₦airaland Forum

Jakumo: Most modern attack helicopters are configured for a crew of two - the pilot in the back seat, and the weapons officer in the nose, so it is odd that a crew of 4 is mentioned in this initial report.

The hind helicopter has 2 spots in front, one for the pilot, one for the weapons officer.However,it is not a pure attack helicopter but a troop transporter as well.So you can add a door gunner while adding approx 7 extra fully kitted soldiers. So it is not surprising to hear that 4 people were in the helicopter.



drag_on.

Was the plane shot down? Debate ongoing as video appears showing moment of impact with no apparent smoke trail from the jet.

CNN is suggesting that a storm forced the Malaysian plane to depart from its normal flight path.

bestower: LIES!fake pictures

Really? Do you watch CNN or BBC? If you do you won't be saying this.

more pictures

more

Torn fuselage

Borno land size 27,374sq miles
Yobe land size 17,568 sq miles
Adamawa land size 14,254 sq miles
Total size of the 3 states
59,196 sq miles.
Size of England 50,346 sq miles.

True size of Africa.

The US military has developed a self-guided .50 caliber bullet, claimed to be the first of its kind.

The Pentagon has announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), recently conducted its first successful test of the bullets, which were developed as part of the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (Exacto) programme.


In a video released of a test, a bullet is fired away from its intended target, but curves back around and finds its mark.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pentagon-develops-guided-bullets-that-move-mid-air-1456483?

U.S. Foreign Policy Flow chart.

courtesy of

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2014/06/29/comment/americas-foreign-policy-quagmire/?

Lets not forget that the article is from 2010, as at 2013, the same website states they have 6 pilots

At present the SAAF can only muster six qualified Gripen pilots who only have 150 flying hours available across the whole Gripen squadron this year, according to Maynier. The annual target for fighter flying hours was 250 for the 2011/2012 period, according to the Department of Defence’s most recent Annual Report.
Written by defenceWeb, Wednesday, 13 March 2013
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29831:a-dozen-saaf-gripens-in-long-term-storage&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107

same here;

"Currently, only about half of the remaining 14 Gripens are flyable and there are only six qualified Gripen pilots. Corruption, shrinking defense budgets, and political pressure to find more black combat pilots and technical personnel has led to the South African Air Force having fewer operational aircraft.

They are losing pilots as fast as they are training them.
August 18, 2013
http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/South-Africa-Loses-Use-Of-Its-new-Gripens-8-18-2013.asp

chris365: so in other words, your minister of defence and air force are playing ball with your heads abi?

one of them is lying and i would rather believe your minister who oversees your defence department. typical south african confectionists

At the same briefing, to mark the graduation of the first(1) locally qualified Gripen fighter pilots, officers told reporters the squadron mustered three(3) locally qualified pilots and six(6)qualified in Sweden, making for nine.1+3+6=10

In response to a question by Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald, tabled in Parliament yesterday, the military added two of the current Gripen pilot cadre are black men, one is an Indian male, one a white female and the remaining six are white males
2+1+1+6=10

The Ministry of Defence says the flying service musters 10 Gripen aircrew (eight pilots, two navigators) and 13 Hawk aircrew, all pilots.

The remaining 3 mentioned are most likely navigators,due to the imbalance.
Three more were expected to qualify next year.

chris365: oh good. out of 26 gripen jets you only have 8 pilots and two navigators. doesn't that validate all we've been saying since? duh!!

and your news is outdated while in 2013 your defence minister admitted your government was too foolish to buy weapons you can't maintain and further admitted your airforce lacks the enough qualified pilots for your jets. na who we go come believe na

in his own words:
"At present the SAAF can only muster six qualified Gripen pilots who only have 150 flying hours available across the whole Gripen squadron this year"

"One of the biggest scandals of the Arms Deal is that we bought military equipment we could not afford to operate"
A dozen SAAF Gripens in long-term storage _ Pakistan Defence.htm

so who's deceiving who

This is what happens when S.Africans start providing links, they find out they were wrong all along,but they don't like to know that.

each time Nigerians respond they endeavor to give links to prove their point,but those representing s.africa here engage in empty boasts.That's why you don't get challenged.You sound uneducated when you do that. Back up your claims by links or be quiet.That's why andrewza is the best of the bunch.

Canada Designates Boko Haram Terrorist Organisation

Canada has joined the United States in designating Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation under its Criminal Code.
According to a report yesterday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Canadian Government also listed the Caucasus Emirate blamed for recent bombings in Russia as a terrorist organisation.

“Boko Haram is an organisation that is responsible for over 300 attacks in Northern Nigeria, which have resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people,” Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Steven Blaney, said.

“The actions of Boko Haram and the Caucasus Emirate meet the legal threshold set out in the Criminal Code, which requires the existence of reasonable grounds to believe that the entity has knowingly participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity or is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with such an entity,” a statement from the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness quoted Blaney as saying.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/canada-designates-boko-haram-terrorist-organisation/167748/?

drag_on
Mike..ZA
Snipers can effective like taking out enemy's most effective and feared Commander.
This wont still end todays wars.This is not the 40's, most Generals command from Fortified Bunkers,view the battle field electronically and move about in Armored vehicles.
300 m is not a stand off distance a normal assault rifle can hit targets at 300mm.
It is a stand off distance for someone who cannot be seen and wont be seen.Simply put Snipers don't fight,they kill.That is why soldiers hate them.Your snipers worked in a low-medium threat environment.
Without reccon missions by SANDF special forces+Oryx helicopters the fight would've been tough.
No Argument there but,recon does not involve engaging the enemy. = low threat environment.
FIB? I thought you said Tanzania did.
Tanzania led FIB (force intervention brigade)
You clearly have no idea where the battles took place and who was doing the fighting.
Mention one town captured and held by SANDF in Congo.
Answer this: who trained Colonel Mamadou,the men who was commanding FADRC.
This question has no meaning.

To summarise your soldiers were never engaged in a high threat environment,That is why you had zero casualties.You were involved in low threat stand-off engagement with the enemy. Nobody will take you seriously if you make the claim that you engaged an army in a war(direct engagement) capturing key cities and suffering ZERO deaths.
Let me give you and example of direct engagement/high threat environment. (SANDF vs SELECA.)

[quote author=Mike..ZA]They faced the enemy in the Northern front where a Tanzanian soldier was killed,this is also where a SA soldier got shot in the thigh. It was during this time M23 reported of Twitter that they were now battling TZ and SA soldiers on the front they were pushed and ran to defend Bunagana. Stand off? You call a 300m a stand off?........SANDF special forces are highly trained infiltrating bases is what they do best.[/quote]Do you know snipers were considered cowards not long ago? of course that is another debate. The job of a sniper is to remain UNSEEN shoot and scoot/ reconnaissance. That is not going to end wars quickly, as you said, the towns were taken by FARDC/FIB. 300 meters is indeed standoff if the person is hiding/ camouflaged so as not to be seen(sniper).Do you think you would be alive as a regular soldier 300 meters from an enemy base?

[quote author=Mike..ZA]The SANDF special forces where ahead of FARDC and FIB. Destroying their(M23) command structure,remember when the story of how one operator approached a M23 base and killed their commander with a accuracy international rifle?......FARDC was the tip then FIB companies behind this companies were Tanzanian artillery. But after M23 was defeated in the towns of Kanyamahoro(Southern front by "FIB&FARDC),Rumangabo(Western fron by "FARDC",Kiwanja(Northern front by "FIB&FARDC),Rutshuru(Northern front by "FIB&FARDC) they didn't put up any resistance they left a few men to fire their rifles and run like when their final strong hold Bunagana fell.... On th sniper issue I didn't say it was the longest shot ever but it is one of the longest shots holding the number 6 spot. The only sniper on the continent with a confirmed 2km kill. On which front did the SANDF stand behind Tanzanian troops? Cause behind the FIB troops were artillery the FIB troops were the "buffer".[/quote]And are your Snipers FACING THE ENEMY? or is it a "Stand off " engagement.?

