₦airaland Forum

Rescue SA in Pakistan in 2005:

On October 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Kashmir region (a disputed territory controlled in part by Pakistan and India), along with sections of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. More than 80,000 people perished as a result of the quake, while an estimated 4 million others were left homeless.

Rescue SA in Algeria in 2003:

When: May 2003
What: Earthquake – 6.8 on Righter Scale
Fatalities: 2 266+
Injuries: 10 261+
Mission: Urban Search and Rescue
Mission Time: 5 days
RSA Rescue Team:42 person team (rescue, medical, engineering & logistics specialists)
Mobilisation: Time 48 hours

Rescue SA in Iran in 2003:

When: December 2003
What: Earthquake – 6.5 on Richter Scale
Fatalities: 35 000+
Injuries: 40 000+
Mission: Urban Search and Rescue
Mission Time: 7 days
RSA Rescue Team: 44 person team (rescue, medical, engineering, hazardous materials & logistics specialists)
Mobilisation: Time 32 hours

Rescue SA in India in 2001:

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on 26 January, India’s 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM IST and lasted for over 2 minutes. The epicenter was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India. The intraplate earthquake reached 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale. The earthquake killed between 13,805 and 20,023 people (including 18 in southeastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.

After SAAF firefighting deliveries, Marce continues apace with sales

Firefighting and emergency response vehicle manufacturer Marce has delivered dozens of its Rhino firefighting vehicles to the South African Air Force (SAAF) and continues to sell the series to other customers.

Several years ago, Marce concluded the delivery of 27 Rhino vehicles to the SAAF, at the rate of two per month. The SAAF, under Project Bandsman, received the 6×6 version (it is also available in 4×4 and 8× with a locally built cab and water tank as well as custom driveline with a 680 hp Deutz engine.

The Rhino chassis is fully assembled at the Marce workshop in Centurion. It features a two-door cab for a driver and crew of four. Standard fit is a Mamba 6 roof-mounted suppression system with a capacity of up to 6 000 litres per minute. Water capacity is 12 000 litres plus 1 500 litres of foam. The Rhino can be fitted with an infrared camera on the roof for a better view of a fire.

Rhino vehicles are now in service with five countries, including Namibia, Lesotho, and India.

In recent years, Marce also delivered six hazmat vehicles to the SAAF, which are based on Mercedes Benz Atego 1428 trucks with 280 hp engines. They have a double cab with seating for six and carry hazardous materials equipment.

Armscor also placed a contract with Marce for the delivery of eight firefighting vehicles for use at the South African National Defence Force’s bombing ranges.

Marce has also developed a 6×6 vehicle based on a Land Cruiser chassis. This can be used as a troop carrier, firefighter or patrol vehicle. It can carry 3.5 tons of payload and could be fitted with a weapon on the back if required. The heavily customised vehicle costs R2.5 million.

Recent deliveries include six 4×4 custom pumper firefighting vehicles (4 000 litres/minute pumping capacity) for Cape Town, and a new vehicle has been tested at the Gerotek vehicle testing facility West of Pretoria – Transnet is getting 18 of these vehicles.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/after-saaf-firefighting-deliveries-marce-continues-apace-with-sales/

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, we console ourselves with rehearsals for Thursday's State of the Nation Address and opening of Parliament.

Of course, some of this stuff still has to go by road.

https://youtube.com/shorts/QQTcKMk-iCs?feature=share

Lurker4Long:
So pleased they resuscitated movement by train in 2020, and now it's becoming the norm again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6f47qPmjDA

Lurker4Long:
So pleased they resuscitated movement by train in 2020, and now it's becoming the norm again!

.

Hensoldt South Africa to supply submarine periscope to South American navy

Hensoldt South Africa is supplying a SERO 250S submarine periscope to a Latin American navy as part of a follow-up order for a periscope modernisation programme.

The company said the SERO 250S periscope will replace a previously used periscope as part of a refit programme and provide a capability upgrade with night vision capability. The contract is worth more than five million euros and is the second order from the customer.

