Defence 21 Magazine,English Supplement,Issue-48.pdf

THE MENA REGION DEFENCE, SECURITY AND AEROSPACE MAGAZINE FOR THE 21st CENTURY

www.defence21.com

Defence 21 • Volume 9 • Issue N˚48 • June - July 2012 ´ÉaO21•á©°SÉàdG áæ°ùdG•¿ƒ©HQC’Gh øeÉãdG Oó©dG•ƒ«dƒj /Rƒ“ - ƒ«fƒj /¿GôjõM

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The Asian Homeland Security Market

As the first anniversary of Osama BinLaden’s death witnessed a major Taliban

attack in Kabul and heightened security surges inNYC, London and other western capitals grippedby retaliation fears, few people believe the terrorthreat has been substantially reduced in the past 12months. Major Chris Hunter, Author of the book‘Extreme Risk’, Counter Terrorism Consultant andFormer British Army Bomb Disposal Operator hasa definite view on the importance of continued vig-ilance.

By Maroof Raza(*)

Chris Hunter QGM, defusing a RCIED

“The threat to people and businesses from terrorism ispalpable. An attack – particularly by international terroristgroups - can take place at any time and any business – irre-spective of size or scope can be affected. And the threatisn’t just from bombs and bullets: Businesses face a rangeof security risks that have the potential to cause significantdisruption and reputational damage: activist groups drivenby political, economic or social issues; organised crime;foreign intelligence agencies; disgruntled employees andcompetitors seeking a commercial edge…all of them canpresent a serious risk to an organisation.

And even if the likelihood of being directly targeted isremote, the repercussions of an attack elsewhere canimpact on the entire economy. Key suppliers can be affect-ed, telephone lines and power supplies may go down, andwhat if deliveries could not be made or payments complet-ed?

In an age of uncertain financial markets and global ter-rorism, businesses need to be more prepared than ever.”

A heady cocktail of threats have made Asia the fastestgrowing Homeland Security market. Asia has manygeostrategic regions, each with its own peculiarities, pre-senting challenges that are either indigenous or insurgen-

cies that survive on cross border support. As global spend-ing on Homeland Security now stands at about $200 bil-lion annually the business opportunity is impressive.Budgets in Asia are now set to increase by 30 per cent inits trillion dollar plus market, where China, India, Japanand Saudi Arabia are closely followed by the South EastAsia tigers, the message is clear: Asia is already almost asbig a market as the United States, which accounts for onethird of the world’s Homeland Security expenditure.

Securing Asia 2012, is a unique initiative, to be held inLondon from 25th to 27th June at the QE-II Centre. Thisexclusive 3 day Summit will offer attendees a uniqueinsight into the varied needs and challenges faced by theIndian Subcontinent, Russia and Central Asian states, theGulf and Middle East, and South East and East Asia, in thearea of homeland security and counter terrorism. It willaddress their individual and distinct mind-sets and cultur-al/political and commercial concerns, and place themwithin a global perspective.

It will further and most importantly highlight the tech-nologies and training methodologies that Asian countriesneed, and will bring together, for the first time, the buyersand the suppliers under one roof, to equip Asian countriesfor their battles ahead.

“Securing Asia 2012 is the essential beacon of opportu-nity. Like many of you, I’ve spent decades attending secu-rity events around the globe – and have frequently beendisappointed…but this summit is wholly different. Why?Because it offers it all – and crucially, it guarantees todeliver: everything from detailed insight into all the keycounter terrorism issues to direct access to the key cus-tomers and decision makers from the Asian HomelandSecurity market - estimated at a staggering $1 trillion!Whether you’re a practitioner, a buyer or a solutionprovider, this is the event of 2012 homeland security cal-endar.” Chris Hunter

Securing Asia 2012 is a crucial 3 day summit on CounterTerror and Homeland Security, being held in London, 25th– 27th June, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center.Securing Asia 2012 will host Government delegates,renowned academics and leading businessmen for aunique three day intelligence, technology and tradeSummit.

http://www.securingasia2012.comhttp://www.kratosenterprises.co.uk(*) Maroof Raza is a well-known across commentator on mil-

itary and homeland security issues, especially on television, ashe appears frequently on TIMESNOW, India's leading televi-sion news channel. He also writes for the editorial pages of theThe Times of India and The Hindustan Times now and a regu-lar column in the monthly magazine he publishes, "Salute".

Hand Held Radios:The Revolutionary Systems

Keeping the deployed soldier at the tactical edge connected to thenetwork is the final and most difficult aspect of ensuring the flow

of information is unimpeded around the battlefield. In the current the-atres of Iraq and Afghanistan, the terrain presents a number of chal-lenges to effective communications to the deployed soldier, namely inthe need to field advanced, proven beyond line of sight technology toavoid the limitations of line of sight options in rugged and hilly envi-ronments.

Since the introduction of SpearNet, ITT Exelis has received positive reviews from customers eval-uating this advanced system. Photo: ITT Exelis

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167 Defence 21 • Volume 9 • Issue N˚48 • June - July 2012 ´ÉaO21•á©°SÉàdG áæ°ùdG•¿ƒ©HQC’Gh øeÉãdG Oó©dG•ƒ«dƒj /Rƒ“ - ƒ«fƒj /¿GôjõM

Information sharingInformation sharing is key to effec-

tive operations in theatre. One centralchallenge identified by the BritishArmed Forces, is that commanders inAfghanistan have to provide similarlevels of communications capabilityavailable in Forward Operating Bases(FOBs) to troops operating in loca-tions where it is inappropriate to useeither Command Vehicles or larger

fixed installations. The ability to share information on

the battlefield forms the basis of con-nectivity between FOBs and patrolbases, tactical situational awareness,and shared situational awareness. Inresponding to the UK Ministry ofDefence (MOD’s) requirements inthese areas, General Dynamics UKhas developed a system called M-DOR – a Modular Dismounted

Operations Room C4I capability.This system will, for the first time,enable British personnel on theground to establish a PB with similarlevels of VHF, HF and High CapacityData Radios (HCDR) to a FOB.

According to General DynamicsUK, M-DOR provides a deployableand flexible C4I capability in supportof deployed, fixed bases. It will pro-vide a lightweight, transportable,modular system that allows rapid andsimple deployment of a range of C4Icapabilities, including the ability tocommunicate the location of IEDsusing secure data. Benefits of M-DOR will include reduced user work-load and easing of rapid deploymentand establishment of ‘greenfield’FOB/PB by trained Bowman person-nel. The inclusion of an enhancedHCDR radio in the contract will resultin the ability to greatly increase levelsof user data throughput such asBowman data, ISTAR and C-IEDinformation.

British forces currently use thePersonal Role Radio (PRR), is a smalltransmitter-receiver that allowsinfantry soldiers to communicate overshort distances. Effective eventhrough thick cover or the walls ofbuildings, PRR enables section lead-ers to react quickly, aggressively andefficiently to rapidly changing situa-tions, including contact with theenemy, greatly increasing the effec-tiveness of infantry fire teams. PRR isissued to every member of an eight-strong infantry squad.

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166

On the moveITT Exelis has engineered solu-

tions to help its customers manageand facilitate communications on theground, in the air and at sea. Rangingfrom satellite communications sys-tems to diverse network operationsservices to VHF Combat Net Radios,ITT Exelis’s communications solu-tions allow warfighters to remain con-nected almost anywhere in the world.ITT Exelis products, services, andtechnologies assist in enabling betterquality and more effective sharing ofinformation, dramatically increasingsituational awareness and missioneffectiveness.

Since the introduction of SpearNet,ITT Exelis has received positivereviews from customers evaluatingthis advanced system, which providesself-forming, self-healing ad-hoc net-working with multi-hop routing ofboth voice and data capability. Thismakes it perfect for some of today’stoughest non-line-of-sight combatenvironments – caves, buildings,

ship-boarding’s, etc … Systematic isnow using SpearNet in demonstra-tions of their system specifically

designed for ship boarding. The sys-tem enables the radio to gain extend-ed range retransmitting a messageover several radios in a “daisy chain.”SpearNet also has an extraordinarydata rate of more than one megabitper second, enabling transfer of real-time video. Several additional inter-national potential customers haveexpressed interest in SpearNet.

