Asian Military Review - March/April 2022

Volume 30/issue 2

march/april 2022 US$15

A s i a P a c i f i c ’ s L a r g e s t C i r c u la t e d D e f e n c e M a g a Z i n e

MILITARY TRAINING AIRCRAFT

NAVAL SHIPBUILDING

MULTI-ROLE COMBAT VEHICLES

ELECTRONIC WARFARE SATELLITE JAMMING

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Contents march / april 2022 VOLUME 30 / ISSUE 2

VolUme 30/iSSUe 2

march/april 2022 US$15

AsiA PAcific’s LArgest circuLAted defence MAgAZine

MILITARY TRAINING AIRCRAFT

NAVAL SHIPBUILDING

MULTI-ROLE COMBAT VEHICLES

ELECTRONIC WARFARE SATELLITE JAMMING

06

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The Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk has been developed to include provisions for growth. It was selected by the US Air Force as its new twoseat jet trainer to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon.

MULTI-ROLE READY Stephen W Miller reviews a range of national multi-role combat vehicle operators and requirements.

12

18

TRANSITIONING PILOT TRAINING SHIPYARDS RING FULL SPEED AHEAD

Fom submarines to aircraft carriers, naval dockyards have orders apleanty. Mike Rajkumar reports.

24

Jon Lake considers how air forces are balancing their pilot training requirements as ever more advanced jets fighters join front line squadrons.

30

ANALYSTS COLUMN

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? The jamming and spoofing of Global Navigation Satellite System is a growing problem that nations need to understand and work around, as Dr Thomas Withington explains.

Tim Fish takes a look at China’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the context of its ambitions for regaining Taiwan.

march / april 2022 Asian Military Review 03

Editorial

Index of Advertisers

RUSSIA’S MILITARY MIGHT NOW IN QUESTION hat will the fallout be of the war in Ukraine on countries in the Asia Pacific region? What is clear is that while the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an unprovoked and terrible violation of international law, with the despotic President Putin using massive unjustified force to assimilate an independent democratic country back into Russia, a good number of Asian countries are looking the other way at the humanitarian crisis, preferring to look after self-interest first.

While countries such as India rely heavily on Russian military equipment such as T-90 and T-72 tanks, Sukhoi Su-30 fighters and Mi-17 helicopters, payment for support and spares is going to be effected as several Russian banks are locked out of the SWIFT banking system. This will prove to be a difficult time for any Asian nation with a mix of Russian and Western equipment and acquisition plans, as pressure will no doubt be exerted on them to stop payments - by any means - to Russia.

The People’s Republic of China, also refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine; how could they considering their own annexation of Tibet in 1951, the utter subjugation and imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs, and their declared intent to assimilate Taiwan into China - by force if necessary. Tim Fish in the Analysis on page 30 provides more detail on this.

Whatever the outcome in Ukraine, Russia has suffered huge reputational damage which, added to the long term effect of sanctions, is likely to impact its arms export market substantially, perhaps for the next decade or longer, especially among nonaligned countries.

The ill-planned invasion, with international news footage of Russian Air Force aircraft being shot down and Russian Army tanks being destroyed by small groups of roving, determined Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers armed with Western supplied Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons (NLAW) and FGM-148 Javelins (AAWS M), will do the image of the supposedly mighty Russian military machine no good at all.

Andrew Drwiega, Editor-in-Chief

ADASI (Edge) Collins Aerospace D&S Thailand dB Control Eurosatory Leonardo Milmast Naval Group Nexter Safran Saha Expo Yugoimport

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The Republic of China (Taiwan) Ordnance Readiness Development Centre designed its CM-32 Yunpao 8x8 from inception as a modular platform able to be adapted to various armament and mission configurations.

MULTI-ROLE READY Multi-role combat vehicles (MRCVs) give a good range of options (and savings) over fleets of role specific combat vehicles.

by Stephen W. Miller

T

he main battle tank, infantry fighting vehicle, and selfpropelled howitzer are commonly looked upon as defining an army’s combat capabilities. These are, however, highly mission role specific systems which also carry a considerable support burden. Their development and manufacture also demand investment and industrial capacity not always readily available. Many counties, including those in the Asian-Pacific, therefore focus on a more utilitarian approach to addressing their combat vehicle requirements - the Multi-Role Combat Vehicle (MRCV). These are usually a six or eight wheeled platform with armoured body and utilising available local production

capabilities. Collaborating with established foreign combat system firms have been used to ‘jump-start’ some domestic developments.

The resulting vehicles address the broader roles, missions and circumstances of these militaries, such as peacekeeping, while providing systems that are more readily supported while contributing to the local economy and the possibility of sales in other markets. In fact, MRCVs reflect the majority of combat vehicles in use in the region.

Anoa - Indonesia

Indonesia has been developing an indigenous defence industry since 2000. One of its premier efforts has focused on combat vehicles through the company PT Pindad. The Anoa, a

06 Asian Military Review MARCH / APRIL 2022

6x6 wheeled armoured combat vehicle named after a local water buffalo, has been one its success stories. The development was prompted

by Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat - TNI-AD) interest and facilitated through collaboration with France’s GIAT, which explains the similarity to the Véhicule de l'avant blindé (VAB), which is also in Indonesian service. However, the APS-3 first publicly viewed in 2006, though also a monocoque hull has, in fact, several improvements over its French ‘cousin’. These include an independent suspension with new torsion bars and large 360-degree weapon station on the left side behind the forward commander’s position. It uses the widely used Renault MIDR 06-20-45 engine and ZF

MOD/PT Pindad

LAND POWER

The Anoa is the Indonesian Army’s 6x6 multi-role armoured vehicle which has been configured in over nine variants and manufactured by PT Pindad.

K806 and K808 - Korea

The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) realised a requirement for a highly mobile response force for rear area security and to support its heavier units. Competitors for this need included Doosan’s Black Fox, Samsung Techwin’s MPV, and Hyundai Rotem’s KW1 with the last selected. Low-rate production began in October 2016 was later increased to provide 100 16 tonne 6x6 K806 and 500 20 tonne 8x8 K808 armoured combat vehicles. An order for a third batch of vehicles was announced on 29 September 2020 valued at $348.6 million. The vehicles share many performance characteristics including the 420hp Hyundai diesel power pak, automatic transmission and independent ISU suspension with central tyre inflation and run flat tyres.

The K806 can be configured with a .50 machine gun or 40mm AGL cupola or Remote Weapons System (RWS) as a nine-soldier personnel carrier, as a 30mm turreted ACV, a mobile gun with 90mm low pressure cannon or for medical evacuation. A larger and more protected K808 has rear water jets allowing swimming.

It not only accommodates the weapons of the K806 but can act as a

120mm mortar carrier and command post. In June 2020 the Army also ordered the K808 configured with the K30 Biho twin antiaircraft system from Hanwha with first delivery in December 2021. The high commonality across the K806 and K808 fleets will also offer significant logistics, maintenance and support benefits.

It is worth noting that the Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) has also shown its interest in developing and fielding indigenous wheeled combat vehicles. Local designed 6x6 and 8x8s with a twin 14.5 machinegun turret, a rear engine, and side troop doors resembling the Russian BTR080 have been observed although the production scale is unknown.

Then during the 10 October 2020 military parade in Pyongyang an obviously new and different 8x8 combat vehicle was shown in two versions. The first had a large calibre cannon

AV8 Gempita - Malaysia

Malaysia is also encouraging domestic defence manufacturing by pursing locally developed multirole armoured vehicles. The firm DRBHICOM Defense Technologies, known as DefTech, established a relationship with Turkey’s FNSS Defense Systems in which the later provided military vehicle design and development assistance. The collaboration led to the AV8 Gempita (Thunder) an 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle with a modular design which is based on FNSS’s PARS 8x8. AV8 uses aluminium and steel composite armour with add-on protection against 14.5mm (STANAG 4569 Level 4) on the sides and front. A turbocharged 550hp Deutz engine linked to an automatic transmission provides a power to weight ratio of up to 19.6hp/ton which, coupled with its independent air suspension, offers a road speed of up to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) (62 miles per hour). It is swim capable with two rear shrouded waterjets providing a water speed of 3.2 knots (6km/h).

Other features include dual channel central tyre inflation, run flat tires, air conditioning, NBC protection, land navigation and front and rear thermal and CCD cameras.