The two submarines of the Type 209 series were equipped with SERO 400 series periscopes, also manufactured by Hensoldt. The modernisation gives the equipped boats night vision capability for the first time and contributes significantly to digitalisation and extended service life, Hensoldt said.

“As a retrofit solution for the periscope previously used by the customer, the SERO 250S is ideal,” explained Andre Stascheit, Head of the Marine Business Unit at Hensoldt Optronics. “The variant of the periscope, which we will deliver in spring 2024, allows submarines to adapt more flexibly to changing operating conditions in all weather and light conditions.”

The SERO 250 is equipped with improved optics that include high-definition and low-level light cameras as standard. Night vision capability is provided by an additional infrared (IR) camera. The SERO 250S is additionally equipped with active laser and passive stadiametric (using a telescopic instrument) range finding. To facilitate integration, all SERO 250 variants can be operated as a stand-alone system or integrated into existing (or renewed) combat management systems. The SERO 250 is available in attack (250A) and surveillance (250S) versions.

In Latin America, the navies of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela operate Type 209 submarines

Hensoldt South Africa has a long history in the development and manufacturing of submarine periscopes and sub-systems. These activities commenced in 1990 with the upgrade of the SA Navy’s Daphne class submarine periscopes and the first export contract for the upgrade of Type 209 class submarines in 1997.

Hensoldt South Africa subsequently joined forces with Hensoldt Germany to develop and manufacture periscope systems and sub-systems for the international market, including the SERO 250. More than 60 periscope systems have been manufactured for delivery to the parent company in Germany, for supply to conventional submarines all over the world, including Greek, Portuguese, Turkish, and South Korean submarines.

Hensoldt supports and maintains the South African Navy’s submarine optronics systems, including its SERO 400 periscopes.

Nemesis4you:
I prefer cheetah though

I meant cheetah!

Lurker4Long:
A week left till the Dubai SWAT Challenge. A reminder of how the African participants performed in 2022:
1) South Africa - 13;
2) Kenya - 17;
3) Nigeria - 28.
Good luck to all our continental teams this year, especially the new entrants and may the returning ones improve their showing.

SA Police STF preparing for the Dubai SWAT Challenge 2023, before flying off in a week's time.
The competition has grown to 60 teams this year, compared to the 33 last year.

https://swat.dubaipolice.gov.ae/swat/home/teams2023

A week left till the Dubai SWAT Challenge. A reminder of how the African participants performed in 2022:
1) South Africa - 13;
2) Kenya - 17;
3) Nigeria - 28.
Good luck to all our continental teams this year, especially the new entrants and may the returning ones improve their showing.

Nemesis4you:
Aim is to replace chetak and cheetah helicopters

Wouldn't mind getting my hands on a Chetak!

Exnavyboy62:
Not just the super tucano, even the Mwari AHRLAC attack aircraft couldn't stand a chance. Who the hell sleeps peacefully at night after ignoring such a cute aircraft?

The guys at Paramount can be proud they made the final 5; the Super Tucano didn't make the short list.
Personally didn't expect them to win, their US partner didn't have as much political clout.

GreenandGold:
RIP to Sergeant Vusi Mabena (on your left) who killed by sniper fire

In the middle, the flight engineer.
The bullet hit the flight commander in the shoulder, exited and hit Sgt Mabena.

kabe1:
I thought military helicopter cockpits are usually armoured?

Attack choppers yes, not transport and utility choppers.

May the departed rest in peace.

Lurker4Long:
Armed Forces Day 2023 is almost here!

So pleased they resuscitated movement by train in 2020, and now it's becoming the norm again!


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

Armed Forces Day 2023 is almost here!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Ded6lcM_c

GreenandGold:
Patent it from here to heaven please....

When they set the 76km record, they said next target was 100km. Glad to see they're aiming higher with 155km!

I can't keep track!

Rheinmetall Denel Munition wins big new 155 mm ammunition orders

Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has secured two new contracts for its 155 mm Assegai artillery ammunition, worth nearly €60 million or R1.1 billion.

Rheinmetall said in a press release that an international customer has ordered propellant charges worth around €40 million from RDM while another customer, a NATO state, has placed an order with Rheinmetall Denel Munition for 155 mm Assegai ammunition worth €17 million.

