davefurn:

Now those southies can rest

jteku:


They might cancel the paratroopers event, since I noticed they couldn't land in a designated spot inside eagle square

Lurker4Long:

jteku, you restless Saffer, you!

davefurn:

Ohhhh, your sarcasms sometimes; he isn't a southie, but you understood what I meant. But I seriously felt, they offloaded at an extremely wrong timing which gave the results we saw. Better they made the mistake there than during the event

DaddyGoo:
Rehearsals in the skies over Abuja ahead of Nigeria's 62nd Independence anniversary.

Aircraft captured are:
1* C-130
3* Super Tucano
3* Aero L39 Albatross

Faithful007:
Impressive. I didn't even know Nigeria had had an Airborne division (or wherever it's classed). Meanwhile, what aircraft dropped them? C130?

Do you know if they have seen combat before?

Why hasn't Nigerian air force considered getting about four of these?

DHC ended production of the plane in 1972, but reopened the assembly line in 1974 thanks to new orders such as from Egypt. It was not until 1986 that the Buffalo was definitively discontinued. The largest operator of the aircraft was the Brazilian Air Force, between 1965 and 2007, which had 24 DHC-5s in its fleet.

https://www.airdatanews.com/dhc-5-buffalo-withdrawn-from-service-in-canada-after-nearly-55-years/

A production DHC-5D Buffalo was used for breaking time-to-height records for the weight category 12,000–16,000 kilograms (26,000–35,000 lb) on 16 February 1976, reaching 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in 2 min 12.75 sec, 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) in 4 min 27.5 sec and 9,000 metres (30,000 ft) in 8 min 3.5 sec.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_DHC-5_Buffalo#New_production

China’s Air Force Declares Shaanxi Y-9 Transport Aircraft Operational
China’s take on the C-130J Super Hercules reached operational capability.

The Y-9 is designed for 25 tons of cargo but can reportedly carry up to 30 tons.

The aircraft can fit up to 106 passengers, 132 paratroopers, or 72 stretchers. For vehicles, it can carry two para-droppable ZBD-03 airborne combat vehicles as well as various other military equipment such as light trucks, cargo containers or pallets.

The cargo bay has an internal volume of 155 m3 and is fitted with cargo handling rollers and tie-down rings. The rear entrance to the cargo bay also functions as a ramp.[1][8]

Lurker4Long:
Sherq Engineering setting its sights on turrets

A Pretoria based engineering firm is designing and producing custom built turrets for customers as far afield as Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE as well as numerous African countries.

Sherq, which is based in Pretoria but has decentralised manufacturing operations with its partners across the world, has been in operation for the last seven years. It has designed turrets that are uniquely South African in IP, but totally platform and weapons systems agnostic.

“We pride ourselves on working very closely with our customers,” explained technical director Rolf Dieterich, “we have developed unique features on our turrets that we can customise to their specifications or put into production immediately if they are standard.”

Three of the turrets were on display at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2022 last week. The KS1 is the basic gunner protection turret capable of being scaled up in size and ballistic protection to mount anything from a 5.56 mm weapon all the way to the much heavier .50 calibre machine gun or Russian KPVT 14.5 x 114 mm.

Then there is the KS2 one-man turret, which can handle 5.56 mm all the way to the 30 x 133 mm cannon as used on the Apache attack helicopter or mount the Russian 14.5 x 114 mm, while maintaining 200 rounds per minute in controlled fire.

The KS3 is a low profile turret with a very high rate of fire, carrying 500 rounds for the main weapon and 1 000 rounds for the co-axial machine gun, while the KS4 is a low profile, fully electric, stabilised high tech turret that is a rival for the current turret being produced for the SANDF’s long overdue Project Hoefyster IFV fleet replenishment project.

“We have learnt a lot in the development of these turrets that goes much further the engineering of them,” Dieterich told defenceWeb. “We have developed unique building blocks which have allowed us in many cases to actually improve the weapons systems that are mounted in them, adding features to them that they were not designed with and extending their life of service because our firing platforms are much smoother and gentler.”