In common with most multirole vehicles AV8 has a roomy interior with a rear compartment that can be configured for various mission types. This is further facilitated by open architecture vehicle electronics offering internal and external voice, data, and video exchange, platform status management, battlefield information management, and improved situational awareness. Twelve mission variants of AV8 Hanwha

6FIP502 automatic transmission delivering 320hp. Anoa has proved both dependable and adaptable in filling a range of mission roles including personnel carrier, command, logistics, recovery, mortar carrier, and reconnaissance.

Over 400 currently are in service with the TNIAD. Further development has resulted in the BADAK fire support version. Mounting the CMI Defence CSE 90LP MKIII two-person turret with a 90mm low-pressure rifled gun, it is adapted with a double wish-bone suspension to accommodate gun firing.

in an overhead turret while the second had five anti-tank guided missiles. It remains unclear whether a chassis for a broader multi-role vehicle series will be offered.

Recognising the need for highly mobile ground forces for rapid response, reconnaissance and security tasks the Republic of Korea is fielding the K806 6x6 and K808 8x8 wheeled combat vehicles produced by Hyundai Rotem.

MARCH / APRIL 2022 Asian Military Review 07

Malay Army

LAND POWER

have been provided.

These range from infantry carriers to anti-tank missile, mortar, command, RSTA (reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition), ambulances, recovery, maintenance team, engineering and signals versions. The infantry combat versions use the common chassis but mount either a 12.7mm remote weapon station, a 25mm Bushmaster autocannon Sharpshooter one-man turret, or a Denel South Africa LCT30 two-man turret with 30mm GI30 cannon, digital fire control and day/night sights. Around 54 LCT30 in Malaysian service include the ZT3 Ingwe laser beam riding anti-tank guided missile. Overall, the development and fielding of AV8 is providing a versatile and capable complement to the army’s PT-91M main battle tanks and ACV-300 tracked combat vehicles.

Deliveries of a first batch totalling 257 systems was completed in 2021 while a second order was planned for 2022. There is the possibility that this second requirement, one as large as 400 vehicles, might be recast as a 6x6 for which an initial requirement open to

08 Asian Military Review MARCH / APRIL 2022

MoD

Malaysia’s AV8 Gampita was developed

by DefTech in collaboration with Turkey’s FNSS and is based on the later’s PARS 8x8 and is swim capable.

Japan’s defence development and acquisition agency, ATLA, is pursuing adaption of its 105mm gun Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle (MCV) (shown) configured for infantry combat, reconnaissance and mortar support roles.

LAND POWER

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international competition was announced in September 2021. This potential tender already has the attention of PT Pindad with its Anoa in a 6x6 version, Hyundai Rotem with K806, Hanwha Defense with AVP Engineering with TIGON and General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. In addition, DefTech could again work with FNSS which recently show cased a PARS III 6x6 with front and rear axle steering further improving performance.

The joint development by South Korea’s Hanwha and Malaysia’s AVP Engineering appears, at least initially, targeted to Malaysia’s 6x6 requirement. It’s TIGON is based on the Black Fox, the unsuccessful contender for South Korea’s wheeled combat vehicle with Doosan DST (and Samsung Techwin) being acquired

by Hanwha. Black Fox (considered as its second generation) was, however, successfully offered to Indonesia, renamed Tarantula, as a fire support vehicle with a Cockerill CSE 90mmLP gun. TIGON’s wheeled 6x6, the third generation, uses a double-wishbone suspension with wide tires and has two forward steering axles spaced from its single rear axle. Rear waterjets offer swimming. The basic welded steel hull can be supplemented by bolted add-on armour up to Level 3 while the semi-vee bottom form meets STANAG 4569. With a 525 turbocharged Caterpillar power pak and Allison 4500SP electronically controlled automatic transmission giving 100km/h (62mph) road speed, rear water jets provide swimming at 4.5kts (8.5km/h). The vehicle has been designed to allow variants up to 24-tonne GVW which is facilitated by the spacious interior space. TIGON has undergone extensive field testing since 2018 in Asia and the Middle East. A Hanwha representative indicated it “passed all test categories with the highest score in the later despite rugged terrain and 50C degree temperatures”.

Type 96 Replacement - Japan

Japan’s Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) announced in August 2021 it had selected three designs as competitors to replace its Type 96 8x8 armoured carrier. General Dynamics Land Systems withdrew itself in November leaving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Finnish Patria as competitors. Although designated by the JGSDF as an armoured personnel carrier, the Type 96 configuration and field employment reflect many of the properties of an MRV. Patria’s entry is its AMV XP (extra payload, extra performance, extra protection) which has been undergoing tests in Japan. The AMV is not only in service with eight countries but is both combat proven and had full local manufacturing successfully transitioned in at least two occasions.

Mitsubishi is reconfiguring its MCV

Mitsubishi won a contract in December 2019 to develop prototypes of its Type 16 MCV reconfigured as an infantry combat vehicle as part of a JGSDF Common Tactical Wheeled Vehicles (CTWV) project.

Deliveries will commence from March 2022.

fielded in 2016 with a 105mm tank cannon and a rear troop compartment as its entry.

Called the Mitsubishi Armoured Vehicle (MAV), it is all wheel drive with the company’s 4MA-4 cylinder 536hp diesel and independent suspension with space for two crew and up to nine passengers. Notably Mitsubishi had already received a contract in December 2019 to develop prototypes of its Type 16 MCV reconfigured as an infantry combat vehicle, a reconnaissance combat vehicle, and a manoeuvre mortar combat vehicle as part of a JGSDF Common Tactical Wheeled Vehicles (CTWV) project. Prototypes are to be delivered in March 2022.

Boxer - Australia

The winner of Australia’s Land 400 Phase 2 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) requirement happens to use a platform, the Rheinmetall/ARTEC Boxer, that could be considered as one of today’s up and coming multi-role vehicles. Utilising an innovative ‘mission module’ approach it has a drive platform composed of the chassis, power pak, suspension and driver station. It contains the 711hp MTU 8V199 engine (growing to 805hp in the latest A3), eight-wheel drive and steering, independent double wishbone suspension, and large tyres with run-flat and CTI. On to this platform a variety of interchangeable mission modules can be installed. The Boxer has demonstrated its performance and reliability including service in Afghanistan. The payload and platform stability have also allowed it to extend its adaption to mission roles not typically

10 Asian Military Review MARCH / APRIL 2022

anticipated in prior multi-role vehicles. These include as a self-propelled 155mm howitzer, the Boxer RCH155, a 105mm direct fire cannon turreted vehicle, a mobile bridge layer, and a highly mobile weapon locating system (WLS) platform with Saab’s Arthur radar.

The current Australian Army requirement consists primarily of a reconnaissance variant with a Lance 30mm autocannon - 133 have been ordered. However, the balance, according to the MoD, will include command and control, surveillance, joint fires, ambulance, and battlefield repair and recovery models.

This collection of variants is the broadest in any of the current other Boxer users, though it may well be topped by the British Army which in July 2018 announced its intent to order up to 600 Boxers with the possibility of fielding as many as 1,500. Still as Gary Stewart, managing director of Rheinmetall Defense Australia stated regarding the Australian programme: “Rheinmetall’s investment in the MILVEHCOE (manufacturing and support centre) … is creating a strong sovereign military vehicle industry”. This is amplified by the programme’s incorporation of over 40 indigenous content providers contributing to the vehicle. As a result, Boxer has a potential to offer a local Asian-Pacific contender in other multi-role requirements in the region.

Yunpao – Republic of China (Taiwan)

The Republic of China’s Yunpao Clouded Leopard 8x8 began as the Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle with two-man 30mm MK44 auto-cannon turret. It has subsequently added

LAND POWER

PLA – Type 8 and Type 90/92

The Asian military which has most embraced the multi-role combat vehicle is the People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This is a factor of economics and efficiency driven by the numbers of vehicles necessary to fill its needs. Having common platforms contributes to simplifying training, maintenance and support and offers manufacturing economy of scale.

The PLA fielding include the ZBL08/Type 08 (also referred to as VN1) 8x8 provided in 30mm autocannon turreted personnel carrier,

command, recovery, air defence, 122mm howitzer, and at least 15 other mission models.

An estimated 4,500+ are in service with 75 acquired by Thailand. Another option is the WZ551 6x6 referred to as the ZSL/Type 90 and 92 with the latter being the improved version. Intended as a universal platform these are found with a 100mm cannon, 120mm gun-mortar, missile-carrier, air defence, command, 25mm fighting vehicle, and other combat support versions. Both 4x4 and 8x8 configurations have also been developed. The automotive platform draws from the Tiema XC2030 truck.

Norinco continues to add new multi-role designs as shown by the VN22 6x6 debuted at the Zhuhai air show in September 2021.

Displayed with a UW5 unmanned 30mm turret with pop-up twin anti-tank missiles its form suggested adaptability to other roles. It differs from previous PLA models with the driver forward left of the engine and with height adjustable suspension. It remains unclear if VN22 will enter PLA service.

Future MRCVs

Advances on combat vehicle technologies including improvements in suspension and power to engine weight/volume are permitting multi-role platforms to accept greater payloads increasing their compatibility to larger and more demanding mission packages.

Expanding the roles they are able to take-on provides militaries with the possibility of outfitting battalions with troop carriers, assault guns, mortars, air-defence, reconnaissance, maintenance/recovery, ambulances and other task vehicles. By each utilising a common platform not only are major training, maintenance, logistic and support benefits realised but so too is the mobility and integrity of the entire force. Evidence from recent battlefields also suggest future combat will require an integrated all-arms force. Multirole systems are proving ideal platforms for incorporating the necessary capabilities though mission variants to address these cross-domain threats.

ADF

additional variants establishing itself as a multi-role platform. Other variants are the CM-33 with 40mm auto-grenade launcher / 7.62mm machine gun remote station, plus command and reconnaissance models. In addition, Leopard II has been displayed with a 105mm tank cannon (CM-37 Black Bear) and a mounted mortar with a howitzer integration understood to be in development. These will equip the new combined-arms battalions.

The Republic of Korea Air Force and Army is set to field the KUS-FS developed by Korean Air.

The design concept of the interchangeable mission module utilised in the Rheinmetall/ARTEC Boxer has provided exceptional versatility in configuring it to a wide range of combat and combat support roles.

MARCH / APRIL 2022 Asian Military Review 11

Indian Navy

sea power

The Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari Class submarine is now undergoing sea trials and is slated to be commissioned into service as INS Vagir later this year.

SHIPYARDS RING FULL SPEED AHEAD A steady stream of orders are keeping Asian-Pacific warship builders busy.

W

arship building is at ‘full steam’ at Asian shipyards, with heightened tensions in the region ensuring a steady stream of orders.

Australia is undertaking the largest regeneration of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) since World War II. South Korea and India are well advanced with their aircraft carrier, warship and submarine building programmes. India is also proceeding with an indigenous nuclear submarine programme at great cost and will be soon be joined by Australia in this endeavour.

Defending the Realm

Under Australia’s $133 billion (AUD183 billion) Naval Shipbuilding Plan, nearly $55 billion (AUD $75 billion) will be spent on building maritime capabilities over this decade.

More than 70 naval vessels are to be built in Australia by 2030, employing 15,000 workers.

These warships will be built at the Western Australian Henderson maritime precent and the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

Since the 2016 Defence White Paper, as of 2021, eight ships were under construction in

by Mike Rajkumar Henderson in addition to the same number of vessels that had already been built. Henderson is involved in the manufacture of three classes of vessels; 21 Guardian-class vessels, 10 of the 12 Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels and six Evolved Cape-class vessels.

Amongst the most important of these programmes is the SEA 5000 Phase 1 Hunter Class Frigate programme, which is one of the RAN’s high priority programmes. It is second only to the SEA 1000 Attack-class submarine project. Nine advanced Hunter Class AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) frigates will be built for the RAN at the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide, over a decade long programme.

The new warships are the most advanced antisubmarine warfare (ASW) frigates ever to be built in Australia and will replace the Anzac Class.

“The actual construction phase of the Hunter programme is scheduled to commence by the end of 2022, with prime contractor BAE Systems Maritime Australia, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, already supporting Australian jobs,” Defence's Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group's first assistant secretary

12 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

ships Sheryl Lutz said in January this year.

By 2030, the shipbuilding workforce for the new warships is to grow to over 2,000 people at Osborne.The prototyping phase of the programme is slated to end in 2023. The frigates are being built in batches of three, with the last batch due to completed and released into service well into the 2040s.

The RAN’s current Armidale and Cape class patrol boats are due to be replaced by 12 Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV). The programme is considered as one of the foundational projects in the 2017 Naval Shipbuilding Plan. HMAS Arafura, the first of the class was launched at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in December 2021. The 12 Arafura Class OPVs have been contracted to Luerssen Australia and two of the 80 metre long OPVs will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.

The remaining ten vessels will be built at Henderson Maritime Precinct and all vessels feature state-of-the art sensors and command and communications systems.

“The Arafura class OPVs represent the future of Australia’s border protection and will be the primary asset for maritime patrol and

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march / april 2022 Asian Military Review 13

Naval Group - Crédit photo : ©Naval Group, ©Marine Nationale, © Ewan Lebourdais - Design : Seenk

sea power

The first Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel to be built in Australia was launched at at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia in December 2021.

response duties,” Australia’s Minister Defence Peter Dutton said at the launch of the first vessel. The new OPVs will primarily undertake constabulary missions and maritime patrol and response duties. The Arafura Class OPVs will have a displacement of just over 1,600 tonnes, making them larger and more capable than the existing Armidale Class.

A variant of this new OPV is also being considered to meet a requirement for new mine countermeasures and survey vessels, known as project SEA 1905 Phase 1. These vessels will replace the RAN’s current Huonclass ships, with the proposed acquisition brought forward from the mid 2030s to the mid 2020s. The new ships will be constructed at the Henderson precinct.

The RAN commissioned the second of the Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ships, HMAS Stalwart in November last year at Fleet Base West, Rockingham, Western Australia. HMAS Supply was commissioned in April 2021. The Supply Class will sustain the ADF with fuel, water, food, ammunition, and a variety of cargo for extended periods.

HMAS Stalwart will operate out of Fleet Base West in Western Australia, while her sister ship, HMAS Supply, is based at Fleet Base East, New South Wales. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan said that the new ships represented a generational shift from the capability provided by previous support ships due to their combat management system that improves information sharing with other ADF and allied assets. The new replenishment ships can carry larger volumes of fuel, operate in a wider range of sea states and environmental conditions and support smaller ships. The AORs were built by Navantia in Spain.

building powerhouse in the region with two major naval shipbuilders in Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). South Korea approved the production its first indigenous aircraft carrier at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion, last February. The CVX programme is an effort to indigenously manufacture a conventionally powered 30,000 tonne, 265m long light aircraft carrier.

Renderings of the CVX from by the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) show that it will have a twin-island design.

Service entry is slated for 2033 and the CVX will have an airborne complement of an Lockheed Martin F-35B Vertical Take-Off And Landing (VTOL) fifth generation fighter jets along with Leonardo AW159 and Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters. DSME partnered with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri last year to assist in the CVX’s conceptual design. DSME will gain from Fincantieri’s work on its Landing

Sea trials of the RoKN’s new minesweeper Namhae are now underway and it will also be offered for export.

Forging Ahead

South Korea has also emerged as a warship

14 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

Helicopter Dock (LHD) Trieste, being built for the Italian Navy and due for delivery this year. HHI has partnered with Babcock of the UK for assistance on conceptual design and has inked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and LIG Nex1 for work on the programme and is expected to enter into an agreement with Hanwha Systems for the CVX’s CMS. Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has completed the upgrade of the Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN) three KDX-I Destroyers at Jinhae Naval Base in Gyeongnam. The upgrade effort which began in September 2016, resulted in three upgraded destroyers - Yang Manchun, Gwanggaeto Daewang and Eulji Mundeok, delivered in September 2020, October 2021 and December 2021 respectively. An upgrade of the ROKN’s Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships will also be considered for an upgrade in the future.

DAPA has installed a new Combat Management System (CMS) and sensors on the upgraded KDX-I warships. The indigenous CMS replace earlier ones on these warships, which were imported, and deliver improved performance while lowering operating and maintenance costs. “In addition, the underwater target detection and tracking performance has been significantly increased by replacing it with the newest example of a ship array, the Towed Array Sonar System (TASS), in order to improve the ability to respond to submarines,” a DAPA statement informed.

