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Govt weighs US, Israeli offers to boost naval power
Sunday, 2 July 2006 - 12:20 PM SL Time
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The government is in the process of evaluating US and Israeli offers to boost the navy`s fire power. Although the Defence Ministry received several proposals the only viable ones are believed to have been made by these firms.
The Sunday Island learns that the US supplier of the Bush Master Mark 44 cannon has offered to supply the required cannon thereby allowing the Israelis to integrate them on Fast Attack Craft (FACs). The Bush Master supplier has declined to get involved in the installation of the weapons systems at the expense of the Israeli system integrator-Rafael.
The Bush Master supplier and Rafael are believed to have discussed the issue ahead of the US firm making the offer. Defence Secretary Colonel (retd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse is believed to have met representatives of US Navy International programme Office (NIPO) recently in Washington. He is expected to visit Tel Aviv soon.
Well informed sources expressed the belief that the cost of the project could be reduced by acquiring the Bush Master Cannon directly from the supplier and handing over the same to system integrator. The US has offered to supply cannon (one unit) at USD 245,275 while the same would cost USD 337,000 if the Israelis acquired it on behalf of the navy.
The much delayed project envisages upgrading of the existing 23mm cannon on 15 FACs with 30mm cannon and the installation of 30mm on ten FACs.
The sources said the Israelis offered the same cannon (one unit) during the previous UNF administration at USD 645,000-a staggering USD 308,000 higher than the recently quoted price.
The US supplier in late 2003 offered to make a comprehensive offer but the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington objected to the surprise of the supplier, well informed sources said. This was after the Israelis vehemently objected to the US supplier seeking to perform what they thought was their job.
Military sources said the undue delay was causing serious problems as Sea Tigers step up efforts to cripple the Trincomalee-KKS sea link. The May 11 attack on FACs escorting Pearl Cruise II carrying 700 troops emphasised the need to enhance firepower.
The confrontation off Pesalai on June 16 revealed the danger in further delaying the project.
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samanj
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 2 Jul 2006 15:35:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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Israel has not been sincere to SL when it comes to pricing ?
They have always over quoted.........
Its time we went to China to source this product.....
Unless US/Israel can match China quote..... |
LankaTileke
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 2 Jul 2006 15:45:29 GMT Report for Abuse
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VeeVeeTee,
srilanga made any boats...??
you are talking nonsense boy,
When talk about building boats in sri lanka, it goes back to thousands years.
Sri lankan made boats and ships themselves and sailed to India, Myanmar, Thailand for merchant purposes. |
AnuD
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 2 Jul 2006 21:13:34 GMT Report for Abuse
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VVT:
I also agree with VVT.
LTTE tamils are boat people came from Africa.
That is why they always want to kill. They don't want to be civilized.
But, modern africans are far developed. |
Sintamus
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 2 Jul 2006 21:51:07 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sri Lanka is the only country which occupy the minority areas more than 11 years against their wish kills its minorities by attacking temples, churches and schools. These barbarians can learn from the neibouring countries such as India, Malaysia, Singapore and even Indonesia.
These countries resolved their ethnic problems by either establishing Quasi-federal provinces in time (India), letting a province to separate one of its province Singapore as in Malaysia or allowing to separate after bitter armed conflicts as in Pakistan and Indonesia.
These barbarians destroy the country ever since independence in 1948. The declining in economic development accelated after enacting racist 'Sinhala Only ' language policy.
Now they use the foreign exchange earmed by young housemaids in the Arab countries unashamedly by buying arms from their arch enemy Israel which bomb and shell Palestinians daily. |
MrLanka
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 3 Jul 2006 09:39:04 GMT Report for Abuse
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It sounds like we got some pro-LTTE people in here... LTTE have always been violent and barbaric. They have always used suicide bombers to attack innocent sri lankans. If they so strongly need a war. Then the war should be carried on between the LTTE and the government forces. Stop kill civilians! Stop use suicide bombers! Yes I know the government forces have done some terrible things too. All this should stop.
