Page 4 - VIETNAM DEFENCE EXPO 2024 - Day 1 | GBP

...Cont’d from PG 1
training. The airplane is entirely built in rigors of a military training environment.
The civilian version of the TP-150 is also aluminium 2024T3 and 6061T6 and is It is powered by a proven 150hp air/
sold by Flying Legends. coated with a durable epoxy primer to water cooled engine that is reliable and
guarantee the protection of the structure economical, while a turbine powered
As per the company, the availability of throughout its lifecycle. version is under development.
a kit staged design provides an option
not found to date in military training The TP-150 is available with fixed or The TP-150 is available to customers as
aircraft. A quick build version developed retractable landing gear, as also high an experimental aircraft in two versions:
for the experimental market can be used performance propellers, auxiliary wing the first is suitable for initial training
to train military maintenance personnel tanks, a parachute recovery system, and has fixed landing gear and may be
to assemble the aircraft, thus further additional hard points and custom avi- fitted with either a fixed or variable –
reducing acquisition and maintenance onics. The trainer aircraft can operate pitch propeller. The second variant is
costs. The Dominican Republic Air Force effectively from a variety of runway sur- ideal for advanced training and features
already uses the TP-150 (called DULUS ). faces, including grass, gravel, concrete retractable landing gear and a variable –
The Flying Legend TP-150 is a basic or asphalt and the +6/-3g load factor pitch propeller. The TP-150 FG with fixed
military trainer modelled on the highly airplane is designed to withstand the landing gear includes basic double in-
successful Brazilian Embraer Tucano strument panels for forward and aft pilot
312 high performance training and air- including Dynon EFIS, analogue instru-
to-ground support aircraft. ments, radio, transponder, ELT, autopilot
(2-axis servos) and may be equipped
The TP-150 is exemplified by its low with various IFR Avionics Systems de-
acquisition and maintenance costs and pending on customer requirements. The
the concept of affordable and durable TP-150 RG is equipped with retractable
military basic training was born from the landing gear, a variable-pitch propeller,
efforts of two Italian entrepreneurs in and double instrument panels (forward
2010. The aircraft features an aluminum and aft pilot) including Dynon EFIS, ana-
airframe and its extra strength landing logical instruments, radio, transponder,
gear allows it to undertake military pilot and ELT.

Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is the
first export customer and the only user
of the Indo-Russian BrahMos superson-
ic cruise missile system in the region.
It is understood that the version that
Philippines has differs from India in
having two missiles per launcher as
compared to the three for the latter.
The induction of the BrahMos will enor-
mously increase Vietnam’s capability
to undertake missile strikes in various
environments. Much of the operating
infrastructure is already compatible
with equipment in-service in Vietnam.

BrahMos Keen on Vietnamese Buy The Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently
the sole operator of the air-launched
Indian supersonic cruise missile manu- and air-to-sea configurations. Vietnam version of BrahMos, which is integrated
facturer BrahMos Aerospace is continu- is said to have expressed interest in on its Sukhoi SU-30 MKI fighter jets. If
ing to pursue Vietnamese interest in the the air-launched and coastal defence acquired in its coastal-defence version,
Mach 3 capable cruise missile. BrahMos versions of the BrahMos. At the recently the BrahMos missile along with its as-
is exhibiting the various missile family at concluded Bali Airshow in September, sociated systems can ensure real-time
the ongoing show. The BrahMos missile Maj. Gen. Bui Thien Thau, Commander monitoring, detection and tracking of
is considered superior to some of most of Air Defence-Air Force and Deputy potential targets in Exclusive Economic
current subsonic missiles in the world in Chief of Staff of Air Defence-Air Force, Zones (EEZ), and their swift engage-
terms of velocity (> 3 times), flight range Ministry of National Defence, was ap- ment from beyond radar horizon ranges.
(> 2.5 – 3 times), seeker range (> 3 – 4 prised about the different variants of the The naval variant of the BrahMos is
times) and kill energy by nine times. formidable supersonic missile. the Indian Navy’s primary weapon for
A BrahMos missile, depending on its maritime strike operations and is fitted
configuration, can carry a conventional The first batch of BrahMos supersonic onboard various frontline warships. The
warhead weighing between 200 – 300 cruise missiles and their launchers were system is capable of hitting land or sea
kg. The multi-role BrahMos has been op- delivered to the Philippines in April this targets from extended ranges with pin-
erationalized in land-to-land, land-to-sea, year onboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) point accuracy at supersonic speeds.
sea-to-coast, coast-to-sea, air-to-land C-17 heavylift transporter. The Armed

4 DECEMBER-19-2024 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/DAILY NEWS