Asian Military Review - Dec 2011/Jan 2012 issue

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Contents DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012 VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 8

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Malaysia’s Military Modernization Dzirhan Mahadzir The 10th Malaysia Plan of 2011-2015 backs several ambitious defence programmes on land, sea and air although a backlog of postponed requirements over several years have put critical capabilities at risk

Front Cover Photo: A US Marine prepares an AAI RQ-7 Shadow 200B UAV for take off for a desert training mission.

UAVs have proved vital in protecting routes used by convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan from IEDs emplaced by insurgents Š DoD

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Tactical Vehicles: Ensuring Supply Adam Baddeley Ensuring that the logistics tail maintains connected to the highly distributed teeth of modern military operations is integral to the success of any mission. The platforms used to achieve this are becoming both better protected and increasingly diverse in size

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Asian Naval Helicopters: Blades & Waves David Oliver Demand for helicopters in the Asia-Pacific military maritime market is being driven by growing amphibious requirements as well as the need to secure sea lanes for energy security, counter piracy and terrorism operations, and rising tensions in the South China Sea

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42 Asia-Pacific Flight Training

Counter-IED Force Protection

David Oliver Asia-Pacific customers will take an increasing proportion of the more than 1,600 military training aircraft produced in the next decade, almost half of which will be turboprop-powered trainers, with jet trainers accounting for nearly all of the remainder

Adam Baddeley Securing vehicles, individuals and bases against Improvised Explosive Devices remains a key challenge for militaries whether they are currently deployed on operations and requiring that capability in their inventories today or, for others wanting a tool to combat future threats

Nobody on board

Asia-Pacific Tactical Radios: SDR, CNR and PRR Adam Baddeley Tactical Communications are as integral to modern infantry operations as body armour and weapons, providing a means of co-coordinating operations both locally and over long distances ensuring ranged support and avoiding fratricide

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Tom Withington The number of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles and Unmanned Surface Vehicles in service in the region is being driven by the need to detect moored and buried mines in highly cluttered littoral environments and the important role they play in harbour and port security

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hile visiting Seoul for its International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in October, I came across an editorial from the China Daily decrying the Philippines for, “feverishly raising the temperature of the South China Sea”. I was intrigued, what evidence for this conspiracy by the Philippines, undoubtedly the military titan of the region would the paper marshal?

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I didn’t have long to wait. First, it cited an exercise with US forces with whom the Philippines has long standing bilateral (apparently the bad sort of bilateral) defence ties and is aiding its fight against an Islamist insurgency and terrorism. Its ire did not stop there. It continued its breathless outrage, this time against the effrontery and sabre-rattling by President Benigno Aquino III who had called for a multi-lateral approach to the issue through the offices of ASEAN after Beijing and Hanoi opted to resolve their differences bilaterally (apparently the good sort of bi-lateral).

Finally, the editorial stressed that Manila’s real intention is to draw support from countries outside the region, such as the US and Japan which China believes will only, “complicate the situation.”

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Editorial

It also stated more generally, with no little chutzpah that there were, “several South East Asian nations have become involved in maritime disputes with China over the South China Sea.” By this it presumably means every country who has an established legal claim on oil and mineral tights in the Spratly Islands namely Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam and who have had that claim subsequently challenged by China.

China has pushed its claims on the region as its ability to impose its interpretation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by military force has grown. It now claims vast swatches of the ocean as its own territorial waters, putting it on a potential collision course with other claimants and their allies.

No party welcomes armed conflict over the Spratlys. I firmly believe that. However, if the South China Sea dispute is to be resolved rather than postponed or glossed over, all parties have to come to an agreement and this has to be done multilaterally to address genuinely multi-lateral and overlapping claims. Any other policy is mistaken at best and narrowly self-serving at worst.

Adam Baddeley, Editor

USA (West/South West)/Brazil Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc. Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557 Email: blackrockmedia@cox.net

Editor: Adam Baddeley E-mail: adam@baddeley.net

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TACT ICAL V E H I C L E S

Tactical Vehicles:

Ensuring Ensuring that the logistics tail remains connected to the highly distributed teeth of modern military operations is integral to the success of any mission. The platforms used to achieve this are becoming both better protected and increasingly diverse in size as missions and requirements emerge that demand greater cross country mobility in the absence of metalled roads as well as the need for military vehicles to comply with commercial truck legislation such as EURO III exhaust emissions.

by Adam Baddeley

Light Tactical Vehicles

As light patrol vehicles and all terrain protected mobility platforms have taken on the bulk of operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere, logistics vehicles have adapted accordingly allowing them to follow the patrol vehicles they support while carrying significantly more payload on a flatbed load area.

For its next generation requirements for light tactical vehicles, the US has been pursuing the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) a programme which has recently encountered a hiccup. A decision was made this Autumn to switch strategies on the JLTV programme, which has seen the scrapping of the schedule that would have seen the JLTV begin its engineering and manufacturing development phase in January 2012. The current strategy, designed to save time and money tasks industry with building a set of prototypes for competitive testing to begin in late 2012 with the strategy due to be formalised in Spring next year. An award is expected at the beginning of 2013 with the expected to cost about $366,000 each.

Side by side with JLTV is work on recapitalising the HMMWV fleet, tasked with a number of logistics tasks on the battlefield in its uparmoured form under the Modernized Expanded Capacity Vehicle (MECV) programme with 5700 due to be funded via a single production contract at a planned series

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Small, light ATVs have become invaluable to frontline infantry units as logistics carriers for ammunition and water Š AJB

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Supply

Navistar’s MILCOTS range is designed to provide an affordable military vehicle © Navistar

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TACT ICAL V E H I C L E S

The Force Protection Wolfhound based TSV Heavy, was developed from the Cougar and Mastiff platforms and can carry a cargo load of 4.5 tonnes © AJB

manufacturing cost of $180,000 per vehicle a figure of 60 percent of the unit cost of a JLTV, not including armour, and extending each legacy vehicle’s life by 15 years. The Marine Corps is also intending to use elements of the MECV programme for various requirements.

The Army plan in 2015 to make a decision on whether to pursue JLTV alone or fund both programmes. In late August, AM General were awarded a $130.9m award to supply with Army with 904 additional HMMWVs. The UK has also adopted a number of logistic support vehicles under the heading of the Tactical Support Vehicles (TSV). The TSV Light is the Coyote, the three tonne payload capacity Supacat Jackal. The TSV Medium is the armoured Navistar MXT based Husky with a payload of 1.5 tonnes and finally the Force Protection Wolfhound based TSV Heavy, developed from the Cougar and Mastiff platforms and can carry a cargo load of 4.5 tonnes.

In Australia, Supacat’s solution for JP2097 Ph 1B (REDFIN) programme is based on their Special Forces HMT Extenda vehicles with the government expected to announce its vehicle selection by the end of the year.

Australia already operates the HMT vehicle on which the Extenda is based.

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Navistar Defense recently launched its Saratoga light tactical vehicle, designed to fill the gap between the JLTV and MECV platforms. The Saratoga is blend of existing vehicle technology including the MaxxForce D6.0L V8 engine, automatic engaging limited slip differentials, Allison 2100 SP 6-SP Automatic Transmission and air independent suspension with the incorporation of the proprietary geometry survivability solution to exceed the survivability of current light tactical vehicles while staying within a transportability height of 193cm. Navistar has completed over 40,000km of testing in the vehicles.

Renault have received orders from NATO and the French Army for its Sherpa Light carrier which comprises a two man cab and a rear flatbed that can accommodate 4.5 tones of cargo with a space for a three metre shelter.

General Dynamics European Land Systems already have a transport version of its Eagle and is developing the new Eagle 6x6 vehicles having a common gearbox, driveline, engine and transmissions, suspension and chassis.

The 6x6 Transport with an extra axle and a longer chassis with a GVW of 14,000kg.

Marshall Engineering is providing the load bed for Force Protection’s Ocelot Utility

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Variant being introduced with the British Army. The vehicle has a common chassis with demountable, protected pods allow for multiple configurations - troop transport, fire support and materials transport.

‘Mini-trucks’

In addition to accompanying patrol vehicles, logistic carriers are also being introduced that follow small dismounted units onto the front line, carrying additional ammunition, water and other equipment that would otherwise unduly weigh down troops.

In Afghanistan, the UK has introduced the Springer 4x4 supply vehicle, a TomCar design with a payload of 1.2 tonnes, combined with high levels of mobility. In October, General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems were awarded a Marine Corps contract for 775 full rate production internally transportable vehicles (ITVs). The ITV is a light transport platform designed to be carried internally by the MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft and CH-53 helicopter, as well as Army MH-47 helicopters and Air Force CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. Also in October was the award to Polaris for 6,501 allterrain vehicles and 266 all-terrain vehicle trailers for the US Army in a $54.2million award with delivery concluding in 2014.

A new solution first shown in public in September was the Assisted Carriage System developed by John Deere and Boeing Defence UK and based on the manned/unmanned RGator robotic utility vehicle. The goal of the vehicles is to provide logistics support to sec-

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TACT ICAL V E H I C L E S

Oshkosh begins delivery of the Global Heavy Equipment Transporter to the UAE in 2012 © Oshkosh

tion of eight troops in heavy cross country terrain while carrying up to 635Kg of equipment and has a top speed of 32mph.

Asian-Pacific Needs

To meet regional requirements, militaries have opted for direct buys, local production and partnerships with established manufacturers to meet their needs.

In 2011, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Ashok Leyland Defense Systems established a

In 2011, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Ashok Leyland Defense Systems established a partnership that will see the two co-operate on a number of platforms

partnership that will see the two co-operate on a number of platforms. The Indian firm is the predominant supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian military, along with Tata and has recently branched out into protected mobility systems. The Philippines recently announced its plans within the latest Five Year Plan for military modernisation with new trucks identified as a priority under the Army’s near terms

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strategy. Singapore has previously opted for the purchase of Mercedes Benz Actros trucks which included a load-handling system. In Thailand, the Preechataworn Industry Company is producing the Hilux based Type 50 4x4 tactical vehicle for the Thai military. A number of Soviet–era trucks including GAZ, KaMAZ, KrAZ, MAZ, Ural and Zil designs continue to be operated by a number of militaries but are beginning to be replaced.

In August, the Australia made the decision to go ahead with the acquisition of 950 new 4x4 G-Wagens and 830 trailers under the Land 121 Phase 5A programme. In the light tactical requirement the domestic offering comes from Thales Bushmaster Ute. Other elements of Land 121, the overall value of which is put at $1.8billion will see 2,700 medium and heavy trucks purchased of which 1,500 vehicles will have significant armoured protection. Scania 4x4 vehicles have previously been acquired from Scania along with the Mercedes Benz Unimog supplemented by 6x6 Mack sourced heavy trucks.

Programmes

The Israel Defence Force selected Navistar's commercial International Workstar 7000series platform in a late 2009 covering 114 vehicles, supplementing earlier military truck

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The UK’s MAN Support Vehicle fleet has been successfully modified to meet the needs of Afghanistan © AJB

buys which include TATRA 12.6 tonne trucks.

Navistar and Tatra are jointly pursuing international sales with new vehicles such as the ATX6 6x6 universal container carrier and ATX8 8x8 cargo/troop carrier based on the latter’s T 815-7 but with new engines and transmission both launched at the last Eurosatory exhibition. In 2011, Navistar also launched three military MXT flatbed utility designs for the international market, similar to the UK’s Husky Tactical Support Vehicle Medium in concept. The company also launched the MOTS TerraStar truck, designed for outside the frontline with initial GVWs ranging between 7.25 and 8.85 tonnes South Africa is replacing its ageing Samil truck fleet under Project Vistula with an ultimate requirement for 2000 8x8 trucks with IED and mine protected cabs, 1200 6x6 trucks, some of them with protected cabs; and 1800 4x4 trucks. Competitors include Rheinmetall MAN, Mercedes Benz South Africa, Leyland Ashok Navistar, BMC and Renault Trucks Defence of France. BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa and Iveco Defence Vehicles have also teamed to pursue the requirement.

France has selected a team of Iveco and a local French partner to supply an initial 200 and as many as 1800 8x8 trucks under the

Since a co-operation agreement in 2009, Navistar and Tatra are jointly pursuing international sales with new vehicles such as the ATX6 6x6 universal container carrier © Navistar

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The US Army opted to switch from its incumbent BAE Systems to Oshkosh in 2009 for the balance of its requirement for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles © Oshkosh

Porteurs Polyvalents Terrestres contract with payloads ranging from 8-15 tonnes.

The US Army opted to switch from its incumbent BAE Systems to Oshkosh in 2009 for the balance of its requirement for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) group of diesel engine, all-wheel drive trucks and companion trailers. The family comprises 14 truck and 3 trailer variants which vary by load capacity and mission requirements ranging from 2.5-ton to 10-ton payloads. Around two-thirds of the Army’s requirement for FMTV are for cargo vehicles and all FMTV vehicles have a commonality of 80 percent. At DSEi, Oshkosh Defence publicly launched their 'ITAR-free' variant of the FMTV, created by the removal of armour protection systems. Oshkosh is reported to have orders for nearly 26,000 FMTV truck and trailers.

