₦airaland Forum

GreenandGold:
As for the smoke on pic 2, yeah it probably was coal, it was extensively used inland for warning up houses and in cooking stoves. I mean I've seen a lot of houses in the 90s with coal stoves especially around the Highveld.

I'd expect to see that in the periphery, not in the centre of the administrative capital in 1925, 33 years after electrification. Thinking deeper, it's quite possible that's Marabastad, which of course fell victim to forced removals in 1945.

GreenandGold:
1.Remember when the French refused to allow the SANDF to offload 103mm rockets at Bangui airport? With props, we could have tactically landed down the roads and resupplied the contingency.



2. Medium-lift has no advantages at all, we can't even lift a single Mamba APC outside our borders with medium-lift.

1. Permission was refused to our C-130s, which are props, and that tactical option was still not available.
2. Yep. The only "bang" we can fit in the C-130 is a single G5. So, no more Hercs, and forget the Embraer. Those billions go towards a substantial fleet of C-295s/ C27J in cargo, SAR and maritime patrol configurations.
Then we get serious about the A400m, which gives us airlift, paradrops and air2air refueling for the Gripen and Hawk.

A combination of light and heavy fulfilling 6 different needs.

Off-topic

GreenandGold, I came across this postcard of the Union Buildings. The postal service stamp on the back says 1913, which would be the year construction finished.
It's interesting contrasting the postcard drawing with the 2nd pic, taken in 1925. Surprising to see in the 1925 pic tufts of smoke in the city, presumably from coal, considering that electricity was introduced to Pretoria in 1892.

Of course, the last 2 pics are self-explanatory (including how many people are working late at the Presidency! ).

GreenandGold:
Brazilians should know we don't use turbojets in transport aircrafts

When's the last time we used unprepared runways?
Embraer is sweetening the deal by including the building of a manufacturing and repair plant in SA.

Personally, I think we should scrap the medium transport capability. We'd be better off with a mix of light (airbus c-295/ leonardo c27 etc) and heavy (airbus a400/ il76 etc) transports.

Pakistan to receive South African-modified maritime patrol aircraft from 2026

The Pakistan Navy will in 2026 receive the first Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft modified by Leonardo and Paramount Aerospace Systems for the maritime patrol role.

In mid-2021, Pakistan contracted Leonardo to convert three Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft into long-range maritime patrol aircraft for the Pakistan Navy as part of long-term plans to replace the country’s P-3C Orion fleet. Paramount was tasked with handling the pre-conversion maintenance, repair and overhaul of the aircraft as part of the Sea Sultan project.

It is believed the conversion will add electronic support measures/electronic intelligence (ESM/ELINT) sensors, an electro-optical turret, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, satellite communications, chaff/flare dispenser and torpedo/sonobuoy/depth charge launcher.

The Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy, Admiral Admiral Naveed Ashraf, told defenceWeb that the induction of the Lineage 1000 maritime patrol aircraft into the Fleet Air Arm “is a remarkable addition to our maritime patrol capabilities.”

“The aircraft is presently being modified in South Africa and is expected to be delivered in 2026, with subsequent deliveries planned over the coming years as part of a phased approach to modernise our naval aviation. With its state-of-the-art technology, the Sea Sultan will complement our existing platforms, such as the older P-3C Orion and ATR 72 aircraft, while offering superior performance in terms of range, endurance, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface vessel capabilities,” he said.

The Pakistan Navy has stated an intention to ultimately replace its P-3C Orion fleet with ten converted commercial jets.

The Pakistan Navy inducted the first Lineage 1000 in September 2021, at a ceremony at Pakistan Naval Station Mehran in Karachi. This aircraft is unmodified and used for crew training.

Apart from Paramount, other South African companies are involved in the Sea Sultan project. Aerospace engineering and manufacturing company Aerosud has been contracted to supply two sets of interiors.

After an 18-month design phase, Aerosud in May began embarking on the manufacturing of interior components for the special mission configuration. These configurations include specialised components such as galleys, observer tables, class dividers, and equipment stowages, with a completion date planned for mid-2025.

“This contract not only highlights Aerosud’s technical capabilities but also underscores its strategic approach to collaboration and project execution. By partnering with Paramount Aerospace Systems, Aerosud continues to expand its portfolio of projects, reinforcing its position as a trusted supplier in the aerospace industry,” the company said.

Denel upgrading Umkhonto missile

Denel is upgrading its Umkhonto surface-to-air missile (SAM) from the current Infra-Red (IR) Block II version to a more powerful weapon with better intercept capabilities.

This will be good news for Denel’s customers, including the South African Navy (SAN), the Finnish Navy and the Algerian Navy, all of whom currently use the Umkhonto. Also, the SA Army is interested in the ground-based version to compliment its current Ground Based Air Defence System (GBADS).

Denel Project/Programme Manager Willem Maré explained to defenceWeb the system has a ground-based version, fired from Denel’s Ground Based Launcher or potentially in a missile silo. The original design was for the SA Navy’s Valour Class frigates as an advanced air defence system.

Upgrades will include extended range: a new rocket motor would extend range to 25 to 30 kilometres. Additionally, the IR seeker would be replaced by a radar seeker. The IR seeker can be affected by bad weather, which is especially relevant to the Finnish Navy, as infrared cannot see through clouds, but radar can. These upgrades will surely make the Umkhonto air defence missile more attractive to international clients, Denel believes.

Derived with assistance from the cancelled South African High Velocity missile programme, the Umkhonto surface-to-air missile was originally developed with a 12 km range but this was increased to 15 km and Denel has demonstrated it can reach out to 20 km, with a ceiling of 8 000 metres. It reaches speeds of around Mach 2.5. In 2013 Denel Dynamics for the first time fired the weapon from land – the system was originally developed for naval applications.

Once deployed, the 135 kg missile has a reaction time of 2.5 seconds and half-second intervals between missile launches. Umkhonto uses inertial navigation and mid-course guidance from the launch ship or from a land based radar and then switches to its dual-band thermal imaging seeker for a lock on after launch capability. The missile manoeuvres through tail-mounted control fins and thrust vectoring vanes in the motor nozzle.

The Umkhonto uses a proximity fuse to detonate its fragmentation warhead of 23 kilograms (the biggest warhead of its class). This warhead contains 4 800 titanium blocks. This gives the missile 95 plus percent kill probability, according to Maré. “It was tested at 10 metres; the penetration of one or two of the titanium blocks was through 11 mm of steel plate.”

Although it is primarily an anti-missile and anti-aircraft system, the pre-fragmented warhead makes it effective against surface targets like ships as well.

The vertically launched Umkhonto missile is installed aboard the SA Navy’s four Valour class frigates and is also in service with the Finnish navy aboard its Hamina fast attack craft and Hameenmaaa class minelayers and the Algerian Navy’s Meko A200 class frigates. It was due to be integrated into the South African Army’s Ground Based Air Defence System.

Nigeria’s HIOSL receives another Damen patrol vessel

Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) has delivered another FCS 3307 patrol vessel to Nigeria’s Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Ltd (Homeland IOSL), which will use it to perform offshore patrol duties in Nigerian maritime territories.

The vessel (Guardian 14) is on charter with an international energy company. Damen said the delivery marks the tenth Damen vessel to join the Homeland fleet, reflecting ongoing fleet expansion efforts.

“Homeland IOSL reaffirmed its confidence in Damen by signing a contract for this vessel last year. Damen’s approach of building vessels in series and keeping them in stock allows for rapid delivery of proven products to its clients,” the company said.