“We’re very pleased that two customers – including a NATO member state and a non-NATO country – have again placed their trust in our globally proven Assegai indirect fire technology”, said Jan-Patrick Helmsen, managing director of Rheinmetall Denel Munition. “As a systems maker, we work constantly to improve our cutting-edge technologies so that we can provide our customers’ soldiers with the very best, most reliable solutions possible.”

The latest contracts come on the back of an uptick in business, most likely due to the war in Ukraine. In December 2022, for example, RDM announced a NATO country order for 155 mm Assegai ammunition valued in the “mid three million digit Euro range”. The five year framework contract provides for delivery of 155 mm M2005 V-LAP (velocity enhanced long range artillery projectile) rounds, M92 modular charges and various fuzes.

Jointly owned by Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (51%) and Denel, RDM produces a variety of ammunition ranging from 155 mm artillery ammunition to 60, 81, and 120 mm mortars, 40 mm grenades, 76/62 mm naval rounds, aircraft bombs and mine breaching systems. The RDM product range also includes ammunition filling plants for export and missile sub-system manufacture.

Rheinmetall emphasised that back in 2019, it succeeded in setting a new maximum range record in South Africa with the Assegai family and other Group products like the new Extended Range Charge from Rheinmetall’s subsidiary Nitrochemie AG. Thanks to the Assegai system approach – from fuse to projectile to propelling charges – long ranges were attained with various artillery systems. A non-NATO 155mm artillery gun with 52 calibre lengths and a 25-litre propelling charge chamber achieved a record range of 76 kilometres.

Rheinmetall Denel Munition is already working on other future artillery technologies, the company said. For example, the rocket motor in conventional 155 mm Assegai projectiles is being improved. In addition to this, a new development is on the way that will boost the maximum range to over 155 kilometres.

The Assegai family of artillery ammunition can be fired from any NATO STANAG-compatible artillery system, including the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer. Germany has supplied a number of PzH 2000s to Ukraine, which is using them against Russian forces, while Lithuania has supplied ammunition. The system is also in service with Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania, Hungary, Qatar, and Croatia.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/rheinmetall-denel-munition-wins-big-new-155-mm-ammunition-orders/

GreenandGold:
If Egypt had to attack those dam walls, they would use their air force. Ethiopia has Cold War air defence relics, those things wouldn't even know which direction a Rafale went...... As for Sudan, they have their own domestic issues to worry about instead of starting foreign wars.

Not to mention that the dam levels are now such that Khartoum and Omdurman would be washed away, if the dam walls were blown up. And the same Sudan is salivating at the prospect of cheap electricity.

The dam is a fait accompli, Egypt has no choice but to negotiate a realistic water fair use agreement.
I suspect the saber-rattling is to dissuade other downstream countries from building their own dams.

GreenandGold:
You know what the internet says: "they have messed up the wheel formation"

Someone else suggested they placed the hull the wrong way round to make it easier to retreat!

Odunayaw:
ugh! Ugly

So much the enemy will either retreat or surrender!

EDIT: You have to admit though, the CASSPIR is so ugly, it's beautiful. Look at this example, used by the Indonesian Special Forces.

Meet the Sesspir, tried and rejected by the SADF in 1987.
Resurrected in 2022, as the Wagner-wagon, with a BTR-80 turret and a 14.5mm heavy machine gun.

GreenandGold:
No I don't.... I never got into it, when it came out I was already into the World of Tanks, I simply ignored it until years later when I realised that people were into it. I just don't have much interest in grinding up the WarThunder ladder, that takes plenty of sugar.

Ja, not even the inclusion of Rooivalk can entice me for that long grind!

Exnavyboy62:
It's so ironic how the IAF mocks the Pakist... Airforce and feels bigger than the PLAAF because of WDMMA rankings.

Someone dies and 2 others are seriously hurt in a training accident and this shit is the only thing you say?
What the actual fvck?

Nemesis4you, what's this I'm hearing about a mid-air collision between an SU-30MKI and a Mirage 2000?

GreenandGold:
The SANDF's G6 Howitzer

Have you been playing WarThunder?