Thank God I know a lot of Tamils that don't support the LTTE, that want to live in peace with their sri lankan brothers and sisters. And all the Sinhalese people I know feel the same. I believe most of the Tamil and Sinhalese people are good people. They don't want to fight. They just want to live their life in peace, and not being afraid of getting killed because they don't support the LTTE or the government. War is barbaric. LTTE is barbaric. War-crimes are barbaric. Please don't support terrorism. Support the peace and love between all the Sri Lankans in the whole world. Sri Lanka and her people need peace. |
UnitedVRise
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 3 Jul 2006 17:07:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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VVT,
You have shown clearly that you don't know the history and who's building FACs for SLN now. Now we produce FACs in colombo. If you don't know it please ask one of the LTTE boot lickers you know. Weapons systems and other high tech equipments for these FACs are provided by Israel companies.
If you know the history well it says that we were having close links with China and a lot of asian countries. As I'm in china I know that their history says about the trade the 2 countries had in history.
Better prepare before barking. |
Muru
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3 Jul 2006 21:20:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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Then the war should be carried on between the LTTE and the government forces. MrLanka I wish a Sinhala like you was the general of the SLA. |
Mig-29C
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4 Jul 2006 10:23:15 GMT Report for Abuse
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Good Morning everybody ..
First of all I thought I'd start with - hope you all had a good weekend ..
Now moving on to discussing the military situation and some new developments - Thought id inform the forum members about possible new acquisitions being made by the SLAF - again, i should stress this information is all declassified :o) not revealing any secrets!!
The Srilankan Defence Secretary - Colonel (retd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse - Will be visiting Israel very soon .. Discussions will focus on the SL Navies agenda, and additionally on the acquisition of several high end offensive and defensive electronic systems for the SLAF ..
DEFENSIVE:
(1) Additional IAI/ELTA Flight Guard Self Protection Systems, for SLAF helicopters and transports .. the new systems will be installed on SLAF An-32B's and the remaining Mi-35P Hind gunships .. Currently all Mi-17 Hip and about half of the SLAF fleet of Mi-35P Hinds use the Flight Guard System as their primary anti missile system .. Flight Guard has an exceptional service history with the SLAF, all LTTE missiles fired at SLAF aircraft fitted with the Flight Guard system have failed:
Two notable incidents:
In Nov 1997: A formation of Sri Lankan helicopters was fired upon by five LTTE SAMs. The three Mi-17s in the formation were fitted with ELTA's system, and escaped unscathed (saving 90 troops and 12 crew) but the escorting Mi-24 had not been fitted with the system, and was downed - The Mi-24 used a manually operated anti-missile system.
Incidently the LTTE missiles fired were all IGLA SA-14s
In Oct 2000: When the LTTE sea tigers attacked the Naval base in Trincomalee Harbour, SLAF Mi-24s were dispatched to provide air cover. Above them, an SLAF Beechcraft hovered - all three helping to co-ordinate the ground operations. One of the Mi-24 helicopters which veered out was hit by a Tiger guerrilla Surface to Air Missile and plunged into the sea. The second helicopter too had come under missile fire but this aircraft which was using the ELTA system had activated the counter missile system in time and was able to avoid being hit.
The LTTE missiles used in this incident were FIM-92A stingers.
ELTA's anti-missile system is in-service on more than 150 platforms including the F-16 fighter, and on An-32, Fokker 60 and Fokker 70, C160 Transall, C-130 Hercules, Boeing 707 and Gulfstream transport aircraft. The system has also been used on a range of helicopters, including the Sikorsky UH-60, and the company's proud boast is that no aircraft equipped with the system has ever been shot down, though many have been engaged. It has been proven in combat to successfully beat all 1,2nd and most 3rd generation SAM threats.
OFFENSIVE:
(1) Elbit Systems Electro-Optics ELOP Ltd. (El-Op) are going to provide the SLAF with 5x portable hand held Laser Rangefinders. The El-OP ''LIORA'' system - Long Range Hand Held Laser Rangefinder - is a hand held laser designator with a maximum range of 20,000m, a minimum range of 50m and with an accuracy of 5m. These hand held units can be used by Special Op ground forces to cue air launched laser guided bombs to their targets .. SLA LRRP units can be tasked with infiltrating LTTE territory and laser designating high value LTTE targets for precision strikes by SLAF Kfir C7s.
