Defense of the Republic of the Philippines

Most of the Social Media Channels identified in the dump are not surprising (WhatsApp, Signal, etc.) because those are the ones used by ISIS to talk to their followers and conduct recruiting ops. ISIS eschews more popular channels since they know the potential of them cooperating with authorities is extremely high. It should be noted that the CIA did not manage to break the encryption on these applications - rather, much of their success has been at targeting individuals and their more vulnerable endpoints (i.e., phone, tablet, PC, multimedia TV). Encryption itself is still sound, but in a way, this shows that the push to harden encrypted communications has achieved one of the objectives most sought by privacy advocates - the ability of the state to conduct *effective* mass surveillance has been stymied. Unfortunately it does mean that states are now doubling down on individual surveillance, but there is no perfect outcome.

Edited to add: The really telling part about the dump is Project UMBRAGE. As any good IT practitioner has been stating for a long time, Attribution of Cyberwar events is hard. Here is absolute proof that the CIA (and likely any other state intelligence organ) have taken large steps to cover up any of their cyberspace intrusions by attributing it to another organization or even nation-state. Littering known tools, footprints and code in the wake of an attack to throw off the scent. Attribution is not reliable, period. About the only way you can figure out who might be behind a given attack is to see what they achieved, and who might benefit. Beyond that... 

Longer range, better performance because of turboprop engines, pressurization to fly higher. They are stripped of any surveillance equipment, so another case of FFBNW.

Nope. Gearbox and oil cooler issues. Look up the saga of Crew 204. Coronado has a crew that is set to have the longest deployment in years because replacements can't be trained. All other Independence class ships are in repair unavailability.

The delivery coincides with conclusion of the first batch of PN crew-training.

http://www.update.ph/2017/02/2-japanese-aircraft-to-be-delivered-to-philippine-navy-next-month/14790

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The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) will deliver two of the five leased turbo-prop TC-90 aircraft to the Philippine Navy’s (PN) Sangley Point air facility on March 27. This was confirmed by Navy spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna in an interview Thursday.

The aircraft will be delivered to the country by JMSDF pilots and will be formally transferred to the Navy on the same day.

Lincuna said the remaining three TC-90s will be transferred to the Navy before the end of the year.

He added that the TC-90s will be used to augment the existing Norman-Britten BN-2 Islander fleet, which the Navy uses in patrol, surveillance and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and rapid assessment missions.

Last November, two PN pilots and six air crews left for Japan to start their TC-90 flight training.

The Department of National Defense (DND) earlier announced that the Philippines will re-equip the TC-90s as Japan has stripped them of some equipment, including their surveillance systems.

The country will pay Japan USD7,000 each for the first four aircraft yearly and only USD200 for the fifth, for total of USD28,200 as stipulated in its lease agreement.

The DND added it is also looking at the possibility of using the TC-90 for 20 years while the military is upgrading its equipment.

The TC-90, which is part of the Beechcraft King Air aircraft family, was offered by Japan shortly after the Agreement Concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology was finalized Feb. 29 last year.

The TC-90’s patrol range is double that of a small Philippine aircraft, which only has a maximum range of 300 km.

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But will it break down as often as the real thing?

Damn, that is an oops. Someone needs better Googlefu in the KDF.

Sponsons port and starboard on future models could have a pair of 25mm Mk38 if desired. But for now, pintle mounted .50s at the most.

I haven't found any good sources that indicate GJV289A is MIL-STD-1553 compatible.

That being said, one way this could work is if PRC "copied" Raytheon's WiPak. Then the various air-droppable PGMs can be used theoretically on the Broncos.