AeronAutics

JR Ng

The Republic of Singapore Air Force is using the Israeli-made Heron-1 UAV for airborne sensing, tactical surveillance and targeting.

development programme with state-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI). It revealed its armed reconnaissance Elang Hitam (Black Eagle) UAV prototype to the public at its Bandung headquarters on 30 December 2020.

According to PTDI’s specifications, the Black Eagle UAV has a wingspan of 52.5ft (16m), a length of 28ft (8.65m), and a 8.5ft (2.6m)-high fuselage. PTDI also states that the Black Eagle has a MTOW of 2,866lb (1,300kg) and can carry up to 926lb (420kg) of fuel. It will be equipped with a 4-stroke engine that produces up to 150hp, which the company hopes will enable it to attain an operational ceiling of 23,600ft (7,200m).

The fully loaded air vehicle – carrying up to 660lb (300kg) of mission equipment and/ or weapons – will have a 135nm (250km) command radius and will be capable of taking off from a 2,300ft (700m) long runway and staying aloft for up to 30 hours when operating at cruise speeds.

The Black Eagle is being developed by a local consortium led by PTDI and comprising the MoD and TNI-AU, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), and other state-owned firms, including defence electronics developer PT Len.

The consortium also plans to install wingmounted hardpoints to accommodate various external payloads, including weapons, by 2023. Local media has reported that a possible candidate for weapon integration could be PTDI's 70mm folding-fin aerial rocket (FFAR) system, which comprises four conventional unguided rockets each equipped with a single solid-propellant motor and fitted with four flip-out tailfins to improve ballistic stability.

Besides Indonesia, other Southeast Asian operators or MALE-class UAVs include Singapore and the Philippines.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) took delivery of an undisclosed number of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron 1 UAVs. The service introduced the type in May 2012 and declared it fully operations in March 2017. These are operated by 119 and 128 Squadron and is considered the service’s primary unmanned airborne intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) platform.

In October 2019, the existence of an upgraded RSAF Heron 1 UAV featuring a bulged belly pod housing an unknown payload – likely a SAR system – was inadvertently leaked by a local news agency covering an overseas exercise in the United States.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has also opted for an Israeli-made platform with the Elbit Systems Hermes 900. The type is the first MALE-class UAV platform to be acquired by the Philippines, featuring a MTOW of approximately 2,650lb (1,200kg) and a 50ft (15m) wingspan. Nine of these air vehicles were acquired under a $153 million package announced in October 2019, and are believed to have been delivered by the end of 2020.

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REMOTE FIRE REMOTE FIRE CONTROL CONTROL

Remote weapons are increasing in calibre as the ability to link them Remote weapons are increasing in calibre as the ability to link them with a greater range of sensors and systems increases. with a greater range of sensors and systems increases.

by Tim Fishby Tim Fish

Elbit’s Naval Remote Controlled Weapon System can host 7.62mm, 12.7mm or 40mm weapons and is designed for fast patrol boats, frigates and destroyers.

The Kongsberg Protector RWS is seen here fitted to the Swiss Army’s Motor Boat Company 10 new Patrol Boat 16 craft that are based on the Watercat 1250 model from Finnish company Marine Alutech.

Naval remote weapon stations (RWS) are becoming increasingly popular among navies as they seek to install them on both large and small warships to improve their firepower.

This is important for the Indo-Pacific region where the rise of China over the past decades as a major power has caused tensions with its neighbours in the surrounding seas, including the East China Sea and South China Sea.

Tensions such as in 2021 when over 200 Chinese ‘supposed’ vessels anchored at Whitsun Reef in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over which China disputes ownership. There are thousands of other such marked and unmarked Chinese vessels operating across the wider region in support of China’s territorial ambitions.

This type of potential confrontation increases the risk of an accident that could escalate into a conflict. With such increasing levels of asymmetric and grey zone face-offs, there is a growing need for more adaptable weapon systems that can be quickly fitted to many types of patrol vessels and warships. airborne threats including helicopters and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

RWS can offer significant capability improvements over existing manned weapon stations. Operating remotely means they can be used more effectively when used in conjunction with supplemental situational awareness and targeting information.

They can also reduce a ship’s manpower requirement and improve crew safety. The difference between RWS and crew-served weapons is that the RWS can be operated by a single person from a controlling station. This is instead of having 2-3 crew on deck for observing/commanding, firing and re-loading exposed to the harsh seagoing environment.

Removing those additional crew members from gunnery duties allows them to be assigned other tasks or the ship can reduce its overall headcount. This makes overall ship operations more efficient and with fewer crew the vessel becomes cheaper to operate. This is important for small ships with fewer crew or for small naval forces operating on a limited budget.

Arne Gjennestad, vice president Marketing & Sales for Land Systems at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, a Norwegian defence company, told AMR: “It is about saving manpower and of course the personnel using these systems in a centralised area or protected area free from the environment instead of standing outside on the deck in the sea spray on three different sides of the ship.”

He said that that a single operator could also control more than one RWS from a multi-function console therefore multiplying efficiencies and reducing operating budgets even further. “One operator can simultaneously control several stations, but those several stations can also be arbitrated and if necessary controlled by separate operators if you have

Kongsberg

Any naval force needs to have the ability to enforce the protection of its own EEZ, strategic sites and conduct force protection and interdiction missions. These vessels need to be able to respond to threats such as fast attack craft, new unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and other surface ships as well as

Kongsberg

The RWS operator's position on the Swiss Patrol Boat 16.

Leonardo

The Leonardo Lionfish RWS Inner Loading model. Lionfish can fire at a rate of 485-635rpm using a FN M2HB-QCB 12.7mm machine gun to a range of 1,500m. Lionfish has a Logic Control and Move Unit that connects the controller unit, ship’s CMS and supporting systems to the RWS.

the necessary control systems available.”