Oshkosh also produces the MTVR family of vehicles, primarily for the US Marine Corps but for the UK’s Wheeled Tanker requirement. The MTVR is notable for being the first series-production tactical vehicle to use fully independent coil-spring suspension. The US Marine Corps have recently begun the process of fielding 70 new Logistics Vehicle System Replacement Wreckers which are able to lift and tow 48 tons, sufficient to cope with weightier mineresistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle as well as 200 Logistics Vehicle System

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Replacement (LVSR) tractors variants tasked with pulling an M870 flatbed trailer with 40 tons of equipment. The Marines fielded cargo variants of the trucks in 2009.

In the Asia-Pacific, Oshkosh describes their expansion in the region as programme-driven and are developing their presence in India and Singapore. In the Middle East, deliveries of the Global HETT begin in early 2012 vehicles working with the Al Jaber Group.

One route for the future is to switch to a manned/unmanned combination for existing tactical vehicles. The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory for example has followed Oshkosh's TerraMax vehicle control kit with some interest. The kit, which is installed on the Corps’ standard MTVR is in its second of a two year programme which will conclude next Summer. The kit allows standard vehicles to be controlled by a C2 vehicle, allowing one or more manned vehicles to lead several drone trucks in a leader-follower relationship or in other modes including fully autonomous route-following and tele-operation.

The US Army opted to switch from its incumbent BAE Systems to Oshkosh in 2009 for the balance of its requirement for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

The Canadian military has recently embarked upon its $764m Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) programme, designed to provide 1200 Heavy Logistic Vehicle Wheeled (HLVW) and 2,800 Logistic Support Vehicle Wheeled (LSVW) trucks, replacing several existing types with two common vehicles, each with multiple vehicles with upgrades to a smaller fleet of heavy engineer support vehicles. Contract award is expected in 2014 and delivered in 2015.

There have been problems with the earlier Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) programme with Navistar sourced vehicles experiencing a small number of electrical fires, resulting in a change to all 1300 trucks ordered or delivered.

Mercedes Benz Actros 4151 AK 8 x 8 recovery variants are currently in service in Afghanistan with both German and Canadian militaries where it is known in the latter’s usage as the Armoured Heavy Support Vehicle System.

To meet UK requirements in Afghanistan an Enhanced Palletised Load System was established to support front line resupply, matched with the UK’s 15 tonne cross country variant of its Support Vehicle programme variant from MAN. This replaced the legacy Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System vehicles in theatre and allowed more rapid loading and unloading of flatracks or containers.

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M I L I T A R Y

Malaysia’s

Military Modernization 12

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The 4x4 Condor APC during a parade, the Condors are to be replaced by the indigenously designed AV-8 8x8 AFV Š Dzirhan Mahadzir

In general, funding for defence in Malaysia is determined by the allocation under the Malaysia Plans, which govern Malaysian government spending for all aspects of the country over a five year period; the current one being the 10th Malaysia Plan of 2011-2015. This allocation is divided into two segments; the operating expenditure allocation, which governs the running and operational costs of government Ministries and sectors and the Development expenditure allocation which goes towards procurement and the building of infrastructure for government Ministries and sectors.

In the case of development expenditure, flexibility is built in by the provision of a special allocation mechanism in which the government can, following approval by the cabinet, allocate additional funding for programmes not covered under the Malaysia Plans allocation.

Theoretically based on such, the military modernisation of Malaysia should thus have developed upon a steady and even pattern but however in practicality, that has not been the case for a variety of reasons.

by Dzirhan Mahadzir

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dding to the problem in Malaysia is the current increasing politicisation in regard to defence procurement in Malaysia. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, as part of their political campaign against the Barisan National ruling coalition, has often claimed that the purchase of military equipment in Malaysia is not only unnecessary but also a mechanism for enriching those with close ties to the ruling political establishment and to some extent has successfully projected this perception to the general public, particularly in light of the various issues surrounding the circumstances of the purchase of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s two Scorpene class submarines. The resulting effect has made the government fairly cautious on defence purchases particularly with a looming general election which must be called before April 2013. In 2008, the announcement of the planned purchase of 12 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters for the RMAF became a public issue with the result that the bipartisan parliamentary Public Accounts Committee held an inquiry into the tender process. The inquiry turned up nothing untoward and only recommended that the government appoint an independent panel to assess whether the price paid for the helicopters was the best possible. However the result

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was that the Malaysian government, in wanting the entire issue to die down, then decided to put on hold the signing of the contract to purchase the EC725s until April 2010, much to the annoyance of the RMAF. Given the situation it is likely that the Malaysian government is likely to delay major modernisation of the Malaysian armed forces until after the general election is held and won though even then any such modernisation would be subject to economic factors. In the recent budget estimates for 2012, a monetary figure of the costs of expected military projects for the 10th Malaysia plan period was listed though this release was only as to the total costs without any details as to the specifics. The projected figures released are discussed below in the context of the armed forces and separate service modernisation requirements. It should be noted that the total cost listing is based on programmes that the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) want to carry out rather than what it would actually receive as each programme would be subject

In 2008, the announcement of the planned purchase of 12 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters for the RMAF became a public issue l

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PT-91M tanks of the Malaysian Army, no plans exist to buy further tanks to supplement the 48 currently in service Š Dzirhan Mahadzir

to specific approval from the Malaysian government on a case by case basis.

Malaysian Armed Forces

The tri-service equipment procurement requirement programmes of the MAF is listed as costing a total of $315.36 million. Much of this is anticipated to be on C4ISR equipment for the MAF as a whole particularly in giving the MAF a network-centric warfare capability and a secured satellite communication network. The requirement for 1-3 amphibious operation capable multi-purpose support ships is also said to be under the MAF requirement programmes rather than the Navy requirement programmes given the joint service nature of its operation. Also expected to be under this listing are the equipment to outfit and furnish a planned headquarters for the Malaysian Armed Forces Joint Force Headquarters which is responsible for all joint operations in Malaysia and overseas. The MAF JFHQ currently operates out of part of the Ministry of Defence complex in the capital of Kuala Lumpur but plans call for a new headquarters complex at an as yet to be determined location to be built under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

R EGIO NA L M I L I T A R Y

Sukhoi SU-30MKM, the RMAF is close to reaching full operational capability with the aircraft Š Dzirhan Mahadzir

Malaysian Army

The Malaysian Army lists $2.49 billion as to the total cost of the equipment procurement programmes it wants to carry out, it is uncertain whether the $2.39 billion AV-8 indigenous 8x8 AFV programme which runs from 2011-2018 is under this estimated cost as there is a possibility that some or all the funding for this programme comes under a special government allocation rather than under the army requirements. The AV-8 will replace the Army’s 6x6 Sibmas Fire Support vehicles and 4x4 Condor APCs and the programme calls for 257 vehicles in 12 variants to be built by Malaysian company DEFTECH with the hull based on the FNSS PARS body and Thales to provide the electronic architecture and systems for the vehicles. Among the variants is an ATGW vehicle which thus indicates that the army be looking for an ATGW to arm the vehicle with. Among some of the

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requirements that the Army is known to be pursuing under the 10th Malaysia Plan include at least either a squadron of attack or utility helicopters, a small number of selfpropelled artillery, an additional regiment of 18 Multiple Rocket launchers to supplement thee two regiments of ASTROS II launchers in service and an overall battlefield management system. The Army is also in the midst of developing a future soldier system known as the Soldier Advanced Kombat Technology Integrated (SAKTI) with current status being at Stage Two of a Six stage development plan with the establishment of an experimental platoon along with a company headquarters for the programme. Little has been revealed by the Army on the programme though it is known that some of the systems are being developed internally by the Army’s Signals Regiment and much is focused upon integrating systems already in use by the Army.

The Army has also made it clear that there are no plans to purchase additional main battle tanks to supplement the 48 PT-91M MBTs currently in service. The Army is also planning for the eventual replacement of its Army Signal Regiment displaying conceptual mock up of Army Future Soldier Š Dzirhan Mahadzir

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Next Generation Patrol Vessel KD Kedah, plans call for the class to be upgraded along with a follow on improved batch of six ships to be built © Royal Malaysian Navy

weapon systems. The vessels currently only have a 76mm main gun and two 30mm cannon as their only weapons. Plans to build two upgraded versions of the two Lekiu class frigates in service were cancelled by the government a year ago. The ships were to be built locally with assistance from BAE Systems. Malaysia was subsequently invited

The Malaysian Army lists $2.49 billion as to the total cost of the equipment procurement programmes it wants to carry out

to participate in the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme but declined. The RMN is still keen on additional frigates to add to existing fleet of two Lekiu and two Kasturi class ships but is likely, for the immediate future, having to settle on a possible upgrade and SLEP of the Lekius (the Kasturis already beginning such a programme) rather than obtain new frigates.

Starburst and IGLA MANPAD systems.

Royal Malaysian Navy

The Royal Malaysian Navy lists a cost of $3.29 billion for its procurement programmes under the 10th Malaysia Plan. Part of it is expected to go towards the follow on to the Kedah class Next Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV), though the new ships will be more heavily armed than their predecessors with anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Although the RMN has called the programme the Littoral Combat Ship, the design, which will be built locally

by Boustead Naval Shipsyards in conjunction with a foreign partner, will be a conventional hull design and at the time of writing, indications are that DCNS and its Gowind class design will be selected for the hull though the ships sensor, combat and weapon systems will be a mix of systems determined by the RMN though Boustead and DCNS are pushing for the acceptance of their recommendations for the ship’s systems. The RMN also has a requirement for 6-12 ASW helicopters with the US, strongly promoting the MH-60R Seahawk to fulfill that requirement. Another programme that the RMN is said to be wanting to carry out is the uparming of the Kedah Class NGPVs with anti-ship and anti-air

Royal Malaysian Air Force

The RMAF has put a $1.59 billion estimated cost on the procurement programme it wants to carry out. Part of this amount is expected to consist of ongoing payments for the earlier purchases of four A400M aircraft and 12 EC725 helicopters. The RMAF also has a requirement for the purchase of at least 18 multi-role combat aircraft to be delivered around 2015 to replace its MiG-29 fleet. Five aircraft are said to be under consideration; the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Saab Gripen with both the Super Hornet and Typhoon being strongly marketed by Boeing and BAE Systems. The RMAF also has a requirement for an Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft though this has not been listed under their funding request but instead the RMAF has lobbied for it to be funded on a national project level on the basis that the aircraft in peacetime can also conduct surveillance of Malaysia’s borders and EEZ areas along with assisting other government agencies in various tasks. The RMAF is also working

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towards improving the ordnance and weapons systems of its aircraft, notably the acquisition of JDAM kits in phases from 2012-2014 and the planned purchase of AIM9X sidewinders of it’s F/A-18C/D Hornets.

The decision on the choice of MRCA may have an impact on the RMAF’s munitions

The RMAF also has a requirement for the purchase of at least 18 multi-role combat aircraft to be delivered around 2015 to replace its MiG-29 fleet

plans, particularly if the Gripen, Eurofighter or Rafale were selected as a significant portion of those aircraft’s munitions are not in service with the RMAF in contrast to a selection of the F-16 or Superhornet as with the RMAF already operating F/A-18 Hornets, there already exists legacy munitions compatibility. The RMAF’s 18 Sukhoi SU-

RMAF S-61 helicopter – 15 of the current 28 helicopter fleet are to be upgraded for service till 2025 © Malaysian Ministry of Defence

R EGIO NA L M I L I T A R Y

RMAF MiG-29, a new MRCA is expected to replace it by 2015 © Dzirhan Mahadzir

30MKM are currently close to achieving full operational capability though the initial delays in integrating the aircraft’s western avionics with it’s Russian weapon systems have led Malaysia to rule out purchasing additional Su-30MKMs with Defence Minister Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi having said publicly several times that Malaysia would only consider purchasing Western manufactured combat aircraft in the future.

The RMAF expects to carry out upgrades to its C-130 Hercules and S-61 helicopter fleet.

The C-130 upgrade entails upgrading of its avionics and installation of protective systems. While 12 EC725s are to be delivered by 2013, the number is insufficient for the MAF requirement of 27 medium lift helicopters and thus the RMAF plans to retain 15 out of its existing 28 S-61 helicopters when the EC725s are delivered. The 15 aircraft are to have their avionics and cockpit upgraded along with a life-extension programme to enable them to operate till 2025 which would indicate that the RMAF will probably seek replacements for the S-61s around 2020 onwards.

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Veteran Westland Sea King helicopters are being phased out of Royal Australian Navy service Š US Navy

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Asian Naval Helicopters: Blades and Waves One of the growth areas in the military maritime market in the AsiaPacific region is that of the multi-mission large deck amphibious ship.

Landing Platform Docks (LPD) or Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) are being acquired by Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea, as well as helicopters to operate from them. The growth of this niche market is being fuelled by the requirements to safe guard the sea lanes for energy security, counter piracy and terrorism operations, and rising tensions in the South China Sea over the disputed ownership of the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

by David Oliver helicopters are being delivered during 2011.

