₦airaland Forum

kikuyu1:
Behold, the assault revolver, the rsh-12!?

Yes! There is a revolver firing the giant 12.7x55 mm round. Ofc, there's a very SPECIFIC purpose- punching through walls and body armour to put DOWN terrorists WITH one shot- and one hand as the other usually holds a ballistic shield.

https://modernfirearms.net/

The concept makes MUCH sense: despite what movie's tell us pistols, even tricked out specops handguns evidence failure to feed. Revolver with much fewer parts are more reliable. The giant round is so powerful a solid hit ESPECIALLY at typical close room distance would dismember the victim- therefore the revolver makes sense in AT ops. In a traditional P2P 1st world battle space like Russia vs W Europe, our AS/ KDF or ISWAP/NA engagements it would be as useless as gills on a lion!
The rsh-12 exemplifies how tactical NEED influences the weapon-NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND. I hope the idea that weapons are tailored to the tactical situation is now clear.
GASSPPP! There are now carbine versions available for civvy hunters.

I'll see your 12.7x55mm and raise you this Denel Neopup 20mm

Toju200:
SA in action

SF from SA, Botswana and Lesotho.

Meanwhile, in Mozambique.

SANDF Exercise Ukuthula 2021: MLRS artillery battery.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3kBjnHWe0Q


Area effects:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XNaWXI72AM

...last.

...more...

4 800 SANDF personnel (a brigade) took part in Exercise Ukuthula 2021 at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) at Lohatla.
"CTC is one of only ten such institutions in the world that provide exclusive and permanent facilities for landward warfare training. Only two of these institutions are located in the Southern hemisphere, of which the SA Army Combat Training Centre is the largest, 158 000 hectares in total. That is more or less 39 x 39 kilometers."

This year's exercise actually differed from previous ones in 2 aspects: it comprised 2 exercises, Amabutho - which allowed the SA Army’s junior staff command course members to put into practice all the theory they've learned, and Ukuthula - which was enlarged from a battalion group to a mechanised brigade exercise.

@kikuyu1, what we were saying about the paucity of brigade plus exercises on the continent...

kabe1:
South-African Intelligence and Sniper squads.

More...

[quote author=kabe1 post=107484497][/quote]Minor correction: the guys in the pic below are not SF; they're from 1 Tactical Intelligence Regiment. They conduct battlefield surveillance using ground radars and tactical drones to report on enemy movement and disposition. Because they're forward deployed and sometimes behind enemy lines, they're also used as observers to call in artillery on enemy positions and targets of opportunity.

jl115:
the man lives for the moments where he can post something even slightly negative about South Africa

That being said, Paramount and its Khazak partner have some questions to answer:
1) how did the Khazak version of the Marauder, go from $480 000/unit to $1,2 million?

2) the Khazak partner is supposed to be a state-owned company, yet for years there've been rumours certain politicians and generals secretly hold personal shares.

3) why did Paramount set up a Bermuda registered subsidiary to handle all business in Khazakstan?

jl115:
is it now?

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/barys-8x8-completes-four-year-trials-in-kazakhstan/

Apparently a 4-year trial covering 25 000km in various conditions isn't supposed to yield problems so that the feedback can be used to improve prototypes before going into full production.
Jane's Defence, Shephard Media, the European Defence Review and others should all close shop cos they don't know this.

Hensoldt SA selected to deliver spectrum management system

Hensoldt SkyManager.
Hensoldt South Africa will be providing a nationwide spectrum management system to Saudi Arabia’s Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

Hensoldt announced it is in the process of delivering the system, consisting of mobile, transportable and fixed monitoring stations, as well as regional and national control centres.

“The further delivery of a new spectrum management system will establish a robust and modern regulatory environment, enabling the regulator to effectively manage this valuable resource,” the company said.

Hensoldt South Africa is delivering a bespoke version of its GEW SkyManager solution, which it describes as an advanced software ecosystem for strategic spectrum management. The management system’s machine learning technology draws intelligence from the big data produced by the monitoring system, transforming the infinite mass of data into actionable intelligence, it explained.

“This empowers the regulator to rapidly act on current spectrum demand and proactively anticipate future needs. The system’s smart processing guides operators through complex processes and automates day-to-day spectrum management activities such as spectrum licence management, type approval, occupancy analysis, frequency allocation management and fee-calculations. This creates a user-friendly experience for system operators and their licence users, while reducing unnecessary risk or delays in the licencing process and ensuring excellent data integrity. With the Kingdom’s vision of being among the top 20 ICT nations by 2030, the system’s highly scalable architecture comes as a further essential benefit, as it is an adaptive regulatory mechanism that can evolve within a fast-growing industry,” Hensoldt South Africa said.