The RWS controller can also be situated anywhere in the ship behind a protected position to avoid being exposed to the extremely cold, wet and windy marine environment and any counter-fire. This could be in the operations room alongside other ship’s sensor and weapons system’s operators or in the bridge where the controller can communicate directly with the ship’s commander.

“You can get benefits from having a multirole weapon station being able to feed sensor data or sensor information directly into the command centre, bridge or direct to the Commanding Officer. Otherwise, you have three guys standing with 12.7mm manned guns arming the ship and they have to use vocal communications into the bridge to the officer in charge,” Gjennestad explained. “But with a multi-role console we can also see the sensor data from the long-range camera and laser range finder so it gives the person in the command centre a richer level of situational awareness.”

In this way RWS on naval vessels offer similar capability advantages as their vehiclemounted land RWS equivalents. In fact, large numbers of naval RWS have been developed from earlier land RWS and enhanced for naval operations to improve reliability and accuracy in a marine environment.

Olivier Lequeux, Medium Calibre marketing director at Nexter, a French defence company, explained: “Today, we observe a growing demand for light and fast patrol vessels to carry out mixed operations (military, police, fight against piracy and illegal fishing). At the same time, we are witnessing the gradual renewal of the fleets of large vessels, which are increasingly computerised and have smaller crews. Moreover, the targets are also changing and multiplying: from now on, navies must face drones and new generation missiles.”

“Thus, for both small and large ships, navies around the world are opting to upgrade their weapons systems and to operate them remotely. The increase in calibre is reflected in the gradual abandonment of manual mounts equipped with 7.62mm weapons and from 12.7mm to 40mm, including 20mm.”

Weapons fitted to RWS have traditionally fired light calibres such as 5.56mm or 7.62mm, so the move to increase towards more medium calibres from 12.7mm (.50 cal) up to 40mm is significant in terms of the relative power of both small and large warships to become more effective at engaging targets and using RWS for additional roles.

Mikael Hansson, Combat Systems senior director sales at Saab, a Swedish defence company told AMR: “The capabilities of modern RWS maybe has the biggest advantage for small vessels where a RWS could be the only weapon system onboard and where the environment is more hostile/difficult than on a large vessel. A modern RWS on a small vessel will enable effective warfare on-the-move and also offer air target capabilities, of course depending on weapon choice.”

Larger calibres Hansson said that more customers are investigating larger calibres: “This is due to requirement to deliver more effect on the target and at longer ranges. This means that the RWS market is closing the gap with turrets/ unmanned turrets. RWS manufacturers today look for larger calibre effector systems that deliver effect at a relatively low recoil impact.”

Unlike smaller ships, larger naval vessels or major combatants will also operate larger main gun systems or are equipped with missiles and the associated sensor payloads to support in addition to RWS.

“Large vessels can use the RWS in situations when larger weapons are over-kill or when specific small targets needs to be engaged,” Hansson said. A RWS can hit targets to within 50 metres of a ship, which larger main guns and long-range medium-calibre weapons are unable to engage. “A RWS can also be integrated with the larger vessels’ Fire Control System to be utilised for navigation, search and rescue or as a redundant fire control director for the vessel’s larger armament. A large vessel is of course also better adapted to larger calibre RWS due to structural robustness and ammunition capacity,” Hansson added.

A spokesperson from Israeli company Elbit Systems told AMR that RWS with small calibres of up to 12.7mm “are usually installed onboard small to medium vessels, between 45 tons to 300 tons such as fast patrol boats, missile ships and small corvettes.”

Small and medium naval platforms are usually used for coastal control and force protection providing a larger perimeter protection against multiple small and fast manoeuvring targets that could be attacking in a swarm in the air or on the surface.

The spokesperson added: “Naval RWS with higher calibres of 20-30 mm are installed on larger naval platforms of 300-4,000 tons as primary or secondary weapon system (depending on the main missions and purpose of the vessel).”

These larger ships will employ RWS for force protection, particularly in the littorals and when entering and leaving ports, surface warfare, short-range air defence and as an a close-in-weapon system (CIWS).

Because RWS can be fitted to almost any warship for primary or secondary roles, these systems need to have an increasing array of capabilities. Enhanced ranges and more lethality to engage and destroy targets at range, as well as hit a wider variety of targets such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), loitering munitions and even missiles are all desirable.

Saab’s Hansson said that to be efficient at detecting, recognising, identifying and engaging UAS “the RWS system will have to be part of a system.” He explained: “That means that a surveillance sensor is needed, that there is a secure and real time communication available, that video techniques can be used for identification and that effector technology is further enhanced. This could be one of the most interesting tasks for future RWS Systems.”

Larger calibre munitions up to 40mm will offer extended range and a bigger kinetic effect, but to engage aerial targets naval RWS will have to fire air-burst ammunition of about 30mm in calibre and be integrated with an air search radar.

Gjennestad noted that larger calibres bring additional benefits. “With a 40mm or 30x113mm calibre you get another type of ammunition compared to a 12.7mm – you get more high explosive in the water. We are seeing an interest in that,” he said. “There are also requests for something in between 12.7mm and 30mm, such as 20mm and the short 30mm,” he added.

Naval RWS could even be integrated with anti-tank guided munitions for enhanced long-range lethality. Therefore the main trend is towards up-gunning the weapons fitted to naval RWS to offer a more powerful and effective capability than hitherto has been the case.

A spokesperson from FN Herstal, a Belgian defence company also told AMR that a major trend is to install RWS on USVs. “This drone