(2) Elbit systems are also supplying the SLAF with 5 additional units of the CoMPASS IV system. The CoMPASS IV system (Compact Multi-Purpose Advanced Stabilized System), developed and manufactured by Elbit Systems subsidiary El-Op Electro-Optic Industries Ltd, supports day and night observation, area surveillance, and target acquisition and engagement (designation). The system comprises a 3rd generation forward-looking infrared sensor (FLIR) with microscan, and colour/BW TV camera, plus an EYESAFE laser rangefinder/designator, and night-vision goggle-compatible laser target illuminator. The system supports Picture in Picture functions.
The SLAF received 5 units in 2004 from SiBAT. These units have been fitted on the new Mi-24V and Mi35P HIND gunships with the SLAF .. An example can be seen in the following link:
http://www.aero-image.com/SLAF-special/Photo_pages_heli/MI24V-3.htm
SLAF Mi-24V HIND gunships will allow SLAF Mig-27M's to have a smart weapon attack capability.
The HIND can laser designate and illuminate the target for the Mig-27M to attack using laser-guided munitions. The 'Floggers' PrNK-23K nav/attack system, can track the illuminated target to allow it to release its laser-guided munitions.
Currently the SLAF Kfir-C7 is the only aircraft that has an independent smart weapon carry and attack capability. It's the only platform in the SLAF armoury that can deliver LGB's
The CoMPASS IV system will allow the SLAF to diversify its attacking options .. However, the current Mig-27M in the SLAF fleet will need some minor modifications to allow it to carry possible Pakistani imported Laser-Guided Kit fitted Mk-82 bombs
(3) Discussions will also centre around the two Ex-IAF Kfir-C7's that were destined for the SLAF .. these aircraft carry the AN/AAQ-13/14 LANTRIN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pods.
Note: The 2 SLAF Kfir C7s destroyed in 2001 (serial: CF-722 and CF-723), at the time were dedicated night attack bombers that used the outdated AN/AAS-35V Pave Penny system. These 2 aircraft were specifically acquired to use the 5 LGB the SLAF had at the time (Israeli 5m-CEP Griffin LGB) kitted Mk-82's. This configuration (AN/AAs-35V // Griffin LGB) can be seen on IAF Kfir C7s in the following link
http://idfmodelling.free.fr/kfir.html (images 16/18 and 17/18)
Take care..
Edited By - Mig-29C - 4 Jul 2006 13:18:01 GMT |
LankaTileke
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4 Jul 2006 14:33:18 GMT Report for Abuse
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Mig-29C,
Thanks for the information.
I think sri lanka AF has only Kfir-C3s not Kfir-C7s. Kfir-C7s are mostly owned by US navy. |
Mig-29C
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4 Jul 2006 14:58:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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Dear Mr LankaTileke,
The current SLAF Kfir fleet consist of the following:
Kfir C2 ----------- 7
Kfir C7 ----------- 3
Kfir TC2 ---------- 1
By 2000 the SLAF had 5 Kfir aircraft - 4xC2 and 1xTC2 remaining from a one time total of 7 aircraft. At the time only 2xC2s very combat capable, the other 2xC2s were grounded due to poor maintenance. Two aircraft were lost in March 96 and January 97 due to technical problems as a result of poor maintenance.
In December 2000, the SLAF got delivered 8 aircraft, 4xC2 and 4xC7 variants. The attack in 2001 at the airbase destroyed 2 C7s. The SLAF lost a further C2 in October 2002 while on a training flight. The last aircraft delivered to the SLAF was a C7 in Aug 2004. Currently all aircraft are fully combat capable.
There isn't a variant called C3 .. the C7 is an improvement of the earlier C2 variant. The most advanced Kfir variant is the Kfir 2000.
The US aggressor squadron has C2s .. Isreal never deliverd any C7s to the US as far as I know.
Hope this helps
Edited By - Mig-29C - 4 Jul 2006 14:59:47 GMT |
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