Bold Projections Taken Out of Context Overstate China’s Leeway for Military Budget Growth

Take with a whole salt shaker

The UK’s long-established International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) recently published a Military Balance 2013 report which makes some reasonable observations about the current state of global affairs, but unquestioning media parroting of some of its talking points invites more scrutiny. Namely, one of the report’s charts puts Chinese defense spending possibly above the US within a dozen years, and continues to project current spending trends until 2050, in current dollars, with today’s exchange rates. Unfortunately, if this is taken at face value as a prediction, it’s misleading and pointless…

South Africa’s Sad Military: Why Maintenance Matters

SAAF JAS-39D

In 1999, South Africa became the Saab JAS-39 Gripen‘s 1st export customer, ordering 26 fighters. The country is generally considered to be one of Africa’s stronger economies, and a regional security partner. On the defense front, their arms firms have managed to survive, albeit with some adjustment pains and restructuring. They can still produce weapons that are relevant on the world stage. Unless current trends change, however, outside views of the country’s regional security role may need a rethink.

Opposition Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier recently forced the ANC government to acknowledge that 12 of its 26 delivered JAS-39C/D fighters were in long term storage. In reality, the SAAF’s fighter problem is even worse than that. He sums up the situation this way:

AWV 2014: Patria’s AMV is Sweden Next-Generation APC

Swedish AMV rollout

In June 2009, Sweden’s FMV defense procurement agency picked Finland’s Patria Oyj for a EUR 240 million contract, to deliver 113 AMV (Armoured Modular Vehicle) wheeled Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Swedish Armed Forces. The 27 tonne AMV has a crew of 3, and can carry up to 9 soldiers. A varied set of turrets and modules can configure it for different roles, from MEDEVAC (MEDical EVACuation) through to IFV(Infantry Fighting Vehicle) or even automated mortar carrier duties.

By October 2009, however, a Swedish court had nullified the contract. Rather than waste time on appeals, the FMV red-did the “AWV 2014″ competition. In August 2010 they issued… a EUR 260 million contract for 113 Patria AMVs.

Saudi Shopping Spree: A Hardened, Networked National Guard

Latest updates[?]: Training infrastructure - will it make a difference?

LAV-25 in combat

The Saudi Arabian National Guard is seeing a lot of investment lately. In July 2006, the Saudis formally tabled a multi-billion dollar request to buy LAV wheeled APCs and related equipment for its National Guard. October 2010 added a slew of added requests, covering a wide range of transport, scout, and attack helicopters. Other contracts in between have involved missiles, communications, and training. It all adds up to a fairly comprehensive modernization.

Who is the SANG, and why are they a globally significant institution? A must-read article in the Tribune-Libanaise explains: