GroundReport.com

Russia’s Military around the Globe

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:59:42 -0600

Moscow, 04/01

Russia is continuing develop naval base around the globe. 'Russia arm forces generals had agreed and supported navy primary committee in this decision', said Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the vice chief staff for general administration. Up to present, Russia has patched their naval base at the black sea near Abkhazia region. Russia is also in talk with Venezuela in settling their naval base in the future. Cuba is also on the list but USA will probably disagree to the plan afraid of since the cold war.

Russia is planning to patch their naval base in Africa in the future. This naval base will be used to secure Somali off coast shore from pirate activities.

Anatoly added that 'problem' might be pop up any times. Cost structure could be expensive for patching permanent naval base in their allied countries.

More Sukhoi’s arrived

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:38:14 -0600

Makassar, 26/12/2008

Indonesia air force received 2 more units of Su-30 with tail number TS-3003 and TS-3004 at Hasanudin AFB, Makassar, South Sulawesi. Another unit will be received in January 2009. The military hasn't announced the certain date delivery date. It needed 10 days to reassemble the planes. Russian sent 14 technicians to help Air Force to reassemble the planes on the hangars.

An-24 ‘Ruslan’ transport airplane transported 2 set airplanes kit at once. This fighter bomber jet purchase contract is totally worth US$ 300 million for additional 3 units SU-30MK2 & 3 SU-27SKM. Before the latest contract signed, Indonesia had made preliminary purchase on 2 SU-27SK & 2 SU-30MK before signing the new variant of sukhoi fighter jets. The airforce admitted that they only able to operate one Su-27 and SU-30 due to sparepart shortage.

Three more remaining of SU-27SK are expected to arrive before 2010. Indonesia was also signed a purchase contract for 17 units of amphibious tanks, BMP-3F. This new contract is worth US$ 50 million. Indonesia earned US$ 1 billion soft loan from Russia for military equipment purchase.

Additional information:

Captain Pilot of the An-124 Ruslan has flight number VDA-9620, body structure intach. it's being assemble on Squadron 044 Technik

see on my previous article

(Updated II) FUTURE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RADAR

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:19:05 -0600

The device is smaller than the present radar technology. The size is as big as our refrigerator at home. It can display every airplane flying in the sky. The device is named as Automatic Dependent Surveillance- Broadcast (ADS-B). It used to detect the every airplane transponders on the scope. It can display speed, position, altitude, direction and other information to ground station or to other airplanes. Information will supply from their GPS (Global Positioning System) and FMS (Flight Management System). FMS is acting as their backup system. Both system is independent, every airplane own it.

Many were said, the ADS-B can replace present radar technology soon. The advantages in using ADS- B are simple, cheap and small space to install. It’s able to install at Base Transceiver System and on the roof.

One of the disadvantages from the system is using passive tracking mode ability. It will fail to detect airplane with transponder turnoff or out of order. The airplane position will disappear from the screen. This might cause collision.

Otherwise Radar is using active tracking mode ability to detect airplanes on the sky even with transponder turn off. But radar has disadvantages of need more space to implement. The radar antennae have to spin in order to catch the spot on the sky. But it is more electricity waste and expensive maintenance.

SELL ON THE PUBLIC

This is just another dangerous circumstance. Ordinary people could purchase similar device on the market to monitor the airplane and act as an ATC. 2 vendors sold the devices are Kinetiks Avionics and AirNav System RadarBox. The device is just need to attach to the computer to be able to operate.

There has been no tie up rule to regulate the users. But to avoid undesired problems, they set the receivers device to 5 minutes latency display.

UP TO NOWADAYS

United States has been implemented the technology both on the ground and the airplanes. The system has been installed and dispersed to cover the US Airspace at year 2015 and 2020. Canadian has been implemented the system in the north side of the countries including Hudson Strait. Hudson Strait is difficult to reach by the radar signal. Australia has been succeeded to implement at Bundaberg in 2006. Total 30 units of ADS-B installation will be completed few years ahead.

