01 Sep 23. Australian and Thai fighters in joint combat air exercise. The two countries’ have seen differing fortunes in defence spending in recent years, although both are forecast to increase in broadly the same rate to 2028.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) returned from combat air training with personnel and aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) under Exercise Thai Boomerang 23, the first such iteration of the biennial event since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2019.
The exercise involved F/A-18F Super Hornets from 1 Squadron RAAF working alongside RTAF F-16 Fighting Falcon and JAS-39 Gripen fighters. The RAAF also embedded a Combat Support Group firefighter plus a 452 Squadron air traffic controller with their respective RTAF counterparts.
According to a release from the Australian Ministry of Defence, Exercise Thai Boomerang 23 focused on “enhancing interoperability between the two forces through dissimilar air combat training and large-force employment scenarios”.
RAAF Wing Commander Sean Hamilton, commanding officer 1 Squadron, said the exercise exposed Australian aircrew to fighting alongside dissimilar aircraft.
“They had to work collaboratively with their RTAF counterparts to understand each other’s capabilities and to develop effective integrated mission plans and this experience has strengthened their ability to partner with the RTAF in the future,” Hamilton said.
“Additionally, our squadron has benefited from working in the South-East Asian tropical environment and our aircrew and maintenance have worked through heat, humidity and thunderstorms to generate airpower.
“We have followed the lead of the RTAF and learnt from their experience operating in this environment.”
Western-aligned countries of the Asia-Pacific region are embarked on a campaign of influence to develop ties with neighbours and deter China’s expansion. Reflecting Thailand’s importance as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific to Australia, the Australia-Thailand relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in November 2020.
Striking difference in two countries’ defence spending
According to GlobalData’s Australia Defense Market 2023-2028 report in 2023, the Australian Government allocated $38.1bn (A$59bn) to its total defence budget, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% during 2019–23. The country’s defence budget is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period, to reach $48.3bn in 2028. Meanwhile, Thailand’s defence budget has struggled in recent years, with 2023 funding at $4.5bn, a CAGR of -2.2% during 2019-23. However, the county’s defence budget is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% over from 2023-2028, to reach $6bn. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
29 Aug 23. RTAF commissions 12 T-6C trainers. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has commissioned 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainer aircraft into service. The new acquisitions are slated to replace the RTAF’s “[Pilatus] PC-9 aircraft that have completed their retirement after more than 30 years of aviation student training”, the RTAF said in a statement. Following the commissioning of the aircraft on 22 August, the aircraft were deployed with the RTAF’s Flying Training School at Kamphaeng Saen in Nakhon Pathom province, the RTAF added. In RTAF service, the aircraft has been redesignated as the T-6TH. According to the air force, the acquisition of the T-6C was made following careful determination. Important criteria included the aircraft’s ability to assimilate upgrades. The RTAF added that the aircraft is also able to measure and analyse pilot training effectively. Another factor was its reliable maintenance transmission system. (Source: Janes)
30 Aug 23. South Africa and Germany aiming to hold long-delayed naval exercise in 2024. South Africa and Germany will next year hold the eighth iteration of the Good Hope naval exercise, after a six-year hiatus compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement on 30 August that a planning conference for Exercise Good Hope VIII will take place in Saldanha from 11 to 15 September.
“This exercise is a bi-annual exercise where South Africa is the host and leading nation. The exercise will be a tactical exercise consisting of mainly maritime assets but will be supported by land, air and military health services components,” SA Navy Captain Jaco Theunissen stated.
“As the exercise is maritime heavy the South African Navy will be the lead service for the exercise but the exercise will be directed by the Joint Operations Division. Brigadier General PF Dlamini, the Director Force Preparation and Training from the Joint Operations Division, will be the exercise director and the Joint Task Force Commander will be Captain (SA Navy) CJ McKenzie.”
The last edition of Good Hope was held in Germany in February/March 2017. The sole South African participant was the frigate SAS Amatola, which had sailed to the United Kingdom for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the troopship SS Mendi on 21 February 1917. The vessel laid wreaths and took SS Mendi descendants to the site of the sinking. On the way back from Exercise Good Hope VII, the SAS Amatola visited several African nations.
Exercise Good Hope has normally taken place every second year in South Africa – 2017 was the first time it was held in Europe due to austerity measures and other commitments and exercises Germany was hosting at the same time.
