina's navy on Monday picked up what were thought to be noises from the missing submarine.
The sonar systems of two ships detected noises sounding like tools being banged against the hull of a submarine, according to a senior US Navy official familiar with the Navy's assistance in the search for the vessel.
The official said that crews of submarines in distress often bang on the vessel's hull to alert passing ships to their location.
However, analysis determined the noises were not from the missing vessel, Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said from Buenos Aires.
The noises were possibly from the ocean or marine life, Balbi said.
Vessels were moving Tuesday into an expanded search area. "The search area is two times the size of Buenos Aires," Balbi said

What could have happened?

The vessel could have suffered some sort of "catastrophic failure," Reed said.
But, he added, it also "could be something minor that has caused them to either be hung up somewhere or they are on the bottom."
The country's naval spokesman, Galeazzi, said the captain of the San Juan reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system shortly before it disappeared.
After the captain reported the sub had experienced a "short circuit," he was told to "change course and return to Mar del Plata," said Galeazzi, speaking from the naval base in Mar de Plata. This type of damage is considered routine and the vessel's crew was reported safe, he added.
The navy had one more communication with the captain before the sub went missing, said Galeazzi, who did not mention the content of that final communication.
Because the San Juan is a diesel submarine, not a nuclear-powered one, "it has a limited life underwater," Reed said.
Time is ticking for the 44 submariners on board. While submarines of this size and class can stay at sea for around a month, that doesn't mean they have 30 days underwater.
"It's dependent upon the last time they actually recharged their batteries, how long ago they refreshed the air, what's inside the submarine," Reed said. "We just don't know."
If it had sunk but is still intact, the crew will have about a week to 10 days of oxygen, said Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, in Australia.

How often would the crew usually be in contact?

From a crew comfort point of view the sub would very likely travel submerged around 50 meters (165 feet) below the surface, Layton says, only coming near the surface to "snort" -- replenish its oxygen, recharge the batteries by using the diesel engines, and send radio signals -- around once every 24 hours.  
However, that could depend on whether it was a straightforward transit or if the sub was engaging in other operations en route, Euan Graham, director, international security, of the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney told CNN.
"Obviously the Falkland Islands are an intelligence target for Argentina," he said. "There is no reason to suggest that it was engaged in this but still a possibility. If so it would need to stay out of detection envelope."
This 2013 photo shows the ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric vessel.
This 2013 photo shows the ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric vessel.

How hard is it to find a sunken sub?

Finding a vessel that is designed not to be found is more difficult "by an order of magnitude" than a surface vessel, Graham said.
"In general terms they're designed to be stealthy platforms," he said. "They are difficult to detect underwater... by an order of magnitude."
Finding large objects on the sea bed is problematic, Layton said.
They are usually found by listening passively to hear the engines, or by active sonar.
"If you're sitting at bottom of ocean, you're probably not making a lot of noise," Layton said. "You can't recharge oxygen, can't run too much equipment."
Sonar is only really effective when you're looking for a sub "between the sea floor and the surface," he added.
"What you need is something that maps the sea floor," similar to the devices used in the MH370 search, he said.

What sort of shape is the sub in?

The San Juan is an old diesel submarine, built in Germany in the mid-1980s, but was refitted with new engines and batteries around five years ago, Graham said.
The hull dates back to 1985, but due to the recent refit "it shouldn't lose electric power catastrophically," he said.
"A total loss of power is highly unusual as redundancy is (factored in) to naval designs."
Because of the expansion and contraction of the hull as it ascends and descends deep below the ocean's surface, the sub is designed to have a shelf life of around 30 years. That shelf life has expired, Layton said.
Assuming the hull is still intact, it can withstand ocean depths up to around 500-600 meters -- German-made subs set the crush depth at double their test depth, which is set at 300 meters, Layton says.
If it's resting on Argentina's continental shelf, it is likely in waters shallower than this, but if it's further into the Atlantic Ocean it likely sank below its "crush depth" -- the depth at which the hull buckles under pressure.

Is anything hampering search efforts?

Southern Argentina's Patagonia coast is notorious for strong storms.
"Currently a powerful low-pressure system is causing wind gusts in excess of 70 kph (around 45 mph) and churning up the South Atlantic Ocean with swells equivalent to a two-story building. This weather will hamper the search efforts for at least the next 48 hours," CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said.
Given the submarines range, the search area could comprise "thousands of square kilometers," said Layton.
"If satellite signals are from sub this whittles things down, gives (search and rescue) a great chance."

Can't they send another submarine to find it?

"What is needed is what is in the area, above all, boats with multi-beam sonar, to be able to do the search properly," Argentine naval captain Hector Alonso said.
"Sending a submarine to the area to perform some type of search wouldn't add anything because they don't have the technology or the elements to be able to do an underwater search."
However, at least one specialist rescue sub will be required if the San Juan is found with the crew still alive. The US is sending a rescue submersible to the area to help if needed.

Assuming the sub is found, how will crew members be rescued?

Even if the sub is located it could take several days to get a rescue vessel there, Graham said. This is problematic when oxygen supplies are diminishing, especially when surface conditions are so rough.
"It's difficult to operate in 8-meter (26 feet) waves," he said. Adding to the difficulties of a rescue, we currently "don't know what depth it is located, (and) how precarious the state of the hull could be."
The condition of the sub, assuming its resting on the continental shelf, is also of key concern.
"The sunk submarine needs to be sitting upright -- or nearly so -- on the sea floor so the rescue hatch(es) can be easily reached and docked with," Layton said. "The sea floor, though, is not flat. If the submarine is lying at an acute angle, docking could be hard."
Reed says that the US' Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) rescue sub "can dock with a (disabled submarine) up to a 45˚ angle."
CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report 



By Euan McKirdy, CNN 
Updated 10:55 PM EST, Tue November 21, 2017

Monday, 18 December 2017

Camcopter S-100 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

Drones complete successful qualification flights
Austrian-based company Schiebel Group has announced its Camcopter S-100 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) has successfully completed qualification flights for the French Navy.
  The flight trials, which were conducted from 29 May to 3 June, were performed from the deck of the Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandement (BPC) Dixmude, the newest of the French Navy's three Mistral Class amphibious assault ships.
The French fleet is currently undergoing a modernisation process, which Schiebel has participated in with flight trials to confirm the Ship Helicopter Operating Limits (SHOL) and to qualify the Camcopter S-100's integration onto the BPC.
Schiebel said during the flight demonstrations in the western Mediterranean the Camcopter S-100 conducted around 30 takeoffs and landings within a total of 15 flight hours during day and night.
A L3 Wescam MX-10 was used to transmit daylight and infrared data. Throughout the trials the system was operated independently by the French Navy CEPA/10s crew.
In February this year, Schiebel was awarded a contract by the Royal Australian Navy to provide a Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopter and three years of logistics support.
But the unmanned aerial vehicle crashed at Beecroft Weapons Range east of Nowra, causing a small bushfire in March this year.



Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Collisions Study Shows US Navy Needs Better Training, More Ships


WASHINGTON: Lookouts were looking in the wrong direction on the USS Fitzgerald. The bridge crew – including the commander – didn’t know how the helm worked on the USS McCain. The collisions that killed 17 sailors this summer were “preventable” lapses in basic seamanship, the Chief of Naval Operations admitted today, as he ordered a host of measures to prevent a repeat.
It’s not just 7th Fleet’s problem, Adm. John Richardson emphasized: It’s the Navy’s.
“Now that we have that investigation complete (into 7th Fleet),” Richardson said, “I just transmitted a message to all commanding officers….for them to study this at all levels of command to figure out and determine where they might be vulnerable (and) what of the recommended actions might be applicable to them.”
But, Richardson warned, a culture of shortcuts arose in the first place because Japan-based 7th Fleet, and the Navy as a whole, are under intense pressure to get ships out to sea and keep them there. Ultimately, he said, the only way to meet the demand is to build more ships.
“The Navy’s been run hard in the past 16 years of war and the pace is picking up, especially in the Pacific,” Richardson said at a Pentagon press briefing. “Rising pressure to meet operational demands led those in command to rationalize declining standards (and) a reduction of operational safety margins.”
Like the proverbial frog in the pot of hot water, not knowing it is slowly boiling to death, 7th Fleet leadership didn’t realize all their short-term expedients added up to long-term disaster.
After USS Antietam ran aground in January, for instance, some crewmembers still needed to get time at-sea for their training and certifications, so they were transferred to the McCain. “This is not unusual,” said Richardson, but in this case, no one made sure the crewmembers from Antietam, a cruiser, were properly trained to operate the somewhat different equipment on the McCain, a destroyer. “A couple” of those ex-Antietam sailors were on the McCain‘s bridge at the time of the collision.
Navy photo
The USS McCain heads for Shanghai after a collision that killed 10 sailors.
That said, no one else on the McCain’s bridge seemed to know what they were doing, either, including the ship’s commander. When they belatedly realized a current was pushing them onto a collision course with oncoming ship traffic, they tried to adjust the steering system – reconfiguring it five times in the three minutes before impact. Instead of correcting course, they lost control of the ship.
One mistake on the Fitzgerald was even more basic. The ship had posted look-outs as it went through busy sea lanes, but they were only looking left (port). No one was watching the ship’s right (starboard) side – which of course is where it was hit.
“These were fundamental mistakes of ship driving,” Richardson said, definitively ruling out speculation about a cyber attack. “These ships in the 7th Fleet had not mastered the fundamentals – and we noticed some issues at headquarters that may have set them up for that.”
Adm. Phil Davidson‘s team of 34 sailors and civilians studied both accidents and “other mishaps going back 10 years,” said Richardson, to come up with a battery of recommendations. Some are simple: warships will now routinely turn on their AIS (Automatic Identification Systems) beacons, sending their positions to nearby vessels. Some are easy to explain but not to implement: sailors must now be allowed to sleep at least six hours in every 24. Some are complex: a new, more deliberate work schedule for 7th Fleet; a new independent readiness body; a “near miss” program to investigate almost-accidents and disseminate lessons-learned; and a more rigorous process of readiness assessments.
“A big conclusion of the comprehensive review is we’ve got to beef up the assessment process across the board, both individual and team,” Richardson said. “While we did focus on this area in the 7th Fleet, there’re assessments of readinessgoing on throughout the Navy.”
Ultimately, however, part of the solution is in Congress’s hands. “There’s a mismatch between the sustainable level of naval power that we can generate with the current assigned forces in the 7th fleet and the mission set, the growing mission set,” Richardson said. “That gap can only be met by additional naval forces — more ships.”
on November 02, 2017 at 3:27 PM

Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Malaysia Budget 2018 : what for defence ?

Malaysia Announces 5.3% Defence Budget Increase




The Malaysian government has announced that defence spending will increase by 5.3% under the 2018 budget. Total spending on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will rise from MYR15.1 billion (USD3.6 billion) to MYR15.9 billion.

Spending will decline marginally against GDP, remaining at a level of around 1.1, and as a share of overall government spending from 5.8% to 5.6%. Despite that, the MoD’s budget allocation is still around 7% lower than in 2015 following a large cut to military spending in 2016.

The additional funding will be allocated within the recurrent budget which incorporates the operating costs of the MoD and the armed forces, with related spending rising by 7.6% from MYR11.7 billion to MYR12.6 billion. (Jane's)

Budget 2018 Allocations Enhances MAF's Capabilities - Armed Forces Chief

The RM14-billion allocation to the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in Budget 2018 will enhance the capabilities of the MAF in guarding the sovereignty and security of the country including at the border areas and national waters.

MAF Chief General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor said the allocation would reflect the duties borne by the MAF in preserving the sovereignty of the country.

He was commenting on the allocation announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling Budget 2018 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Meanwhile, Army Chief General Tan Sri Zulkiple Kassim said a part of the allocation would be used to upgrade and equip the assets of the Gerak Khas Group commando team and to install more guard posts along the Sabah and Sarawak borders.


Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the allocation would allow the navy to improve the capability of its littoral combat ships with sophisticated weapons.

"This will enhance maritime safety especially in the Strait of Melaka, the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea," he said.
 (Bernama)

ESSCom Allocation Shows Goverment's Concern For Sabah Security

The RM250 million allocation given to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) in the 2018 Budget shows the federal government's emphasis on Sabah's security, especially those in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).

The allocation can strengthen the role of ESSCom in monitoring the ESSZone waters, thus curbing cross-border crimes, including smuggling. 

The 2018 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today, allocated RM250 million to ESSCom to enhance security controls at Sabah and Sarawak borders, including RM50 million for coastal surveillance radar.

After the budget was released, RMAF official Twitter account announced that the 2018 Budget included funding for four MPA. 

MMEA appreciative of RM900 million allocation

Director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Admiral Datuk Zulkifili Abu Bakar has thanked the government for the RM900 million allocation to the agency, as announced in the 2018 Budget today.

Zulkifli said the allocation will be used for the agency’s development and management expenditure for next year.

“I am grateful to the government for this allocation. (Of the) total, RM490 million will be used to fund boat and ship maintenance, (and for) patrol ships currently being constructed.

“In this budget, the MMEA, as one of the security forces together with the armed forces and police, has greater and important responsibilities in safeguarding the security, sovereignty and well-being of the people and the country.

“As the national maritime enforcement agency, the MMEA is always committed and responsible in ensuring that the country’s waters are safe and under control,” Zulkifli said in a statement.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that the government has allocated RM14 billion for the armed forces – including almost RM9 billion to the police and RM900 million to the MMEA – in its 2018 Budget


Malaysia allocates MYR50 million towards acquisition of coastal radars in 2018 budget

29 October 2017

The Malaysian government will set aside MYR250 million (USD59 million) from its 2018 national budget to enhance security within the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE), the country’s Prime Minister Najib Razak announced via a parliamentary speech on 27 October.
The funds will include MYR50 million to acquire new coastal surveillance radars for the Eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, said Najib, who also announced a 5.3% increase in overall defence spending allocation for 2018.
ESSZONE is a special security area that covers over 1,400 km of coastal areas in Eastern Malaysia. It was established in 2013 following a spate of kidnappings by gunmen that arrived by sea from the Philippines.




Budget Plan for The Malaysian Army


Budget for RMAF




TLDM - Budget for Transformation plan 15to5







ATM Bakal Terima Lebih 20 Aset Menerusi Bajet 2018 


Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) bakal menerima perolehan lebih 20 aset baharu menerusi Bajet 2018, yang diumumkan semalam, bagi meningkatkan kesiapsiagaan.

Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata beliau bersyukur dan terharu dengan peruntukan berjumlah RM14 bilion kepada Kementerian Pertahanan dan kerajaan meluluskan apa yang dipohon Tentera Darat Malaysia (TDM), Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) serta Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM).

"TDM bakal menerima perolehan aset baharu merangkumi enam Light Attack Helicopter (MD 530-G), meriam 155mm Self Propelled Howitzer, meriam 105mm Pack Howitzer dan peralatan khas bagi Gerup Gerak Khas (GGK).

TLDM pula bakal menerima kapal membabitkan enam Littioral Combat Ship (LCS) dan empat Littioral Mission Ship (LMS) yang masing-masing masih dalam proses pembinaan selain merancang memperoleh kapal kelas kelima Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) di bawah Program Transformasi 15-to-5.

Bagi TUDM, katanya, kerajaan meluluskan perolehan empat unit pesawat Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) yang akan digunakan untuk mengawasi perairan negara termasuk Laut China Selatan dan Selat Melaka di bawah program Malacca Straits Patrol.

Menurutnya peruntukan Bajet 2018 juga akan digunakan untuk memperkukuh tahap keselamatan di Sabah dan Sarawak dengan sebanyak RM22 juta akan digunakan bagi menaik taraf pos kawalan sedia ada serta membina 18 pos kawalan baru di sempadan Sabah/Sarawak dengan Kalimantan.

"Penaiktarafan ini melibatkan lima pos kawalan sedia ada yang akan dinaik taraf menjadi pos gabungan iaitu dua di Sabah (Pos Saliliran dan Pos Serudong) serta tiga di Sarawak (Pos Kandie, Pos Tebedu dan Pos Serikin.


Even LTAT IS HAPPY




And Veteran will have own hospital


RM9 bilion untuk PDRM


Decoupling Mine Warfare From LCS

Every Ship A Minesweeper? Navy Looks Beyond LCS



Navy photo
The Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) Puller is a leading contender to take on mine-clearing missions.

There are maybe half a million sea mines in arsenals around the world. To find and clear them, rather than rely solely on a small fleet of small Littoral Combat Ships, the Navy now wants at least some mine-hunting gear on a vessels ranging from modified oil tankers to catamarans to aircraft carriers.
The approach is similar to the distributed lethality concept, which would put anti-ship missiles on a wider variety of vessels. (More on that below). But offensive operations have never been as marginalized and underfunded as minesweeping. The new plan could finally infuse mine warfare into the mainstream of the Navy — or diffuse responsibility to crews that see it as an unwelcome distraction from their ships’ main mission.
Navy photo

Why the change? Necessity is the mother of this invention. The much-criticized LCS program has been cut back from 55 ships to 28 or 30. Only eight of those ships will routinely carry Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) mission modules. Each MCM package includes various robots — Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), and an MQ-8 Fire Scout drone — as well as a manned MH-60 Seahawk helicopter. That’s even less mine-clearing capacity than the Navy has now with its badly aging inventory of 11 Avenger-class minesweepers and 27 large MH-53E mine warfare helicopters.
With eight MCM LCS — four on each coast — and typical Navy cycles of maintenance, training at home, and deployment abroad, “what you end up with is about 2.3 LCSs on station at any one time,” Capt. Mark Leavitt, commander of the Navy’s MH-53 wing, told the annual Expeditionary Warfare conference here. “2.3 is not a whole lot.”
So, Levitt and other officers told the conference, the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, personally ordered a study of one crucial question: “How do we get more capacity?”
The answer: take equipment developed for LCS — helicopter counter-mine kits, drones, unmanned boats, and robot mini-subs — and put it on a wide range of platforms. “We started with a very tight marriage of LCS to MCM and the CNO has corrected us from that,” said Maj. Gen. David Coffman, the Marine who heads the Expeditionary Warfare division (N95) on the Navy staff. The service will still buy the 24 MCM mission modules for the LCS program, but it will break up some of those MCM packages and place bits and pieces on different vessels.

Navy photo

Which Ships?
The top candidate to carry mine clearing gear? The carrier-sized support ship known as an Expeditionary Sea Base. Capable of carrying four huge MH-53 counter-mine helicopters and all their support staff, the ESB also has plenty of room for drones, small craft, and other equipment. The design evolved from the experimental Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) USS Ponce. (The first ESB, Puller, recently replaced the Ponce in the Persian Gulf).
A second candidate is the high-speed catamaran called the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF, formerly the Joint High Speed Vessel). While much smaller than the ESB, it’s also much faster — even faster than the Littoral Combat Ship — and has a shallower draft, allowing it to get much closer to shore. For its size, the EPF has a roomy multi-purpose bay able to carry a wide variety of equipment, as well as a helicopter pad (although not a full hangar for long-term operations). One limitation: EPFs are currently crewed by a mix of Navy sailors and civilians, which means it can’t destroy mines under international law, only find them.
While these auxiliaries are the top candidates, the Navy’s also studying outright warships: amphibious ships, destroyers, and even aircraft carriers. For example, all these types of ships can operate the Navy’s workhorse helicopter, the MH-60S Seahawk, which can be fitted with a laser to detect mines (the ALMDS) and mini-torpedoes to destroy them (the AMNS). Leavitt even suggested the Seahawk could be easily modified to carry UUVs and drop them from the air to hunt mines, dramatically expanding their reach. The Navy’s also experimented with unmanned mine-hunters deployed directly from a destroyer’s deck. Many ships can also embark an Expeditionary Mine Counter-Measures (ExMCM) team, which uses inflatable boats to deploy UUVs and divers.


From Distributed Lethality To Distributed Mine Warfare?
Overall, this new concept for mine warfare looks a lot like the fleet’s new approach to anti-ship weapons. Two and a half years ago, the Navy declared that it would no longer rely almost entirely on its aircraft carriers for offensive firepower against another fleet. Instead, it would upgun a wide range of ships, from destroyers to LCS to auxiliaries, with anti-ship missiles, an approach dubbed distributed lethality. As Rear Adm. Peter Fanta said at the time, “If it floats, it fights.”
So is this distributed lethality for mine warfare, I asked the officers who briefed the new concept at the conference. Is the new maxim, if it floats, it hunts mines?
“Yes,” said Coffman, plus there’ll be MCM units ashore.
“That’s potentially very true,” added Navy Capt. Hans Lynch, who leads the mine warfare branch (N952) under Coffman (italics ours). “When we actually have an incident, we’re going to actually need to mass MCM capability quickly, and I can’t imagine a scenario when we have enough LCS to actually mass that capability as quickly as we need it.”
“So I think shore-based makes a lot of sense,” Lynch continued. “ESBs make a lot of sense, EPFs make a lot of sense, coalition (i.e. allied) platforms, and really I think there are opportunities for even DDG-1000 (destroyers): They have enough room that we can put a USV or UUV onboard. Even aircraft carriers or some of our big-deck amphibs could support a lot of the mission platforms that we have.”

Monday, 30 October 2017

Budget 2018 - summary and review

2018 Federal Budget

Revenue: 239.8b
Allocation: 280.2b (2017: 260.8b)
  • Operating Expenditure: 234.2b
  • Development Expenditure: 46.0b

2018 Economic Performance
  • GDP: 5.0-5.5% (2017:  5.2-5.7%)
  • Income Per Capaita: RM42.7k (2017: RM40.7k)
  • Fiscal Deficit: -2.8% of GDP (2017: -3.0%)
  • Foreign Reserves: RM428.7b (as at Oct 2017)

2018 Budget Focus
  1. Invigorating investment, trade and industry.
  2. Moving towards TN50 aspirations.
  3. Empowering education, skills and training, and talent development.
  4. Driving inclusive development
  5. Prioritizing the well-being of rakyat and providing opportunities to generate income.
  6. Fortifying the fourth industrial revolution and digital economy.
  7. Enhancing efficiency and delivery of GLCs & public service.
  8. Balancing between the worldly and hereafter.

2018 Simplified Budget Highlights

1. Tax

Income Tax
  • Reduction income tax rates 2% (RM20k-70k income bands)
  • Tax exemption 12 months women re-entry workforce after 2 years work break
  • 50% rental tax exemption for rent RM2k below
  • Employer tax deduction for hiring PWDs (Persons With Disabilities)
GST
  • Local authorities services: No GST
  • Magazines and comics: No GST
  • Management and maintenance of stratified residential buildings: No GST
  • Construction of school buildings and places of worship from donations: Full GST relief

2. Financial Aids & Cash Handouts

  • BR1M: continued (cap remains at RM1.2k)
  • Malaysian Children Trust Fund (ADAM50) RM200 for children born 2018-2022
  • Schooling Assistance: RM100
  • Senior Citizens: RM350 allowance / mth
  • PWD: RM50 allowance / mth
  • Paddy Farmers: RM600 / 3 mths
  • Civil Servants: RM1.5k bonus; Retired Civil Servants: RM750
  • Civil Servants: min pension RM1k
  • Imam, Bilal, KAFA and takmir teachers: RM1.5k and monthly allowance RM850
  • Tok Batin & Village Heads: RM1.5k
  • FELDA Settlers: RM5k

3. Education

  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Centre establishment
  • Computer Science and programming modules for primary and secondary school students
  • Upgrading 2,000 classrooms to 21st Century Smart Classrooms
  • RM250 book voucher assistance
  • RM2.2b scholarships
  • RM3k for parents of Orang Asli on enrolment to IPTA
  • MyBrain: Post-graduate studies
  • 14 new sports complexes
PTPTN
  • PTPTN discount continued (20% full settlement; 10% for 50%; 10% regular deduction)
  • Loan repayment begins 12 months after (previously 6 months)
  • Combining of multiple higher study loans with repayment after completion higher study

4. Housing

  • Low cost-homes and affordable housing
    • PPR: 17.3k units
    • Rumah Mesra Raykat: 3k units
    • PR1MA: 210k units
    • PPA1M: 25k units
    • MyBNHomes: 600 units
    • MyDeposit & MyHomes: 2k units
  • Step-up financing PR1MA for private developers
  • Stamp duty exemption for loan agreement and letter of consent to transfer
  • Joint-home financing between spouse/parent-child as long one applicant is a public servant

5. Women & Childcare

  • 2018 Women Empowerment Year
  • Maternity leave private sector: increase 60 to 90 days
  • Maternity total leave: increase 300 to 360 days (max 90 per year)
  • GLCs, GLICs & Statutory Bodies min 30% women on board of directors
  • Childcare centre requirement for all new office buildings

6. Investments

SSP1M (Previously known as SSPN)
  • For children’s higher education
  • Matching grant RM500 with total contribution RM500 (withdraw only after age 18)
  • RM6k tax relief extended until 2020

SP1M (Simpanan Persaraan 1Malaysia or 1 Malaysia Retirement Savings Scheme)
  • For self-employed, without a fixed income and business owners
  • Increased matching to 15% capped at RM250 annually (previously 12% capped RM120)
  • Extended until 2022

8. Logistics

  • Airports Upgrading: Penang Intl, Langkawi Intl, Sultan Ismail Petra, Mukah and Sandakan
  • Abolish tolls: Batu Tiga (Shah Alam), Sungai Rasau (Selangor), Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah), and Eastern Dispersal Link (Johor)
  • ECRL: Port Klang – Pengkalan Kubor
  • MRT2: Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya
  • High Speed Rail Project KL-Singapore
  • Pangkor Island: Duty Free Status
  • Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ): 1st phase construction in Aeropolis, KLIA

9. Capital Markets

  • Duty stamp exemption for contract note of ETF and Structured Warrants (3 years)
  • Tax relief for VC
  • Tax deduction for angel investors in VC

10. Other

  • Hiring maids directly without requiring agent
  • Easy loan for Food Truck 1 Malaysia (FT1M)
  • E-hailing application for registered taxi driver: RM5k grant