DSME started construction of second submarine of the Jang Bogo-IIIClass BatchII in December 2021. The 3,000 tonne class submarine is slated to be ready by 2026, with delivery to the RoKN due in 2028. The RoKN will receive a total of five new 3,000-ton class

DAPA

RAN

sea power

India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier is slated to be commissioned into service as INS Vikrant on 15 August. The cost of the programme has ballooned to approximately US$2.5 billion.

HHI in 2018. Also known as the Ulsan-class Batch-II, the other five FFX Batch-II warships are, Gyeongnam, Seoul, Donghae, Daejeon and Pohang. The new frigates offer significantly enhanced ASW capabilities, with the ability to detect submarines from a long distance by mounting a fixed hull mounted sonar as well as a tugboat array sonar system. The 122m long guided missile frigates are powered by a hybrid electric propulsion system using a gas turbine and propulsion motor. These new frigates will replace the RoKN’s existing 1,500-ton class frigates and 1,000-ton class corvettes which are in service Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction launched its high-speed landing craft (LSFII) in December in Busan. It is slated for operational deployment in 2023. According to Major Kim Gye-hwan (Major), Commander

Indian Navy

Jang Bogo-III class Batch-II submarines, which are larger than the Jang Bogo-III class Batch-I (delivered to the RokN in August 2021). The new submarines will also carry more weapons and have an improved combat and sonar system. According to DAPA, the Jang Bogo-III class Batch-II submarines are only the second in the world to be equipped with lithium batteries among 3,000-tonne class submarines, conferring them with a higher level of stealth and underwater operation capability. The new submarines also feature a high localisation rate of 80 percent.

HHI launched the seventh new FFX (Frigate eXperimental) Batch-II warship Cheonan, in November 2021. The 2,800 tonne Cheonan is slated for induction into the RoKN in 2023 after completion of trials.

The first in class vessel, Daegu was delivered by

Indian Navy

sea power

INS Vikramaditya with her airborne compliment of MiG-29 K/KUBs and Ka-31 AEW picket helicopters.

of the 1st Marine Division, said the new high-speed amphibious craft would help the amphibious forces make a safe landings and enable division-level high-speed amphibious operations. The 28m long landing craft has a displacement of 100 tonnes and will be able to carry troops, tanks and armoured vehicles.

It will be able to attain an average speed of 40 knots.

Sea trials of the RoKN’s new minesweeper Namhae built as part of Korea’s second minesweeper project. The vessel which was launched in April 2020, has a displacement of 700 tonnes and is 60m long. “The Namhae will have improved mine-searching and clearing capabilities compared to the existing minesweeping ships, and will become a strong support for protecting Korea’s major ports and maritime traffic routes,” said Geuk-cheol Bang, a high-ranking official.

Korean shipyards have now gained considerable experience in special shipbuilding, mine search and mine clearing and will also look to export this new class of minesweepers.

In addition to mine detection and removal capabilities it will also be able to undertake undersea intelligence. The second and third minesweepers, Hongseong and Goseong are undergoing sea trials.

Quest for Self-Reliance

India’s warship building is one of the successes in its longstanding quest for defence indigenisation. An indication of the progress made could be gauged at the President’s Fleet Review (PFR) of the navy in February, where 47 out the 60 ships and submarines participating were built in Indian shipyards. These included the stealth destroyer INS Visakhapatnam and INS Vela, a Kalvari class submarine, both of which were recently commissioned into the Indian Navy recently along with INS Chennai, Delhi, Teg, three Shivalik class frigates and three Kamorta class Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvettes. Approximately 35 warships and submarines presently under various stages of construction in different Indian shipyards within the country.

State owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL) remains one of India’s leading naval shipbuilders manufacturing submarines and warships. The first Project 15B destroyer (P15B) built by MDL was commissioned into service in November last year as INS Visakhapatnam and marked the formal induction of the new class of four ships. The four warships are named the Indian cities Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The second indigenous P15B Class stealth destroyer Mormugao is slated is due to be commissioned in the next few months and is undergoing sea trials.

march / april 2022 Asian Military Review 15

DDG993

sea power

A Republic of Korea Navy (Sejongdaewang Class) guided missile destroyer. Pictured is the third of the class Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong

the Indian Navy. Four submarines have been commissioned into service: INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela, with the latter two commissioned into service in 2021.

The fifth submarine commenced her sea trials in February and will be commissioned into the navy later this year as INS Vagir. The Scorpene is a stealthy and fast conventionalpropulsion submarine designed and developed

by Naval Group, which has sold 14 of them to international customers. The conventional attack submarines (SSK) are highly automated, reducing crew requirements and having six weapon launching tubes that can carry 18 weapons of different types such as torpedoes, missiles, and mines.

India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC1) being built by Cochin Shipyard and is scheduled to be commissioned as INS Vikrant later this year. The largest and most complex

16 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

RAN

The contract for four P15B destroyers was inked with MDL in January 2011 and the new warships are a follow-on to the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the previous decade. The P15B warships largely retain the hull form, propulsion machinery, much of the platform equipment and major weapons and sensors from the Kolkata Class. The warships are fitted with DRDO-IAI developed Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MR-SAM), BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and a 76mm gun.

INS Visakhapatnam is also the first Indian warship to receive the new ‘Shakti’ Electronic Warfare (EW) system developed by DRDO. The new EW system will be installed on-board warships under production, including P-15B, P-17A, follow-on Talwar Class and is also being installed on-board the carrier. Bharat Electronics (BEL) has received a production order worth approximately $250 million for 12 Shakti EW systems. The 163m long destroyers have a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and uses a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) powerplant configuration and can attain speeds in excess of 30kts. The warships have a complement of 315 sailors.

MDL last received an order to build submarines in 2005 and the endemic delays that plague Indian defence procurement can be gauged from the fact that, delivery of the sixth and final Scorpene submarine contracted for, is yet to take place. A total of six submarines were to be built by MDL under a $3.75 billion contract signed with French shipbuilder Naval Group (then known as DCNS) in 2005. These Scorpene Class submarines, being built under a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with Naval Group are known as the Kalvari Class in

warship ever to be built in India and has seen its cost balloon to nearly $2.5 billion (INR200 billion) for a project originally sanctioned in May 1999. IAC-1 completed her first sea trial in August last year and undertook her maiden flight trials in October-November the same year. The aircraft is slated to be commissioned into service as INS Vikrant on 15 August this year, which is also India’s Independence Day. Project approval for construction of the indigenous Carrier had been accorded by the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 1999. According to the Navy’s Fleet Doctrine, aircraft carriers are central to its operational requirements as it is the only means of ensuring air defence at sea. The Indian Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier, the 19,500 tonne INS Vikrant in March 1961. INS Vikrant (ex HMS Hercules) was acquired from the UK in 1957. INS Viraat, the navy’s second aircraft carrier was originally commissioned in 1959 as the UK Royal Navy's HMS Hermes.

The 28,700 tone carrier was refurbished and transferred to India in 1987. The navy’s third carrier INS Vikramaditya (erstwhile Admiral Gorshkov) commissioned into the Navy in November 2013 and is now its only operational carrier operating MiG-29K/KUB aircraft as its fighter complement.

Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine has now thrown up a problem for the Indian Navy, as its P1135.6 Class (Krivak III) warships on order from the former, use the latter’s Zorya gas turbines. India and Russia had inked an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for two of Project 1135.6 warships to be built in Russia and two more to be built in India by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). The newest of these warships Tushil was launched in October last year. Sourcing engines and spares for the existing fleet of Ukraininan gas turbines for the Indian fleet could now prove problematic and requires deft handling of the situation.

HMAS Perth has received significant capability upgrades as part of the Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Programme (AMCAP). Pictured here in front of HMAS Ballarat.

sea power

NORA-B52 M21 Self-propelled gun-howitzer 155 mm

N

ora B-52 M21 is the latest version of the 155 mm selfpropelled artillery weapon of Yugoimport-SDPR. In 2021, at the invitation of the US Government, Nora B-52 M21 was sent to the USA for a shoot-off evaluation at the YUMA Proving Grounds in Arizona by the U.S. armed forces.

This weapon, which had been modified according to the requirements of the US partner, made it to the shortlist and had successfully passed comprehensive testing in the United States that lasted for several months.

The 155 mm self-propelled gun howitzer, intended for fire support of own units is fitted with 155 mm/52 cal. ordnance with 23 l chamber providing range of 41 km with ERFB/BB projectiles and zone 10 propellant charge. It provides fire support with intensive, sudden and rapid fire on targets of tactical, operational and strategic importance at long distances. Maximum rate of fire is 4 rds/min.

