Page 5 - LIMA 2023 - DAY 1 | DAILY NEWS

destroyer that entered service more than
a year after the decommissioning of the old
Zhanjiang, a Type 051 destroyer, in August
2020.

The Type 052D destroyer is a larger variant
of the Type 052C but has a few significant
differences. Unlike the to the concentric
type vertical launching system (VLS) car-
ried aboard earlier vessels, the Type 52D
is the first Chinese surface combatant to
use canister-based universal VLS. The
VLS can fire the extended-range variant of
CY-5 anti-submarine missiles, the HHQ-9
surface-to-air missile, and YJ-18 anti-
ship cruise missiles. The destroyer also
has a flat-paneled active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar. The Type
052D is China’s first dedicated multi-role
CHINESE DESTROYER destroyer as the VLS is not limited to sur-
face-to-air missiles. Among its features
ZHANJIANG MAKES LIMA DEBUT are a Type 346A AESA and Type 518
L-band radar, as well as variable depth
China is giving a sneak peek of its growing naval guided-missile destroyer Zhanjiang (VDS) and linear towed array sonar. The
naval might to show attendees. departed a military port in Zhanjiang, destroyer’s powerplant is a combined
Guangdong, on May 16, to attend the diesel or gas (CODOG) system with two
Just over a year after the Chinese People’s ongoing exhibition. The vessel carried a 28-megawatt (38,000 hp) QC-280 gas tur-
Liberation Army (PLA) Navy commis- ship-borne helicopter and more than 200 bines and two 6 MW (8,000 hp) MTU 20V
sioned two new Type 052D destroyers crew members. LIMA 2023 marks the 956TB92 diesel engines. Its maximum
- the Zhanjiang and the Jiaozuo – the first military diplomatic mission for the speed 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

SINGAPORE, MALAYSIAN ARMIES CONCLUDE

EXERCISE SEMANGAT BERSATU

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the
Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) recently
concluded the 27th edition of Exercise
Semangat Bersatu (XSB), an annual bilateral
exercise held between both militaries. The
exercises which took place in Singapore,
earlier in May involved a total of 380 par-
ticipants from the SAF’s 3rd Battalion,
Singapore Infantry Regiment and MAF’s
6th Battalion, Royal Ranger Regiment,
the exercise included activities such as
professional exchanges, cross-training,
cultural interaction, and culminated in a
combined Battalion Mission Exercise with
conventional and urban objectives. SAF
Chief of Army (COA) Major-General (MG)
David Neo and MAF COA, General (GEN)
Datuk Seri Mohammad bin Ab Rahman
co-officiated the opening ceremony of of tactics, techniques and procedures, as strengthen professional interactions. The
XSB23 in Kranji Camp III on 8 May 2023. well as combined mission planning and SAF and the MAF interact regularly across
In his opening address, MG Neo said, “As execution. Beyond professional exchanges a range of activities, including bilateral
our flagship exercise, Exercise Semangat and training, XSB23 is also a chance for exchanges, cross-attendance of courses
Bersatu is testament to the close friendship soldiers from both armies to make new and multilateral activities under the ambit
between our forces. For this year’s edition, friends and forge strong friendships.” The of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
we are incorporating drone flying opera- XSB was first held in 1999 and provides and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting
tions. This builds on our years of sharing a valuable platform for both armies to (ADMM)/ADMM-Plus.

LIMA 2023 MAY-23-2023 5