₦airaland Forum

...last.

SAAF Monument in South Korea, honouring SA's contribution in the Korean War...

Nemesis4you:
Squint as much as u can

Than u will see Mirage 2k

BTW, heard anything about Botswana looking at 15 Tejas?

Lurker4Long:
SAAF pilots doing flyboy things!

And this is why our chopper boys and girls prefer wheels to skids: can't do certain mountain jobs on skids.

SAAF pilots doing flyboy/flygirl things!

pocom35:
x

Mate, are you spamming the thread? You posted this same video a few days ago.

Indian peacekeepers in Abyei, Sudan, with the Paramount Mbombe 4, produced under licence as the Kalyani M4.

GreenandGold:
x

You guys haven't yet mentioned the ICC warrant and the implications for the BRICS Summit here in August.
For what it's worth, I don't think the Ramaphosa admin would be as stupid as Zuma's and repeat the al-Bashir situation.
So I think Putin will be publically invited, but privately persuaded to stay home. That way, everybody saves face.

GreenandGold:
No friken way...

And a friend took this in Gordon's Bay, yesterday.

Today, out in False Bay!

GreenandGold:
I will NOT let this one pass

Well-played!

GreenandGold, I don't even have to leave the Western Cape to partake in inland pleasures!

To wit: the Uitkyk Pass on the P1487 route connects the Northern and Southern Cederberg. This pass has recently been paved, and offers dust free views over the Algeria Valley.
It climbs 410m over 4.7 km to summit at 1022m ASL with an average climb gradient of 1:11
The pass provides access to many of the Cederberg's favourite climbing and hiking routes as well as to the Dwarsrivier and Kromrivier farms where accommodation, camping, craft beer and fine wines are available.
https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/

Zambia Air Force C-27J Spartan on humanitarian duty in Cyclone Freddy-afflicted Malawi; over 320 people have been confirmed killed.
The ZAF airlifted a 100 metric tons of maize, 300 tents, 300 blankets, 300 mosquito nets, 1,000 dignity kits, 50x50kg bags of beans, 1,000 kitchen sets, 1,000 packets of salt dozens and 1,000 bottles of Chlorine.

Angolan Il-76 transporting Lesotho SF to Mozambique.

Meanwhile, in Mozambique...

The South African Contingent in Mozambique held its quarterly psycho-educational group sessions presented by the Contingent Clinical Psychologist, Lieutenant Colonel Marshall Pietersen with the focus on the adjustment of members in the mission area, addressing expectations, and providing tips to manage challenges faced by members. Buddy support, self-care and reintegration with family post-deployment are some of the points dealt with in the group sessions.

I like the more comprehensive Botswana system, which offers counselling to family members as well, both during and post-deployment.

Lurker4Long:
A sight that warms the cockles: the Paramount factory busy building the 9 Mwari on order!

UKZN’s Phoenix 1 D rocket successfully launched from Denel Overberg Test Range

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN’s) Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) Space Propulsion Programme has successfully test-launched its Phoenix 1 D rocket from the Denel Overberg Test Range, with a second launch planned.

The hybrid test rocket took off from the Western Cape facility on Monday 13 March, carrying experimental sensors and cameras as part of the mission. The Phoenix-1D was expected to reach an altitude of up to 25 km.

Hybrid rockets used solid fuel with liquid oxidiser. Purely solid fuelled rockets are easier to handle but their thrust cannot be controlled and they are not as efficient as liquid fuelled rockets. While more complex, liquid fuelled rockets are capable of being throttled, shut down, and restarted.

The Minister of Higher Education Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, congratulated the ASRI on the launch. ASRI, formerly known as the Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG), is funded by the Department of Science and Innovation. It is pursuing the development of suborbital sounding rockets (Phoenix) and orbital liquid rocket engine technology (SAFFIRE – (South African First Integrated Rocket Engine) under one integrated Space Propulsion Programme.

“I am proud of the young people driving this exciting programme at UKZN. They are a team of dedicated mechanical engineering students who have been working tirelessly on ensuring that the launch is successful,” said Nzimande.

He praised the Phoenix hybrid rocket programme, which is a skills-development initiative focused on suborbital launch vehicle design and testing. The rockets were developed as a technology demonstration platform from which future commercial sounding rocket programmes can be developed.

Nzimande added that the space industry is envisaged as one of the key drivers in addressing South Africa’s national priorities of job creation, poverty eradication, resource management and rural development.

UKZN is currently the only South African university pursuing an applied rocket propulsion programme, producing graduates with skills in advanced manufacturing, aerospace systems design, rocket launch operations and computational analysis.

The team is now preparing for the second and final test for the campaign, that of the Phoenix 1C, a low-altitude rocket and, weather-permitting, it will be launched with experimental payloads for the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), SA National Space Agency (SANSA) and a private company that the engineers hope to recover. Depending on weather, launch will take place this week or next.

Both vehicles include design changes to the airframes and onboard systems that make them structurally more efficient, and form a critical part of ASRI’s mission to develop larger, orbital launch systems. The Phoenix 1C has a target altitude of 5 to 10 km and expectations are to recover its nose cone under a parachute.

On 14 March the programme presented STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Space Day where a group of grade 10 and 11 physical science learners from Hoërskool Bredasdorp attended. The learners attended a lecture on rocket technology, experience a radio-controlled aircraft demonstration and visited the ASRI Phoenix launch pad to have a close-up view of a hybrid rocket.

In March 2021, ASReG successfully launched the Phoenix-1B Mark IIr sounding rocket. It travelled 17.9 km into the air, achieving a new African hybrid rocket altitude record. This was the third rocket variant to be developed by ASReG. The first, the Phoenix-1A, was flight tested in 2014, but experienced a nozzle failure that limited its altitude. The second launch, in 2019, of the Phoenix-1B Mark II, was unsuccessful because of a software fault, and it exploded on launch. Valuable lessons were learnt from past failures, which helped with the successful launch of the cost-effective Phoenix-1B Mark Iir, the Department of Science and Innovation said.

Sounding rockets carry experimental payloads to the upper reaches of the atmosphere or into space. They play a crucial role in facilitating experiments in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including biotechnology, astronomy, astrophysics, materials science and meteorology.

The Phoenix hybrid rockets were developed as a technology demonstration platform from which a future commercial sounding rocket programme can be developed.

The programme, a human capital development initiative, started in 2010, has produced a number of graduates with advanced engineering skills, and who have been absorbed into South Africa’s engineering sector with entities including Rheinmetall Denel Munition, SANSA, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Armscor. Human capital development is the main objective of the programme, together with developing indigenous space propulsion technologies, the Department of Science and Innovation said.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/ukzns-phoenix-1-d-rocket-successfully-launched-from-denel-overberg-test-range/

GreenandGold:
Often, no one wants to be the first... it always looks bad for any Administration to buy battle-unproven weapon systems.

A sight that warms the cockles: the Paramount factory busy building the 9 Mwari on order!

First pic of the Mwari out in the wild in Cabo Delgado. Apparently Mozambique bought 3.

France’s CMN launches first tank landing craft for Angola

French shipyard CMN (Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie) has launched the first of two tank landing craft (LCTs) for the Angolan Navy.

The first vessel (ND15) was launched at the end of February, Mer et Marine reported, and will be delivered around May. Construction of the second vessel has already commenced, and will be delivered in 2024.

Construction of the first vessel had begun in January 2022, at which time the customer was not disclosed, with CMN saying the vessels were being built on behalf of Privinvest under a follow-on to a 2016 contract by Privinvest for around 20 vessels destined for ‘an African country’.

The 70 metre long vessels will be able to carry 200 tons of payload, including 260 soldiers in addition to the crew of 18. Watertight bulkheads ensure survivability in the event of damage. A 5.25 metre boat can be launched by a crane.

Each LCT will be powered by two diesel engines driving two fixed-pitch propellers and giving a speed of 16 knots.

The LCTs are the largest vessels to be built by CMN since the corvette Baynunah (71 metres long), delivered to the United Arab Emirates in 2011.

In 2016, Privinvest announced it would establish a shipyard in Angola and supply several naval vessels under a 495 million euro deal. Privinvest has facilities and shipyards in a number of countries including France (CMN), Germany (German Naval Yards Kiel) and the Middle East.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the 2016 Angolan deal included three CMN HSI 32 patrol craft, which were delivered in 2019, and a long range offshore patrol vessel and a short range patrol vessel from France. Photos recently emerged confirming the HSI 32s in Angolan service, while in November 2022 CMN revealed it had delivered an Ocean Eagle 43 trimaran patrol boat to the Angolan Navy. The vessel is the first of three Ocean Eagles ordered by Angola, Mer et Marine reports.

Angola has turned to United Arab Emirates (UAE) shipyards for further expansion, in February revealing a billion euro contract with Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) for a fleet of 71 metre BR71 Mk II corvettes. The Combattante BR71 Mk II an advanced variant of the Baynunah class (BR 71 design) corvette developed by CMN, a part of Privinvest Shipbuilding Group. The vessel is designed for littoral warfare defence operations against air and surface threats, patrolling tasks, law enforcement and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/frances-cmn-launches-first-tank-landing-craft-for-angola/

Another angle of the exceptional SAAF rescue in Cabo Delgado.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ47gqf802c

Odunayaw:
Watching that person on that whatever-they-were-on was scary!

Good job!

I'd love to know how he ended up there, for over 30 hours!

GreenandGold:
@Lurker4Long

I came across this on the interwebs.. I remembered that you also bank with Discovery... it's another case of your bank fees being well-spent

Odunayaw, because you love chopper rescues so much!

SAMIM SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SEARCH AND RESCUE OF LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBER.

On Friday,10 March 2023 SADC Mission In Mozambique(SAMIM) in conjunction with Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) completed a successful search and rescue mission where a local community member was rescued from the flooding Lurio River due to the heavy rains.

Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) was initially contacted but was unsuccessful with their helicopter to rescue the local member. FADM immediately sought assistance from SAMIM Aviation Component, which was approved by the SAMIM Force Commander Major General Xolani Mankayi immediately. The aircrew from the Republic of South Africa conducted the mission to save the local member who had been stuck for 35 hours in the middle of the river. The member had suffered extreme hyperthermia and was in a terrible state upon rescue.

The rescue took place 42 Nm south west of Pemba, within 35 min the Oryx crew found the member. Under severe difficult circumstances Sergeant Raphiri (A109 F/Eng) was hoisted down to rescue the trapped local member. The rescue crew was challenged by the extremely strong river currents, strong winds and the fact that the member was standing on a very small rock, crew had to be extremely careful for the helicopter downwash (8 tons) not pushing the member from the rock. After 2 attempts Sergeant Raphiri managed to successfully rescue the member from the rock and was hoisted to safety.

The Air Medical Team (AMET) lead by Doctor O. Khan and Sergeant Thabethe took over once the member was in the aircraft and provided necessary medical care to the member. The member was taken to SAMIM Level 2 Hospital for further medical care. Accolades must be given to the quick reaction from the aircrew and AMET and their professional conduct during this extreme difficult technical rescue. The aircrew consisted of Major J.A.N Augustyn (Oryx Commander), Captain R. Mothoa (Co-pilot), Warrant Officer 2 A. Prince (Flight Engineer), Sergeant Raphiri (Rescuer), AMET: Doctor O. Khan, Lieutenant D.C Mmitseng, Sergeant X.C. Thabethe.
SAMIM will continue working with FADM to assist the people of Mozambique and attain requisite Peace and Stability.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MAJOR J.A.N AUGUSTYN (ORYX COMMANDER)|| PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO PROVIDED BY AMET: Doctor O. KHAN|| ARTICLE BY LIEUTENANT PHUMELA VELDTMAN || INFORMATION OPERATIONS OFFICER SAMIM HEADQUARTERS

(GreenandGold, Jl115: I see on the video they're now using "Chaka" on either a mobile or tablet! )


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMybbBdW3yk

Lurker4Long:
The C2 variant of the Hornet + trailer.

1 Hornet pic deserves another...

The C2 variant of the Hornet + trailer.

GreenandGold:
It seems like this hurricane season is not done with us




https://phys.org/news/2023-03-cyclone-freddy-malawi-mozambique.html

I did think we celebrated the end of the season too soon.

Nemesis4you:
DNA of j20

And previously I read in twitter DNA of j10

Nemesis4you:
The level and amount of idiocacy is baffling

One reason why I am loath to even comment here most of the time

Exnavyboy62:
[/b]

And may I also recommend an English teacher for you .

I can easily fix my typo.
Your obsessive mental health disorder however, requires specialised intervention.