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Contents
june 2016 VOLUME 24 / ISSUE 4
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Rumble Down Under Mike Yeo takes us through some of Australia’s important modernisation efforts as the country overhauls her military.
Front Cover Photo:
The Australian Army is one of several of that country’s armed forces being examined in Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue © Australian DoD
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Looking for Trouble Reconnaissance vehicles can fill a multitude of roles, using several different design philosophies, Stephen W. Miller finds out.
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The Connection Is Made Andrew White examines ongoing efforts across the Asia-Pacific to modernise Battle Management Systems.
Avoiding the Rocks and Hard Places Satellite communications are incredibly versatile, but can be expensive to procure. Thomas Withington explains how commercial SATCOM provision helps reduce costs.
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Synthetic Forms The advent of fifth-generation fighters is pushing innovation in the flight simulator domain, with implications for the Asia-Pacific, Claire Apthorp explains.
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Web of Intrigue Dr. Tom Smith investigates the challenges facing actors in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere to protect against cyber warfare and cyber crime.
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Thousand Island Dressing Corvettes remain in high demand in the Asia-Pacific. Dr. Alix Valenti profiles some of the major acquisition programmes ongoing in the region.
Catch up on all the latest defence radio frequency news and analysis in Thomas Withington’s regular Pulse column.
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Index of Advertisers AIRBUS 25 COVER 4
BOEING P8
EURONAVAL 41 EUROSATORY 53 FLIR
COVER 2
IDEAS PAKISTAN
COVER 3
IDEX 51 INDO DEFENCE
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MILPOL ASIA PACIFIC
43 9
NORTHOP GRUMMAN ROHDE & SCHARZ
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ROSOBOROEXPORT 15 SUBSCRIPTION 47 UKRSPECEXPORT
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Editorial Soon We’ll Be Shipbuilding
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he French defence establishment could barely hide its delight regarding the news it received on 26 April that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had selected DCNS as the preferred supplier for up to twelve new conventional hunter-killer submarines (SSKs).
The Elysée Palace, the official residence of the French President, called the selection “an historic programme, the largest weapons programme our country has ever undertaken.” The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) had selected DCNS’ so-called ‘Shortfin Barracuda-1A’ class SSK design, itself a conventional version of the ‘Barracuda’ class nuclear-powered attack submarines that the same company is also building for the Marine Nationale (French Navy). In fact, the award is potentially good news all round. Media reports have stated that it could mean the sustainment of up to 4000 jobs in Brest, on the Atlantic coast of France, at DCNS and also at the company’s associated suppliers. At a time when France continues to suffer circa ten percent unemployment, according to 2015 figures, news of job sustainment and creation will be most welcome. The selection of DCNS is also potentially good news for the Australian shipbuilding sector. All twelve of the submarines which may be acquired as a result of the French shipbuilder’s selection will be constructed domestically. The Australian shipbuilding industry had been facing a so-called ‘Valley of Death’ regarding future work. This was the result of two major RAN shipbuilding initiatives, the ‘Canberra’ class amphibious assault ships and the ‘Hobart’ class destroyers, approaching the end of their construction. With no orders from the DoD following, it became increasingly difficult to see how the BAE Systems yard at Williamstown in Melbourne, Victoria, where these ships are being constructed, could continue without additional work. Thus alongside other RAN initiatives such as its Future Frigate and Offshore Patrol Vessel programmes, this replacement of the ‘Collins’ class SSKs currently operated by the RAN throws an important and much-needed lifeline to the Australian naval shipbuilding industry. Yet work remains to be done. The announcement in late April pledges the Australian DoD to commence negotiations with DCNS which are expected to finish by early 2017 at the latest. These negotiations will cover the award of a three-year submarine design contract which, pending their successful outcome, will then be awarded to DCNS. There is still a long way to go until steel is cut and keels are laid down. Such large defence programmes-the ‘Collins’ class replacement is said to be worth up to $38.7 billion-often experience changes and modifications and, in some isolated cases, even rebidding. The French defence industry has won a battle in securing its selection for the ‘Collins’ class replacement, ensuring that its offer comes in on time and on budget will help it secure a famous victory. More information regarding Australian defence procurement can be found in Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue.
Thomas Withington, Editor Editor: Thomas Withington Tel: (33) 562 271 697, E-mail: t_withington@hotmail.com Publishing Office: Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Media Transasia Limited,1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong Operations Office: President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Chief Financial Officer: Sasakorn Dumavibhat General Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta Marketing Manager: Jakhongir Djalmetov Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai Graphic Designer: Khakanaa Suwannawong Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs Media Transasia Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1
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by Thomas Withington Raytheon has revealed that it is sharpening its Patriot surface-to-air missile system radar; meanwhile the Indonesian Air Force will receive new electronic self-protection systems while deliveries of new tactical radios to the Egyptian armed forces are in the offing.
Lockheed Martin
An example of the AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar seen here atop an AH-64D gunship. India has recently placed an order for twelve examples of these radars.
Radar
In late April, Lockheed Martin announced that India had become the eleventh international customer for Longbow International’s AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar. Longbow International is a joint venture involving Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, with the eponymous radar equipping the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64D Apache and Boeing AH-64E Guardian helicopter gunships. India will receive a total of twelve radars with production of these to be completed by 2019. According to an official press release from Lockheed Martin announcing the news, the value of the contract is not to exceed $116.7 million. In September 2015, the Indian government approved the acquisition of 33 AH-64Es (22 for the Indian Air Force and eleven for the Indian Army). Given the size of the acquisition of the radars in late April, it can be assumed that these radars will equip the AH-64E aircraft being acquired by the Indian Army, with a single radar possibly being used as a spare. The AN/APG-78 is an X-band (8.5-10.68 Gigahertz/GHz) system. According to official documents, the radar has a range of just over four nautical miles/nm (eight kilometres/km).
Away from India, Raytheon hopes to be at Technology Readiness Level-6 (TRL-6) for its upgraded AN/MPQ-53/65 groundbased air surveillance radar by the end of the year. Both these radars provide surveillance and radar target illumination for Raytheon’s MIM-104A/B/C/D/F Patriot family of Surfaceto-Air Missile (SAM) batteries. TRL levels are used by the US Department of Defence to denote the technological maturity of a particular platform or subsystem. TRL-6 denotes that the system is at the prototype stage, and is being tested in a relevant environment. According to Douglas Burgess, programme director for Patriot AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) programmes, the enhancement for the radar could be ready for fielding in the early 2020s. The upgrade package for the radars includes a Gallium Nitride (GaN) based AESA antenna furnished with over 6000 Transmit/Receive modules. GaN is proving revolutionary for AESA radar design as a material which can tolerate high temperatures and hence high power levels, increasing the performance of the radar, while reducing its maintenance requirements. The upgrade package, which also enables the radar to perform 360 degree
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surveillance, will be made available as a retrofit for any existing AN/MPQ-53/65 operators. Beyond the United States Army, this includes the armies and air forces of Bahrain, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates. Currently, Mr. Burgess states that a prototype radar outfitted with the GaN AESA enhancement is being tested at the company’s facility in Massachusetts, where its surveillance capabilities are being trialled by tracking airliners landing and taking off from Boston’s nearby Logan International Airport. Over the long term, the US Army has a requirement for a new lower tier air and missile defence radar which it announced this February. This requirement could be fulfilled in the next decade, with the GaN AESA Patriot radar enhancement being a possible candidate. Thales had provided AMR with additional details regarding the agreement it concluded with India’s Bharat Electronics Limited in late March to develop the new PHAROS fire control radar. The two companies formed a joint venture in India in 2014 named BTSL. A statement issued to AMR revealed that “BTSL will develop the mechanical design and radar processing modifications while Thales will be responsible for the design and production of the radar antenna.” Regarding the procurement of the radar, Thales added that “PHAROS is being developed for both domestic Indian as well as international markets, and will be proposed for (the) relevant requirements of the (Indian armed forces).” The firm stated that the development of the radar is expected to take two years. Optimised for deployment onboard vessels and to support ground forces, the PHAROS radar will employ a Ka-band (33.4-36GHz) search beam and Ku-band (13.4-14/15.7-17.7GHz) tracking beam to support 30mm and 76mm guns. Additional details provided by Thales stated that the radar will have an instrumented range of 19.4nm (36km) and the ability to instantly scan 140 degrees in azimuth and elevation, in addition to covering 360 degrees in azimuth. With a beamwidth of eight degrees, the radar will have an output power of 100 Watts. Belarus’ KB Radar provided some details to AMR regarding
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Electronic Warfare
Finmeccanica has told AMR that it plans to deliver six SEER electronic warfare systems to equip the BAE Systems Hawk Mk.209 light attack aircraft of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU/Indonesian Air Force). Deliveries of the SEER payload are expected to commence this September and conclude by the end of the year, the company continued in its statement that it supplied to AMR. The TNI-AU has a fleet of circa 15 Hawk Mk.209 aircraft, meaning that this current order, which
Harris is to equip several US Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18C/D/ E/F fighters with new self-protection systems in the form of the company’s AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 radio frequency jamming systems.
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Harris
Raytheon Raytheon is enhancing the AN/MPQ-53/65 radars which equip that company’s MIM104A/B/C/D/F Patriot surface-to-air missile systems with Gallium Nitride technology to improve their performance.
their flagship Vostok-D two-dimensional (range and azimuth) and Vostok-E three-dimensional (range, azimuth and altitude) ground-based air surveillance radar. The company already has a presence in the region having secured a deal to supply 20 of the Vostok-E variant radars to the Vietnamese People’s Air Force in 2013, all of which are now believed to have been delivered. Company sources told AMR that, as well as being able to detect legacy aircraft with low Radar Cross Sections (RCS) such as the now-retired US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk ground attack aircraft, and the current Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit strategic bomber, the Vostok-D/E can also detect the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor air superiority fighter, and the Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C Lightning-II fighter. The ability of the radar to detect low RCS targets, which the company adds can include cruise missiles is due to its use of Very High Frequency (133-144/216-225 megahertz/MHz) transmissions. Given that VHF radars transmit relatively long wavelengths of circa one to three metres they are better suited to detect flying objects with a low RCS. However, the trade-off for these radars is that, while detection of low RCS targets may be possible, the tracking of such objects may not have an accuracy sufficient for providing targeting information to a surface-to-air missile. That said, one concept of operations for VHF radar is for it to perform the initial target detection, with the surveillance and target acquisition radars organic to a SAM battery then being directed to perform a more thorough search of the patch of sky where the VHF radar believes the aircraft to be located. Without VHF jamming, KB Radar told AMR that both Vostok radars can detect a target at a range of 194nm (360km), and that the detection of targets with a radar cross section of 0.5 square metres (two square feet) is possible. Alongside Vietnam, AMR records indicate that Belarus supplied the Islamic Republic of Iran with two Vostok-E radars in 2011. The radars are also thought to be in service with the Belrussian Army which deployed the Vostok-D version from January 2014.
ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) product family. In terms of the two AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 variants the AN/ALQ-214(V)4 outfits the F/A-18E/F while the AN/ALQ-214(V)5 equips the legacy F/A-18C/D, the principle differences between the two systems focusing on the mounting equipment used to affix the selfdefence system within the aircraft. The architecture of the AN/ ALQ-214 combines an RF generator, onboard RF transmitters and a towed decoy. The generator produces an RF signal designed to spoof or disrupt potentially hostile radar and radar-guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. It also has a modular and programmable design to counter emerging RF threats. Compared to earlier versions of the AN/ALQ-214 which commenced delivery in 1997, the AN/ALQ214(V)4/5 has a weight saving of 100lbs (45kgs) and has important updates to its hardware and software architecture. This will allow the AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 to take emerging radar threats into account as and when they appear. Airbus’ defence and space division plans to deliver its AN/ AAR-60(V)2 MILDS-F fighter missile launch detection system to the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force/RNAF) throughout 2016. The news follows the company’s announcement in late March that it will equip the force’s General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM fighters with this new payload. The number of systems to be delivered remains classified, although the RNAF operates 61 of these aircraft. The AN/AAR60(V)2 uses infrared imagery to detect the hot exhaust plume of an incoming surface-to-air/air-to-air missile. Once the AN/ AAR-60(V)2 detects the incoming missile, and its trajectory, it initiates the launch of countermeasures to protect the aircraft, and alerts the crew to the threat so that they can commence evasive action. The system can handle multiple threats, prioritising the most dangerous, using a number of sensors, each of which has a 115 degree field-of-view mounted around the airframe to provide 360 degree coverage, each of which imposes a 33lbs (15kgs) weight penalty. RNAF
Airbus has received a contract to equip the F-16AM/BM aircraft operated by the RNAF with new AN/AAR-60(V)2 self-protection systems. The size of the order, and how many aircraft these will equip remains classified.
was announced in mid-February, will cover less than half the fleet, although the press release announcing the news continued that options exist for the TNI-AU to be supplied with additional SEER products in the future. The SEER is designed as an advanced Radar Warning Receiver (RWR). It collects information on potential threats, and displays this to aircrew either on a dedicated threat warning indicator, or on cockpit multi-function displays. In addition, it can record and replay Radio Frequency (RF) threat information gathered by the equipment during a mission for debriefing purposes. To this end, it can record up to 20 hours of operations. In terms of frequency coverage, SEER can detect and analyse signals from S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) to the low K-band (24.05-24.25GHz), with the option to extend this downwards to mid-range Ultra High Frequency (420-450/890-942MHz) and upwards to Kaband levels. Capable of detecting frequency-agile radar emissions of under 50 nanoseconds duration, the equipment can detect pulsed, pulse doppler and continuous wave radar emissions, and imposes a weight penalty of 24.2lbs (eleven kilograms/kgs) on the aircraft. Elsewhere in the airborne electronic warfare domain, on 21 March, the US Navy announced that it had awarded Harris a contract worth $88.3 million for 48 AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 radio frequency jamming systems, which follows an earlier July 2015 award for 46 examples. The March order is expected to be completed in December 2017. These 48 new systems will be used to protect existing McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18C/D/E/F Hornet and Super Hornet fighters. The AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 forms part of the company’s AN/
Tactical Radio
Pakistan’s National Radio and Telecom Corporation (NRTC) gave AMR an update regarding the status of its SDR-96X family of tactical radios which the company is providing to a number of domestic and international users. Three radios comprise the family: a multiband handheld transceiver, man-pack multiband radio and a vehicular multiband transceiver. All of these radios cover the frequency bands of 30-512MHz. Each offer data rates
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USAF
ing the provision of military SATCOM to customers in the Asia-Pacific can be found in the author’s Avoiding the Rocks and Hard Places article in this issue. Looking towards the United States, the US Air Force (USAF) expects to move ahead with the socalled Family of Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) initiative for its fleet of B-2A and Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, along with its Boeing RC-135V/W electronic intelligence aircraft. Raytheon is leading the $298 million effort which will see these SATCOM terminals being installed onboard these aircraft, alongside the USAF’s Boeing E-4B Advanced Airborne Command post and US Navy E-6B Mercury airborne command post and communications relay aircraft. Both the E-4B and the E-6B planes have a strategic mission in that they can convey instructions from the United States’ National Command Authority (NCA; which comprises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defence, or their The USAF’s RC-135V/W are among the aircraft which are receiving new FAB-T SATCOM terminals. This deputised successors). These aircraft exist to act equipment will play a vital role in the USAF’s strategic mission, as it will also equip aircraft tasked with delivering nuclear weapons. as a flying command post for the NCA, in the case of the E-4B, and as a communication channel for the US nuclear triad which consists of the B-2A and B-52H airof up to 64 kilobits-per-second and the company told AMR that craft, land-based Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman Intercontinental they can accommodate six distinct waveforms. These include Combat Net Radio (CNR), ACNR, WBNR (Wideband Network- Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) operated by the USAF, and the ‘Ohio’ ing Radio), NBNR (Narrowband Networking Radio), air-to- class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) of the US Navy. The NCA can be housed aboard the E-4B, and can ground and ground-to-air waveforms, in addition to a waveform order the decision to commence a nuclear attack from this airto allow users to communicate with public safety officials such craft, with the orders to this end then being distributed from the as civilian first responders. This is particularly important for the E-4B and E-6B to the various components of the triad. Pakistan armed forces, which use these radios, to allow them to Given the intercontinental ranges that can be achieved by liaise with local agencies following domestic insurgent attacks, SATCOM, it is little surprise that it is an attractive medium to or during domestic counter-insurgency operations. Deliveries of these radios are currently ongoing to the Paki- ensure that US strategic nuclear forces remain connected to the NCA. The exception here is the US Navy’s ‘Ohio’ class SSBNs stan armed forces, which includes the country’s navy, army, air force, marines and paramilitary forces. NRTC was unable to pro- which employ Very Low Frequency radio communications, at a frequency of 14 to 60 kilohertz to receive orders to fire their vide precise figures regarding how many of these specific radios Lockheed Martin UGM-133 Trident-II submarine-launched it was delivering to the forces, although it did inform AMR that ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, the land-based LGM-30G ICBMs deliveries had commenced in 2011, and are expected to conclude in 2020. In addition, these radios have been delivered to the Ni- remain in contact with the NCA via the MILSTAR (Military Strategic and Tactical Relay) satellite constellation. The five gerian and Saudi Arabian armies, with deliveries expected to satellites in this constellation provide Ka-band communicacommence in the next two years to the Egyptian Army. tions between E-4B and E-6B aircraft and the ICBM bases at Francis E. Warren airbase, Wyoming, Minot airbase, North Satellite Communications Airbus’ defence and space subsidiary has told AMR that it ex- Dakota and Malmstrom airbase, Montana. The USAF is currently transitioning to the Lockheed Martin/Northrop pects to begin installing the first of the company’s Comcept Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals onboard sev- Grumman Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation, of which three spacecraft have been launched, eral ship classes of the Marine Nationale (French Navy) within which will eventually replace the MILSTAR constellation. The the next three years. These terminals will enable vessels to use the Franco-Italian ATHENA-FIDUS (Access on Theatres for Eu- USAF strategic bomber force meanwhile, which is receiving ropean Allied Forces Nations-French-Italian Dual Use Satellite). the FAB-T terminals, alongside the E-4B, the E-6B and the RC-135V/W aircraft, will allow these planes to transmit and This will enable Ka-band (26.5-40GHz for uplink/18-20GHz for downlink) transmissions from vessels equipped with these ter- receive secure voice, data, video and imagery traffic across the AEHF constellation. These terminals will be backwardsminals, along with bandwidth leased by the French government compatible with the MILSTAR network. This will not only from other commercial satellites. Among the vessels to receive allow the aircraft to communicate with the NCA for potential the new terminals include the fleet’s new ‘D’entrecasteux’ class offshore patrol vessels and its forthcoming DCNS/Piriou off- nuclear missions, but also to support conventional operations shore support and assistance vessels. More information regard- in which these aircraft may be involved. AMR
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The highly-modular Boxer wheeled armoured vehicle is in the running to be Australia’s next Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle. Rheinmetall is offering the two-man Lance turret with a 30mm cannon as the base CRV.
Rumble Down Under The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is one of the most well-trained and equipped militaries in the Asia-Pacific region. A steadfast ally of the United States, Australia has in recent years announced plans to transform the ADF into a fully networked, integrated fighting force. by Mike Yeo
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he country’s economy, and hence security, is highly integrated into that of both the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world. As such, the ADF (which includes the Royal Australian Navy/RAN, Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force/RAAF) has been highly engaged in operations around the world, ranging from taking part in US-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, which Australia commenced with Operation OKRA beginning on 13 August 2014, to humanitarian and developmental assistance to island states in the South Pacific. Such operations have included
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efforts to assist the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji in early 2016 and Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, March 2015. As the recently-released Australian Defence White Paper (DWP) notes, while there is just a remote possibility of Australian territory being attacked by foreign nations, the country’s defence “planning recognises the regional and global nature of Australia’s strategic interests and the different sets of challenges created by the behaviours of countries and nonstate actors.” Indeed, this latest DWP, commissioned in April 2014 and released in February 2016 after several delays, is the
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country’s third in seven years. This partially reflects Australia’s rapidly evolving strategic outlook in what it calls “the environment within which Australia pursues its objectives of security and prosperity,” in which it expects to “see new complexities and challenges over the next 20 years,” the DWP notes. Chief among these complexities and challenges is the rise of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its military modernization programme, which has led to it seeking a greater influence in the region as well as its assertiveness in territorial disputes with its regional neighbours, particularly in the East and South China Sea. Australia’s DWP high-
R e g i o n a l M
lights this as an example of the challenges to the stability of the rules-based order built by regional states over the past 70 years. The DWP highlights this as one of the key drivers that will shape the development of Australia’s security environment over the coming decades. Other key drivers include the threat of political violence, including that from Islamists returning from active theatres such as Syria and Iraq, to Australia and other regional countries which could result in worsening the spread of extremism and violence while the issue of state fragility within Australia’s immediate neighbourhood remains a perennial security concern. With these objectives in mind, the DWP aims to provide an insight into what will be significant long-term investment in the ADF’s materiel and research and development. For the first time, the DWP is accompanied by an Integrated Investment Programme (IIP) that will define the level of funding required to support the ADF’s programme over the next decade. The IIP forecasts that Australia will raise its defence spending significantly over this period, and will hit the two percent of Gross Domestic Product pledge earlier than had been promised by the government. The Defence budget will rise from $24.5 billion in 2016-2017 to $44.6 billion in 2025-2026, which represents an increase of $22.6 billion over earlier estimates for this ten-year period.
All three services of the ADF will receive a boost from the increased expenditure with several modernization programmes in the pipeline, but it is the maritime domain which will receive the biggest boost, with several major shipbuilding initiatives in the offing to replace almost all of the current RAN fleet. Reconnaissance capabilities will also be a big winner, which is not a surprise given the efforts to transform the ADF into a joint, networked force. The DWP has mostly been well-regarded, particularly by the Australian defence industry. Chris Burns, national spokesperson for the Australian Made Defence campaign organised by the defence industry association of South Australia, told the media that the DWP “gives industry certainty into the future . . . this is certainty the defence industry hasn’t had in decades.”
Land Forces There are currently two major ongoing vehicle replacement programmes for the Australian Army: Project Land 400 to deliver a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and a Manoeuvre Support Vehicle (MSV) to replace the General Dynamics ASLAV-25 eight-wheel drive light armoured vehicle, and BAE Systems M-113AS4 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). Project Land 400 is joined by
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Project Land 121 to deliver a variety of high-capability field vehicles, modules and trailers to provide battlefield mobility and logistics support. Project Land 400’s CRV replacement programme comes under Phase 2 of the initiative, and priority is being given to this due to obsolescence factors confronting the current ASLAV-25 fleet. The 225 CRVs that will be acquired will be split in seven different sub-variants, with the majority being utilised for reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, but will also include Command and Control (C2), surveillance, ambulance and recovery vehicles. The programme is looking at in-production, Military Off-The-Shelf (MOTS) designs for both the vehicle and turret, and four industry teams have submitted tenders which are currently being evaluated. These tenders include Rheinmetall’s Boxer, Patria’s AMV35, Singapore Technologies’ Terrex and General Dynamics Land Systems’ LAV 6.0. The competing proposals will be fitted with turrets mounting either a 30mm or 35mm cannon, and the eventual design selected will be manufactured and sustained in Australia. Two, or at a maximum three, of these bidders were due to be down-selected to progress onto Risk Mitigation Activities (RMA) in March; however the Department of Defence announced that the evaluation period has been extended to ensure the RMA’s Australian Industry
Australian Department of Defence
Australia will acquire 1100 Thales Hawkei protected vehicles, to be built in Australia. These will improve protection for soldiers and enable them to operate in high-risk areas, and are the only Australian Army armoured vehicles that are helicopter-transportable.
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Plans to put Australia’s EC-665ARHs through Phase 3 of Project Air 87 known as the ARH Capability Assurance Programme (CAP) upgrade look to be in jeopardy after the recent Defence White Paper indicated Australia will seek a replacement in the next decade.
Capability Plan aligns with the revised Defence Industry Policy, which had been released together with the DWP. AMR understands that the duration of the extension is eight weeks, putting the new target date at the end of May. The RMA will see a small number vehicles being put through a series of intensive tests, both destructive and non-destructive, to evaluate the mobility, survivability and lethality of the RMA participants. This is expected to last a year, following which a winning bid would be put through to the government for Second Pass Approval, with entry into service starting from 2021. Australia’s M-113AS4 APCs will be replaced by a tracked IFV under Phase 3 of Project Land 400. The project’s request for information calls for 450 IFVs and 17 MSVs to provide a Mounted Close Combat Capability, and will be expected to provide protection and mobility to match that of Australia’s General Dynamics Land Systems’ M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank while carrying an eight-person infantry section. The 450 vehicles will be split into 312 IFVs, 26 C2, 16 Joint Fire, eleven engineer-reconnaissance, 18 repair, 39 combat engineer, plus 28 (evenly split) ambulance and recovery vehicles. Potential suppliers are also expected to provide the cost of weapons and options that are not already part of specific variant quotes such as inhabited and remotely-operated turrets, turrets equipped with anti-tank guided missiles, defensive suites or add-
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on armour packages. The main drivers for the programme are capability, schedule and cost, with the selected vehicle required to attain an initial operating capability in 2025. After a long drawn out process, Australia finally signed a $986 million contract in October 2015 to acquire 1100 Thales Hawkei protected vehicles and more than 1000 companion trailers from Thales’ Australia subsidiary under Phase 4 of Project Land 121. The Hawkei will be used for command, liaison, utility and reconnaissance by the Australian Army, and will replace around one third of the ADF’s exisiting Land Rover fleet. The vehicle had originally been selected in December 2011; however, an exhaustive RMA programme together with political uncertainty have conspired to delay ap-
proval. Thales expects deliveries to start in the middle of 2017. Australian Army Aviation will also see a number of changes. The DWP has flagged that the 22 Airbus Helicopters EC-665ARH Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters that were delivered between 2004 and 2011 will be replaced in the mid2020s with a new armed helicopter reconnaissance capability, which could include conventional or unmanned systems, or a combination of both. The EC-665ARH has had an unhappy time in Australian Army Aviation, plagued by serviceability and sustainment issues, as well as difficulty in connecting the type into wider ADF networks with its Eurogrid data link which can exchange tactical information with other users on the ground and in the air. Bell Helicopters has already said publicly
A new long range artillery rocket system, such as this US Marine Corps M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System conducting a live firing exercise in Australia, will be introduced into Australian Army service in the mid-2020s.
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Australia’s programme to replace its 'Collins' class submarines with a new class of twelve SSKs boats could be satisfied with the supply of new vessels from DCNS
that it has offered the AH-1Z Viper gunship to Australia as a replacement, noting that it is a suitable marinised platform to operate from Australia’s two ‘Canberra’ class amphibious assault ships, which was a capability that had been planned for the EC-665ARHs. The DWP also stated that Australia’s seven (soon to be ten) Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters will eventually receive upgrades to improve their ability to conduct aero-medical evacuation. Australia will, in the long term, seek a new speedier and longer-range platform to perform aeromedical and Combat Search and Rescue. It is also looking at a light helicopter that can be transported by the Royal Australian Air Force’s Boeing C-17A Globemaster III turbofan freighters, to insert, extract and provide fire support for special forces operations, with an expected introduction date in the latter half of the 2020s.
rine design contract. DCNS’ design is the so-called ‘Shortfin Barracuda-A1’ class concept; a conventional version of the ‘Barracuda’ class nuclear-powered attack submarine being acquired by the French Navy. Australia will also decide on whether to equip the boats with a Lockheed Martin or Raytheon combat management system. All twelve of the submarines which the Royal Australian Navy is expected to acquire will be built domestically. After a troubled design and construction process, three ‘Hobart’ class destroyers are on track to be delivered between 2017 and 2020. These issues have caused programme costs to exceed the budget to the tune of $911 million and have slipped in schedule by as much as three years. The ships are based on a Navantia’s F100 frigate hull modified to Australian requirements, which includes the addition of the Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat Management System (CMS), the company’s
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Mk.41 Vertical Launch System which will house Raytheon RIM-66 Standard Missile-2 surface-to-air missile family weapons. The ships are currently being built in South Australia by the AWD Alliance which comprises the Australian Department of Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group as owner-participant, shipbuilder ASC and Raytheon’s Australia subsidiary. In addition to the submarines and destroyers, there are two upcoming major naval shipbuilding projects: Project Sea 5000 for nine new frigates and Project Sea 1180 which will deliver twelve Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to the RAN. Both programmes were brought forward in August 2015 by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott to forestall a looming shipbuilding ‘valley of death’ of job losses following the completion of the two ‘Canberra’ class vessels and the ‘Hobart’ class programme if no naval shipbuilding contracts follow. Construction of the new frigate to replace the RAN’s existing ‘Anzac’ class ships will begin around 2020, three years earlier than previously planned. The ships will be based on an in-production MOTS design, and will be “designed and equipped with a strong emphasis on submarine detection and response options and capable of independent and task group operations,” as detailed in Australia’s 2012 Defence Capability Guide, and will be equipped with a sonar suite, land attack missiles and have hangar space for two naval support helicopters. While the sonar and missiles to be acquired has yet to be decided, the naval support helicopter will be the Sikorsky MH-60R. It is expected that the ships will also be fitted with an improved version of the Australian-designed CEA Technologies
Naval Programmes The Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Anzac’ class frigates are undergoing upgrades with enhancements to their radar and combat management systems to provide defences against supersonic anti-ship missiles
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Australian Department of Defence
Australia will replace every class of ship in the RAN’s inventory over the next 15 years. The biggest programme for the navy is undoubtedly Project Sea 1000 which replaces the RAN’s six ‘Collins’ class submarines with twelve “regionally superior submarines with a high degree of interoperability with the United States,” as the DWP details. On 26 April, Australia selected DCNS as the preferred bidder to satisfy the Project Sea 1000 requirement. The selection means that negotiations will now open between the Australian Department of Defence and DCNS, which are expected to conclude in early 2017 at the latest, regarding a three-year subma-
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Australia will look at replacing its 24 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in the late 2020s, and will take into account developments in technology, the strategic environment and Australia’s experience in operating the F-35A Lightning-II fighter.
CEAFAR naval surveillance radar and CEAMOUNT multi-channel fire-control radar, which have been a great success for the ‘Anzac’ class anti-ship missile defence upgrade programme (see below). A CEP (Competitive Evaluation Process) to select the frigate is currently underway, with a Department of Defence spokesperson telling AMR that the department has, “engaged the RAND Corporation for the market assessment of the future frigates” with a view to helping “inform (the department’s) analysis and recommendations to government,” regarding the acquisition. It is expected that the F100 hull form, which forms the basis of the destroyer, is under consideration to be utilised for the frigate, while another possible contender is Fincantieri’s design used for the FrancoItalian FREMM (Frégate Européenne MultiMission/Fregata Europea Multi-Missione) European Multi-Mission Frigate design. First Pass consideration is now scheduled for later this year, which will narrow the field of designs for further development as part of the CEP. Sources tell AMR that a decision on the design could be expected by 2018. The ‘Anzac’ class frigates are themselves currently undergoing an upgrade to extend their service lives and improve their air defence capabilities. Phase 2 of the Project Sea 1448 anti-ship missile defence initiative installs the CEAFAR and CEAMOUNT radars discussed above, a Saab 9LV 453 CMS and Sagem VampirNG infrared search-and-track system. The programme, which will conclude with the upgrade of all eight frigates in 2017, has by all accounts been a resounding success
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Meanwhile, construction of the twelve OPVs is planned to start in 2018. Project Sea 1180 was meant to introduce a class of 20 Offshore Combatant Vessels (OCV) to replace 26 vessels from four separate ship classes performing patrol duties, mine-hunting and oceanographic survey. However, this was scaled back to a requirement for an OPV with seakeeping to operate in Australia’s extensive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Search and Rescue Region (SRR) with the exception of the Southern Ocean. The new OPV will also be a MOTS acquisition, with a CEP currently taking place to select about three designs for RMA later in 2016. The construction of all twelve vessels is expected to be completed by 2030. To support these vessels, Australia has selected Navantia to supply two Auxiliary Oiler and Replenishment (AOR) vessels to replace the RAN’s two ageing supply ships, HMAS Success and the logistics support ship HMAS Sirius in the early 2020s. Navantia, which offered a design inspired by the Spanish Navy’s SPS Cantabria, was selected ahead of Daewoo’s proposed design based upon its ‘Aegir’ class AOR ship.
Air Force Compared to the other two services, the recapitalization effort for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is at a relatively advanced stage. It is on track to eventually acquiring 72 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning-II fifth-generation fighters and twelve Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, while the service is taking delivery of ten Finmeccanica C-27J
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Spartan turboprop airlifters. The RAAF’s main transformation will occur behind the scenes, with the implementation of Plan Jericho to transform the service into a fifth-generation, networked air force underway to improve, among other things, C2 and air-to-ground/ ground-to-air communications. However, the DWP has provided more confirmation on a number of other RAAF acquisitions: seven more Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) will be acquired in two tranches, adding to the eight P-8As already on order. These aircraft will replace the RAAF’s Lockheed-Martin AP-3C Orion MPA with deliveries starting from 2017. The P-8As will be complemented in service by the Northrop-Grumman MQ4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle. Seven of these will be acquired and, in addition to maritime patrol, they will also perform reconnaissance missions. The RAAF will also acquire three more Gulfstream G550s converted to Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) gathering aircraft. These will add to two aircraft acquired in 2015 to enhance ELINT gathering for naval, air and land operations. Longer term plans for the RAAF include possibly two more Airbus KC-30A tankers, bringing the fleet to nine aircraft. Two former commercial A330-200 airliners are currently being converted to this effect for the RAAF, with the DWP confirming one will be configured for dignitary transportation.
Conclusion Given Australia’s status as a maritime nation very dependent on seaborne trade with its neighbours and the need to protect its northern approaches, the increased maritime focus of the DWP comes as little surprise. As Dr. Tim Huxley, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies for Asia, told AMR, “The main threats to Australia will come by air and sea, and the emphasis on developing air and maritime capabilities makes good sense.” Dr. Huxley noted that the additional P-8As and the acquisition of the MQ-4Cs “highlights the importance of regional maritime domain awareness for Australia’s security” and he adds that these “will provide a significantly expanded MPA capability for Australia.” That being said, the DWP also shows that Australia’s land forces are not being neglected, with significant plans to improve the army’s warfighting capabilities. Assuming funding plans are realised, the ADF is well on track to maintaining regional superiority in the decades to come. AMR
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Light Tactical Vehicles have often been employed to perform reconnaissance. They are generally small, quiet, and agile. They are usually limited to a machine gun armament and light armour protection.
Norwegian Armed Forces
Looking For Trouble Seeing what is over the hill or around the corner is more than a curiosity in military operations. Vast amounts of resources are invested in trying to find out where the enemy is, what they are doing, and what they might be intending to do.
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espite satellites with high resolution cameras and reconnaissance aircraft, often the best and sometime only way to determine this is by going out there on the ground and physically seeing it firsthand. This is the task of ground reconnaissance platforms which can be as simple as a four-wheel drive, or as deadly as an armoured combat vehicle. Ground reconnaissance is essentially the collection and reporting of information on the terrain, the enemy, and the conditions and situation in areas of interest to commanders and units. Ideally a reconnaissance unit can gather this quietly, without detection, by observing and
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avoiding contact. Their objective is to find the enemy or gather information undetected. It is preferable that the opponent not know that they have been observed and reported. Should light reconnaissance find it impossible to go around the enemy it might be necessary to fight to clear the way or to ascertain the dispositions, strength and intent of the opponent. To accomplish this reconnaissance units require another set of capabilities in their vehicles. They must have the ability to undertake combat with adequate firepower to successfully engage, defeat, and overcome the opponent. Yet, the vehicles must retain the mobility advantage and ability to keep up with and not compromise lighter reconnaissance vehicles.
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Light Vehicles Thus light reconnaissance vehicles are usually designed with a low profile or small size and are lightly armoured, relying on speed and cover to escape detection. Light reconnaissance vehicle are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the reconnaissance effort . Although light trucks and ‘jeeps’ have been used in this role, ideally the reconnaissance vehicle should reflect certain characteristics. They should be highly mobile with a long operational range and high reliability. They should offer a level of protection to the crew and be agile to quickly move to cover if detected and fired upon. A smaller size and lower height contribute to these vehicles being more discrete which is possible
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since they need only a small crew. Typically a reconnaissance vehicle needs a commander, driver and two to three additional crew, possibility a weapon gunner and dismounted observers or scouts. Yet there needs to be sufficient volume and stowage to carry surveillance sensors and supplies for prolonged independent operations. Being able to move and operate undetected requires a low noise level from the engine and suspension. Armament should reflect a gun system calibre adequate to allow the light reconnaissance vehicle to protect itself, suppress an opponent sufficiently to break contact (accurately firing on the move can be most useful), and potentially defeat opposing similar light vehicles. As in any military vehicle design desired capabilities can often be adverse to one another and compromise may be necessary. The balance should be directly influenced by the terrain, enemy and tactical scenario in which the vehicle will perform. The use of Light Tactical Vehicles (LTVs) for reconnaissance may often be influenced by logistics and perceived cost. At their simplest they may have the mobility and can even carry self-defence armament. It is in protection and survivability that they are often lacking. When these begin to be armoured the cost increases and mobility and reliability can suffer, as occurred with the US armed forces’ AM General HMMWVs (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles) during the US-led intervention in Iraq. Efforts like Textron’s Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle (SCTV) successfully address this by selected subsystem upgrades and can be a route for armies which already have invested in a fleet of LTVs. The trend by Western armies, in particular, is to integrate higher ballistic and mine survivability in new LTVs, as in the US Army Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) being supplied by Oshkosh, the General Dynamics European Land Systems Eagle and Iveco which offers vehicles that reflect this approach. Iveco’s Nazario Bianchini, a project executive, explained that the company approach has become to consider soldier survivability from design inception. The protection is integrated often with the crew contained in an armoured ‘capsule’ that is part of the structure.
France Yet, recognising the critical nature of reconnaissance vehicles and the importance of providing a platform specific to this role some armies and companies have focused on designs optimised for reconnaissance.
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The FNSS Kobra draws it lines from the VBL but is longer with a spacious interior that is able to carry up to eight soldiers or equipment. The Kobra-2 is the latest version with additional protection and the ability to mount a remote weapon station.
A number of these light reconnaissance vehicles have proved themselves and have been widely successful. The French Panhard/Renault Trucks Defence Véhicule Blindé Léger (VBL/Light Armoured Vehicle) is one of these. At around four tonnes in weight, the vehicle has an exceptional acceleration and sprint capability, plus it can swim. It has a crew of three, a one tonne payload and can mount a 12.7mm machine gun or automatic grenade launcher, either of which can be housed in a Remote Weapons Station (RWS). The French Army’s future reconnaissance vehicle being developed by Nexter is the Jaguar EBRC (Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat/Reconnaissance and Combat Vehicle). The initial fielding of up to 110 systems is scheduled for 2020. The vehicle has a crew of three and mounts a new CTA International CT40 40mm gun in a stabilised turret with advanced fire control and optics. “This 40mm calibre selection,” a member of Nexter’s Jaguar design team indicated to AMR, “is much more lethal, with better range and about the same recoil stress on the vehicle as 30mm calibre yet offering the terminal effectiveness necessary to defeat current armour protection.” The six-wheel drive platform weighs 25 tonnes and provides 14.5mm ballistic and ten kilogram (22 pounds/lbs) mine blast protection. Considering the small crew, the vehicle size and weaponry it appears that the Jaguar is a primarily a mounted reconnaissance asset that will work in cooperation with and support the VBL (see above). The essence of the VBL has been duplicated by Komatsu in its LAV for the
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Japanese Self Defence Force in Otokar’s Kobra and the MAK Zobel, an amphibious four-wheel drive with propellers fore and aft. The VBL design has been well received with over 2500 VBLs fielded. In addition, Otokar recently received an order for its Kobra-2 vehicle with enhanced ballistic and mine protection. More details regarding this order can be found online at www.armadainternational.com. The RBY Mk.1 resembles the erstwhile Daimler Ferret reconnaissance vehicle. It was produced by the RAMTA Division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and used by the Israeli Army. It is designed to be low (1.7 metres/5.5 feet high), nimble and light (3.6 tonnes) yet have small arms and, more importantly, mine protection. This vehicle was replaced in the Israeli Army by the IAI RAM2000 which is 250mm longer with a turbo-charged diesel engine and overhead protection. It has been demonstrated with an eleven metre/m (36 feet/ft) mast-mounted sensor payload that is operated from the vehicle. Sensor packages for the vehicle can include the IAI POP optronics system. Similar but somewhat large designs are offered by Iveco/Finmeccanica in its Puma, the MAK Fennec, and the Russian BRDM. The Puma is available in both fourwheel and six-wheel drive configurations and thus can be configured for the forward reconnaissance role or, when using the larger version, to carry surveillance sensors, a larger team and medium weapons including an RWS. Puma, like the VBL (see above), can be easily air-transported. The latter opens the ability to insert highly mobile reconnaissance teams deep inside
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The RBY Mk.1 is a low-profile, highly-mobile vehicle which could operate discretely and rely on its speed, agility and heavy suppressive fires from its multiple machine guns to escape if discovered. It entered service in 1975.
enemy areas and beyond terrain obstacles where they would be unexpected.
Germany Meanwhile, Krauss Maffei Wegmann’s (KMW) Fennek was developed specifically with reconnaissance in mind. Christian Budde, a KMW spokesperson, shared that the Fennek was “specifically designed for both discrete and autonomous operation. The three-person crew can perform for five days fully independent.” Its low overall height, extremely low infrared and radar signature, low noise engine and wheeled running gear are focused on providing undetected operation. Its state-of-the-art reconnaissance suite can be deployed above the vehicle on a three metre (9.8ft) telescopic mast. This reconnaissance suite includes radar and optronics packages. The Fennek operated with success during the German deployment to Afghanistan last decade where it would establish a mobile observation post to monitor and report. Mr. Budde adds, “On-board equipment allows precise target location, target tracking and target designation for the coordination of tactical fire support.” The system was introduced into Royal Netherlands Army and Heer (German Army) service in 2003. Staying in Germany, The Fuchs 2, a new version of the six-wheel drive Fuchs
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armoured personnel carrier, built by Rheinmetall is used as a reconnaissance platform, has excellent mobility and a 5.3 knots (ten kilometres-per-hour) swim capability. It is in service with the Heer and six other countries with additional orders placed in 2015 by Kuwait. The speciallyequipped NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) reconnaissance version has received particular attention. Rheinmetall received a series of contracts in 2015 to upgrade the Fuchs-2 for the Heer with the addition of greater protection and the installation of an RWS.
Other Efforts The Russian BRDM was introduced in 1982 by Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ). It was fielded by over 54 countries and remains in service with many of them including local variants and production vehicles. It has a distinctive boat shaped hull (it is amphibious with a propeller drive) and a relatively low upper body. The wheels have central tire inflation and are assisted in trench crossing by chaindriven belly wheels lowered by the driver. It typically has a crew of four and has been equipped with a 14.5mm machine gun one person turret and has been used with various sensors including elevating masts. Poland, one of the BRDM users, launched a programme to develop a
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successor to the BRDM called the LOTR. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa has teamed with Rheinmetall-MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) on this effort. The LOTR is to have higher protection than the BRDM but still be amphibious. The six-wheel drive vehicle will weigh around 20 tonnes with a 3.5 tonne payload which will greatly add to its capability to support reconnaissance operations using mounted sensors and equipment. This design effort attempts to address one of the challenges in reconnaissance vehicles: how to have a low profile and size yet provide adequate space for the crew, dismounted scouts, mission equipment and supplies for extended operation. The LOTR is still in development but it is reported that Poland plans to acquire 200 vehicles for an estimated $330 million. Other users of the BRDM are seen as additional potential markets. The RG35 RPU (Reconnaissance Patrol Utility) four-wheel drive vehicle developed by Land Systems South Africa (now part of Denel) strove to achieve the ideal size-to-capacity balance by using a unique mid-side power pack layout. It has three wide ballistic windows and forward driver and commander positions with a large rear compartment with rear door or ramp access. Despite its relatively compact size (5.2m/1.5ft in length, 2.6m/8.5ft in width, and 2.5m/0.7ft in height) and a 21 tonne combat weight, the RG35 has an exceptional 6.9 tonne payload. This weight margin allows for adding supplemental armour with ten kilogram (22lbs) explosive protection. The RG35 was offered for the Canadian reconnaissance vehicle requirement but not selected and is yet to enter production.
United States Some armies that already have existing tracked or wheeled armoured ‘family of vehicles’ lines, often adapt them to the reconnaissance role despite being larger than possibly desired. The US Army General Dynamics Stryker armoured fighting vehicle includes a reconnaissance version, known as the M1127. The vehicle is the same as the ICV (Infantry Carrier) Stryker but mounts only a 12.7mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher in an open mount. It is primarily a sensor platform for the Raytheon LRAS3 (Long Range Scout Surveillance System) and six dismounted scouts, operating as part of a combined arms vehicle mounted ‘cavalry’ in the US Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SCBT). A former SCBT operations officer told AMR that “the reconnaissance platoon
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is in invaluable asset for Stryker units since knowing where the opponent is or is not is critical to capitalising on the units manoeuvrability and other advantages.” The US Army Armoured Cavalry (ACR) was ‘heavied-up’ in the 1980s being equipped with General Dynamics’ M1A1 Main Battle Tanks and BAE Systems’ M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles. This reflected the focus of the force on fighting in Europe against mass Soviet and Warsaw Pact armoured onslaught during the Cold War. That structure remains with the exception of several ACRs which converted to the Stryker (see above). In 2015 a push began for up-gunning some ACR Strykers with a Kongsberg 30mm RWS. This effort received impetus with the Russian incursions in Ukraine during the latter country’s civil war in 2014 causing the US Army’s Second Cavalry Regiment in Europe to submit an urgent operational requirement to up-gun their vehicles. Their request was quickly approved, funded and they will receive the Kongsberg RWSs by 2018. In addition, in March 2016 the army actively sought new sensors and ways to integrate various systems to make them more capable and survivable. The US Marines refer to the General Dynamics Land Systems Canada LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicle as a reconnaissance asset. Its mobility, manoeuvrability and versatility have allowed it to perform these tasks well in two Iraq conflicts, in Afghanistan and during expeditionary deployments worldwide. It is usually employed with two dismount observers. Yet its stabilized 25mm two person turret also gives it the ability for ‘combat reconnaissance’ with weaponry adequate to fight for information when necessary. Others LAV uses including the Canadian Army and Australian Army have outfitted their fleets with RSTA (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition) suites specifically dedicated to battlefield information collection.
British Intentions The Alvis CRV-T (Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle-Tracked) family were the primary British Army reconnaissance vehicles from 1970 onwards. The CVRT used a common chassis for a range of variants including the 76mm gun turreted FV101 Scorpion and the Rarden 30mm cannon-equipped FV107 Scimitar. Over 3500 CVR-Ts were fielded to 21 armies worldwide with many still in use. The
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Russia's BRDM-1 was introduced in 1982 filling the forward reconnaissance role for Soviet armoured forces. It uniquely has a set of extra wheels under the chassis that can be lowered by the driver to assist in crossing ditches and obstacles.
FV107 Scimitar (and other CRV-T variants) will be replaced by the ASCOD-SV (Austrian Spanish Cooperative Development Scout Vehicle) from General Dynamics UK in a $5.8 billion contract awarded in September 2014 for 589 ScoutSV platforms. To be known as the Ajax in British Army service, the first systems are expected to be delivered in 2020. The Ajax reflects the ‘heavy cavalry’ approach to reconnaissance vehicles. Weighing up to 28 tonnes, the vehicle has 14.5mm ballistic protection and can fit SABBLIR reactive armour or MEXAS composite add-on armour giving 30mm protection. It carries a General Dynamics European Land Systems 30mm Mauser MK-30/2 auto-cannon with a coaxial machine gun in a traditional two-person turret and can carry up to eight soldiers. The BAE Systems/Saab CV90 reflects a similar approach to reconnaissance and in fact was selected by the Norwegian Army in a competition that included the ASCOD (see above). It also has 14.5mm to 30mm ballistic protection and can mount a 40mm gun. The recent adoption of the Soucy Rubber Band Track has reduced the suspension noise compared to steel track and increased speed and range, both assets in reconnaissance. The CV90 does, though, offer the ability to equip a reconnaissance squadron with a full set of capabilities on a common chassis. These can include a 105 or 120 mm direct fire cannon, the 35mm or
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40mm auto-cannon, armoured infantry carrier, and indirect fire support (using turreted mortars like the Patria AMOS) thereby providing an organic combined arms force that can gather or fight for information as needed.