The Indian Navy also operates the Ka-28 and Ka-31 plus a small number of the naval variant of the indigenous Dhruv multi-mission helicopters built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The mainstay of the Indian Navy’s ASW fleet is the venerable Westland Sea King Mk.42 which is subject to an upgrade programme. In order to bolster the ageing Sea King fleet, six surplus US Navy UH-3H Sea King helicopters were purchased in 2007 but they were found to be almost life expired with many defects that compromised their operational effectiveness.

At least one has had to be cannibalized to keep the remaining five aircraft airworthy.

However, India is expected to issue a formal Request for Proposals (RfP) for 20 multi mission aircraft to augment its fleet of Sea Kings, to be capable of supporting special operations in addition to the ASW/ASuW roles operating from ships ranging from frigates to aircraft carriers. Prime contenders are expected to be Sikorsky S-70B or MH-60R Seahawk, and the NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter, with the Eurocopter EC

The Harbin Z-7D, a Chinese-copy of the Aerospatiale AS 365, is operated by the Chinese and Pakistan navies © UK MoD

destroyers including relatively small numbers of Harbin Z-9C in the ASW and SAR roles, and the Russian Kamov Ka-25 and Ka28 in the ASW/ASuW roles. The Z-9 is a Chinese-built Aerospatiale AS 365 Dauphin while the Z-8, another Chinese copy of an Aerospatiale design, the SA 321 Super Frelon, carries out troop transport and mine-laying missions. China has ordered an additional batch of nine Ka-28s, and a similar number of Ka-31 airborne early warning

he two regional heavyweights, China and India, are also acquired former Soviet aircraft carriers which in addition to carrier-borne combat aircraft, will be equipped with anti-submarine warfare/anti-surface warfare (ASW/ASuW) helicopters although they are not expected to be in service until 2015. China already operates several types of naval helicopters from the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s

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725 as a possible outsider.

Another Indian Navy type overdue for replacement is the HAL 316B Chetak light utility helicopters. Funding for 56 modern twin-engined helicopters capable of shipboard operations from small and large deck vessels, has reportedly been approved. They should be capable of day/night operations in adverse weather conditions is wide variety of roles including ASW/ASuW missions. AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter, Kamov and Sikorsky are expected to respond to the RfP. The Indian Navy has also announced its support for a shipboard variant of the proposed Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH)

being developed for all three services by HAL. The reason for its support is that the performance of the naval variant of the HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, of which only 10 have been delivered, has failed to meet the Navy’s performance requirements.

Despite its 600 mile (960 km) coastline, India’s neighbour Pakistan operates fewer than twenty naval helicopters which include seven Chinese Harbin Z-9ECs and a handful of ageing Sea Kings that the Pakistan Navy hopes to replace with surplus US Navy SH60F Seahawks.

Sikorsky’s Seahawk is proving to be a market leader in the Asian-Pacific region with five countries operating one or more

The Kamov Ka-28 ASW/ASuW helicopters in Indian Navy markings, is also in service with the Chinese and Vietnamese navies © Kamov

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variants. The Royal Thai Navy has recently taken delivery of two MH-60S Seahawks to become the first international customer for the type. The aircraft were acquired via the US Government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme and are a part of the Royal Thai Navy's fleet modernization program to augment the capabilities of six Sikorsky S70B Seahawks and six marinized S-76B helicopters acquired through US FMS in the late 1990s. Thailand has also expressed interest in additional MH-60S purchases.

Indian Navy shipboard HAL Chetaks are to be replaced by 56 new light utility helicopters © Indian Navy

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A South Korean Navy Bell UH-1H Huey exercises with the US Navy in Incheon Bay © US Navy

101 helicopters in the utility and counter-mine roles, and 14 Eurocopter EC 135T2i helicopters for its Naval Aviation Training School.

Taiwan has a small naval air arm operating 18 Sikorsky S-70C(M)-1 Thunderhawk ASW helicopters for shipboard deployment alongside a dozen MDH MD500.

After the debacle of the cancelled Kaman

The mainstay of the Indian Navy’s ASW fleet is the venerable Westland Sea King Mk.42 which is subject to an upgrade programme

Singapore recently inaugurated its Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters into 123 Squadron at Sembawang Air Base to become the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) first naval helicopter squadron. The squadron will join the Helicopter Group under the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF') Participation Command, which was set up in 2007 to develop and deploy air power in support of land and maritime operations.

The SAF had earlier acquired six Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks all of which returned to Singapore last year after a one-year deployment in San Diego, USA, with the RSAF's Peace Triton detachment. The integration of the naval helicopters with the frigates enables the SAF to undertake anti-surface and anti-submarine missions at longer ranges. Each frigate's Command, Control and Communications suite allows it to network with a wide variety of SAF assets to increase force level awareness and mission effectiveness. The inauguration of the S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters into 123 Squadron marks a significant milestone in the SAF's transformation into an integrated and networked force.

By far the largest Seahawk operator in the region is Japan with more than 100 SH-60J/K built by Mitsubishi under licence, with another 12 K-models on order. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force is also taking delivery of 13 Kawasaki-built AgustaWestland

SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite programme, Australia went for the safe option when selecting the MH-60R Seahawk for the Royal Australian Navy’s primary shipborne ASW/ASuW platform. Twenty-four helicopters are being acquired under US FMS to replace 16 S-70B-2 Seahawks that have been in service since the late 1980s. The first MH-60R is scheduled to be delivered by mid-2014 and will be deployed aboard the RAN’s ANZAC Frigates and new Air Warfare Destroyers. The RAN also operates a few aging Sea King Mk.50s which may be replaced by the NH MRH-90 that is being assembled in Australia for the Army, in the near future.

Bell Helicopter has been awarded a new contract by Raytheon Australia to provide

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The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force is taking delivery of 14 AW101 helicopters for the utility and countermine missions © AgustaWestland

three Bell 429s for the RAN's Retention and Motivation Initiative which provides the Navy with supported aircraft to allow junior qualified aircrew to consolidate and enhance their skills prior to flying operational helicopters. Under the terms of this four-year contract, the Bell 429s will replace Aerospatiale AS 350B Squirrels currently in the fleet and fly a minimum of 1,500 flight hours per year. BAE Systems has been engaged for the development and delivery of training for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships that will rely heavily on simulation and virtual scenarios using the latest technology.

Raytheon Australia has also been awarded an RAN continuation training contract for newly qualified pilots using four AgustaWestland AW109E Power helicopters.

The protracted development and deliveries of the naval variant of the NH90 has prevented the type making an impact in the region, except in Australia, and New Zealand where eight NH90s will be operated by a unified helicopter command support Army, Navy and Air Force. Five new-build Kaman SH-2G(NZ) Super Seasprite ASW/ASuW helicopters were delivered in 2000 for deployment aboard RNZN ANZAC Frigates which were then entering service. A Defence White Paper released at the beginning of this year setting out New Zealand’s security requirement for the next 25 years, call for a Super Seasprite upgrade or replacement.

One European shipboard ASW helicopter that has sold in respectable numbers in the region is the AgustaWestland Lynx. Malaysia and Thailand have acquired six and four Super Lynx 300s respectively while a fleet of 24 Lynx Mk.99s have been delivered to Taiwan. A few former Royal Navy Lynx HAS Mk.3 helicopters were sold to the Pakistan Navy but they are no longer in service.

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AgustaWestand sees the Asia region, and South Korea in particular, as a prime target for its AW159 Lynx Wildcat which is in production for the Royal Navy with first deliveries scheduled for 2015.

Two nations in the process of acquiring LPD/LHDs are Malaysia and Indonesia, neither of whose navies have much in the way of assault transport capability. Malaysia may be able to rely on this capability being provided by the Air Force’s Eurocopter EC 725 medium-lift helicopters, 12 of which were recently ordered to replace the service’s 25 S-61 Sea Kings. The Indonesian Navy is only marginally more capable to undertake the assault helicopter role with its Makassar-class LPDs.

By far the largest Seahawk operator in the region is Japan with more than 100 SH-60J/K built by Mitsubishi under licence, with another 12 K-models on order

However there are four of these vessels now in the Indonesian Navy’s fleet while its only troop carrying helicopters comprise four AS 532SC Cougars and a similar number of Bell NB412s built under licence by Nurtanio.

However, the Army has more than a dozen NB412 and the Air Force has some 20 Super Pumas plus ten venerable Sikorsky S-58Ts that are soon to be phased out on service. The question for both of these countries is can non-naval pilots be adequately trained for shipboard operations.

Not all the navies in the region have the budget for modern shipboard helicopters let alone LPD/LHD aspirations. The Philippines have been wrestling with squeezed defence budgets for the past several years and naval aviation is near the bottom of the pecking order. The only type of helicopter that the Philippines Navy operates is the BO 105C, and only a handful of these ageing aircraft are still operational although a number of Air Force MBB Bo 105C and MDH MD520MG pilots have undertaken deck-qualification exercises with the US armed forces.

Several countries with extensive coastlines including Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have no dedicated naval helicopters in their inventories while Bangladesh and Vietnam are both establishing a naval aviation service. The Bangladesh Navy has taken delivery of two AgustaWestland AW109E Power. Following advanced pilot operational training with the UK-based company Helidecks, the helicopters were formally accepted into service in July 2011. Helidecks is training five pilots for day/night deck landing qualifications prior to the AW109Es being deployed on Bangladesh Navy frigates.

Fixed-wing amphibious Twin Otter airThe Royal Thai Navy is the first export customer for the Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk © Sikorsky

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The AgustaWestland Lynx shipboard ASW/ASuW helicopter serves with several Asian navies including South Korea © AgustaWestland

craft are the first aircraft to be selected for the Vietnam Navy’s new Air Wing and the service has been in long-term negotiations with Eurocopter the purchase of several EC225 and EC155 helicopters for search and rescue and transport missions to replace Soviet-era Kamov Ka-27 deployed on the Navy’s

frigates and Mil Mi-14 SAR helicopters.

In spite of its sabre-rattling posture, and extensive coastline and disputed islands, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Navy is small and ill-equipped with no dedicated naval aviation. It relies on the Air Force which operates more than 100 Soviet-era helicopters

although few, if any, are capable of operating from warships. The only type with a maritime role are a handful of Mil Mi-14 SAR helicopters and it is unlikely that country will receive any modern replacements in the near future due to the UN imposed sanctions.

However, with the focus on amphibious assault operations, China has recently launched its second LPD, a Russian navalized combat helicopter being developed for use on Mistral LHDs being acquired from France, may have a market in the Asia region. The two-seat Kamov Ka-52K will have a long detection range and the capability to use a future generation of anti-ship missiles as well as supporting special operations and amphibious assault landings. With their long history of acquiring state-of-the-art Russian combat aircraft, India and Indonesia would be prime targets for such an advanced naval weapons system as the Ka-52K.

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Ka-226T

Mi-35M

Mi-26T

Moscow strengthening exports by helicopters

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here are only a few countries in today's world capable of manufacturing the full range of helicopters. Russia is one of them. At LIMA 2011, Malaysia, Rosoboronexport, a Russia's major exporter of defense and dual-use products, will present virtually the entire range of export rotary-wing aircraft.

It should be noted that the production of helicopters in Russia has been growing steadily in recent years, due to both big orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense and increasing export supplies. According to experts, Latin America and Southeast Asia are the key points of growth.

Mil Mi-17-series military transport helicopters are the leader in terms of units sold.

They are available in different versions, of which the following two are most successful today: the Mi-171Sh, which is manufactured at a plant in Ulan-Ude, Siberia, and the Mi-17V-5, which is in production at a plant in Kazan.These are real "workhorses." Experts single out unique reliability and high flight performance of the Mi17s. By a number of indicators, including the carrying capacity and operability in harsh natural climatic conditions, they are superior to their foreign counterparts by an order of magnitude. Moreover, their cost is markedly lower compared to their competitors.

Another Mi brand helicopter offered by Rosoboronexport is giant Mi-26T2.This is a new version of the world’s heaviest helicopter capable of carrying up to 20 tons of cargo in the cabin or externally. By this indicator and the number of carried paratroopers, it is

comparable with the known C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.The main differences from its predecessor Mi-26T are digital avionics and the crew reduced to two.The Mi-26 is known around the world for its unique transportations and installation works. Its participation in humanitarian missions saved thousands of lives Russia has unique, more than 30 years experience with Russian and Soviet attack helicopters’ participation in various conflicts. It is primarily associated with the famous "flying tank" Mi-24/35, which has found wide use in many armies and taken part in challenging peacekeeping missions.The arrival of the latest variant, the Mi-35M, became its new birth. By the number of innovations, this is in fact a new helicopter, which can now be used round-theclock and in adverse weather conditions.The Mi-35M features more powerful VK-2500 engines, new main and X-shaped tail rotors with composite blades, lightweight fixed landing gear, a modern suite of onboard equipment and many other innovations, some of which the Mi35M attack helicopters has adopted from the new generation Mi -28NE. Both the Mil machines are now actively entering the Russian Army. Pilots praise excellent flying and fighting capabilities of these helicopters.