The weapon is modular, which provides for the delivery of a number of different options depending on the user’s choice. It is mounted on MAN chassis. Wheel formula is 8x8 with maximum road speed of 95 km/h and

NORA-B52 M21

Self-propelled gun-howitzer 155 mm

NORA-B52

Self-propelled gun-howitzer 155 mm

road autonomy of 650 km. Nora system can also be mounted on KAMAZ chassis.

The NORA-B52 M21 155 mm selfpropelled gun-howitzer can be used, without degrading its exploitation characteristics, in the following conditions: • on all types of ground, • in all climatic-mechanic

conditions (sunshine, rain, snow, high humidity, high sand concentration), • by day and night, in all visibility conditions, • the operation of all basic subsystems of the weapon is reliable within the temperature range from - 25°C to + 55°C, • operation is ensured in case of main drive failure by integration of APU and manual hydraulic controls.

The communication between the crew members is enabled by an intercommunication (UMK) unit, which enables normal communication at the work places and at the places of serving the automatic loader components.

The UMK unit is integrated into the communication system on the weapon and battery level.

The fire control system on the battery level enables the use of the weapon in several ways, and specifically: • in the automatic operation mode (automatic gun laying and automatic loading of both projectile and powder charges), • in the semi-automatic operation mode, • in the classical-manual operation mode with set of sighting devices.

Crew protection is in accordance with STANAG 4569, level 2.

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AIR POWER

TRANSITIONING PILOT TRAINING The military pilot training world is changing rapidly, undergoing a seismic shift as it tries to adapt to new requirements, both budgetary and operational.

by Jon Lake

A

lthough the latest generation of frontline aircraft tend to be easier to fly than their predecessors in terms of their handling characteristics, and in terms of the ‘man-machine interface’, they demand much more in terms of systems management.

This can mean that some previous generation advanced trainers may present unrepresentative or unrealistic handling challenges, lack a user-friendly glass cockpit and good human machine interface (HMI) and yet do not adequately stretch the student pilot’s systems management skills and capacity.

At the same time there are contradictory and competing requirements to ‘download’ training from expensive-to-operate frontline types to cheaper advanced trainers, and from advanced trainers to basic trainers in an effort to shave costs from the training pipeline. This can actually increase some costs, as an advanced trainer that is also flying some of the ‘OCU syllabus’ will require higher performance and greater avionics sophistication (with radar and sensor emulation, for example) than a ‘plain’ advanced trainer would need. This also tends to mitigate against the use of a turboproppowered advanced trainer, since even the fastest

18 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

of these (such as the Pilatus PC-21) are just about capable of 360 knots (666 kilometres per hour) – 200kts (370km/h) slower than many jet trainers – and arguably too slow to fly representative sortie profiles, let alone to pile on the workload to really stretch student pilots.

And yet many air forces cannot simply buy the trainer aircraft that best meet their requirements but instead ‘buy in’ a contractorowned, contractor-operated service in which the service provider (and not the customer) decides what aircraft type will be operated.

This is why, for example, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) operates the Textron

RAAF

AIR POWER

T-6C Texan as its basic trainer, rather than (for example) the Pilatus PC-21.

Traditionally, most air forces followed a very similar training syllabus, using a light, piston-engined trainer (usually side-by-side) for ab initio, primary or elementary training or screening (sometimes known as Phase I). Some smaller and less well funded air forces may use ultra-light aircraft, motor gliders or even gliders for this role, while others have entirely privatised the provision of elementary flying training. In Australia, for example, civilian contractors now conduct all Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) elementary/primary flight training.

Phase II or basic training follows the ab initio or screening phase, once usually flown on a jet trainer with side-by-side seating (like the BAC Jet Provost or Cessna T-37) but now more often flown on a turboprop with stepped tandem cockpits (examples including the Pilatus PC-9, Textron T-6 Texan and Embraer Tucano). Modern turboprop trainers like these can replicate the handling characteristics of a jet aircraft, with a single ‘power lever’ rather than separate throttle, RPM/propeller pitch controls. The aircraft are more demanding than most elementary trainers, allowing a student’s pilot aptitude to be challenged more rigorously and assessed more accurately, while any lack of speed can be compensated for by increasing pilot workload in other ways.

Not all air forces divide the pilot training syllabus into the same phases, and some use phases of different durations. Sometimes an air force equipped with jet-powered basic trainers (like the Leonardo M-345 or its precursors) or with higher-performance turboprops, might have a longer ‘basic’ phase and a shorter advanced phase.

Pilots will usually be ‘streamed’ at the end of the basic phase, according to aptitude and air force needs, usually with the strongest candidates going on to ‘fast jet’ training, and with others going on to rotary-wing or multiengined training courses. A few air forces may ‘stream’ pilots at an earlier stage, and a very few at a later stage. Flying qualification badges or ‘Wings’ are often awarded on the successful completion of basic training.

Advanced Training

The Royal Australian Air Force uses the Pilatus PC-21 as it bridges the performance gap between traditional turboprop trainers and lead-in fighters.

Those pilots destined for fast jet aircraft typically progress to ‘Advanced’ or ‘Phase III’ training. This is usually undertaken on a higher performance trainer aircraft, usually a jet, often with a swept wing, normally capable of high subsonic speeds and high-energy manoeuvres, and sometimes equipped with systems that emulate modern weapons systems and sensors.

Previous generations of advanced trainers

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AIR POWER

Taiwan’s indigenously developed T-5 Yong Yīng (Brave Eagle) advanced jet trainer (AJT) destined to enter Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) service in 2026.

created in a computer-generated operating scenario). This allows more complex training scenarios to be generated at relatively lower cost.

Cost savings are the driver behind many of the current and forthcoming developments in flying training, and particularly the increasing use of synthetics, which include computer based training devices and part-task trainers to teach specific skills or the use of specific systems, and a variety of fixed-base and full motion simulators, with different visual systems.

Synthetics can save cost, and promise a lower environmental impact, while simulators

offer a useful solution for those training scenarios that carry a high level of risk. If the risk of training for a particular situation is higher than the risk of suffering that failure in operation, then a simulator might be preferable to an in-flight training scenario.

But simulators also have real limitations, and cannot reproduce the sentient experience, nor the psychological and physiological pressures.

The US Air Force’s Pilot Training Next (PTN) programme makes greater use of virtual reality systems, but has already proved problematic in some areas. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some students who were sent on the USAF’s PTN programme had to undergo remedial Boeing

including the Northrop T-38 Talon, the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet, the Aero L-39 and early versions of the BAE Systems Hawk are starting to give way to more modern advanced trainers which may feature reconfigurable displays and controls, as well as onboard emulation systems. These include the latest versions of the Hawk, as well as the Boeing T-7A Redhawk, the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, and the Leonardo M-346 Master.

But at the same time, some air forces are delivering advanced Phase III and even Phase IV training on turboprops. The Swiss Air Force has used the PC-21 for Phase III/IV for more than ten years, and the French Air and Space Force recently turned to Dassault Aviation and Babcock to provide between nine and 13 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft for Phase IV advanced lead-in fighter pilot training, replacing Alpha Jets at Cazaux, meaning that some French fighter pilots will now undergo Phase II, III and IV training on the high speed Swiss turboprop!

Phase IV or ‘lead in fighter training’ (LIFT) often uses the same aircraft types as are used for Phase III, providing a stepping stone between advanced training and operational conversion training on a frontline aircraft type.

Live/Virtual Construct

In the later phases of flying training, increasing use is being made of the Live Virtual Constructive concept in which ‘Live’ aircraft (real aircraft in flight) are linked with ‘Virtual’ aircraft (being flown in ground-based simulators) and ‘Constructive’ aircraft (being

20 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

The Boeing-Saab T7 Red Hawk will be the US Air Force’s new training jet with over 350 ordered together with 46 simulators.

AIR POWER

flying training at Valley on their return to the UK. The balance between simulation and ‘live’ training involves operational, financial, safety, morale and environmental considerations - and ultimately must depend on military judgement.