Light or Heavy? The debate over the preferred vehicle configuration for conducting reconnaissance has become significantly more complex today, at least for NATO and Western armies, with the expectation that their employment may well entail a deployment thousands of kilometres away most likely by aircraft. The practical limits of aircraft lift and the need to move as many vehicles per trip as possible suggest more compact vehicles. On the other hand expeditionary operations lend themselves to vehicles which can operate autonomously for a number of days, which can suggest larger vehicles. The increasing use of reconnaissance vehicles in peacekeeping and other operations short of war also suggests less ‘warlike’ systems. The challenge to industry is in combining the capabilities of combat reconnaissance vehicles with attributes like compactness and multi-utility use in a single system. The good news is that technologies like hydro-pneumatic suspension, integrated survivability, rubber band track, and compact, low recoil weapons like the CTA40 are offering developers new tools to meet this daunting challenge. AMR
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Australian DoD
The cockpit display of the F-35A seen here during a visit by the simulator to the RAAF’s Williamtown airbase. The airbase is also home to the headquarters of the RAAF’s Air Combat Group.
As the world’s militaries begin the shift to fifth-generation fighters, the need for advanced training capabilities is growing. While live training continues to form a vital aspect of instruction, simulation devices are becoming increasingly valuable. by Claire Apthorp
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imulation devices allow aircrew to get to grips with the realities of fifthgeneration aircraft without the high cost-per-flighthour of live training. In the Asia-Pacific region, the market is being driven by the approaching introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C LightningII fighter, which has been ordered by Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK). However, a number of nations in this region are also in the midst
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of developing their own indigenous fifth-generation aircraft, such as India, Japan and the RoK which also require simulation equipment as part of the wider training package.
F-35
Simulation is a vital component of fifthgeneration fighters such as the F-35 family, far greater than it is with legacy platforms, because the aircraft are so advanced in terms of their sensors and connectivity that it is not possible to adequately challenge pilots in the live environment alone.
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High-fidelity Full Mission Simulators (FMS) allow pilots to realistically experience the range of capabilities and gain competence across air-to-air, air-to-ground and electronic warfare missions. According to Lockheed Martin the fidelity of the F-35 FMS currently allows between 45 and 55 percent of the initial training flights to be accomplished virtually; in comparison, around 40 percent of initial qualification for the company’s F-16 family fighter is conducted through simulation. In preparation for aircraft deliveries,
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more than 200 F-35 pilots from six customer nations have qualified through the F-35 Training System. Training for US pilots takes place at the F-35 Integrated Training Centre (ITC) at Eglin airbase, Florida, the US Marine Corps Beaufort airbase, South Carolina, and Luke airbase in Arizona. The latter is where all international partners who will fly the F-35A have conducted pilot training ahead of the delivery of in-country simulation capabilities. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Training System maximises simulation. At its centre is the F-35 FMS, which replicates all aircraft sensors and weapons, and is required to be upgradeable via software block updates to accurately reflect the F-35 aircraft as it matures. The FMS is designed to allow pilots to apply the academics they have gained from the classroom portion of the training before transitioning to live flight. The simulator uses 24 projectors to create the battlespace within a 360-degree dome, and combined with a full cockpit replica, it allows for the full range of future F-35 missions.
RAAF While Japan and the RoK are both set to begin their own training at Luke airbase in the next couple of years, Australia was the first international partner to commence training at this facility, with the
Australian DoD
The upcoming entry into service of the F-35A/B/C with Asia-Pacific nations is spurring acquisition programmes for simulator equipment to help train pilots for the new aircraft.
first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A arriving at the base in December 2014. In September 2015 the capability to train RAAF F-35A pilots in country was advanced with the selection of Team 21 to deliver the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) Basic Flying Training under the Australian Department of Defence’s (DoD) Project Air 5428 initiative. The training system aims to streamline future pilot training, co-locating multiple training facilities at the RAAF’s Sale airbase in Victoria, South Australia. The 25-year programme will prepare pilots for the F35A, as well as for the Airbus Helicopters’ EC-665ARH Tiger attack helicopter flown by the Australian Army Air Corps (AAC) and the NH Industries’ MRH-90 medium-lift utility and naval support helicopters operated by the AAC and the Royal Australian Navy. Team 21 is led by Lockheed Martin and includes teammates Pilatus Aircraft and Hawker Pacific. The team will deliver 49 Pilatus PC-21 turboprop trainer, seven Lockheed Martin flight simulators, student learning environments for each flying school, and updated training curricula and materials. The acquisition contract will also establish the support elements of the services contract. An Australian DoD spokesperson told AMR that the project achieved System Design Review
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in March 2016, and has moved into the detailed design phase of work. The first aircraft, first simulator and initial learning environment are expected to be delivered in mid-2017 to support Operational Test and Evaluation in the second half of the year. Additional mission systems will be progressively delivered up until final aircraft deliveries which are expected late in 2019, with the Initial Operational Capability, aligned to the first undergraduate pilot training course, currently planned for early 2019. More information on Australian defence modernisation can be found in Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue.
Competitive Markets Team 21 will take over ADF flight training from 2019. Until then BAE Systems, provider of the ADF’s current Basic Flying Training System will continue to run training in Tamworth, New South Wales. Following the ADF training contract award to Team 21, the BAE Systems Tamworth facility is working with the Australian DoD to promote the flight training opportunities of the facility in order to grow this customer base. The facility is already used by other defence customers including the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the Royal Brunei Air Force and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.
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CAE
The Royal Brunei Air Force is using the PC-7 FTD at CAE Brunei MPTC to improve pilot selection and screening. The PC-7 FTD complements PC-7 pilot training programmes by providing a flight simulator that is safe and cost-effective.
The RSAF elected to extend its Air Grading Centre (AGC) Flying Training Institute (FTI) contract with BAE Systems in June 2015 which is conducted at the Flight Training Academy in Tamworth (see above). This contract, which includes the provision of aircraft, purpose-built training facilities, instructor training and student accommodation, will also come to an end in 2019. The facility is looking to meet the needs of new customers within the region who do not have the capability to train their aircrew in-country. Meanwhile, the Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (MPTC) established by the government of Brunei-Darussalam and CAE in Rimba, Brunei, in 2012, is also positioning itself as a training solution for customers across the Asia-Pacific. Although the primary focus at this facility is currently on helicopter simulator training, the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) has been operating a Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II Flight Training Device (FTD) at the facility since 2014. The PC-7 FTD device is used by the RBAF for screening to determine if personnel have the capability and aptitude to become a military pilot. All RBAF young officers who pass their officer’s course and want to become a pilot use the PC-7 FTD; by using the device as part of the overall screening process, the RBAF can identify cadet pilots who should continue with pilot training much more quickly.
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T-6C Team 21’s (see above) major competition for the ADF training contract was a team comprised of BAE Systems, Beechcraft and CAE. This team’s integrated pilot training solution was based around the Beechcraft T-6C Texan-II turboprop trainer and a suite of synthetic flight training devices. Solutions based around the T-6C are seeing growing success across the international market, including in the Asia-Pacific. In early 2014 the New Zealand government selected a T-6C package for its new pilot training capability, to be delivered by a team including Beechcraft, CAE and SafeAir. Beechcraft is the prime contractor responsible for delivering the integrated training system consisting of eleven T-6C aircraft, as well as a comprehensive T-6C Ground-Based Training System (GBTS). Beechcraft subcontracted CAE to develop the T-6C GBTS, which for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) includes two T-6C Operational Flight Trainers (OFTs), computer-based classroom training systems, and courseware customised for pilot training. SafeAir is responsible for conducting the Flight Line Operations and Maintenance for the team. The T-6C GBTS for the RNZAF is a comprehensive solution that includes classroom training using newly-developed courseware and curriculum, as well as
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synthetic training using high-fidelity simulators. “The two CAE-built T-6C OFTs include a high-fidelity replica of the T-6C cockpit with a fully-enclosed 270 degree by 70 degree field-of-view display system driven by the CAE Medallion-6000 image generator,” Peter Redman, vice president and general manager for CAE’s defence and security products in the Asia-Pacific, told AMR. “The T-6C OFTs also feature the CAE-developed common database, an open database architecture that enhances the ability to correlate and rapidly update databases to support training and mission rehearsal requirements … The T-6C OFTs are high-fidelity simulators developed by CAE in partnership with Beechcraft. The visual databases being provided for the T-6C Pilot Training Capability in New Zealand were custom developed for the RNZAF by engineering staff at CAE Australia as part of the programme to meet the specific needs for training in New Zealand.” All the T-6C simulation systems for the RNZAF were delivered in 2015 and have been undergoing final test, evaluation and acceptance. “The T-6C GBTS for the RNZAF are now in use on the first RNZAF Wings Course,” Mr. Redman added. New Zealand’s military pilot training capability was officially stood up in April 2016 with all aircraft delivered.
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Beechcraft
New Zealand’s next generation of military pilots will be training in eleven Beechcraft T-6C Texan-II aircraft which have now all been delivered to the New Zealand Defence Force 16 months after programme initiation.
advanced capabilities and the integration of these capabilities in a training environment go beyond current LVC training capabilities. We are beginning to see more demand and requirements for integrated and interoperable training systems so that mission training involving multiple plat-
forms, across services (army, navy and air force), even joint and coalition forces can be conducted more cost-effectively.” An integrated, immersive, interoperable LVC training environment can deliver a number of benefits to defence forces, including extending the life of
CAE
Beyond LVC CAE is one company that is working to change the game in the area of defence training systems, with ongoing investment in areas such as dynamic synthetic environments, adaptive learning, and next-generation training media, such as full-mission simulators and training devices. It is also looking to support its customers move beyond the current Live-Virtual-Constructed (LVC) training capabilities in order to fully explore the capabilities of advanced aircraft in the training environment. “It is no secret that many defence forces around the world, including in those in the Asia-Pacific region, are confronted with budget constraints, which are forcing them to look for solutions that can cost-effectively support maintaining readiness and capability, and simulation-based training systems are ideal for safely and for costeffectively training military forces for a range of missions,” Mr. Redman said. “It is also well-known that modern warfare involves bringing a coordinated range of assets, including people and weapon systems, to combat so that means training should reflect how defence forces are going to fight … In many cases right now, though, modern weapons platforms with
Beechcraft subcontracted CAE to develop the T-6C Ground Based Training System, which for the RNZAF includes two T-6C operational flight trainers, computer-based classroom training systems and courseware customised for RNZAF pilot training.
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actual weapon systems assets, delivering realistic mission training that might not otherwise be possible with purely ‘live’ training, and reducing risk. In addition, there are certainly cost benefits and advantages to LVC training. “A good example comes from the RAAF’s participation in COALITION VIRTUAL FLAG (an online air combat exercise involving the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and USAF, along with the RAAF held in 2015),” Mr. Redman added. “According to the RAAF, they received training benefits related to tactics, techniques and procedures by participating ‘virtually’ in a coalition exercise, and this would not have been possible otherwise because they wouldn’t have been able to send actual aircraft and crews to the US to participate in the ‘live’ exercise.” CAE is innovating in the development and delivery of closed-loop (where outputs can be routed back as inputs), performance-based training system design that enables the company to deliver and manage highly effective training systems, tailored to individual learning styles that increase student retention and success, decrease drop-out rates, maximise effectiveness, and minimise cost. “When we combine this with scalable
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Australian DoD
Simulation allows pilots to train across the full spectrum of operational missions, including those missions that cannot be effectively replicated in the live training environment.
LVC technical solutions within the training media itself, we are finding that we are able to offer highly effective training solutions to military customers worldwide,” Mr. Redman added.
F-16 The F-35 is not the only aircraft driving demand for advanced simulation capabilities. In 2012 the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to upgrade its 145 F16A/B Block-20 aircraft to the F-16V configuration, which includes the addition of Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). The upgrade improves pilot situational awareness and expands operational capabilities, and the first F-16V for Taiwan completed its first flight in October 2015. In order to enhance its training capabilities to match the upgraded F-16V Taiwan is acquiring an F-16A/B Block-20 Mission Training Centre (MTC) under a foreign military sale with the US government. The US Department of Defence contracted L-3 Communications for the MTC in March 2016, with the company to supply MTC hardware, spares and initial software development under the $36.3 million deal.
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A company spokesperson said that the MTC solution to be delivered to Taiwan will include a number of the same technologies used on the US Air Force F-16 MTC simulation solution, including the L-3 Link HD World solution that integrates high-definition technologies for visual system databases, image generators, out-the-window visual displays and physics-based processing technology, plus the L-3 Link simulated Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System. Also as with the USAF F-16 MTC solution, the Taiwan training site will have four networked F-16 simulators at a single site. The spokesperson said that while L-3 Link is currently performing on the Taiwan F-16 MTC programme under an Undefinitised Contract Action, the company expects a full contract will be awarded to L-3 Link during the fourth quarter of 2016. As some of the most sophisticated equipment fielded by military forces, simulation technology for fighters has a lot to live up to in terms of preparing crew for the fight. Not only are modern combat aircraft simulators delivering on this, they are revolutionising the way armed forces are able to train their military pilots, helping them do so more efficiently and costeffectively than ever before. AMR
CAN we hAve x-bANd right where we Need it?
skyNet 5A briNgs x-bANd to AsiA-pAC. Skynet 5A has arrived at its new location: 95° East. For the first time military-grade protected X-Band and UHF is commercially available in Asia-Pac. Skynet 5A provides tailored and interference-resilient satcom services with exceptional throughput. It is fully interoperable and complies to NATO standards. In short, it offers complementary services for those that already have X-Band and ushers in a new level of communications for those that don’t. Find out more at airbusds.com/Skynet
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Thousand Island Dressing Traditional and non-traditional threats, as well as financial constraints, are pushing Asia-Pacific navies to select increasingly modular designs for their corvettes. This is turning escort vessels into both patrol and war fighting platforms. by Dr. Alix Valenti
B
y common naval standards, ships are classified in relation to their displacement and their length. For corvettes, this would therefore imply, as indicated in the 16th edition of The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World published by the US Naval Institute, that we are talking
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says Matthew Caris, a senior associate about “surface combatants of less at Avascent, a consultancy based in than 1500 tons but more than 1000 full Washington DC. Large navies, such as load displacement.” The increasingly the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force regional and non-traditional nature (JMSDF), the Republic of Korea Navy of the security challenges faced by (RoKN) or the Royal Australian Navy nations in the Asia-Pacific has however (RAN), which can afford large vessels been challenging this definition for the past decade. “There are currently two “are looking to retire their corvettes to responses to corvettes in the Asia-Pacific,” procure frigates.”
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The Indonesian Navy has recently furnished itself with new corvettes in the form of its ‘Bong Tomo’ class of vessels. Three ships comprise the class including the KRI John Lie pictured here.
agement Systems (CMSs), corvettes serve these smaller navies for both patrolling and warfare at a lesser cost than frigates. This means that what now distinguishes vessels classes “depends on what mission they are outfitted to perform,” says Collin Koh Swee Lean, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
US Navy
Bangladesh Bangladesh’s large coastline, increasingly prone to flooding and its 34694 square nautical mile (119,000 square kilometre) Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal present it with a wide range of both traditional and non-traditional security threats. On the one hand it requires patrol vessels that can counter piracy, illegal fishing and trafficking (of humans, narcotics and arms). On the other hand it needs ships with war fighting capabilities to be able to protect the country’s interests (oil and gas) in its EEZ against competing claims from Burma and India. To this end, in 2009 Bangladesh launched a ten-year programme to develop a three-dimensional navy (surface, underwater and naval aviation) which was integrated in 2013 in the ‘Forces 2030’ Bangladesh Armed Forces modernisation programme. The two corvettes, BNS Shadhinota and BNS Prottoy Bangladesh received on 11 December 2015 from the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) will aim to fulfil such a role. Based on the ‘Type-056/Jiangdao’ class corvettes currently in service in the People’s Libera-
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tion Army Navy (PLAN), Bangladesh’s new corvettes retain most of the sensor and weapon systems of the original Chinese design, minus their ASW equipment. This will include four China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) C-802 Anti-Ship Missiles (AShMs), one China Aviation Industry Corporation FL-3000N Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system and one Zhengzhou Electrical Engineering H/PJ-26 76mm main gun. With a relatively strong firepower for the size of the ships, Bangladesh’s new corvettes will be the key assets of the country’s littoral fleet. As such, according to local sources in September 2015 the Bangladesh Navy has formally ordered a second pair of corvettes.