Another Russian helicopter firm, Kamov, whose hallmark is the coaxial rotor configuration, also offers interesting new products. One of them is the Ka-226T utility helicopter. Its distinguishing feature is the ability to install different mission modules on the helicopter, which enables its use to provide emergency medical and fire-fighting

AMR Marketing Promotion

Mi-26 aid, handle search-and-rescue and evacuation tasks with no performance loss.

This is one of the safest helicopters.

The Ka-52 attack helicopter has gathered attention from experts recently. At one time, the appearance of its predecessor, the Ka-50, nicknamed Black Shark, became a sensation in the helicopter world.The Ka-52 is now in series production for the Russian Air Force. It features powerful armor and weapons. Its high flight performance resulting from the coaxial rotor layout and unique maneuverability allows the Ka-52 to quickly maneuver into a dominant attack position.The helicopter can be used as a command vehicle and effectively conduct roundthe-clock reconnaissance and surveillance.

Together with helicopter supplies, Rosoboronexport offers efficient training simulators enabling efficient crew training in short time.

The use of Russian helicopters in dozens of countries around the world has proved their efficiency and even indispensability in certain cases.They are reliable instruments to handle the most challenging missions under any natural climatic conditions.

TACTICAL

COMMUNICATIONS

Asia-Pacific

Radios: SDR, CNR and PRR Tactical Communications are as integral to modern infantry operations as body armour and weapons, providing a means of co-coordinating operations both locally and over long distances, ensuring ranged support and avoiding fratricide.

by Adam Baddeley

The three channel SDR radio has three RF modules each containing its own security and underneath are three corresponding 50W power amplifiers. The radio will begin delivery and fielding in 2015 Š AJB

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COMMUNICATIONS

As part their concept for Korea’s Future Soldier, Samsung Thales have developed the 2.4Ghz Soldier Radio Unit © AJB

Regional efforts

There are number of radio programmes either underway or anticipated to begin in the region over the next years. New Zealand has plans to supplement and replace earlier SINGCARS buys with a new Combat Net Radio (CNR), potentially with a wideband capability. Brunei has Phase 2 of its ‘CNR Standardisation Programme’ expected to begin in next couple of years, it is presumed with further Harris radio buys.

Additionally, Malaysia’s latest Five Year plan has funding allocated for CNR investment from October.

Codan is producing radios locally in an undisclosed South East Asian country, beginning in October which allow for the introduction of a locally produced crypto.

In September, Codan successfully completed a voice demonstration in the Philippines linking AFP Harris RF5800H-MPs with Police Codan’s NGT and 2110 manpack.

The company has also demonstrated voice

Codan successfully completed a voice demonstration in the Philippines linking AFP Harris RF5800HMPs with Police Codan’s NGT and 2110 manpack

and data interoperability between the 2110M HF radio and RF5800H-MP for a military in the region.

Barrett launched their new VHF line earlier this year comprising the PRC-2080, 81, 82 and 83. It has already been sold widely in Africa which customer including Nigeria, Chad, Sierra Leone, Kenya and South Africa.

There is also a 400 unit order, mostly for the PRC-2082 vehicle mount for an undisclosed South East Asian country with deliveries in beginning in September and completing in December. The PRC-2040 HF Manpack was sold to Timor in 2008.

In Pakistan, local production of Aselsan radios has been undertaken via the National Radio and Telecommunication Corp which has supplied 6000 PRC-9600 radios since 2002. A further 500 of these radios were also sold to Sri Lanka with deliveries 2006-7. Production of Aselsan’s PRC-9661 Software Defined Radio (SDR) and the hand held PRC-9651 began in the Summer with deliveries to begin JanuaryFebruary 2012 with an initial order for 1000

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TACTICAL

COMMUNICATIONS

In September, Elbit Systems company launched its PNR-1000A Advanced Personal Radio, an ad hoc networking solution for individual squad members with links of up to 320Kbps today and expandable to 1Mbps with future growth © Elbit Systems

of the latter and 2000 of the former.

Pakistan has plans to acquire a total mix of 15,000 radios over the next seven years. The Pakistan Army undertook trials with 40 of Aselsan’s ‘PRR’ this Summer.

Singapore has opted to acquire the Rockwell Collins-Thales FlexNet One radio with trials beginning with the radio in 2014.

Using the MANET FlexNet waveform, ranges of 40km have been achieved in ideal conditions with mast mounted antenna and throughput of up to 2Mbps at tactical ranges. Currently a vehicle mounted solution, a dismounted instantiation of the waveform is planned in the next two to three years. For its Advanced Combat Man System programme Singapore operates the Selex SSR+ with three battalions currently fielded with the system.

In neighbouring Malaysia, Thales has secured a win to supply the communications package and vehicle electronics integration for the country 257 new IFVs based on the

Singapore has opted to acquire the Rockwell Collins-Thales FlexNet One radio with trials beginning with the radio in 2014 30

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With work now nearly completed on the DRDO/Bharat Electronics Limited manpack SDR, attention is now focusing on hand held then vehicular iterations © AJB

FNSS Pars 8x8 Armored Vehicle. The system will include the PR4G NG locally produced by the Sapura as well as the HF3000 radio within the VSys-net Open Information Communication System, which provides features such as a communications server between the SOTAS IP intercom and CNRs, an IP gateway and Commander Battle which combines a battle management system and mission systems.

Recent developments by Thales for the IP capable variants of the PR4G that have embedded GPS, is GeoMux which uses transverse TDMA to automatically issue a location message as it passes through CNR networks to help prevent fratricide. The software upgrade to do this is due to be complete by mid-2012.

In Australia, Harris RF Communications radios have been acquired to support the country’s initial JP2072 acquisition with the AN/PRC-152 Falcon III radio, being acquired along with Raytheon’s’ Microlight.

Australia has also acquired the AN/PRC117G radio with offers wideband networking capabilities via its Advanced Networking

TACTICAL

COMMUNICATIONS

Huneed have developed the PRC-950K and in conjunction with the ADD have created the new digital version, primarily focused on export markets © AJB

Wideband Waveform. Harris also booked orders in 2011 cumulatively worth $52 million from a Southeast Asia military for Falcon III and Falcon II tactical radios and the Integrated Command and Control System.

National SDR programmes

Bharat Electronics Limited and the Indian Government have been working on a tactical SDR manpack design for the past two years with formal evaluation of the design continuing throughout 2011 Bharat Electronics Limited expect the 25W manpack radio to be ready for March 2012, followed by the completion of vehicles and hand held radio in that order with an appliqué module for HF operation by mid-2012, using the host radio’s base band processing capabilities. A total of eight waveforms are expected to be instantiated in software by the end of the year, including the High Data Rate Waveform and

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MANET networking waveform. An Request For Proposals for an Army SDR programme is expected in 2013 with an initial requirement for an estimated 1700 radios.

The new SDR will be compatible with existing CNRs supplied to the Indian armed forces by Bharat Electronics Limited. These include the 20W LHP-265 HF radio which supports 4.8Kbps data rates and the 5W V/UHF 100-400MHz LUP 322 as well as the newer STARS-V, VHF radio of which 30,000 have been delivered and a further 10,000 on order and the VHF VPS series radios of which 60,000 are in service. Bharat Electronics Limited provides almost all India’s CNRs although one notable expectation is the Tadiran CNR-900.

In Australia, Harris RF Communications radios have been acquired to support the country’s initial JP2072 acquisition with the AN/PRC-152 Falcon III radio ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

South Korea’s SDR requirements are being met via the Tactical Multi-Mode Radio (TMMR) element to the multi-phase Tactical Integrated Communications Network (TICN) which incorporates communication systems from CNRs up to HCLOS and broadband wireless links.

LIGNex1 have been tasked with the responsibility for the three channel vehicular and single channel manpack TMMR. These were shown in public at the Seoul Aerospace and Defence Exhibition in October. The three channel vehicles SDR has an unusual ‘over-and-under’ design rather than using ‘blades’ seen in other designs such as the FlexNet 4. The radio has three RF modules each containing its own security and underneath are three corresponding 50W power amplifiers. The single channel man pack SDR is a conventional design.

Both radios are scheduled to begin production and delivery in 2015.

A hand held solution, known as the Next Generation Hand Held Radio is now being developed with a decision expected in the next two to three years with solution except-

TACTICAL

COMMUNICATIONS ed to be submitted with the two channel LIGNex1 XPRC-10K, and Samsung Thales also displaying a solution dubbed, ‘Next Generation Hand Held Radio’.

The ROKA’s prime CNRs currently are the VHF PRC-999K and the smaller PRC-96K although the two are not compatible. Both are produced by LIGNex1 with the company also creating an export variant the PRC999KEC; to date however only acquired by Indonesia. The PRC-999K is matched with the Huneed sourced 50W vehicular mount to create the VRC-946K, -967K and -949K. In the HF domain, Huneed have developed the PRC-950K and in conjunction with the ADD have created the new digital version, primarily focused on export markets.

In addition to TICN related efforts, to meet the country’s requirement for future soldier systems, an RFP for which is expected in 2013, companies are developing concept systems. As part of their concept, Samsung Thales showed a mock-up of their 2.4Ghz Soldier Radio Unit at the Seoul event. Other possible contenders include the PRC-210 a ‘PRR’ type radio developed with LIGNex1 and partner A R Tech which uses a three hop MANET waveform and Yeonhab’s 155-162MHz and 2.4GHz PRC12K with range of 1-4km and with throughput of up to 10Mbps.

While Korea has adopted a clearly domestically sourced focus for its efforts a number of overseas companies are intending to work in partnership initially aiming at working with Korea’s Agency for Defence Development (ADD) and others, to meet tactical communications requirements. These include Rafael who believe that their 3G/LTE TacMAX solution can play a part at multiple levels of TICN. TacMAX combines mesh and cellular communications to produce a series of base stations. As part of its efforts, Rafael is creating a 600-700g hand held or worn device with a range of 2-3km with initial devices due for completion at the end of 2011, ready for initial military trials. A key feature of the networking capability of TacMAX at this level would be the ability of two or more solder worn nodes to operate in isolation, away from a core network which the company believes distinguishes it from other solutions and give it more battlefield resilience and able to supplement more traditional hand held and worn radios.

The two channel LIGNex1 XPRC-10K shown on the right, next to the PRC-96K which is to be replaced under a competitive programme for a new hand held SDR known as the Next Generation Hand Held Radio © AJB

Company Developments

Elbit Systems recently added to its Tactical

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ITT Exelis’ 1.6-108MHz Spearhead HF operates at 1.6-108MHz and instantiates the ATCS VHF waveform © AJB

Internet offering, creating additional high capacity links from the individual soldiers up to the vehicles they fight with in battle.

In September, the company launched its PNR-1000A Advanced Personal Radio, an ad hoc networking solution for individual squad members with links of up to 320Kbps today and expandable to 1Mbps with future growth. Also at the dismounted level is the new SDR-7200HH (Hand-Held) offering simultaneous voice and video or voice and data over a single narrowband tactical channel and the well established CNR-9000HDR which support narrow band links of 115Kbps. At the vehicle level, Elbit has two main offerings; the SDR-7200A V/UHF radio which as its primary waveform uses Elbit Wideband Networking Waveform which adjusts both power and frequency in real time to support actual battlefield conditions and can send data over ten hops and voice over three. The SDR-7200A has recently been used in exercises by the Israel Defence Force’s 1st Armoured Corps. The second vehicle radio is the MIPR or Military IP Radio (MIPR) described as in service with, “every Tank” in the IDF which provides a data or Voice over IP links at up to 13.3.Mbps using OFDM modulation adaptive transmission power in software configurable channel bandwidth of 400kHz to 4 MHz. Datron have also made improvements to the Spectre-V’s data capabilities, via rolling enhancements since 2011. The company is beginning demonstration of its RT7700 HF and

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is expected to be complete in early 2012. The company’s radios are already in service with a number of militaries in the region including the PRC-1077 VHF manpack with Sri Lanka.

One radio specifically developed for an Asian military by Datron is the Afghan National Army’s ultra-lightweight hand held VHF CNR, the HH7700, which has since had customers in Africa and the Middle East. Looking to the future the company is now beginning to develop their new SDR CNR family using a proprietary non-SCA operating system, Rohde and Schwarz have made a number of improvements to their encryption package for their M3XR family of software defined radios (SDR) including a new fixed frequency and encrypted High Frequency (HF) ALE 3G waveform which includes a proprietary 256 key comsec with all its bits now selectable. DSEi saw the launch of ITT Exelis’s 1.6108MHz Spearhead HF, an existing multiband radio in which ITT have co-operated in instantiating the ATCS VHF waveform, the export version of SINCGARS. New handheld radios coming out include non-ITAR ITT Exelis’ Personal Integrated Radio Unit, an ad hoc networking radio which is due to be ready for fielding in late 2012 and costing less than half that of the company’s

Bharat Electronics Limited & the Indian Government have been working on a tactical SDR manpack design for the past two years with formal evaluation of the design continuing throughout 2011 ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

SpearNet radio. General Dynamics has two new radios, the first developed Pathfinder a hand held 2.4Ghz radio which has been trialed in India and Vietnam, the second being the ES2010 Tactical Mesh Point added in the Summer acquisition of Fortress Technologies an 802.11 radio operating in 2.4GHz and 4.4Ghz. Northrop Grumman is using radios from Rajant as part of its soldier system and iBMS solution.

Cobham’s Eagle Close Combat Radio, operated by New Zealand has recently had a software upgrade to enable the manual rather than exclusively automatic selection of the key for its AES 128 encryption.

For the US market, Lockheed Martin has developed the cellular and wireless based Whetstone Integrated COTM solution. In the Asia-Pacific region Lockheed Martin is using the underlying technology as part of its bid for JP2072 Phase 2B, teamed with Elbit Systems and the technology designed to support headquarter and command post wireless LANs that can be set up extremely quickly.

The system supports WiFi, 3/4G, WiMAX and Ethernet connections as well as interfaces to CNRs and uses external IP encryption. As part of JP2072 Phase 2B, Lockheed Martin said that they had also been asked to add their MONAX smartphone technology to their offer as an option for individual personnel.

Other cellular solutions on the market include Harris’ KnightHawk which operates in the 2.1GHz band and can support up to 60 simultaneous voice users as well as a significant numbers of HSPA data connections, with peak coverage of 14.4Mbps.

FLIGHT T R A I N I N G

Asia-Pacific

Flight

Capabilities and Requirements According to a recent Study, more than 1,600 military training aircraft will be produced in the next decade, almost half of which will be turboprop-powered trainers, with jet trainers accounting for nearly all of the remainder. The market for piston-powered military trainers is on the decline.

Overall, annual production will reach a high of 150 in 2014 before gradually falling throughout the remainder of the forecast period. Hawker Beechcraft is forecast to lead the market share with 31 percent from 2011 to 2015, although most of these will be made up of T-6B trainers for the US Navy.

by David Oliver ne of the major causes of the projected reduced demand for trainers is the declining need to train new pilots. Many world air arms are shrinking fighter and attack jet fleets, lowering demand for new pilots and, in turn, trainers.

However, this is not necessarily so in the Asia market. With many countries in the region re-equipping with state-of-the-art fifth-generation combat aircraft, Lead-In Fighter Trainers (LIFT) will also have to be

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acquired. Influential in both its choice of new types and the method of their acquisition has been Singapore.

In September 2010, the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 was selected by Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to replace the A-4SU Super Skyhawks in the Advanced Jet Training (AJT) role. The contract for 12 M-346 advanced trainer aircraft is being acquired through a consortium comprised of ST Aerospace as prime contractor, and Boeing.

Together with ST Aerospace, Alenia

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Aermacchi will make a contribution to the Boeing-led Integrated Training System (ITS) and to supporting the fleet, the first of which will be delivered in 2012.

This was the second phase of re-equipping Singapore’s training fleet. The first was the award in 2006 of a contract by the Singapore Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) to operate the RSAF Basic Wings Course (BWC). Nineteen PC-21 advanced turboprop trainer aircraft and a 20-year engineering and

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Training The turboprop-powered Pilatus PC-21 handles like a jet fighter and is another contender for the AJT/LIFT role Š Pilatus

logistics support service will be provided by the Swiss aircraft manufacturer, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. as part of a turn-key training package awarded to Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support (LMSTS).

The training is being conducted at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce, north of Perth in Western Australia.

The contract included the provision of Pilot and Weapons System Operator groundschool, simulator hours and flying from July 2008. The PC-21 replaced the Alenia S-211, 32 of which were delivered in the 1980s. The S211 is also in service with the Philippines Air Force, which took delivery of a total of 25 aircraft, although few remain airworthy. Alenia was encouraged by the basic-advanced trainer market and subsequently produced a development of the S-211, the M-311.

The M-311 is now being marketed as a new cost-effective solution for the basicadvanced fast jet phase of the pilot training syllabus, offering a significant reduction in acquisition and life-cycle costs, bringing them to a level similar to that of the high power turboprops.

The piston-engine primary trainer market is almost saturated within the Asia-Pacific region with only single-figure sales anticipat-

In September 2010, the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 was selected by Republic of Singapore Air Force to replace the A-4SU Super Skyhawks in the Advanced Jet Training role

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A Pakistan Air Force Hongdu/PAC K-8 basic jet trainer, is also in service in China, Myanmar and Sri Lanka Š David Oliver

ed during the next few years.

In a marginally better state is the turboprop basic trainer market, the leading players in which are the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, the Hawker Beechcraft T-6 Texan II and the Pilatus PC-7/9 and PC-21.

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A contender for the PLAAF’s AJT/LIFT programme is the Hongdu L-15 © Chinese internet

The Super Tucano and Texan II have not been able to break into the regional market to date, while the PC-9 has ben adopted by the air forces of Australia, Myanmar and Thailand while Malaysia has ordered an additional 12 PC-7 Mk II aircraft to the 48 already in service. Singapore is the lead export customer for the PC-21.

Japan and South Korea have both produced indigenous turboprop designs. Some 50 Fuji T-7s powered by the Rolls-Royce 250B17F have been produced for the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force as the T- 3 Kai by the end of 2009. The T-7 has attracted no export orders to date but its competitor, the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 powered by the ubiquitous Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25A has been sold to Indonesia as well as the Republic of Korea (ROK) Air Force, and the type has also been selected by the Turkish Air Force. There are also several indigenous jet-powered intermediate/advanced training aircraft being produced in the region. These include Japan’s Kawasaki T-4, production of which is complete, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) HJT-36, and the Hongdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) K-8. The latter

The PC-9 has ben adopted by the air forces of Australia, Myanmar and Thailand while Malaysia has ordered an additional 12 PC-7 Mk II aircraft to the 48 already in service 38

The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master Advanced Jet Trainer/Lead-in Fighter Trainer (AJT/LIFT) has been selected by the Republic of Singapore Air Force © Finmeccanica

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More than 100 BAE Systems/HAL Hawk 132 AFT/LIFTs have been ordered for the Indian Air Force and Navy © BAE Systems

KAI’s T-50 Golden Eagle is in service the Republic of South Korea Air Force and ordered by the Indonesian Air Force © KAI

is produced in the People’s Republic of China as the JL-8 and in Pakistan as the Karakorum.

More than 150 are in service with the PLAAF and 38 are being delivered to the Pakistan Air Force. The type has sold well in Africa and South America and is in service with the Sri Lankan and Myanmar Air Forces.

China has also entered the advanced trainer market with the development of two new high performance aircraft to compete for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) next generation advanced trainer aircraft programmes, the Hongdu L-15 Falcon and the Guizhou JL-9 Mountain Eagle. The former, which made its maiden flight in March 2006, bears a close resemblance to the Russian Yak-130 but due to problems with its Ukranian AI-222-25F turbofan, is unlikely to enter service before the

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end of the decade. In contrast, the JL-9, based on the Guizhou JJ7, the Chinese equivalent of the MiG-21U, is currently entering PLAAF service, and a carrier version, the JT-9H, is under development for the Chinese navy.

India’s Air Force and Navy have a requirement for 225 HAL HJT-36 Sitaras to replace the HJT-16 Kiran in its role as a Stage-2 trainer, although a Limited Series Production (LSP) order of only 16 aircraft, which includes 12 for the Suryakiran Aerobatics team, has so far been confirmed. The type has had a protracted development and is unlikely to attract serious overseas interest. India also has a $1 billion requirement for basic trainer aircraft for which the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II has been shortlisted, beating off the KAI KT-1 and the T-6C Texan II. Along with Singapore, the air forces of Malaysia, Thailand and possibly Taiwan,

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have requirements for a LIFT with three types holding centre stage of the regional market, the BAE Systems Hawk, the Alenia Aermacchi M-346, and the KAI T-50. The Hawk, the prototype of which first flew in 1974, is approaching the end of its production life in spite of its selection in its latest incarnation, featuring a glass cockpit and upgraded avionics, by the Indian Air Force and Navy. A total of 122 Hawk 132 have been ordered, most of which will be assembled in India by HAL. Various variants are in service with the air forces of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea, but the Hawk was ruled out as a contender for the Singapore contract at an early stage. The leading contenders for future LIFT contracts worldwide including the United States, are the M-346 Master and the T-50 Golden Eagle.

The Italian M-346 Master AJT/LIFT is the progeny of the Russian Yak-130. A joint programme for an advanced trainer development between Yakovlev and Aermacchi began in 1993 and the Yak/AEM-130D demonstrator first flew in 1996. However, in 1999, the partnership was dissolved and the Yak-130 with Russian engines and equipment and the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 with western engines and avionics becoming separate programmes.

Although selected to replace the Russian Air Force’s extensive L-39 Albatross fleet with a requirement for more than 200 aircraft, the Yak-130 has yet to enter service although the type has been sold to Algeria, and to Libya before the fall of the Ghadhafi regime.

The M-346 has had a similarly protracted development with the first prototype not making its maiden flight until July 2004 with

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which was completed in January 2006. KAI was responsible for system integration, including design, analysis, ground test, flight test programmes and for the final assembly of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin was responsible for the technical assistance, avionics integration and flight control. KAI also developed the T-50 Ground Based Training System (GBTS) and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) at the same time with the T-50 development to maximize the effectiveness and the economics of the development cost.

The T-50’s maiden flight was successfully conducted in August 2002 and the first of 50 production aircraft was delivered to ROKAF in December 2005. KAI also produced an additional ten T-50s modified for the exclusive use of ROKAF aerobatic flight team, the Black Eagles.

Two versions of the Golden Eagle have been ordered by the ROKAF, the T-50 AJT and the radar-equipped TA-50 LIFT, both of which are weapons-capable. A light attack variant, the FA-50, is in development to replace the ROKAF F-5 fleet, more than 150 of which remain in service. Powered by a single 78.7 kN (17,700 lb) thrust with afterburner, General Electric GE F404-GE-102 turbofan, it has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 and a service ceiling of 14,630 m (48,000 ft). Like many modern state- of-the-art combat aircraft with Fly-by-Wire (FBW) controls, the T-

the first pre-production aircraft was rolled out in April 2008. The M-346’s full authority, quadruplex FBW control system allows it to remain fully controllable at angles of attack up to 40° degrees. It is powered by two 2,850 kg (6,280 lb) thrust Honeywell F124-GA200 turbofans giving it a thrust/weight ration close to 1 to 1. Although not supersonic, the M-346 has attained Mach 1.17 during flight trials.

Embedded simulation is a key feature of the Master. Once activated, the actions of the pilot and the actual aircraft flight data interact in real time with a virtual scenario generating specific symbologies. A set of different operating modes and options can be selected by the instructor through the HOTAS controls and the MFD’s soft-key selections.

Simulated sensor and scenario data are presented on the MFD and HUD in both cockpits. Simulations of weapons enable the student pilot to perform simulated attacks, both in air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons delivery modes, while on-board systems provide the pilot scoring, both in real time and on the ground for mission debriefing. An important step forward in the worldwide marketing of the type was taken in 2009 when the Italian company signed an MoU with the Boeing Company.

Launched in response to the ROKAF’s KTX-2 advanced trainer requirement by KAI and Lockheed Martin, the supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle was designed to prepare future pilots to fly current and fourth and fifth generation combat aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, F/A-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, Rafale and the Eurofighter.

The Republic of Korea Government authorised the go-ahead of the $2.5 billion T50 development programme in October 1997,

The KAI KT-1 intermediate turboprop trainer is in service in South Korea and Indonesia © US Navy

50 is relatively easy to fly in terms of airframe design, digital flight controls, and on-board systems. It includes embedded training features and a mission planning and debriefing system. More than 100 ROKAF pilots had completed the nine-month course on the T-50 by the end of 2010.

In May 2011, Indonesia signed a $400 million contract for 16 T-50 Golden Eagles after being KAI was selected as the preferred bidder beating Russia’s Yak-130 and the Czech Aero L-159B. KAI has also been in contact with the Thai government to explore the possibility of selling the T-50 to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). With its selection of the Saab Gripen to replace its F-5 fleet, KAI is pitching the T-50 to replace RTAF’s ageing Alpha Jets and Aero L-39ZA/ARTs for the AJT/LIFT role.

However, the T-50 is not a cheap option at approximately $20 million each, and its comprehensive Ground Based Training System (GBTS) and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) support package includes full mission simulators and an extensive curriculum of computer-aided training.

Regarded by some, not least Lockheed Martin, the Golden Eagle’s greatest market potential may be as a future replacement for the US Air Force’s forty-year old T-38 Talon supersonic advanced trainer.

Reflecting the strength of the military trainer market in the region, it is predicted that Korea Aerospace Industries will have more than 10 percent market share over the next fire years, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd almost 12 percent, and Jiangxi Hongdu Aviation Industry Corp, a healthy 13 percent.