Some of Sherq’s building blocks include improving muzzle breaks and buffering to allow for the KS3 and the advanced KS4 turret to be fully stabilised, meaning that the accuracy of the main weapon and its rate of fire is unaffected by the behaviour of the vehicle, which in turn does not need to slow down or come to a complete stop for effective accurate fire to be laid down.

The turrets are electric with manual back-ups should the electric circuity become disabled in combat situations. They can also be fitted with a wide range of options should the customer desire them, from the entire range of external sensors from thermal cameras to laser pointers and blue force trackers to automatic grenade launchers.

Sherq’s hallmark innovation and agility was necessitated by the nature of the market, said Dieterich. Most defence procurement deals are government to government negotiations, but increasingly there is a need not to be behlden to a single supplier in an ever changing and increasingly contested geo-political situation.

“Our business model throughout has been to foster a close working relationship with the customer. We support them to empower themselves to take charge of the product. We want to partner with them for years to come, not just chase on a once off deal.”

Just as the turrets can be fitted to carry western or eastern European systems and fitted to either kind of hull, so too is the pricing highly adjustable – and the level of localisation.

“We can make the turrets anywhere in the world, we comply with whatever level of localisation they want and we can either design a custom solution for them or go straight into production the very next day if it is something we designed.

“To make sure the client is absolutely certain of what they want, we give them the turret and the weapon system to test themselves and then we start modifying from there.”

The KS4 is a case in point, as there three different versions in Azerbaijan, Italy, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/sherq-engineering-setting-its-sights-on-turrets/

Lurker4Long:
Aselsan and Denel cooperating on MEROPS gimbal

On the Turkish Pavilion at Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2022 Aselsan is showing its ‘MEROPS’ next generation air surveillance and targeting gimbal sight. The MEROPS (Multi-spectral Extended Range Optical Sight) system was displayed for the first time in June at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, France.

Aselsan Chairman, President and CEO, Haluk Görgün witnessed the live demonstration at Air Force Base Waterkloof of the MEROPS system designed and developed entirely by the company’s Aselsan South Africa (ASA) branch. It is intended for large-scale series production in Turkey for both the Turkish Armed Forces and export customers around the world.

The South African branch supports the Turkey based company with design and development services. “We aim to establish long-term relationships and local partnerships here,” ASA general manager Sencer Sahin stated. “To date our design facility has provided advanced camera systems to Denel’s OTR test range and other local customers, including the Institute of Maritime Technology, Paramount Technologies, and Reutech Radar Systems.”

This is testimony to the company’s aim to continue its active role in establishing strategic partnerships with local entities for both South Africa’s and third-country requirements in the African region.

The MEROPS system is the latest product in the family of reconnaissance and surveillance systems from Aselsan.

South Africa’s state-owned Denel Group and Aselsan reached an agreement this week at AAD 2022 to work towards integration of the MEROPS system on Denel’s flagship aerospace systems, the Rooivalk attack helicopter and possibly on the Seeker 400 drone. A MEROPS gimbal is being displayed alongside the Rooivalk in the static area.

Aselsan SA is a wholly owned branch of Ankara headquartered Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, a global defence and advanced electronics company established more than 50 years ago. The local branch, staffed with a pool of highly trained and experienced South African engineers and technicians, serves as a centre of excellence for the mother company in Turkey.

Thanks to its significant investment in ASA since 2011, the branch not only provides design and development, but also acts as the hub for Aselsan’s business development strategy in markets in sub-Saharan Africa and the establishment of long-term relationships.

The MEROPS system was specifically designed for extreme combat situations, particularly in low light and the difficult light encountered at dawn and dusk. Among the roles envisaged for MEROPS are medium to long range observation and reconnaissance, pointing, area illumination and target designation at medium altitude.

The sight incorporates the latest in image processing technologies, including traditional image enhancement, as well as the latest in machine vision and AI based algorithms. Its mission enhancement capabilities include moving target identification, isotherms, false colour identification and threat identification.

The MEROPS is a self-contained single LRU (line-replacement unit) with quick-release connections. Payloads can be exchanged without calibration. Electronic bore-sighting is done before a mission, and it boasts an embedded web server for setup, control, and maintenance. According to Kobus Coetzee, ASA’s Engineering Manager, the MEROPS is easy to maintain.

