Wow, this Indonesian rocketry technology really under the radar, speaking for myself at least. Doesn't take a rocket (no pun intended) scientist to see the ballistic missile application


July 2, 2009

Indonesia launches rocket

JAKARTA - INDONESIA successfully launched a home-grown rocket into space on Thursday as part of plans to send a satellite into orbit by 2014, officials said.

The RX-420 rocket took off from a launch pad in Garut regency, West Java province, around 9am.

'The RX-420 rocket was successfully launched this morning. We're very happy,' Aeronautics and Space Agency spokesman Ms Elly Kuntjahyowati told AFP.

Another type of rocket which was successfully tested last year will be combined with the RX-420 to carry a satellite into orbit in 2014, she said.

'We test the rockets one by one,' Ms Kuntjahyowati said. -- AFP

ID launched their first rocket in 1984. Lapan's RX-250 were being launched regularly between 1987 to 2005.

http://astronautix.com/lvs/rx250.htm

Its not targeted at SG or MY cos esp when SG is a few km from batam which means no need so long range BM.

artillery or missile units in Batam are easy meat for our strike teams. they might want long range BMs so that their missile can stay at a safe arms length yet have the ability to hit us.

Singapore is so small, do you think their BM will have the necessary CEP to hit anything useful?

Launching rockets straight into the orbit is a lot simpler than getting the BM warhead to land at the right place.

So far, the IRBM with the lowest CEP is arguably the Pershing II. The Indians and the Pakistanis are claiming similar low CEP with their IRBMs though.

Nevertheless tech/equipment like NCADE will probably enter SG service at some point in time if the threat becomes real.

TCH has already said that we are considering the acquisition of an ABM capability for when the need should arise.

This reminds me of the stillborn attempt at building a spaceport.. and how we might have let something pass us by.

I think when TCH 1st announced our intention to get ABM, that was just after North Korea test launch a long range missile some time back.

Maybe the ABM is actually a result of access to info of future regional developments.

Yes. It was around that time.

gosh, i recall that, that was a few years back...

well, i'm actually kinda happy for the Indonesians...maybe someday if we need to launch things into space dun need to shop the satellite to launch pads too far away, saving us some transport fees :P

Does anyone recall some years ago that the indonesia contempt with the idea of operating SCUD missiles???

SCUD missile, how about the failed Soyuz deal Indonesian wanted with Russia. Soyuz can be easily converted to ICBMs if there is so Russian help.

Soyuz? Isn't that the soviet equivalent of the Apollo spacecraft? with that kind of deal, its no longer ICBM, its IPBM...

Inter Planertary Ballistic Missile :P

I think what you're referring is the deal to air launch Russian booster rockets from An-125 Ruslan to low-earth orbits from Indonesia.

I recalled at the point of time Indonesia offered Scud to Indonesia and ekranoplan to Singapore. I am trying to find the articles if avaliable online.

However it seems both countries did not pursue the leads after that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lun-class_ekranoplan

ekranoplan!

we could have travelled to Bintam/Batam in such luxury...sigh...

An-125? isn't that going to be a really heavy load for the aircraft to take? The Antonov 225 "myria" would be a better platform I feel...

I meant to say An-124, it's more than capable to air launch booster rockets. The pegasus is launched from a modified tristar.

Considering that Singapore is a maritime nation such technologies will be very useful.

Maybe not the giant 'Caspain Sea Monster' but smaller WIG craft can be useful in patrol, ASW and even SAR missions.

Speaking of which, what happened to the hovercraft?

Just a trivia, there's actually a small recreational GEV prototype at storage within the Singapore Science Center. I believed it's a WigetWorks AirFish-3 (AF-3), registration no. LG2400, built by RFB Rhein - Flugzeugbau in Germany.

Infact, there was suppose to be some sort of joint-collaboration between a Singaporean company and the Germans to build a even larger AirFish GEV, but somehow the plan did not materialise.

Last time I am a vivid reader of Janes Defence weekly and ADJ so I came across the article. I think the artilce is about 2002-2004.

Anyway, below is the link to see more on the evalutions done in Singapore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYFEFekPzDM