Asian Military Review - June july 2015

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Contentsjune/july 2015

VOluMe 23 / ISSue 4

Japan is performing an important re-examination of its military doctrine and defence industrial

posture, Jonathan Davis finds out.

Front Cover Photo:Combat Search and Rescue doctrine and equipment are both examined by Andrew Drwiega in this issues’

‘International Rescue’ article © US DoD

60 A Focused AFFAir

Thomas Withington reports on the Asia-Pacific region’s significant investment into airborne electronic warfare systems for military aircraft.

26

Middle ManagersBattle Management Systems are the glue cementing military operations from the highest echelons of command to the frontline. Andrew White discusses their appeal in the Asia-Pacific.

54

Claire Apthorp examines a number of important developments in the Unmanned Surface Vehicle domain in the Asia-Pacific.

ocean colour scene

40

Thomas Withington’s regular column provides all the latest news and analyses regarding events in the defence radio frequency domain.

06

Peter Donaldson profiles some of the important developments which are greatly improving the accuracy of artillery.

12

Bangarang!

Ground Surveillance Radars help protect deployed troops and military installations and are also used increasingly for border and critical infrastructure protection, Thomas Withington explains.

32

under surveillance

Are You deceiving Me?

Significant levels of spending in the upgrade of existing submarines, and the procurement of new boats is ongoing in the Asia-Pacific, as Dr. Alix Valenti reports.

20

We dive at dawn!international rescueCombat Search and Rescue (CSAR) requires expertise and specialist materiel. Andrew drwiega profiles CSAR efforts in the United States, and their impact in the Asia-Pacific.

46

04 | AsiAn MilitAry review |

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Audit Bureau Of Circulations

Interesting news greeted AMR’s editorial offices in early May, chiefly that the Marine Nationale (French Navy) DCNS/STX Europe ‘Mistral’ class amphibious support ship Dixmude had arrived for

a visit at the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Wusong naval base in Shanghai. The visit of a foreign vessel to a foreign naval port would not normally be considered a news-worthy event by either AMR or by several of its fellow defence publications. Yet the Dixmude does not simply represent ‘yet another foreign vessel’. Over the past year, as a result of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine’s civil war and its annexation of Crimea, a predominantly Russian enclave on the coast of the Black Sea, these ‘Mistral’ class vessels have proved controversial.

Their controversy lies in the fact that France, where the ships are built, had concluded a deal with Russia on 24 December 2010 to supply two of the vessels to the latter country’s navy. The deal marked an important step for Russo-European defence industrial relations as it was the first time since the end of the Second World War that major surface vessels had been supplied to the Russian Navy. Yet when events intervened in the form of the Ukrainian Civil War, France was placed on the back foot. The government of President François Hollande, which had inherited the deal to build the two ships from his predecessor President Nicolas Sarkozy, came under heavy international pressure not to deliver them to Russia so long as that country remained involved in the Ukraine conflict. As of November 2014, France has postponed the delivery of the Vladivostok, the first of the Russian Navy’s ‘Mistral’ class ships, indefinitely. Although her sister, the Sevastopol, has commenced sea trials she is unlikely to be delivered.

This has prompted speculation as to whether France would sell the vessels on the international market. The Indian Navy had been mooted as one possible customer, although beyond speculation, no further action seems to have been taken by either New Delhi or Paris in this regard. France seems unlikely to purchase the vessels itself given the considerable pressure on the government to reduce public spending. The speculation that the ‘Mistral’ class design is being showcased to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is therefore understandable.

However, the PRC remains under European Union sanctions as regards imports of defence equipment as a result of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989 during which many hundreds of students demonstrating for political reform were killed by the PRC authorities in Beijing. As much as the French defence industry is keen to secure new orders, it remains highly doubtful that Mr. Hollande’s government would be willing to challenge these strictures with a ‘Mistral’ class sale to the PRC. Moreover, such a move would almost certainly inflame tempers around the Asia-Pacific and further afield, at a time when the PLAN is adopting an increasingly more muscular presence in the South and East China Seas. For the time being at least, the Vladivostok and Sevastopol remains in the French port of Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic Coast, their fate uncertain.

Thomas Withington, Editor

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RadarThe IAF plans to enhance its fleet of AEW aircraft, according to Indian media reports in late March. The reports articulated that the country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) had approved IAF plans to procure two AEW radars to be mounted onboard the same number of Airbus A330 turbofan transports. The programme, including the acquisition of the two radars and the two aircraft, is expected to cost $840 million, according to figures announced by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The IAF’s current AEW fleet includes the Beriev A-50EI Phalcon which is equipped with Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems Division EL/W-2090 radar. The L-band (1.215-1.4

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is on course to receive new Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, with the country’s army and air force also procuring self-defence enhancements for its rotorcraft. Meanwhile, new tactical radios are equipping the United States Special Operations Command.

gigahertz/GHz) ELW-2090 is a third-generation AEW radar. A synthetic aperture radar mode allows it to detect moving ground targets and, along with airborne threats, it can detect maritime targets.

To date, the EL/W-2090 has been installed in a large mushroom-shaped radome onboard an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic turbofan freighter. It performs 360 degree target detection, and comes equipped with an integral electronic support measure, self-protection system, an identification friend or

The United States Navy’s ‘Gerald R. Ford’ aircraft carriers will be outfitted with Raytheon’s new Enterprise Surveillance Radar as

opposed to the company’s Dual Band Radar originally earmarked for these ships © US Navy

by Thomas Withington

07| JUNE/JULY 2015 |

foe interrogator and accompanying communications. In addition, the IAF is introducing a domestically-designed and produced radar housed onboard an Embraer ERJ-145 turbofan transport. The radar equipping these jets has been developed by the DRDO. It is an S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with a range of 162 nautical miles (300 kilometres), the author was told during the October 2013 Aerospace and Defence Exhibition held in Seoul.

Up to three ERJ-145 platforms are being inducted into IAF service with the IAF continuing to operate between three and six A-50EI aircraft (exact numbers differ in publicly-available sources). The new radar to equip the two A330s to be acquired by the IAF is expected to be housed in a mushroom radome atop the cabin, as opposed to the box-like construction of the radar equipping the ERJ-145. The DRDO officials speaking to the author said that they expect this new aircraft

and radar to enter service in the 2020 timeframe. The IAF has publicly announced its intention in the past to acquire up to six long-range AEW aircraft, presumably as an eventual replacement for the A-50EI platforms.

Future members of the United States Navy’s new ‘Gerald R. Ford’ class of aircraft carriers will be fitted with a new radar known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR), rather than the Raytheon Dual-Band Radar (DBR) originally

planned, according to a statement released by the US Navy on 19 March. The service has taken the decision to follow this course of action following a realisation that the ships do not require all of the capabilities offered by the DBR, according to Rear Admiral Thomas J. Moore, programme executive officer for aircraft carriers. The decision not to roll out the DBR across the remaining two ships in the ‘Gerald R. Ford’ class, the USS John F. Kennedy and the USS Enterprise, could save up to $120 million in procurement costs for the USS John F. Kennedy,

the second ship in the class. Raytheon was awarded a study and demonstration contract

for the EASR in June 2014 by the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research. The DBR had originally included the AN/SPY-

The IAF has announced its

intention to purchase long-range AEW

aircraft

A contract worth $113 million has been awarded to Northrop Grumman for the supply of two additional AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR ground-based air surveillance radars to equip the United States Marine Corps © Northrop Grumman


3 X-band (8.5-10.68GHz) and AN/SPY-4 S-band respective multifunction and volume search radars. Alongside the eponymous first ship in the ‘Gerald R. Ford’ class, the DBR equips the US Navy’s ‘Zumwalt’ class of destroyer. However, in 2010, the force took the decision to only employ the AN/SPY-3 radar onboard these ships. As such, the USS Gerald R. Ford is the only vessel to employ the complete DBR ensemble. The EASR will be installed onboard the USS John F. Kennedy in the 2023 timeframe, and will also be rolled out onboard the third example of the ‘America’ class amphibious support ships, the construction of which has not yet commenced.

The overall goal of the EASR programme is to replace the

Exelis S-band AN/SPS-48E/G three-dimensional air search radar used by the US Navy’s ‘Nimitz’ class aircraft carriers, plus its ‘Wasp’, ‘Tarawa’ and ‘San-Antonio’ class amphibious assault ships. The EASR will also replace the Raytheon AN/SPS-49 L-band two-dimensional air-search radars used by the services’ ‘Oliver Hazard Perry’ class frigates. Raytheon’s EASR concept uses elements of the company’s AN/SPY-6 S-band/X-band Air and Missile Defence Radar which has been developed as a replacement for the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D S-band naval surveillance radars equipping the forthcoming Flight-III ships of the ‘Arleigh Burke’ class destroyers. Raytheon’s EASR concept, the company states, focuses on a scalable and modular radar which can be configured to equip vessels of varying sizes.

In other naval radar developments, the Australian Department of Defence announced in late-March that it had received ‘First Pass Approval’ for its Project Sea 1448 Phase

Saab announced in late-April that it has developed a new radar to equip the firms’ JAS-39C/D Gripen multi-role combat aircraft. The X-band PS-05Mk.IV is now available, with deliveries possible around two years after contract signature with a customer © Thomas Withington

09| JUNE/JULY 2015 |

4B. The project aims to roll out new naval surveillance radars to be installed onboard the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN)

‘ANZAC’ class frigates. Presently, these ships use the CEA Technologies’ CEAFAR S-band naval surveillance radars. The last of these radars will be installed onboard the RAN’s ships as part of the overall ‘ANZAC’ class upgrade by the end of 2016. The CEAFAR is a three-dimensional radar providing altitude, azimuth and velocity information, although there appears to be no published information regarding the radar’s performance. Project Sea 1448 Phase 2B was launched to outfit the eight ‘ANZAC’ class ships with the CEAFAR radar. Phase 4B of the initiative is intended to examine the incorporation of new Iden- tification Friend or Foe technologies into theradar. First Pass approval enables CEA Technologies to continue its work on Project Sea 1448 Phase 4B, with a Second Pass Approval expected to occur in 2017 at the latest, according to local media reports.

Staying in the United States, Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract worth $113 million in mid-March to produce two additional AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR (Ground/

Air Task Oriented Radars) for the United States Marine Corps, according to a press release published by the company. The two systems are part of an option included in the original Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for the AN/TPS-80 radar, with these two radars expected to be delivered in October 2017.

In late-October 2014 the firm was awarded the LRIP contract worth $208 million which covers the delivery of

four radars to the USMC. These four radars will be delivered to the force between 2016 and 2017. The S-band AN/TPS-80 uses an AESA antenna and can perform a wide range of tasks from air surveillance to air traffic control. The radar can be mounted on a trailer or on the back of an AM General HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), and will be progres-

sively upgraded through four incremental improvements once it enters service. These improvements will add functionality such as the ability to perform short-range air defence and baseline IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) functions (Increment 1), counter-battery and artillery location via a software upgrade (Increment 2), Mode-5/Mode-S IFF interrogator enhancements, improved countermeasures resistance, plus

Northrop Grumman has been awarded

a contract worth $113 million for two

AN/TPS-80 radars

The self defences of the Indian Army and air force’s Dhruv Mk.I/II/III light utility helicopters are set to be enhanced with Saab’s Integrated Defensive Aid Suite, as announced in late March © Thomas Withington


health and usage monitoring (Increment 3), and air traffic control functions (Increment 4).

The USMC is expected to receive 17 Increment 1 AN/TPS-80s, 38 Increment 2/3 systems and 14 Increment 4 radars. These radars will replace four different systems which the USMC currently has in service. These include the AN/TPS-63 L-band low-level tactical air defence radar, the AN/TPS-73 S-band and L-band primary and secondary air traffic control radar, AN/MPQ-62 continuous wave target acquisition radar for the Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk ground-based air defence system, the AN/TPQ-46 counter-battery radar and the AN/UPS-3 short-range air defence radar.

Saab launched the company’s new X-band PS-05Mk.IV combat aircraft radar designed for the firm’s JAS-39 Gripen-C/D Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) on 27 April at the company’s JAS-39 family production line at Linköping, eastern Sweden. The new radar is an evolution of the existing X-band PS-05Mk.III which debuted in 2005 and is used by the JAS-39 Gripen-A/B/C/D MRCA (all JAS-39A/Bs are now upgraded to JAS-39C/D status).

According to Jan Qvillberg, director and head of the fighter radar and data links product areas in Saab’s Airborne Surveillance Systems division, the radar offers a significantly-enhanced acquisition range for air-to-air and air-to-ground surveillance, and the enhanced detection of targets with a low radar cross section. Although Mr. Qvillberg demurred from providing exact details of the radar’s range, he did reveal that the ranges offered will provide an improvement of up to 150 percent compared to that originally offered by the PS-05Mk.III version. The full capabilities of the PS-05Mk.IV’s improvements regarding range are expected to be available from 2017. The range increases will be phased in incrementally: “In 2015 range will be improved by 80 percent, compared to the legacy radar,” says Mr. Qvillberg, “with the 150 percent range increase being achieved by 2017,” although the radar itself is now available for customers, with deliveries possible two years after any future contract signature.

In terms of the PS-05Mk.IV, the radar has a “new hardware configuration, with a new back end providing the improved performance and extended operational range,” says Mr. Qvillberg. This new hardware enables JAS-39C/D MRCAs to deploy the Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and MBDA’s Meteor air-to-air missile. The design of the PS-05Mk.IV includes “two new Line Replacement Units (LRUs) in the back end,” says Mr. Qvillberg. This includes a new exciter/receiver with a digital waveform generator, plus a new radar processor which greatly enhances the PS-05Mk.IV processing capability vis-à-vis the legacy radar. While the LRUs in the back end have changed, the radar’s antenna remains the same as that used by the PS-05Mk.III. Saab has internally funded the development of the PS-05Mk.IV and is currently in discussions with the Flygvapnet (Royal Swedish Air Force) regarding the provision of this radar, Mr. Qvillberg notes. The company expects a decision regarding whether the force will acquire the PS-05Mk.

IV by early 2016 at the latest. In addition, the radar will be offered to export customers.

Saab says that the transition between the PS-05Mk.III and PS-05Mk.IV is easy with very little modification work required for the JAS-39C/D when receiving the new system. Although Saab is outfitting its new JAS-39E/F MRCA with an AESA

radar in the form of Selex’s ES-05 Raven, it has retained a mechanically-scanned array onboard the PS-05Mk.III. This is because “using a mechanically-scanned array is a cost-effective way of offering improved capabilities for the aircraft,” says Mr. Qvillberg. Moreover, adding an AESA radar to the JAS-39C/D would “require some very extensive changes for the aircraft in terms of cooling, which could be very expensive for the customer.” Saab adds that flight-testing of the PS-05Mk.IV on-board a JAS-39C/D commenced in December 2014 with several prototypes constructed for bench and flight testing.

Harris has been awarded a contract worth $27 million by the United States Army Special Operations Command to supply its AN/PRC-152A handheld tactical radios (pictured), alongside its AN/PRC-117G manpack transceivers © Harris

The full capabilities of the PS-05Mk.

IV’s range improvements could be available

from 2017

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Electronic WarfareHindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) Dhruv Mk.I/II/III light utility helicopters operated by the IAF and the Indian Army are to receive new Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) self-protection systems from Saab. The company announced the news via an official press release on 31 March. The IDAS is a comprehensive system designed for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft to provide information on the electronic order of battle in an aircraft’s immediate locale.

According to Saab’s official literature, the IDAS can be configured to provide laser and missile approach warning, and full radar warning capabilities. The design of the IDAS is small and of a comparatively low weight enabling it to equip a wide array of aircraft. In terms of coverage against radar threats, the IDAS monitors the 0.7-40GHz range of the electro-magnetic spectrum for radar pulse emissions, while detecting emissions from continuous wave radars in the 0.7-18GHz range. Customers have the option to add a digital receiver to enhance emitter identification. The IDAS covers a 360 degree radius around the aircraft using four antennae, while the addition of two sensors adds full spherical coverage. In terms of IDAS’ laser warning functions it is capable of discriminating between laser range finders and laser designators, along with missile guidance lasers. The inclusion of a threat library also enables it to identify specific laser types. As for radio frequency and missile approach coverage, the IDAS can provide 360 degree coverage around the aircraft. Deliveries of the IDAS for installation onboard the IAF’s and Indian Army’s Dhruv Mk.I/II/III helicopters are expected to commence in 2015, according to the press release, and to conclude in 2018.

Tactical RadioHarris announced via a press release on 14 April that it had received a contract worth $27 million to supply AN/PRC-117G manpack and AN/PRC-152A handheld radios to the United States Special Operations Command. No details were released by the company regarding when deliveries of these radios will commence, or when they will conclude. The AN/PRC-117G covers the 30 megahertz to two gigahertz Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) section of the electro-magnetic spectrum. As previously reported in Pulse, these radios are receiving the MUOS waveform to provide them with UHF narrowband satellite communications at data rates of up to 384 kilobits-per-second.

In terms of radio waveforms, the AN/PRC-117G carries the US and allied SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) waveform for voice and data ground-to-air and air-to-air communications, along with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s HAVEQUICK-I/II UHF frequency-hopping waveform for air-to-air and ground-to-air communications. The company has also rolled out its proprietary Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform (ANW2) which allows high bandwidth data communications, which can be upgraded to ensure compatibility with the United States armed forces’ Joint Tactical Radio System’s (JTRS) Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW). JTRS is procuring a range of tactical, airborne and ship-borne radios to equip the US Army, US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps. The SRW enables voice and data communications between dismounted troops.

Harris’ AN/PRC-152A multiband handheld radio, like the AN/PRC-117G, carries the SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK-I/II waveforms. Furthermore, it is equipped with the US APCO-25 digital emergency services communication waveform allowing AN/PRC-152A users to link with the radio communications used by civilian first responders; a particularly useful capability given the regularity with which the military is called upon to assist local civilian authorities in the wake of natural disasters. Satellite Communications (SATCOM) are also possible using the AN/PRC-152A as it handles waveforms adhering to the United States’ Department of Defence Military Standard 188-181A (Mil-Std-188-181) and the HPW (High Performance Waveform) SATCOM protocols. AMR

precisiona r t i l l e r y


by Peter Donaldson

Heavy weapons with a large Circular Error Probable (CEP) destructive area are increasingly irrelevant, due to an emphasis by the world’s militaries on precision effects. There is a consensus that artillery will follow the pattern set by air power where guided munitions are dominant increasingly eclipsing ‘dumb’ rounds.

T his emphasis on precision is driving a growing market for guided artillery rounds, of which three basic classes are offered today: unitary precision-

guided rounds capable of engaging point and moving targets, cargo rounds and course correction fuses for otherwise standard ‘dumb’ rounds: all of which have their costs and benefits. Laser-guided shells will hit point targets, but need laser designation and the shells can be prevented from acquiring the laser illumination by low cloud which

has particles of moisture able to disrupt the laser light. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-guided rounds will strike within a metre (three feet) or so of the programmed position, so target location accuracy is critical. Finally, course correction fuses will significantly reduce the CEP of dumb projectiles: CEP is a statistical measure of accuracy and denotes the radius of a circle inside which half of the projectiles fired will fall.

Guided rounds are available from, or are under development by, BAE Systems, Diehl, Israel Aerospace Industries, KBP

Bangarang!

With a vertical angle of approach, the Raytheon Excalibur GPS/INS guided rounds consistently strike within two metres (six feet) of a precisely located target and has been used against targets within 75m (246ft) of supported troops © Raytheon



Instrument Design Bureau, Nexter, Orbital ATK, OTO Melara and Raytheon, whose GPS-guided 155mm base-bleed-equipped Excalibur projectile is in production and combat proven. The base bleed principle uses a small solid fuel gas generator to fill in the low pressure area created by the shell’s blunt base, reducing drag. The development of the weapon is a joint effort involving BAE Systems and Bofors. There is also a technological overlap between land-based systems, the main focus of this article, and naval ordnance.

Excalibur sharpenedPaul R. Daniels, Raytheon’s business development lead for Excalibur and a retired US Army artillery officer, provided some perspective and brought AMR up to speed on the programme. He argued that guided artillery provides an all-weather close support capability owned by the ground force commander:

“So it is very flexible, very responsive and it delivers precision; in many cases it can replace close air support and it is a much cheaper alternative.” Mr. Daniels described the Asia-Pacific region as an expeditionary type of theatre in which forces must be able to move quickly and need to minimise their logistics tail: “The less you have to lift the more nimble you are.” Naval interest centres on providing precision with long range.

“With the defensive systems that are proliferating, naval forces want more

stand-off; that means they need at least double the range they can fire now with conventional munitions, and they need precision,” Mr. Daniels remarks.

With almost 770 Excalibur rounds fired in combat from 2007 in Iraq and 2008 in Afghanistan, the 155mm purpose-designed guided projectile has demonstrated exceptional accuracy, says the company, consistently striking less than two metres (six feet) from a precisely-located target and has been employed within 75m (246ft) of supported troops. While individual rounds cost the US military around $70000, first round effectiveness reduces total mission cost and the logistic burden, Raytheon emphasises. As manufacturing experience has built up, the unit cost came down by around 60 percent in the seven years to April 2014, while its range and other capabilities have increased.

“Initially the projectile (when fired from US artillery systems) was good out to 24 kilometres (15 miles), now it’s up over 40km (25 miles),” Mr. Daniels continued. He added that the projectile is now more than 94 percent reliable in terms of functioning as designed.

Excalibur is growing in capability, with a dual mode GPS/semi-active laser seeker demonstrated. The Excalibur-S variant compensates for target location

There is a precision technology overlap

between land systems and

naval ordnance

A June 2013 flight test of BAE systems' Multi-Service Standard Guided Projectile,

a sub-calibre shell that can be fired by both 127mm and 155mm artillery. An

accompanying imaging IR/laser seeker is in development © BAE Systems

This view of the Raytheon Excalibur projectile in flight reveals the deployed stabilising fins and the exhaust plume of the base-bleed unit that fills the low pressure area behind the shell, reducing drag © Raytheon



error, maintains accuracy despite jamming of the GPS signal and can engage targets that have relocated or that are moving. The first firing of the Excalibur-S was announced in June 2014. At the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, the projectile was programmed with a GPS location and fired from a 155mm howitzer, then redirected to an ‘offset’ target painted by a designator. “After conducting the test successfully, we’ve been able to talk to a lot of potential customers, domestically and internationally,” Mr. Daniels said.

“There is interest abroad and here for a variety of reasons and I think we are going to start to see something come of that relatively soon … We have several countries that keep asking.”

The other major development effort is the 127mm Excalibur-N round for naval guns. This round can use an application that makes various guidance options including Semi-Active Laser (SAL), millimetric wave (MMW) radar, imaging, infrared (IR) and even dual dual-mode (utilising both GPS and IR, for example) seekers interesting. To this end, Raytheon is currently working on developing a MMW radar seeker.

“We are really excited about the naval variant,” Mr. Daniels told AMR. “There are a lot of cruisers, destroyers, frigates out there with 127mm guns, and some countries procured the BAE Systems Mk.45 Mod.4 gun specifically to fire extended-range precision projectiles, and now we are able to offer something

Raytheon is funding the Excalibur-S with its own money and, although the US Army has not committed to the new projectile formally, its interest is clear. Commenting on the June 2014 test, US Army Excalibur product manager Lieutenant Colonel Josh Walsh said,

“The performance of the Excalibur-S is very impressive and I am extremely encouraged by Raytheon’s commitment to the next generation of Excalibur.” Driving international interest is the challenge involved in pinpointing targets accurately enough to make the most of Excalibur. “A lot of militaries don’t necessarily have the target acquisition capability that you need to employ a precision munition,” he said, “but with the Excalibur-S you can mitigate that.”

Working with Diehl in Germany, OTO Melara is developing Vulcano guided rounds as sub-calibre projectiles, a configuration with naturally low drag. The 127mm naval version is pictured here © OTO Melara



that’s low risk. We will leverage 70 percent of the components in the US Army’s 155mm Excalibur projectile and, most importantly, 100 percent of the guidance and navigation unit.”

Vulcano eruptingOTO Melara’s Vulcano round comprises sub-calibre fin-stabilised unguided and guided projectiles for 155mm howitzers, along with 127mm and 76mm naval guns. Using sub-calibre rounds boosts range by reducing drag and increasing velocity without base bleed or rocket propulsion. OTO Melara told AMR that development of the Guided Long Range (GLR) rounds is complete, industrialisation is under way and Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) begins in 2015 at a rate of 100 rounds per year. Joint qualification for the German and Italian governments, also due to begin this year, should be complete by the end of 2016, with initial deliveries to the two countries’ armed forces in the same year. They will enter service in 2017, coinciding with the start of full-rate production.

Offering a range of 43 nautical

miles (80km), the GLR round features a GPS receiver, an internal Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and, optionally, a laser seeker. It is compatible with 52 calibre and shorter-barrelled 39-calibre 155mm guns. The 127mm naval variant of the GLR round comes in two flavours; one optimised for Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), the other for the Naval Gunfire Support (NGS) role. The ASuW round supplements GPS and IMU inertial sensors with an IR seeker for anti-ship engagements, while the NFS round has the option of a SAL seeker.

IR guidance is restricted to the ASuW role, OTO Melara explaining that the gun-hardened seeker technology is not suited to complex NGS scenarios. “The detection algorithm has insufficient computation power to analyse a high-resolution image,” a spokesperson told AMR. “Furthermore, the infrared seeker is not cooled and its sensitivity does not enable it to discriminate targets with a low contrast against a complex background.” Since the beginning of development, more than 100 rounds each of Vulcano 125mm and 155mm

guided ammunition have been fired, with another 120 due to be produced and fired during 2015. During the latest firing trial at the Alkantpan test range in South Africa in December 2014, Vulcano demonstrated a range of 70km (43 miles), achieving a metric CEP. The effective range goal is 100km (62 miles) with a metric CEP using a SAL/IR seeker.

“We are planning two firing campaigns a year in Italy with limited guidance capability and another two campaigns a year at Alkantpan proving ground with full capability,” the spokesperson said. “Navigation and guidance are completed. The next step is the effectiveness evaluation against real targets, using rounds with complete warheads.” OTO Melara reports that some customers in the Asia-Pacific region have expressed serious interest in guided 155mm rounds, particularly if the range can be guaranteed to exceed 60km (32 miles). The company declined to identify individual customers, but did confirm an interest from at least four countries, some for naval and some for land applications.

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One Size Fits AllBAE Systems’ Multi Service–Standard Guided Projectile (MS-SGP) takes commonality between 155mm howitzers and 127mm naval guns further as the same projectile can be fired from both. Using technology developed for the 155mm Long-Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) that will arm the three US Navy ‘Zumwalt’ class destroyers, the MS-SGP is sized to fit 127mm naval guns unmodified and accepts a sabot to adapt it to the larger calibre howitzers, offering a maximum range of 54nm (100km).

While GPS and INS are at the heart of the guidance system, BAE Systems told AMR that an optronics seeker is at an advanced stage of development. “Tests have been successful in guided flight mode (to a GPS coordinate) and the company has completed integration of an imaging seeker that is capable of detecting a laser designator or autonomously locking on to a moving target on land or at sea.” The projectile also features a data link for target updates and re-targeting after firing, another technology common in missiles that had to be packaged and hardened for gun-launch.

Measuring 1.5m metres (five feet) in length and weighing 50 kilograms (110lb), the MS-SGP achieves its 100km (62 mile) range from the M777 lightweight towed howitzer and the same company’s M109A3 self-propelled howitzers using Charge Four under the Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS) scheme and with the Mk.67 propelling charge from the Mk 45 naval gun, taking three minutes 15 seconds to reach a range of 70km. Manufactured by General Dynamics’ ordnance and tactical systems division, the MACS uses two standardised charges, the M231 and M232A1. Used singularly or in combination, MACS charges cover the required range zones for all the US military’s fielded 155mm artillery systems. According to the company, MACS leaves no residue in the cannon breech and eliminates the need to cut and/or retie bag charges. The system further eliminates safety problems associated with destroying unused propellant, says General Dynamics.

The MS-SGP has completed more than 150 gun tests to demonstrate a US Department of Defence Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of Seven, meaning that prototypes have been demonstrated

An Israeli artillery soldier inputs target data into an Israel Aerospace Industries’ Top Gun GPS-guided course correction fuse. The shiny metallic structures immediately under the setter are sabots that protect the steering fins © IAI

in an operational environment, including the imaging seeker. “The US Army, navy and Marine Corps are all considering initiating demonstrations of our SGP fired from the Mk.45 naval gun and 155mm howitzer to engage moving targets,” the spokesperson continued.

PGK maturesMoving on to course correction fuses, Orbital ATK announced on 13 March that it has been tasked by the US Army to provide the firm’s Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) for the force’s 155mm projectiles. Manufacturing of these kits will enable the production line, which began building Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) examples in January, to keep working without a break. Deliveries to the US Army are scheduled to begin in early 2016. The system passed the US Army’s First Article Acceptance Testing (FAAT) in December 2014 and is soon to undergo a production lot acceptance test for the initial PGK production batches.

The PGK incorporates a GPS receiver, guidance electronics, steering fins and fusing functions in a unit that screws into the fuse pocket of a conventional 155mm shell. While Excalibur and Vulcano with their purpose-built airframes offer CEPs of less than two metres (six feet), the control authority of the PGK’s small steering fins is limited and

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could prove successful in meeting certain requirements that could come in the near future,” Mr. Olson said in reference to the US Navy’s interest in guided artillery.

“Right now, there is no given programme. However, there will be requests for information and demonstrations on the horizon.” He added that, “we see there is potential for adopting it to 105mm artillery. We have demonstrated the use of PGK technology and capabilities for both smooth and rifled 120mm mortars. This could lead to smaller mortars using a PGK-like fuse. Given the investment in this technology, we are looking at how else to use it to make all types of direct or indirect fire weapons more accurate.”

Like area bombing during the Second World War, the massed artillery barrage is a thing of the past, so precision and near-precision are the only options for retaining artillery’s relevance in modern military operations whether on land or at sea.

Orbital ATK quotes a CEP of 30m (98ft); a big improvement on the typical 200m (656ft) dispersion for unguided artillery at a low procurement cost. The “PGK provides a very attractive proposition to transform existing conventional projectiles into near-precision weapons through simply replacing the fuze,” Dan Olson, vice-president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s armament systems division, told AMR. “There is almost no change procedurally either for a PGK fused fire mission as compared to a conventionally fused artillery fire mission. Also, in cost comparison, a PGK fuse comes at one-tenth the cost of an all-new precision 155mm round.”

He also stressed that the 30m CEP requirement is conservative, given the potential accuracy that the technology has demonstrated during qualification.

“In some of these tests we’ve shown a CEP of less than ten metres (33ft) during FAAT. We’ve also demonstrated a CEP of aMr

five metres (16ft) with the Heer (German Army’s) Krauss-Maffei Wegmann/Rhein-metall PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers and their Rheinmetall DM111 rounds.”

Compared with precision-guided projectiles, course correction fuses such as the PGK face more limitations from external factors that affect the final result, as Mr. Dan Olson explained. “PGK is not like a guided missile … its ability to make conventional rounds more precise is two-fold: first, the inherent accuracy of the gun and projectile launch is the starting point for a PGK fused artillery round to begin its command guidance and course corrections to the target. Simply stated, the more accurate the initial shot is, the more likely the PGK guidance fuse is to guide to a greater degree of accuracy.”

Future applications for the PGK could include naval artillery and smaller calibre land-based guns and mortars. “Obviously, our PGK is an approach that we think

Orbital ATK’s Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) for 155mm projectiles have demonstrated a CEP as small as five metres (16ft) when fired from the Krauss Maffei Wegmann/Rheinmetall PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer © Orbital ATK

Whatever the mission, wherever, whenever

CORPOSECURITE_213x286_VA.indd 1 31/12/14 09:37

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force’s ‘Soryu’ class of conventional hunter-killer submarine is to be enhanced with a further four boats. This will take the overall class size to ten vessels © US Navy

n a v a ls u b m a r i n e s


by Dr. Alix Valenti

Investment is flowing into the procurement of new submarines throughout the Asia-Pacific. The majority of new acquisitions concern conventional hunter-killer submarines (SSKs), although nuclear submarines are also on the shopping list.

This article’s headline is taken from one of the world’s great submarine films. Released in 1943, it tells the story of the crew of HMS Sea Tiger, a fictional Royal

Navy diesel-electric submarine, during the Second World War on a dangerous mission to sink the equally fictitious German battleship the Brandenburg. Ever since their first use in warfare in 1864 during the American Civil War when the Confederate Navy’s HL Hunley submarine sank the Union Navy’s sloop-

We Dive AT DAWn!

of-war USS Housatonic, submarines have captured the imagination of film directors and cinema-goers alike. Their stealth, the dangerous nature of their mission to hunt and sink other submarines and ships, and their ability to carry a mind-bendingly destructive arsenal of Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) have given rise to legendary movies such as Das Boot (1981), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002). As well as for those in the film industry, these same characteristics make submarines

very attractive to navies in the Asia-Pacific and further afield.

AustraliaThe Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has an outstanding need to replace its conventional ‘Collins’ class hunter-killer (SSK) submarines procured at the commencement of this century and expected to remain in service until circa 2025, according to open source reports. In September 2014, local Australian media reports noted that Japan had

The Royal Malaysian Navy has recently procured a pair of ‘Perdana Menteri’ class

submarines based closely on the French ‘Scorpène’ class SSK design. It is not expected

to make any further procurement of new submarines in the foreseeable future

© Thomas Withington



been named as one of the contenders for the contract. In particular, it was thought that the RAN could receive a submarine based upon the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force’s (JMSDF) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries /Kawasaki Shipbuilding ‘Soryu’ class SSKs (see below) as a possible replacement for the ‘Collins’ class. The move, however, triggered some domestic opposition in Australia with protests from local opposition politicians and industry groups arguing that awarding

the contract to a Japanese shipyard would further weaken Australia’s own shipbuilding industry. Nevertheless, in February 2015, the government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that it would launch a ‘competitive evaluation process’ inviting bids from Japanese, French (DCNS) and German (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/TKMS) manufacturers with the preferred candidate being announced in 2016. In total, the RAN is expected to receive twelve SSKs from circa 2025.

BangladeshThe Bangladesh Navy does not currently operate any submarines, although it does have ambitions to this end. In 2013, the force concluded a deal with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to acquire two ‘Ming’ class SSKs, themselves heavily based upon the Russian Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard ‘Romeo’ class SSKs. These are produced domestically by four enterprises in China, notably the Wuchang, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Bohai ship-yards. That said, as of November



2014, the country had turned its focus away from the PRC, instead reportedly exploring the prospect of procuring SSKs from Russia. There have been no further reports regarding the type of submarines that Bangladesh wishes to acquire from Russia, how many will be purchased, or when deliveries may commence and conclude. For now, Bangladesh’s intention to purchase submarines may be no more than a long-term aspiration.

DPRKIn October 2014, media reports indicated that a new unidentified submarine had been spotted moored at the Sinpo South Shipyard in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). One month later, in November 2014, the submarine was identified by naval experts as a Soviet-era ‘Golf’ class SSK. These boats were decommissioned by the Soviet Union in 1990, and ten were allegedly sold to the DPRK in 1993. In addition to the recently-spotted ‘Golf’ class, the Korean People’s Army Naval Force, as the country’s navy is known, is thought to have a single ‘Sinpo’ class SSK under construction at the Sinpo South Shipyard. Moreover, up to 40 ‘Sang-O’ class SSKs are thought to be under construction. These are replacing the veteran ‘Yugo’ class and ‘Romeo’ class SSKs.

IndiaDuring the same month as the discovery of the ‘Golf’ class SSK in the DRPK (October 2014) the Indian Ministry of Defence approved the ‘Project 75I’ class SSK tender, which had been delayed by seven years. This initiative is intended to enhance the Indian Navy’s subsurface fleet with the acquisition by 2022 of six ‘Scorpene’ class SSKs from DCNS equipped with Air Independent Pro-pulsion (AIP) technology to decrease their acoustic signature. Meanwhile, in August 2014, local media reports indicated that Russia had responded to the tender with an offer to sell or lease ‘Amur-950/1650’ class SSKs (see below) which are also equipped with AIP. Further developments in January 2015 noted that Japan had considered offering its Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/Kawasaki Shipbuilding ‘Soryu’ class boats for India’s requirement although as of April 2015 local media reports indicated that Japan was unlikely to move further with this initiative. In a move to breathe some new life into the domestic industry all six submarines will be built locally in Indian shipyards. Alongside DCNS (see above), TKMS and Navantia of Spain are expected to contest India’s requirement. Beyond these conventional boats, the Indian Navy is continuing sea trials of its solitary ‘Arihant’ class SSBN. The

first example, the eponymous boat in the class, was launched in 2009 commencing sea trials in December 2014. A further four vessels are expected to be commissioned by 2023.

Japan and MalaysiaThe submarine fleet of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) is currently being enhanced with the supply of four additional ‘Soryu’ class SSKs. These will supplement the existing six ‘Soryu’ class boats which the JMSDF already has in service, and its ten

‘Oyashio’ SSKs which the fleet operates. More details regarding Japanese naval developments can be found in Jonathan Davis’ ‘A Focused Affair’ article in this issue. Meanwhile, the Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia (TLDM/Royal Malay-sian Navy) has only recently taken delivery of its two ‘Perdana Menteri’ class SSKs, closely based upon DCNS’ ‘Scorpène’ class SSKs with both boats being commissioned in 2009. It therefore seems unlikely that the TLDM will order any new vessels within the next five years.

Pakistan In March 2015 Pakistan reportedly ordered eight conventional hunter-killer submarines from the PRC. The type of submarines ordered is yet to be revealed, although media reports indicate that it is likely to be the ‘Yuan’ class. These new submarines are strongly expected to be outfitted with an AIP and carry Tri-River Aerospace Industrial Group YJ-2 anti-shipping missiles as well as a combination of Pinyang Machinery Factory Yu-4 passive homing and Yu-3 active/passive homing torpedoes. Media sources report that, in response to the country’s financial difficulties, the PRC may offer Pakistan a low-interest loan to cover the cost of the vessel’s acquisition. Pakistan also has a programme to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in the form of the country’s Nuclear Marine Propulsion initiative. Initially a single vessel could be constructed domestically with an expected service entry of 2023. However, beyond the Pakistan Navy’s stated intention, there have been no further formal announcements regarding the programme. For example, it is not clear if Pakistan will collaborate with a foreign power, possibly the PRC (see below) on the vessels’ design and development.

PRCIt is understood that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force deploys ten ‘Oyashio’ class conventional hunter-killer submarines. All ten boats entered service between 1998 and March 2008 and were constructed by Kawasaki Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries © US Navy



China and Russia maybe working on a joint

development of quieter submarines

acquiring four ‘Shang’ class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). One of these boats was thought to have been launched in 2012 and supplements the five already believed to be in service. As of May 2015, the local Chinese media reported that a total of three of these SSNs have been completed and are awaiting delivery. This could give the PLAN a fleet size of nine when all of these boats are commissioned. Moreover, in May 2015 local reports announced that the PRC had completed the development of its fourth-generation nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), the so-called

‘Type-098’ class. This design is reportedly equipped with a quieter nuclear power plant, compared to previous Chinese nuclear boats, which emits less vibrations and an advanced hull muffler system that will make her even harder for enemy sonar to detect. These developments demonstrate that China is putting a lot of emphasis, in its naval strategy, on building a fleet that will make it increasingly difficult for the United States to track and counter. Reports that

China and Russia are working on a joint initiative to continue developing ever-quieter submarine technologies further confirms such a focus.

RussiaThe Rubin Design Bureau is currently building the ‘Borey’ class SSBN for the Russian Navy. The company told AMR that it had delivered three of these vessels to the Russian Navy to date and plans to supply a further five. Beyond the ‘Borey’ class SSBNs, the company is building new ‘Antey/Oscar’ class SSNs for the Russian Navy. Away from the nuclear domain, the Rubin Design Bureau is providing six new ‘Kilo’ class SSKs for the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet. Two

of these boats have been delivered so far. The company promotes the ‘Kilo’ class as a robust SSK which can be easily upgraded. In addition, the company says that the ‘Kilo’ class can be enhanced with an AIP if so desired by the customer. Furthermore, the Rubin Design Bureau’s

‘Amur-1650’ class is a new design of SSK. One is already in service with the Russian Navy and an undisclosed number are under construction for the force. A slightly smaller version of the

‘Amur-1650’ class, dubbed the ‘Amur-950’ class is available for export customers, although this design is not equipping the Russian Navy.

RoKIn July 2014, the Republic of Korea launched the fifth of its six ‘Son Won-II’ class SSKs, which is due to be ready for service by mid-2015. Designed by TKMS, the first three of these boats was ordered in 2000. A second batch of a further six has been ordered from Daewoo in the RoK, with a final vessel still to be launched. Beyond the ‘Son Won-II’ class, the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has started developing its ‘KSS-III’ class 3000-ton SSK equipped with multiple vertical launch tubes to fire cruise missiles. Nine such vessels should be deployed in the future.

SingaporeTwo ‘Challenger’ class SSKs were withdrawn from Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) service in early 2015. Two new ‘Type 218SG’ class SSKs are under contract from TKMS with deliveries expected from 2020. These will replace the two remaining ‘Challenger’ class SSKs, from an original complement of four boats. Together with the two existing

‘Archer’ class SSKs they will form the backbone of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s underwater fleet from 2020.

TaiwanThe Republic of China Navy (RCN) has a pressing need for new submarines. The fleet currently comprises two ‘Hai Lung’ class SSKs procured from the Netherlands and commissioned in 1987 and 1988 respectively. Given the vintage of these boats, the RCN has a pressing need for new submarines. Nevertheless it may have difficulties procuring new vessels. Although conventional submarines are available from suppliers in France, Germany, the RoK, Russia, Spain and Sweden, any nation electing to supply

The ‘Amur-1650’ class of conventional hunter-killer submarine is a new design from Russia’s Rubin Design Bureau. The ‘Amur-950’ class is a smaller version of this submarine © Rubin Design Bureau



submarines to Taiwan will almost certainly incur the wrath of the PRC. Given the economic power that the PRC now wields, a number of countries may decide that it is simply not worth their while supplying submarines to the island.

To further complicate matters, suppliers in the United States, Taiwan’s traditional supplier of materiel, no longer build conventional submarines (the export of nuclear submarines being illegal under international law). Given these two factors, Taiwan may decide to develop its own SSK. This would certainly not be beyond the capabilities of Taiwanese engineers given the advanced materiel that the country has successfully developed in recent years.

ThailandSince decommissioning its four Japanese-built ‘Matchanu’ class submarines in 1951, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has remained without such vessels. The country is now facing the reality that most of its

neighbours have been either purchasing new submarines, or upgrading existing boats, in recent years. To this end the RTN is planning to purchase at least three SSKs from 2016. An initial bid to purchase four and three SSKs from Germany and the RoK respectively was abandoned in 2013 as a result of the country’s financial situation. The renewed RTN interest in submarines has seen designs offered by TKMS, Kockums of Sweden and suppliers in the PRC, RoK and Russia. In January 2015 the PRC offered its ‘S-26T’ class SSK itself a variant of the ‘Yuan’ class conventional hunter-killer submarine. Kockums was reported in April 2015 to be offering a version of its ‘A26’ class SSKs, two of which it is producing for the Marinen (Royal Swedish Navy). Finally, Russia has offered its ‘Kilo’ class SSKs (see above).

VietnamThe Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) currently has three ‘Kilo’ class SSKs on

order. The commissioning of these boats into VPN service poses a potential threat to the PLAN’s maritime dominance of the South and East China Seas. Furthermore, the PRC and Vietnam are contesting the sovereignty of the Spratly and Paracel island archipelagos. In recent years, maritime relations between the two countries have worsened with Vietnam accusing PRC ships of ramming its vessels, and sinking a fishing boat in May 2014. Three ‘Kilo’ class boats have already been delivered to the VPN, with another three expected to join by 2016.

So long as strategic regional factors such as the steady rise of the PRC’s naval power continue, plus the continuation of a number of maritime disputes around the region, it seems unlikely that demand for submarines in the Asia Pacific will reduce. Although fleet capitalisations are ongoing, notably in Australia and Singapore, it is arguably the maritime balance of power which is continuing to stimulate the market. amr

The Republic of Korea Navy operates its ‘Son Won-II’ class of conventional hunter-killer submarine (pictured). The fleet will soon be augmented with the navy’s new ‘KSS-III’ class vessels, nine of which are expected to be procured © US Navy

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ROE_Asian_Military_Review_Ka-52_213x286_eng.pdf 1 5/25/58 BE 2:36 PM

AIRBORNES E L F P R O T E C T I O N


Are You Deceiving Me?


The great military strategist Sun Tzu advised that “all warfare is based on deception” when writing in his famous military treatise

‘The Art of War’. Nowhere is this arguably truer than in the practice of electronic warfare.

T he United States Department of Defence Dictionary of Military Terms defines ‘Electronic Warfare’ or ‘EW’ as it is com- monly known, as “any military

action involving the use of electro-magnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy.” In the air domain, this principally concerns employing

electromagnetic energy to detect, disrupt, deceive and destroy Radio Frequency (RF) threats such as ground-based air surveillance radar, missile and aircraft radars. In turn, EW can also be brought to bear against infrared-guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, against hostile telecommunications and increa-singly against hostile computers and computer networks via the practice

of cyber warfare. This article will concentrate on recent developments in the air EW domain.

Two distinct, yet interlinked factors are driving the airborne EW market in the Asia-Pacific. The first is the need to recapitalise legacy EW systems in the form of the procurement of new equipment. This is in turn driven by emerging threats that are encouraging

Saab’s JASC/D/E Gripen family of MRCA could receive an important enhancement in

the form of the Selex BriteCloud radio frequency decoy. Selex is also

developing a version of this decoy intended for Lockheed Martin

F-16A/B/C/D operators © Thomas Withington



Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), and the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation’s PL-12 family of Active Radar Homing (ARH) air-to-air missiles. Meanwhile, ground-based air defence systems such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation HQ-9 medium/long-range ARH surface-to-air missile system, and

its naval derivatives, the HHQ-9/A and HQ-26 also constitute dangers. The air EW domain is in fact in perpetual motion given that every advance in the development of military RF electronics invariably heralds the development of a corresponding countermeasure.

Selex announced this March that it had completed a series of tests of its BriteCloud expendable decoy using a Saab JAS-39C/D/E Gripen MRCA, of which the Royal Thai Air Force operates the JAS-39C/D version. BriteCloud has been designed as an RF decoy to spoof both ground-based air surveillance radars and missile guidance radars. The decoy detects the threatening radar and then jams it, forcing the radar to break its lock on the aircraft. The decoy can be ejected from an aircraft’s standard 55mm (two inch) countermeasures dispenser. This allows it to be used by all versions of the JAS-39C/D/E. According to a statement supplied to AMR by Selex, the first BriteCloud examples will be ready for shipping in August. Additional testing will be performed during the rest of the year while the firm has revealed that it is working on a 218mm (eleven inch) version which is designed for Lockheed Martin F-16A/B/C/D Fighting Falcon MRCA users.

IndiaIndia is one of several countries around the Asia-Pacific which has to be mindful of the RF threats that it faces from the PRC. The country fought, and lost, a war with the PRC in late-1962. In addition, India has outstanding border disputes with the PRC regarding Aksai Chin, which is claimed by India as part of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, while the PRC claims the northern part of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the far east of the country. These territorial disputes and expected tensions between the Asia-Pacific’s two most populous states, and rising superpowers, have caused a rivalry which has existed since 1962.

Regarding air power, India is under pressure to ensure that it maintains a strategic parity with the PRC and with its other rival, Pakistan. Alongside investments such as the procurement of new MRCAs in the form of the Dassault Rafale-F3B/C which India confirmed that it would purchase this April, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is inducting the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Tejas-Mk.I/II MRCA. This

air forces, armies and navies in the region to ensure that their aircraft are adequately protected against such dangers. In the air, these threats take the form of new Chinese combat aircraft radar such as the undisclosed Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar equipping the Shenyang J-31 fifth-generation Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) destined to equip the People’s

The United States Navy is receiving the Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft as a replacement for its Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler EW platforms which also furnish the USMC. The Royal Australian Air Force is the first EA-18G export customer © US Navy



January, local media reports noted that a Tejas-Mk.I aircraft had flown for the first time with an indigenous EW suite including a domestically-designed and produced Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), both of which were developed by the country’s Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE). The EW suite includes a radar jammer, although the performance parameters of this equipment were not revealed. Nevertheless, it is almost certain to cover at least the two to 18GHz segment of the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling it to tackle the lion’s share of RF threats it is likely to encounter.

It is possible that the equipment may be capable of detecting and jamming signals in the two to 40GHz range to allow it to counter the millimetric wave radar threats in the 18-40GHz segment of the electromagnetic spectrum typically used by anti-ship missiles. This could be a particularly important function for the navalised Tejas variants of which the Indian Navy is expected to obtain with an initial order of six and an eventual

accompanies both systems. Ideal for installation on space-constrained platforms such as helicopters or small fixed-wing aircraft, the All-in-Small imposes a weight penalty of up to 35lb (16 kilograms) depending on the configuration selected. Much of the architecture of the All-in-One is similar to the All-in-Small, with the exception that the former includes a multiband laser warning system and infrared missile approach warning equipment. That said, it is entirely possible that future Tejas-Mk.I/II aircraft will be fitted with the new indigenous DARE EW suite once production ramps up with the two forces expected to receive their full complement of circa 80 aircraft. Testing of the new DARE EW system will continue throughout the rest of 2015.

AustraliaThe threat from the PRC is also

concentrating minds in Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has become, so far, the only export customer

expected requirement for up to 40 airframes to operate from its new INS Vikramaditya and two planned ‘Vikrant’ class aircraft carriers.

Currently, the Tejas fleet, of which the IAF operates a single Tejas-Mk.I, is outfitted with an EW suite produced by Israeli defence electronics house Elisra. This equips all eight of the air force and navy prototypes currently produced. It has not been confirmed which Elisra EW system outfits the Tejas-Mk.I, although it is possible that it could be either the company’s All-In-One, or All-In-Small EW package. Both products cover RF frequencies ranging from low-band threats up to 18GHz, and can be employed against ground and air RF threats including Pulse Doppler and Continuous Wave (CW) threats (see below), including Low Probability of Intercept radars. Alongside its detection of RF threats, both products can perform laser and missile warning, and include a chaff and flare dispenser. All of these functions are managed by the EW Suite Controller which



The AN/ALQ-99E is capable of performing

both spot and barrage jamming

for Boeing’s E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, of which it will operate twelve. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2017. Beyond the RAAF, the United States Navy is acquiring the aircraft with an expected total of 103 airframes to be procured replacing the services’ venerable Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler.

The EA-18G will, in due course, be outfitted with a powerful new EW payload known as the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ). Raytheon is leading the development of the NGJ which includes an AESA antenna. This can be tasked to perform different missions simultaneously while the NGJ’s open systems architecture eases its upgrade in the future. The NGJ will replace the Exelis AN/ALQ-99E tactical jamming systems carried by the EA-6B, and which then migrated to the EA-18G in US Navy service once the EA-6B, used by both the US Navy and US Marine Corps, retired in late-2014. In October 2014, the NGJ was flown onboard an aircraft for the first time, on this occasion a Gulfstream

GIII business jet, where its performance against simulated radar threats was evaluated at the US Navy Air Weapons Station, at China Lake, California.

For now, the EA-18G aircraft of the US Navy, and those forthcoming aircraft of the RAAF, will employ the AN/ALQ-99E against RF threats. Exelis is currently involved in work to redesign several parts of the payload, making several of its components field-programmable to ensure that it can be configured with relative ease against specific threats in a timely fashion as and when they appear. The AN/ALQ-99E is capable of performing spot jamming against specific frequency bands or known threats, or barrage jamming employing electronic noise against a wide frequency bandwidth; the latter being a particularly useful tactic if specific threats in a specific area are not known, but the general existence of RF threats is not in doubt. By June 2017, to coincide with the deliveries of its first EA-18G aircraft (see above), the RAAF will receive the first of an undisclosed number of AN/ALQ-99Es to equip its aircraft. Current plans call for the NGJ to enter service in the 2020 timeframe, and it is possible that the RAAF may decide to order this subsystem from the US Navy once it is available.

Republic of KoreaWhile RF threats are an under-

standable preoccupation of navies and air forces across the Asia-Pacific and the wider world, these forces also have to be concerned with low-altitude threats, particularly short-range surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles which use infrared guidance. This is an important consideration for armies flying heli-copters which spend much of their time operating at comparatively lower altitudes than MRCAs. Laser-guided SAMs are an added concern, with an imperative to alert aircrew that they have either been designated by a laser, or are under attack from a missile.

This February, Orbital ATK announced that it had completed the installation of their AN/AAR-47 Missile and Laser Warning System, and Hostile Fire Indicator onboard the Bell AH-1S Cobra attack helicopters operated by the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). In addition, Orbital ATK installed Symetrics’ AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing systems onboard the aircraft. The AN/AAR-47 is capable of detecting laser illumination and the infrared signature caused by the hot exhaust of incoming missiles. The AN/AAR-47(V)2 variant, which the RoKA helicopters are thought to have received, can detect the launch of Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), a weapon which was employed successfully against helicopters during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The AN/ALE-47, meanwhile, is able to dispense both chaff and flares to spoof incoming radar- and infrared-guided missiles respectively.

The Next Generation Jammer initiative will eventually replace the Exelis AN/ALQ-99E jamming pods presently equipping the US Navy’s EA-18G Growler EW aircraft. The NGJ is seen here performing a test flight mounted on the ventral fuselage of a Gulfstream GIII business jet © Raytheon



PakistanIn tandem with the work that it is performing for the RAAF and US Navy regarding the AN/ALQ-99E EW payload (see above), Exelis has performed important self-protection enhancements for the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) F-16A/B Block-15 MRCAs. These impro-vements have taken the form of the AN/ALQ-211 SIRFC (Suite of Integrated RF Countermeasures). While India’s airpower

strategists have their attentions focused on the PRC and Pakistan, their counterparts in Pakistan are focused on the RF threats which India could deploy during any future conflict. The country’s rivalry over the sovereignty of the northern Kashmir region is well-documented, and despite both countries on-again, off-again diplomatic dialogue regarding their dispute, Pakistan is mindful of its inferior position regarding

the size of its air force’s frontline strength compared to that of India: The PAF possesses circa 387 frontline MRCAs as opposed to around 750 for the Indian Air Force and navy combined.

The AN/ALQ-211 represents a good fit for the PAF’s F-16A/B Block-15 aircraft, given that it can detect, classify and jam a wide range of ground and air RF threats including both Pulse Doppler and Continuous Wave (CW) radars. Pulse Doppler radars transmit pulses of RF energy and then measure the time for these pulses to return after colliding with an object determining the change in frequency between the transmitted pulse, and the echo reflected. CW radars vary the frequency of the continuous stream of RF energy which they transmit to detect and locate a target. In addition to its RF capabilities, the AN/ALQ-211 is able to provide the aircrew with warnings of infrared and laser threats. In October 2014 the US Air Force Seek Eagle Office, which is tasked with certifying internal and external military aircraft subsystems, weapons and stores, certified the AN/ALQ-211(V)9 version of the AN/ALQ-211 product family. The AN/ALQ-211(V)9 is carried in a podded configuration rather than being installed internally.

Speak softly …Overarching requirements for airborne EW equipment is unlikely to diminish in the near future. The proliferation of advanced RF threats in the PRC discussed above will encourage armies, air forces and navies throughout the region to continue their investment in this regard. While no country in the region, or further afield, wants a conflict to erupt with the PRC, that country’s increasingly muscular stance, not only involving its disputes with India (see above), but also its disputes regarding the sovereignty of the Natuna, Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, and the trilateral dispute in the East China Sea regarding the respective Exclusive Economic Zones of Japan, the PRC and the RoK is a cause for concern. Air power plays an important part in managing these tensions by demonstrating resolve and indicating to the PRC that any attempts to use air power by Beijing to further assert its sovereignty in these, and other, areas will be challenged. Ensuring that the correct EW ‘tools for the job’ are in the possession of the regions’ armed forces plays a powerful role in this regard.

The Republic of Korea Army has benefitted from the installation of Symetrics’ AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing system onboard its Bell AH-1S attack helicopters alongside the Orbital ATK AN/AAR-47 Missile and Laser Warning Receiver © US Navy

The Pakistan Air Force has received certification for its Exelis AN/ALQ-211(V)9 self-protection system which will furnish its Lockheed Martin F-16A/B Block-15 MRCAs. These subsystems will be delivered in a podded configuration © Exelis

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GSRs must be small enough to be deployed with ease but powerful enough to perform their role; chiefly the detection of persons

and vehicles and, to a lesser extent, low-altitude flying objects. These considerations make Radio Frequency (RF) choice a key issue. To this end, many of the GSRs surveyed below in this article operate in the X-band (8.5-10.68 gigahertz/GHz), Ku-band (13.4-14/15.7-17.7GHz) and K-band (24.05-24.25GHz). As a general rule of thumb, the higher the frequency at which the radar operates, the sharper the resolution of the image that the radar generates. This is because the radar transmits pulses more frequently than radars inhabiting the lower end of the radar portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The more pulses that collide with an object and are returned to the radar as echoes, the more detailed the ‘picture’ will be of the object that the radar sees. An analogy of this can be found in the world of digital photography. Imagine the radar pulse as a pixel, hence, a picture comprising millions of pixels is richer in detail and resolution than a picture comprising thousands of pixels.

Antenna design is another important consideration in GSR engineering. Increasingly, AESA (Active Electronically

Under SUrveillanceGround Surveillance Radars or ‘GSRs’ are ideal for protecting critical civilian infrastructure, deployed troops and military installations. They are also proving indispensable for enhancing border security.



Airbus Defence and Space has provided its SPEXER family of ground

surveillance radars to a number of customers including the German Army. The SPEXER-2000 is also used by Saudi

Arabia to enhance border protection © Airbus Defence and Space



Media reports note that Saudi Arabia has

purchased several SPEXER-2000 radars

Scanned Array) antennae are employed in ground surveillance radars. Put simply, an AESA antenna houses a multitude of Transmit/Receive (T/R modules) on its surface. Each of these T/R modules generate their own RF pulse and process the characteristics of the returned echo. The benefit of an AESA antenna is that it uses several T/R modules, a selection of these T/R modules can be tasked to perform different tasks simultaneously. For example, some can watch the ground for people, while others search for moving vehicles. Moreover, AESA antennae benefit from so-called ‘graceful degradation’ in that the failure of one T/R module will not cause the entire radar to become unserviceable.

Saudi EffortsAirbus Defence and Space have five distinct products comprising the company’s SPEXER GSR family. These

a person, seven kilometres (four miles) for a light vehicle, and nine kilometres (six miles) for a truck. Alongside its detection of ground targets, the SPEXER-500 has the capability to detect flying objects such as light aircraft at a range of over four nautical miles (seven kilometres) or a low-flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at just over one nautical mile (2.5 kilometres). The SPEXER-1000 can be used for similar applications to the SPEXER-500; however, it has elongated detection ranges of eight kilometres (five miles) for a person, 17km (eleven miles) for a truck and two nautical miles (four kilometres) for a UAV. The company’s official literature bills the SPEXER-1500 as being suitable for the “surveillance of large perimeters” and for “large infrastructure surveillance”. To this end, the SPEXER-1500’s surveillance ranges are extended once again vis-à-vis the SPEXER-1000, with the detection of a person possible at

include the SPEXER-500, SPEXER-1000, SPEXER-1500 and the SPEXER-2000. The fifth member of the SPEXER family is the SPEXER-2000 COASTAL, although as a coastal surveillance radar it is outside the scope of this article. All of these radars employ AESA (see above) antennae and operate in the X-band.

According to the company, its SPEXER-500 is designed for “camp protection, perimeter and critical infra-structure surveillance (along with) border security.” As such, it has a detection range of five kilometres (three miles) for

Thales’ BOR-A family includes two members, namely the BOR-A550 and the BOR-A560.

These principally differ regarding their power output. Both radars can be operated

in stand-alone, vehicle-mounted or mast-mounted configurations © Thales



15km (nine miles), of a truck at 30km (19 miles) and a UAV at almost four nautical miles (seven kilometres). Finally, the SPEXER-2000 has the longest detection ranges in the family, detecting a person at 18km (eleven nautical miles), a truck at 36km (22 miles) and a UAV at up to five nautical miles (nine kilometres).

Airbus Defence and Space is relatively taciturn regarding their SPEXER GSR family customers. Yet it is known that the Heer (German Army) uses undisclosed SPEXER variants, having been the series’ launch customer in 2011. Although unconfirmed by the company, media reports note that Saudi Arabia has purchased the SPEXER-2000 (see above) to equip its ‘Northern Border Security Project’ (NBSP) 965km (600-miles) long secured frontier stretching from Jordan to Kuwait. Reports say that the border security initiative will include between 40-78 watchtowers (depending on the source), each of which will include a SPEXER-2000 radar, along with accompanying optronics.

In addition to the SPEXER-2000, FLIR Systems of the United States is supplying its Ranger HRC optronics for the NBSP which are mast-mounted on Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-road vehicles. The company, arguably best known for its optronics, produces a large range of GSRs. There is insufficient space in this article to discuss all seven of its GSRs (Ranger R20SS, Ranger R5, Ranger R5D, Ranger R3, Ranger R3D, Ranger R2 and Ranger R1) in detail. However, the firm produces its radars in X-band (Ranger R20SS) and Ka-band (Ranger R5, Ranger R5D, Ranger R3, Ranger R3D, Ranger R2 and Ranger R1). These have detection ranges from 0.7km (0.4 miles) up to 20km (twelve miles). Like Airbus Defence and Space (see above), FLIR Systems keeps quiet regarding its customers, although the firm’s official product literature promotes these radars as suitable for operation in the Middle East, leading to speculation that they have been procured by several customers in that region.

EW ProtectionAlongside the SPEXER-2000 discussed above, media reports published in September 2014 regarding the NBSP spoke of the programme using Thales BOR-A X-band GSRs. These are reportedly equipping the same Unimog vehicles as the FLIR Systems’ Ranger HRC optronics (see above). The BOR-A family includes

Thales’ Ground Observer-80 is one of the company’s ground surveillance radar

offerings. Unveiled in 2011, the radar has a detection range of up to 80km (50 miles) according to the size of the target. (Thales)

the BOR-A550 and the BOR-A560 which have a transmitter output power of 20 watts and 40W respectively. Capable of being operated in stand-alone, vehicle- or mast-mounted configurations, the BOR-A family have an instrumented range of up to 80km (almost 50nm). The radar can be configured to watch either a swathe of space, or to scan across 360 degrees’ azimuth. Algorithms in the radar’s

software allow it to automatically classify the targets it detects.

In addition to the BOR-A family, Thales provides the Ground Observer-80 and Ground Observer-12, along with the Squire GSR. According to an official statement provided to AMR by the company, while not naming individual customers “almost all countries in the Gulf region and North Africa use Thales GSRs,



Kelvin Hughes provide the X-band SxV

and Long Range Radar

some of them in substantial numbers.” In the Asia-Pacific, the statement continues,

“Australia is a key user of Thales GSRs as well as various (unnamed) countries in Southeast Asia and on the Pacific Rim.” The company is keen to stress that its GSRs are robust regarding Electronic Counter-Measure (ECM) performance. At the heart of this ECM protection is frequency agility: “All of Thales’ GSRs are built for frequency-agile operation over very wide bands and many frequencies.” For example, the radars can rapidly switch between 81 specific frequencies across an 800 megahertz spread in the X-band frequency, the statement continues.

According to Thales’ statement, the firm is working on algorithms for the detection of Micro UAVs. There is no firm definition as to what constitutes a Micro UAV, but they typically have similar dimensions to a small bird or a large insect. Such aircraft present a challenge to radar engineers, as the software controlling the radar must be able to discriminate between a Micro UAV and flying wildlife. Thales has demurred on providing information as to when customers may obtain such algorithms, although it has stated that

these algorithms will be available as both a retrofit for existing Thales radars and factory-installed on new-build GSRs.

Best of BritishMuch like Thales, and other companies surveyed in this article, Kelvin Hughes of the United Kingdom provide X-band GSRs in the form of the SxV and Long Range Radar (LRR). The SxV can detect a person walking at five kilometres’ (three miles’) range and a vehicle at 15km (nine miles), according to the company’s official literature. The LRR, meanwhile, has a detection range of eleven kilometres (seven miles) for a car with a flying object detection capability sufficient to spot a helicopter at 19nm (35km), the official literature continues. The LRR can be procured in a vehicle-mounted or container-mounted configuration, installed in a standard International Shipping Organisation 20ft/six-metre or 40ft/twelve-metre length container, according to Jonathan Field, director of security systems at Kelvin Hughes.

Mr. Field continues that the LRR can be teamed with accompanying optronics and its container housing allows it to

be either driven around on the back of a truck, or deployed as a transportable fixed-site asset. In the border security context, Mr. Field says that, “you need radar systems because fences can get broken, allowing people to penetrate the border.” Customers for the company’s SxV and LRR include the Kenyan military. The firm is currently improving the radar’s software algorithms to enhance its ability to discriminate the clutter caused by fixed, stationary objects, and instead focus on moving targets. This will take the form of an “intelligence clutter map” says Mr. Field, which can equip existing radars as a software upgrade, while also furnishing new-build products. Other new software packages include a UAV detection capability which can spot such aircraft at ranges of up to 0.5nm (one kilometre). These software upgrades will furnish the company’s CxEye control and display software equipping both the SxV and the LRR.

Other British GSRs include Blighter Surveillance Systems’ Revolution 360 and the B400 series, the latter of which enhances

Blighter Surveillance Systems’ Revolution 360 provides surveillance across a 360 degree azimuth, and can be deployed in either a vehicle-mounted or fixed configuration. It is capable of tracking up to 700 targets © Blighter

Blighter Surveillance Systems’ A400 radar is an adaptation of the firm’s B400 ground surveillance radar family. The A400 uses advanced signal processing techniques to detect small unmanned aerial vehicles © Blighter

Ad Check AMR:AMR 9/29/14 3:57 PM Page 1



the security of the Republic of Korea’s (RoK) border with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, plus the B202 Mk.2. The Revolution 360 provides 360 degree azimuth surveillance and can be deployed either in a vehicle-mounted or a fixed configuration detecting targets at ranges of up to 17 nautical miles (32 kilometres). The principal differences between the B400 family members concern azimuth: The B402 scans across 180 degrees, the B422 across 270 degrees and the B442 across 360 degrees. According to Mark Radford, chief executive officer of Blighter Surveillance Systems, B400 series of radars are usually deployed on fixed installations such as towers or buildings.

The company is focusing on improving the ability of its radars to work with other ground surveillance systems such as optronics. “We have recently focused on making sure that our GSRs integrate easily into larger surveillance systems as almost every security radar system requires the interaction of a camera to observe the object initially detected by the radar.” This is being facilitated by the inclusion of a camera control panel in the company’s BlighterView HMI2 radar control software. A variant of the B400 family optimised to detect small UAVs, known as the A400, has been developed. Mr. Radford states that the A400 radars “use optimised digital signal processing to extract the

tiny radar reflections from modern plastic body UAVs even when flying close to the ground.” In the Asia-Pacific, Blighter has supplied its radars to customers in Thailand, in addition to the RoK.

Israeli IngenuityIsrael’s border security concerns are well known, with the country abutting several hostile neighbours such as Lebanon and Syria, plus the West Bank and the Gaza Strip territories. Israel’s RADA Electronic Industries provides the MHR (Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar) family which was deployed during the Israeli Defence Force’s Operation Protective Edge in July 2014 for detecting rocket launches by Hamas Palestinian insurgents from the Gaza Strip. RADA’s official literature says that its MHR family is designed for

“force and border protection applications”. Unlike other radars discussed in this article, all of the radars in the MHR family (RPS-40, RPS-42 and RPS-44) operate in the S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz). They have detection ranges of between five kilometres (three miles) and 40km (25 miles) depending on the target. The MHR family provide 360 degrees of azimuth by utilising four AESA antennae, each of which provides a 90 degree azimuth field-of-view.

RADA’s local counterpart, Israel Aero-space Industries’ Elta Systems Division

produces the X-band EL/M-2105 family. These use a rotating antenna to detect targets across a 360 degree azimuth. The EL/M-2105 can detect a walking person at five kilometres (three miles), with such ranges increasing to eight kilometres (five miles) for the EL/M-2105ER and 15km (nine miles) for the EL/M-2105LR. All three radars can track up to 200 targets simultaneously. Foxtrack, meanwhile, is a portable ground surveillance radar produced by Elbit Systems. This X-band radar can detect pedestrians at six kilometres (four miles) range and large vehicles at up to 24km (15 miles). Up to 50 targets can be tracked at any one time, and 1000 targets displayed with the entire Foxtrack ensemble being vehicle-mounted.

The MarketplaceThales expects the demand for new GSRs replacing legacy systems to remain healthy in the Asia-Pacific. The firm also envisages countries electing to upgrade their existing GSRs in the coming five- to-ten years, while also investing in GSRs to enhance border security. Border security is a pressing issue in much of the region. For example in 2010, the Thailand-Burma border witnessed skirmishes between Burmese armed forces and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army insurgent organisation. Although the clashes subsided as of late-2011, tensions such as these underline the need for border security equipment like GSRs throughout the region. Beyond the Asia-Pacific, Thales foresees a continued demand for new GSRs and the upgrade of existing systems to supplement border security programmes in North Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Field believes that the market for GSR border security applications plus the need to protect critical infrastructure will grow in the coming five-to-ten years. The In Amenas hostage crisis of 16-19 January 2013, during which Al Qaeda insurgents took a number of expatriate and local workers hostage at the Tigantourine gas facility in the east of Algeria, killing 39 of the foreign workers plus an Algerian security guard, underscore the impor-tance of GSRs. Ground Surveillance Radars could help to prevent such tragedies in the future by detecting insurgents or suspicious behaviour some distance from such facilities so that action can be taken to prevent a similar crisis developing.

Israel Aerospace Industries’ EL/M-2129 radar is designed to detect people, vehicles

and flying objects such as helicopters and gliders. The radar is produced in two

versions offering five watts and 25W of transmitted peak power © IAI

aMr

B a t t l eM a n a g e M e n t S y S t e M S


MiddleMiddle Managers

by Andrew White

The proliferation of communications and reconnaissance equipment

has never been healthier in the Asia-Pacific with western nations

sharing technology and indigenous companies manufacturing and

refining mature products. This article examines some of the BMS

programmes in the region.



The implementation and opera-tion of communications and reconnaissance technology is effectively rendered useless without sufficient Command

and Control (C2) Battle Management Systems (BMSs). These effectively manage the information and imagery being generated by land, sea and air platforms, and enable its dissemination across the battlefield.

Defence (MoD) selecting two consortia to develop such a solution for its armed forces. On 25 February the MoD awarded an $8 billion contract under the ‘Make India’ category of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Rolta India Limited (RIL) respectively to develop BMS capabilities for the Indian Army. The DPP is an official set of requirements issued by the MoD specifying the modus operandi for the domestic research, development and procurement of materiel with the ‘Make India’ category requiring equipment and capabilities to be indigenously developed. BEL and RIL beat foreign competition from Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, Elbit, Thales, BAE Systems and General Dynamics. This illustrates a shift away from western companies to more indigenous solutions.

The programme aims to deliver C2 capabilities to the fighting echelons of the Indian Army operating at the forward edge of the tactical battle area, from battalion up to battle group levels, a spokesperson for BEL explained to AMR.

“The BMS is a situational awareness and visualisation system that aims to optimise the operational effectiveness of tactical units. BEL has been proactively working on battlefield management systems and the company has established (a BMS) test bed for (the) continuous evaluation and implementation of user requirements.” The spokesperson continued that, “having worked on several tactical (C2) systems for the Indian Army, in association with

The Indian MoD has contracted two companies to deliver a battle management

system to the Indian armed forces over the next few years. The $8 billion contract will include upgrading the Indian Army’s

armoured forces providing them with increased situation awareness on the

battlefield © Indian MoD

Up until recently, basic battle management systems have

centred round Blue Force Tracking capabilities as illustrated with this Viasat programme which

tracks friendly forces across the battlefield, helping to improve

situational awareness and avoid fratricide © Viasat

In the land environment, a BMS is a critical component for any operation from those performed at the tactical level, up to operational-sized deployments. The vast array of platforms on the modern battlefield, as well as multinational operations with coalition partners, has led to BMSs becoming integral to any type of operation which occurs in a joint context. To this end, the BMS plays an invaluable role in linking dismounted soldiers with armoured vehicles, command centres, air-craft and naval vessels to name just a few.

According to MarketsandMarkets (sic), an India-based consultancy, the global BMS market will be worth approximately $12.6 billion by 2019, with driving factors including “innovations and modi- fications…to ensure the safety of troops”, according to its Battle Management Systems Market report published in February 2014. “The main purpose of a BMS is to ensure the survivability of the troops on a battlefield with real-time tactical information. The wide range of threats that are currently present are a driving factor for BMSs (and) the threat of all these entities force nations to acquire or develop a suitable system.” It continues:

“The land (domain) makes use of the BMS most, in comparison to the other two (maritime and airborne) … comprising 80.3 percent (of this market) while the airborne- and naval-based BMS (market) comprise of the remaining 19.6 percent of the total battlefield management systems market share.” The report goes on to say that, “(t)he market will see tremendous growth in BMS applications (for) force modernisation, and armoured vehicles procurements.” Additionally, the report highlights how traditionally the United Kingdom and the United States have comprised the largest markets for BMSs, although the current fiscal environment has recently constricted activity in these nations, given the real-term year-on-year reductions in these countries’ respective defence budgets experienced in recent years. “Key markets like Republic of Korea and Australia can drive the growth of the market,” the report adds, saying that,

“China remains a tough market to crack with strict government regulations in the defence sector, indigenous programmes and copyright issues with respect to military hardware, and technology.”

IndiaThe Asia-Pacific region recently witnessed one of the largest contract awards in the BMS domain with the Indian Ministry of



India’s governmental Defence, Research and Development Organisation, BEL … will lead the consortium.”

Also speaking to AMR, RIL explained how its BMS technology would deliver

‘cutting-edge’ C2 capabilities to the Indian military, describing this technology as a “force multiplier” for the armed forces. “Rolta will execute its role and responsibility in areas of BMS application software development and applicable licensing, and will also jointly work with BEL for manufacturing equipment for the soldier system, the overall system design (along with) integration, instal-lation, commissioning and maintenance of the BMS,” the spokesperson explained.

BEL already supplies the Indian Army, navy, air force and paramilitary

organisations with electronic components and it is expected that some elements of this existing technology will migrate to the new BMS. Additionally, sources close to the Indian Army explained to AMR how four BMS prototypes would be designed for a four-month evaluation programme. This programme will take place in various operational environments including tro-pical, mountainous, desert and plain.

However, the entire development process encompassing design, evaluation and manufacture is expected to take three years with each consortium expected to deliver an initial tranche of some 500 systems following the evaluation process. The first prototypes are expected to be made available to the army by 2017, with production deliveries then commencing in

the 2018-20 timeframe. The Indian Army wants a system capable of integrating a range of platforms and capabilities on the battlefield, including sensors and platforms, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, through to the geolocation and tracking of friendly and enemy forces on the ground. In essence, the BMS will provide three layers of C2 integration using a single system, including an effector layer, an information layer, and a sensor layer.

TurkeyIn Turkey, work is being undertaken to provide the Türk Ordusu (Turkish Army) with an upgraded BMS to be carried on board Otokar’s Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT) which is currently in its final stages

The Turkish Army’s Otokar Altay main battle tank will boast an upgraded battle management system which prime contractor Aselsan says will “generate, execute and deploy all the orders, messages, alerts and tactical-logistic status data across the three-dimension battlefield.” © Aselsan



of development. The BMS will allow the MBT to “generate, execute and deploy all the orders, messages, alerts and tactical-logistic status data” across the three-dimensional battlefield, according to company literature. Otokar states that the Altay’s BMS will include C2 capabilities for the MBT as well as for dismounted soldiers. In terms of hardware, it will comprise vehicle-mounted and handheld devices for the MBT’s commander, gunner, driver and loader, with handheld devices equipping dismounted troops, networking these troops and the vehicles to a tactical operations centre on the battlefield. Effectively, the BMS provides a mature picture to every soldier on the battlefield, giving everyone insight into the various phases of the operation and

aiding even the lowest-rank soldiers on the ground to make command decisions.

This philosophy has been adopted over the years by special forces which emphasise how important it is for every member of a patrol to know exactly what’s going on and when, as well as where, they are exactly on the ground at any particular time. The Altay’s BMS will enable such a capability for the Turkish Army in the future. Altay’s BMS relies upon a multitude of hardware and software configurations, each with its own distributed electronic architecture, while a Vehicle Control System provides the gateway to connect addi-tional plug-and-play systems such as new sensors to the tank via Otokar’s Data Interchange Protocol (IP). A spokes-person for the company revealed how any electronic payload or sensor relies upon this IP to transmit and receive information from other systems. Meanwhile the integration of additional interfaces or new electronic systems could be managed by software updates for flexibility in future deployments.

The Turkish Army’s BMS has several constituent parts and involves several Turkish companies. “The Battlefield Target Identification System and Battle Management and Communications Systems are manufactured by Aselsan while the Altay MBT’s 360-degree Situational Awareness System (SAS) is manufactured by Otokar. The SAS provides an all-round perception of the local environment in mission-critical situations allowing decision-makers to be provided with the information they need to anticipate risks and to act accordingly whilst detecting intruders and threats in total darkness, fog, smoke and most obscurants,” the spokesperson informed AMR. No information has been released by Otokar regarding the quantity of dismounted and Altay BMSs to be delivered to the Turkish Army, or when deliveries will commence or conclude.

Additionally, Aselsan has developed a laser warning system which is designed to be integrated into the BMS, allowing the crew of the Altay to receive visual

and audio warnings when being illuminated by pulsed laser rangefinders or designators, as well as laser-guided weapons. “The system detects, identifies, pinpoints and categorises the laser sources (and) then prioritises them in order of lethality according to the threat identification information in the laser warning system’s Mission Data File,” an Aselsan source explained. “The warning enables the crew to take appropriate self-protective action or (to employ countermeasures) beforehand.”

Elsewhere, Northrop Grumman unveiled its Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi this February. The company is placing a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific market for this product. Described as a mobile C2 node for integrated air and missile defence, Citadel is based on a similar system used by the US Army to detect conventional air and missile threats. It is capable of finding and fixing incoming weapons by using the most efficient sensor and selecting the appropriate countermeasure or weapon to neutralise that threat. “Just as citadels (in the antiquity) were well planned and positioned for presenting the best vantage points, our Citadel system offers an unprecedented, integrated view for air and missile defence so quicker decisions can be made with higher confidence,” said Walid Abukhaled, chief executive of Northrop Grumman’s Saudi Arabia subsidiary. Expanding on Mr. Abukhaled’s discussion, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman noted that, “(t)hrough (the) optimal networking of weapon systems and sensors, the system delivers a single recognised air picture to provide troops with the ability to make better, timelier decisions for accurate engagements and to reduce fratricide. Citadel uses the most recent and rigorous military standards to implement cybersecurity for mitigating the latest cyber threats.”

Citadel’s distributed fire control network can be incorporated into current and future sensors and weapon systems for flexibility in order to contend with a variety of threats, such as the relatively benign aerial threat level found in envi-ronments such as Afghanistan, through to the more complex non-permissive aerial environments such as those found during the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s 2011 intervention in Libya, and the existing civil wars in Syria and Ukraine. Given its recent debut, Citadel is awaiting orders

Citadel is a mobile command and control node

for integrated air and missile defence



and has not yet, at the time of writing (early May 2015) AMR understands, been procured by any customers.

MalaysiaElsewhere, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) continue to progress with their Network Centric Operations (NCO) BMS effort. Led by local prime contractor Sapura, the programme is seeking to satisfy the networking requirements of the military ranging from the tactical environment through to the operational and strategic pictures. Phase 1A is due to be completed this year. It provides an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) to the MAF, and will begin to furnish Malaysian Army battalions, as well as allowing the limited networking of naval vessels and air force ground-based air surveillance radar systems. This IOC for the BMS exemplifies the ongoing shift towards the joint operating environment which requires army, navy, air force and other agencies (intelligence, military and civilian) to cooperate.

Depending upon the success of this initial effort, Phase 1B will increase the quantity of BMSs fielded across the Malaysian Army, plus the further integration with more sensors and platforms continuing up to 2018 with a Sapura spokesperson explaining to AMR how subsequent phases, and the content of these phases, had yet to be clarified. The BMS is also expected to be networked with Sapura’s Future Soldier System which was first unveiled at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2012. Furthermore, Sapura confirmed that it plans to inte-grate the in-service SCS PX2000 C2

Harris’ AN/PRC-152 handheld radio, already widely used by NATO special operations units in the US and Europe, is being fielded with the Australian armed forces as part of its Land 75 and 125 programmes to provide a next-generation battle management system capability © Harris

system which is used across the MAF into the overall NCO BMS, along with Sagem’s BMS technology utilised in the Bumar PT-91M MBTs used by the Malaysian Army.

Sapura’s solution focuses on the general connectivity and networking of units to tactical operations centres and

The Malaysian Army’s NCO BMS is expected to be

networked with Sapura’s Future Soldier System

Malaysian PASKAL special operations forces, including naval units tasked with maritime counter terrorism

operations, will be equipped with battle management system technology with prime contractor Sapura

expected to complete the first phase of this programme later this year © Malaysian Armed Forces



of radios and BMSs on-board vehicles including the army’s BAE Systems M113AS4 tracked armoured personnel carriers, its Medium Heavy Trucks being procured under the Land 121 initiative and its Thales Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles.

Furnished by Elbit Systems, Land 200 Phase 2 will “…deliver sustainment training and simulation capabilities for individual and collective Battle Management System requirements; weapons-integrated Battle Management Systems (for use on the army’s General Dynamics M1A1 Abrams MBT and the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle from the same company); plus brigade headquarters software applications for all headquarters functions including interoperability with key Joint and Coalition systems.”

Additionally, the programme sees the

procurement of Harris’ AN/PRC-152 multiband handheld radio; introduction of the Battle Group and Below Command, Control and Communications (BGC3) architecture from Elbit Systems; and the delivery of a robust tactical network architecture to support land networking capabilities from the individual soldier to the divisional level, according to the Australian Army. Elbit Systems is the prime contractor in this effort. Land 200’s Phase I reached an IOC in 2014. Meanwhile, the Australian Army’s Land 75 and Land 125 programmes will see up to 1000 vehicles and 1500 individual soldier systems being upgraded with this new BGC3 architecture. Ultimately, the BMS market in the Asia-Pacific looks set to continue gathering pace and AMR awaits with interest to hear of the progress made in Malaysia, Australia and elsewhere to drive this capability further forwards. aMR

The Australian Army is also upgrading the battle management systems used by its various vehicles including the Thales Bushmaster. This platform continues to provide a valuable capability in ongoing counter-terrorism operations at home and abroad © Australian DoD

above, via a voice and data gateway. The BMS solution also includes the company’s Multi Access Networking Tactical Internet System (MANTIS) which integrates router and communications servers with information from army sensors deployed by individual troops, on-board vehicles and in a stand-alone capacity to generate a common operational picture.

AustraliaFinally, the Australian Army continues to implement its holistic Land Networking solution for formations up to brigade level which is due to complete its imple-mentation by 2018 under the Land 200 programme. The Land 200 Phase 1 initiative saw the army receiving a digital BMS for dismounted soldiers, and protected mobility vehicles including the forces’ Mercedes-Benz Unimog and G-Wagon. Phase 2 will see the integration

S E A R C HA N D R E S C U E


by Andrew Drwiega

Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) is a specialised skill, the key to which is often volume of resources in terms of aircraft, equipment and personnel. Sharpening CSAR skill sets is also increasingly the

result of training with multinational partners.

InternatIonal rescue



A USAF airman signals to a Lockheed Martin/Fairchild Republic

A-10C Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft during a combat search and rescue training scenario held in the

Republic of Korea © USAF

CSAR is a very subjective issue which is interpreted in many ways by armed forces all over the world. The mission can be categorised

depending on the type of military personnel who are in danger and need rescuing, which include special forces, downed pilots, ordinary infantrymen and high-value civilians.

The level of equipment and training that those who need to be rescued possess is also a key factor in any CSAR operation. Can they evade capture, navigate through terrain, describe their position and work effectively with rescue forces? Are they coalition partner personnel or a mix of allies? In today’s complex world of expeditionary operations it should never be expected that a force will only be called upon to rescue its own people.

There is also the level of threat that must be considered for the rescue to succeed. Is the mission simply to go behind the lines and/or into a benign environment to collect one individual whose position is known with no threat present? Is the mission to rescue someone who is isolated and in danger of capture with enemy forces actively trying to locate them? Is this person, or group, in a high threat area with multiple defensive systems active but unknown regarding their location and type?

Some of these above factors were at play on 2 July 1995 when Captain Scott O’Grady, a United States Air Force (USAF) Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) pilot and a member of the USAF 555th Fighter Squadron located at Aviano airbase, northern Italy, was shot down by a Bosnian-Serb Army Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design/Vympel NPO 2K12 Kub medium-altitude surface-to-air missile, south of the town of Banja Luka in what is today northern Bosnia-Herzegovina. Capt. O’Grady relied on his survival training and equipment to elude capture for six days. His rescue involved 40 aircraft, a special operations back-up force and was spearheaded by the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The primary rescue team comprised two USMC Sikorsky CH-53D heavy-lift helicopters (carrying about 20 marines each), two Bell AH-1W Cobra gunships, and two Boeing/McDonnell Dougla AV-8B Harrier- II+ MRCAs.



Rescue forces can include anything from one pair of helicopters (singles are never usually sent out alone in a threat area unless specially trained to do so working with special forces), to a small number of rotorcraft with gunship support, all the way up to a multiple-type package of aircraft. This would potentially include an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft such as a Boeing E-3B/C/D/F/G Sentry to manage the air package, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to provide intelligence, MRCAs to counter any ground-to-air or air-to-air threat, ground attack aircraft (either MRCAs or attack helicopters or both), rescue helicopters and extraction teams of soldiers. It helps if those elements have all frequently trained together before.

Joint commitmentsHigh threat, contested airspace CSAR operations are virtually the sole domain of US forces. Even in Europe, the maximum that any force can achieve by itself is probably no more than at the medium threat level regarding ground-to-air and air-to-air threats. But the key to having any capability at all is using what you have, joining with allies and exercising at any given opportunity.

In Europe the European Defence Agency (EDA) hold an annual ‘Hot Blade’ exercise, the last of which was held at Ovar airbase in northern Portugal from 16-30 July 2014. The EDA has been a leader in multinational CSAR training in Europe since the Hot Blade exercise series began in 2009 in France. During the last exercise, 3000 personnel, 25 helicopters and twelve fixed-wing aircraft took part in what was planned as a series of increasingly-complex tactical missions. Participating nations included Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Nether-lands and the United Kingdom, as well as the hosts Portugal.

The rotary element involved in the exercise included four Boeing CH-47D/F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force/RNLAF); four AgustaWestland AW-101 medium-

High threat, contested CSAR

operations are virtually the sole domain

of US forces

lift utility helicopters from the Força Aérea Portuguesa (Portuguese Air Force /PAF); four AgustaWestland AW-109BA light utility helicopters from the Lucht-component (Belgian Air Component); three Airbus Helicopters Puma HC.2 medium-lift utility helicopters from the Royal Air Force (RAF); six Bell UH-1D medium-lift utility helicopters from the Luftwaffe (German Air Force); and two Bell AB-212 medium-lift utility helicopters from the Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte (Austrian Air Force). The fixed-wing element from the PAF comprised ten F-16AM/BM MRCAs, one Airbus C-295M turboprop freighter and a Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Andrew Gray, the EDA Hot Blade Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) manager analyses the need for such multinational courses: “There is no har-monisation of flying training; we are all doing it our own way, probably based on decisions made 70 years ago. We like having our own flight schools and academies; it’s an ethos thing and it is also negative.” The exercise programme is bolstered by a Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC), the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC) and perhaps vitally an Operational English Language Course (OELC).

A Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor air superiority aircraft waits to begin its mission

during Exercise Cope Taufan in Malaysia, June, 2014. This large scale exercise also

incorporated CSAR training elements © USAF



THE

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Asia-Pacific ExercisesIn the Asia-Pacific region, US forces bring with them the entire spectrum of capability that no other country can match. They also offer a level of professionalism that most forces only aspire to. For the US, the greater value is conducting exercises with Asia-Pacific countries that are amplified at a wider strategic level. There are numerous exercises arranged with US forces around the Asia-Pacific each year, most of which include CSAR as an element rather than a goal. From 8-19 November 2014 the USAF joined with the armed forces of Japan in a bilateral military exercise entitled Keen Sword 2015. The exercise has been staged every two years since 1986 and while generally serving as an opportunity for joint training, it is aimed specifically at improving rescue techniques and capabilities. Participants included personnel from both the USAF 33rd Rescue Squadron (RQS) and 212th Rescue Squadron together with their Japanese counterparts, but overall nearly 11000 US personnel were

involved. Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson Dugdale, the 33rd RQS commander, said that aside from the practical side of combining forces operationally, it also

“strengthens our partnership by giving us the chance to work together, share cultures and test tactics.”

The Japan Air Self Defence Force Komatsu Air Rescue Squadron com-mander Lt. Col. Hiroshi Kageura added that “rescue operations are important during peacetime and wartime environ-ments. More lives can be saved through bilateral operations.” More information

A USAF Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter hovers to pick up a simulated survivor during a combat search and rescue training exercise in the Republic of Korea. These aircraft are being replaced by Sikorsky’s new HH-60W CSAR helicopter © USAF



on the Japanese armed forces can be found in Jonathan Davis’ ‘A Focused Affair’ article in this issue.

In June, 2014, Exercise Cope Taufan was staged in Malaysia involving the Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM/Royal Malaysian Air Force) and the USAF. It saw the first deployment of the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor air superiority fighter to an exercise in south-east Asia. CSAR was part of a package of missions that also included close air support, interdiction and tactical airlift.

EquipmentTwo helicopter types have emerged as dedicated CSAR platforms: Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk and Airbus Helicopters’ EC-725 Caracal medium-lift utility helicopters. The USAF has awarded a contract to Sikorsky to develop a new CSAR version of its latest UH-60M medium-lift utility helicopter to replace the USAF’s ageing Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk dedicated CSAR helicopters. The contract, awarded to Sikorsky on 26 June 2014, is worth up to $7.9 billion for 112 helicopters. The first five of these new HH-60W aircraft are due to be delivered in 2020.

As well as having modern digital avionics, extra features will include an increased internal fuel capability and enlarged internal cabin space vis-à-vis

The USAF’s lead unit for developing and maintaining operational readiness for worldwide CSAR deployment is the 563rd Rescue Group (563 RQG) located at Davis-Monthan airbase, Arizona. It operates the Lockheed Martin HC-130J fixed-wing CSAR aircraft, as well as HH-60G ‘Guardian Angel’ squadrons, so called because of their extensive training for CSAR and civil SAR rescues.

As a side note, while the initial selection of the HH-47 as a CSAR platform might have appeared strange to some, it should be remembered that in Afghanistan the British armed forces operated a specially-equipped Boeing Chinook HC.3/4 helicopter as a Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) aircraft. Carrying a medical team with a doctor and virtually a fully-equipped emergency room layout in the back, the time lapse between a soldier becoming a casualty and treatment being started, known as the ‘Golden Hour’, stopped as soon as the helicopter arrived.

The Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) Air Support Command has a force of 44 helicopters within its Air Rescue Wing. These comprise 39 Sikorsky /Mitsubishi Heavy Industries UH-60J Black Hawks and two Boeing/Kawasaki Heavy Industries KV-107/II Shirasaji heavy-lift helicopters. A further support battalion can field another 19 CH-47Js.

Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) operations of their EC-725s in Afghanistan as CSAR aircraft have been impressive since their initial deployment in 2008. This deployment of three aircraft at a time of continuous fighting meant that readiness was vital. Standard reaction times were within 15 minutes during the day and 30 minutes at night. As the unit’s commander explained at the time (unnamed for security reasons), “Almost every single helicopter operating in Afghanistan is restricted to Level Three light conditions for night flights…Our EC-725s and the HH-60Ms of the US Special Forces are the only aircraft that can fly in Level Four and Level Five conditions, which means flying with no residual light whatsoever. And in Afghanistan, nearly half of our flights were performed in these types of conditions.”

The TUDM ordered twelve EC-725s in 2010 and are now operating all of the aircraft. One of the principal reasons for their acquisition was to replace the ageing Sikorsky S-61A4 Nuri medium-lift utility helicopter fleet which is old with significant availability problems.

A USAF Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter is seen here preparing to refuel from a Lockheed Martin HC-130J fixed-wing CSAR aircraft during Exercise Angel Thunder in 2013 © USAF

The TUDM ordered twelve EC-725s

and are now operating all of the aircraft

the HH-60G. Like the UH-60M it will be powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines and feature wide-chord main rotor blades as well as the latest fatigue- and corrosion-resistant aerostructures to sustain manoeuvrability at high altitudes.

In February 2007 the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which overseas how government funding is spent, upheld a protest from Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin against the earlier award of the same CSAR contract to Boeing for its proposed HH-47 CSAR aircraft. The GAO’s report stated that it had “sustained the protests on the basis that the (USAF’s) evaluation of operations and support costs was inconsistent with the approach set forth in the solicitation.” This meant that the candidate aircraft’s life-cycle costs had to be re-evaluated, delaying the acquisition by around seven years. Boeing’s offering was based upon the company’s CH-47F heavy-lift helicopter.

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Rescue missions are now largely the responsibility of the EC-725 fleet.

More recently on 6 November 2014, the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (Indonesia Air Force) accepted the first of six EC-725 helicopters whose mission is CSAR. Specialist mission equipment for CSAR operations will be installed by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), based in Bandung on the island of Java. PTDI has a long-standing partnership with the Airbus Group which extends to manufacturing tail booms and airframe assembles for the EC-725 family, as well as assembly of the fixed-wing NC-212i and CN-235 turboprop freighter aircraft. During the acceptance ceremony at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane facility in the south of France, PTDI president Budi Santoso said that he was anticipating

“additional orders from the (Indonesian) air force for ten more EC-725s to complete its squadron of 16 helicopters,” although there is currently no information as to when these orders will be made.

Ultimate ExerciseBut the reason that the US is so proficient at CSAR is that it has the assets and the ability to train on a large scale and that is what the Angel Thunder exercise is all about. Held annually in the middle of

each year at Davis-Monthan airbase (see above), this year between 30 May and 13 June 2015, the site will once again be the centre of the world’s largest and most dynamic Personnel Recovery (PR) exercise. It is almost monstrous in its scope, as it not only involves the US and foreign militaries, but it provides rescue and recovery training for US federal government agencies, local communities and, this year, even Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The exercise area is huge. It encompasses large areas from the desert interior of Arizona to the coastal areas of California. It will include training missions from border security along the US-Mexican border to offshore missions involving maritime forces off the coast of San Diego, California. Furthermore, there are rapid water rescues from the Colorado River, high-angle winch training off Mount Lemmon, Arizona and tactical drop zones for parachutists.

Among the twelve nations committed this year, including Germany, Israel, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. There are expected to be around 60 different fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft divided between 25 different types. These are likely to include USAF HH-60Ms, HC-130Js and even General AMR

Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAVs through to US Army Boeing AH-64D/E Apache Longbow/Guardian attack helicopters, Sikorsky UH-60L/Ms, Boeing CH-47Fs and even special operations aircraft. The German Air Force will be represented by its Sikorsky CH-53Gs and the French Air Force by its EC-725s.

According to Angel Thunder director Brett Hartnett, specific training objectives will include Personnel Recovery in urban operations, plus PR during the air-sea battle (integrating US Navy and US Marine Corps assets), PR in contested irregular warfare environments and PR during denied area operations. The range of international military personnel will also include Survival, Evasion, Resis-tance and Extraction (SERE) specialists, aero-medical specialists, personnel recovery teams, para-jumpers and even a dog team.

The first week will focus on orchestrating and refining the various skills and equipment that has been assembled while the second week takes what has been learned and turns the theory into actual scenarios. Diversity is the key to this initiative, and it is reputed to have something for everyone, whether kinetic operations or search and rescue for civil agencies.

In November 2014 the first of six Airbus Helicopters EC-725 medium-lift utility rotorcraft for the Indonesian Air Force was handed over. The helicopters will be used in the CSAR role © Airbus Helicopters

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n a v a lu n m a n n e d


by Claire Apthorp

The demand for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) is gaining momentum as navies across the Asia-Pacific recognise the cost-effectiveness of the technology, and the lower associated risks of using robotic versus manned assets.

Ocean cOlOur Scene



Additionally, unmanned assets are increasingly being used to augment inhabited systems to conduct the dull and dangerous missions such

as coastal patrol, maritime patrol, and long-range meteorological and oceanographic missions. A spokesperson for United States-based USV manu-facturer Liquid Robotics told AMR that for missions such as these, its Wave Glider USV can be “used as a trip wire” for the early detection of potential maritime threats such as enemy submarines, and the notification of high-value manned surface and aerial assets for interdiction, effectively creating a network of manned and unmanned systems that work together to provide maritime security. Liquid Robotics is currently focusing on delivering solutions in the defence, maritime security, and oil and gas markets. The company is also working with new partners (see below) to develop capabilities in wind- and solar-powered USVs to innovate and integrate new sensor technologies and develop new applications.

In September 2014, Liquid Robotics announced a new joint initiative with Boeing. This includes a concept of operations that would see a Wave Glider operating on the surface of the ocean communicating acoustically with subsea assets and sensors in order to communicate data in real time to manned platforms such as Boeing’s P8A/I Poseidon family of Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The past year has seen the Asia-Pacific region become one of Liquid Robotics’ most active areas. According to the spokesperson, the company has developed a network of partners throughout Australia, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Singapore. These initiatives include working together on Wave Glider-based solutions for maritime domain awareness and security to protect coastlines from fish poaching; human and narcotics smuggling; to protect marine areas, monitor environmental pollution, water quality; and to provide severe weather and tsunami warning.

The company believes that Indonesia has a critical maritime security issue that can be addressed with its Wave Glider USV. Seventy-five percent of its territory encompasses ocean with 7000 islands and thousands of fishing villages entirely dependent on the sea for their livelihood. Indonesia encounters many island disputes, particularly in the waters of the Celebes Sea, and faces a huge challenge patrolling and monitoring illegal fishing in the country’s jurisdiction. With only 27 manned naval patrol boats, managing such a large area is almost impossible. A Wave Glider fleet, however, could patrol the coasts of Indonesia’s waters, forming a persistent network to provide knowledge and real-time intelligence about illegal fishing vessels, a capability that Liquid Robotics believes also has good application in other countries with large coastlines.

The Wave Glider USV can work as part of a wider maritime defence

network to provide continuous surveillance, detection and cueing of

inhabited assets for confirmation and interdiction © Liquid Robotics

A graphic illustration representing the Boeing-Liquid Robotics

team’s partnership to advance unmanned ocean systems via the

development of total integrated solutions for anti-submarine

warfare, maritime domain awareness and other maritime defence applications © Boeing

The Vigilant unmanned surface vehicle is designed to operate independently of a mother craft, with a size and enhanced seakeeping qualities to enable shore to shore operations, even in harsh weather conditions © Zycraft



Counter-piracyIn March 2015, the Singaporean company Zycraft announced that it had teamed with Netherlands-based Microflown Maritime to integrate the latter’s gunshot detection system, called the Boat Acoustic Multi-Mission Sensor (B-AMMS), into its inhabited Shomari LRV-17 counter-piracy escort vessel in order to give the Shomari LRV-17’s early warning capabilities against pirate gunfire in noisy marine environments.

The B-AAMS system uses an acoustic vector sensor and software to detect the shockwave and muzzle blast of multiple shots of small arms fire, providing both the direction and range for each shot to localise the shooter position at ranges of up to 0.8 nautical miles (1.5 kilometres). When the shooter is not firing directly at the vessel, the system can detect and locate the source at ranges of up to 200 metres (656 feet).

The system is currently undergoing operational evaluation tests by Zycraft, and while the Shomari LRV-17 is a manned vessel, the B-AMMS’ small size, weight and power requirements mean that there is potential for its integration into Zycraft’s Vigilant Independent USV, something currently being explored by the company, although this work is in its early stages.

“Based on our experience (of) using manned boats for counter-piracy escort, we’ve learned a lot about how to detect the threat, and the key worry is that pirate boats are incredibly small and difficult to detect even with advanced radar, especially if the sea is choppy, in which case they basically disappear from radar,” James Soon, president of Zycraft, told

AMR. “So despite all the sensors on board, it can happen that the first time we detect a pirate boat in the vicinity is when they open fire with their weapons, but even then, if they open fire at 300m to 400m (984-1312ft) with small arms weapons and the rounds do not strike the vessel, the crew cannot hear the shots over the engine noise or if the watertight doors are closed.” Mr. Soon added, “If the rounds miss, the next best thing is to know that shots have been fired to allow the crew to start taking remedial action. Basically we don’t want to be surprised, we have cameras for eyes, radar for electric vision, and what is missing are the ears that can listen in the external environment to give the clue that you are under attack.”

For a USV, this capability becomes even more critically important, for there is no crew onboard to possibly hear the gunfire and respond accordingly. In this case, a gunfire detection system provides electronic ears to alert the vessel operator back at base to know when gun shots have been detected. According to Mr. Soon, with the B-AMMS system now mature enough to be installed on the Vigilant Independent USV, the potential exists for the vessel’s current concept of operations to expand to include counter-piracy escort. “The key thing here (when using a USV) is that I do not have to worry about onboard guards, crew or supporting infrastructure such as toilets,

If the rounds miss, the next best thing is

to know that shots have been fired

air conditioning, bunks, refrigerators and water,” Mr. Soon notes. “So not only are the manning costs all but eliminated, the savings in weight can be translated into fuel, allowing the vessel to travel much further at the same weight.”

The Vigilant USV uses the Sea Keeper’s eponymous onboard stabilisation system allowing the craft to remain at sea for longer periods even in rough conditions. It can travel at a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 kilometres-per-hour), with a range of up to 1500nm (2778km) at a cruising speed of twelve knots (22km/h), with full load weight of 13000 kilograms (28600lb) and has a patrol endurance of up to 30 days. The system is controlled via satellite communications and operates independently of a mother craft, allowing naval vessels to focus on the crewed portion of an operation, effectively acting as a force multiplier.

Maritime securityWhile the majority of USV products currently being marketed to military customers remain those with Mine-Countermeasure (MCM) and underwater survey capabilities, Mr. Soon said that interest in the Zycraft model of USV, those more than nine metres (30 feet) in length with the capacity to carry significant payloads, is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region. In late 2014 the company was involved in a consortium offering a solution to an undisclosed regional government looking to provide maritime security following a round of terrorist attacks on its coast. Mr. Soon believes that the market is getting closer to a point where maritime security is becoming a greater driver for interest in USVs compared to routine maritime survey work. “We are engaging

Zycraft is looking into the potential for its Vigilant USV to be integrated

with the Boat Acoustic Multi-Mission Sensor (B-AMMS) gunshot detection

system to evolve the vessel’s application regarding counter piracy escort missions

© Zycraft



with several interested governments in the region, and are making headway in the understanding of how USVs would apply for them,” he said. “But like a lot of projects in the area the end point can be elusive. What we do know is that given more time, the next thing governments want to acquire are USVs for maritime security. The ability to keep an eye on the water 50 to 100nm (92 to 185km) out to sea is what a lot of countries in the region need. Because the coastlines are just too huge, it’s hard to do it in manned boats, so they really need something more pervasive.”

The MCM mission seems likely to see the first major deployment of USVs in the region, with a number of nations (see below) seeking information on such capabilities therein. “MCM is the biggest area of focus at the moment in the USV market, and potentially it will be huge,” Vince Dobbin, director of UK company ASV (Autonomous Surface Vehicles) told AMR. “It is being influenced by a number of (external) developments, such as the Royal Navy’s MCM sweep programme and the Anglo-French Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MCMM) programme.” Both the MCM sweep and MCMM programmes involve the development of unmanned capabilities to reduce reliance on dive teams for underwater mine and bomb detection and neutralisation. The MCM is a United Kingdom-only programme, while the MCMM initiative is being jointly performed by Anglo-French industry to meet the needs of the Royal Navy and the Marine Nationale (French Navy). While ASV was part of a team that bid on the UK programme unsuccessfully, the award for prototype development and demonstration having gone to Atlas Elektronik UK in March

2015, the company is part of the winning team led by Thales and BAE Systems for the MMCM programme, with a contract awarded in late March for the development of a prototype autonomous system for detection and neutralisation of sea mines and underwater explosives. ASV will be responsible for supplying the USV, although the specific type of craft is yet to be announced. Mr. Dobbin believes this MCMM work will lead to further MCM opportunities worldwide. He added that the company is “also looking at opportunities in the Middle East … Taiwan and Japan, and our C-Sweep USV is being looked at for the Australian SEA 1778 programme.” The SEA 1778 is being researched by Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) to examine MCM and hydrographic operations for the Royal Australian Navy.

ASV’s C-Sweep multi-role USV has been designed to offer a high degree of stability and the ability to tow a mine-sweeping module. With a range of 200nm (370km) and a towing speed of 20 knots (37km/h), although the vehicle can reach 25 knots (46km/h) without the tow, it is available with a range of options. These can include side-scan, multi-beam and diver detection sonar. Control modes include direct, semi-autonomous and autonomous with real-time video, radar, Automatic Identification System vessel interrogation and payload feedback via ASV’s Con-Long Range control system.

These projects have prompted a number of international companies to engage more readily in the Australian market. In its Potential use by the Australian Defence Force of unmanned air, maritime and land platforms white paper published by Saab in February 2015, the company

commented that “in recognition of the growing importance and utility of unmanned platforms” it has decided to establish a Global Centre of Excellence in USVs at its Australian subsidiary, headquartered in Adelaide. As well as enabling Saab to better support the country’s aerial and underwater unmanned systems and requirements, this centre will seek to “harness the skills developed in Saab in support of the RAN surface fleet and (to) leverage the sophisticated unmanned platform technology developed in Saab worldwide to provide an incubator for the development of novel applications for unmanned surface platforms.”

Following Saab’s acquisition of the Swedish Kockums shipyard in 2014 and its USV portfolio which includes the SAM-3 MCM USV, Saab displayed a multiple mission concept USV mock-up called Bonefish developed at the centre.

BAE Systems has offered a mission system for the Royal Australian Navy’s SEA 1778 requirement

that will maximise the use of off-the-shelf products for mine

and obstacle detection, classification, identification, avoidance and neutralisation

where necessary © BAE Systems



Bonefish was displayed at the 2014 Indo Defence exhibition in Jakarta. A scalable and flexible mission system has also been developed to support the platform, with a design that utilises Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products and an open architecture that allows easy upgrades and adaptation to any hull.

Bonefish is also being used by Saab to investigate the integration of USVs with other platforms in order to better inform future defence operations. The company has drawn on its experience of the design and development of the 9LV Combat Management System (CMS) deployed on-board the RAN’s ‘ANZAC’ class frigates and ‘Canberra’ amphibious support ships. Under a strategic alliance with the DSTO, Saab has conducted research and development into the integration of the Bonefish USV mission system with the 9LV CMS.

According to Saab’s white paper, “the results of this integration work are expected to be applicable to the future integration of UAVs and UUVs with the CMS, realising the true benefit of these systems as deployable sensors.” The team has already achieved some “basic integration” of the 9LV CMS with the Bonefish mission system, “setting up the opportunity for the RAN to leapfrog others in this space”.

In late 2014 BAE Systems also announced that it would offer a mission system that maximises the use of proven off-the-shelf technology, for project SEA 1778 (see above). As elsewhere, the RAN

is considering the use of unmanned systems for difficult and dangerous tasks. The BAE Systems offering includes both surface and underwater elements, including Britton Maritime Systems’ USV-1300 and the Kongsberg Maritime Hydroid REMUS-600 auto-nomous underwater vehicle.

Target drones ASV’s work in the Asia-Pacific region currently remains largely focused on its unmanned maritime targets. The company continues to support C-Target-9 target drones built and delivered to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Agency for Defence Development during 2013 and 2014. These targets are configured to emulate the required performance of

different types of ‘target’ vessels, such as fast attack craft, for purposes of missile system target training. They can reach speeds of up to 50 knots (93km/h) and operate in both manned and unmanned modes. They are being used as part of a testing and development programme to develop new weapon systems with RoK-based electronics specialists GigaRF.

According to Mr. Dobbin, further target drones are being built in-country and ASV will provide the unmanned control system for them. Additionally, the company has sold target drones, including its inflatable towed targets, to Singapore which it also continues to support, and has fielded enquiries for additional target drones from Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. “In (the RoK) the target drones are used for live firings as they develop new missile systems, whereas Singapore tends to tow an inflatable target, but they are looking for a solution to allow them to conduct live firings against much larger targets with a bigger surface area emulating a ship,” Mr. Dobbin continues.

Although acquisitions currently remain low, as navies continue to dip their toes into USV technologies and recognise the value these systems can add to their operations, demand will continue to grow. USVs are likely to become an integral asset in future maritime operations in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

USVs could become an integral asset to future maritime operations in

the Asia-Pacific

ASVs dynamic surface targets are designed to emulate the threat posed by fast attack

craft (FAC). This allows users to test weapon system capabilities, assisting their

development, and train joint operational teams © ASV

Saab has conducted research and development into the integration of the Bonefish USV mission system with the 9LV Combat Management System used on board the RAN’s ‘ANZAC’ class frigates and ‘Canberra’ class amphibious support ships © Saab

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RegionalM i l i t a r i e s


A Focused AFFAir

by Jonathan Davis

Tokyo’s recent defence budget increases have invited criticism of a new found militarism in Japan. Upon closer inspection, Tokyo has taken a moderate and highly selective approach to modernising Japan’s Self Defence Forces, focusing largely on island defence and enhancing intelligence capabilities.

A US Marine leads Japan Ground Self Defence Force soldiers to a Boeing CH-46E Sea Knight heavy-lift helicopter during Exercise Iron Fist 2014. The two nations enjoy extensive interoperability, and Japan will hope to shoulder more of this role © US DoD



Japanese foreign and defence policy has for many decades failed to court controversy. Instead it has been viewed as a geopolitical anomaly: under the

umbrella of the United States’ guarantee of security, Japan possessed a substantial but national defence-oriented military. However, the recent defence spending increases announced in January 2015 have brought the Japanese defence budget to its all-time post-Second World War high of $42 billion, causing some commentators to question where future defence spending increases will take Japan.

This headline figure of $42 billion has encouraged Beijing to accuse Japan of remilitarisation, a political ploy designed to raise painful memories of the Japanese occupation of the Asia-Pacific region during the Second World War. Such memories are also painful to parts of Japan’s political class. However, Japan’s increase in defence spending is arguably a response to a dramatically changing political and military landscape.

Go Yamaguchi, defence counsellor at the Embassy of Japan, London, contends that a more robust defence budget is merely a response to the “concentration of nation states that possess large-scale military force” and even nuclear weapons, in an environment where “regional cooperation frameworks on national security have yet to be fully legislated”. The reference to these “nation states that possess large-scale military force” is presumably a nod to the People’s Republic of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Indeed, having eschewed military prowess for economic growth since 1946 under the so-called ‘Yoshida Doctrine’, a policy that promoted economic growth and a reliance on the US for security, Japan’s defence spending increase is arguably indicative not of militarisation, but of normalisation.

This change in Japan’s defence posture has significant ramifications not just for Japan's Self Defence Forces (JSDF), but also for its long-introverted defence industry. Recent increases in defence spending have helped Japan move away from the derided ‘Cheque Book Diplomacy’, whereby aid money is provided in lieu of military support, witnessed during the Persian Gulf War of 1991 when Japan paid some of the bill for the US-led military effort to expel Iraq from Kuwait, towards playing minor non-combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan



The JS Izumo is the largest ship to be built by Japan since the Second World War. The carrier is capable of carrying up to 400 troops and over 20 aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles © JMSDF

Smaller than the JS Izumo helicopter destroyer the JS Hyuga is intended for Sikorsky SH-60K anti-submarine warfare helicopters and larger Boeing CH-47J Chinook heavy-lift helicopters © JMSDF

Japan will acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting-II MRCA, the conventional take-off variant which cannot operate from ships, although Japan could eventually procure the F-35B STOVL variant © US DoD

in recent years. These roles included a Reconstruction Support Group and ship refuelling respectively, and although controversial, in broad terms the deployments conformed to Article Nine of Japan’s Constitution, in which the Japanese people “forever renounce war” and vowed to eschew “war potential”. Facing new realities in the region, not least the territorial dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, a new approach to Japan’s military is being broached by the Japanese government.

These issues have prompted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government to begin a doctrinal shift away from a renunciation of war and towards Mr. Abe’s concept of ‘collective self-defence’. Taking a more philosophical approach to national security, this policy would allow Japan to deploy its military in combat roles even if Japan’s territory was not under direct attack. Mr. Abe has also pushed the phrase ‘proactive contribution to peace’, an approach to international relations that would see Japan offer more to multinational coalitions and disaster relief efforts. Tokyo’s new outlook, although still requiring legislation, is a broader, more philosophical approach to defence. With it, a broader military capability is required.

Concept to CapabilityJapan is in essence a maritime nation. With a coastline greater in length than that of the United States and an archipelago consisting of over 6000 islands, a significant maritime capability is required to protect this sovereign territory. The starting point for Japan has been modest, and the document outlining Japan’s security policy, the National Defence Programme Guidelines of 2010, acknowledged the limitations faced by Japan by calling for a ”dynamic defence force”. In layman’s terms, Tokyo aims to build a small force with “readiness, mobility, flexibility, sustainability, and versatility” that would meet the demands of “national self-defence”, the document stipulates.

The starting point for building this dynamic defence force is modest. Progress has been quick due in part to Japan’s impressive defence industrial capability and increasing interoperability with the US military. As a maritime nation facing maritime challenges, Japan has met these security challenges through its maritime capabilities. The commissioning of the eponymous ‘Izumo’ class helicopter

destroyer has led the way. This ship programme was included in the 2010 budget request and is the most recent augmentation to a helicopter destroyer fleet that already includes two ‘Hyuga’ class ships.

The JS Izumo reflects Japan’s stated desire for flexibility and mobility, and although it shirks the power projection of traditional aircraft carriers, the JS Izumo is nonetheless the largest warship built by Japan since the Second World War. While this fact has contributed to

arguments by Chinese commentators, including The People’s Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Republic of China (PRC) People’s Liberation Army, that a new form of militarism is taking hold in Japan, it can be seen as a clear statement of Japan’s new approach to defence. Furthermore, it clearly meets the stated requirements of a dynamic defence force discussed above.

Although the ship will initially deploy with nine helicopters, the reasonably

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large deck and hangar size could carry considerably more aircraft. This has led to speculation in the international defence community that a variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II multi-role combat aircraft, of which Japan will purchase 46, could eventually be operated from the ship. While it is only the F-35B that can perform STOVL (Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing) operations, current F-35A purchases may pave the way for future procurement of the STOVL variant. Furthermore the JS Izumo could perform humanitarian and disaster relief, search and rescue operations, as well as anti-submarine and amphibious warfare using its embarked helicopters.

In addition to the helicopter destroyers, two extra ships equipped with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat Management System will further augment the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). Considered a response to the DPRK’s ongoing ballistic missile tests, including the test of a Rodong medium-range ballistic missile in March 2014, the Japanese government has accelerated the procurement of two additional ‘Atago’ class destroyers for an expected delivery in 2020. The JMSDF will also be increasing its submarine fleet from 16 to 20. Presently, the submarine fleet includes six ‘Soryu’ and ten ‘Oyashio’ class

conventional hunter-killer submarines (please see Dr. Alix Valenti's article 'We Dive at Dawn' in this issue for more information on Japan's submarine procurements). The fleet will be increased with an addition of four new ‘Soryu’ class SSKs, with the procurement of these submarines expected to be completed by the early 2020s. These boats will act as a powerful counter to the People’s Republic of China’s increasingly muscular naval presence in the South and East China Seas.

These investments into the JMSDF will be supplemented with the expected purchase of 17 Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors, although it is yet to be revealed which of Japan’s armed forces the MV-22 may equip. These aircraft will give the Japanese military the ability to provide a flexible response to exigencies across its island chain. Nevertheless, Japan’s defence spending remains relatively low compared to its economic contemporaries, such as the US and the PRC. Edward Schwarck, Asia fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, argues that while Chinese analysts speak of Japan lacking strategic depth, “advancement in Japan’s military help Tokyo to maintain administrative control over islands contested with China”. Consequently Mr. Schwarck notes that the augmentation of Japan’s military

capabilities is “obviously undesirable for Beijing”. Furthermore this deficit in strategic depth will be partly offset by rapidly-developing intelligence-gathering capabilities.

Building IntelligenceIntelligence and information security in Japan is an issue that has attracted derision in the past. Former Soviet spy Stanislav Levchenko famously called Japan a “spy’s paradise” in 1988 due to limited domestic anti-espionage legislation. Tokyo has taken information security and intelligence more seriously during the government of Mr. Abe, and Mr. Yamaguchi lists reconnaissance capabilities as one of the core areas that are currently being

“selectively strengthened” in order to improve the situational awareness of Japan’s forces. This may pose a greater challenge for Tokyo; as opposed to a scaling up of the country’s maritime power, enhancing reconnaissance may mean building new capabilities through platforms entirely new to Japan, such as Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Tokyo has already displayed a resolve arguably unfamiliar to Japan-watchers of decades past. By the end of 2015, JGSDF unit is to be deployed on Yonagunijima, a Japanese island 270 nautical miles (500

Used for transport, the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor will be able to land on

Japanese ships. Japan is strongly expected to acquire this aircraft in the near future © US DoD



kilometres) from Okinawa but lying only 80nm (148km) from both Taiwan and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, the sovereignty of which is disputed by Japan and the PRC. The unit is to comprise of 150 troops based at a coastal surveillance radar station. When compared to the ongoing island building undertaken by the PRC in the South China Sea, the move by Tokyo to improve its coastal observation and intelligence gathering seems rather benign. Yet, by Japan’s post-war standards, the deployment is reasonably radical, and is a clear statement of commitment in the intelligence-gathering realm.

Japan’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has consolidated this commitment to enhancing its military’s reconnaissance capabilities with the purchase of the RQ-4B and Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Although at time of writing (late-April) the details of the purchase have not been officially released, it is likely that at least two RQ-4Bs and one E-2D will be purchased for delivery in 2019. Both platforms are operated by the US, and this purchase furthers the cause of Japan-US military interoperability.

The RQ-4B, which the US Air Force has already deployed from Japan’s Misawa airbase, will provide a significant intelligence-gathering capability boost:

equipped with Raytheon’s Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS) which includes a Synthetic Aperture Radar and accompanying optronics, the UAV is able to fly for over 30 hours. The aircraft could provide a significant non-lethal deterrent over the East China Sea and Japan’s outlying islands.

Recalibrating IndustryThe MoD has worked alongside the US for much of Japan’s post-war history, and the country’s armed forces benefit from decades of close military ties with the United States. Nevertheless Japan’s defence industry has been somewhat introverted. The 1967 ‘three principles’ prevented exports of materiel to communist bloc countries, countries subject to arms export embargo under the United Nations and countries involved in, or likely to be involved, in international conflict. The addition of a collateral policy guideline in 1976 equated to a near-total self-imposed ban

on the export of military equipment. Faced with the twin imperatives of modernising the country’s armed forces while also operating within the constraints of a conservative defence budget, Mr. Abe’s government took a first step in April 2014 to replace the blanket ban on exports with a new policy primarily designed to enable participation in international collaborative defence programmes. In doing so, Japan’s defence industry will be able to compete in the international defence market under governmental control. This new arrangement has the potential to reduce costs for defence procurement by selling equipment beyond the domestic market.

Under the reformed export rules developed by the government, Japanese companies will now be able to export military equipment in cases where it may contribute to the promotion of peace, international co-operation or to Japan’s security. Compared to European standards, these rules remain excep-tionally conservative. Nonetheless, for Japan it is a significant move that will allow Tokyo to build diplomatic and security relationships with other nations. Most importantly for the Japanese armed forces, it will be possible for Japanese firms to embark on ambitious defence projects that were previously too

Capable of over 30 hours of uninterrupted flight, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4B UAV will improve Japan’s reconnaissance capabilities over more

remote territories by using its sophisticated radar and optronics payload © USAF

Japanese defence companies may soon be

able to export equipment to third countries



expensive due to the narrow profit margins associated with solely domestic sales.

Smaller deals, such as the long-awaited sale of ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft to India, maintain the interest of the country’s defence industry in advanced maritime equipment, not to mention improved Indo-Japanese ties. Nevertheless, a more ambitious deal mooted by Japanese officials is the potential sale of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ P1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to the United Kingdom, although an official tender has not been published by the UK government. The latter country has a requirement for an MPA following its retirement of the Royal Air Force’s BAE Systems Nimrod MR4A MPA last decade, and increased Russian submarine activity witnessed in the waters around Scotland over the past two years. Japan has also been in discussions with Australia over the replacement of the ‘Collins’ class SSKs operated by the Royal Australian Navy with a design based upon the JMSDF ‘Soryu’ class SSKs (see above). Having already received two P-1s for the JMSDF and with six ‘Soryus’ class boats currently active, one rationale behind increasing defence exports is to reduce procurement costs to the Japanese MoD through economies of scale.

Tokyo has already engaged in smaller projects, such as an agreement with the UK to collaborate on the development of MBDA’s Meteor air-to-air missile in July 2014. This project is demonstrative of international interest in Japan’s defence technology expertise. The discussions regarding the provision of the P-1 for the UK and the ‘Soryu’ class SSKs for Australia discussed above are indicative of the large complex projects Japanese firms could bring to the international market in coming years. That the P-1 and

‘Soryu’ have been discussed as candidates internationally adds credibility to a defence industry that has been a purely domestic vendor for seven decades.

Bringing Japanese defence equipment to the international market will not be without challenges, not least due to the self-imposed limitations on defence equipment exports. Simon Chelton, former UK defence attaché to Tokyo and founder of Cheltons Consulting, points out that the Japanese government may be tempted to exert too much control over third party transfer activity. Mr. Chelton suggests that this is “likely to limit interest from international customers who will not appre- ciate substantial bureaucratic constraint.”

Tokyo’s very public interest in selling defence equipment to selected inter-

national partners may negate these fears. The Japanese government’s public pursuit of an Australian submarine deal may persuade onlookers that Japan can be a serious partner. Similarly Mr. Chelton goes on to say that the defence equipment Japan produces will be viewed as having a “high quality and performance” to such a degree that concerns over government control could be nullified. Thus Japan’s measured engagement with the inter-national defence market is a significant step. Whether discussions over large projects such as the P-1 and the ‘Soryu’ class SSKs reach fruition, the direction of travel for the defence industry is apparent, and may serve the MoD by reducing unit costs in coming decades.

Working with a modest budget, the MoD has developed and acquired platforms with a focus on flexibility in the maritime and intelligence realms. The extent to which this trend develops will depend partly on the success of Japan’s conservative entry to the international defence industry, and partly on the domestic and international political climate. With larger Japanese defence projects already in the offing, it is likely that the MoD and country’s armed forces in general will benefit from these initiatives in the coming years.

Japan will hope to develop its reconnaissance capabilities with the Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye AEW aircraft, a platform already in use with the US Navy. This will provide important air surveillance of Japan’s maritime approaches © Northrop Grumman

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Regional newsa n d d e v e l o p m e n t s


AsiA-PAcific Procurement uPdAte

s o u t h a s i a

by Pierre Delrieu

Pakistan to acquire eight submarines from Prc

Pakistani Navy officer Rear Admiral Mukhtar Khan told the country’s National Assembly’s defence committee, the consultative forum used by the nation’s Prime Minister for issues concerning matters of national security, that Pakistan’s government will be acquiring eight new conventional hunter-killer submarines (SSKs) from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the news agency Reuters reported on 31 March (see Dr. Alix Valenti’s ‘We Dive at Dawn!’ article in this issue).

Discussions with the PRC to this end began in 2011 after the Pakistan Navy abandoned an initial plan to the purchase three SSKs from Germany due to excessive cost. The Pakistan government had then announced that the talks

with the PRC were for six boats, but the new deal sees the number of vessels rise to eight. However, neither the type of boats nor the price of the deal has been disclosed, although it is strongly suspected that they could be

‘Yuan’ class SSKs.Speaking to AMR, Rick

Fisher, senior fellow at the American think-tank the International Assessment and Strategy Centre, based in Alexandria, Virginia, explained that, “while Pakistan has been shopping in Europe for SSKs, it is likely that its next SSK will come from the PRC as their combination of capability and price will not be matched by European competitors. There are also longstanding rumours that Pakistan is seeking a ballistic missile launching submarine. It is possible that the PRC may sell a version of its new Type 032 SSB.”

Mr. Fisher told AMR that, “with five conventional submarines …Pakistan’s Navy can deter concerted naval action from India but not for long.” This would explain Pakistan’s motivation to procure new SSKs. Mr. Fisher believes that “Pakistan clearly desires to build up its submarine numbers to enhance its deterrent and to protect its economically vital ports and its new infrastructure investments such as in Gwadar”, a major city in South-west Pakistan, located on the Arabian Sea coastline, currently under development as a free trade port. He added that “eight Chinese ‘S-20’ or

‘Type-039B’ class submarines could greatly expand the Pakistan Navy’s undersea defensive and offensive strike potential. It is likely that Pakistan will have access to the new two-stage supersonic Tri-River YJ-18 anti-ship

missile to match the Indian Navy’s Novator 3M-54 Klub anti-ship missiles deployed on-board the Indian Navy’s ‘Kilo’ class SSKs. Pakistan’s new Chinese SSKs may also be armed with a land-attack cruise missile.”

China has important strategic stakes in the deal, Mr. Fisher told AMR, as it “has long sought to enable Pakistan to maintain a sufficient ‘parity’ in order to deter India in most areas of their military competition.” He added that

“such a sale would exacerbate proliferation concerns, not only because its represents an expansion of China’s willingness to engage in strategic weapon exports, but because the close Pakistan-DPRK nuclear and missile technology relationship could see an early transfer of Chinese large missile-carrying submarine technology to the DPRK and then to Iran (one of the DPRK’s key allies).”

india to buy 36 rafales from france

During his visit to Paris on 10 April, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Delhi would buy 36 Dassault Rafales in a flyaway condition through an Inter Governmental Agreement (IGA) with

France. The announcement came as surprise, since the negotiations between the two countries on India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement had appeared to stall.

Sources close to the negotiations speaking to AMR stressed that no formal

agreement has yet been signed committing the Indian government to the purchase and the French government to the sale. Speaking during a joint press conference on the first day of his official trip to France, Mr. Modi explained that the 36 Rafales would be delivered “as quickly as possible under a government-to-government deal.” Mr. Modi added that details surrounding the proposed Rafale procurement by India remained to be finalised, and declined to elaborate on the value of the deal.

On 21 May, India’s defence minister Manohar

Parrikar said on Indian television on 21 May that the country would only purchase 36 Rafale F3B/C aircraft direct from Dassault’s assembly line in Bordeaux western France and would not build any additional aircraft under licence in India. Originally, the country has planned to purchase 126 of the aircraft. Instead, the funds that would have been spent to purchase this balance of 90 Rafale-F3B/C aircraft will be spent on the procurement of circa 200 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Tejas-Mk.II/III MRCAs to be delivered from circa 2020.

SA_Training&Simulation_286x213mm_AMR.pdf 1 5/20/2015 11:58:57 AM



s ou t h e a s t a s i a

Malaysia looking to upgrade four ‘kedah’ class corvettes for asW

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) officially confirmed in late April it will be seeking to upgrade four of its ‘Kedah’ class corvettes to perform Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). The RMN currently operates six ‘Kedah’ class vessels, all of which were commissioned between June 2006 and December

2010. Malaysia had originally planned to acquire a total of 27 ships in the late 1990s but due to programme delays and overruns, only six were eventually acquired. Their construction began in the early 2000s. Presently, the six

‘Kedah’ class vessels, each named after Malaysian states, are the most modern surface ships in the RMN’s fleet.

During the annual Offshore Patrol Vessels and Corvettes Asia-Pacific conference held

in Singapore on 20 and 21 April, an unnamed RMN official presented the planned upgrade. The official explained that, to upgrade its corvettes to an ASW capacity, the RMN is looking to equip the four vessels with towed sonar arrays, torpedo launchers and hull-mounted sonars, along with the necessary equipment to allow the operation of an ASW helicopter.

As for the two remaining vessels-in-class, they will also

singapore declares foc of herMes 450 uav

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) announced on 30 March it had met all of the operational requirements it had set and reached a Full Operational Capability (FOC) for its five Elbit Systems Hermes-450 long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which it received in May 2007.

The country’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen officiated at the ceremony held at the RSAF’s UAV Command in Murai Camp in honour of the achievement of the FOC. Describing the UAVs as essential

capabilities to improve military effectiveness in both peacetime and war, he added that the FOC was a

“significant milestone in the RSAF’s transformation into a modern and effective fighting force,” and that “compared to older UAVs, the Hermes 450 enhances (Singapore’s) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities with its extended endurance, advanced avionics, and more capable sensors.”

Singapore’s Hermes 450s are operated by the RSAF’s 116 Squadron from Tengah air force base in the western part of Singapore. The UAV was reportedly specifically outfitted

by the RSAF to carry a belly- mounted optronics turret equi-pped with a laser designator.

Singapore’s first experience with unmanned aircraft operations was in 1979, with the Singapore Army-operated Tadiran Electronic Industries’ Mastiff tactical UAVs. Then, in the 1980s, the RSAF inducted the Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Scout UAV, which was in turn eventually replaced by IAI’s Searcher UAV. The RSAF subsequently expanded its unmanned airborne surveillance capabilities with the induction of IAI’s Heron 1 Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) system,

which came into service with 119 Squadron in May 2012.

Speaking to reporters during the ceremony, 116 squadron’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Ang explained that the Hermes 450 complements the Heron 1 and Searcher systems in the RSAF’s current operations, but noted that the Searcher would eventually be retired, without giving an estimated timeline.

In addition to the country’s the air force, Singapore’s Army operates UAVs, namely the Skyblade III mini-UAV system, indigenously developed by Singapore Technologies (ST) Aerospace.

be receiving upgrades and be equipped with an organic helicopter, and surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. The RMN did not give further details on systems being considered for both the ASW and ASuW upgrades, nor did it indicate which of its ‘Kedah’ class vessels will be upgraded for the ASW and ASuW roles, or disclose when the upgrade programme could commence and conclude.

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e a s t a s i a

PRC to beCome fiRst buyeR of Russian s-400 aiR defenCe system

Rosoboronexport, Russia’s arms export agency will supply the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with an undisclosed number of Almaz-Antei S-400 Triumf high altitude Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems, the company’s managing director Anatoly Isaikin confirmed to the Russian press on 13 April. With this deal, which is expected to be worth more than $3 billion for at least six battalions, the PRC will become the first export customer for the S-400.

Russia has been aware of the PRC’s high-altitude SAM requirements since November 2010, when Russia’s then-defence minister, Anatoliy Serdyukov, visited Beijing and came back with two major sales proposals in hand: one for the S-400 and another for a large number of NPO Saturn 117S turbofans. But Russian authorities demurred on the sale of both state-of-the-art systems, faced with the possibility that they could be reverse-engineered in the PRC. Russian industry and government officials previously protested against

RoK’s aH-64e aam ContRaCt awaRded to RaytHeon

Raytheon announced on 31 March that it had been awarded a $35 million contract for its FIM-92H Block-I Stinger air-to-air missile, along with accompanying launchers, to equip the new Boeing AH-64E Guardian attack helicopters of the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). Although the number

the continued production of Chinese-made copies of the Sukhoi Su-27 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA), locally produced as the Shenyang J-11B MRCA and the Almaz-Anti S-300 medium-to-high altitude SAM system, which is produced locally as the China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC)HQ-9 SAM system.

Mr. Isaikin declined to give further details regarding the contract, but said that the S-400 SAM system, which was originally designed by Russia in the late 1990s

to counter growing United States air superiority, would help the PRC to deter even the “most advanced air powers from infringing on Chinese airspace”. The S-400’s manufacturers claim that it is capable of engaging any aerial target, including Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C Lightning-II fifth-generation MRCA, cruise missile and tactical ballistic missiles. The S-400 can reportedly engage up to 36 targets with 72 surface-to-air missiles simultaneously and can cover a radius of 216 nautical miles (400 kilometres) and an altitude of 105,000 feet (32004 meters).

of missiles and launchers to be delivered was not disclosed, Raytheon announced it would initiate deliveries of the FIM-92H Block-I to the RoKA in 2017.

In a press release issued following the announcement, Jack Elliot, Raytheon’s Stinger programme director said “with the emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) … and the key role of

helicopters on the battlefield, the evolved technology of (the FIM-92H Block-I) is easily adapted to defeat evolving threats.” Mr. Elliot added that the missile “is an immediate-response weapon of choice against a wide range of air threats for protection of both fixed sites and manoeuvre forces.” The FIM-92H Block-I has, according to the company, maintained a greater than

90 percent success rate in reliability and training tests against advanced targets including helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles and fixed-wing aircraft.

The RoK’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration had announced back in April 2013 its plans to acquire 36 AH-64Es, in an effort to fulfil its AH-X heavy attack helicopter requirement. A $900 million contract was consequently finalised in August 2013 and initial deliveries scheduled for 2016. The deal reportedly included 400 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R1 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and 438 Stinger Block-I FIM-92H missiles for a total value of $3.6 billion. The same month, Lockheed Martin announced that it had signed a $223 million contract to supply Modernised-Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors (M-TADS/PNVS) optronics for the RoKA’s AH-64E fleet. The AH-64E will replace the RoKA’s current Hughes/MD Helicopters MD-500 armed reconnaissance helicopters and Bell AH-1S Cobra attack helicopters.



a u s t r a l a s i a

SotaSLite for auStraLia

Thales has announced that it has signed a contract with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles’ Australian subsidiary for a new vehicle intercom system. The intercom is being supplied to the Australian Defence Force and is to be used by the country’s army as part of the country’s Land 121 Phase 3B Project. The Land

121 Phase 3B project covers the acquisition of up to 2536 medium and heavy trucks and up to 1700 trailers destined to replace the Australian Army’s existing fleet of Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Mack Fleetliner heavy utility trucks and International S Liner prime movers. The manufacturer and model of the trucks to replace the fleet is yet to be determined.

New ZeaLaNd formaLLy iNductS firSt three Sh-2G (i) heLicopterS

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) formally accepted three new Kaman SH-2GI Super Seasprite maritime support helicopters into service during an official ceremony held by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on 6 March at the RNZAF Base Auckland.

The first three of eight RNZAF helicopters, built by Kaman, arrived in New Zealand in January 2015. According to a NZDF

The contract for the sale of the vehicle intercom was issued by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles the prime contractor on the project and, to this end, Thales will supply its SotasLite Crew Intercom System. The integration of the SotasLite will be performed directly by Thales in Australia. The Land 121 Phase 3B vehicles, which was part of a contract awarded in July 2013, are scheduled to

be delivered by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles but no official date as to when has yet been announced.

The first of the SotasLite systems were installed from 2009 onboard Thales’ Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the Australian Army and this new order will represent the third Australian Army platform upon which the SotasLite has been integrated.

statement issued following the acceptance ceremony, the five additional aircraft are expected for delivery by September 2015. However, no information was made public as to when all the aircraft are scheduled to be fully operational.

Speaking at the ceremony Rear Admiral Jack Steer, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s (RNZN’s) chief of staff, described the SH-2GI helicopters’ acquisition as a significant milestone and a turning point for New Zealand’s maritime aviation

capabilities, adding that “the Seasprites (will) perform a vital function for the navy and enhance the roles of our ships … by undertaking a range of tasks including maritime surveillance, search-and-rescue, counter-terrorism, and utility lift.”

Reportedly armed with Kongsberg AGM-119Mk.2 Penguin anti-ship missiles and lightweight torpedoes, the SH-2GIs are expected to be deployed onboard the RNZN’s ‘Leander’ class vessel HMNZS Canterbury,

the two ‘Otago’ class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington, and its two ‘ANZAC’ class frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana.

The RNZN and the RNZAF will jointly operate the helicopters, as the aircraft will be operated by navy personnel and maintenance conducted by air force engineers and technicians from the RNZAF’s 6 Squadron at Whenuapai air force base near Auckland.

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Asian Military Review - June july 2015