India’s Air Force and Navy have a requirement for 225 HAL HJT-36 Sitaras to replace the HJT-16 Kiran in its role of as a Stage-2 trainer

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FORCE PROTECTION

Counter-IED

Force Prote Securing vehicles, individuals and bases against Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) remains a key challenge for militaries whether they are currently deployed on operations and requiring that capability in their inventories today or, for others wanting a tool for future threats.

The panoply of devices and technologies available as well as the accompanying Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for their implementation are impressive and can be divided between ‘smart’ ways of detecting IEDs or preventing their detonation and secondly, providing the means to mitigate their effects through armour and similar palliative methods.

by Adam Baddeley

Jammers

Preventing the remote control signal reaching IEDs, averting their explosion at a time when troops and convoys are passing, is a critical technology. The recent rush, post 2003 in response to attacks in Iraq, has been to field jammers or Radio Frequency inhibitors, sometimes saw poorly integrated systems fielded. With immediate needs met, this approach is now giving way to the next generation of systems, designed for long term use and evolution based on software upgrades and integrated into the wider C4ISR structure.

The US is the leading light in this effort via its Joint Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW 3) programme. This is designed to replace systems that went before. These include the SRC developed CREW 2 of which some 30,000 are in service, the ITT CVRJ of which some 23,000 are in US use with Australia also acquiring some systems and the ITT MMBJ which is an active jamming system with about 2500 JCREW 3.3 is designed to be the dominant solution with hardware designed to support operation until 2031 with upgrades over time via the technology insertion of standard cards and new software © AJB

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The Aerovironment Puma is used for C-IED route clearance tasks in Afghanistan Š DoD

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fielded. The US also fielded dismounted QRD jammers from 2006, produced in the US by BAE Systems to a Selex design with over 800 systems fielded.

In a significant break with the past, JCREW 3 is a single family of three systems.

The JCREW 3.1 comprises the Thor III AN/PLQ-9, sourced from the Sierra Nevada Corporation and largely for dismounted use although the systems can also be used in light mounted and fixed applications. The JCREW 3.2 was designed as an interim measure that would be deployed if earlier CREW systems could not cope with a new threat. JCREW 3.3 is designed to be the dominant solution with hardware designed to support operation until 2031 with upgrades over time via the technology insertion of standard cards and new software. ITT and Northrop Grumman competed for this contract which was awarded to the former earlier this year. The solution, known as Increment 1 Block 1 (I1B1) is currently being delivered for final testing with LRIP expected in 2012.

The design is such that basic functions can be undertaken with a minimum of training, with the entire full spectrum of system capabilities can be fully exploited via specialist personnel. The system is also designed to work with the US Army’s suite of battlefield C4ISR systems and integrate, via satcom to systems in the US for updates.

A system designed with the US armed forces in mind is not always either optimum or affordable by others and the JCREW system is still to be completed. Faced by threats today, systems on hand now are continuing to be fielded.

Grintek Ewation’s Manpack GMJ900 RCIED jammer Family is designed to cover two, 20W powered frequency ranges; 20500MHz and 500-2.5GHz with the company’s GMJ9000V and GMJ9000U models. Both are able to jam different bands simultaneously, including the increasingly significant 3G solutions. Single or multi-antenna solutions are both offered.

Thales new RCIED Inhibitor is the Gecco and is due to be fielded to its launch customer in 2012 for use in Afghanistan. The system operates using an omni-directional and has a reactive antenna and can be used with electronic intelligence gathering systems. Thales has designed the systems from the start to be a reactive design, jamming only those frequencies it needs to while leaving other for communications and uses

SNC’s Thor II, AN/PMT-5 manpack jammer © AJB

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Thales’ 1.1Kg Storm-H provides a Personal Electronic Countermeasure Equipment solution and has the same form factor as the ubiquitous AN/PRC-148 MBITR radio © AJB

non-ITAR components to maximize export markets. The design is also software based and so hardware can be used with low levels of classification.

While Gecco is vehicle based and a fixed site jammer, the company’s 1.1Kg Storm-H provides a Personal Electronic Countermeasure Equipment solution and has the same form factor as the ubiquitous AN/PRC-148 MBITR radio. Storm-H has three variants to support jamming on 2G, 3G and wideband frequencies.

Czech firm URC has developed a number of jammers in its STAR family, one of its most recent is the STAR-V, a vehicle integrated design that has been deployed to Afghanistan with Czech forces. Selex’s modular system solution is provided via the ECM Guardian product line with the high powered Guaradian-H2 and -H3 system. L-3 TRL’s new Lightweight RCIED jammer is an enhancement to its Broadshsield Modular Countermeasures Suite Manpack jammer family. The key change is weight with a 470g drop in the manpack systems to 7.3Kg. In Asia, NDR Resource International recently been launched their NDR-JAM3 Programmable DTMF Monitoring/ Defeating System designed to be counter the latest dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) encode/decode designs as initiators in IEDs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and South of Thailand.

Detection

Detection via Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) provides the definitive counter to IEDs. Jammers preclude the remote detonation of devices but don’t disarm or stop them from being used at a later time and while effective, jammers are not a universally a successful prophylactic and don’t stop detonation on every occasion. In contrast, detection allows the threat to be physically avoided by taking an alternative route or destroyed before it can pose an immediate threat.

Airborne surveillance has been a major thrust in US efforts to counter IEDs. The key formation used in this goal has been Task Force ODIN, an acronym for Observe, Detect, Identify, and Neutralize formed from Army Aviation assets in 2006. TF ODIN uses a mix of manned and unmanned

UAVs are also used for surveillance; Aerovironment’s Puma, deployed to Afghanistan is used for route clearance with around 100 deployed for that role.

Organic to small units is the company level Raven Small UAV, with a number of examples of commanders using the brigade complement of 45 Ravens to generate integrated ISR plans to keep particular areas under constant discrete coverage.

Route clearance on the ground remains critical a new system recently deployed to Afghanistan by the UK with the Royal Engineers is the multi platform Talisman

assets with payloads to detect and engage insurgent teams deploying IEDs. Other solutions have been used by the US to maximise wide area surveillance with programmes such as Sierra Nevada's Gorgon Stare electro-optical based widearea surveillance solution and the Northrop Grumman's Airborne Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Minefield Detection System or ASTAMIDS. General purposes

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The remains of an explosive device used to attack a convoy in the Sarkani district of Kunar province, Afghanistan © DoD

Thales new RCIED Inhibitor is the Gecco and is due to be fielded to its launch customer in 2012 for use in Afghanistan © AJB

system. Surveillance is built around a Mastiff protected mobility system equipped with the Honeywell T-Hawk UAV which feeds information back to the vehicles. This provides the command hub for the direction of three further platforms; the Buffalo with an extendable arm, a protected JCB digger and a Talon UGV. The US is currently implementing Pearson Engineering’s Self-Protection Adaptive Roller Kit System II or SPARKS II kit. This system attaches to the front of a range of armoured

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vehicles and is used to detonate pressure-activated IEDs away from the vehicle.

The US has also made major use of the Husky Mine Detection Systems (HMDS) from NIITEK, a subsidiary of Chemring.

Husky is equipped with a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to detect buried IEDs. At AUSA in October, Northrop

To aid in training for the C-IED threat the UK have gone to Saab, using its Agile Tactical Engagement System

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showed its Non-Intrusive Threat Detection System (NITDS), a UGV mounted device designed to confirm the location of IEDs, once their presence is suspected by some other means. NITDS uses a particle accelerator to operate, detecting anomalies under the ground in a different way to Ground Penetrating Radar.

Understanding the threat is key. To this end, the European Defence Agency has recently established a mobile laboratory designed to forensically investigate IED and how they are used and the lab is designed to be able to deploy to the theatre required. Spanish firm Indra has been tasked to delivering the system which will be ready later this year.

Until recently personnel deploying on operations were given limited C-IED training largely because of the traditional onus for response focused on explosive ordnance disposal units and the fact that the required simulation and training tools necessary were limited in number and scope. As C-IED responses in the field are increasingly undertaken by the whole force because EOD personnel can’t be every where at once, training regimes are changing accordingly and incorporate the simulated representation of the environment in a highly detailed manner.

To aid in training for the C-IED threat the UK have gone to Saab, using its Agile Tactical Engagement System C-IED which integrates and simulates current C-IED tools and provides a training regime to test troops ability to use systems including jammers and mine detectors. The first troops completed training late last year and in addition to UK personnel, Danish troops have traveled to the UK to make use of the systems.

Airborne surveillance can be supplemented by ground based assets with technologies from a variety of non-traditional areas being focused on the issue, either detecting the individual who planted the device or detecting the devices once they are in place. Kelvin Hughes, best known for maritime surveillance recently launched their new Boxer MPS ground surveillance radar which implements Sharp Eye technology. The system uses an electronically scanned phased array beam for both continuous scanning and a stare capability. An I/X-band design, the Boxer MPS family can detect personnel on foot at 10km

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and airborne targets at 45km.

Integrated surveillance capabilities are offered by systems such as Ground-Wide Area Surveillance Platform or G-WASP, an integrated surveillance capability put together by a team of four companies; ITT, Thales, Meridian and Ultra Electronics. A trailer mounted ISR solution, G-WASP combines a mast mounted, high resolution optical head with a detection range versus a walking taregt of 10km and recognition of 3.5km and a Ku band E-scan Frequency Modulated Wave Doppler ground surveillance radar with a 5km range, with the G-WASP itself being sensor agnostic. All the integrated components within G-WASP have been already A US Army Husky armoured vehicle, equipped with GPR leads a convoy during Operation Helmand Spider in Afghanistan, 2010 9 Š DoD

been independently fielded in Afghanistan.

A similar man portable solution is ESC Baz’s 18Kg AMI, a remote control solution for a tripod mounted, precise pan and tilt which can be matched with a range of hand held and thermal cameras and can be set up in seven minutes. The system allowing them to be remotely controlled by a user from up to 200m using WiFi links and up to 1Km with a cable. AMI has been operated by the Israel Defence Force for the past three years and in July a customer in South East Asia was announced with other customers in Central Europe and Latin America. In September ESC also allowed that its Aviv short to medium range systems had been adopted to provide surveillance and critical assets within Israel, combining a CCD Day Camera and thermal imager.

Unattended Ground Sensors

(UGS) are also being used widely in the CIED role, being able to be placed discretely to cover particular routes and choke points identified as likely to subject to IED attacks.

One such UGS used by a number of countries for force protection surveillance including Italy is the MUGI systems developed by Seraphim which can be buried and even built into walls. The systems is quite and uses a slanted window to avoid creating a detectable glare effect and requires 7W of power to operate although in power saving mode this reduces to less than a single Watt.

The systems incorporates video motion detection algorithms and uses a VGA uncooled 640x480 Thermal Imager and can be linked to other sensors including seismic, acoustic and radar for cuing with software enhancements including facial and license plate recognition software.

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Nobody on board

The United States Navy is forging ahead with its investment into Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). On 4th October, the Service announced that General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Inc. had won $48.6 million worth of contracts for the development and manufacture of the US Navy’s new Surface Mine Countermeasures (SMCM) UUV. The SMCM UUV has been specifically designed to detect moored and buried mines in highly cluttered littoral environments. An initial low-rate production of around five SMCM UUV systems is anticipated, with the Department of Defense expecting the equipment to outfit the force’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

by Tom Withington he development of the SMCM UUV is just one of several ongoing efforts in the unmanned underwater vehicle and the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) domains.

Although they have not proliferated at the pace of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), USVs and UUVs have demonstrated the important role that they can play in harbour and port security, and for force protection of ships; a role particularly well-suited to USVs; and for inspection and Mine Countermeasures (MCM) work as regards UUVs. Israel’s Elbit Systems is one firm which has

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carved a niche in the development of USVs, notably in the form of its Silver Marlin and Stingray craft. Designed as a medium-sized unmanned surface craft, Silver Marlin is configured to carry a remote-controlled weapons station, along with a company-furnished Electro-Optical (EO) payload. In addition to its offensive and EO systems, Elbit has installed adaptive boat control to ensure safe operation in rough seas, and an autonomous obstacle avoidance system. Both obstacle avoidance and safe navigation are vital capabilities for USVs. One only has to cast their eyes across a busy harbour or waterway to see how clut-

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tered coastal waters are; home to a range of jet skis, pleasure craft, motor launches, ferries, cargo vessels and windsurfers; to name just six users. This makes the water arguably more cluttered than the air above for UAVs, rendering it essential for USVs to have a means of safely avoiding potential collision hazards.

Control of the Silver Marlin is exercised via either a line-of-sight communications link or, when operating over-the-horizon, via a satellite communications system. Elbit sees the Silver Marlin as a complementary craft operating as part of a wider array of systems. An official statement issued by the company notes

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that, upon discovering a suspicious vessel; “a UAV can establish initial identification and the USV can then be dispatched to halt the target.”