The FCS 3307 Patrol is equipped with Damen’s Sea Axe hull technology, which allows it to cut through water at high speeds, ensuring safety, stability, and comfort for the crew, alongside enhanced manoeuvrability, and fuel efficiency. The vessel also features a spacious aft deck, facilitating the transfer of cargo to offshore facilities.

Dr Louis Ekere, CEO of Homeland IOSL said, “The recently delivered vessel includes custom features such as ballistic protection in the wheelhouse and messroom area. It also features an electronic fuel monitoring system (EFMS), to allow the operators to monitor fuel use in real time, taking steps to address inefficiencies and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Homeland IOSL’s FCS 3307 Patrol comes equipped with a night vision camera and a daughter craft to enhance its operational capabilities around the clock.”

The FCS 3307 Patrol has a top speed of 29 knots and is capable of accommodating up to six crew and twelve security personnel. They can remain at sea for up to four weeks and travel 1 200 nautical miles in and around Nigeria’s coastal and offshore oil fields.

In addition to the vessel, Damen said it is providing extensive aftersales support including crew training and a comprehensive spare parts package.

Homeland IOSL services Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, offering a wide range of services including marine vessel logistics, engineering, procurement, installation and construction, facility maintenance, and project management. Additionally, Homeland provides technical manpower services, oil country tubular goods (OCTG) services, and automated gas oil (AGO) supply services. Homeland IOSL maintains a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy.

Homeland has a fleet of vessels that includes fast supply intervention vessels, platform support vessels, anchor handling tug supply ships, security and patrol vessels, tugs and other craft. It has previously acquired a number of crew/security vessels from Damen. The first Damen vessel was ordered in 2014.

The Brazilians are pushing hard!

“It is interesting to note that South Africa shares many similarities with Brazil, particularly in terms of geography and operational needs. Both countries have vast territories with remote and often challenging environments, including large forested areas and numerous austere airfields,” Embraer said. “Additionally, both nations rely on the Swedish designed Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter jet, which is capable of air-to-air refuelling for the protection of their national airspace. This makes the C-390 Millennium an even more relevant and practical choice for the South African Air Force, offering not only cutting-edge capabilities but also enhancing the interoperability with Brazilian Air Force.”

“Beyond its versatility, reliability, and top-tier performance, which make it the best aircraft in its category, the C-390 also offers very attractive operating and maintenance costs. These qualities explain the growing commercial success of this mission-proven aircraft with numerous clients, including Sweden, South Korea, Portugal, Brazil, Hungary, Austria, and the Netherlands to replace their legacy aircraft,” Embraer concluded. Slovakia is in the process of acquiring three C-390s.
https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/south-african-delegation-visits-embraer-as-interest-remains-high-in-its-c-390-transport/

GreenandGold:
The last Republican/Conservative president who was decent.

Carter was a Democrat. The last decent Rep pres was Bush senior. Not a coincidence that both men only had 1 term.

Odunayaw:
I was surprised people expected great things from the juntas

It is frightening how people are susceptible to all manner of BS!

Jimmy Carter, who died at 100 years old today, was an ally of the peoples of Southern Africa against their racist oppressors, as well as the poor and suffering worldwide, whether in Africa or Palestine. He was keenly aware of the limitations of the American political system and the challenges of enacting meaningful change within it.

In its obituary, Mondoweiss noted that Carter is fondly remembered by many on the left, and for good reason. "In many areas, he tried to govern with humanity, decency, and a deep regard for people’s rights. While he was not always successful—whether due to his own shortcomings or the constraints of the system—Carter is notable for bringing principles of human rights into his policy thinking more than any other U.S. president in living memory, and quite possibly in all of American history."

On Southern Africa, the administrations of Nixon, Ford, and Reagan were all staunch supporters of apartheid and white minority rule. Chester Crocker, the Reagan administration's highest-ranking official on African affairs, infamously remarked, “All Reagan knows about Southern Africa is that he is on the side of the whites.” Reagan was caught on tape telling a laughing Nixon that Africans are "monkeys."