Its next-generation software functionality includes multi-target auto-tracking with target re-acquisition, artificial intelligence (AI) threat detection classification and background automatic see-spot detection. The MEROPS operates at temperatures from -40°C to 70°C.

Aselsan as a global company operates in a wide range of disciplines, from communication and information technologies (ICT), micro-electronics, guidance and electro-optics to radar, electronic warfare, and defence systems technologies. It is also active in transportation, security, energy, and automation systems.

AAD 2022 is giving the company the opportunity to show a wide range of systems in South Africa. Among the field proven solutions are military and professional radios, the KALKAN mobile medium altitude 3D air defence radar, ALKAR 120 mm mortar weapon system, border security solutions, laser guidance kit, the FOPRAD foliage penetration radar, electro-optic solutions, and anti-drone RF jammer system.

Earlier this year, Aselsan South Africa revealed a range of its life support and medical imaging solutions. Whilst these innovative products were designed primarily for use in healthcare facilities in the commercial and civil environments, they would be equally useful in the military field.

The company’s personnel now total over 7 000 with a high proportion of these being engineers and technicians. It invests substantially in R&, allocating more than 7% of its annual revenue towards these activities.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/aselsan-and-denel-cooperating-on-merops-gimbal/

rocketZA:
Making its debut at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2022 expo in South Africa was a mock-up of Denel Aerospace Systems' high-speed recoverable aerial target, Loki.

Under development driven by the requirements of the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR), the procurement agency of the South African Department of Defence (DoD), and the South African Air Force (SAAF), Loki is to be developed as a technology demonstrator.

The target is envisaged to simulate a high-speed threat during surface-to-air and air-to-air ground, air, and ship-based weapons systems [sic]. The Loki weights 180 kg, has an endurance of 60–80 min, and can be controlled from a control system from a range of 60 km. The range however could be increased with the use of RF communicator relay station.

Loki is launched using a hydro-pneumatic launcher designed by South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and recovered using a parachute. The target is fitted with two infrared emitters in the wings, a Luneburg lens on the nose to enhance the radar cross-section signature, strobe light or smoke trail, and flame throwers.

It features high tapered-wings with H-tail having a wingspan of 2.45 m and a fuselage length of 3.2 m. Loki is powered by two rear-mounted 400 N TJ40-G1 turbojet engines, enabling it to attain a maximum speed of 340 kt and achieve a maximum altitude of 26,000 ft (AMSL) with 38 kg payload weight.

The first flight test of Loki target is expected to take place at Denel Overberg Test Range in March 2023. As of September 2022 two prototypes are under production

Lurker4Long:

jteku, you restless Saffer, you!

kikuyu1:


Looks like a Buffalo De Havilland Canada. The KAF and everyone from Brazil to the US and Egypt flew this light lifter. IIRC,they're no longer in production.


It was STOL capable and very handy for its day. Capacity is up to 41 troops or some 18,000 lb of cargo payload and power is provided by two 3,133 hp GE CT64 turboprops.




Modern analogues are the C 295 and/or C 27 Spartan which max out load at 6 and 10 T respectively. Ideally with your total armed forces numbers of 220 k according to wiki get 2 squadrons of the C 295 for light intra [/b]theatre lift. Reinforcing, resupplying and casevacking battalion FOBs every 2 or so days,plus platoon size para drops. A single 12 ship squadron of the Spartan can do similar functions on a [b]theatre wide basis for brigades.

As we all know how the Oyinbos can be with their equipment especially when you're REALLY in need you can replace your 130s with the Shaanxi Y 9 for the heavy lifting. A half squadron with a flight availability of 70% may be possible. Also at 50 mn $ FAC its half the price!



https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/chinas-air-force-declares-shaanxi-y-9-transport-aircraft-operational/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaanxi_Y-9

Nemesis4you:
Who wants to experience death by laughing ?

Someone send me this so sharing it

Faithful007:
It is a CASA 212 from Spain. US Special Forces use it as well.

Lurker4Long:
Kikuyu1, seeing that it's Friday:

My beloved Art of Duplicity has made it to 88 on the top 100 of the world's best bars for 2022.
I know a few Nairobi boulevardiers who swear by the Hero Bar (68).
The top 50 comes out October 04.