“Rapidly growing economies such as those in the Middle East, with emerging smart cities and digital societies, depend heavily on the electromagnetic spectrum as people, devices, homes, equipment, transportation and other technologies become more interconnected. Because of this, the electromagnetic spectrum is considered a critical resource and a national asset for technological advancement and economic growth, which is why government regulatory bodies are focusing on monitoring and managing this resource to maximise its benefit and prevent misuse and pollution of the spectrum. The scale of the spectrum management sphere has become so vast and complex, that smart technologies and services have become a critical tool for regulators.”

Hennie Venter, Chief Executive of Hensoldt South Africa’s GEW Business Unit, said “These projects proudly build on a history of more than two decades as a reputable supplier to our clients in the Middle East. We have delivered a range of solutions to the Kingdom and are trusted for in-country support and maintenance.”

Hensoldt South Africa has supplied spectrum monitoring systems to entities like South Africa’s ICASA regulator. Its first spectrum monitoring systems were delivered in the 1990s to ICASA predecessor South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA). Spectrum monitoring equipment can be mounted in vehicles or installed in fixed locations.

Hensoldt SA’s GEW business unit specialises in communication monitoring, direction finding, electronic countermeasures/warfare, electromagnetic spectrum management and security systems (the latter incorporating surveillance and monitoring products). Since the 1960s GEW has been involved in providing electronic support, electronic attack and electronic warfare solutions.

A spinoff from the land-based electronic warfare side is communications jamming technology, particularly Remote Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) jammers, with a lot of jammers used in Africa and the Middle East. The company’s jamming systems are used to protect fixed targets, convoys, individual vehicles and foot patrols (manpack system) against remotely controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs) and other threats, such as the roadside bombs.

Earlier this month Hensoldt South Africa unveiled two new jammers at the AOC Europe event in the United Kingdom, with its GRJ8500 and GRJ6000 jammers covering the V/U/SHF and HF frequencies.

Hensoldt South Africa is also active in the fields of airspace surveillance, and security systems, particularly perimeter and border fencing systems with integrated alerting systems to localise a breach. Such systems have been successfully used to counter wildlife poaching.

Hensoldt South Africa is increasing its involvement in the radar, data link, identification friend or foe (IFF), customer services and business development fields, amongst many others, and this has been helped by the recent acquisition of Tellumat’s air traffic management and defence business units, which form part of the company’s new Radar Business Unit. This offers 3D radar, synthetic aperture radar, radar for counter-UAV operations and passive radar.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/hensoldt-sa-selected-to-deliver-spectrum-management-system-to-saudi-arabia/

Hensoldt South Africa introduces new jammers

Hensoldt South Africa has unveiled two new jammers at the AOC Europe event in the United Kingdom, with its GRJ8500 and GRJ6000 jammers covering the V/U/SHF and HF frequencies.

The Association of Old Crows (AOC) electronic warfare event was held from 12 to 13 October in Liverpool and saw Hensoldt South Africa introduce its new generation communications electronic attack systems for countering signals threats.

“Introduced to reliably counter the new and emerging signals that have reshaped the electronic battlefield, Hensoldt’s new GEW GRJ8500 and GEW GRJ6000 systems feature the most advanced signal attack methods on the market”, said Hennie Venter, Chief Executive of Hensoldt South Africa’s GEW Business Unit, which specialises in spectrum dominance.

Hensoldt said the GRJ range of electronic attack (EA) and surveillance systems control the adversary’s ability to communicate and use the electromagnetic spectrum by either disrupting it, or manipulating it. Jammers can be mobile, tactical or fixed.

“Adaptive waveform technology is used to constantly optimise the system response to an ever-changing spectral environment. This smart technology enables the GRJs to autonomously respond to various signal scenarios in the most effective way,” the company explained.

“Sophisticated hopper-follower algorithms track and jam individual hops of modern fast-hopping radios. With predictive algorithms and fast look-through capabilities, the systems lock onto hopping radios after detecting the first few hops transmitted, ensuring that communications are never established between the target operators.”

“Frequency hopping or spread-spectrum signals are characterised to define smart jamming waveforms matching the target signals, which is much more efficient than traditional barrage attack methods,” said Christo Fouché, Chief Executive of Sales and Marketing of GEW.

“With significantly increased instantaneous bandwidth, it is now possible to detect and jam frequency-agile threats across much wider bandwidths than previous-generation EA systems,” said Fouché.

The GRJ systems are fully software-defined, allowing new jammer waveforms to be added, offering future expandability and waveform upgrades. Their target is the global land electronic warfare (EW) market for tactical and strategic communications jamming applications.

The two new jammers join the existing GMJ9 multirole jammer, and GMJ900 and GMJ9000 man-portable multirole jammers. The GMJ9 has been designed for counter-remotely controlled improvised explosive device and tactical communications jamming and is ideal for convoy protection. The GMJ900 specialised jammer system is specifically designed to counter new-generation targets, such as cellular networks, satellite phones, commercial drones, GNSS and Wi-Fi.

The GEW business unit of Hensoldt South Africa specialises in communication monitoring and jamming, direction finding, electronic countermeasures/warfare, electromagnetic spectrum management and security systems. Since the 1960s the company has been involved in providing electronic support, electronic attack and electronic warfare solutions. Its signal intelligence and spectrum monitoring systems have been sold and are in operation in more than 30 countries worldwide, including with the South African Air Force, Army and Navy, and the spectrum regulatory body, ICASA.

The company’s jamming systems are used to protect fixed targets, convoys, individual vehicles and foot patrols (manpack system) against remotely controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs) and other threats, such as the roadside bombs.

Hensoldt South Africa is also active in the fields of airspace surveillance, and security systems, particularly perimeter and border fencing systems with integrated alerting systems to localise a breach. Such systems have been successfully used to counter wildlife poaching.

Hensoldt South Africa is increasing its involvement in the radar, data link, identification friend or foe (IFF), customer services and business development fields, amongst many others, and this has been helped by the recent acquisition of Tellumat’s air traffic management and defence business units, which form part of the company’s new Radar Business Unit. This offers 3D radar, synthetic aperture radar, radar for counter-UAV operations and passive radar.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/hensoldt-south-africa-introduces-new-jammers/

Hensoldt SA launches new naval surveillance radar

Hensoldt South Africa has announced a newly developed active electronically scanned array (AESA) surveillance radar for naval, land and air applications.

The ‘Quadome’ is a dual-mode, three-dimensional (3D), multi-mission naval radar for air and surface surveillance as well as target acquisition.

The radar was initially announced at Defence Service Exhibition International (DSEI) in London, UK on 15 September. The announcement was a build-up to the launch in South Africa, which took place today at Hensoldt South Africa’s head office in Irene. Opening the launch, Managing Director of Hensoldt South Africa, Rynier van der Watt, said, “With the development of this technology, the Hensoldt Group is making significant investment into Hensoldt South Africa and as such into South Africa through one of the largest radar development programmes in South Africa in recent history.”

Development of the new naval radar, van der Watt said, began with Hensoldt South Africa’s acquisition of Tellumat in late 2020 as the basis for the company’s new radar business unit. Then it was expanded with the launch of the Quadome Radar Development programme in close collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and key South African suppliers of defence electronics, with over 40 engineers collectively working on this product’s development since 2018. “Quadome is a result of many man-years of engineering effort to develop a world-class product that will revolutionise the radar landscape worldwide,” said van der Watt.

Quadome features two main operational (surveillance and self-defence) modes that simplify operator interaction and reduce operator workload. Surveillance mode is used for general surface, and air surveillance, while the self-defence mode is employed for high-threat situations and target engagement, with helicopter support continuously available in either mode.

It is currently one of the largest defence radar development programmes in South Africa and entrenches Hensoldt South Africa as one of the major players in radar in the country.

Hensoldt said the Quadome provides a clear picture of the environment to the commander of a ship. This picture includes targets, ships, aircraft, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The naval radar can acquire and track targets in 3D space as well as provide early detection of a high-speed target. The radar also has a small footprint, making it relatively easy to deploy and use.

Operating in C-band (for operationally advantageous reasons), the Quadome is a medium-PRF (pulse repetition frequency) pulsed doppler radar. Programme Manager of Hensoldt South Africa’s radar business unit, Jaco Botha, said, “We have specifically selected medium-PRF so that you can easily discriminate targets from the background clutter.” The radar also has an integrated Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) antenna. The software-defined radar has a configurable, flexible, and upgradable system. The Quadome’s high tracking accuracy is compatible with surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to support effective air defence operations, Hensoldt said.

The entire radar consists of five major systems: radar antenna, antenna pedestal, maintainer laptop, radar processing cabinet and conditioner cabinet. Above deck is the radar antenna and pedestal and below deck is the laptop and two cabinets. The radar antenna is comprised of a phased array antenna, an auxiliary antenna and a IFF antenna. It is water cooled to prevent overheating. The pedestal consists of a mechanical part, the rotary joint and the antenna rotator. The rotary joint is complex, taking signals from the below deck equipment to the above deck equipment. RF signals, data signals, a fibre optical joint, power signals, the water-cool system as well as air to keep to the antenna dry flow through the rotary joint. The radar processing cabinet, as its name alludes to, handles all the different processing that goes through the radar, and has an add-on for the IFF integrated option. The conditioning cabinet includes the power supply system, the liquid cooling unit and dry air conditioning unit. The maintenance laptop is used for report finding, maintenance and upgrading.

The Quadome is a gallium nitride solid-state transmitter that has a continuous 360-degree rotation. Its update rate is either four seconds (surveillance mode) or two seconds (self-defence mode). It has an AESA (active electronically scanned array) stacked beam with electronic stabilisation with elevation coverage up to 70 degrees. It has a range from 100 metres to 200 km and can process more than 1 000 air and surface targets.

Provisions are made for an interrogating IFF antenna that is Mode-5, Mode-S and ADS-B compatible. The radar can be deployed in global environmental operations, operating between -40 and 50 degrees Celsius (it can survive temperatures up to 70 degrees Celsius). The Quadome automatically detects countermeasures such as jammers and can counter those interferences and has full performance in sea state five (rough conditions).

In surveillance and self-defence mode, there is a helicopter support function that can be activated and in self-defence mode, there is a gunfire support (GFS) function. The GFS can have up to three surface targets designated for tracking by the operator and uses B-Scope-Video.

Botha said the key benefits of the Quadome radar are its ability to identify small surface targets, give a reliable air picture, effectively evaluate threats, and provide fast-track initiation. He said the radar gives enhanced kill probability and survivability, has a high reliability level, and has cyber-threat resilience.

The Quadome is aimed at the global market for tactical naval radar systems, mainly targeting offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), corvettes, light frigates, and support vessels. Because of its compact size, relatively low mass and price-performance ratio, the Quadome radar brings 3D air surveillance and air defence capabilities to vessels that that may otherwise only have been fitted with 2D target-detection capability.

“Quadome is designed to maximise system performance, while minimising acquisition and life-cycle costs,” said Bennie Langenhoven, chief executive of the Hensoldt South Africa radar business unit. Hensoldt South Africa seeks to start production of the Quadome in South Africa by the second quarter of 2023 and produce a land version that is 70% the same as the Quadome, a year later.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/hensoldt-sa-launches-new-naval-surveillance-radar/

Nigeria rescues six people abducted from Abuja university

Nigerian security agents have rescued six people abducted by armed men from a university in Abuja this week, in what was a rare kidnapping at a higher education institution in the country’s capital, police said on Friday.

Gunmen abducted four members of staff and two of their children from the University of Abuja on Tuesday, which has led to increased military checkpoints in and around the city and stop and search operations by police.

Gangs of armed men, known locally as bandits, have since late last year carried out a series of abductions from schools and deadly attacks on villages, mostly in the northwest of the country, in return for ransom.

Abuja and the surrounding area, which have better roads and infrastructure than most of Nigeria, are usually considered among the safest parts of the country.

Abuja police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh Anipr said all those abducted were “reunited with their families through a joint operation with other security agencies.”

The university also confirmed the six had regained freedom.

Increasing lawlessness in the north and northwest and a 12-year-old Islamist insurgency in the northeast have stretched Nigeria’s security forces and heightened security fears in Africa’s most populous country.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/security/human-security/nigeria-rescues-six-people-abducted-from-abuja-university/

Paramount Maritime launches another Sentinel patrol vessel for West Africa

Paramount Maritime has launched a 35 metre Sentinel patrol vessel for a customer in West Africa, who will use it to serve the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

The MV Meedoi was launched and christened at Elliot Basin in Cape Town on 25 October. Paramount Maritime Holdings company Nautic Africa said the Sentinel ballistic patrol vessel will be used for security and patrol operations within the Gulf of Guinea. It is due to arrive in Port Harcourt this week.

Representatives from Nautic and the customer attended the launch either virtually or in person, as well as representatives from naval architects KD Marine Design.

The fast crew/patrol vessel, P367, will be commissioned to protect offshore assets and transfer crew to and from offshore oil and gas projects of the likes of Chevron, ENI, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Total, Tullow etc.

The vessel would have been launched sooner, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project slightly.

The aluminium-hulled vessel has a length of 35 metres, a beam of 7.5 metres and draught of 2 metres. An 11×6 metre cargo deck can accommodate 20 tons of cargo or a 20-foot shipping container. Crew is ten, in addition to eight security or other personnel.

