Showing posts with label defense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label defense. Show all posts
Thailand defence budget on under fire
The military budget nevertheless managed to sail through its second reading in the lower house last night following a long, intense debate over transparency in the procurement of weapons, armoured vehicles and airships.
The Puea Thai Party failed in its attempt to seek a 10% to 30% cut in the 170 billion baht defence budget, which accounts for 8% of total spending in the 2011 fiscal year.
A majority of MPs, 242, approved the budget last night.
"I'm sure we have sufficient weapons and armoured vehicles compared to our neighbours," said Puea Thai MP Plengmanee Rengsomboon.
There is no need for the country to possess such a large amount of weapons because anybilateral conflict could be mediated by international organisations like the United Nations, Ms Plengmanee said.
"Some of this money is part of our borrowings so why don't we use it for something necessary like improving people's quality of life?"
Ms Plengmanee questioned the planned purchase of six Gripen fighter aircraft to add to the six already ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force. That should be enough for now, she said.
Corruption scandals in military procurement schemes showed this was not the time for the army to be getting more money, MPs said.
The Royal Thai Army would be given 20 billion baht over the next three years to buy 1,500 machine guns, 60 armoured vehicles, two planes, 11 helicopters and three large trucks.
Puea Thai MP for Bangkok Anudit Nakornthap said several weapon purchase projects had been tainted by corruption.
Grp Cpt Anudit cited the army's purchase of an airship costing 300 million baht to improve security in the lower South. The craft is troubled by apparent construction flaws and delays in delivery.
The army's 4 billion baht procurement of 96 armoured personal carriers from Ukraine had also caused problems. The APCs have still not been delivered even though the agreement was signed in July 2008.
Puea Thai MP for Khon Kaen Preechaphol Pongpanich said the defence budget exceeded that of other ministries that worked to help improve the quality of people's lives.
Lt Preechaphol, who was a minority voice on the house budget bill scrutiny committee, said he felt there were irregularities in the military budget.
The military asked for 10 million baht to renovate 10 houses inside the 11th Infantry Battalion in Bang Khen where the government based its operation against the anti-government red shirts.
He accused Democrat MP Suwaroj Palang, also a member of the scrutiny committee, of joining influential figures in the army to push for the money.
Mr Suwaroj denied the allegation. "No one can order me about," he said.
Army commander Anupong Paojinda Thursday defended the spending, saying it was in line with the armed forces development plan.
Gen Anupong said the purchases did not come out of thin air. The procurements were studied and regarded as necessary for military development.
"We have a plan for this. We have researched what our troops need," he said.
"I don't just wake up, head to a market and look around for what to buy."
Thailand's defence spending should be about 2% of gross domestic product, he said. The 170 billion baht accounts for 1.4% to 1.5 %.
src:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/191989/mililtary-spending-under-fire
Seoul (ANTARA News / AFP) - Indonesia, Thursday, agreeing to join in
South Korea project about a new fighter jet development that postponed
for several years due to technical problems and funding.
Indonesia will get about 50 KF-X fighter jet with a bore 20
percent of the cost of developing multibillion dollar projects, said
South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The two countries also agreed to cooperate in the production and marketing
The fighter jet.
The agreement was signed in the South Korean capital, Seoul, by
Commissioner for South Korean Ministry of Defense and the Secretary-General
Indonesian Defense Ministry, Eris Herryanto.
South Korea has launched the project in 2000 to produce jet
domestically produced fighter.
After a long suspended because of technical and economic problems, President Lee
Myung-Bak in January and agreed to push the project in
amid rising tensions with North Korea.
South Korea plans to deactivate all the F-4 fighter jets and F-5 on
2020.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, about 170 units of F-5 fighter jets
operate in South Korea.
Aircraft was first flown in 1975, which has
experienced a number of air accidents.
"Reactivation of the project will begin early next year, and we
plans to produce a new fighter jets after the completion of study
eligibility at the end of 2012, "said a spokesman for the Ministry of
South Korean defense.
"We need a foreign partner who will transfer technology and
Parts of these fighter jets, "he said, without mentioning the total
the necessary funds.
In addition to the development of key projects that KF-X, South Korea will also continue
buying advanced fighter jets from foreign companies, said
the spokesman. (*)
source :antara
Due to financial contrain 10th Five Year Plan (2011-215) Malaysia defense buget maybe will not include new MRCA procurrement in list
The Malaysian government has announced that it will continue to operate 10 of its 16 MiG-29N interceptors until 2015, reversing plans to decommission the aircraft by the end of 2010. A plan to replace the MiG-29s with a new fighter aircraft has been delayed by the economic downturn.
However, maintaining the aircraft will impose burdens of its own since the aircraft’s engines need to be overhauled every year and the weaponry for the fighter jets has reached the end of its life span.The 10th Five-Year Malaysian Plan (2011-1015) is expected to propose procurement and development funding of MYR7 billion ($2.07 billion) for the entire defense and security sector, with approximately MYR5 billion being allocated for defense proper.
Nearly half of this funding will be allocated to replenish war stocks (missiles, bombs, and ammunition), with relatively little money being left for new procurement efforts.
source:http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?id=4232&h=Malaysia%20to%20operate%20MiG-29N%20interceptors%20till%202015
China : China increase their budget defense almost 7%
BEIJING — China on Thursday announced its smallest increase in defense spending in more than two decades, a likely result of both financial constraints and growing concern over perceptions of Beijing as a regional military threat.
The planned 7.5 percent boost in defense spending in 2010 follows at least 20 years of double-digit increases in the budget for the People's Liberation Army — the world's largest standing military with more than 2.3 million members.
Rapid military modernization and the acquisition of cutting-edge jet fighters, warships and submarines have aroused suspicions in Washington, Tokyo, New Delhi and elsewhere over China's intentions, further fueled by Beijing's growing diplomatic assertiveness and booming economic might.
The increase will be used to enhance China's ability "to meet various threats," said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for China's parliament, the National People's Congress, at a news conference held on the eve of the opening of its annual legislative session.
"China is committed to peaceful development and a military posture that is defensive in nature," Li said.
He said this year's defense budget of 532.11 billion yuan ($77.9 billion) remained relatively low, particularly in relation to the country's vast territory and population. Li said Chinese defense spending has accounted for about 1.4 percent of gross domestic product in recent years, as opposed to more than 4 percent in the United States and more than 2 percent in Britain, France and Russia.
The increase over actual military spending in 2009 was 37.12 billion yuan, Li said. Defense expenditures account for 6.3 percent of China's total budget, a decline from previous years, he said.
Officials say about one-third of China's spending goes to salaries and improving living conditions for soldiers, with the rest split between replacing equipment and military research and development.
However, many overseas analysts believe the official figure accounts for only a part of actual military spending, with estimates on the total amount ranging up to twice or more what Beijing claims.
Figures provided by China's Cabinet show the country's last single-digit percentage in defense spending was in the 1980s.
The smaller rise in spending is due in part to the hit China's economy, especially the crucial export sector, has taken from the global financial crisis, prompting the government to rein in some expenditures, said Ni Lexiong, a defense analyst at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
Meanwhile, the leadership has realized that large increases are generating concern and suspicion among China's neighbors, potentially sparking an arms race, he said.
"The decline shows that China does not want to be seen as an aggressive military power," Ni said.
Thursday's announcement follows repeated protests recently by Beijing over the U.S. sale of weaponry to Taiwan. Those sales are driven by threats from China to use force to bring the island under its control, backed up by an estimated 1,300 Chinese ballistic missiles positioned along the Taiwan Strait.
Communist-ruled China split with Taiwan amid civil war in 1949 and continues to regard the self-governing democracy as part of its territory. Beijing has warned of a disruption in ties with Washington if the sale goes ahead, but has not said what specific actions it would take.
Li, the congress spokesman, accused some foreign countries of backing Taiwan to thwart China, calling that unacceptable interference in China's internal affairs.
Washington's announcement in January that it intended to sell Taiwan $6.4 billion in helicopters, air defense missiles and other military hardware was especially unwelcome because it came amid a warming trend in Beijing's relations with the island, he said.