Fighter Pilot: All peace enforcement forces, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa were on equal footing. Having Tanzaniain Commander does not mean Tanzania is the main force, only a full like you who knows nothing about military will have that impression.

Below are confirmed long range killer shoots. SA has already made its mark, where is Nigeria?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_recorded_sniper_kills

I am sorry to inform you,but from that data a Browning Machine Gun from the Vietnam war(1967) has a longer range kill than your sniper.Really,nothing Special there.
Who said Tanzania led the forces? It was the Congolese Army with Front-line help from the Tanzanians.you guys did mortar, sniper and re-con work, with the occasional launch of your choppers.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]The man heading SANDF's joint operations Lieutenant General Derrick Mgwebi. Didn't accept nor comment cause it is not a SANDF mission but the UN's. Besides no defence force really puts out there its special forces operations. The M23 was separated to fight on three fronts North,South and West. What are you denying that the SANDF engaged the M23?[/quote]You SANDF was the support Force not the Main force(Tip of the Spear).The Congolese and Tanzanian Army did most of the Fighting.The Current Sniper range record belongs to the British Soilder in Afghanistan,that, is the CONFIRMED record,others are mere claims.

http://kitup.military.com/2010/05/brit-makes-record-sniper-kill-in-afghanistan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Harrison_(sniper)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_recorded_sniper_kills

notice the range of your soldier.

Fighter Pilot: Ethiopia, Nigeria and Egypt, none of them can ever defeat South Africa. They will only wish for it just like @Agaugust.

/cough /cough

Issues that face the SANDF include a severe shortage of pilots and naval combat officers, due to the replacement of white officers from the former SADF with appointments from the old liberation forces and emigration. The loss of trained personnel and the decommissioning of much needed equipment due to funding issues , high HIV-rates amongst personnel and the fact that SANDF infantry soldiers are some of the oldest in the world, all raise questions regarding the current fighting efficiency of the SANDF.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_South_Africa