The vessel is powered by three Caterpillar C32 main engines developing 1 193 kW each, giving a top speed of 27 knots and a range at maximum speed of just over 1 000 nautical miles. The wheelhouse and main deck accommodation structure is fitted with composite ballistic armour while gun mounts and ballistic shields are fitted to give coverage around the vessel. A 6.5 metre semi-rigid boat can be launched via a davit. The wheelhouse is armoured to NATO Stanag Level II and the deckhouse to Level I ballistic protection.

Nautic Africa has sold a large number of Sentinel vessels to West Africa for use in the oil and gas industry where insecurity is steadily climbing, in large part due to the region’s diverse natural resources; transnational piracy, oil bunkering and terrorism continue to be a serious threat to the region’s stability.

The company offers larger naval versions (40 metres and 47 metres) of the vessel due to rising interest from navies, and this is available globally to bolster military and fishing patrol operations.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/paramount-maritime-launches-another-sentinel-patrol-vessel-for-west-africa/

Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering 8×8 combat vehicle successfully completes grueling four-year trial

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 2 November 2021- Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE), the joint venture between the global aerospace and technology company, Paramount Group and one of Kazakhstan’s leading defence and engineering companies, Kazpetromash, has announced that its flagship and next generation 8×8 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV), the Barys 8×8, has successfully completed a four-year series of trials conducted by the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan, bringing the vehicle a step closer to its first production order.

Over the span of four years, the Barys was tested throughout the mountainous terrains of Southern Kazakhstan, across forested and savannah-like steppe and the salt marshes of Central Kazakhstan. The campaign came to conclusion upon the sands of Mangistau, near the Caspian Sea, covering a total distance of 25,000 km.

In addition to testing the outstanding mobility and versatility of Barys, its firepower was also tested to the ultimate, with more than 5,000 rounds of 30 mm and 7,000 rounds of 7.62 calibre ammunition discharged.

The Barys 8×8 had previously undergone strenuous testing activities in adverse weather conditions across Central Asia, withstanding temperatures between +45º and -60ºC during summer and winter trials.

https://www.edrmagazine.eu/kazakhstan-paramount-engineering-8x8-combat-vehicle-successfully-completes-grueling-four-year-trial

Ah! The soft bigotry of low expectations.

Sizzorkay:
Man dey undercover now, shhh, no blow him cover lol

kikuyu1:
Iow,tax/GDP ratio is very very low. Ours is 18% Naij is 3.6%!? Frankly,til that is improved nothing will change.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_to_GDP_ratio

Your link has some dodgy figures, but I take your point.

SamuelAnyawu:
You are not Patriotic

GeneralFarouq:

And how useless does one has to be to keep going back into the past to bring mis statement only for the purpose of discrediting one whose information has atleast on 60% occasion checked out

Not as useless as labelling blatant lies as "mis statement[sic]" and putting some store by the purveyor of such.

Our military reseacher/lawyer/intelligence officer is at it again!
How someone expects to be taken as more than a joke, after breathlessly sharing intel that JF17 had dropped nuclear bombs, is truly astounding.

BlackBaron:
Inadequate infrastructure means cost of production is quite high. Few multinationals are unwilling to stake a gamble in environments like that.

Even though there's concerted efforts for efficient taxing, a tax base consisting of a large informal workers/economy would struggle to generate adequate funds.

Lovely engagement on topics right up my alley. Would love to continue the discussion, but I fear we'll end up derailing this thread.

BlackBaron:
For one, its population is oversized but not as productive.

Look at our education or health budget for example. Even before releasing funds (some of which gets stolen), it is barely enough to adequately cover a quarter of the states.

All stolen funds recovered have barely made a dent on our infrastructural needs.

Example :Germany's health budget for 2019 was 410 billion Euros which is our entire Federal budget for the next 7+ years.

I'm not sure the issue is mainly one of productivity and waste. For the size of your economy, it seems to me that your tax collection is in serious need of repair.

JackWolfskin:
Algeria's template is admired.

Btw, Egypt's biggest sugar daddy is Uncle Sam

I disregard the US military aid as the conditions attached mean that assets procured can only be utilised with Uncle Sam's approval. That's why alms from Gulf have been splurged on non-US materiel.

Even when US aid is included, Egypt's main p.imp is now the Gulf countries:

--Total US economic & military aid to Egypt (1946 to 2020) - USD 81 billion [source: American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt];

--Total Gulf economic & military aid to Egypt (2011 to 2020) - USD 92 billion [source: Central Bank of Egypt].