HANDS ACROSS THE WATER

- The Case for a Combined Approach to Norwegian and UK Maritime surveillance Capability Challenges

After two decades during which the world’s security focus has been on the Middle East and beyond, the actions of a newly resurgent Russia, in Ukraine and elsewhere, are leading to a reappraisal of the European defence and security environment, and what this might mean for NATO and its member nations. Responding to this shift in the geo-strategic context is riddled with difficulty and complexity, as national governments struggle with the resourcing implications, while at the same time dealing with the impact of the 2007/8 economic crisis and the aftershocks that continue to unfold. And so inevitably there are gaps in the response - some of them critical to national security.

Among these is the ability – or lack of it – to locate and track ships and submarines in the north-eastern North Atlantic Ocean. It was not always thus. Not so long ago this was an example par excellence of how nations could work together towards a common aim, using a combination of political will, high-technology platforms, highly proficient crews and well-practised procedures to deliver an accurate, coherent picture whenever required. But with the demise of the Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, following the US pivot to Asia, and the UK and Netherlands MPA fleets disbanded, only the Norwegian P-3 force remains in place, and then only with a limited time horizon as obsolescence bites. While surface and subsurface assets can clearly play a role, speed and altitude are required to deliver anything more than a tactical picture.

There is some hope, however, with the UK’s long-awaited decision to purchase nine P-8 Poseidon MPA and the emerging discussions about the reestablishment of USN MPA operations from Iceland. The P-8s will undoubtedly deliver an impressive spectrum of capabilities, but it is a very costly platform, which will inevitably restrict the numbers available, and so some important gaps will remain. The high cost also makes it questionable whether Norway will wish to opt for a P-8 purchase, especially given its parallel commitment to the F-35 programme.

THE HYBRID MPA/UAS CONCEPT

The USN (and indeed RAAF) are augmenting their P-8 forces with the MQ-4C Triton (using a force ratio of 5:3). This is far more than a cheap gap-filler, delivering a hugely impressive array of capabilities that will complement the P-8. Developed from the USAF’s RQ-4 Global Hawk (and retaining all of its overland ISR capability) the Triton has been upgraded for the maritime environment, and carries multiple payloads that offer 360-degree coverage to conduct a variety of missions. Operating for 24 hours at 50,000 ft, it is able to cover vast sea areas in a single sortie, and at roughly a third of the cost of a P-8. Descent to low level for visual identification below cloud can be done efficiently when required, and the aircraft’s connectivity to its ground station and beyond allows rapid data transfer for exploitation and dissemination. If Triton holds the aces as far as surface surveillance is concerned, then it is the P-8 that does the equivalent when it comes to anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Equipped with a range of acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, it represents the current state of the art. Together, these two platforms are an immensely powerful and complementary pairing, able to deliver the necessary surface and subsurface picture in a far more cost effective manner than would otherwise be the case.

About the author: Air Commodore Andy Fryer recently retired from the UK Royal Air Force after 33 years of service, having amassed over 5000 flying hours on Nimrod MR2 and CP-140 Aurora MPA. His career included command of a front line Nimrod MPA squadron, as well as Royal Air Force Station Waddington, the UK’s ISR hub, and his final post was as Deputy Commander of the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force. He now works as a consultant, with a focus on collaborative business architectures.

THE POTENTIAL FOR UK/NORWEGIAN COLLABORATION

Budget constraints mean that a UK purchase of Triton for maritime surveillance is no more likely that a Norwegian P-8 buy. However, does the USN/RAAF mixed force concept offer a model that could be exploited by these two nations as a forcemultiplier? Could the two countries that sit astride the North Sea create and operate a combined force of nine P-8 and four high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), such as Triton, to deliver the required maritime picture more effectively and efficiently than on their own?

Several examples of defence capability delivered through burden sharing already exist within NATO, ranging from the UK-Netherland Landing Force to the Franco-German Brigade. And the political climate appears right between the two nations, with Norwegian Minister of Defence Ine Eriksen Søreide’s 2015 statement: “The UK is a key NATO ally and an important partner for Norway. Our close relationship as allies extends far back in time, and today we discussed opportunities for further cooperation.1” and the March 2012 signing of an agreement to strengthen inter alia bilateral military collaboration.

The UK would stand to gain much from such an arrangement. A single Triton sortie launched from, say, Andøya Air Base could provide a maritime surface picture stretching from Svalbard, west to Greenland, and down as far as the French Coast. While the P-8 is also an effective surface surveillance asset, it flies for typically a third of the duration and at three times the hourly cost, and so the efficiencies are obvious. With such a capable surface surveil-

1 http://www.norway.org.uk/ norwayandcountry/Current-Affairs/ Bilateral-Relations/The-NorwegianMinister-of-Defence-to-London/#. VqjQIlOLRR5