China As well as constructing corvettes for Bangladesh, in the past decade the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) “has moved from a passive inshore defence naval strategy to an active offshore defence one,” says Mr. Koh Swee Lean: “The connotation of this switch is clearly a move towards a more offensive strategy,” Mr. Koh Swee Lean continues, “which requires vessels such as corvettes for fast projection into the open sea.” The ‘Type056/Jiangdao’ class corvettes the PRC has been building since 2012 are the direct outcome of this more aggressive strategy, for their modular design, the first of such kind in the PRC, allows them to be deployed as either an Offshore Patrol
The ‘Kamorta’ class corvette replaces the Indian Navy’s existing ‘Kora’ class ships, with four vessels being procured from Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers to this end.
Indian Navy
However, for smaller navies with more restricted budgets, such as the Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia/TLDM) or the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut/ TNI-AL), corvettes play a more significant role. While retaining the characteristics that originally made them popular for patrolling, such as their long range, they have evolved to deliver “a potent AntiSurface Warfare (ASuW) punch that is well above their weight and better than that of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs),” Mr. Caris continues. Furthermore, the sonars, torpedoes and guns that can be fitted on the platforms allow them to fulfil, albeit to a more limited extent, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and air defence tasks. In combination with their sophisticated Combat Man-
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Vessel or as a frigate. They will, over the next five years, replace the PLAN’s ‘Type054A/Jiangkai’ class frigates in their patrolling role, freeing them for deployment further away from the PRC, to support anti-piracy operations in Somali waters, for example. The ‘Type 056/Jaingdao’ class corvettes, with their full load displacement of 1365 tons, are equipped to deliver a potent punch. The ships accommodate HQ-10 SAMs (a Chinese version of the Almaz-Antey S-300PMU-1 SAM) with up to eight missiles ready-to-fire, whilst four CASIC sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles and two sets of 324mm triple torpedo tubes provide the vessel with its ASuW and ASW capabilities. In terms of sensors and radars, they include a Yangzhou Marine Electronic Instruments Research Institute Type 360 naval surveillance radar and Type LR-66 fire control radar. Although it remains unclear exactly how many of these vessels the PRC intends to build, the NATO Association of Canada (NAC) indicated in a May 2015
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US Navy
The Indian Navy’s ‘Kora’ class of corvettes (pictured) will begin to reach the end of their service lives in circa 2030. By this time, they will have been progressively replaced by the force’s new ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes.
report that estimates put the final total of corvettes at between 40 and 50. The first ship was commissioned in February 2013 and the 25th example has just been commissioned in this February.
India According to its 2009 Maritime Doctrine, control of the Indian Ocean “is the central concept around which the (Indian Navy) is structured.” To this end, in recent years, the Indian Navy has been undergoing a modernisation programme, which appears to be strongly centred on replacing a wide variety of ageing surface vessels such as aircraft carriers, frigates and destroyers. Similarly, indigenously-built ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will replace the Indian Navy’s existing ‘Kora’ class guided-missile corvettes currently in service with the Indian Navy. Although no specific date has been given, replacement could occur from circa 2035 based on these vessels’ 30-year lifespan. Like many of its neighbours, India
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is becoming increasingly concerned by the submarine race that has been taking place in the Asia-Pacific region in the past few years with nations such as Australia, Malaysia, the PRC, Taiwan and Vietnam, to name just five, having either recently acquired, or having existential plans to acquire, ultra-quiet conventional hunterkiller boats. This concern is reflected in the ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes having a design optimised for ASW, but also including ASuW and air defence capabilities. With a displacement of 2500 tons, the class is equipped with the Finmeccanica/OTO Melara 76mm Super Rapid Gun as well as two KBP Instrument Design Bureau AK-630 CIWS (Close-In Weapon Systems). Also fitted is a 16-cell vertical launching system for firing Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)/Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ Barak-1 SAMs. The ASW role is ensured by the RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and triple torpedo tubes mounted on the vessels. In terms of sensors, the vessels are equipped with a Defence Research and Development Organisation
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The TLDM’s KD Kelantan ‘Kedah’ class OPVs will be supplemented by the force’s new LCS/Second Generation Patrol Vessels, which will reinforce the navy’s littoral capabilities.
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ASW … powerful and long-range surface and shore attack sensors and weapons … and extended point defence systems against air and missiles threats,” indicated Mr. Darche. Open sources note that these ships will be equipped with a BAE Systems/Bofors Defence 57mm main gun, MSI Defence Systems’ DS30M Mk.2 30mm gun, the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile for ASuW and land attack, plus a vertical launch system for SAMs. Sensors will include the Thales SMART-S Mk.2 naval surveillance radar and Thales CAPTAS-2 ASW hull and towed array sonar. DCNS, meanwhile, will provide the ship’s SETIS CMS. Furthermore, it was announced during the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, held in mid-April, that Rohde and Schwarz would provide its Voice-Over-InternetProtocol based communications system for the first vessel in the class. “Construction of the first vessel started in March 2015,” specified Mr. Darche, with delivery expected to the TLDM in 2018.
US Navy
Philippines
Revati naval surveillance radar and an IAI ELTA Systems EL/M-2221 fire control radar. According to recent local press reports, the Indian Navy will receive a total of four vessels. The first example, the INS Kamorta commissioned in August 2014, and was followed by the INS Kadmatt in January. The INS Kiltan should commission in September with the INS Kavaratti following by the end of 2017.
Malaysia Beyond South Asia, with nearly 2537 nautical miles (4700 kilometres) of coast to protect and bordering the Strait of Malacca, infamous around the world for acts of piracy, the TLDM plays a significant role in the country’s security and defence. The fact that Malaysia is one of the five nations (along with Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, the PRC, Taiwan and Vietnam) currently disputing maritime and territorial claims in the South China Sea around the Spratly and Paracel islands, only adds to the challenges currently facing the TLDM. To tackle these issues, in
the eleventh Malaysia Plan of 2016-2020, which outlines government spending priorities, the chief of the TLDM has requested the acquisition of six Littoral Combat Ships (also known as the Second Generation Patrol Vessel), worth $2.2 billion, from local contractor Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS). These vessels are based on DCNS’ ‘Gowind’ class corvettes, adapted to local requirements with a displacement of 3000 tons. DCNS is working in close partnership with BNS, in their shipyard in Lumut, north-western Malaysia, to achieve “a solid transfer of technology”, says Philippe Darche, DCNS marketing manager for OPVs and corvettes, “in the field of design, production and combat system integration.” These new multi-mission corvettes will be able to serve the TLDM in both littoral patrolling, against illegal fishing, piracy and terrorism, and in highintensity naval combat if necessary. As such, it “provides the high performance warfare capabilities of a light frigate, including comprehensive and consistent
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As noted above, the Philippines is one of the countries involved in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos maritime and territorial disputes. The Philippines itself is an archipelago comprising over 7100 islands, which require, like all its regional neighbours, constant patrolling against illegal fishing and trafficking. The Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas (HDP/Philippine Navy), however, is generally characterised by its obsolete capabilities, given its use of decommissioned ships from other navies, such as the ‘Hamilton’ class cutters, formerly of the United States Coast Guard, acquired from the force from 2011. As a first step to palliate this significant gap, local sources report that at the beginning of April 2016 the HDP tasked GRSE to build two ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes for approximately $324.6 million (see above). The contract has yet to be signed, as the Philippines Department of Defence still has to ensure that GRSE meets the ships’ post-qualification requirements. As the HDP modernisation plan progresses, with its first phase currently in progress, and the next two to take place in six years blocks, it is to be expected that there will be more requests for such vessels in the near future.
Singapore While defence budgetary issues have challenged the HDP to ensure that its fleet remains modern, Singapore has long prided itself on maintaining one of
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the most modern navies in the region. Geographically situated at one of the key regional maritime chokepoints, at the southern tip of the Strait of Malacca, Singapore has long placed significant importance on developing a navy capable of ensuring safe passage for maritime commerce. Thus it has launched a programme to replace its eleven ‘Fearless’ class patrol vessels with eight indigenously built and designed Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs). The LMVs, jointly designed by Saab and ST Marine, and built in Singapore by ST Marine, are multimission corvettes that “can perform multiple functions including peacetime surveillance and enforcement, ASuW, ASW and mine countermeasure tasks, all thanks to modular payloads that can ‘plug and play’ as circumstances require,” says Mr. Koh Swee Lean. With a displacement of 1250 tons, the LMVs are equipped with a wide range of weapons, including a Finmeccanica/OTO Melara 76mm gun, Rafael Typhoon 25mm gun and a Finmeccanica/OTO Melara Hitrole 12.7mm weapon. They are also fitted with MBDA MICA SAMs launched via a twelve-cell vertical launching system. The sensor suite includes a Thales NS100 naval surveillance radar, Kelvin Hughes SharpEye navigation radar and
The Royal Danish Navy’s ‘Flyvefisken’ class ships had an innovative modular design which may prove influential for future corvette designs procured by navies around the Asia-Pacific.
Royal Danish Navy
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a STELOP 360 degree optronics package. The first ship, the RSS Independence, was launched on 2 July 2015, and more recently in April 2016 the second ship, the RSS Sovereignty, was launched and is expected to be commissioned by 2017. The remaining six ships of the class should be launched between 2017 and 2018 and are all expected to be commissioned by 2020, according to local media reports.
Thomas Withington
Taiwan
DCNS’ ‘Gowind’ class design forms the basis for the TLDM’s Littoral Combat Ship/SecondGeneration Patrol Vessel currently under construction.
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Also seeking to modernise its fleet is Taiwan which is under pressure from the PRC’s military modernisation and from maritime and territorial claims in the East China Sea over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands (which are also disputed by Japan, the PRC and the Republic of Korea). Limited in its budget, however, Taiwan has been focusing on deterrence and asymmetrical strategies, given that the country cannot compete on a vessel-for-vessel basis with the PLAN. Key to these strategies is the development of multimission vessels such as the ‘Tuo Chiang’ class corvette. This class of 500-ton corvettes is built by the Lung-De Shipbuilding Corporation, with the eponymous vessel commissioned in April 2015. Using a catamaran design, intended to generate a low radar cross section, these catamarans are designed with a minimal radar signature and are armed with Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology Hsiung Feng-II/III anti-ship missiles. They are also fitted with a Finmeccanica/OTO Melara 76mm main gun, four General Dynamics/US Ordnance M2HB 12.7mm machine guns and a Raytheon Phalanx CIWS. Local media reports have stated
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that up to twelve more catamarans could be ordered in the near future.
Conclusion Throughout the programmes reviewed in this article, it is evident that what is referred to as a ‘corvette’ can no longer be limited to a measure of displacement: from India to the PRC, today’s corvettes have a displacement that varies between 1250 tons and 3000 tons. What is more, one of the key features of the new generation of corvettes is their modularity, which allows them to play both the roles of patrol and combat vessels, thus making it clear that in the future “lines will continue to blur between OPVs, corvettes and frigates,” says Mr. Caris. As is often the case, the real distinction now lies in the cost. “These days ships are more expensive to acquire, operate and maintain,” says Mr. Koh Swee Lean, but many governments face financial constraints that can hinder the replacement of their ageing fleet. As such, “navies seek to procure less but more flexible ships to do more and for a longer service life,” he continues. We are therefore witnessing a return to the concept, initially pioneered by the Royal Danish Navy with the ‘Flyvefisken’ class of OPVs conceived and built in the mid-1980s/1990s. These ships employed modular, containerised payloads which could be added and removed from the vessel according to the mission she was to undertake. “As a number of Asia-Pacific nations are developing good shipbuilding capabilities thanks to technological transfer,” according to Mr. Caris, such an approach will become increasingly possible. AMR
TECHNICAL SUPPORT MACHINE MTP-72 PURPOSE Technical Support Machine MTP-72 is designed for the most labor intensive maintenance and current repairs of tank T-72 in the field. The structure of the machine includes a trailer with equipment and racks with niches and special boxes for transport and storage of spare parts and consumables for the repair of the tank.
SPECIfICATIONS Chassis Trailer type Body type Crew
KrAZ-632207 Full metal, welded 3 (driver - crane operator, locksmith - mechanic, electrician - welder)
Workshop overall dimensions, mm: Length Width Height Total weight of a workshop, kg Maximum speed, km/h Fuel consumption, l/100 km Maximum grade ascending ability, angle degree Fordable depth, m Zar-system voltage, V
14720 2760 3640 22750 80 48 25 1,2 24, 220, 380
STATIONARY CHARGING STATION SZS-U PURPOSE Stationary charging station SZS-U is intended for a charge of acid accumulator batteries, and also alkaline batteries with the rated voltage of 12 and 24 V, with the capacity from 7 to 200 A·h, what is applied in automobile and armored vehicles (personal armored vehicles or tanks) The station represents the stationary boxing of frame type, it is divided into two compartments. There is the chargers block in the front compartment, it’s consisting of twelve independent charging modules. There are niches for laying of 12 charging cables sets and 1 powering cables set (220 V and 380 V) in the rear compartment. Charging modules provide a high long-term charging rate with low fluctuations at the exit, they are interfering to premature wear of accumulator battery’s plates, and also are capable to determine the rated voltage of the charged battery automatically.
SPECIfICATIONS Type Output voltage, V Station voltage, V Number of at the same time charged accumula- tor batteries Time necessary for station expansion, no more, min. Outline dimensions, mm length width height Weight, kg:
Stationary, power supply from external network 12, 24 220, 380 12 5
36, Dehtiarivska St., Kyiv, 04119, Ukraine Phone: +380 (44) 461-94-27 Fax: +380(44) 461-97-59; 489-07-58 E-mail: aira@ukrspecexport.com
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The Connection Is Made
BAE Systems
A mature communications and command and control system comprises a critical element for the successful execution of any military operation. A number of Asia-Pacific nations are currently modernising their capabilities in this regard.
The proliferation of reconnaissance technology across the Asia-Pacific continues to advance at pace as armed forces operating on land, in the air and at sea, seek to enhance their situational awareness and targeting capacities across the battlefield.
by Andrew White
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owever, such capabilities can quickly become ineffective without the integration of overarching systems capable of commanding and controlling multiple force elements, this is particularly relevant in a contemporary operating environment witnessing trends
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towards more multi-national, multiservice and multi-agency operations. Hence why leading countries in the Asia-Pacific region continue to invest heavily in proven Battle Management Systems (BMSs) aimed at optimising units operating at home and abroad, as well as across a wide range of operating
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environments stretching from cold weather and mountainous regions through to desert, jungle, littoral and maritime areas.
General Trends According to the Daniel K. Inouye, the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies’
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mation to whomever the appropriate response will come from. It is hardly surprising then that the global market for airborne (reconnaissance) systems is projected to grow,” one such source explained while illustrating how such strategic, operational and tactical requirements must be tied together by binding BMS technology. “International ISR markets are fixating on the issues of bandwidth, communications security, airborne networking and data Malaysia’s coastal security has been enhanced with the purchase processing, including the of SPEXER-2000 coastal surveillance radars from Airbus’ defence prospects for automated and space subsidiary. Information gathered by these radars can sorting, all of which must be fed into the country’s defence decision-making. come at an affordable price to end-users,” the source added. ditional option for 16 more aircraft remains. Furthermore, an additional dozen Dornier Do-228 surveillance aircraft have India also been given the go-ahead for acquisiMarket observers just have to look at tion from the Indian Defence Acquisition the widening capabilities of Asia-Pacific countries in regards to C2 and reconnais- Council, which oversees defence procurement, also granting permission for the sance technology to appreciate just how development of a next-generation AEW integral such an all-encompassing BMS (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft using solution can be, in order to harness and Airbus’ A330 airliner as its platform. Two effectively manage multiple elements aircraft will initially be delivered, with across a battle. In India, for example, the an additional four aircraft over the next navy is now operating a total of eight seven years. Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol Other key programmes in India inaircraft following the delivery of a final tranche of two aircraft last year. An ad- clude the upgrading of three Berlev A-50 AEW aircraft, carrying Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems' EL/M-2075 Phalcon AEW radar, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) understood to be considering procurement of an additional pair of aircraft. Finally, this AEW fleet has been enhanced with the delivery of the IAF’s first Embraer EMB-145i AEW aircraft in June 2015. Two more aircraft will have been delivered by July 2016, sources explained to AMR. Such enhancements make the demand for an efficient BMS integral to the future growth of the Indian armed forces, particularly the Indian Army. Hence the reason why the MoD continues to pursue its requirement for a next-generation Indian Army BMS solution, capable of networking these ground-based and airborne force elements into wider C2 networks operated by the other services. According to the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), the BMS concept aims to provide the armed forces with C2 technology to The Indian MoD’s BMS programme is set to significantly upscale the capabilities of the country’s support forward-deployed troops down soldiers and allowing greater interoperability with US and other armed forces. to battalion and combat group levels US DoD
Airbus
associate professor, Dr. Virginia BacayWatson, BMS comprises one element in a wider pattern of “Emerging Critical Technologies in the region”. Referring to a report of the same name, published on 10 March, Dr. Bacay-Watson explained how such technology remains a “crucial element of military effectiveness and advantage, particularly with regard to the Asia-Pacific region … Regional militaries have, in recent decades, acquired capabilities that were previously unknown. At the same time, the diffusion of militarilycritical technologies, as well as the ability of militaries to exploit potential, varies widely across the region. Naturally, this unequal distribution will determine the impact of these technologies and capabilities on regional security and stability. Consequently, it is essential to assess the relative abilities of regional militaries and the impediments they may face.” Speaking to AMR at the IQPC Airborne ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and C2 (Command and Control) Battle Management conference in London on 23 February, industry sources (who wished to remain anonymous due to sensitivities regarding tender processes in the region), explained how, in the face of ongoing fiscal restriction and unpredictable contemporary and future operating environments, armed forces must “quickly decide where their priorities lie … Among key considerations is the ability to rapidly identify and analyse potential threats, in order to transmit coordinates and infor-
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The Indian Army’s BMS programme features a step up in capability over and above the ongoing Tactical Communications System (TCS) programme which is designed to enhance handheld, manpack and vehicle based communications for dismounted and mounted troops.
with situational awareness tools. The effort will provide commanders with the integration of all reconnaissance tools at their disposal including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), thereby providing a real-time battle picture comprising red and blue forces as well as the generation of topographical information. On 20 March, two competing design authorities unveiled their BMS roadmaps to the Indian Army with initial prototypes expected to be delivered to the MoD over the next six months, according to industry sources. Participating consortia in the programme include Tata Power's Strategic Engineering Division (SED) partnered with Larsen and Toubro, and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which has teamed up with Rolta India. The news follows the MoD’s decision on 25 February to contract both groups to further develop their solutions ahead of the final down selection of a preferred partner. The consortia will be designated as “Development Agencies” for the BMS programme which, should it
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be granted the final go-ahead by the government, will comprise one of the largest indigenous manufacturing contracts to be run by India. Initial funding for the prototype phase will comprise approximately $600 million, sources added. At the Defexpo defence exhibition, held in South Goa between 28 and 31 March, prototype solutions for the programme from both Development Agencies were on show with both teams displaying BMS systems integrated into Command Posts (CP) down to battalion levels. India’s BMS programme calls for four versions of the solution, allowing for integration across four force elements comprising: Special Forces, Infantry Battalion, Combat Group (Armour) and Combat Group (Mechanised Infantry), according to the MoD. Systems will feature Geographic Information Systems (GIS), data fusion from multiple sensors, ruggedised computers and other end user devices, all of which will surround a baseline Software Defined Radio (SDR)
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capable of being updated with waveforms dependent upon mission requirements ranging from Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) through to Electronic Warfare (EW) protocols. The Indian Army’s Integrated Project Management Team will be in charge of the programme with another military source present at the Battle Management conference explaining to AMR how the army and wider MoD remain keen to field an initial capability as soon as possible. The MoD is understood to be funding up to 80 percent of the project with additional funding coming from industry parties. The decision to pursue such a BMS was outlined in the Indian MoD’s Defence Procurement Policy 2013 document which called for the design, development and introduction of a BMS comprising wireless connectivity capable of networking a series of digital systems across the battlefield. The MoD has expressed its desire to see the system fielded widely across the army in the next five to seven years in
order to create an ‘Internet of Things’ (where several electronic systems are connected together) for the army. Following production of the prototypes and an initial operating and evaluation programme over the next three years, the final down-selection of a preferred manufacturer will be made by the MoD will full rate production expected to commence two years after the evaluation with a total requirement for approximately 600 systems expected to be confirmed. According to industry sources, the BMS effort will see Rolta developing and integrating electronic subsystems including the GIS software and data systems with BEL concentrating on overall systems integration, delivery and support. “The consortium of BEL and Rolta is fully geared up to take on the challenge of development of the Battlefield Management System for our defence forces. We also aim to maximise the indigenous content through in-house development of various subsystems,” explained BEL marketing director, PC Jain in an official company statement. His thoughts were reiterated by Rolta’s chairman and managing director, KK Singh, who described how the company’s Internet Protocol (IP) technology, which is already in service with various force elements across the Indian Army as well as the navy, air force and police, would be integrated into the BMS for enhanced situational awareness. At the other Development Agency, Tata Power SED has already been contracted by the MoD as part of the Tactical Communications System (TCS), which will provide a high bandwidth, mobile data and voice communications system for the army. Any future BMS technology produced for the Indian Army will be heavily reliant upon the army’s TCS which continues to be plagued with delays. Having been first conceived in 2000, a decision has yet to be made regarding the future direction of the programme. Similar to the BMS effort, consortia led by Bharat and Tata Power SED are leading their respective bids. Worth approximately $2 billion, the TCS has yet to progress beyond a prototyping phase although the main effort of the programme is designed to provide a mobile tactical communications system to replace the legacy Plan AREN tactical radio backbone.
Australia Meanwhile, the Australian Department of Defence continues to fine tune its latest BMS capability following its participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE in July 2015. The biennial exercise, is designed to enhance cooperation between the Australian Armed Forces and US Department of Defence (DoD), included the utility of the Project Land 75 initiative which aims to provide the Australian Army with a BMS Command Support System (BCSS) and networked BMSs. The exercise saw US and Australian force elements trained in the planning and conduct of Combined Task Force operations in order to improve combat readiness and interoperability, a defence department spokesperson explained to AMR. The exercise represents the first major multinational exercise undertaken by Australian force elements using Project Land 75 technology with participating defence sources explaining how units were tweaking systems in order to fit in with tactics, techniques and procedures down to the lowest tactical levels.” Utilizing communications bearers provided under the Project JP 2072 land battlespace communications systems initiative the BMSs will allow the transfer, processing and management of tactical-level information necessary for the command and control of land operations,” Australian defence officials explained. In March 2010, Elbit Systems won the Phase 3.4 of the Project Land 75 programme comprising mounted and dismounted
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The Russian MoD has recently taken delivery of its first Il-80 Maxdome airborne command and control platform. The delivery marks an important point in the modernisation of Russia’s airborne C2 assets.
parachute operations, land force manoeuvres, military operations in urban terrain, air operations, maritime mission and live fire serials across air, land and sea. The exercise took place within the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton, Queensland. The BMS comprises the central spine of the Project Land 75 Battle Group and Below Command, Control and Communications System which includes a Track Management System for dissemination of data between users in variable message formats across air, land and sea assets. The capability also provides strategic-level intelligence at secret classification and below. ADF sources explained to AMR how Exercise TALISMAN SABRE allowed Australian forces to plan, monitor, control and review operations. Following the exercise, the technology has now a proven BMS development path ahead for the Australian Defence Force in line with increasing reconnaissance capabilities including the integration of an initial eight P-8A Poseidon aircraft, scheduled for delivery between 2017 and 2021, and Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAVs for the Royal Australian Air Australia’s Project Land 200 programme is equipping Force (RAAF), both of which will multiple tactical vehicles in the Australian Armed Forces provide support to ground and including the Thales Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV). These vehicles will be connected to the maritime based force elements. new C2 capabilities being acquired by the Australian Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific, military. the Russian MoD has received Australian DoD
BMSs with a total of more than 3000 systems supplied to units to date across the 1st, 3rd and 7th brigades. Systems have since been integrated on board army vehicles with work also underway to integrate the technology on board Royal Australian Navy amphibious assault ships, Australian Army Air Corps Airbus Helicopters EC-665ARH gunships and Supacat Special Forces Vehicles-Commando platforms. The BMS’s first multinational outing, during the exercise, saw it provide situational awareness and C2 for up to 30000 personnel taking part in the exercise, which involved amphibious landings,
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its first Ilyushin II-80 Maxdome Airborne Command Post with deliveries made at the end of 2015. The capability comprises an upgraded variant of the United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) aircraft, following an initial operational and evaluation test earlier in 2015, according to UIMC officials. The system comprises an airborne-based strategic BMS for the wider armed forces with the latest upgrade featuring a series of improvement based on size, weight and power, interoperability and reliability. Improvements centre around the integration of a Zveno-2 C2 suite, although no further details were disclosed. Industry sources explained to AMR how the suite could provide a control element for air, ground and maritime forces as well as Russia’s nuclear deterrent. Furthermore, sources also suggested the company was in the process of developing an upgraded Zveno-3 BMS mission suite.
Conclusion As more and more emphasis is paid to operations in the Asia-Pacific, not only by member states but also external parties such as the US, the importance of BMSs will continue to increase as armed forces seek to bind a widening variety of technologies into a common effort. However, levels of maturity will greatly depend on the technology levels of associated systems, such as tactical radios, airborne surveillance platforms and combat identification. AMR
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Avoiding the Rocks and Hard Places
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SATCOM now plays an indispensable role in all military operations providing an unrivalled ability to communicate across international ranges, while carrying significant amounts of data.
Like most military capabilities, Satellite Communications (SATCOM) can be expensive to develop, procure and operate. Fortunately, help is at hand from third-party commercial SATCOM providers who offer a range of services to military customers.
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n idea of the costs involved in developing a nationallyowned military SATCOM network can be gauged from examining some recent programmes. For example, the Franco-Italian ATHENA-FIDUS (Access on Theatres for European Allied Forces Nations-French Italian Dual-Use Satellite), which consists of a single spacecraft providing Ka-band (26.5-40 Gigahertz/GHz for uplink/1820GHz for downlink) cost both nations
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a total of $378 million to construct and launch, according to publicly available figures. At the other end of the spectrum, each of the individual satellites which comprise the United States and Australian Departments of Defence Wideband Global SATCOM programme, which totals six spacecraft, cost $300 million, almost the entire cost of the ATHENA-FIDUS development and launch discussed above. Thus, the combined seven satellites comprising the WGS constellation are worth some
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$2.1 billion, and this is before additional costs such as the SATCOM terminals to equip soldiers, vehicles and command centres to use the WGS constellation, and the ground control stations through which transmissions across the WGS are routed, not to mention the recurring costs of managing and maintaining the system, are taken into account. The cost of SATCOM as it affects Asia-Pacific powers can be seen in perspective when one appreciates that the price of a single WGS still exceeds Cambodia’s defence
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budget for 2015, valued at $277 million according to figures released by the Australian Department of Defence (DoD). While military SATCOM remains the preserve of wealthy militaries such as the United States, and also North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members such as the United Kingdom, which operates the Skynet-5 constellation providing X-band (7.9-8.4GHz for uplink /7.25-7.75GHz for downlink) and Ultra High Frequency (300 megahertz/MHz to three gigahertz) communications to the British armed forces and to allied nations, to name just two, such a capability cannot be considered a luxury. SATCOM provides a vitally important means for militaries to communicate between deployed forces, and/or up and down the chains of command.
The Franco-Italian ATHENA-FIDUS satellite incurred significant costs for both countries which may be beyond those feasible for nations in the Asia-Pacific. Third-party SATCOM provision can help to alleviate such costs.
Asia-Pacific region, dense jungle canopy, such as the vegetation found on the island of Borneo, can cause similar challenges and block LOS communication. Help is at hand in resolving such challenges via the use of SATCOM. Like HF communication (see above), SATCOM uses high altitudes, in this case the satellite’s antennae to ‘bounce’ across intercontinental ranges to reach its recipient, heading upwards to avoid the potential obstacles of buildings, mountains and thick vegetation. Moreover, SATCOM can carry high bandwidth communications compared to HF. Typically, HF radio can carry data at rates of 120 kilobits-per-second (kbps), while the MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) UHF satellite constellation developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy typically offers data rates of circa 384kbps. Military SATCOM is offered across a number of frequencies. As with traditional tactical radio communications, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’, instead a number of frequencies have their own advantages and disadvantages. L-band SATCOM, which operates across frequencies of 1.3 to 1.7GHz, fairs well regarding ‘rain fade’ (see below) and can use a comparatively small antenna, compared to C-band (5.925-6.425GHz for uplink/3.74.2GHz for downlink); however, only a
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Trade Offs All conventional means of radio communications have pros and cons. High Frequency (three to 30 Megahertz/MHz) radio transmissions can ‘bounce’ off the ionosphere at altitudes of between 46 nautical miles/nm (85 kilometres/km) and 324nm (600km) where the upper atmosphere effectively acts as a natural satellite dish. Yet, while HF communications boast intercontinental ranges, thanks to utilising this technique, the bandwidth of HF communications can be limited, hampering its use for large, data-heavy traffic such as detailed imagery or video files. A solution to this limitation can be found in Very High Frequency (VHF/30-300MHz) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF/300MHz to three gigahertz) radio communications. Yet VHF/UHF communications, while providing comparatively more bandwidth, are limited to Line-Of-Sight (LOS) ranges, i.e. one radio antenna needs to ‘see’ another antenna in order to transmit. One way around this, however, is to use Mobile Ad Hoc Networking or ‘MANET’ as it is known to the radio cognoscenti to allow communications to ‘skip’ from one radio to another until it reaches its recipient. LOS restrictions can have a serious impact on military operations. US-led combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq last decade illustrated that high mountain ranges, such as Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush, which runs roughly east to west across the country, plus the ‘urban canyons’ of Iraqi cities such as Fallujah, in the centre of the country, can place both rock and concrete in the way of LOS communications, causing disruption to tactical communications. Similarly, in the
relatively small amount of bandwidth is available which can make L-band SATCOM relatively expensive. Beyond Lband SATCOM, C-band (5.925-6.425GHz for uplink/3.7-4.2GHz for downlink) is used for voice and data communications, although given its comparatively lower place in the spectrum vis-à-vis X-, Kuband (14GHz for uplink/10.9-12.75GHz for downlink) and Ka-band, it requires a comparatively large antenna, potentially making it less practical for ground vehicles, aircraft or dismounted troops. Nevertheless, its comparatively low frequency allows it to operate well in adverse weather. X-band also has good resistance to adverse weather caused by precipitation, a phenomenon known in radio jargon as ‘rain fade’, where water droplets absorb quantities of radio frequency transmissions, thus degrading the performance of these transmissions. Utilised for wideband satellite communications, X-band uses a comparatively smaller number of satellites with a comparatively wider spatial separation which makes X-band ideal for use for mobile military SATCOM applications. Moreover, X-band SATCOM is reserved by the International Telecommunications Union, the United Nations body responsible for managing the radio spectrum,
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Harris CapRock provides a wide array of services for customers requiring SATCOM for their armed forces. In addition, the company has a relationship with Airbus to help facilitate the provision of SATCOM in the Asia-Pacific.
for use by military customers. However, this has meant that X-band has become increasingly crowded as more military users desire X-band SATCOM; this was particularly evident during the combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as discussed above. Further up the spectrum, Ku-band SATCOM uses small-sized antennae, suffers less interference from other Radio Frequency (RF) sources and can operate using a dish of under one metre (three feet) diameter. In addition, it consumes comparatively less power, making Ku-band SATCOM comparatively cheaper to operate. That said, it can have some sensitivity to rain fade. Ka-band SATCOM has a greater sensitivity to rain fade but is not yet available globally, unlike other SATCOM wavebands, although, like Ku-band it can use a relatively small antenna, and can have a high susceptibility to rain fade. Moreover, civilian users utilise the Ka-band, reducing the quantity of spectrum available for military operators.