In stark contrast, Carter took significant steps to challenge apartheid and side with African liberation movements. He reinstated an economic boycott of Rhodesia, and pressured Ian Smith to hold democratic elections in 1979 and negotiate with the black majority. These efforts ultimately contributed to the creation of Zimbabwe. He also backed UN Resolution 418, which imposed an arms embargo on apartheid South Africa. Finally, working with Howard Wolpe, he called for transparency in the dealings of US intelligence services.
RIP.

GreenandGold:
I was there last week... Couldn't take the cable car because of time, we could see the very long lines from our accomodation at 16 Bree... We did Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point, V&A, De Waterkant like typical tourists... Did some yatch cruising as well..

On a side note, your ocean is Bleep#ng cold

Never swim on the Atlantic Ocean side. The Indian Ocean side in False Bay is the one.
Wondered how long with the pic on the street in De Waterkant.

GreenandGold:
That cable car is as available as the Gold Reef helicopter rides, which is once in a blue moon.

Lurker4Long:

I can see the Lower Cableway Station from my house, and by 7am, the line of cars backs up all the way to Kloofnek Rd.
That's why we Capetonians hike up the mountain, and take the cable car down.

Greenandgold, that's what the queue looks like at 8am this morning, on the section of the road I can see from my window.

It's cyclone season and once again the Mozambican kakistocracy hasn't done any advance planning and preparation.
FRELIMO only seems to be good at stealing elections and looting the country.

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/africa/2024-12-17-cyclone-chido-wreaks-havoc-in-mozambique/

Off-topic:
GreenandGold, Odunayaw, Faithful007 : I'm out of here till Sunday 15th. Leaving tomorrow for Singapore, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Leaving you with a lovely SA jazz/orchestral composition by the late great Bheki Mseleku, entitled Angola.
The first video is a concerto with the Joburg Festival Orchestra.
The 2nd is a sonata by my old university flatmate Kathleen and my friend Andre Petersen whom we sadly lost to Covid at the age of 43 in 2021.

Keep this place sane!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGqe8Mp2oEc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B5Lg0qExmY

GreenandGold:
He's just bluffing... Almost everything consumed in the US is produced in China or India, 100% tarrifs in all products from BRICS countries will get him out of office in just a year.

Or maybe he's counting on his voters not knowing what a tariff is and who pays for it?
Or the fact that his Russian handlers and their propaganda have been so effective "de-dollarisation" has become a thing despite being rejected out of hand at the previous Johannesburg BRICS Summit?

It's a brilliant ploy on the Orang-u-tan's part: now when somebody points out BRICS has no such policy, he's going to claim a victory!
Bullshit always baffles simpletons!

Well, day 1 of our presidency of the G20 and it's off to an interesting start!

GreenandGold:
You need to submit your DNA for analysis, there could be a water-loving (and orchestra-loving) Neanderthal gene hiding somewhere there...

My 1 English grand-parent (with no Neanderthal genes - btw, Africans present with 0.3% of Neanderthal genes) is over-ridden by my 3 other African grand-parents. It's nurture, not nature.

Some homework for you: an examination of our country's history with modernity from about 1800 to 1900 will change your perception of our relationship with orchestral music. Ask yourself about the roots of the SA choral tradition, the composers of all the SA church hymns like Tiyo Soga (whose son Jetelo was the 1st university-trained veterinary surgeon in SA, 1886), etc.
The colonial period from 1652 until "independence" and union in 1910 in SA has been neglected in contemporary academic study, with a concomitant loss of African history and contribution.

Just like in the US, the dichotomy of slavery being abolished in 1834 and segregation ensuing in the Cape and Natal colonies (not to mention what was happening in the rest of the country), led to all those orchestral composers adapting and refining a new music of what I now call the Afro-Atlantic, popularly known as jazz.It is no co-incidence that outside of the US, South Africa is the only country that has its own jazz idiom.