Another potential avenue for cost savings could be reducing the number of different aircraft types flown by a student pilot on his or her route to the frontline. Currently, most pilots will fly a different aircraft type in each Phase of flying training, perhaps flying the same type at Phase IV as they did at Phase III. In Spain, efforts are underway to produce a streamlined training syllabus with the PC-21 replacing the T-35C Pillan for Phase I training, and supplanting the CASA 101 previously used for Phase II. The new Airbus Spain AFJT would then take student pilots from the last part of the Phase II syllabus through to OCU, replacing some of the CASA syllabus and the two phases now flown using the F-5M. Among a series of trials undertaken by the the RAF was a Prefect-direct to-Hawk initiative, which saw two young pilots undertake a tailored Phase I/II course on the Grob 120TP leading to Wings and conversion to the BAE Hawk for Phase III/IV. On the other hand, some nations have deliberately chosen a more expensive approach to the procurement of new trainer aircraft, opting to develop indigenous trainer designs at huge cost, instead of buying an existing aircraft ‘off the shelf ’. Trainer aircraft have proved to be a particularly popular ‘launch’ product for newly established local aerospace industries, being small in size and lacking some of the complexity of frontline combat aircraft.

In the Asia-Pacific region, India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have all produced successful indigenous trainer designs, most of which are currently in development or in operational service, while Pakistan has successfully licence built and marketed its Saab MFI-17-based Mushshak and the locally assembled K-8 Karakorum (a version of the Chinese Hongdu JL-8).

Though it has been constitutionally prevented from exporting military aircraft, Japan has a flourishing aerospace industry, and has produced a succession of trainer aircraft, including the Sabre-like Fuji T-1 and the Jaguar-like Mitsubishi T-2. Indigenous trainers in service today include the Fuji T-7 (previously known as the T-3 Kai) a tandem-seat primary trainer aircraft developed from Fuji Heavy Industries’ earlier T-3 trainer, with a 450shp Allison 250 turboprop engine replacing the original aircraft’s 340hp Lycoming IGSO-480 six-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled piston engine. The aircraft bears a passing resemblance to the Beech T-34 Mentor, from

which the T-3 was developed.

For advanced training, the Japanese Air Self Defence Force fields the Kawasaki T-4 – an aircraft which has been described as looking like an ‘Alpha Jet on steroids’. The XT-4 prototype made its maiden flight on 29 July 1985, and production aircraft were delivered from September 1988. Large numbers of the 208 or so built remain in use today. The type was powered by a pair of Ishikawajima-Harima F3-IHI-30 engines – which represented the first all-Japanese production turbofan engine

and which gave the aircraft a 20 per cent greater thrust-to-weight ratio than the contemporary BAE Hawk and Dassault Alpha Jet. With a lower wing loading than its rivals, the T-4 also proved extremely agile, and it climbed like the proverbial ‘homesick angel’.

India has produced a succession of indigenous trainer aircraft, from the Chipmunk-like HT-2 and the long-retired HPT-32 to the HJT-16 Kiran, a jet-powered basic trainer with side-by-side seating which remains in service in small numbers. Currently

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Hunini

AIR POWER

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Kawasaki T4 at the Gifu Air Base, November 2019, Japan.

in the name given to the country’s AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung (‘Self Reliance’). This neat tandemseat jet trainer was designed with some help from Northrop and made its maiden flight on 16 September 1980, and two prototypes were followed by 60 production aircraft.

The programme also provided invaluable experience for AIDC before it embarked on the more ambitious AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) programme.

The Ching Kuo fighter formed the basis of the new AT-5 Brave Eagle, an advanced trainer developed as a replacement for the RoCAF’s fleet of AIDC AT-3s and Northrop F-5s. The programme was intended to provide a cheaper solution than simply buying an equivalent number of KAI T-50s, and this prevented a clean sheet of paper design. Instead AIDC looked at a modernised derivative of the AT-3

22 Asian Military Review march / april 2022

HAL

under development are the HAL HTT-40, a tandem-seat turboprop powered by a 950shp Honeywell Garrett TPE331-12B engine (the same engine as the Shorts-built version of the Tucano), of similar configuration to the PC-7, but about two feet longer and with about two feet greater span. The aircraft first flew on 31 May 2016. The Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 106 HTT-40s for the Indian Air Force in August 2020, and current requirements are for 70 HTT40s with an option on 38 more.

Another indigenous Indian trainer already flying in prototype form is the HAL HJT-36 Sitara. Powered by a single powerful NPO Saturn AL-55I the HJT-36 otherwise has a similar configuration to the bigger, twin AL-55I engined MiG AT. The SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac-powered HJT-16 prototype first flew on 7 March 2003, but was found to be underpowered. The initial series production aircraft therefore used a new Russian engine, but was then found to have unacceptable spinning characteristics, and an initial order for 73 aircraft was cancelled and only about a dozen of the original design were built.

A modified version did not fly until April 2019, but in January 2022, the modified aircraft successfully demonstrated six-turn spins (and recoveries) in both directions, hopefully clearing the way to production orders.

For Taiwan, indigenous aircraft design is all about having sufficient local capability to be able to ride out any interruptions to the flow of defence equipment from the USA, and to demonstrate (especially to that partner) a degree of autonomy. This is demonstrated even

(the AT-3 MAX), a similar evolved variant of the Ching-Kuo (the XAT-5 Blue Magpie), and at local assembly of the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master. The XAT-5 was selected for development in 2017.

Though based on the Ching-Kuo and sharing the same engines, the Brave Eagle has a composite fuselage and has only 20 percent parts commonality with the F-CK-1. The aerofoil is slightly revised, in order to increase stability at low speed, with the added benefit of providing increased fuel tankage. More than 55 percent of the components of the Brave Eagle are made in Taiwan.

The first of four prototypes was rolled out in the presence of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in September 2019, and made its maiden flight on 10 June 2020. It is expected to enter service from 2026.

The Republic of Korea will soon be able to train its military pilots ‘right through’ on indigenously designed aircraft! KAI flew the first prototype of the KT-100 elementary trainer variant, on 5 October 2015. The aircraft is a military derivative of the KAI KC100 Naraon light aircraft – the first civil design to be developed and manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The KT-100 will replace 20 Ilyushin Il-103 aircraft currently used by the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) academy.

RoKAF pilots will then progress to the KAI KT-1 Woongbi, the first completely indigenous Korean aircraft. A tandem-seat turboprop trainer strongly reminiscent of the Pilatus PC-9, the KT-1 first flew in November 1991, and in 1999 an initial production contract was signed for 85 aircraft, with provisions for an additional 20, which was subsequently exercised, the RoKAF receiving 85 KT-1 trainers and 20 KA-1 light attack aircraft. The type has been exported to Indonesia, Peru, Senegal and Turkey, where it has spawned a

The HAL HJT-36 Sitara is a subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft.

Turkish derivative – the TAI Hürkuş.

For advanced training, the RoKAF has the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, which is powered by a single General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine license-produced by Samsung Techwin, and upgraded with a General Electric/KAIdeveloped FADEC system. The T-50 was developed by KAI with input from Lockheed Martin, and a prototype made its maiden flight in 2002. The aircraft entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in 2005, and was subsequently exported to Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The baseline T-50 advanced trainer has been developed into the TA-50 for lead-in fighter training and light attack, equipped with an Elta EL/M-2032 fire control radar, as well as the FA-50 light combat aircraft which adds internal fuel capacity, enhanced avionics, a longer radome and a tactical datalink. In 2016, KAI revealed a new derivative tailored to the US TX requirement. This T-50A was based on the FA-50 and featured a ‘fifth-generation’ cockpit with a large area display, an aerial refuelling receptacle, cockpit multifunction

KAI

AIR POWER

The Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 was its first indigenous supersonic aircraft with the TA-50 being used for lead-in fighter training, as well as light attack as operated by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU).

display, a dorsal hump accommodating extra internal fuel and an aerial refuelling receptacle, and an embedded training system. In the end, Boeing were able to undercut the T-50 on

price, and provide better training capabilities, but it would be a mistake to dismiss the T-50, which is certain to win further orders.

Eyes in the Sky: ADASI’s ISTAR Mission Systems

AD The race to anticipate threats before they emerge is an inherent part of national security today, and reliable intelligence about the adversary is the key success factor in decision-making.

Drawing on ADASI’s expertise in autonomous systems’ architectures and capabilities, Garmoosha and QX-5 form an integral part of the company’s product portfolio, providing armed forces with realtime situational awareness and a decisive tactical advantage.

From quick deployment to extended payloads, ADASI’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) platforms supply crucial data in decisive moments to enable military users to meet current and future operational challenges.