In Swedish, 12 units of ADS-B have been installed and operational at 2007. In Indonesia, communication department has been invest Rp.80 millions rupiahs to install 14 unit of the system at Tangkuban Perahu, Cilacap, Sitoli, Banda Aceh, Kintamani, Tarakan, Galela, dan Palu. At 2010, they hoped 30 units of system has been fully installed and capable to operate to coverage the whole territories.

Boeing Announces Air Worthiness Directive for B737

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:10:01 -0600

Seattle, 13/11

Boeing together with FAA announced the airlines which still operate with all models of B 737 have to follow this new Airworthiness Directive. Their pilots which fly the model have to debriefing with the function of cabin altitude warning at the pressurization system signal.

This happened due too many cases are shown up after pilot misinterpretation the cabin altitude warning signal. If the pilot failed to determine the signal, the pilots might black out because of oxygen deficiency. They have to response immediately to grab the oxygen maskers when the cabin pressurizes dropped.

FAA said that the rule has been implemented at 25 November and Airliner operators have to implement the rule in 120 days from the certain date.

“Its different sound of Cabin Altitude Warning System to take off configuration warning system. They have to act immediately before the cabin lost pressure during take off, landing and cruising speed or altitude. Otherwise they will black out and none control the airplane.”

FAA announce step by step of the rules for the pilot i.e.:

Wear the oxygen mask and set the oxygen regulator to 100%.
Make sure communication device between pilots clear.
Make a checklist at Cabin Altitude Warning and Rapid Depressurization form.
Search for nearby airport for emergency landing.

In the past, many pilots admitted difficult to differentiate onboard sound signal of Cabin Altitude Warning with the Take Off Configuration Warning system.

Source: indoflyer.net(adapted)

Domestic Pilot Academic will soon open(1st updated)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:43:53 -0500

Here are some more additional information and summary about the new pilot school such as:

The new pilot school name is PT. Bali Widya Dirgantara

Investment for new school reached us$ 2,2 million

Indonesia in the future need 400 more pilot graduation
The airplane which will use by academic is Cessna 172 and has been ordered for 14 units. The complete delivery will be next year.
Up to now, pilot school just able to graduate 250 pilots a year which hoping with this new academic establishment will make 60 more additional pilot graduation
What are those academic has been exist up to now? STPI(Setkolah Tinggi Penerbangan Indonesia), Deraya Pilot School and Lion Air Pilot School.

Indonesia airline flag carriers years by year increasing fast. Now in Indonesia have more than 5 players in this sector which each player have more than 5 airplanes to serve both domestic and international route. Hiring international pilots are not best option for long term. Meanwhile sending the local students to foreign to acquired skill and license to piloting a certain type of aircrafts are quite expensive. To solve this problem, Indonesia minister of transportation allocate some national budget to build national pilot academic to answer the demand in the future.

Most of our pilots are acquiring pilot license skill in Australia which cost to USD 100,000 to complete study. The domestic academic will just only cost 50% cheaper than study in Australia with the same level of skill. The turbobrop jet trainers for the flight academic will be completely delivered by this end of this year. Is Cessna trainer turboprop light airplane were chosen to fill the academic airfield. Cessna is the private jet manufacturer in the United States of America.

About the end of this year, 2 more new flag carriers will set to launch. Both are low cost carrier airlines. Meanwhile just about few weeks ago, Indonesia vice president, Jusuf Kalla has been attended to celebrate the new open domestic airport in Makassar. The Airport is Hassanuddin. Hoping the airport could serve better domestic passenger which has been increasing up to almost 90% from total passengers in Indonesia.

Academy Location : Letkol Wisnu Airport, Gerokgak district of Buleleng, North Bali.

I will put in the contact person as soon as the school is ready to launch lately this year. Just be patient.

You can click this address to download the cessna overview airplane. Source: cessna.com(Follow on screen instruction to download).

Indonesia Flanker’s Second Batch

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:03:02 -0500

Indonesia will receive the second batch of Sukhoi-27/30 at the end of August. Three jets will occupy at Hassanudin AFB, Mattaram, Sulawesi. Three pilots have passed the following short internship training program to operate all three jets arriving from Russia about weeks ago. This information is from TNI AU III chief operaion command, Yushan Sayuti in Makassar. He also added that those delivery jets will be used to secure the eastern area of Indonesian airspace. Both the Su-27 and Su-30 Indonesia Flanker will replace the old and outdated A-4 Skyhawk.

As the earlier statement[1][2] that Australia and Singapore are also modernized their air military warfare to more a sophisticated one due to balancing with Indonesia and probably Malaysia warfare in the future. Malaysia has also been upgrading and modernizing their air military warfare, starting few years ago. And what is for sure, all of the purchase contracts were with Russia.

In a few years, the Chinese armed industry will be ready to offer their military warfare for export purpose with a cheaper price and export quality. No one can predict what kind of future conflict in southeast Asia will force each nation to bring out their warfare capabilities.

Do you think that there will be a conflict in East and South east Asia in the future?

Seorang Warga Indonesia Menjadi Korban

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:47:31 -0500

Jatuhnya pesawat Spain Air MD-80 menyisakan duka yang mendalam bagi keluarga yang di tinggalkannya. Seorang penumpang berkewarganegaraan Indonesia yang bekerja di sana dan kebetulan pagi itu melakukan perjalanan dengan Spain Air dengan tujuan pulau Canavary turut menjadi korban. Kecelakaan pesawat ini terjadi beberapa menit menjelang lepas landas dari landasan pacu bandara Internasional Madrid. Didalamnya terdapat 170 penumpang dan awak pun menjadi korban. Beberapa penumpang berhasil selamat dari amukan api mengalami luka parah. Pria itu berumur 30 tahun asal Sulawesi itu bekerja di sebuah kapal pesiar sebagai juru masak.

Alasan jatuhnya pesawat adalah karena mesin yang terbakar akibat overheating. Pesawat sudah sempat gagal lepas landas sebelumnya dan kembali ke bandara untuk di reparasi. Namun, setelah reparasi selesai kali ini pesawat benar-benar tidak akan pernah lepas landas untuk selama-lamanya. Mesin pesawat terbakar dan menyulut tangki bahan bakar pesawat meledak dan terjatuh di kawasan hutan beberapa meter dari landasan pacu.

Pesawat MD-80 ini baru saja menyelesaikan overhaul reparasi awal tahun ini. Pesawat yang sudah berumur ini di beli dari sebuah maskapai penerbangan perusahaan Jepang pada tahun 1997 dan termasuk jenis pesawat yang cukup laris di kelasnya untuk melayani penerbangan jarak menengah.

Mainframe dan teknologinya memang sudah termasuk uzur. Boeing yang mengakuisisi McDonell Douglas tahun 1999 telah menghentikan produksi jenis pesawat ini.

Banyak sekali insiden kecelakaan dari pesawat jenis ini selama beberapa tahun terakhir ini termasuk di Asia tenggara. Beberapa waktu lalu, maskapai penerbangan GoGo air mengalami kecelakaan, sementara Lion Air beberapa tahun lalu mengalami kecelakaan akibat cuaca buruk saat mendarat di Adi Sumarno, Solo dengan korban yang tidak sedikit.

Pesawat DC-10 beberapa tahun sebelum di akuisisi oleh Boeing juga mengalami kecelakaan beruntun yang mengakibatkan kerugian yang tidak sedikit bagi perusahaan pembuatnya, McDonellDouglas. Pemesanan bagi pesawat ini menurun drastis pada waktu itu dan juga menghadapi tuntutan-tuntutan hokum yang tidak sedikit.

EU Passes New Flight Safety Rules

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:53:57 -0500

Strength:

Increasing flight safety and customer rights

Weaknesses:

Government is still not dare to clarified or even retrieving financial and operational reports from airliner operators.

Opportunity:

European Union flight regulator will moved the banned which allowed much more domestic airline serving eruopean route in the future.

Threat:

Even has been regulated carefully can’t prevent the total airline crash in the future

About 2 months ago, transportation minister signed new Permenhub(Peraturan Menteri Perhubungan) number 25 years 2008. This new rule will replace the old one ie Kepmenhub number 81 years 2004. The purpose for this rule replacement is such as to increase the flight safety among the airliners. Now the airliners operator need at least own 5 airplanes on the field, 2 private own and the other 3 leasing. Meanwhile in the rule before, they just only need 2 airplanes for operational granting.