While Silver Marlin has a top speed of 45 knots and a length of ten metres, Elbit’s Stingray is shorter at just over three metres length, although it can hit a top speed of 50 knots. The company notes that this vehicle can either be operated; “via remote control, or totally autonomously,” and specifies that the vessel is well-suited for; “port and sea structure defence, and security, on-site event management and damage assessment.” As well as providing the vessel, Elbit says that it can also

firms claims to be; “the lightest single Line Replacement Unit stabilized payload in its class.” The firm’s MicroCoMPASS is also available for its USVs, alongside its MiniORCA 7.62mm overhead remote-controlled, fully-stabilised weapons station.

In terms of the developmental status of both vehicles, Elbit says that; “Silver Marlin and Stingray are currently under evaluation.”

It adds that; “we have been approached by various customers worldwide who have expressed their interest in the possibility of incorporating Elbit Systems’ USVs, combined with additional advanced naval solutions, as

Elbit System’s Silver Marlin is designed as a medium-sized USV and, according to the firm, is ideal for port security and harbour patrol missions.

Silver Marlin can operate in a solitary fashion, or as part of a larger array of systems involving unmanned aerial vehicles © Elbit Systems

furnish the payloads equipping its UUVs; these include the firm’s CoMPASS (Compact Multi Purpose Advanced Stabilized System) which provides target tracking and designation. In addition to CoMPASS, Elbit offers the DCoMPASS, the latest member of the CoMPASS family, which provides high-resolution digital imagery in a package which the

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an ultimate response to maritime security as well as offshore facility protection.”

Specifically, the company sees applications for its USVs in terms of; “coast guard, port, sea defence and assisting security forces.”

Just as they have been used below the waves for this purpose, USVs are ideal for the Mine Countermeasures Mission (MCM).

Since the early 1980s, the Royal Swedish Navy has operated the Self-Propelled Acoustic/ Magnetic Mine Sweeper (SAM) USV which has been cycled through several versions, including the recent containerised SAM-3 variant. Meanwhile, the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) has utilised the TROIKA unmanned surface mine clearance system, which entered service at a similar time to the Sweden’s SAM-1.

Many USVs are currently in development, with some more advanced than others. One vessel which has shown promise, and which packs a formidable punch, is the Spartan Scout which has been developed by Radix Marine, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.

Spartan Scout is configured to carry a range of weapons including Lockheed Martin FGM-148 Javelin and AGM-114 missiles for surface and coastal attack. During US Navy trials, which were performed onboard the

USS Gettysburg Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, the Spartan Scout was also outfitted with dipping sonar, a Northrop Grumman AN/AQS-24 side-scan sonar and 12.7mm remotely-operated machine gun.

Alongside Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has developed the Protector, which has the distinction of being one of the few USVs in routine service; namely with the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Israeli Sea Corps. Rafael developed the Protector in

BAE Systems’ Archerfish mine disposal system can be launched by surface vessels, helicopters and other unmanned underwater vehicles. It has been selected by the US Navy for the force’s Airborne Mine Neutralisation System requirement © BAE Systems

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Protector has the distinction of being on of the few USVs in routine naval service. To this end, the craft is operated by the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Israeli Sea Corps © Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

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conjunction with BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin. The craft has been designed from the outset to have a low-observable design, and it is capable of offensive missions thanks to the Mini Typhoon Mk.49’s stabilised weapon mount. This is connected to one of the company’s Toplite EO systems, plus a public address system which can be used to issue demands, or to communicate with individuals. Along with its service in the Israeli and Singaporean navies, the Protector has been

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evaluated by the US Navy and Coastguard.

Israel’s offerings join those of French robotic specialist ECA, which has developed the Inspector coastal and port security USV. The Inspector has been designed to accommodate modular payloads, to afford the user a high degree of customisation according to the mission that the craft is required to perform. These payloads can include side-scan and multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler for

Several companies including Thales and ECA are involved in the development of the Asemar UUV. Designed as a fully autonomous vehicle, Asemar is intended to perform wide-area surveillance, and survey of submerged objects © Thomas Withington

advanced UUVs for inspection and MCM work. The firm also continues to enjoy healthy sales at home. On 21st February, it secured a contract from the French Navy to deliver several Alister-100 autonomous underwater vehicles from 2012.

The Alister-100 is an evolution of one of the company’s most popular products; it’s Alister UUV. Comprising sonar, lights and TV cameras, this craft can be used for MCM work, as well as general reconnaissance.

With the ability to sustain a speed of eight knots, and to dive to 300m, Alister has an endurance of around 20 hours. Customers requiring an un-tethered UUV can opt for the firm’s Alister-100 which suffers a slight speed penalty in comparison to the Alister (five knots’ top speed, versus eight knots for the vanilla Alister), although the Alister-100 does offer up to 15 hours’ endurance, and a similar performance as regards diving. In terms of payload, the Alister-100 can accom-

Since the early 1980s, the Royal Swedish Navy has operated the Self-Propelled Acoustic/Magnetic Mine Sweeper USV

seeing objects below the sea bed and, for shallow water operations, interferometric sonar.

Furthermore, the craft can deploy one of the firms’ K-Ster (see below) unmanned underwater vehicles for destruction of mines. The Inspector has been evaluated by the French Navy as a reconnaissance asset, and has been equipped with an EO payload to this end.

French robotics specialist ECA has earned a global reputation as a supplier of

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Kongsberg’s family of REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles can dive to a range of depths, depending on the vehicle, from 600m down to 3000m. The REMUS-6000 can even reach up to 6000m © US Navy

modate side-scan and multibeam sonar, TV cameras, obstacle avoidance systems; and a conductivity, temperate and density probe.

Along with the identification of sea mines, their destruction can be affected using the firm’s K-Ster UUV. This craft comes outfitted with a tiltable warhead which can be positioned in an optimised fashion to ensure the destruction of a mine, by directing the blast to ensure that as much of the explosion as possible is absorbed by the errant ordnance. K-Ster can perform this mission at depths of 600m and joins the firm’s PAP (Poisson Auto-Propulsed/‘SelfPropelled Fish’) product, which also contains a warhead for sea mine destruction.

Although both the PAP and the K-Ster are perfect for the destruction of mines once they have been detected, fleets no doubt prefer to locate and destroy mines before they can become a danger to a task group. One means by which this can be achieved is via the use of ECA’s Olister UUV. The Olister can work in tandem with the PAP and K-Ster by scanning the locale in front of the ships for mines. Once such a threat is discovered, ordnance can be neutralised with either of these explosive-carrying vehicles. Olister, which can attain a

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speed of six knots, can be operated in either an autonomous mode, during which it has up to six hours’ endurance, or as a tethered vehicle, providing theoretically unlimited endurance.

Scandinavia boasts two companies specialising in the UUVs, notably Kongsberg and Saab. Like ECA’s PAP and K-Ster, and Atlas Elektronik’s Sea Fox-C, Kongsberg’s MineSniper Mk.II comes outfitted with a 72mm charge to destroy naval mines. To date, this vehicle has won orders from the Spanish Navy. For inspection work, Kongsberg produces the HUGIN family of autonomous underwater vehicles which comprises three members; the HUGIN-1000, HUGIN-3000 and HUGIN-4000. Multibeam and side-scan sonar are accommodated on the HUGIN1000, along with a sub-bottom profiler, and the craft itself can sustain an endurance of up to 60 hours. While the HUGIN-1000 can reach 3000m, the HUGIN-4500 can operate at depths of 4500m, and retains up to 30 percent more battery power than the HUGIN-1000.

Meanwhile, Kongsberg’s REMUS (Remote Environmental UnitS) are optimised for shallower work. Also configured to operate at 600m, the REMUS-600 can be comfortably configured to work at up to 3000m, and per-

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BAE Systems is a relatively new entrant to the unmanned underwater vehicle world. However, the firm has developed its Talisman UUV. The endurance of the Talisman is sufficient to provide the vessel with up to 24 hours endurance © BAE Systems

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Saab is one of Scandinavia’s leading UUV companies. The firm’s portfolio includes the AUV-62MR craft designed for mine countermeasures work, and also the Double Eagle SAROV which can be optionally outfitted to dive to 3000m © Thomas Withington

these missions are facilitated with the use of synthetic aperture sonar which, like synthetic aperture radar, provides a crystal-clear image, in this case, of the sea bed. Atlas Elektronik’s Sea Otter UUV family comes equipped with such apparatus. Its Sea Otter Mk.II can operate for in excess of 24 hours, and sustain a cruising speed of four knots. The ‘vanilla’ Sea Otter Mk.II design has been updated via the Sea Otter Mk.IID which has highly autonomous fault detection and obstacle avoidance sonar.

Mine hunting is the speciality of Atlas Elektonik’s Sea Fox family. Designed for mine location and training, the Sea Fox-1 can reach depths of 300m and maintain speeds of six knots. Although the Sea Fox-I is good for the detection and location of mines, such ordnance can be destroyed using the Sea Fox-C. This craft carries a shaped charge to bring the maximum destructive effect to bear on a mine. It has an endurance of around 100 minutes, and can operate at depths of 300m and speeds of six knots. A training version of this craft, sans warhead, known as the Sea Fox-T is also available from Atlas Elektronik. However, tethered naval mines are not the only threat to shipping.

Vessels also have to contend with buried mines. Atlas Elektronik’s Sea Wolf UUV offers one means by which such a menace can be destroyed. Sea Fox craft carry a sediment-penetrating sonar to enable the location of the mines while a powerful warhead ensures their destruction. Last, but by no means least, the company’s SeaCat UUV is operable in either an autonomous, or a tethered, configuration and features a modular design which allows the easy change of the vessels’ payload according to the mission that it will perform.

The future looks bright for both UUVs and their surface cousins. Elbit Systems believes that the USV market is, “in its primary stages as customers are becoming accustomed with the use of these vehicles. As with the UAVs, the UAV market is evolving and most customers are starting to realize the new capabilities that USVs offer. Growing demand for maritime surveillance, security and offshore facility protection will require a broad range of payloads, integration and interoperation with existing coastguard, port and sea defence and security systems. This is in addition to interoperability with airborne UAVs.”

Spartan Scout is configured to carry a range of weapons including Lockheed Martin FGM-148 Javelin and AGM-114 missiles for surface and coastal attack

form missions of up to 70 hours duration.

Customers requiring an inspection UUV to outstrip the depths offered by the REMUS600 can choose the REMUS-6000 which can dive to bone-crushing depths of 6000m.

Complementing Kongsberg as Scandinavia’s other specialist UUV house is Saab. The company’s AUV-62MR craft is designed for MCM and reconnaissance work, reaching speeds of 20 knots and depths of 500m. Operating at a similar depth is Saab’s Double Eagle SAROV vehicle, although the Double Eagle can have its operating depth extended to 3000m.

Several companies dominate the world of UUVs, including Atlas Elektronik of Germany.

The firm’s sub-aqua uninhabited offerings include an array of vehicles which have been designed from the outset to assist the underwater inspection and MCM missions. Both

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Asia-Pacific Procurement Update AUSTRALIA Boeing completes Australian Super Hornet deliveries

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has completed two F-18E/F Super Hornets squadrons following completion of delivery of the 24 aircraft ordered by the Australian government in 2007.

The final four Block II F-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft were welcomed home at an official ceremony held at RAAF Base Amberley, the last of five batches delivered

by Boeing since March 2010. The aircraft, delivered on budget and ahead of schedule, were purchased by the Australian government in order to ensure that the RAAF’s regional air combat capability is maintained until the delivery of the Joint Strike Fighter later this decade.

The Boeing Super Hornet is a multi-role aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precisionguided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. They give the RAAF the capability to conduct air-to-air combat, strike targets on land and at sea, suppress enemy air defences and conduct reconnaissance.

Australia is the first country outside the United States to fly the Super Hornet. It is an operationally proven aircraft that has been flown by the United States Navy since 2001, and Boeing has delivered more than 470 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every Super Hornet produced has been delivered on or ahead of schedule and on budget.

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Australia opts to upgrade Austeyr rifle

The Australian Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced that a further $8 million has been invested into the Austeyr rifle upgrade project currently being carried out under the $448.6 million LAND 125 Phase 3C Soldier Enhancement Version 2 – Lethality programme.

The Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare made the announcement, and outlined the next stage of the project to produce a qualified rifle design ready for production for Australian troops.

Changes to the rifle will include a new modular design that reduces the weight and improves the balance of the weapon; the integration of NATO standard (Picatinny) rails to allow for a wide range of military off-the-shelf attachments to be fitted to the weapon to provide the flexibility to reconfigure the weapon according to the mission; and the integration of a grenade launcher attachment and grenade launcher sight into the rifle. The work will be largely carried out by Soldier Systems Centre in Lithgow, New South Wales.

Project LAND 125 is a soldier modernisation project that will develop the ADF’s dismounted close combat capability by providing enhancements to the NATO defined and inter-related soldier sub-systems of Lethality, Survivability, Sustainment and Mobility and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information. It also will enhance the wider integration between the soldier and other supporting platforms, the conceptual basis, design and configuration of a soldier system, version control and development, training and logistic support.

