Defense of the Republic of the Philippines

See also:
* Bell AH-1F Cobra @ PAF
* Jordan to transfer AH-1F Cobras & M113 APCs to PHL ?
* Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter
* DSCA clears the PH to acquire AH-64E Apaches . . . if it chooses to
* Boeing is offering its Chinook CH-47F & Apache AH-64E helicopters to PHL ?
* Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
* T129 attack helicopter for the PAF?

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-philippines-helicopter/u-s-state-department-approves-possible-attack-helicopter-sale-to-philippines-idUSKBN22C3K0

U.S. State Department approves possible attack helicopter sale to Philippines

The potential deal for either six AH-1Z attack helicopters made by Textron’s (TXT.N) Bell Helicopter unit for an estimated cost of $450 million, or AH-64E Apache attack helicopters made by Boeing (BA.N) and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.

Other source:
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/30/world/asia/30reuters-usa-philippines-helicopter.html

The US Army plans to field 491 Version 6 AH-64E Apaches out of a total force of 691 helicopters. A Version 6 helicopter is seen here conducting operational trials at Fort Hood in June. Source: US Army

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The AH-1Z is one of at least two attack helicopter types that Bahrain is considering under Phase 2 of its rotary-wing modernisation plans. Source: US Marine Corps

Chinese Navy Frigate Jiaxing participates in week-long maritime operations | Navy Recognition - 22 April 2020 11:10

The guided-missile frigate Jiaxing (Hull 521) attached to a frigate flotilla with the navy under the PLA Eastern Theater Command participated in week-long maritime operations in waters of the East China Sea in early April 2020.

The Type 053 family of frigate warships are surface combatants constructed by China for the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force and some foreign operators.

The Type 053 frigate is primarily intended for a coastal patrol role. It can be deployed in anti-air warfare (AAW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions too.

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The final design of the anti-ship Frigate displaced 2,250 tons standard for 2,393 tons fully loaded, a length of 112 m, a beam of 12.4 m and draught of 4.3 m. They carried 168 men, including 30 officers.

Taiwan test fired medium-range missiles and rockets | Army Recognition - 28 April 2020 10:12

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is said to have fired a slew of medium-range missiles and rockets earlier this month at the Jiupeng military base in Pingtung, the southernmost county of Taiwan, wrote UDN. The tests are believed to have included the Yun Feng missile, a supersonic land-attack cruise missile that has a range of 1,500 kilometers, according to the UDN article. The missile, fitted with a ramjet engine, can carry a semi-armor piercing high explosive and fragmentation warhead. The surface-to-surface missile could be deployed to weaken China’s combat capability. The weapon is believed to be able to attack strategic targets including airports, harbors, and command bases located in central China, CNA quoted Su as saying.

A test launch of Taiwan's Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile. The missile can be launched from in ship-launched canisters or coastal defense mobile launchers (Picture source: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

https://www.janes.com/article/95823/covid-19-japan-reports-record-number-of-chinese-ship-sightings-in-contested-waters-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

Covid-19: Japan reports record number of Chinese ship sightings in contested waters amid coronavirus outbreak
29 April 2020

According to figures released by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) to Jane’s on 28 April, 289 Chinese government-linked ships, including China Coast Guard vessels, were spotted in the contiguous zone of the islands from January to March 2020.

This is an increase of 57% from the previous record of 184 ships for the same period in 2019.

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/u-s-navy-pt-boats.html

Originally conceived as antiship weapons, PTs were publicly, but erroneously, credited with sinking Japanese warships during the early months after Pearl Harbor. During the long Solomons campaign, they operated usefully at night and times of low visibility against Japanese barge traffic in the "Slot." Throughout World War II, PTs operated in the southern, western, and northern Pacific, as well as in the Mediterranean and the English Channel. Some served off Normandy during that invasion. Though their primary mission continued to be seen as attack of surface ships and craft, PTs were also used effectively to lay mines and smoke screens, to rescue downed aviators, and to carry out intelligence or raider operations. Almost all surviving Elco PTs were disposed of shortly after V-J Day. One Elco boat, PT 617, survives at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.

Although more 80-foot Elco boats were built than any other type of motor torpedo boat, other types were built by the U. S. The British-designed 70-foot Vosper boats which were built for Lend Lease fired 18-inch torpedoes. Since the U.S. produced the heavier and longer 21-inch torpedoes, the U.S. Navy wanted a larger PT boat. After experimentation, the first PT boat built in any quantity was the 77-foot type built by Elco. These boats were used early in World War II. In 1943 in the Solomons, three of these 77-foot PT boats, PT 59, PT 60 and PT 61, were even converted into gunboats by stripping the boat of all original armament except for the two twin .50 caliber gun mounts, and then adding two 40mm guns and four more twin .50 caliber machine guns. LTJG John F. Kennedy was the first commanding officer of PT 59 after the conversion.

Although the Huckins Yacht Company of Jacksonville, Florida, built a few 78 foot boats of the PT 95 class, the 80-foot Elco boats and the 78-foot Higgins boats became the standard motor torpedo boats of World War II. The Higgins boats which were built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana, were 78-foot boats of the PT 71 class. The Higgins boats had the same beam, full load displacement, engine, generators, shaft horsepower, trial speed, armament, and crew accommodations as the 80-foot Elco boats.

https://www.janes.com/article/95645/st-engineering-signs-new-hunter-deal-signals-strong-q1

ST Engineering signs new Hunter deal, signals strong Q1
21 April 2020

In a statement on 20 April the group said its Aerospace and Electronics divisions had secured SGD1.6 billion (USD1.1 billion) in new contracts during Q1 2020, mainly for production and maintenance activity in commercial sectors.

ST Engineering added that its Land Systems division also won a "Phase 2 contract" from the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to produce and supply an unspecified number of Hunter AFVs. The company said that under the Phase 2 contract, the value of which was not disclosed, ST Engineering will also provide integrated logistics support including spares, training, and documentation.

The Singapore Army commissioned the Hunter AFV in June 2019, with the vehicle positioned to replace the army's fleet of upgraded but increasingly obsolescent M113A2 Ultra armoured personnel carriers (APCs), which have been in service since the early 1970s.

ST Engineering has announced that it has secured a Phase 2 contract from the Singapore Ministry of Defence to produce its Hunter tracked AFVs (pictured). Source: Jane’s/Kelvin Wong

http://www.military-today.com/apc/bmp1.htm

BMP-1

Development of the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle commenced in 1960. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1966. The BMP-1 was first shown publicly in 1967 and created quire a stir in the West by its apparent combination of mobility protection and gun/missile firepower. This infantry fighting vehicle was produced in large numbers. In its day the BMP-1 was the vehicle that others were measured by and the type was churned out in thousands in the former Soviet Union. It was widely exported to the Soviet allies. The BMP-1 was also produced in China, Czechoslovakia and Romania. From those four nations sprang a whole host of variants to meet just about every combat requirement from artillery observation to armored engineering vehicle. This IFV has seen combat during many wars. The BMP-1's still remain in service in large numbers.

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This infantry fighting vehicle has a one-man low-profile turret. Armament of the BMP-1 emerged as a magazine-fed low velocity 73 mm smoothbore gun. This gun is non-stabilized and has poor accuracy at longer ranges. It has a maximum aimed range of 1 300 m, but direct range of fire is only 765 m. Also it can not engage air targets and has limited elevation. The gun is fed by a semi-automatic loader. Maximum rate of fire is 8-10 rounds per minute. A total of 40 rounds are carried for the main gun. There is also a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. Initial production vehicles had a barrel-mounted 9M14 Malyutka (Western reporting name AT-3 Sagger) wire-guided missile with an indifferent performance. On many later models the missile was completely removed. Since 1979 a BMP-1P was produced. It was fitted with a more advanced Fagot (AT-4 Spigot) or Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) ATGW launcher. Each infantry fighting vehicle also carried Strela-2 man-portable launcher with short-range air defense missile.

   The BMP-1 has a welded steel armor hull. It provides all-round protection against 12.7 mm rounds and artillery shell splinters. Front arc of this IFV offers partial protection against 20 mm rounds. There is also an automatic fire extinguishing system and NBC protection system.

Photo from military-today.com

https://www.britannica.com/technology/DUKW

DUKW

DUKW, also called duck, 2.5-ton six-wheel amphibious truck used in World War II by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Its primary purpose was to ferry ammunition, supplies, and equipment from supply ships in transport areas offshore to supply dumps and fighting units at the beach

DUKW is a manufacturer’s code based on D indicating the model year, 1942; U referring to the body style, utility (amphibious); K for all-wheel drive; and W for dual rear axles. Called a “duck,” the vehicle was shaped like a boat. It had a hollow airtight body for buoyancy and used a single propeller for forward momentum. It was designed according to Army criteria and was based on the Army’s 2.5-ton truck. The vehicle was capable of carrying 25 soldiers and their equipment, an artillery piece, or 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of general cargo. At sea the vehicle could maintain a speed of 5 knots (about 6 statute miles, or 9 km per hour), and on land it could go 50 miles (80 km) per hour.