Garmoosha Aimed at advancing air operations and enhancing

performance, Garmoosha is a light military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can carry payloads of approximately 100 kg with an endurance of six hours and range of 150 km.

Designed to be extremely competitive in the market, Garmoosha underpins ADASI’s concerted effort to continuously adapt its solutions to meet customers’ needs.

The tactical-grade platform can be deployed in all weather conditions, day or night, and at altitudes ranging from sea level to 10,000 ft. It features system capabilities that make it ideal for ISTAR and battlefield intelligence and assessment missions.

The aircraft’s payload capacity and performance specifications ensure high functionality in maritime surveillance, search and rescue missions, and radio link range extension and retransmission.

ADASI offers a tactical set that comprises two Garmoosha aircraft, a ground control station (GCS)

shelter and an efficient transportation shelter. The GCS features all equipment required to operate the UAV and its payloads, including a centre console, laptop console, extension or retraction mast and an antenna tracking system. Each aircraft requires a pilot in command, a second pilot, a payload operator and two technicians.

Based on a helicopter design, Garmoosha is fitted with a two-bladed rotor, and has automatic vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability.

QX-5 QX-5 is a fixed-wing VTOL UAV and is the latest member of the tactical series aimed at supporting customers’ most demanding mission scenarios.

Unlike the earlier versions in the series which can support attack missions, QX-5 is focused on extended range and endurance ISR missions, border patrol, pipeline monitoring, and wide area surveillance for both civil and military usage.

The system boasts a maximum take-off weight of 110 kg, a range of 100 km, an endurance of 7–16 hours (depending on payload configuration), and a service ceiling of 10,000 ft.

To help with day-to-day applications, ADASI’s ISTAR mission sets can be used to gather intelligence, monitor maritime activities, and carry out surveillance of national borders and littoral areas, detecting any unusual movement.

Fusing multiple forms of intelligence on a sophisticated unmanned aircraft allows users to constantly monitor and maintain the chain of custody of risks and targets. The systems will only get smarter the more data they process, and in the future, machine learning and AI will push the boundaries of truly understanding the adversaries and staying one step ahead of them.

Hellen Systems

e l e c t r i c wa r fa r e

Portable ELORAN systems like this containerised equipment produced by Hellen Systems provides PNT coverage in areas where ELORAN services are unavailable or where GNSS PNT information is being disrupted.

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? Satellite navigation jamming is a growing concern in the Asia-Pacific. Fortunately, there are steps nations can take to mitigating this menace.

by Dr. Thomas Withington

A

satellite navigation signal travels along to reach us. The US’ Global Positioning System (GPS) has a constellation of satellites positioned approximately 20,200 kilometres (12,550 miles) above Earth. Their signals have a strength of 54.8 decibels/ milliwatt (dBm) when they leave the spacecraft.

When they reach Earth, these signals will have reduced to a strength as low as -130dBm. The lower the dBm number, the weaker the signal. This explains why GPS signals get easily blocked by large buildings in urban areas and

by thick tree canopy in a forest or jungle.

Why are these signals so weak? They must travel a long way to reach Earth. Like a marathon competitor, the runner has far more energy at the start of the race than at the end.

Signals are also weak as they are generated by a satellite’s solar panels and because the spacecraft are transmitting continuously.

Furthermore, space is a finite resource on a satellite. A balance must be struck between the mass of the satellite’s electricity generation equipment and its size and weight so it can be safely and economically launched. The

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net result is weak GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals which are easy to jam and spoof.

Nefarious Actors

Spoofing is a growing problem in the AsiaPacific. In June 2021 Katie Zeng, north, south and central Asia analyst for Risk Intelligence penned an article entitled ‘GNSS Spoofing in China and Beyond’. Zeng chronicled worrying incidences of GNSS spoofing in and around Chinese maritime interests.

In 2019, GNSS spoofing was detected

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A depiction of GNSS spoofing by Risk Intelligence. It is clear from this picture how GNSS plots have been concentrated and moved on to the right bank of the Huangpu River.

officers and oil terminals in Shanghai, Dalian, Fuzhou and Quanzhou” along the country’s coastline. She believes that “one of the likely motives to carry out this GNSS manipulation

USAF

around Shanghai’s port on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) east coast. It took the form of vessel tracks being shown inland.

Zeng wrote that the motives for manipulating the GNSS data and the identity of the perpetrators was unclear. Other incidents include the manipulation of GNSS data supporting Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions from shipping. AIS is mandated by the International Maritime Organisation for all ships displacing over 300 gross tonnage. Transponders send information on the vessel’s identity, voyage and route using maritime radio and satellite links. AIS transponders share positional information using the ship’s GNSS receiver. This data is visible to other ships and shore installations using AIS receivers. If this information is incorrect, either by accident or by design, then the ship can appear to be a completely different position from where it is. Zeng noted that a flotilla of Chinese fishing vessels altered their GNSS signals to show the vessels as being near New Zealand. In reality, they were near the Galàpagos Islands off Latin America where they may have been illegally fishing.

Zeng told AMR that the PRC “will use AIS data manipulation at central government

riskintelligence.eu

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An artist’s impression of the USAF’s GPS-IIIA satellites which entered service from 2018. Even though they transmit GNSS signals of 300 watts these are still weak by the time they reach Earth.

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is to cover the tracks of Chinese companies importing Iranian crude oil. However, this is just an assessment based on news of US sanctions on Chinese companies.” So far, it appears the jamming is only affecting the GPS constellation. Zeng says this is not surprising given the prevalence of GPS use globally.

Exactly how much GNSS spoofing is going on in the Asia-Pacific is difficult to say: “Most of the time when people do GNSS spoofing, they are not looking to be discovered” says Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation.

The PRC is not the only culprit. Over the past decade, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has suffered GNSS attacks open sources have blamed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Centre for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Space Threat Assessment 2021 report said the DPRK had inducted new anti-GNSS weapons into service. The CSIS is a think tank based in Washington DC. The report also noted DPRK GNSS jamming operations along the Korean peninsula in 2020. These attacks have been directed against civilian rather than military GNSS use. The DPRK government may wish to cause inconvenience and disruption without excessive escalation. Military GNSS jamming risks being construed as an act of war. While the DPRK can jam civilian GNSS, her capabilities maybe insufficient to jam the encrypted M-Code signals from the US GPS constellation used by US and allied forces.

Goward notes that M-Code will help overcome some interference. However, it might not be a significant obstacle to a determined adversary, he warns. Likewise, he believes that the DPRK

Maxar Technologies The Ever Given container ship blocks the Suez Canal in March 2020. The disruption this incident caused indicates the disruption shipping would suffer following any sustained GNSS disruption over the Asia-Pacific’s oceans.

may be exporting jamming technology to other nefarious state and non-state actors.

Dependency

GNSS is indispensable for commerce and quality of life in the Asia-Pacific much as it is for anywhere else. It is relied on for navigation on land and at sea. Aviation also uses GNSS although aircraft also use terrestrial radio navigation systems to avoid being overly reliant on one form of navigation. It may come as a surprise to learn that GNSS is also used widely in the financial sector. Timing is a key element of navigation. You must know what time you left somewhere and your current time to determine your speed and location.

GNSS satellites provide a time signal as part of their transmission. This is generated by the spacecraft’s highly accurate atomic clocks. The commercial sector relies on GNSS time signals to synchronise computer handling credit card transactions and e-commerce for example, says Goward.

Any major and sustained disruption to GNSS signals in the Asia-Pacific could have serious ramifications for the region’s economies.

The United Nations’ (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) estimated that in 2021 the region accounted for 41 percent of the world’s imports. It also accounted for 36.8 percent of the world’s exports.

In late March 2021 the Ever Given container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal

blocking the waterway for six days. Maritime insurer Lloyds of London estimated the ship was holding up $9.6 billion of trade daily. Imagine the cost of widespread GNSS disruption hitting commercial shipping in the South China Sea. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank over 30 percent of goods carried on the oceans move through the South China Sea.

Mitigation

What can be done to mitigate the potentially devastating consequences of widespread GNSS jamming in the region? The first step is to detect the jamming in the first place. This is vital. By the time people realise something is wrong, the disruption may have been going on for several hours.

In August 2021 it was reported Spire Global’s constellation of circa 150 Lemur nanosatellites can detect GNSS jamming.