Taiwan relations are less a factor in Beijing's defense spending than economic stress and worries about appearing overly aggressive, said defense scholar Wang Kun-yi of Taipei's Tamkung University.
"China's defense budget is not specifically linked to cross-strait developments, but rather it is more related to the country's global positioning," Wang said.
Defense spending is among budget items to be approved at the end of the National People's Congress' session, which begins Friday and runs through March 14.
This year's session is expected to see a shift in spending priorities toward affordable housing, education, health care and other social programs.
Li said the full assembly this year would amend a law on how deputies are selected, correcting a disparity that gave urban Chinese greater representation than their more numerous rural neighbors.
(Associated Press)
The planned 7.5 percent boost in defense spending in 2010 follows at least 20 years of double-digit increases in the budget for the People's Liberation Army — the world's largest standing military with more than 2.3 million members.
Rapid military modernization and the acquisition of cutting-edge jet fighters, warships and submarines have aroused suspicions in Washington, Tokyo, New Delhi and elsewhere over China's intentions, further fueled by Beijing's growing diplomatic assertiveness and booming economic might.
The increase will be used to enhance China's ability "to meet various threats," said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for China's parliament, the National People's Congress, at a news conference held on the eve of the opening of its annual legislative session.
"China is committed to peaceful development and a military posture that is defensive in nature," Li said.
He said this year's defense budget of 532.11 billion yuan ($77.9 billion) remained relatively low, particularly in relation to the country's vast territory and population. Li said Chinese defense spending has accounted for about 1.4 percent of gross domestic product in recent years, as opposed to more than 4 percent in the United States and more than 2 percent in Britain, France and Russia.
The increase over actual military spending in 2009 was 37.12 billion yuan, Li said. Defense expenditures account for 6.3 percent of China's total budget, a decline from previous years, he said.
Officials say about one-third of China's spending goes to salaries and improving living conditions for soldiers, with the rest split between replacing equipment and military research and development.
However, many overseas analysts believe the official figure accounts for only a part of actual military spending, with estimates on the total amount ranging up to twice or more what Beijing claims.
Figures provided by China's Cabinet show the country's last single-digit percentage in defense spending was in the 1980s.
The smaller rise in spending is due in part to the hit China's economy, especially the crucial export sector, has taken from the global financial crisis, prompting the government to rein in some expenditures, said Ni Lexiong, a defense analyst at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
Meanwhile, the leadership has realized that large increases are generating concern and suspicion among China's neighbors, potentially sparking an arms race, he said.
"The decline shows that China does not want to be seen as an aggressive military power," Ni said.
Thursday's announcement follows repeated protests recently by Beijing over the U.S. sale of weaponry to Taiwan. Those sales are driven by threats from China to use force to bring the island under its control, backed up by an estimated 1,300 Chinese ballistic missiles positioned along the Taiwan Strait.
Communist-ruled China split with Taiwan amid civil war in 1949 and continues to regard the self-governing democracy as part of its territory. Beijing has warned of a disruption in ties with Washington if the sale goes ahead, but has not said what specific actions it would take.
Li, the congress spokesman, accused some foreign countries of backing Taiwan to thwart China, calling that unacceptable interference in China's internal affairs.
Washington's announcement in January that it intended to sell Taiwan $6.4 billion in helicopters, air defense missiles and other military hardware was especially unwelcome because it came amid a warming trend in Beijing's relations with the island, he said.
Taiwan relations are less a factor in Beijing's defense spending than economic stress and worries about appearing overly aggressive, said defense scholar Wang Kun-yi of Taipei's Tamkung University.
"China's defense budget is not specifically linked to cross-strait developments, but rather it is more related to the country's global positioning," Wang said.
Defense spending is among budget items to be approved at the end of the National People's Congress' session, which begins Friday and runs through March 14.
This year's session is expected to see a shift in spending priorities toward affordable housing, education, health care and other social programs.
Li said the full assembly this year would amend a law on how deputies are selected, correcting a disparity that gave urban Chinese greater representation than their more numerous rural neighbors.
(Associated Press)
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