Commercial Provision What options are available to nations in the Asia-Pacific which need military SATCOM but cannot afford to procure expensive individual spacecraft, let alone large constellations? The provision of military-grade SATCOM by third parties is providing an answer to such require-
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ments. A number of companies across the world now provide bespoke SATCOM services to navies, armies and air forces. Such provision can range from individual SATCOM terminals to equip dismounted troops, ground vehicles, ships or aircraft to the provision of complete SATCOM networks from the allocation of bandwidth for use by militaries, to the provision of the terminals discussed above, and services to manage the SATCOM network. Effectively, military customers receive all the benefits of having access to a large, secure and comprehensive military SATCOM capability without the cost of having to develop, launch and then operate such a network. What is more, companies providing such services can scale them exactly to the requirements of the nation concerned. A plethora of firms provide such services to military customers around the world, with leading players including Inmarsat of the United Kingdom, plus Satcom Direct, Harris CapRock and ViaSat all of which are based in the United States. Philip Parker, director of marketing communications at Harris CapRock, based in Houston, Texas, told AMR that the firm provides SATCOM for military customers across UHF, C, X, Ku and Ka-band SATCOM links, as well as providing all of the terminals and infrastructure necessary for providing a full
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military SATCOM network for customers requiring such services. Mr. Parker states, “Harris CapRock has successfully provided satellite communications and networks to defence forces and government agencies around the world for many years, mostly making use of its large commercial satellite capabilities, teleports (SATCOM ground stations) and resilient terrestrial networks.” The company also has a relationship with Airbus’ defence and space subsidiary which provides SATCOM to the UK Ministry of Defence via a private finance initiative which sees Airbus own and operate the Skynet-5 constellation, and its accompanying ground infrastructure, to provide X-band SATCOM. In March 2015, the Skynet-5A satellite was moved to a location of 97 degrees east which made Skynet X-band SATCOM services available in the Asia-Pacific, including over Australia. In 2012, Airbus signed an agreement with Harris CapRock to provide additional SATCOM capacity (i.e. spare capacity not being used by the UK MoD or other allied customers) to additional customers. Mr. Parker notes that, because of the move of Skynet-5A, the company is now able to demonstrate Xband SATCOM capabilities to potential customers in the Asia-Pacific. Harris CapRock is joined in the provision of military SATCOM by Satcom
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Direct of Melbourne, Florida which, “offers military end users a broad portfolio of land mobile, maritime and aeronautical services across major commerciallyavailable satellite networks,” according to a statement provided to AMR. Also particularly innovative is a product offered by the UK's Spectra Group called SlingShot, which can be used to enable users of conventional V/UHF tactical radios to perform SATCOM using the Inmarsat (see below) L-TAC L-band (1.215-1.4GHz) SATCOM service. In addition, Satcom Direct makes available SATCOM services for military customers using a number of satellite networks beyond those of Inmarsat, such as the Iridium constellation which offers global voice and data coverage, and the single satellite operated by ViaSat (see below). As well as supporting militaries around the world with the provision of SATCOM, Satcom Direct adds that it “has supported US DoD commercial SATCOM needs since 2003.” Within the Asia-Pacific region, it has provided voice and data tracking services for a fighter aircraft fleet of an unnamed nation.
As noted above, ViaSat is a significant player in the provision of SATCOM for military and government customers. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the firm has carved an important niche in providing secure SATCOM, particularly in the aerospace domain, where government officials or military commanders may require robust connectivity while in the sky to enable the command and management of military operations, or of contingencies as they develop. The firm provides high definition streaming broadband SATCOM to soldiers and commanders both in static locations, and while on the move. This enables users to perform video conferences, while also accessing military communications networks, performing conventional voice communications, and handling data. The company currently possesses a single satellite, ViaSat-1 which will receive a sibling, in the form of ViaSat-2, by the end of 2017, possibly being joined by ViaSat-3 (which will be a Ka-band satellite) in 2019. The company also owns two other spacecraft, WildBlue-1 and Anik-F2.
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Similarly, the UK’s Inmarsat is a major provider of commercial SATCOM to military customers. According to Andy Start, president of Inmarsat’s global government business unit, the firm can offer a range of services to Asia-Pacific customers, from individual SATCOM terminals to “an entire SATCOM network for air, sea or land applications, and we do that for every country in the region.” To this end, the firm has a regional hub in Singapore and has ground stations in Perth, Western Australia.” The Asia-Pacific SATCOM market as a whole, Mr. Parker notes, is seeing a demand for “increased bandwidth and heightened mobility requirements,” although “(available) infrastructure and budgeting” could at the same time act as a restraint on the growth of this market. That said, Mr. Parker argues that SATCOM will only increase in importance to customers in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere in the coming years. “SATCOM is the key to modern defence operations, enabling everything from asset tracking (tracking of troops and vehicles, for
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example) to command and control … The increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for reconnaissance will start to drive more use of Ka-band communications (for communications between the UAV and ground control station).” Market restraints include a lack of understanding within the Asia-Pacific region regarding what SATCOM services are available to military end users, Satcom Direct observes, particular in the aerospace domain. That said, the company adds that the need for military assets to be able to communicate when deployed anywhere on earth is significant in helping to drive the SATCOM market in the Asia-Pacific, with the company noting that “commercial L-band networks provide services that are able to meet this requirement in a truly global capacity.” Allied to this, is the increasingly ‘wired’ nature of military platforms, the firm notes which, “are employing bandwidth hungry data applications on aeronautical platforms. This includes reconnaissance and command and control subsystems … These applications are driving the need for high throughput connectivity to all manner of aeronautical platforms.” Mr. Start adds, another interesting factor regarding
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ViaSat
Inmarsat
Inmarsat is able to provide a wide range of military SATCOM services to customers in the Asia-Pacific. This includes the provision of SATCOM for land, sea and air platforms.
ViaSat-I is pictured here, and its parent company hopes to soon send a second spacecraft aloft to expand its provision of SATCOM services to military and commercial customers.
the drivers propelling demands for military SATCOM in the Asia-Pacific is “access to the internet (which) has become a ‘human right’ for anyone under the age of 30. The people who are joining the armed services, in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, are people who expect to have access to the internet.” Secondly, but no less important,
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“Spending money on SATCOM provides greater situational awareness,” as this can help to federate diverse sources of intelligence, Mr. Start adds, which translates into cost savings by enabling sensors and reconnaissance systems to share the information they gather and hence be used in a more cost-effective way. AMR
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Web of Intrigue With perhaps the exception of infectious disease, no other security challenge is perhaps as pervasive and universal as those proliferating from cyberspace. Every nation in the Asia-Pacific region, not least the world, is connected to the World Wide Web; yes even the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
by Dr. Tom Smith
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interests, and then cyber terrorism (referred to hereafter as cyber insurgency) that demands everyone’s attention but is perhaps not everyone’s responsibility. Given that these three distinctions— crime, warfare and insurgency—are crudely drawn (in part as a result of the structures of government and commerce), to complicate things further, they differ
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drastically from nation to nation for many different reasons. What is understood as a cyber crime in one domain can be considered cyber insurgency in the next. Politics and economics are obvious drivers of these distinctions but culture and technological literacy is also a key force that can partly level otherwise unbalanced ideological or financial playing fields.
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their cyber domain is unable to be fenced off and patrolled, this presents a question of what are they trying to protect? Each nation is asking the same question of itself. Each shares the other’s concerns and vulnerabilities, and the response has largely been to retreat and guard our own ‘digital turf’ in the best way we can.
Cyber-Crime
This is a topic as complex as it is compelling. Indeed because this topic is confusing, this is one of the reasons why such threats exist in the cyber domain. The language of this problem is in itself something we often have to learn from scratch and continually renew. This is not an arena where classical Clausewitzian military thinking readily lends itself to debates regarding the malicious use of computer software and such like, though we would do well to apply all the models we can to the problems before us. So while trying to divide the cyber problem up by way of national and polity boundaries, as is the regular response to most security concerns, often the response is a clumsy attempt to make a national solution out of a very international problem. Nations understandably are concerned about their cyber domain, but because
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criminals stealing from the poorest in the world. Then there are social crusaders such as the Algerian hacker Hamza Bendelladji who was arrested in Bangkok in 2013 and is, at the time of writing (April), currently being sentenced in a US court for the use of a malware (malicious software) programme called Zeus for stealing from US banks and giving the money to Palestinian charities. From the inception of the networked computer and later the growth of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, crime like other human behaviours has both exploited and fuelled the need to interconnect. In the same way that crime Away From the Keyboard (AFK) or In Real Life (IRL) benefits from improved communication there is little surprise that the digital realm has become a domain and producer of new criminal enterprise. Data, the series of binary zeros and ones hidden inside a programming language, is the new treasure. This data is valuable outside of its hard drive, and beyond its user and intended purpose. Therefore, the desire for this new and increasingly valuable commodity is not just the new gold rush but perhaps the only gold rush in 21st century life, Bitcoin (an online virtual currency) included. Data is digital and however sophistically encrypted, is now nearly always accessible remotely: It is the outpost that can allow the criminal to tunnel straight to the main camp. Given that the natural hub of analogue organised crime did not initially possess the skills to make the shift from IRL crime to cyber crime, the lone hacker had much of the digital landscape to themselves for a
YouTube
US DoD
The US military has deepened its interest in the cyber domain, forming units and commands specifically tasked with protecting and exploiting the cyber domain from cyber warfare.
Seemingly some countries have more to lose than others, the valuable financial assets of developed nations heighten concern for these states. So when western companies cry foul over the cyber criminals stealing Intellectual Property (IP) from manufacturers, designers and other creatives in the sacred knowledge economy, Western governments act with the cyber crime units of national police organisations and alike. Though to what extent the US Department for Homeland Security can help Google in this regard is a question worth asking. In 2015 a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a British professional services company, for the UK government found the average cost of the worst cyber breaches at large UK organisations to be between $2 million and $3.1 million; eye watering amounts for single breaches. But the concern is shared in all nations; when internet access is the 21st century golden ticket to economic prosperity, developing nations need the same protection. This is therefore not an East versus West, North versus South or rich versus poor problem yet it is often implied that way. The poor may steal from the rich, but there are some awfully rich cyber
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The Anonymous organisation has attacked many organisations, governments and corporations they believe to violate human rights or to practice censorship, and whose actions have received significant coverage.
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Europol
The pan-European law enforcement organisation Europol is playing a significant role in combating the activities of cyber crime, fostering cooperation to this end across international borders.
short period. Today, organised crime very much does. With cyber crime the IRL distinction has blurred if not disappeared entirely. In the Asia-Pacific, the historic and well entrenched organised crime networks of the Solntsevskaya Bratva (Russian Mafia), various groups of the Chinese Mafia (Triads) such as the Sun Yee On and Japan’s Yamaguchi Gumi (Yakuza) have shown the same criminal enterprise as they have in interests as varied as drug trafficking and sports betting. In August 2015 Jakarta Police crime directorate head Senior Commander Krishna Murti was explicit in his blame for transnational cyber crime undertaken in his domain. “The victims are mostly from the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. The network itself (is) protected by big (criminal) organizations in Japan such as the Yakuza,” he said. Criminal enterprise changes over time as our behaviours change online, from credit card theft, to more sophisticated bribery and extortion often based on hacking email, social media and other accounts. The range of threat and target is wide, from individuals to companies, from financial data to sensitive personal
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data. Some tactics require only an independent programme others human interaction, some work with both. The DDB4C (Distributed Denial of Service for Bitcoins) group responsible for a string of attacks around the globe has required an 18-month campaign headed by Europol (the law enforcement agency of the European Union) to make arrests in 2016 following perhaps the most sophisticated extortion campaign yet seen. The response globally and specifically in the Asia-Pacific has largely been the focus of the cyber security sector for individuals and companies to manage, usually by outsourcing to experts. The growth of the cyber security industry to protect online identities, encrypt the embarrassing family photos or the latest company design is inherently commercial. As the value of commoditized data rises seemingly inexorably there is a cost, a financial one, to our digital life and our digital trade. This creates a burden particularly painful to those without basic literacy in cyber security and for start-up enterprises in developing nations that require support. Even small enterprises in developing nations will suffer
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from weaker technical infrastructures and the lack of a culture of strong cyber security. Western companies were obvious first targets for the first generation of cyber criminals, but as their defences improve in response, vulnerabilities in growing Asia-Pacific markets is seen as a potentially softer target and no less profitable anymore. Indeed the lack of a Europol-style multinational law enforcement organisation in the Asia-Pacific equipped with cyber expertise is telling.
Cyber War Where nations clash, the cyber domain like all others, is another arena for conflict for the 21st century. The first thing to note is that ‘war’ is something that is usually done in the open. What is being termed ‘cyber war’ has been fought largely behind closed doors and is really not war in any term we could conflate with notions of traditional warfare. Can countries be our enemies in cyberspace but our allies in all other spaces? What do nations understand as an act of cyber war? This also remains unclear. The hacking of commercial data that
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leads to commercial losses on a large scale could certainly damage economic national interest and potentially be grounds for a national military response. Similarly a smaller scale sensitive theft from defence contractors could strike at the heart of a nation’s security. But is this not old fashioned espionage made digital? Cyber war remains a phrase banded about but with little application. Cyber war between states as well as between the many non-state actors active in the cyber domain raises more questions than answers. Are those fighting cyber war concerned about cyber crime? Is the commercial threat something which militaries in the Asia-Pacific are cognizant of? If so, at what point do these attacks become war? And this is all before we get to the other half of the issue, namely how do we fight back? With cyber? Can this avoid civilian casualties? With conventional force? Is that proportionate? These, and many other questions, have lead to increasing amounts of scepticism in the cyber community about what is said and meant to be cyber warfare. Evgeny Morozov, who studies the political and social implications of technology, and author of To Save Everything Click Here and The Net Delusion, has described how the debate on cyber war is “packed with cyber-jingoism from former and current national security officials.” But when people like the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Leon Panetta claim that “the next Pearl Harbour is likely to be a cyber attack going after our grid” people take notice. The noted commercial interests in cyber crime are also found in cyber warfare with a number of government contractors providing expertise to militaries which have lead to accusations of threat inflation. To Mr. Morozov “cyberwar is the new ‘dog ate my homework’ (excuse). It’s far easier to blame everything on mysterious Chinese hackers than to embark on uncomfortable institutional soul-searching.” For its part the White House under President Barack Obama has tried to bring clarity. “America’s economic prosperity, national security, and our individual liberties depend on our commitment to securing cyberspace and maintaining an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet. Our critical infrastructure continues to be at risk from threats in cyberspace, and our economy is harmed by the theft of our intellectual property. Although the threats are serious and they constantly evolve, I believe that if we address them effectively,
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YouTube
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ISIS has been adept at using the Internet both for the performance of cyberattacks, but also for propaganda purposes and as a powerful recruitment tool.
we can ensure that the Internet remains an engine for economic growth and a platform for the free exchange of ideas,” Mr. Obama stated in 2014. The PRC’s response has been equally measured. Xi Jinping, the PRC’s President during a September 2015 visit to the White House agreed stating that “commercial cyber theft against government networks are crimes that must be punished in relevance to international treaties.” Mr. Xi added that “(t)he international community should work to ensure a peaceful and open cyber security space.” Agreement between the US and the PRC on implementation and making any of the common ground into reality has yet to surface. Is it in a nation’s interest to remove the tool of cyber warfare from their arsenal? For now it seems not, and the risk of cyber turning kinetic, physical or IRL (however we wish to disguise it) has been made very clear. “When warranted, the United States will respond to hostile acts in cyberspace as we would to any other threat to our country,” noted the US International Strategy for Cyberspace in 2011. “We reserve the right to use all necessary means, diplomatic, informational, military, and economic, as appropriate and consistent with applicable international law, in order to defend our nation, our allies, our partners, and our interests. In so doing, we will exhaust all options before military force whenever we can; will carefully weigh the costs and risks of action against the costs of inaction; and will act in a way that reflects our values and strengthens our legitimacy, seeking broad international support whenever possible,” the strategy continued.
