By Mortz C. Ortigoza
I met and exchanged notes lately with two pretty merchants of death from the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) who peddle armed drones to deadly 5th generation multiple role twin- engine superiority fighter jet's Kaan at the Asian Defense and Security (ADAS) 2024 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City in September 25 to 26.
A lot of arms and munitions booths
there from Turkey - a Muslim country - that sells reasonably priced death
stuffs that made me envious how that country - just like the South Koreans -
earns a lot of revenues while we Filipinos content ourselves to buy battles
ships, attack helicopters like ATAK, and combat jets from them.
Why we could not be liked the
Indonesians that collaborate with the Korean Aerospace Industries in
manufacturing the twin- engine KF- 21 multiple role twin- engine 4.5 generation
superiority jets that could make a run for the monies of U. S Lockheed Martin
-- the maker of the F-16 Vipers?
The 2024 ADAS saw a 20 percent increase of foreign arms dealers as based on the number of booths in ADAS 2022. The Americans peddle there their accurate and lethal High Mobility Artillery System (HIMARS) and a tank.
Discussed on the last day of ADAS
the lethality of the U.S made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) -
with its insanely accurate rockets and missile through GPS - with U.S Army 2LT
Art Hall.
The Lockheed Martin manufactured
HIMARS was at the background while I interviewed him.
When I asked Art if he is a West
Pointer (graduate of the United States Military Academy) he retorted:
“I
am a West Pointer!”
"What
class?"
"2023,"
he quipped with amusement as seen on the video.
Probably, the ramrod young warrior
wondered how the heck does this yokel- reporter knows about the elite military
college near the Hudson River in New York.
I digressed.
Let's go back to the deadly HIMARS
that even Russian Tyrant Vladimir Putin is restless after U.S President Joe
Biden announced last September 26 an additional $2.4 billion military
assistance that could include the 300 kilometer reaching MGM-140 Army Tactical
Missile System (ATACMS) launched by the Ukrainians through a HIMARS.
HIMARS carries a six-pack of GMLRS rockets, two Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) or one ATACMS missile, and is designed to launch the entire MLRS family of munitions.
***
Saab brings its latest Gripen E
multiple role mocked up fighter jet dubbed as better than the U.S made F-16
Block 70 Viper. Saab aggressively sells - as seen on my video interview with
military jumpsuit clad executive of the company -- on its Gripen C and E series
to the Philippines to fight its threatening neighbour Mainland China. Gripen
E-series is a new fighter aircraft system. Developed to counter and defeat
advanced future threats, the E-series is for customers with more pronounced
threats or wider territories to secure.
***
Comparisons of the prices of the
three multiple role jets the Filipino taxpayers are going to pay in case our
military wants to buy a squadron (12 jets) to deter Mainland China in violating
our skies and seas.
As of 2024: Jas 39 Gripen C & D
Series $30 million (PhpP1.6 billion each jet); Jas 39 Gripen E &:F Series $
85:million (PhpP 4.7 billion); F-16 Block 70/72 $ P65 million (PhpP3.6 billion
each).
JAS 39 C-D Series users: South
Africa, Thailand, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Hungary. JAS Series E users:
Brazil and Sweden. Per research I did not find any spare parts shortage among
Gripen C-D and E-F users.
According to Saab, the Gripens were
designed for ease of maintenance that secure higher availability than its
competitors. The Gripens can operate in extreme climates and from dispersed and
unprepared road bases or airstrips. It takes less than 20 minutes with only a
limited number of ground crew and equipment to refuel and rearm Gripen for an
air-to-air mission, which ensures rapid re-engagement. With low maintenance
requirements per flight hour, Gripen E spends less time on the ground and more
time in the air.
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