Nanosatellites are traditionally defined as having a mass of between one and ten kilograms (2.2 and 22 pounds). The company revealed that it had accidentally detected GNSS jamming signals while calibrating some of its satellites. Company representatives said that GNSS jammers tend to emit very high power levels. Although GNSS signals are weak when they reach Earth, this tactic ensures they are comprehensively jammed around the jammer’s locale. These ‘loud’ signals were relatively easy to detect with Spire’s satellites.

The ability to detect powerful military

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Spire Global

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Spire Global’s nanosatellites can spot and locate sources of GNSS disruption.

This could provide a useful early warning function to GNSS users in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

GNSS jamming will be very useful for actors in the Asia-Pacific. The origin of these jamming signals can be cross-referenced with satellite photos of the jammer’s location. This will give clues on the type of jammers being used and the nation performing the attacks.

Governments can then make representations to the latter asking them to desist. At the same time, alerts can be sent to GNSS users in the vicinity of the jamming warning them what is going on.

The effects of GNSS jamming can be mitigated by using alternatives to provide the all-important PNT (Precision Navigation and Timing) information these signals transmit. One promising technology is known as ELORAN (Enhanced Long-Range Navigation). This is a vastly modernised version of the LORAN radio navigation system pioneered during the Second World War and in use around the world until 1990s. LORAN

ultimately became a casualty of GNSS and largely fell into disuse.

ELORAN

“One of the best defences against GNSS jamming and spoofing is to have other ways to determine your position relatively accurately,” says Goward. The risk to GNSS infrastructure posed by jamming and spoofing has triggered a renaissance of interest in LORAN and a desire to augment it with new technology.

LORAN was mainly used by aircraft and ships.

LORAN stations were dotted around the world’s coastlines. It used an elegantly simple principle. All radio waves travel at 161,595 knots-per-second (299,274 kilometres-persecond). LORAN stations work in pairs. Maps showed where these stations were located and the distance between them. Each station would continuously transmit a single radio pulse on frequencies of 90 kilohertz/KHz and

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110KHz. The pulses were transmitted every half a second. If a ship or aircraft is exactly midway between both LORAN transmitters, the pulses arrive at the same time. If the ship or aircraft is closer to one transmitter than the other, it receives pulses from the nearest transmitter slightly earlier than pulses from the farther one. Calculate the time lag between these two pulses, and you can calculate your position relative to the transmitters.

Goward says that ELORAN is vastly modernised and more secure that the erstwhile LORAN system. It has many more potential features as would be expected after more than 50 years of development across the electronics and information technology industries. Usefully, as ELORAN depends on accurate timing for the pulse transmission, it can be used as an alternative timing source to GNSS. For example, an e-commerce provider could use an ELORAN station in range for its

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time signal. ELORAN stations typically have ranges of up to 1,000 nautical miles (1,162 kilometres). Several of the Asia-Pacific’s big cities and financial hubs are near coastlines.

This means that they could potentially be near LORAN stations. By upgrading these stations to ELORAN, their signals will stretch far inland as well as out over the oceans. This means that vehicles in range could also benefit from ELORAN coverage.

You do not even need to have a GNSS receiver on a building’s roof to receive ELORAN signals as these can penetrate buildings, unlike GNSS signals. This means if a company or organisation needs an alternative timing source, it can have the ELORAN receiver indoors on its premises. ELORAN signals are five million times more powerful than GNSS. They also use very low frequencies.

Both these factors make ELORAN difficult to jam. Existing LORAN stations dotted around the Asia-Pacific coastlines which have fallen into disuse could be reactivated and upgraded for ELORAN. Moreover, companies like Hellen Systems have developed portable,

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containerised ELORAN systems. These can be used to provide ELORAN coverage where no existing ELORAN stations are available.

Countries in the region are embracing ELORAN. In 2020 the ROK government signed an agreement to use ELORAN to aid digital television and radio broadcasting.

Contemporary reports said that these signals, which depend on GNSS timing, have been targets of DPRK jamming in the past. The agreement was concluded between the ROK’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. The ministry is the custodian of the country’s LORAN/ELORAN infrastructure.

The ELORAN service provides timing information to the broadcaster. Munhwa meanwhile uses its networks to transmit GNSS integrity and correction information. In July 2020, UrasNav was awarded a contract to supply and install a testbed ELORAN system near Inchon on the ROK’s northwest coast.

Making the Commitment

ELORAN and Spire Global’s satellites are a

step in the right direction to mitigate GNSS jamming and spoofing. It is important to note that there is no one single technology that will instantly forestall the disruption GNSS spoofing and jamming could cause.

Instead, countries around the region and the wider world should adopt an assortment of technologies to address the threat. The imperative will be to spot jamming and determine its location and origin. Then, alternative PNT services will need to be activated. GNSS users must then be advised that satellite PNT services are unreliable and to use the alternatives. GNSS spoofing and jamming is a reality nations around the AsiaPacific must live with for the foreseeable future.

The sooner GNSS users in the region address the jamming and spoofing threat, the sooner these dangers can be mitigated. As Goward says “anything countries and GNSS users can do to make themselves independent and insulated from GNSS disruption of all kinds is a worthwhile endeavour.”

a n a ly s i s

CHINA EYES WORLD’S REACTION TO UKRAINE WAR

By Tim Fish

A

s Russian forces progress across the state of Ukraine seizing ever larger chunks of the country from the control of Kyiv, the conflict there may seem remote to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

But the wider impact of the war and its significance has not been lost in Taipei, where the Republic of China’s (ROC’s) Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tweeting daily with the hashtag #standwithUkraine. It first condemned the Russian attack before warning that China is “waging a campaign of cognitive warfare” against Taiwan that aims to “sow doubt” about the resolve of the European Union and United States among others to defend the island’s independence.

In an earlier separate Tweet, Tsai Ing-wen, the President of Taiwan, said that she would “strengthen our readiness to respond to military developments in the Taiwan Straits.”

There has not been any evidence of a military build up in China that would indicate an attempt by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to take advantage of the situation and seize Taiwan, but the fear remains that Beijing could use this major European distraction to advance its own position.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stated just after the beginning of the Russian invasion that “Taiwan is not Ukraine” and she is right, because although both are small democracies with large authoritarian neighbours that have territorial claims over them, that is where the similarities

end. The geographical, cultural, economic, political and historical experiences are totally different. Not least that Taiwan’s military forces, backed by the US, are significantly stronger than Ukraine’s and Taiwan has more economic importance in the global economy.

In fact, Beijing is walking on something of a tightrope when dealing with the hornet’s nest that Putin has stirred up in Europe. Professor Robert Ayson, Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand told AMR that there are “different signals” emerging from China.

He said that the abstention by China at the UN Security Council vote on a resolution to end the Ukraine crisis leaving just Russia to veto it was “significant” as although the relationship between Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping is 'close' Beijing appears to be “watching how strong the international reaction is to Russia.”

Ayson believes that China is unlikely to start a war to occupy Taiwan as a mere “reflex” action to what Russia is doing in Europe, in fact it makes it less likely. “If China does use force against Taiwan to unify Taiwan with the mainland, it will do so at a time and place of its own choosing,” Ayson said.

“China is watching very carefully the economic sanctions that are building up and the how much non-military pressure is being placed on Russia and seeing what precedent that sets up,” he added.

The progress of the Russian invasion and the extent to which NATO is offering military

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support to Ukraine that is below the threshold of war is also important for China too.

The response to Russia is being led by the usual groups of the US and northern European states and in the Asia-Pacific this has extended to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan among others. Most of the international community recognises Ukraine as an independent sovereign state, but this is not the case with Taiwan. Is it unlikely there would be such an averse a reaction to an invasion of Taiwan as Ukraine.

Furthermore, the influence Russia has over its neighbours and globally is different to the influence that China is able to bring to bear, so Beijing will feel stronger in this regard.

“Just because the US is leading a united response against Russia over Ukraine, does not mean that would transfer into Asia. There is no NATO alliance of 30-plus countries in the region, just a multiplicity of alliances and relationships that makes it more complicated,” Ayson said.

But ultimately the independence of Taiwan, freedom of the seas and international trade are much more important to the US economy and US power than mostly landlocked Ukraine, therefore China can expect a stronger US response should it make any attempt on the island.

Meanwhile it can be expected the China will take full advantage of Russia being closed out of the markets and make economic gains from this because anything that dents American power will be good for China.

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