Under the programme so far the ADF ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

The Bushmaster serves the ADF in a number of roles, including the latest ambulance variant which is now entering service © DoD

close combat force has been equipped with the Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), individual Combat Load Carriage Equipment (ICLCE), and individual knee/elbow pads; and team equipment including the Thermal Weapon Sight (TWS), and the Personal Role Radio (PRR) have been acquired. Phase 3 was granted first pass approval in August 2005 and has developed as three separate but interrelated sub-system lines of development.

More Bushmaster ambulances delivered to RAAF

The Australian Ministry of Defence (MOD) has taken delivery of four more Bushmaster ambulances at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley. Sixty three ambulance vehicles in seven variants are being built for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The latest deliveries will serve in the Air Force Health Services Wing.

Twenty five Bushmaster ambulances have so far been delivered to the ADF including at a cost of more than $670,000 each. This includes 19 vehicles delivered to 7 Brigade based at Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane; one to the School of Health at Latchford Barracks, Bonegilla; one to the Motorised Combat Wing, School of Artillery at Puckapunyal Barracks; and four announced today to the Air Force Health Services Wing at RAAF Base Amberley.

According to Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare the vehicles will be an improvement on the existing Sprinter ambulances currently in use; and that inbuilt blast and ballistic protection and the vehicles’ monocoque v-

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shaped armoured hull provides protection from bullets, artillery and roadside bombs.

The Bushmaster Ambulance variant is a member of the Bushmaster family of vehicles and is based upon the PMV. In addition to driver, commander and medical attendant positions, each vehicle can accommodate one permanent stretcher position with loading mechanism and four walking wounded patients. Alternatively the four walking wounded positions can be field converted in minutes to another stretcher position.

The vehicles will be ready for operational service after personnel have completed their training and medical fit-out has been finished.

The Government has also announced that the Bushmaster vehicles used in Afghanistan by Australian forces have completed an upgrade programme to provide soldiers with better protection against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The upgrade, carried out by Thales and Stratos Seating, was developed based on data from damaged Bushmaster vehicles hit by improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and blast trials conducted in Australia. The upgrade includes the installation of new seating and flooring in the cabin to provide additional protection for commanders, drivers and the troops being transported.

ADF selects General Dynamics’ combat search and rescue radios

The Australian government has selected the General Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S) AN/PRC-112G GPS-enabled search and rescue radios and accessories for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations.

Comprised of the software-defined, upgradeable AN/PRC-112G transceiver or the AN/PRC112B1 transceiver, plus a handheld GPS Quickdraw2 Interrogator, it delivers field-proven capability, adds encrypted two-way messaging convenience plus GPS positioning data for precise, accurate location, and turns virtually any aircraft into a CSAR platform simply by plugging the Quickdraw2 into the intercom. Critical information is delivered to combat search and rescue aircraft in short bursts to reduce the risk of detection and interception.

The HOOK2 CSAR system comprises the AN/PRC-112G radio, Quickdraw2 Interrogator and Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Base Station, and allows downed air crews or isolated personnel to securely contact combat search and rescue resources over long distances. The radio is interoperable with satellite-based search and rescue systems, including the International CospasSarsat Programme.

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INDIA Indian government requests more C-130Js

The Indian government has requested the foreign military sale (FMS) of six Lockheed Martin C-130Js and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on 26 October of the request.

The estimated cost of the contract is $1.2 billion and will include 6 Lockheed Martin C-130J United States Air Force (USAF) baseline aircraft including: USAF baseline equipment, 6 Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 spare engines, 8 AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems (two of them spares), 8 AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receivers (two of them spares), 8 AN/ALE-47 CounterMeasures Dispensing Systems (two of them spares), 8 AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE III Special Operations Suites (two of them spares), 8 ARC-210 Radios (NonCOMSEC), and 3200 Flare Cartridges.

The Indian government ordered six C-130Js in 2008 from the US government. In keeping with Indian Air Force (IAF) requirements, the US Government has offered a unique C-130J configuration modified for special mission roles; namely the longer fuselage variant of the C130J, similar to those being delivered to the US Air Force.

Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set (IDS), the aircraft will be able to perform precision low-level flying, airdrops, and landing in blackout conditions. Self protection systems and other features are included to ensure aircraft survivability in hostile air defence environments. In addition the aircraft is equipped with air-to-air receiver refueling capability for extended range operations. Lockheed Martin will integrate this equipment and other capabilities into the Indian configuration as agreed between the governments.

Apache Longbow wins Indian Air Force tender

The Boeing Apache Longbow is believed to have been selected by the Indian government for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) combat helicopter tender following news reports of the ruling out of the Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter.

Well placed Indian defence ministry

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The AH-64D Apache is considered the favoured platform in India’s requirement for 22 attack helicopters © DoD

sources have been quoted in the reports, saying that the Boeing Longbow Apache performed more successfully under testing than the Russian aircraft.

No official confirmation has yet been issued by the Indian government.

The IAF has an existing tender for 22 combat helicopters. If the government goes ahead with the Apache Longbow acquisition the IAF will field one of the most advanced combat helicopters in the world. The multi-mission aircraft is the next-generation version of the original AH-64A Apache. With its fire-control radar, the aircraft is known as the AH-64D Apache Longbow; without the radar, the combat-proven aircraft is called the AH-64D Apache.

Other enhancements of the Longbow include longer-range weapons accuracy and all-weather/night fighting, detection of objects (moving or stationary) without being detected, classification and threat-prioritization of up to 128 targets in less than a minute, integrated sensors, networking, and digital communications for situational awareness, management of the combat arena in real time; and digital transmission of images and target locations to joint operations battlefield commanders.

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JAPAN Japan orders Northrop Grumman AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system

Northrop Grumman has been selected to deliver the AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system for integration into the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Airborne Mine Countermeasures MCH-101 helicopter by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

The AQS-24A is a high speed minehunting system that is currently in use with the US Navy’s Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron on the MH53E helicopter. Along with its predecessor

the AQS-24 and the AQS-14, have been the only operational airborne mine hunting search systems used by the US Navy for the past 27 years, according to Northrop Grumman.

The system is primarily towed from the MH-53E helicopter, but has been easily adapted for the smaller Japanese MCH-101 aircraft. The system's high-resolution sidescan sonar detects, localizes and classifies both bottom and moored mines in real time at high area coverage rates. It contains a laser line scanner that provides precision optical identification of underwater mines and other objects of interest. The AQS-24A allows for simultaneous operation of the

sonar and laser, which significantly improves area coverage rate, shortens the mine clearance timeline and alleviates unnecessary maintenance cycles. Advanced navigation controls and processing provide highly accurate target positioning.

Northrop Grumman said that the system’s low cost and ease of integration make the AQS-24A ‘the ideal choice for Japan’s helicopter-based mine-hunting needs’.

Japan operates the MCH-101 helicopter, based on the EH-101 helicopter developed

by AgustaWestland, for transport and mine sweeping operations. Kawasaki Heavy Industries first delivered the aircraft to the Maritime Self-Defense Force in 2006.

PAKISTAN ITT to provide international pod-mounted electronic warfare defensive system to Pakistan

The US government has selected ITT to provide a modern, digital radio frequency memory-based jamming pod to the government of Pakistan under a foreign military sale (FMS) contract between the two nations.

Pakistan requested the jammers as part of a $5.1 billion FMS package to upgrade the existing F-16 fighters that serve as Pakistan’s top line of defence, and the provision of new F16 Block 50/52s.

The ALQ-211v9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEW) Pod was selected as the electronic countermeasures choice for Pakistan’s new F-16C/D Block 52s, and is also on the list for its upgraded F-16s. This award fits the new fighter order, and includes 18 pods, 4 pod shells, 2 antenna coupler sets, 2 lab test benches, associated data, and systems software and support equipment. This portion of the contract is worth $49 million.

The pod incorporates the identical hardware configuration from ITT’s AIDEWS, a proven, integrated digital receiverbased radar warning and jamming countermeasures system now flying with five international customers. It can be used on any fixed-wing aircraft.

According to an ITT company statement, the pod-mounted variant of AIDEWS will be fully qualified for F-16 flight under this contract and is the same form factor as ALQ-131 electronic countermeasures pods currently flying on US Air Force and international F-16s.

AIDEWS is built upon the proven ALQ-211 family of electronic warfare systems now in use to support a broad range of US and allied defense customers on many rotarywing and fighter aircraft. These include versions of the NH-90, V-22, MH-47, MH-60, F-16 and several commercial platforms.

AIDEWS provides fighter pilots with situational awareness and protection against radar-based threats, including modern surface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems.

More than 160 systems have been contracted under ITT’s FMS programme worldwide, and 134 systems have so far been delivered.

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Malaysia’s AV8 vehicles will be equipped with the Vingtaqs II long-range surveillance, observation and reconnaissance system, a version of which is shown here with the CV90 © Rheinmetal

MALAYSIA Malaysia selects Rheinmetall Nordic sensor system

The Malaysian Armed Forces have placed Rheinmetall Nordic’s biggest ever single order with the award of a EUR 36 million contract for the company’s Vingtaqs II long-range surveillance, observation and reconnaissance system.

The contract also includes training, system integration and documentation, and will see the Vingtaqs II system integrated into newly built AV8 all-terrain vehicles made by the Turkish company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.S. for the Malaysian Army.

The Vingtaqs II accurately determines target coordinates at long distances from the vehicle forward observer position. A stand-

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alone system, the Vingtaqs II can be integrated at low cost into a wide variety of vehicles, and can be readily configured to meet individual customer requirements.

The system also accommodates instrumentation for laser-designated targeting, enabling it to support forward air controller operations.

The AV8 all-terrain vehicles are scheduled for delivery during the period 2014 to 2018. Two hundred fifty-seven vehicles have been ordered. Based on the FNSSdesigned multi-purpose, multimission, wheeled armoured vehicle, the AV8 is being developed jointly by FNSS and DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies (Deftech).

Under a technology transfer arrangements to Deftech the vehicle and its 12 variants will become Malaysia’s first indigenous family of 8_8 armoured wheeled vehicles.

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SOUTH KOREA

South Korean Coast Guard selects Rolls-Royce Azimuth thrusters

Rolls-Royce has been selected by the South Korean Coast Guard to provide their Azimuth thrusters for a new class of vessels to replace their existing tug fleet.

Fifteen tug vessels are being procured by the South Korean Coast Guard and RollsRoyce will provide two thrusters per vessel under a contract worth an estimated £12 million.

The Rolls-Royce thrusters will be the prime propulsion and steering system on the tug vessels. Azimuth thrusters comprise a propeller which rotates 360 degrees, so that it can provide both the propulsion and steering for a vessel. The fleet is being brought into service fully equipped to perform oil-skimming and environmental protection duties. They will operate primarily in and around South Korea’s main naval bases..

Eurocopter indicates interest in South Korea’s helicopter programmes

Eurocopter has officially registered its interest in participating in the two Requests for Information (RFIs) likely to be issued by the South Korean government during 2012: the Light Attack Helicopter (LAH), and the Heavy Attack

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Helicopter (AH-X) programmes.

In a statement issued by the company, Eurocopter declared that they will offer the Panther for the LAH programme and the Tiger aircraft for the AH-X programme, stating that these programmes represent ‘a key part of [Eurocopter’s] long-term strategy in South Korea’.

The LAH programme, being run by KAI, will see the acquisition of a light aircraft in the 4.5 metric ton class with a seating capacity of 6-8. The Panther, the military variant of the Dauphin will form the baseline for development if selected by the South Korean Armed Forces. The aircraft’s latest evolution features modern avionics, engines and systems to give outstanding battle-winning performance, making it a high speed, maneuverable, discreet and powerful asset.

The AH-X programme requires 36 heavy attack aircraft, for which Eurocopter proposes the Tiger aircraft. A multi-role combat helicopter and an essential asset in any operational theatre, the Tiger has a record of operations in Close Combat Attack missions and as escort for Utility and Assault Helicopters.

Over 75 helicopters have been delivered so far as of August 2011, and the Tiger fleet has clocked around 30,000 flight hours.

South Korean MOD unveils 105mm howitzer

The South Korean Ministry of Defence

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

Korea’s AH-X programme requires 36 heavy attack helicopters, with Eurocopter proposing the Tiger © Eurocopter

(MOD) has unveiled the first indigenously developed truck mounted 105 mm howitzer. Developed by Samsung Techwin, the weapon was displayed at a weapon exhibition inside the Ministry of National Defence in Seoul.

The weapon was developed under Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration in 2009, with Samsung Techwin beginning to manufacturing in 2010. The howitzer was developed in order to enhance the combat capabilities of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces, alongside other widely used artilleries.

According to Samsung Techwin the self-propelled artillery is designed for use on a five ton truck, with manual loading and automatic fire control. Radiation of heat can be selected either in automatic, manual and half automatic, and the number of operating personnel can be reduced by three compared to existing towed artilleries.

A company spokesman said, ‘the cost of the weapon is relatively cheap and it shows more outstanding performance than existing towed artillery’.

A Signal Robot that is embedded with bullets developed by Hanwha and a portable Global Positioning System automatic warning device developed by Hyundai were also unveiled at the display.

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11/10/11 5:47 PM

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