And all of it, from Rio de Janeiro, Salvador do Bahia, Cape Town, Luanda, Havana, Lagos, Dakar, Cabo Verde, Accra, New Orleans, Lisboa, Charleston, New York, owing it to when Africa and Europe mated with Asia making it somewhat an orgy.

Faithful007:
They got them from MINUSMA that Goita sent packing. That’s why it’s white.

Yep. They belonged to the Chadian contingent of MINUSMA. The junta denied permission for a French airlift of Chadian equipment, so the Chadians had to take everything by road. A number of vehicles were abandoned, and the Malians helped themselves.

How are you young man?

Off-topic

GreenandGold, so yesterday I helped a friend sail his newly-acquired boat from the Langebaan Marina to its new berth at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. This was the view when in Table Bay, just off Blouberg.
Enough to make Odunayaw take to the sea, eh?

Ethiopia turns APC into self-propelled artillery

Making best use of available equipment appears to be the thinking behind modifications turning Ethiopian Federal Defence Forces (FDF) armoured personnel carriers (APCs) into self-propelled artillery pieces.

Janes reports that some Chinese WZ551 APCs in service with the East African country’s military now carry 122 mm D-30 howitzers. An FDF photo released on 7 August shows the artillery pieces fitted to five vehicles, allowing operation by gunners standing in the troop compartment with a shield providing limited frontal protection.

It is unclear if the APCs have been fitted with adjustable stabilisers to prevent suspension damage by recoil, the publication reports.

Ethiopia is believed to have about 20 WZ551s in service and at least 450 D-30 guns as well as two dozen M-46 130 mm towed guns. It has apparently mounted D-30 guns on T-55 tank chassis in previous efforts to create self-propelled artillery, although this cannot be confirmed.

Recent photographs also appear to show a howitzer mounted on a military truck.

Ethiopia is apparently also working on a rapidly deployable 120 mm mortar as seen in a photograph released by the FDF in August. Fitted on the load bed of a pickup truck, it appears to be a standard 2B11-pattern mortar with base plate attached to a pneumatic system to lower it from the vehicle bed to the ground so it can be fired, Janes reported.

The FDF released the modified APC photograph during a visit by senior officers to the Ethiopian Defence University in Bishoftu, which it said is working on upgrading weapons.

Another photo showed 122 mm BM21 multiple rocket launcher systems fitted onto six Toyota Land Cruisers. The vehicles were fitted with four stabilisers to keep them steady when firing. Ethiopia previously acquired multiple truck-mounted BM21 systems.

Ethiopia has been acquiring significant quantities of military hardware in recent years, with the most recent documented arrival being dozens of Calidus MCAV-20 vehicles from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI’s) Arms Transfers database, in recent years Ethiopia acquired five Despot armoured vehicles from Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2022, 32 SH-5 155 mm self-propelled guns from China in 2022, four Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Turkey in 2021, and two Wing Loong-1 UAVs that same year.

China also delivered ten Type-89 APCs in 2013; four PHL-03 300 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) in 2019, and ten BP-12A surface-to-surface missile systems in 2020.

In January this year, the Ethiopian Air Force revealed it had received Bayraktar Akinci UAVs from Turkey and second hand Sukhoi Su-30K combat jets from Russia.

GreenandGold:
I thought Paramount Group had broken the curse 😅

To paraphrase that arsehole Stalin, ugliness has a beauty all its own!

GreenandGold:
I apologise for being rude to the Igirigi, this is the ugliest APC I've seen.

Odunayaw:
I nearly convulsed in horror

It wouldn't be South African if it were pretty!

...more.

Jorsin launches new Tau 4×4 armoured personnel carrier

At a glance what appears to be a 4×4 version of the famous Ratel infantry combat vehicle is in fact Jorsin’s new Tau armoured personnel carrier (APC), which made its first public appearance at the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition.

