Thailand’s mu Space selects Blue Origin to launch new geostationary satellite

SEP 27 2017

Thai start-up mu Space has entered an agreement with US-based spaceflight service provider Blue Origin to launch its new geostationary satellite into orbit.

As part of the arrangement, Blue Origin will use its New Glenn orbital rocket to launch the satellite.

Expected to be launched by 2021, the satellite aims to expand mu Space’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Last September, Blue Origin, which seeks to serve Asia-Pacific’s growing demand for broadband, mobile, broadcasting and smart city services using space-based solutions, revealed its plan to build the New Glenn rocket.

“We want to deliver equitable access to communication services for all and improve quality of life on Earth.”

Blue Origin’s reusable New Glenn orbital launch vehicle will be designed to carry people and payloads to low-Earth orbit destinations and beyond.

The reusable rocket will be able to provide lower cost access to space for Blue Origin’s customers.

mu Space CEO James Yenbamroong said: “mu Space also shares Blue Origin’s vision of developing space technologies that will accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies.

“We want to deliver equitable access to communication services for all and improve quality of life on Earth.”

Established last month by a group of tech entrepreneurs and professionals, mu Space aims to become the first company to offer space tourism in Asia.

The company currently provides satellite-based broadband, mobile and broadcasting solutions for telecommunication and other businesses in Thailand.

Image: Blue Origin’s New Glenn orbital rocket. Photo: courtesy of Blue Origin.

Original post: aerospace-technology.com

mu Space Corp FB Page: Here

New Glenn orbital rocket

FLIGHT PROFILE

​New Glenn lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. Following stage separation, the first stage flies back to Earth and lands on a moving ship 650 km (350 nmi) downrange. The second stage engine ignites and the 7-meter fairing separates. The mission is complete when the satellite is delivered safely to orbit.

Source: blueorigin.com

Slovak defense minister discards MiG as contender in fighter procurement

The Russian-made Mikoyan MIG-29 fighter jet performs during its demonstration flight at the 47th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on June 20, 2007. (Remy de la Mauviniere/AP)

By: Jaroslaw Adamowski 

WARSAW, Poland — Slovak Defense Minister Peter Gajdos said that while the ministry has received offers from the U.S. to supply the F-16 and Sweden to deliver the JAS-39 Gripen for its planned purchase of 14 fighter jets, MiGs aren’t under consideration.

“Certainly, no one is counting that we will purchase MiGs,” Gajdos said, according to local daily Novy Cas. Earlier this month, he said that Bratislava evaluated Russia’s offer to supply new aircraft, but this was done to provide the ministry with a better negotiating position.

The planned procurement to replace Slovakia’s Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29 jets is valued at about €1.1 billion (U.S. $1.32 billion). Slovakia aims to acquire new fighter jets before 2019, when the servicing deal for the MiG-29s is set to expire.

The ministry was expected to select the contractor by the end of September, but Gajdos said he has requested six more months to make a final decision. Deputy Defense Minister Robert Ondrejcsak was critical of the delay, saying on Sept. 27 that Slovakia’s Air Force will be forced to “extend its dependence on Russia.” Ondrejcsak represents the Most-Hid party, the coalition partner of the Slovak National Party, which named Gajdos for the position.

Other major planned procurements for the Slovak military include the purchase of around 500 infantry fighting vehicles for about €1.2 billion (U.S. $1.4 billion).

Original post: defensenews.com

Related post:

Slovak has decided to postpone the exchange of old Russian MiG-29 fighter planes

Slovakia MoD Rejects Offer from Swedes for Saab Gripen Lease

Slovakia Looks to Saab; Replacing Mig-29s with Gripens

Boeing's Victory Over Bombardier Risks Losing Big Defense Sales

img2.goodfon.com

September 27, 2017, 09:49:41 AM EDT By GILLIAN RICH,

Boeing ( BA )won the first round in its tariff dispute with Canada's Bombardier ( BDRBF ) but the decision could cost Boeing important military sales to key NATO allies.

The Commerce Department recommended late Tuesday that a 220% tariff be imposed on each Bombardier's C Series jet delivered to the U.S. after Boeing accused the Canadian aerospace giant of receiving $3 billion in government subsidies, giving it an unfair competitive advantage.

A second ruling is expected on Oct. 5 and could add to the total tariff, which is already higher than the 160% duty Boeing suggested.

The subsidization of goods by foreign governments is something that the Trump Administration takes very seriously, and we will continue to evaluate and verify the accuracy of this preliminary determination," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in a statement.

Boeing shares climbed 1.5% to 257.61 in morning trade on the stock market today  as the broader averages rallied. The stock broke out of a flat base on Sept. 15 with a 246.59 buy point. Bombardier shares, which trade over the counter in the U.S., rose 6.5%.

But this "America First" decision could hit sales of Boeing military hardware to the U.K. as 4,200 Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland could be at risk over the decision.

"This is not the behavior we expect from Boeing and it could indeed jeopardize our future relationship with them," British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters in Belfast, according to Reuters .

British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she was "bitterly disappointed" by the ruling after she had personally asked for President Trump's help in the dispute, according to the report.

The U.K. has a Boeing P-8 maritime surveillance plane on order, along with a fleet of new Apache attack helicopters.

Canadian officials threatened to cancel a planned purchase of 18 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet jets over the ruling. Officials also pointed out that the C Series supported 23,000 jobs in the U.S. and the jet's engine is made by United Technologies [ticker symb=UTX ] Pratt & Whitney unit.

United Tech shares rose 0.8% to 115.60 in morning trade.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Original post: nasdaq.com

Related post:

Canada won't buy Boeing aircraft until company drops trade complaint against Bombardier: Trudeau

US approves Super Hornet sale ahead of Canadian decision

Canada mulls buying used Boeing fighter jets from Australia

Interim fighter jet purchase remains in limbo as Liberals deal with NAFTA talks

Fighter jet sale may depend on U.S. trade ruling expected next month

Questions about fighter replacement loom large as Boeing benefits plan arrive

Feds set to meet with fighter jet firms as questionsswirl over ‘in terim’ Super Hornet deal

Canada will buy 88 fighter jets through an open, transparent competition

Boeing Sues Canada. Is It Making a Huge Mistake?

Ottawa suspends talks with Boeing over Super Hornet jet purchase

Boeing military arm frets over Canada jets threat, seeks gov’t talks

Canada threatens to cancel $2B F-18 Super Hornet fighter over CSeries subsidy dispute

Senate committee: Canada interim Super Hornet purchase would hinder more than help

Super Hornet Stopgap for Canada could cost $5 billion to $7 billion over the lifetime of the aircraft

Canada CF-18 Fighter Replacement

F-35 still an option– Canada

Breaking: Syrian military downs possible aircraft in rural Damascus

southfront.org

By Leith Fadel - 26/09/2017

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:55 A.M.) – Minutes ago, the Syrian Air Defense fired a surface-to-air missile above the Mezzeh Military Airport, striking an unknown target in the night sky.

According to Al-Masdar’s Ibrahim Joudeh in Damascus, a powerful explosion was seen over the night-sky in the nation’s capital after a surface-to-air missile struck the target.

While the target remains unknown, some sources have speculated the explosion was a result of the missile striking an unmanned aircraft (UAV) that was traveling over the Mezzeh Airport.

Last week, an Israeli unmanned aircraft carried out an airstrikes over the Damascus International Airport; however, it has not been confirmed if the target was an Israeli UAV.

More details to come….

Original post: almasdarnews.com

Mezzeh Military Airport

Syrian Air Defenses (Maybe dated)

theaviationist.com

Related articles:

Syria Shoots Down Israeli Plane Suspected Of Helping ISIS

Syrian army: Israeli jet shot down, another hit

Indonesia's SU-35 countertrade deal: Worth its weight in jet fighters?

theaviationist.com

Bradley Wood

Master of Strategic Studies (Advanced) student at Australian National University

Canberra | Wed, September 27, 2017 | 02:19 pm

In August, Indonesia announced that state-owned trading company PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia and Russia’s state-owned defence holding company Rostechad signed a memorandum of understanding, on a countertrade deal for the procurement of 11 Russian Sukhoi SU-35 Flanker E combat aircraft. While the precise details are yet to be finalized,   Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita has stated that Indonesia is offering to trade rubber, coffee, palm oil, tea, and other strategic products in exchange for the SU-35 jet fighters.

The countertrade deal is surely convenient as it allows Indonesia to reach the requirements of the second phase of its modernization doctrine, the minimum essential force (MEF), amidst the limited state budget. Still, the deal will face some challenges in its implementation.

Indonesia has a long history of countertrade arrangements for the procurement of defense platforms from Russia, including the 2003 acquisition of Russian SU-27SK and the SU-30MK combat aircraft.The 2003 deal involved a hard currency down-payment of 13.5 percent of US$192 million contract, with the remaining settled through the countertrade of commodities.

This deal represents the first major defense acquisition project for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s government that falls within the parameters of the 2012 defense law. The law allows the engagement of foreign defense contractors for acquisition unable to be achieved domestically through countertrade, local content, and or technology transfer offset arrangements.

According to Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, the countertrade deal will involve a local content and offset arrangement of 35 percent, and a countertrade arrangement of Indonesian exports equals 50 percent of the total US$1.14 billion contract.

Indonesia is struggling to achieve the requirements set out in the second phase (2015-2019) of its MEF modernization doctrine due to a limited budget. The second phase of MEF includes several big-ticket items such as submarines, new and existing upgrades of fighter aircraft, as well as advanced missile and radar systems.

Indonesia’s revised defense budget for 2017 is Rp 109.3 trillion, a 1.2 percent increase of the approved budget, and a 4.6 percent increase overall from the original draft defense budget. However, this funding has already been allocated to finance satellite lease payments and to support Indonesia’s deployment as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic.

It’s estimated that Indonesia requires Rp 150 trillion to achieve the requirements in the second phase of the MEF. There is a defense economic gap between tangible funding in the state budget and what is actually required for MEF.

Countertrade deals make sense given Indonesia’s fiscal constraints. It will allow acquisition of expensive defense platforms without paying the total price in hard currency. Indonesia’s economy will also benefit, as state funds budgeted for defense acquisition will now be used to purchase commodities from domestic suppliers.

Indonesia has also revealed that the countertrade deal will involve the establishment of maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities (MRO) as part of the offset arrangements. This will reduce whole-of-life sustainment costs significantly. Currently, Indonesia must send its Sukhoi fighters to Russia, practically dependent on Russia for maintenance.

Initial details indicate this offset arrangement will include the maintenance capability for radar targeting, synthetic and enhanced display, integrated logistics management, and facilities to maintain and repair the AL-417-1S and AL-31F engines. This will enable Indonesia to maintain the new SU-35s and its legacy fleet of Sukhoi jet fighters. An MRO facility in Indonesia has the potential to become a regional maintenance hub, providing MRO services to Malaysia’s and Vietnam’s Sukhoi fleets.

Nevertheless, there are still important domestic challenges in implementing this countertrade arrangement. The main challenge will be centered around the procurement of requested commodities. The 2003 deal under former president Megawati Soekarnoputri involved a multi-phase tender process through the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which awarded tenders based on the cheapest price. However, the current deal is worth substantially more, and the market price of crude palm oil and rubber – the most likely requested commodities – has also increased. This will make it a more contested process prone to corruption.

This risk is amplified by the political and military links to many of the palm oil and rubber conglomerates in Indonesia. These lucrative businesses are known to operate under an organized patronage political network, which involves well connected politicians and former military officers being appointed to director and advisor positions. The military and major political figures at the national and regional level are also known to hold substantial shares in some of these companies.

Furthermore, it is estimated that more than two-thirds of the total production of Indonesia’s palm oil is controlled by Malaysian and Singaporean companies through subsidiaries in Indonesia.

A political scandal involving this countertrade deal such as a corruption involving Indonesia’s palm oil conglomerates with links to the military or serving politicians, or the involvement of foreign-linked companies in the countertrade deal at the expense of Indonesia’s smaller farmers, could make effective political ammunition come campaign time in 2019.

The Jokowi government will have to implement this countertrade deal much more carefully than the former Megawati government. The 2003 countertrade deal became heavily politicized leading to a parliamentary inquiry referred to as the “Sukhoi-gate” affair. President Jokowi will want to avoid such a scenario by demonstrating the successful implementation of the first major defense acquisition project under his government.

If implemented correctly, however, Indonesia may find one answer to its underfunded military modernization plans and domestic defense industry ambitions. But if implemented poorly, the SU-35s may not be worth their weight in commodities, but in political capital for Jokowi’s opposition come 2019.

***

The writer is a Master of Strategic Studies (Advanced) student at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. He was the 2017 Robert O’Neill scholar at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS-Asia) based in Singapore.

Original post: thejakartapost.com

"According to Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, the countertrade deal will involve a local content and offset arrangement of 35 percent, and a countertrade arrangement of Indonesian exports equals 50 percent of the total US$1.14 billion contract."

"Initial details indicate this offset arrangement will include the maintenance capability for radar targeting, synthetic and enhanced display, integrated logistics management, and facilities to maintain and repair the AL-417-1S and AL-31F engines. This will enable Indonesia to maintain the new SU-35s and its legacy fleet of Sukhoi jet fighters. An MRO facility in Indonesia has the potential to become a regional maintenance hub, providing MRO services to Malaysia’s and Vietnam’s Sukhoi fleets."

Related post:

Russia to sell 11 Sukhoi fighter jets worth $1.14 billion in exchange for cash and commodities to Indonesia

Russia-Indonesia ink Su-35 fighter deal

Indonesia to barter agricultural commodities for Russian jet fighters

Indonesia plans to buy 11 Sukhoi SU-35 Flanker fighter jets

Russia, Indonesia to sign Su-35 contract this year

Russia and Indonesia negotiating over draft contract on the delivery of Su-35 Flanker

Indonesia to sign for Su-35 fighter jets soon

Sukhoi Su-35: Details

The commissioning ceremony of 35th Type 056/056A corvette Xuancheng/宣城 (hull number 535) is going to be held in a few days

The commissioning ceremony of 35th 056/056A corvette Xuancheng/宣城 (hull number 535) is going to be held in a few days via HSH. Source: dafeng cao

The commissioning ceremony of 35th 056/056A corvette Xuancheng/宣城 (hull number 535) is going to be held in a few days via HSH. Source: dafeng cao

Jiangdao Class (Type 056) Corvette: Details

28th 054A frigate launched at HP shipyard on 22 September 2017

28th 054A frigate & 3rd seagoing tugboat were launched at HP shipyard on 22 September via HSH. Source: dafeng cao

28th 054A frigate & 3rd seagoing tugboat were launched at HP shipyard on 22 September via HSH. Source: dafeng cao

Type 054A (Jiangkai II): Details