The eight edition of Good Hope was supposed to take place around Saldanha between late January and early February 2022, but was put on hold due to high levels of coronavirus infection in Germany. At the time, the German Health Ministry rated South Africa a “high crisis region” for the pandemic which, while allowing travel, meant up to 14 days quarantine on returning home. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
30 Aug 23. China, Pakistan Launch Joint Air Exercise Featuring Chinese Warplanes on Both Sides. In a first since Pakistan inducted Chinese-made J-10CE fighters into its air force, the two countries kicked off a joint air exercise on Monday, with experts saying on Tuesday that the drill will further enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries and contribute to regional peace and stability.
The Shaheen-X joint air exercise kicked off on Monday in Chinese territory as part of efforts to further boost training and coordination between the two militaries and deepen their exchange and cooperation on military technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.
According to a statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defense on Saturday, the exercise is scheduled to be held until mid-September, in Jiuquan, Northwest China’s Gansu Province and Yinchuan, Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The two sides will send fighters, early warning aircraft and several other types of aircraft, as well as ground forces such as ground-to-air missiles and radar and signal troops to participate in the exercise. Chinese naval aviation units will also be involved in the training, Xinhua reported.
J-10 fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force will participate in the exercise, Pakistani media outlet The Nation reported on Monday.
It marks the first time J-10CE fighter jets have participated in the China-Pakistan Shaheen series air exercise since the Chinese-made aircraft were inducted into the Pakistan Air Force in March 2022, as the Shaheen-IX was held in December 2020.
Independently developed by China’s aviation industry, the J-10CE is an all-weather, single-engine, single-seat, multirole, fourth-plus generation fighter jet capable of striking multiple targets from beyond visual range under a complex electromagnetic environment, and can deliver precision attacks against ground targets with multiple guidance modes.
Equipped with advanced comprehensive avionics and weapon systems, the aircraft boasts outstanding mid-to-low altitude combat maneuverability, supersonic flight, short-range takeoff and landing, large combat radius and long range and mid-air refueling capabilities.
After more than a year’s independent practice and use, the Pakistani pilots should have already grasped and developed skills and tactics on the J-10CEs, and their first joint exercise with China using the aircraft will benefit both countries’ pilots when they exchange experiences, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The Pakistan Air Force uses the J-10CE as its main combat force, while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force also operates a large fleet of J-10C fighter jets, Fu noted.
The exercise can enhance the two countries’ interoperability under informatized systems of modern warfare, Fu said.
Xinhua reported that the Shaheen-X exercise will focus on training in typical combat scenarios such as joint air defense and joint countermeasures.
The drill will allow China to learn from the Pakistan Air Force’s Western-like training system, while Pakistan will strengthen its capabilities in safeguarding its sky as well as conducting anti-terrorism operations, Fu said. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Global Times)
29 Aug 23. Japanese Navy Fleet Departs for 13-Nation Cruise Training Mission. A fleet of South Korean Navy ships departed Monday on a 141-day cruise training mission that will take them to 14 ports in 13 nations, the Navy said.
A total of 151 graduating cadets at the Naval Academy and 500 crew members joined the mission, with the fleet consisting of the 4,500-ton Hansando training vessel and the 4,200-ton Hwacheon logistic ship, the Navy said.
The cadets are expected to begin their 55,600-kilometer journey with a port call at Hawaii and travel across 13 countries, including the United States, Germany, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India, before they make their final stop in Yokosuka, Japan. The sailors will return home on Jan. 15.
Alongside the training, the cadets are set to visit national cemeteries at countries that fought in the Korean War and hold onboard receptions for veterans and their families to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice and the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
An exhibition booth promoting the country’s defense industry will also be installed on the Hwacheon vessel to help boost arms exports, according to the Navy. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Yonhap News Agency)
28 Aug 23. Russia has highly likely cancelled ZAPAD 23, UK says. Russia has highly likely cancelled its planned joint strategic exercise, ZAPAD 23, which should have taken place in September, the British defence ministry said on Monday. Russia has likely cancelled the exercise because too few troops and equipment are available, the ministry said in its daily intelligence update. The “Zapad-2021” war games ran last two years ago on Russia and Belarus’ western flanks, including sites close to the European Union’s borders, and alarmed Ukraine and some NATO countries. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Reuters)
————————————————————————