Cyber Insurgency Somewhere between the previous two subsets of ‘the cyber problem’ is another popular used and abused term, ‘cyber-terrorism’. As a general rule AMR,
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prefers to avoid the term ‘terrorist’ or ‘terrorism’ which we believe has the potential to be value-laden. However, for the sake of clarity, we will take the nonstate actor as the cyber insurgent, but under the proviso that states (and criminals for that matter) are perfectly capable of using insurgency as a tactic. Groups or individuals using many of the same cyber vulnerabilities exploited in crime and potentially in warfare are capable of committing the same attacks but for different reasons. Financial gain, economic superiority or technological advantage can be replaced by politics, ideology, religion and the myriad of motivations for insurgent actions. When the Stuxnet computer worm (widely believed to have been developed by US and Israeli computer experts) hit the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, central Iran in 2010, the obvious repercussions caused seismic waves throughout the international security community. Stuxnet was designed to infect and alter computer-controlled electro-mechanical processes. There is obvious motivation for such acts to be carried out by other states wishing to hinder Iranian nuclear proliferation, but the warning that such acts are possible raised the stakes of such an act for non-state actors with technical expertise and motivation. The other sphere when it comes to cyber insurgency is when ‘traditional’ IRL terrorist groups use the cyber domain to their advantage. Much has been made of the blatant use of web technologies by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgent group, be it through social media and the dark web for propaganda networking but also in the adoption of encrypted messaging. For now these have been framed in a way as to support the IRL activates, to generate revenue, support and foreign fighters for physical conflict in Syria and elsewhere. Across the Asia-Pacific, despite regional cooperation by the likes of ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations), there are considerable rivalries that for now prevent the regional collaboration on enforcement that you see in Europe or even the dialogue pursued by competing nations such as the US and PRC as noted above. The old, and somewhat true, adage that ‘Free Trade Stops Wars’ could be revised here as a principle to deter cyber war. This could be done if cyber cooperation is understood as the foundation on which trade and ultimately peace is based upon. AMR
Regional News and
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Asia-Pacific Procurement Update by Pierre Delrieu
Indo-Israeli Defence Ties Strengthen India’s Reliance Defence Systems signed a cooperation agreement with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems on 29 March for the development and supply of air defence systems, air-to-air missiles and surveillance aerostats. The agreement encompasses future deals valued at about $10 billion over the next decade and is one of the biggest joint ventures ever signed between an Indian company and a foreign equipment manufacturer. The announcement was
made by Rafael during the 2016 Indian Defexpo exhibition held in Goa from 28 to 31 March 2016. One of Israel’s other major stateowned defence firms, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), also reported “hundreds of millions of dollars” in deals with India during the past quarter, a fact strongly noted by IAI president and chief executive officer Yossi Weiss, who addressed the press during Defexpo. He stated that IAI executives had met with dozens of top Indian officials and partners during the show and noted that IAI had registered sales with India across the unmanned aerial vehicle, air defence, radar and naval warfare sectors. These announcements come as ties between Israeli defence manufacturers and India strengthen significantly.
Earlier in March, the Indian security cabinet had approved the potential acquisition of four additional Rafael/IAI ELTA Systems radar-equipped aerostats (possibly utilizing IAI ELTA Systems’ EL/M-2083 radar) to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) low-level air and sea surveillance. Also announced was a potential deal to acquire a new Airborne Early Warning (AEW) system from Israel, with the deal, which has yet to be signed, estimated to be worth $1.1 billion. Meanwhile, he Indian government is expected to clear a $1.5 billion joint venture between India’s state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and IAI/Rafael for the development of a medium-range surface-to-air missile for the Indian Army, according to local media reports. In February 2016, the national newspaper The Times of India also reported that the government
was in the final stretches of finalising a series of military deals with Israel, collectively worth around $3 billion. These deals, according to the paper, include the acquisition of 250 advanced Rafael Smart Precise Impact and Cost Effective (SPICE) guidance kits for air-to-surface munitions, some 164 Litening-4 laser designation pods to equip the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI, SEPECAT Jaguar, and Dassault Mirage2000H fighter fleets. In addition, up to 321 Rafael Spike Anti-Tank Guided Weapon (ATGW) launchers and 8356 Spike ATGW missiles will be acquired for the Indian Army. The final contracts for these different deals should be ready for signature later this year, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Israel. Meanwhile, bilateral military cooperation between the Israel Defence Forces and India’s military has continued to intensify.
Additional Vipers for Pakistan The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is planning to replace as many as 190 of its ageing Chengdu F-7 and Dassault Mirage-III/5 fighters by 2020 and has expressed interest in acquiring ten General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block-52 Fighting Falcon jets from the United States, in addition to the eight the US Department of State approved for sale this February. The newspaper Dawn, the country’s most widely read English language newspaper, published the report that the PAF would be retiring 190 aircraft and attributed the statement to an unnamed senior Pakistani air force official. Although the source could not
reveal as to when this subsequent order would take place. It would, if it comes to fruition, bring the PAF’s F-16C/D Block-52 fleet to 36 aircraft. The PAF has long been aiming to replace a substantial number of its old fighter aircraft, but this is the first report of a specific figure of how many aircraft it is looking to replace. It is still however unclear how many units will be acquired to replace the 190 legacy fighters, as the PAF’s procurement programme will not seek to replace each individual aircraft but, rather, constitute an equivalent fleet force with new, more advanced multi-role fighters capable of taking on a higher number of missions compared to older generation aircraft. Previous
reports have identified that the PAF’s interest in a modern fighter has focused either on the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 Thunder fighter or Lockheed Martin’s F-16 family. Pakistani officials have also noted that French and Russian aircraft could be alternatives to both the F-16 and JF-17, reports Dawn, though the newspaper’s source admitted that any French option, almost certain to be second-hand Dassault Mirage-2000 family fighters, would be overly expensive, and little appears to have come of talks for the procurement of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker reportedly held earlier this year. Moreover, any attempt to procure Mirage-2000 family
fighters from France would almost certainly trigger significant protests from Pakistan’s regional rival India, whose air force operates Mirage-2000 variant aircraft, and whose government is currently negotiating the acquisition of Dassault Rafale-F3B/C fighters. Nevertheless, the recent approval by the US Congress to sell the F-16C/Ds to Pakistan and the modernisation of Pakistan’s fighter fleet has raised apprehensions in the region. Neighbouring India has expressed concerns over the US decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan, with defence minister Manohar Parriker conveying the government’s worries to US defence secretary Ashton Carter during the latter’s April visit to India.
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Regional News and
Developments
southeast asia
Philippines Chooses the Wildcat AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica was awarded a $114 million contract by the Philippine’s Department of National Defence (DND) to supply the Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas (HDP/Philippine Navy) with two AgustaWestland AW-159 Wildcat naval support helicopters. Speaking to the Philippines News Agency (PNA), Fernando Manalo, the DND’s
undersecretary for finance, munitions, materiel and modernisation, confirmed the contract on 23 March. The deal, which makes the Philippines the third country on the Anglo-Italian manufacturer’s list of AW-159 customers after the Republic of Korea and the UK, is destined to boost the HDP’s AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities as the HDP currently lacks ASW capabilities in a region where the number of conventional and nuclear
submarines is set to grow over the coming decade. In a press release published a few days after the announcement of the deal, the manufacturer stated that the aircraft would be built and delivered from the company’s Yeovil plant, in south-west England, with final delivery in 2018. The order by the HDP also reportedly includes training and multi-year support. Mauro Moretti, Finmeccanica’s chief executive officer and general manager, said, “This contract confirms the confidence of the Philippines in Finmeccanica’s products as key to its national security and is a further recognition, in the international market, of the company’s leadership in the maritime and naval helicopter segment.” The release also states that “the two helicopters will be equipped with sophisticated state-of-the-art mission equipment and sensors, primarily dedicated to anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare roles,”
New UAVs Enhance Malaysia’s Coastal Security Thales has been awarded a contract to supply six Fulmar fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to enhance the agency’s surveillance capabilities. The company published a press release on 18 April confirming it will deliver six Fulmar aircraft to support the MMEA’s efforts conducting border surveillance, as well as anti-smuggling, fisheries policing and counterpiracy operations. Although neither the company nor the MMEA released a value for the contract, industry sources said the Fulmar UAVs could cost as much a $1.1 million per unit. The systems are due for
delivery to Malaysia by the end of 2016, and the MMEA will also receive local training and support from Thales employees starting this year to provide the knowledge transfer for the operation and maintenance of the UAVs. The aircraft will be deployed on the MMEA’s six New Generation Patrol Craft (NGPC), currently being built domestically by Destini Shipbuilding and Engineering (DSE). These patrol vessels are said to be derivatives of the ‘Diana’ class patrol boats used by the Royal Danish Navy which were designed by the German shipyard Fassmer. The MMEA specifically ordered these NGPC to embark a UAV capability under a $93.3 million contract signed with the Malaysian shipbuilder Destination Marine Services,
now part of DSE, in 2015. Quoted in the Thales’ press release announcing the deal with Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rodzali Bin Daud, chairman of the DSE, stated that “as the MMEA seeks to upgrade its surveillance capabilities, the Fulmar (UAV) provides a competitive solution which complements its state-of-the-art vessels.” This is the first export of the Fulmar, described by the manufacturer as a mini-UAV.
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and be “capable of performing other roles including search and rescue, maritime security and maritime surveillance.” The HDP’s AW-159 helicopters, once inducted, will likely be assigned to the ‘Hamilton/ Gregorio del Pilar’ class frigates BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, both acquired as cutters from the US Coast Guard, in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The acquisition of the ASW helicopters is the latest instalment of the Philippines’s ongoing military modernisation programme, partially driven by the territorial and maritime dispute between the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea over the sovereignty of the Spratly Islands. In addition to the two AW-159s, the Philippines’ recent acquisitions in the air power domain include twelve Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 fighters, two of which have been delivered with the remaining ten to be delivered during 2016 and 2017.
“It has a range of eight hours due to the low consumption of the aircraft in flight as a result of its aerodynamic design, and it can fly 431 nautical miles (800 kilometres) without refuelling,” states Thales’ website. In addition to its small size, its catapult-based launcher system and net landing capability allow the Fulmar to be operated and recovered at any time, regardless of weather conditions and terrain characteristics.
idexuae.ae
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New Pumas for Japan Airbus Helicopters announced on 14 March that it had been awarded a contract to supply the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) with an additional H-225M Super Puma medium-lift utility helicopter. According to an Airbus Helicopter’s press release announcing the deal, the JCG’s new H-225M, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2018,
is equipped with state-ofthe-art avionics and will be outfitted with an advanced search and rescue mission management systems. The manufacturer also states that the JCG’s H-225M will serve in “security enforcement, territorial sea guard duties as well as disaster relief missions,” although it “offers outstanding endurance and (a) fast cruise speed, and can
be fitted with various equipment to suit any role and purpose.” Stéphane Ginoux, president of Airbus Helicopters in Japan reacted to the deal, saying that Airbus felt “honoured to have signed this contract with Japan’s coast guard for their sixth H-225M and are grateful for our customer’s renewed trust in the aircraft.” Out of a total fleet
of 48 helicopters, the JCG already operates five H-225Ms and three earlier variants of the aircraft, the AS-332 Super Puma medium-lift utility helicopter. In April 2015, the JCG had announced it would be seeking to acquire a still unknown number of Dassault Falcon 2000 maritime surveillance aircraft. This recent series of acquisitions is part of an overall renewal plan led by the JCG as tensions with the People’s Republic of China increase over the sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyou Islands (part or all of which are claimed by the Republic of Korea and Taiwan) in the East China Sea. The JCG has taken a more active role since 2012 in both Japan’s territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In December 2015, the cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a record $41.4 billion defence budget for fiscal year 2016-2017, marking the fourth consecutive rise in defence spending since December 2012 when Mr. Abe assumed office.
Seventh Submarine for the RoK The Republic of Korea (RoK) shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced it had launched the Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN) seventh ‘Son Won-II/ Type 214’ class conventional hunter-killer submarine (SSK) the Hong Beom-do on 5 April. The introduction ceremony for the vessel was attended by the RoKN’s chief of naval operations Admiral Jung Ho-sub. The 1800 tonne submarine was named after an RoK national hero, and its final delivery to the RoKN will reportedly be complete in July 2017, after an extensive operational trial period. The ’Son
Won-II/Type 214’ class is a variant of the German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems’ (TKMS) ‘Type 214’ class SSK, and the Hong Beom-do is the fifth such submarine manufactured under licence by HHI. The first three examples were delivered between 2007 and 2009, and the fourthin-class was launched in July 2014. The newly launched Hong Beom-do is capable of up to two weeks submersion and diving up to 400 metres (1312 feet) deep. Powered by two MTU Friedrichshafen diesel engines, the RoKN’s new submarine is capable of reaching a 20 knots (37 kilometres-per-hour) top
speed with its electric motor when submerged and a top surface speed of twelve knots (22km/h). According to HHI, the boat is fitted with eight 533mm tubes capable of firing the Korea Agency for Defence Development K-731 Baek Sang Eo heavyweight torpedo. HHI is reportedly working on another ‘Son Won-II/Type 214’ class SSK and RoKN officials have stated that Daewoo will conduct the manufacture of additional boats in the class. The RoK is currently in the middle of a threephased naval construction programme to build and modernise its SSK force. The first phase of the RoKN’s
so-called Korean Attack Submarine programme will see the upgrade all nine of its ‘Chang Bogo/Type-209’ class SSKs, a variant of the TKMS ‘Type 209’ class, equipping them with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) and flank sonar arrays during the next five years. The launch of Hong Beom-do and the launch of a total of nine ’Son Won II/Type 214’ class vessels are part of the second phase, while the third and final phase will be the manufacture of nine indigenouslyproduced 3000 ton SSKs, referred to as the ‘KSS-III’ class, which will reportedly also be equipped with AIP and multiple vertical launch systems.
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Navantia Wins Replenishment Contract Australia’s defence minister Marise Payne confirmed on 11 March that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had officially selected Spanish shipbuilder Navantia to manufacture two Auxiliary Oiler and Replenishment (AOR) vessels, expected to be introduced into service by early 2020. Daewoo was the only other company chosen to compete in the tender. Navantia’s offer and conditions were favoured and the Spanish shipbuilder was awarded the $907 million deal to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) two ageing supply ships which need to
be retired within a decade: the logistics support ship, HMAS Sirius, and the AOR vessel HMAS Success. The two new replenishment ships will reportedly be based on the Spanish Navy’s 19800-ton ‘Cantabria’ class AOR vessel, which provides logistical support to the Spanish Navy during daily operations, deployments, and for humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations. The SPS Cantabria was also briefly deployed in Australia in support of the RAN during 2013, operating in Australian waters, providing replenishment support while HMAS Success underwent maintenance. Citing confidential-
ity, Navantia declined to provide details regarding the AOR contract with the RAN but, according to industry sources, these conditions are still being negotiated. However, Ms. Payne was forced to announce the deal following local anger that the ships would not be built locally. Speaking to a South Australian radio station, Ms. Payne stated that the deal will be detailed as “part of the next step in the process, which is a negotiation period with the builders … But we do have an undertaking as part of the tender process for at least $76 million worth of Australian engagement in this particular project,” she added. Responding to those
accusations, Ms. Payne explained that the development of such ships could not be conducted at the ASC (Australia’s state-owned naval shipbuilder) facility in Adelaide, South Australia, as they would necessitate the building of new accomodation and an entire new wharf, which could not realistically “happen before the third (‘Hobart’ class) destroyer is completed and has undergone its testing,” she said, adding that the necessary “infrastructure upgrades couldn’t have started before 2020.” For more details regarding Australian defence procurement, please see Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue.
HHI Selected for Kiwi Tanker Programme The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) as its preferred bidder for the country’s ongoing Maritime Sustainment Capability (MSC) project, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) shipyard
is poised to win the race to build a new fleet tanker for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Subject to government approvals, the contract with HHI is expected to be signed by mid-2016. The final decision to award HHI the contract was made following the evaluation of best and final
offers put forward by the RoK’s two main shipyards, HHI and Daewoo in late 2015. Daewoo and HHI had been shortlisted to compete head-to-head in a ‘best and final offer’ phase for New Zealand’s MSC programme in September 2015, after the elimination of rival bids from European shipbuilders Flens-
burger and Navantia. Initially approved by New Zealand’s government in June 2014, the MSC project aims to replace the RNZN’s replenishment tanker HMNZS Endeavour, which will be decommissioned in 2018 due to obsolescence, in order to sustain the RNZN’s replenishment capability.
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Regional News and
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A WORLD OF MARITIME SECURITY.
The P-8 is the world’s most capable maritime patrol aircraft. It brings together a networked state-of-the-art mission system with next-generation sensors and a reliable airframe with high-efďŹ ciency turbofan engines. The result is an affordable multi-mission aircraft with superior speed and unmatched capability. The P-8 is now ready to secure sea and shore around the globe.
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