The prototype was completed just in time to take part in late September’s AAD 2024 at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria. The Tau can accommodate up to thirteen crew (ten in the rear crew compartment plus a driver, a commander and a gunner in an optional turret). A horizontal double rear door functions as a flip-up/drop-down ramp, facilitating easy entry and exit. Roof-mounted hatches provide alternative access points, while side-mounted armoured glass windows with integrated shooting ports offer good visibility.

As with the Ratel, the driver is positioned in the centre of the vehicle, avoiding the need to offer the vehicle in left or right hand drive configurations. “This placement offers full frontal visibility through armoured glass, significantly enhancing offroad manoeuvrability. A dedicated hatch provides the driver with easy access to the vehicle,” Jorsin explained.

The vehicle is powered by a Cummins 157 kW (210 hp) turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine driving an Allison six-speed automatic transmission through a Meritor two-speed transfer gearbox, giving a maximum speed of 115 km/h and range of 800 km plus. A Meritor fully independent suspension provides enhanced off-road mobility and “superb” on-road stability, eliminating the wobble the Ratel is known for. The ground clearance of 600 mm in front and 570 mm below belly of vehicle are class leading parameters, Jorsin’s Johan Lamprecht told defenceWeb.

The power pack has designed to be modular and easily replaced – it is fitted to a frame that can be rolled in and out, allowing the engine to be changed in 30 to 60 minutes – quick connect fuel and hydraulics lines facilitate the process. A collapsible rail/frame, carried with each vehicle, can be assembled in minutes and the complete powerpack can be rolled out to the side of the vehicle: no crane is required to access or change the powerpack.

The 9 500 kg vehicle makes use of a monocoque hull manufactured from 8 mm armoured steel to provide ballistic protection to NATO STANAG Level II (stopping up to 7.62×39 mm armour piercing rounds). A turret weighing 1 500 kg can be fitted to the vehicle – at AAD 2024, the Tau was displayed with a 20 mm Ratel cannon turret, weighing 1 160 kg, but other turret options can be fitted. Tau can accommodate a full size Ratel turret basket, as opposed to the trend of basket free overhead weapons. This is important in the African context where a variety of Russian-made turrets, with an assortment of weaponry, are available, mostly mounted on immobile vehicles due to lack of spares or maintenance, Lamprecht said.

Jorsin shared with defenceWeb that development of the Tau started last year, with a design philosophy of simplicity and reliability, as the vehicle is aimed at the African market. The APC has no complex electronics to ensure fewer points of failure, for example.

Jorsin is aiming the Tau at countries that want a vehicle similar to the Ratel but more modern (the Tau uses some components from the Ratel, such as the turret, seats, shooting ports etc.). While the vehicle does not yet have a launch customer, there is interest from potential clients in Africa who are looking for a vehicle similar to the Ratel.

Jorsin has decades of experience maintaining Ratel and other armoured vehicles, having for example been awarded multiple contracts from the South African Army for Ratel maintenance and repair.

GreenandGold:
I don't think I've seen this many Bateleur FV2 MRLs firing rockets in one picture.

The number of rockets they've been firing lately leads me to believe they were close to expiry date.

GreenandGold:
Is that the new Beretta ARX-160?... and what's up with the cammo patterns? They don't look like the new uniform.

It's the SF's new CZ Bren 2 assault rifle. Go to any of the mil pages and see the kvetching from all the non-SF people over having to stick with the old R4/5s!

The new cammo has been introduced for units on deployment, first.

last.

2...

More Exercise Vukuhlome 2024...

Odunayaw:
Pic 1 almost seems to be shot every time of this exercise. I could argue I saw it last year Why are they cramped up?

Many other pics I discard cos they're the same as previous years. Included this one cos it's rare to see SF using their CASSPIRs.

The cramping up is because this was a show for dignitaries, so they have to accommodate the spectators, TV cameras and photographers.

...last.