Is this what will take on Nigeria,Egypt or Ethiopia?
At least be a Fighting Force First.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]Credible what?.....Aren't you Nigerians the ones who claimed the 2km sniper shot by an SANDF operator fake? Which I gave you many sources?............Just tell me which part of my post is wrong,then I can correct you. Only FARDC fought on the "western front" the hottest battle being that of the town of Rumangabo. Tell me where my post is wrong and correct it with your "facts".......TODAY Mike...ZA is spitting fire!!!!!![/quote]Your General refused to Comment on the story,so it is not a verified story.
Give us sources,that is standard practice.
Where in the world did an Armed force engage another in a high threat environment in a CONVENTIONAL war, and score ZERO deaths. LMAO only in South Africa.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]Link for what?...@Richieboy reported live during the battle+my other sources. You can dispute what I'm saying by telling us what happened and where.[/quote]Why should i disprove what cant be proven/verified? have you heard of the words lies/propaganda?
Give us credible sources.
The onus is on you cause you are the one making the claims.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]How was a South African soldier shot on the thigh?.....South African didn't deploy artillery only mortar(long range mortars) teams. So now you're accepting that SANDF snipers are deployed? They operated in front of all FARDC&FIB soldiers. South African troops during the last offensive operated along side our Tanzanian brothers in Northern and Southern fronts. The most heated front being the North where major battles took places in Kiwaja and Rutshuru this is where Tanzania lost one of their junior commanders. On this front were FARDC and FIB(SANDF&TPDF) pushed,M23 causing them to ran from there to take defensive positions way from the town of Bunagana. In desperation when defeat was inevitable and FARDC+FIB were pushing them towrds Uganda they cut down trees claiming they're trying to "stop tanks",while their president crossed into Uganda in huge car convoy.[/quote]pls drop a link, all talk no substance.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]I posted a video link where the Rooivalk pilot clearly speaks about being fired on by M23. Biafra again? A war of mercinaries?,I'm talking about fighter jets not some aircraft that is pulled forward by a propeller which cannot engaged any jet engined fighter.............Regarding M23 when fighting broke in August Tanzanian artillery+SANDF mortar teams bombarded the Kibati hills,you can remember when I told real/live time events when the tower in kibati was destroyed and captured. Only Ukraine Mi-24P helicopters(from the 8th detachment) ran strife attacks M23 supplies,which were observed by SANDF special forces calling in this choppers. Of all the battalions in the FIB the SANDF battalion(parabats) was the first to use its weapons against some Mai Mai group. South African special forces were further ahead of the two FIB companies which each backed a FARDC battalion,behind this companies a Tanzanian artillery battery was stationed. .....................1.Biafra was a small country 2. With Small army in terms of numbers But how long did it take Nigeria to defeat it?...How many Nigerian soldiers were killed compared to the Biafrans? Taking many casualties than your enemy shows ill training.[/quote]All South Africa did in the DRC was of a 'stand off' nature' to prevent casualties. Reconnaissance, Artillery,snipers, radio, helicopter Gunships; against M23 that could do next to nothing in response. That is why you had just 4 wounded and you got no glory for your participation.That is why Tanzania led your Forces, they got all the glory and regional influence.They fought alongside the DRC Army. Tell me, What town did south african troops capture and hold during the conflict? You fought an Army equiped with mostly Artillery and few pockets of NVG troops and you are ranting. All you did was behind Tanzanian and congolese troops. SMH.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]white officers?......The SANDF has many or a lot of white colonels compared to any other race. Show where us where Nigeria fought a conventional battle against an enemy that holds land,having to push them back. NONE!!!!!![/quote]What about white officers You said our ARMY are spineless. I PROVED yours are. When did YOU last fight a CONVENTIONAL war? Secondly, SANDF have never fought a CONVENTIONAL ARMY.

[quote author=Mike..ZA]Denel weapons? Let read this 1. The Rooivalk is a "flying devil" in the DRC. 2 The NTW-20 was used successfully to take out a machine gun post 3. 81mm mortars destroyed M23 during the battle of kibati towers 4. The Cassipirs were used during operation Uxolo+Oryx helicopter+Rooivalks .........A spineless defence force is that of Nigeria some of its soldiers are beating up innocent civilians in the Northern part.[/quote]Recent peacekeeping actions on the behalf of the South African military include the South African intervention in Lesotho in order to restore the democratically-elected government after a coup, as well as extensive contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. An operation to Sudan has recently begun and is scheduled to be increased to Brigade strength.
Issues that face the SANDF include a severe shortage of pilots and naval combat officers, due to the replacement of white officers from the former SADF with appointments from the old liberation forces and emigration. The loss of trained personnel and the decommissioning of much needed equipment due to funding issues , high HIV-rates amongst personnel and the fact that SANDF infantry soldiers are some of the oldest in the world, all raise questions regarding the current fighting efficiency of the SANDF. Some of these issues are being addressed with the introduction of the Military Skills Development (MDC) programme, as well as aggressive recruitment and training by the Reserve Force Regiments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_South_Africa

Talk about old,infirm,unskilled AIDS ravaged soldiers. That my friend is a SPINELESS ARMY.

..

Fighter Pilot: Many BMW's are being build in SA, but you will never find any mention of SA in any BMW patent.

let me help you.
"drag_on:


The SIGMA class frigate?

read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma-class_corvette
no mention of south Africa Anywhere, you prob build luxury boats and tugs.
notice the builders are Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. A branch of Damen in Holland."

Did you notice the Bold part?.