The rule isn’t just regulating better flight safety but also to increase better Airliners consumer rights in the future. Scheduled airliners have to announce the delay 45 minutes before departure to their consumers through call or short message service(number 37/ 1st alinea). Corporate with mass media to widely announcing the delay(number 37/2nd a alinea). If the delay caused by operators then, the company should compensate their customer with snack and drink-for 30 to 90 minutes, food and drink or transferred to other operators for another 90 to 180 minutes. If there is no other airliners operator serving the route then Company should provide other accommodation. (number 37/2nd b alinea)

Meanwhile the firm also need to provide and show the financial performance report which has been done by public accountant. Because there has been studied about huge correlation between airliners financial and capability to provide safety ensurement. According to Capt. Cartono, Garuda Indonesia Chief pilot said that the operators shall not just only hand over financial report but also operational report to regulator for examine which the firm is healthy or not in the present and future purpose.

In USA, FAA rule which has been created at year 1958 have AER(Airline Economic Regulation) allowing CAB(Civil Aeronautics Board) to request financial report and clarified it. The AER will put sanctions for operators fail or late to submit the financial report on time, leaking the financial information without CAB authorities, refused to answer the CAB questions and false information to the regulator.

Eventough the rules able to boost airline passengers capacity, competition has force the firm to settle price below its operational cost. Many airliners at the end come to bancropt. To prevent this from happening, regulators force the firm from merging or even acquisition. Code share and joint flight corporation are allowed(Chapter IV Permenhub No.25/2008).

Pursuit Electronic Combat Warfares

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:46:34 -0500

Australia Prime Minister about two days ago stated his willing to purchase brand new technology figter jets from Boeing. The fighter jets type EA-18G (Growler) which is still in discussion for permission for purchasing. That’s because this brand new fighter jet mass produced had just began last year to fulfill the both for US airforce and Navy. The aircraft is based on aircraft carrier.

Each jet will tag with US$ 66 million. Fitzgebbon stated if the congress agrees then the Growler will be included with the earlier purchase contract. The contract is signed for 24 units of F/A-18F Superhornet with total cost US$ 6,7 billion. Now Australia is seeking for appropriate warfare to replace old warfare that will retire in few years ahead due to age. Australia has budgeted US$13,9 billion for signup 100 multirole fighter jets until 2014. One military source said that the replacement is not just for old age aircraft but also a part of reaction to Indonesia armed forces which has owned SU-27 families fighter jet in enormous amount in the future. Other’s countries in south and east of asia which will own this jet family ie Malaysia, Vietnam and India. Eventough China is the second largest widely use this type of jet, Australia seem not included them in the list due to geographic.

6 More Mi-17 for TNI Ground Forces

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:44:47 -0500

6 more military chopters delivery from Russia for Indonesia Ground Forces Unit. Those 6 Mi-17 V-S chopters were delivered by Rasoboronexport, Russia distribution military equipment based. The Chopters arrived at Naval based in Juanda Surabaya, East Java 2 days ago. All those 6 MiL chopters cost about US$ 35 million( which @ US$ 5,8 million). Those price is including spare parts and pilot training. The purchase term of payment is using Export credit which being plan settlement from 2003. Those chopters just roll out from the factory in Russia. Each can carry 36 personnel, 3 flight crew and 4 tonnes of weight. It’s onboard fuel tank able to bring about 2,600 litre of Avtur which make it’s flight endurance up to 3 hours with 250 km/h of speed.

Arm forces will settle those 6 Mi-17 to Squadron 31 based on Semarang, Mid Java. TNI Ground Forces need 5 more squadron to fill up with this kind of helicopters until year 2014. At least, each Squadron will be fill with 16 of Mi-17. Up to now only 1 Sqadron at Jakarta and others 2 at Semarang are ready to flight Mi-17.

This is just another good relationship between Indonesia and Russia for few decades had been turn off since former president Soeharto rules the country, since the G-30S/PKI matter. The solution came out few years later after US embarking the military spareparts for Indonesia due to Timor-Timur problems.

Indonesia in the future will own another squadron of Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets and bombers from Russia which make few countries in the asia including ASEAN members need to upgrade and modernized their military equipment for balancing.

source: kompas printed media