Among the most advanced technol-ogy is the Harris Corporation range ofFalcon radios. Earlier this year, thegovernment of Iraq placed an orderworth USD $51 million with HarrisCorporation for its high performancetactical communications solutions fora range of security missions. Underthe contract, Harris will provide Iraqwith the Falcon III RF-7800S wide-band Secure Personal Radios, FalconII RF-5800M multiband handheldradios and RF-5800H high-frequencyman-pack radios, along with acces-


The RF-7800V VHF Combat Net Radio. Photo: Harris

The RF-5800M-HH is an advanced, multiband, multi-mission handheld radio that provides voiceand data in the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range. Photo: Harris

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The SDR SWave™ Handheld Radio produced by SELEX Elsag

sories and training services. The Falcon III RF-7800S is a light-

weight body-worn tactical radio thatprovides full-duplex voice and datacommunications over 2 kilometres. Itis designed specifically to meet theunique demands of providing secureand reliable voice, data and situation-al awareness communication at sol-dier level. Optimised for maximumperformance across the highly vari-able environments soldiers operate in,and enabling range extending net-works, the RF-7800S-TR secure per-sonal role radio provides continuouscoverage in the 350 to 450 MHz fre-quency range and ensures reliableconnectivity between squad membersand with command-level intelligence.The RF-7800S-TR secure personal

role radio has already been adopted asthe standardised personal radio plat-form for multiple soldier modernisa-tion programs around the world.

The RF-5800M-HH is an advanced,multiband, multi-mission handheldradio that provides voice and data inthe 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequencyrange. It is designed to providesecure, reliable communications inmissions ranging from standard squadoperations to specialized forward aircontrol and special forces. Coveringthe 30 to 512 MHz frequency range,the RF-5800M-HH offers a full suiteof ECCM capabilities, now includingthe TALON waveform for secureground-to-air communications. Harrishas utilised a proven, intuitive userinterface to simplify operation withpush-to-talk voice communicationsavailable through the built-in speakermicrophone or the standard headsetconnector. External data interfaceenables connection to fielded PCs orother network data devices and inte-grated GPS provides simultaneousautomated position reporting.

The RF-5800H is a high-frequency

manpack radio for secure, reliablebeyond-line-of-site terrestrial com-munications. The RF-5800H-MP isthe most advanced HF manpack radioavailable today, setting the standardfor reliable, long-range High-Frequency (HF) communication onthe battlefield. Designed to providesoldiers with secure voice and datacommunications, even in the harshestconditions, the RF-5800H-MP pro-vides continuous coverage in the 1.6to 60 MHz frequency band andenables them to stay connected tomission critical information duringoperations where line of sight com-munications are not an option.

Harris has also recently announceda USD $10.7 million order fromanother, unnamed, Middle Easterncountry, to provide tactical radio sys-tems for tactical line-of-sight andbeyond-line-of-sight communicationsand situational awareness capabili-ties. According to Harris, the countryis acquiring a full range of capabili-ties from the Harris Falcon family oftactical radio systems for transmittingvoice and data to the battlefield. This

The AN/PRC-148 is the smallest, lightest, andmost power-efficient multiband, tactical, hand-held radio in use today. Photo: ThalesCommunications

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164Defence 21 • Volume 9 • Issue N˚48 • June - July 2012 ´ÉaO21•á©°SÉàdG áæ°ùdG•¿ƒ©HQC’Gh øeÉãdG Oó©dG•ƒ«dƒj /Rƒ“ - ƒ«fƒj /¿GôjõM

The ITT Exelis Soldier Radio is a next generation of software-defined wideband communicationcapability for the dismounted soldier

band, tactical, handheld radio in usetoday.

The SELEX Elsag SDR SCA-com-pliant system represents the evolutionof PRR family radios. The projectfocuses on significant reduction interms of size, soldier workload andmaximizes power life through thevery efficient power management.

Networked digitalbattlespaceHarris has also collaborat-

ed with ITT Exelis toaccelerate the fielding

of the Soldier Radio Waveform,which forms a central piece of the USgovernment’s vision for a more com-prehensively networked digital battle-field. The ITT Exelis Soldier Radio isa next generation of software-definedwideband communication capabilityfor the dismounted soldier that pro-vides dynamic ad hoc networkedvoice and data under all combat con-ditions. This Soldier Radio leverageson the maturity of ITT Exelis-devel-oped SRW-with several years of fieldexperiments, demonstrations andtests, including the most recent 36-node test at Fort Dix-and ITTExelis’s advanced technologyoptimised for low size,weight, power and cost.

includes the Falcon III RF-7800Sbody-worn Secure Personal Radio,the RF-7800V VHF Combat NetRadio and the RF-7800W High-Capacity Line-of-Sight (HCLOS)Radio along with the RF-5800Mmultiband and RF-5800H high-fre-quency tactical radios. Harris is alsoproviding its Falcon Command situa-tional awareness software.

Thales Communications changedthe way warfighters throughout theworld do their job by reducing theircombat load of radio equipment from60 pounds to 2 pounds with the soft-ware-defined AN/PRC-148Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio(MBITR). The unparalleled perform-ance of the AN/PRC-148 MBITR ledto Thales' selection by the U.S.Government to develop the AN/PRC-148 JTRS Enhanced MBITR, orJEM. With more than 200,000units deployed, the AN/PRC-148 is the smallest, light-est, and most power-efficient multi-

Both the AN/PRC-117G and ITT Exelis’s Soldier Radio were developed under the JTRS Enterprise Business Model

ITT Exelis’s insertion of advancedhardware has enabled simplifiedportability and higher waveform per-formance. Given the proven maturity,scalability and performance of SRW,and the ubiquity of SRW in theArmy's architecture, the ITT ExelisSoldier Radio will enable thewarfighter to achieve an affordablenetwork centric capability for the dis-mounted Soldier.

In October 2012, ITT Exelis andHarris successfully exchanged voiceand data between the Harris FalconIII AN/PRC-117G manpack and ITTExelis Soldier Radio developmentmodel using the specified SRWVersion 1.01.1C. This was the firsttime that independently developedtactical radios have interoperatedusing open-standard wideband JTRStechnology. Both the AN/PRC-117Gand ITT Exelis’s Soldier Radio weredeveloped under the JTRS EnterpriseBusiness Model, which is designed tospur innovation in tactical communi-cations. Harris' rapid implementationdemonstrates the portability of SRW.

Joint communicationsOne of the most prominent pro-

grammes to develop a family of soft-ware defined radios capable of estab-lishing joint communications acrossand between the services, is the USmilitary’s Joint Tactical RadioSystem (JTRS) programme. The pro-gramme will focus on unifying battle-field communications to present aclearer picture of the battlefield situa-tion to its users than ever before, andwill mesh together a number of differ-ent systems to ensure seamless com-munications. Handheld radio systemswill form an important aspect of theprogramme, with the Handheld,Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS)team is being led by GeneralDynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S).

Under the HMS section of the pro-gramme, GDC4S is developing light-weight and secure handheld devicesfor dismounted soldiers that willallow them to communicate securelywith other troops in their area, includ-ing coalition troops. The programmeestablished contracts for the Rifleman

radio (AN/PRC-154) and Manpack(AN/PRC-155) under a low-rate ini-tial production contract signed in July2011 with GDC4S in July 2011. Atotal of 6,250 Rifleman and 100Manpack radios will be providedunder the USD $56.4 million con-tract, including accessories, training,related equipment and supplies.

According to GDC4S, the RiflemanRadio delivers networking connectiv-ity to the frontline soldier in a low-cost, lightweight, ruggedised, bodyworn device. The radio transmitsvoice and data simultaneously utiliz-ing the Soldier Radio Waveform(SRW). The AN/PRC-154 is bodyworn, minimizing the warfighter’scombat load while increasing func-tionality. Designed to bring secure(Type 2) inter-squad communicationsto any warfighter on the tactical edgeof the battlefield, this radio alsoenables Team and Squad Leaders totrack individual soldier GPS loca-tions. This radio connects everywarfighter to the combat network,emphasizing safety and enablingenhanced situational awareness andbetter decisions at the very edge ofthe battlefield.

The JTRS HMS Manpack radio isthe first two-channel, softwaredefined radio capable of network-centric connectivity and legacy inter-operability, supporting advanced(SRW, MUOS) and current-force(SINCGARS, SATCOM, HF,EPLRS, etc.) waveforms. In addition,the AIM II embedded programmablesecurity allows the dismountedwarfighter to seamlessly join anycombat net with confidence. Addedfunctionality, like repeating forremote receive and retransmit, makesthis the most powerful piece of tacti-cal equipment in the soldier commu-nications arsenal.

C.A.

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GDC4S is developing lightweight and secure handheld devices for dismounted soldiers that willallow them to communicate securely with other troops in their area, including coalition troops

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VSHORAD: Status Report

An idyllic rural setting flanked by a lake and a thick pine forest,set against a backdrop of a bright autumnal Swedish sky, was the

stage for Saab’s showcase of the latest edition to its RBS-70 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) family. This weapon has been in service since the1970s, and has been cycled through a number of variants which have,each time, improved the weapons’ performance. The latest familymember is the RBS-70NG, and it was this weapon which was putthrough its paces during a series of live fire tests against static and fly-ing targets last September. These live fire tests were a great

opportunity to see a state-of-the-artVery Short Range Air Defence(VSHORAD) system in action.Rounds were fired against airbornetowed targets and also a static target,in the form of a shipping containermounted on top of a tower, to simu-late a hovering helicopter. Direct hitswere scored on each occasion during

RBS-70NG (Saab) – Deep in the Swedish countryside, an RBS-70NG missile zooms skywards during a test firing. The RBS-70NG has taken the RBS-70 design forward with the design of an advanced, yet easy to use fire control system.

these daylight tests, which were thenrepeated at night with the same suc-cess. The RBS-70NG adds a numberof improvements to this VSHORADsystems’ performance, compared tolegacy versions of the weapon. Thefire control unit includes an integrat-ed thermal imager which performsautomatic target tracking, and is capa-ble of detecting several targets at

once. The BOLIDE missile used bythe RBS-70NG has an effective rangeof up to eight kilometres (five miles),and an effective altitude of up to16,400 feet (5,000m). Once launched,the missile can reach a speed of MachTwo and follows a laser beam toreach its target. This provides theweapon with a high resistance toactive and passive countermeasuresystems which can be used to protectaircraft against radar- and infra-redguided missiles.

No precise definition seems to existas to what exactly qualifies a ground-based air defence weapon to be clas-sified as a VSHORAD system, but forthe purposes of this discussion it willbe used to cover any product which

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can engage targets flying up to 16,400feet. As this article will illustrate, sev-eral products are on the market forcustomers keen to protect deployedground forces, or high-value statictargets, against low-flying fixed-wingaircraft, helicopters or UnmannedAerial Vehicles (UAVs). Currently, anumber of countries around the worldare looking at updating theirVSHORAD capabilities. Theseinclude India which, in March 2011,announced the planned acquisition ofup to 5,185 new VSHORAD airdefence systems to equip its army.The value of this deal is expected tobe around $5.8 billion. The RBS-70NG is expected to be one of thesystems in this competition alongsideMBDA’s Mistral-2, Russia’s 9K38Igla-series of weapons and the K-SAM Pegasus which has been devel-oped as part of a joint venturebetween Thales of France andSamsung of South Korea. All of thesesystems are described in more detailbelow.

MistralThe RBS-70NG is one of a number

of VSHORAD weapons offered byEuropean suppliers, alongside othersystems like the Mistral-2. The base-line Mistral, which was deployed dur-ing the late-1980s, is now producedby MBDA. The weapon uses infra-red guidance to hit its target and theMistral-2 variant, which is currentlyin production, is thought to have anengagement altitude of up to 10,000ft(3,000m) along with an engagementrange of around six kilometres (3.7miles). The missile also boasts a highspeed of up to Mach 2.5.

Away from the MANPADS option,several launchers are available for theMistral-2. These include the two-round Atlas and Albi launchers whichcan be mounted on all-terrain and

light armoured vehicles. The Atlaslauncher carries two rounds in aready-to-fire position. It is highly ver-satile, and can be mounted either on avehicle, or dismounted to provide apoint defence of buildings or statictargets. The Albi two-round launcheris designed to be carried on armouredvehicles and has a foldable designwith 360º coverage. A four-roundlauncher, known as Aspic, is avail-able, which can be teamed with aradar system for target acquisitionand fire control. In addition, MBDA’sMPCV (Multi-Purpose CombatVehicle) is equipped with a turretcontaining four ready-to-fire missilesand an integral electro-optical sur-veillance system.

CrotaleWhile MBDA offers the Mistral-2,

Thales continues the production of itsCrotale VSHORAD system. Crotalemade its debut in the late 1960s, andis currently available as the CrotaleMk.3. This latest version includes theVT1 missile which has an intercep-tion range of around 15km (9.3miles). Thales states that theweapon’s Command-to-Line-Of-Sight (CLOS) guidance systems pro-vides some important advantages as;“the operator has control of the sys-tem from target identification,through launch and up to targetengagement.” The company adds thatthe Crotale Mk.3’s other attributesinclude; “the Mach 3.5 hypervelocity

ATLAS (MBDA) – MBDA’s Mistral-2 surface-to-air missiles can be used with a number of mis-sile launchers produced by the company. These include the Atlas system which is designed tooutfit a light vehicle, or be used to protect a static target.

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Avenger (Boeing) – In conjunction with Raytheon, Boeing developed the TWQ01 Avenger whichcan accommodate up to eight FIM-92 Stinger missiles in its rooftop launcher. The Avenger is agood solution to providing VSHORAD firepower on the move.

VT1 missile which can reach eightkilometres (five miles) in only tenseconds, offering more than 35g ofmanoeuvrability to defeat high per-formance targets such as fighters, hel-icopters and cruise missiles.” Firecontrol for Crotale is provided bysemi-active laser guidance, electro-optical sensors and infra-red searchand track. The company adds thatlegacy Crotale Mk.1 and Crotale-NGMk.2 systems can be bought toCrotale Mk.3 standard via anupgrade.

The Crotale-NG Mk.2 has providedthe basis for South Korea’s K-SAMPegasus air defence product.Samsung and Thales collaborated onthis programme to develop newsearch-and-track radar, while SouthKorea’s LIG Nex-1 developed themissile. The Crotale-NG system,together with its new missile andsearch-and-track radar was then inte-grated onto a Doosan K200Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle(AIFV). Initially, 48 systems werepurchased for the South Korean armyin 1999, although this was increased

to 114, with a second order for 66 sys-tems in 2003. In total, the Republic ofKorea Army will also receive up to2,000 missiles to furnish their K-SAM systems.

StarstreakThales’s sister product to Crotale is

the Starstreak missile. Initially devel-

oped by Shorts Missile Systems ofNorthern Ireland, Starstreak has a topspeed of Mach 3.5, and a range of upto seven kilometres (four miles). Likethe RBS-70NG, Starstreak uses aSemi-Automatic Command-to-Line-of-Sight guidance system, using twolaser beams directed at the target, andachieves a kill by firing explosivedarts at the aircraft. The British Armyuse Starstreak in a vehicle-mountedlauncher which outfits a BAESystems Stormer vehicle. Fire controlfor the vehicle-mounted Starstreak isprovided using a Thales Air DefenceAlerting Device (ADAD). The vehi-cle-mounted Starstreak launcher canaccommodate up to eight rounds in aready-to-fire configuration. The forcealso uses a three-round tripod-mount-ed Starstreak system known as theLightweight Multiple Launcher.

Although General Dynamics blazeda trail with its development of theFIM-43A Redeye Man-Portable AirDefence System (MANPADS) in the1960s, which later entered US MarineCorps service in 1966, it is arguablythe company’s FIM-92A Stinger

FIM-92A Stinger (Raytheon) – Arguably the most famous short-range air defence system in theworld, the FIM-92A Stinger has been cycled through various incarnations which have steadilyimproved the performance of this missile.

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MANPADS which has a become themost famous VSHORAD weapon inthe world. Stinger garnered fame as itwas supplied in the 1980s toMujahideen guerrillas fighting theRed Army following the SovietInvasion of Afghanistan in 1979. TheFIM-92A is now a Raytheon productand is still being manufactured.Although the weapon is associatedwith the Soviet Afghan War, it hasbeen used in several theatres through-out the world. The weapon canengage targets at up to 14,000ft(4267m) altitude, and at a range of upto eight kilometres (five miles).

StingerLike Russia’s Strela and Igla prod-

ucts (see below), the Stinger has beencycled through several incarnations.The FIM-92A/B weapons, whichbecame available during the late-1970s/early-1980s, were supersededby the FIM-92C entering productionin 1987. The principle differencebetween this missile and earlier typeswere the Charlie’s electronics whichhad the wherewithal to accommodatefuture upgrades. Following theCharlie weapons, the FIM-92D mis-siles included improved resistance tocountermeasures while the FIM-92E,which became available in the mid-1990s, featured improvements to themissile’s IR sensor and its software toimprove its performance against low-and-slow targets. As well as beingavailable in a MANPADS configura-tion, Raytheon teamed up withBoeing to develop the TWQ-1Avenger mobile VSHORAD whichincludes an eight-missile FIM-92launcher mounted on the roof of anAM General HMMWV vehicle.

StrelaRussia followed the United States

in developing a range of VSHORAD

products. These include both vehicle-mounted SAMs, and soldier-operatedMANPADS. It was in the late 1960s,that the Soviet Union introduced theKolomna Machine Building DesignBureau (KBM) 9K32 Strela MAN-PADS, which was updated as the9K32 Strela-2M in 1970. Thisweapon had a maximum altitude of5,000ft (1,524m) when engaging fastjets, and up to 7,200ft (2,194m) forslow targets. While the Strela-2 hasshown itself to be a capable weapon,downing aircraft during the Vietnam,Yom Kippur and Rhodesian wars itdid have limitations. As an IR-guidedweapon it is most effective whenengaging the tail of an aircraft so as to‘see’ the heat plume generated by theengines. Moreover, the weapon canbe outrun by any aircraft flying inexcess of Mach 0.77, and the mis-sile’s IR seeker is easily fooled by theglare from the sun, bright clouds andIR countermeasures. As with thefamous AK-47 Kalashnikov assaultrifle, the 9K32 Strela-2M hasspawned a number of copies includ-ing the Chinese HN-5A, Egyptian

Sakr-Eye and Pakistan’s Anza Mk.1.

IglaThe shortcomings of the 9K32

Strela-2M gave rise to an upgradedversion of the weapon, the 9K34Strela-3, which became available inthe mid-1970s. The speed of the mis-sile was increased to Mach 0.91, andits engagement altitude to 10,000ft(3,048m). A cooled IR seeker alsoimproved its discrimination of mete-orological phenomena and IR coun-termeasures. The speed of SovietVSHORAD weapons improved stillfurther during the early 1980s, withthe production of KBM’s 9K310 Igla-1 MANPADS, which could reachspeeds of Mach 1.68. The latest Iglaincarnation, the 9K338 Igla-S, usesthe 9K39 missile which has anengagement range of up to twelvemiles (20km), and is equipped with a2.5kg (5.5lb) directed-energy blastfragmentation warhead. Along withproviding a MANPADS launcher forthe 9K39, in the form of the 9K338Igla-S, KBM produces the two-roundDjigit launcher for the missile, and an

Crotale (Thales) – Thales’s Crotale VSHORAD system has been in production and use for a num-ber of years. The latest incarnation of the product, the Crotale Mk.3 includes high-speed VT1missile using a laser-beam riding guidance system

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eight-round vehicle-mounted launch-er.

Threat assessmentIn the future, the range of threats

which VSHORAD will need to count-er look set to increase. A statementreleased by MBDA outlines that the

targets expected to be countered bytomorrow’s ground-based air defencesystems include; “highly accurateprecision-guided bombs and mis-siles.” This is in addition to; “newgeneration high-performance TacticalBallistic Missiles. Emerging andimproving UAVs and Unmanned

Combat Aerial Vehicle technology,plus supersonic combat aircraft fea-turing improved stealth technology.”Other threats to be engaged by exist-ing, and next-generation SHORADsystems, in the coming years include;“high value targets such asIntelligence, Surveillance, TargetAcquisition and Reconnaissance air-craft; and airborne command and con-trol; in addition to low altitude heli-copters and cruise missiles using theterrain to conceal their approach.”

To counter such threats, MBDA isproposing a number of design driversfor the next generation of VSHORADsystems. These include: “Fire and for-get guidance modes for easiness ofoperation and multi-target engage-ment during saturating attacks, 360-degree operation, highly effectivewarheads, and embedded electronic-and infra-red counter-countermeasuresystems.” The company adds thatminimisation of life-cycle costs andsimplified maintenance will also beessential, in addition to simplified, yetrealistic, training.

T.W.


Starstreak (Thales) – The British Army use Starstreak in a vehicle-mounted launcher which out-fits a BAE Systems Stormer Vehicle

Igla (KBM) – The 9K338 Igla-S uses the –K39 missile which has an engagement range of up to 20km.

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Electronic Warfare: Whoever Controls the ElectroMagnetic Spectrum Wins the War

In the mainstream media Electronic Warfare, or 'EW' as it isknown, barely gets a mention on the evening news bulletin, or in

the morning paper. The world's newspapers, magazines and televisionprogrammes still largely convey the impression that the waging of waris confined to the firing of bullets, the shooting of artillery, the drop-ping of bombs and the sailing of ships.Quantity and Quality

To an extent they are right.Whenever a conflict has commenced,or whenever hostilities look likely,newspapers and current affairs pro-grammes feature colourful graphs andcharts depicting the numericalstrengths of the beligerents. Suchcharts often compare the number ofmain battle tanks, ships, troops andaircraft against one another. For thegeneral public, their determining fac-tor of a conflicts' outcome may wellrest with whichever armed force is thenumerically superior.

One of course cannot rule out the

EA-6B Prowler (US Navy) – The US Navy's Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler is a dedicated electronic warfare aircraft. As well as supporting navalsignals intelligence operations, it can also protect strike packages of aircraft against attacks from ground-based air defences.

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importance of force levels and ordersof battle. The Soviet Premier JosefStalin had the famous quotationattributed to him that; «quantity has aquality all of its own», and, in thecase of the Red Army, he wasarguably correct. Skilful manoeuvre,as well as sheer weight of numbersand brute force, enabled Stalin'sforces to push back the deep drivethat the Axis powers had made intoEuropean Russia. Not only did theyrole this back, but the numerical supe-riority of the Red Army took it all theway to Hitler’s inner sanctum inBerlin, making a pivotal contribution

to the defeat of the Nazi war machinein 1945.

Over sixty-five years later, howev-er, while force levels are an importantdetermining factor in a conflict, theyare no longer the only criteria. This ishighly evident in Counter-Insurgency(COIN) warfare where a compara-tively small number of committedguerrillas can take on, and sometimesdefeat, a much larger, well-organisedtraditional military force. Moreover,numerical strength is balanced byanother branch of combat that hasemerged in the Second World War,namely EW.

COMINTEW takes place in the shadowy

world of the electronic spectrum. Aforce which skillfully exploits thisspectrum can, sometimes, offset thenumerical disadvantage that it may

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have regarding its foe. The exploita-tion of the spectrum can be performedfor a number of ends: It can be used toeavesdrop on the tactical battlefield,or on the operational- and strategic-level communications used by anenemy's armed forces and politico-military leadership. Such an exerciseis known in the world of EW asCommunications Intelligence, or'COMINT'.

On the battlefield, and at the opera-tional level of war, a comprehensiveview of an enemy's sea, land and airradar can be derived from listening,and recording, radar signals for analy-sis; a process more commonly knownas Signals Intelligence (SIGINT).Once the enemy's communicationsand radar capabilities have beendetermined, a process which is knownas building the electronic order-of-battle; these can be disrupted, spoofedand jammed using electronic signals,or physical Countermeasure such aschaff; precisely-cut strips of metalwhich can be dispersed by aircraftand ships to mask their appearance onenemy radar.

IED JammingA further dimension has also

emerged in the world of EW. Formany years, the application of EW byland forces concerned the determina-tion of the enemy's electronic order-of-battle, principally the radar it oper-ated; from counter-battery artillery-location radar, up to large-scale the-

atre-level air defence systems. Oncethis was determined, active and pas-sive EW capabilities could be boughtto bear to suppress and destroy theeffectiveness of these systems.However, COIN warfare has addedanother dimension to the land EWbattle. The proliferation ofImprovised Explosive Devices(IEDs) in the Afghan and Iraqi the-atres has underscored the importanceof armies being able to detect theseweapons, and hamper their use.

Decades of British Army opera-tions in Northern Ireland drove homethe importance of being able to dis-rupt radio-activated bombs. The col-lective skills of NATO forces sta-tioned in Afghanistan, and US-ledforces stationed in Iraq, have beensharpened further still by the grimtally of troops killed and injured byIEDs. These days, insurgents can useordinary cell phones to detonate abomb underneath a vehicle, using apulse of electricity which can last forjust seconds. Beyond collecting infor-mation on the enemy' electronicorder-of-battle, today's armies must


RC-135 Rivet (Boeing) – The USAF Boeing RC – 135V/WRivet joint signals intelligence aircraft

DDM-NG (MBDA) – DDM-NG Countermeasure dispensing systems allow combat aircraft to pro-tect themselves against both radar-and infra-red guided threats

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Symphony IED Jammer (Lockheed Martin) – Lockheed Martin has developed the Symphony IEDjammer which can be mounted on a vehicle to help defend convoys or dismounted troops. The sys-tem is easy to update to take into account new threats as they appear.

make sure that they have the neces-sary vehicle- and soldier-mountedcounter-IED systems to ensure thatthese weapons are rendered inopera-ble while a foot patrol, or a convoy,moves past.

New IED jamming systems areentering military service at an impres-sive rate. In September, the USMarines announced that its airborneIntrepid Tiger-II communicationsinterception and jamming pod will bedeployed in Afghanistan for serviceon board Marine Corps' McDonnellDouglas/Boeing AV-8B Harrier com-bat aircraft by the end of the year. TheIntrepid Tiger-II pod can interceptcommunications and has the where-withal to jam cell phone-activatedIEDs. Although the Intrepid Tiger-IIcan be used on Marine fixed-wing air-craft such as the AV-8B, McDonnellDouglas/Boeing F/A-18 multirolecombat aircraft, and NorthropGrumman EA-6B Prowler EW plane,the pod is also being earmarked forservice on board Marine helicopterassets and Unmanned Aerial

Vehicles. Open architecture enablesthe pod to be easily modified in thefuture, furthermore, the IntrepidTiger-II pod is also a relatively inex-pensive system, with a unit price ofaround $600,000.

While systems like the IntrepidTiger-II provide a good solution forCOMINT and jamming over a large

area, individual protection can outfitsoldiers on foot patrol. For example,Selex Elsag produces the Guardianman-portable IED jammer. Guardianhas up to four hours of battery timeproducing ten watts of jammingpower. The product covers the 25-megahertz to 2.5- gigahertz segmentsof the spectrum. Using Guardian,jamming can be performed eitherover a set range of frequencies, oralternatively in a broadband fashionto block out all communications whensoldiers are patrolling through a par-ticular area.

Airborne EWFor the world's air forces, EW

efforts still focus on disrupting anddestroying an enemy's air andground-based radar. To render a radarinoperative is to render the enemyblind. Not only can the disruption ofradar prevent an adversary fromdetecting an incoming strike packageof combat aircraft, but it can alsodeny an enemy the use of radar as afire control system to target aircraftwith surface-to-air missiles.

Air EW efforts take many forms:

AN/ALQ-99 (ITT Exelis) – The United States Navy’s boeing E/A – 18G Growler employ the ITTExelis AN/ALQ-99 airborne jamming pods to detect the radar and jam it with radiation.

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The collection of SIGINT relating tothe electronic order-of-battle can beperformed using large airborne sig-nals intelligence platforms outfittedwith an array of antenna, and housingspecialist recording and SIGINTexperts to analyse the emissions thatthe aircraft detects. This allows thedetermination of the types of radar anenemy may be operating. Once this isperformed, specialist Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defence(SEAD/DEAD) aircraft such as theUnited States Navy's Boeing E/A-18G Growler aircraft can employtheir ITT AN/ALQ-99 airborne jam-ming pods to detect the radar and jamit with radiation. The collection ofhostile radar data also allows the air-craft to attack the emitters usingweapons such as Raytheon's AGM-88High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile(HARM). SEAD and DEAD is oftenemployed at the start of an air cam-paign, and can continue for a periodof time until the ground-based airdefences of an adversary are consid-ered inoperable. Its provision mayeven continue for some time to pro-tect against any such threats whichhad not been previously destroyed, orwhich may suddenly appear.

The collection of SIGINT usinglarge platforms such as the USAF'sBoeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint sig-nals intelligence aircraft, or theFrench air force's C-160G Gabriel, isarguably an operational-level exer-cise to determine the enemy's overallelectronic order-of-battle. The subse-quent employment of SEAD/DEADplatforms is part of a wider effortinvolving individual combat aircraft.Any fast jet, helicopter, transportplane or special missions platformflying in harms' way must also be ableto protect itself against attack usingEW methods. A host of aircraft elec-tronic self-protection systems are

battle in its area of operations. This isdone to determine which ships, bothfriendly and hostile, may be in thevessel's vicinity. This enables thewarship to identify neighbouringships, and to determine howCountermeasure can be employed toconfuse hostile ship-based radaremissions. As the author witnessedduring a flight on board a French airforce Boeing E-3F Airborne Warningand Control System (AWACS) air-craft in the Libya theatre of opera-tions this April, experienced electron-ic warfare experts can identify ships,and aircraft, based on their radaremissions alone. As with air opera-tions, once the electronic order-of-battle has been determined, action canbe taken against hostile emitters. Nowarship would perform combat oper-

Guardian (SELEX Elsag) – The Guardianman-Portable IED Jammer

available on the market, and space isinsufficient here to discuss them all indetail. However, typically a multirolecombat aircraft will possess a meansof spoofing enemy radar either withmicrowave energy, or via the dispens-ing of chaff.

Products such as MBDA's DDM-NG Countermeasure dispensing sys-tem allow combat aircraft to protectthemselves against both radar- andinfra-red guided threats. The latter,namely heat-seeking anti-aircraftmissiles, can be defeated using flareswhich seemingly present a hotter, andtherefore more attractive, target to themissile. Meanwhile, radar-guidedthreats are spoofed using chaff. Chaff,which was developed by the Britishduring the Second World War, utilis-es metal-backed plastic, wires or alu-minium strips which are cut to halfthe wavelengthof the radarthey are intend-ed to spoof.When dispersedthe radar waves hitthe chaff and theirreturns can presentthousands of echoeson a radar operators'screen, helping toobscure the target air-craft from detection.

Naval EWChaff is also used by

warships to protect them-selves against radar-guidedthreats. As with aircraft, anumber of ship-basedCountermeasure launchers exist toallow the dispersal of chaff and flareCountermeasure. Essentially, the the-ory behind naval EW is not that dis-similar to the application of EW byair forces. Navies must initially col-lect data on the electronic order-of-

ations today without carrying someform of Electronic Support Measure(ESM).

ESM and EW products available tothe world's navies include Thales'sVIGILE combined naval electronicwarfare/electronic intelligence sys-tem. Thales has designed VIGILE toequip a range of combatants, includ-ing small naval ships. The company'sofficial literature claims that the sys-tem offers a 100 percent probabilityof intercept across the E and J radarbands, and can perform such intercep-tions in complex littoral environ-ments. Moreover, VIGILE can beused to record collected radar data forpost-mission analysis. Systems likeVIGILE can be connected to chaffand flare countermeasure launchers todispense decoys once a ship has beendetected by a radar-guided missile.The Indian Navy is one force which isin the process of obtaining new decoylaunchers. In May this year, it wasreported that it would receive its firstKavach Mod-II decoy launchers by2013.

Future trendsEW has not yet captured the imagi-

nation of the general public in thesame way as the materiel whicharmies, navies and air forces routine-ly employ in combat. However, thewars in Afghanistan and Iraq haveunderscored the importance of count-er-IED jammers which have helped to

save countless lives. Compared to theinvention of gunpowder and the utili-sation of the aeroplane in combat, thelatter of which first occurred in 1912,EW is still a comparatively youngmilitary capability. That said, theadvances witnessed in the world ofEW since the employment by theRoyal Air Force of the 'Window'chaff-based countermeasure byBomber Command during its strate-gic air campaign against Germanyhave been impressive to say the least.

The next century is likely to wit-ness even more impressive advancesin the development and application ofEW. Author and EW expert Dr.Alfred Price borrowed a phrase fromWilliam Shakespeare's play Macbethin which he dubbed the developmentof EW during the Second World Waras being akin to the design of'Instruments of Darkness'. Today, EWretains a mysterious alchemic feel ascombat which takes place in a dimen-sion that we cannot see, feel or taste;yet its application, can make as muchof a difference to a military campaignas force levels, and the will to fight.

T.W.

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VIGILE (Thales) – ESM and EW products available to the world’s navies include Thales’s VIG-ILE combined naval Electronic warfare/ electronic intelligence system

IED (US Army) – The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have dramatically illustrated the dangersthat can be presented by Improvised Explosive Devices. These are often relatively simple in theirconstruction and can be triggered using ordinary cellphones.

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Information Warfare:How to keep Data in Digital Era?

In the digital world, data is everything. As well as changingthe way we live, the increasing reliance on information

technology is changing the way we work. Able to be moremobile than ever before in our professional lives, the require-ment for new ways to protect and secure the almost infinite datagenerated by our online activities is a new pressing concern forindividuals, businesses and governments.

For military and government departments, the protection ofthis data is a national security challenge. In the emerging worldof information and cyber warfare, keeping sensitive informa-tion secure is becoming a top priority for military, governmentand top-tier government contractor organisations. Even at theindividual level, the need to keep online data secure remains anational interest. The growing threat of cyber attacks from for-eign governments and rogue organisations is a threat to livesand livelihoods at the personal level, such as the targeting ofonline private and financial information; while the targeting ofpublic service or vital infrastructure by hostile attackers has thepotential to bring harm to civilians in a similar way that anattack by traditional warfare tactics does.

Claire Apthorp(*)

Two U.S. soldiers testing radios at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. (US Army).

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Cyber warfareThe concept of cyber warfare relies

on the fact that any data hosted on anetwork of any kind is vulnerable toattack to a certain extent. Whetherthat data is the online banking codesfor the customers of an individualbank; the online record keeping datafor a public hospital, the online stor-age system for a government depart-ment; or the emails sent within thenetwork of a prime government con-tractor – all this data is a potential tar-get for attack by those with an interestin obtaining access to it. That interestmay be financial, or the target may behighly valuable intellectual propertythat will benefit the recipient, such asa foreign government wanting to gainaccess to information regarding a USmilitary programme.

Keeping networks secure at all lev-els is an increasing concern for indi-viduals, businesses and governmentsin order to prevent cyber attacks – theUS government has declared earlierin 2011 that any targeted cyber attackon its sovereign data will be viewedas an attack on national security simi-lar to a traditional warfare attack. Asa result more investment is beingmade in data security that ever before,with the processes surrounding net-work security at the individual levelbeing cleaned-up to ensure that basicsecurity processes are adhered toproperly. At the deeper network level,there focus is on keeping all onlinedata encrypted, keeping online dataisolated, and ensuring that every vul-

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nerable access point of the network issecure.

To make matters more difficulthowever, the digitisation of personaland work lives that gives rise to theneed to protect and secure virtual pri-vate networks is simultaneously giv-ing rise to a never-before seen changein the way we live and work. Our pro-fessional lives are more mobile thanever before, and in order to be able towork in remote locations and on-the-move, the networks must be accessi-ble from virtually anywhere, which initself presents a significant challengeas to how that network is able to beprotected, with the online storage ofdata creating additional attack andentry points for potential attacks.

Cloud computing‘Whereas once we used to sit a lot

of people in a physical office space,you now see people working fromanywhere, which makes it more diffi-

cult to control who can access whatfrom where,’ Jerry Edgerton, BlueRidge Networks, said. ‘In order toshare resources in an efficient way,the concept of cloud computing hastaken off, whereby applications areshared via a cloud architecture.However, with people workingremotely, and computing devicesbecoming more prolific, the comput-ing environment is changing dramati-cally, with additional attack surfacesaround the edge of your computingenvironment increasing.’

Cloud computing is designed tomake remote computing more effec-tive. By reducing the amount of datacentres and trusted enclaves to shareapplications and resources means thedata itself is centralised, and users areable to access it from wherever theyneed to. But in order for this to be astep toward more secure data ratherthan away from it, this method relieson having effective security at the

edge of each computing device to pre-vent the introduction of malware toexfiltrate data.

Blue Ridge Networks has designedits EdgeGuard enterprise securitysolution to meet this challenge.EdgeGuard is a system of patentedtechnologies that enable secureremote access to centralised informa-tion resources, providing protectionagainst malware attacks, data leaks,and network intrusion. This is accom-plished by either adding a transparentlayer of security and control to exist-ing remote access infrastructure. Thesystem is designed to convert almostany laptop or desktop computer into avirtualised trusted terminal andenables secure remote access to cen-tralised systems so that nothing thatresides on the user’s computer cancross over to the protected trusted net-work and systems, and nothing fromtrusted networks and systems cancross over to the user’s computer.


Northrop Grumman opened a new, state-of-the-art Cyber Security Operations Center, a comprehensive cyber threat detection and response center thatfocuses on protecting Northrop Grumman and its customers' networks and data worldwide

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Raytheon ensures that critical information is not lost, corrupted or interrupted.

According to the company,EdgeGuard can also secure existingremote access products suchMicrosoft Remote Desktop Services(RDS), Citrix orother SSL platformswithout any disruption to the existinginfrastructure or operational process-es. Paired with Blue Ridge’sBorderGuard encryption and authen-tication technology and AppGuardendpoint protection, the remoteaccess session is completely lockeddown, reducing the increasing needfor multiple security solutions.

Complex computingAs cloud computing becomes more

prolific at the government and profes-sional level, the personal realm isquickly following. Every time anindividual stores information online,they are relying on cloud computingto centralise their data and make itavailable from any location and anycomputing device. This makes digitallife more convenient, but it presentsits own challenges.

‘The big issue with cloud comput-ing is that it can be harder to defend’,Vincent Blake, Raytheon, said. ‘Wehave been looking at cloud computingfor many years, and you can defend it,but the issue is that when you join a

public cloud, you have no idea who isjoining that cloud with you. As aresult, the only way you can protectyourself is to encrypt all your datawhen you share it on a cloud – andmost public providers do not provideany guarantees around security so it’sdown to the users to protect them-selves and their data’.

Raytheon’s Internet Protocol ver-sion 6 (IPv6) is designed to ensureprovide encryption and other safe-guards to ensure that data gets to thecorrect individuals without beingmodified or intercepted. IPv6 is a net-work layer for packet-switched inter-networks. It is designated as the suc-cessor to IPv4, the current version ofthe Internet Protocol, for general useon the Internet. According toRaytheon, the emergence of IPv6,providing the world with an exponen-tially larger number of available IPaddresses, is essential to the contin-ued growth of the Internet and devel-opment of new applications leverag-ing mobile Internet connectivity.

IPv6 provides end-to-end confiden-tiality by enabling end nodes to create

"75th Ranger Regiment with JTRS Rifleman Radio" (US Army).

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a mutual security association throughthe network. The security associationis established between end nodesusing a shared secret that is either pre-configured or generated dynamicallyusing cryptographic key agreementalgorithms. Essentially, the systemoffers inherent end-to-end securityservices that include entity and dataorigin authentication, connectionlessintegrity, replay protection, data con-fidentiality, and limited traffic flowconfidentiality.

Sovereign responsibilityOne of the major benefits of cloud

computing to individuals is that it issignificantly faster than the alterna-tive. As the data is stored externally,the computing device can run fasterwithout using cache memory andcomputing power. Technically, theprotection solutions of protecting thatdata are the same as on any networkon any individual computer, but thesurrounding security concepts are dif-ferent.

and what the rules and regulations arein the country that it is physicallystored – this gives rise to the geo-graphic sovereignty of data that isstored in a cloud’.

Is there a simple solution? ‘Securityoptions depend on the value of thematerial and how much you are will-ing to invest in the protection of thatmaterial and the risks you are willingto take. At the individual level, it’s apersonal choice, but when it gets to anational security level, people arestarting to ask the right questions andthe debate around it is driving therequirements of delivery. The keypoint is that where governmentsinvest in cloud computing storage,they have a duty to invest in theappropriate security and that is wherethere is a lot of concern – and rightlyso. Citizens have a right to expect thatthe information held about them bytheir government, such as biometricdata, is protected to ensure nationaland personal protection’.

"Soldiers utilize Distributed Common Ground System-Army, or DCGS-A, operations center atAberdeen Proving Ground, Md. U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command'scommunications-electronics center's Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate hosts theTactical Cloud Integration Lab in an effort to expedite cloud computing technologies to theSoldier." (US Army image).

"Robert J. Lucas, network manager, 69th Signal Battalion, Operations Center Bamberg, using aFluke Network Analyzer. The device is used to detect and locate rogue wireless access points onbase, and to scan the base network traffic for unauthorized machines and other network anom-alies." (US Army).

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Night Vision Systems: Fusing Thermal Imagingand Image Intensification For Better Vision

Bats share an important advantage over humans as they can seeunassisted in the dark. Nevertheless, several decades of scientific

innovation have enabled soldiers on the battlefield to gaze throughdarkness in a similar way to their feline counterparts.

When it comes to night vision, two distinct technologies can beemployed lighten up the darkest or nights, and the gloomiest ofspaces; these are principally Image Intensification (I2) and InfraRed(IR) thermal imaging. Both work in different ways to provide theusers with a picture of their surroundings as if they were illuminatedby an unseen light.

Technologicallimitations

As its name suggests, IR thermalimaging works by capturing a visualpicture of the heat emitted by objectsin the form infrared light in the fieldof view. The IR spectrum is next tothe visible light spectrum, although it

AN/PSQ-20 (ITT Exelis) – ITT Exelis's AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision System is providing theUS Army with a fused imagery system which significantly enhances their night-time vision by com-bining both infra-red and image intensification technologies.

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is invisible to the human eye. Withinthe IR spectrum one has near-IR lightwith a wavelength of between 0.7-1.3microns. Near-IR light is the neigh-bour of midwave-IR which occupies1.3-3 microns spectrum segment,while thermal-IR occupies the 3-30micron range. What is importantabout thermal-IR, compared to mid-

wave and near-IR light, is that ther-mal-IR cameras capture the heat radi-ation emitted by an object, whereasnear-IR and midwave-IR systemsdepict the IR energy that an objectreflects. Essentially thermal-IR sen-sors capture the photons that an objectreleases as it consumes energy. Allobjects consume energy. This con-sumption creates heat; the heat in turncreates photons and the photons cre-ate IR light.

Thermal imaging sensors use a lensto focus this thermal-IR light onto anIR detector array. The IR detectorarray then creates a thermogram,which is a detailed recording of theheat temperatures taken from theobject and recorded by the IR detectorarray. The thermogram is in turntranslated into electrical signalswhich are then sent to a visual displayvia a signal-processing unit. This lat-ter piece of equipment turns theseimpulses into data which displays theheat emissions from the objects ascolours according to the intensity oftemperature.

Thermal imagers are available inuncooled and cooled configurations.Uncooled thermal imagers are silentand work instantly once they areswitched on. Cooled thermal imagersare also available but rely on a cool-ing mechanism to reduce their IR sen-sors to temperatures of below 0°C.While the cooled systems have amotor which can sometimes be audi-ble and tend to be more expensive topurchase, they have a distinct advan-tage in that their cooling mechanismprovides them with an exceptionally

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sharp image depicting tiny tempera-ture differences even at long ranges ofup to 330m. The key advantage thatthermal imagers bring is that they canwork in conditions of complete dark-ness. That said, IR systems have theirdisadvantages. For example, theycannot be used to distinguish a per-son's face. Furthermore, the resolu-tion of objects cooled by rain maybeunclear to the user, while high humid-ity can impair the clarity of an image.

Image IntensificationOne of the major differences

between thermal imaging and I2 tech-nology is that the latter requires adegree of residual ambient light tofunction. This is because it uses aconventional lens to capture ambientlight, and near-IR light. This ambientlight can include that produced bystars in the night sky. These ambientlight photons travel into an imageintensification tube where they areconverted into electrons. These elec-

trons then hit a microchannel plate: anelectrically-charged glass disc honey-combed with millions of microchan-nels – essentially tiny microscopicholes. As the electrons pass throughthis electrically-charged glass discthey hit the sides of the microchannel

plate, causing other electrons to bereleased. These electrons completetheir journey by hitting a phosphorscreen causing a dot of light. It is thisdot of light, which has arrived on astraight trajectory from the originalphotons which entered the imageintensification tube, which are seenby the naked eye through an ocularlens that can be focused to sharpenthe image, and make it clear to theviewer.

Nobody would doubt for one sec-ond the huge contribution that I2makes to the soldiers' ability to fightin darkness, however, as noted above,one drawback of such systems whichare most commonly used in NightVision Goggles (NVGs) is that theystill require a degree of ambient lightto work efficiently. Moreover, NVGscan alter the wearer's depth percep-tion creating problems while drivingwith such apparatus. In addition, asmost NVGs are tube-based, the wear-er can be deprived of their peripheralvision, losing the ability to see the all-important corner of their eye wheresomething important maybe happen-ing. Other factors which can impede


A soldier uses the new AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision Goggles (ENVG)

Night Vision (US DoD) – The benefits of image intensification night vision equipment is clear inthis photograph with the soldier clearly visible in the image. Night vision provides a very clear pic-ture, although it does have limitations at range and in bad weather

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Image Fusion (ITT Exelis) – Image fusion essentially offers the 'best of both worlds' by combiningthermal imaging and image intensification together. These two images can then be overlaid on topof each other to create a detailed imagethe image clarity of NVGs includeweather phenomena such as rain,cloud or fog; while the dust thrown upby a landing helicopter or by a pass-ing vehicle can also greatly distort animage. Moreover, objects moving atspeed in the distance can be difficultto perceive with NVGs.

Image FusionThe relative merits and trade-offs

of both I2 and thermal-IR systems areprompting night vision experts to seeif there is a way by which these twosystems can be 'fused' to providesuperb night vision while mitigatingthe relative disadvantages of eachtechnique. This is giving rise to a newbreed of technology which can seethrough the dark by utilising the tech-nique of image fusion.

Image fusion essentially combinesI2 and IR technology to present aclear image to the user by combiningthese two images.

AN/PSQ-20Although this technology is still in

its infancy, a number of importantsteps forward are being made, recent-ly illustrated by the development of

the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle(ENVG). ENVG technology takes theexisting I2 tubes found in traditionalNVGs and combines these with alightweight uncooled thermal imag-ing camera. The imagery gathered bythe I2 tubes, and the thermal imager,is then presented to the wearer as oneimage.

The AN/PSQ-20 ENVG system is

produced by ITT Exelis which wonthe contract to provide these nightvision devices to the US Army in2004. The AN/PSQ-20 is designedaround an image intensification tubeand an infrared micro-bolometer. TheENVG is a highly versatile piece ofkit. The viewer can either see the I2 orthermal image in their monoculardevice, or they can choose to see bothimages together. As the AN/PSQ-20'sees' the surrounding scene in paral-lel with both the I2 and thermal imag-ing technology, the equipment pres-ents a clear image to the wearer.Furthermore, the user can adjust theblended picture to depict more of theI2 imagery compared to the thermalimage, and vice-versa. Weighingunder 907 grams, the ENVG can bemounted on a soldier's helmet withthe goggle assembly on the front, andthe battery pack behind to ensure thatthe weight is balanced, thus reducingneck and shoulder strain. The systemoffers 7.5 hours of battery life, andthe US Army eventually plans toacquire around 60,000 NVG units.

DXQ-20 (ATN) “the worlds ... only real time digital enhanced fusion night vision system.”

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The US Army began outfitting withthe AN/PSQ-20 in April 2008.

ATN CorpOther enhanced night vision sys-

tems are available in the guise ofAmerican Technologies NetworkCorp’s (ATN) FIITS14 w/4th Gen.IIT NVGs. This product combinesboth I2 and thermal imaging technol-ogy in one package. These gogglescan be used either in a helmet-mount-ed fashion, or as handheld binoculars.The thermal imaging units ‘sees’ inthe 7-14 micron part of the spectrum,has a 2x zoom (with the option forthis to be increased to 5x if so desiredby the customer) and offers fourhours’ battery life. Used on its own,the I2 night vision system has around50 hours’ battery life and a 40° field-of-view. The night vision unit canalso sense infra-red light allowing itto be used in total darkness.

DXQ-20ATN is joined by the General

Starlight Company’s DXQ-20enhanced fusion night vision systemwhich the company claims is; “theworlds ... only real time digitalenhanced fusion night vision system.”Essentially, the DXQ-20 mixes a fil-tered night vision video signal with afiltered thermal imaging video signalto provide real-time streamed, blend-ed video I2 and thermal imaging pic-tures. The DXQ-20 has a versatiledesign allowing it to be configuredeither as a weapons-mounted sight, aclip-on attachment for a conventionalweapons sight, or clipped together toform a night vision binocular system.Designed for use as either a helmet-mounted system, or as a handheldbinocular, the company’s DSQ-20Mcombines a near-IR I2 tube, a long-wave IR thermal imager and an IRlaser aimer and designator. The I2

ability to see in complete darkness.The ClipIR offers up to four hours’operation on a single AA battery andprovides a 40° field of view. A num-ber of brightness settings are includedin the product allowing it to be con-figured to the environment of theuser, whether they are in a cave,urban terrain or a desert.

Owning the night has been a keyelement of warfare ever since I2 tech-nology become available followingthe end of the Second World War.Since then, the technologicaladvances made in the fields of I2 andthermal imaging technologies havebeen impressive to say the least.However, night vision engineers arestill some way from effectively turn-ing the night into daylight for theviewer. Nevertheless, as advances inimage fusion are illustrating, someimportant advancements are beingmade which are helping to providetroops with an even clearer view ofthe world around them. A Bat maystill have enviable vision in the dark-ness but, with a little help from tech-nology, humans may soon be able toenjoy comparable vision. T.W.

One lower-cost method of achieving a degree of image fusion is to use a clip-on thermal imagingsystem. Thermoteknix Systems Ltd. of the United Kingdom has developed such a product called theClipIR.

system uses second-generation I2technology which is then teamed withan uncooled microbolometer thermalimaging system. Two AA-sized bat-teries provide up to eight hours' oper-ation, and the entire system, with itsbattery pack, weighs 650 grams. Amention should also be made ofTenebraex Corporation’s ColorPathCCNVD (Color Capable NightVision Device) which adds a colourfilter to a standard night vision sys-tem. As the reader will know,imagery returned by an I2 systemtends to have a green hue. However,the ColorPath CCNVD is designed toprovide the viewer with a depiction ofthe colours that their NVGs are see-ing, not just the green imagery.

ClipIROne lower-cost method of achiev-

ing a degree of image fusion is to usea clip-on thermal imaging system.Thermoteknix Systems Ltd. of theUnited Kingdom has developed sucha product called the ClipIR. This ther-mal imager can be used with theAN/PVS-14 and AN/PVS-15 seriesof NVGs, providing the user with the ¯

Airborne Targeting Pods: High ResolutionImages Coupled With Smart Targeting

Getting a television-, laser- or satellite-guided bomb from a jetaircraft, moving at hundreds of knots, onto a target, perhaps no

bigger than a four-wheel drive vehicle; through air which may beobscured by smoke, fog or rain, is no small challenge.

Since the dawn of airpower one hundred years ago, the question ofhow to get ordnance onto a target as accurately as possible has vexedairpower practitioners. The precision of air-to-ground fire hasincreased steadily over the years. Today, strike aircraft boast animpressive level of accuracy. This is helped in no small measure by thetargeting pods carried by these aircraft. These pods can be attached toa combat aircraft's wing-mounted hardpoints, or onto a fuselageweapons station. They provide the aircrew with a visual picture oftheir target and a mechanism by which their ordnance can be guidedto its desired point of impact.

Thomas Withington(*)

LITENING (Northrop Grumman) – Northrop Grumman's Litening targeting pod has been devel-oped in conjunction with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel. The pod is one of the best-selling and most experienced air-to-ground targeting systems currently available.

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LiteningIn collaboration with Northrop

Grumman, Israel's Rafael AdvancedDefense Systems produces thefamous Litening targeting pod family.Their efforts have yielded a productwhich has become a household namein terms of the provision of highlyaccurate air-to-ground fire.Production of the pod commenced in1995, and Northrop Grumman claimsthat Litening is now the most widely-used targeting pod in the world; hav-ing amassed 1,200,000 flying hours.Aircraft outfitted with the Liteningpod can deliver both laser- and GlobalPositioning System (GPS)-guidedmunitions. Post-strike, Litening canbe used to provide Battle DamageAssessment.

The pod contains a laser designatorto paint targets, and laser markerallowing targets to be engaged coop-eratively by other aircraft carryinglaser-guided ordnance. Litening has a0.77°x0.77° narrow Field-of-View(FoV), although this expands to2.8°x2.8°in medium FoV mode, and18.4x24°in wide FoV when the pod isemploying its Forward LookingInfra-Red (FLIR) sensor. Its integralcamera has a 0.7°x0.7° in narrowFoV, but a 3.5°x3.5° FoV in widemode. Moreover, the eye-safe diode-pumped laser utilises NATO standardcoding. The use of either analogue ordigital datalinks enables targetinginformation, and battle damage datagathered by the pod, to be handed-offto other users.

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LANTIRNSimilarly as famous as Litening is

Lockheed Martin's Low AltitudeNavigation and Targeting Infrared forNight product; better known as theLANTIRN targeting pod. LANTIRNis equipped with a 5.87x5.87°wideFoV camera providing target detec-tion and tracking. Once a potentialtarget has been detected, a narrow1.65°x1.65°FoV mode can be used toperform target selection and lock-on.Onboard the aircraft, LANTIRN canbe integrated with organic navigationsystems and weapons fire control. Forexample, it can correlate the boresightof infrared guided weapons with thepod to ensure that the weapon's viewof a target matches the view of thepod enhancing targeting accuracy.

SNIPERThe United States Air Force has

taken the radical step of installingLockheed Martin's Sniper targetingpod on board one of its larger plat-forms in the form of the RockwellInternational/Boeing B-1B Lancerheavy bomber. The reason for outfit-ting such an aircraft with a targetingpod was because the B-1B boasts thelargest weapons payload in the UnitedStates Air Force inventory. This per-mits the aircraft to carry a huge rangeof satellite- and laser-guided weaponswhich can be bought to bear in com-bat. The addition of the Sniper podmeans that these aircraft can performair-to-ground targeting without need-ing to depend on off-board systemsmounted on other aircraft; or troopsequipped with targeting systems posi-tioned on the ground.

The outfitting of the B-1B forcewith the Sniper pod was the result ofan Urgent Need Request (UNR)released by the USAF in 2006. TheUNR stressed the requirement to pro-

vide the bomber with a means of per-forming organic targeting; enhancingthe aircraft's Intelligence,Surveillance, Target Acquisition andReconnaissance (ISTAR) capabili-ties, and allowing the aircraft to deliv-er both non-precision, and precision-guided, ordnance. As an indication ofhow quickly UNRs can be realised,within a year of the air force issuingits request, a flight test of Sniperonboard a B-1B had been performed.

Along with furnishing the B-1B,the Sniper targeting pod is used by theMcDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15E,General Dynamics/Lockheed MartinF-16A/B/C/D Block 30/40/50, andFairchild/Lockheed Martin A-10Cstrike aircraft. The Sniper pod con-tains a laser spot tracker and a lasermarker, along with an integral elec-tro-optical payload. This electro-opti-cal payload includes a mid-waveFLIR and a geolocation system forthe employment of satellite-guidedweapons. Optional video downlinksand video data recorders can be

installed on the pod if so desired bythe customer. When operating in awide mode, SNIPER has a 4°x4°FoV,although in narrow mode this can bereduced to 1.0°x1.0°. The pod alsoboasts a relatively light weight of181kg. Externally, SNIPER has beendesigned to have a low-drag, stealthyshape allowing it to be carried on fastjets, and to contribute to the reductionof the aircraft's radar cross section.

According to Lockheed Martin,Sniper pod production is performed ata rate of around ten pods per month.Currently, the USAF has 782 pods onorder. Of this order, 458 will equipthe USAF with the balance of 324being procured by the USAF onbehalf of foreign customers. The firmadds that, along with the B-1BLancer, the pod has been fitted to theUSAF's Boeing B-52H Stratofortressstrategic bomber; the F-16AM/BMjets operated by the Belgian AirComponent and the Royal NorwegianAir Force; plus the McDonnellDouglas/Boeing CF-18 Hornets


LANTIRN ER targeting and navigation pods pro-vide today’s Warfighters with enhanced resolu-tion, range, and reliability – 24 hours a day, inadverse weather and hostile conditions. (Photo byLockheed Martin)

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flown by the Royal Canadian AirForce. One of the aspects of theSniper pod which Lockheed Martin iskeen to promote is the payload's 'plugand play' characteristics: «The Sniperpod's hardware and software configu-ration provides continued plug andplay flexibility across interfaces andmultiple platforms. Fully digital, theSniper pod has repeatedly demon-strated the ability to integrate rapidlywith little or no impact to the host air-craft and its software.»

The company says that anotherattraction of the Sniper system is thestand-off range that it affords to com-bat aircraft: «Operating well outsidejet noise range, the Sniper ATP per-mits aircrew to identify, track anddefeat targets without detection. Thepod's increased standoff rangeenables aircrews to provide surveil-lance for ground troops without alert-ing hostile forces to their presence.»Above all, Lockheed Martin states,Sniper is no longer a pod, rather, it isa targeting/ISR system. Its targetsharing capabilities provide the mostcomplete spectrum of mission appli-cations for today's warfighter opera-tional needs.»

DamoclesThales's Damocles product uses an

eye safe laser and infra-red imagery.Damocles has a FoV of 4°x3° in awide mode, although this reduces to1°x0.75° when using the narrow FoV.The pod's laser range finder has awavelength of 1.5 microns with the

laser spot tracker using a 1.06 micronwavelength. Along with serving onthe Armée de l'Air (French Air Force)and Marine Nationale (French Navy)Dassault Rafale and Super Etendardseries of multirole combat aircraft,Damocles is employed by DassaultMirage 2000-5 and Sukhoi Su-30 fastjets. In addition to being employedfor air-to-ground targeting, the designof the Damocles pod means that it canbe utilised for navigation. This isbecause the pod is also outfitted withan integral FLIR system.

Damocles has recently beeninvolved in combat as it has beenused extensively by both the FrenchAir Force and French Navy to providetargeting for aircraft participating inOperation Harmattan. 'Harmattan'was the code-name for the French

contribution to Operation UnifiedProtector; NATO's initiative to pro-tect Libyan civilians against theforces of Colonel Gaddafi. During theconflict, Damocles provided fire con-trol for Sagem AASM GPS-guidedmunitions, and also for laser-guidedweapons. Meanwhile, althoughDamocles is one of the latest targetingpods available, the thoughts of itsmanufacturer are already turning to amodernised version. To this end,Thales is pressing ahead with itsDamocles-XF version. Improvementsfeatured on the Damocles-XF includea high-resolution infra-red camera toimprove the pod's performance in lowvisibility, and a higher performancedaylight camera. The rationale behindthe Damocles-XF is not only toimprove the targeting performance of

SNIPER (Lockheed Martin) – Lockheed Martin's SNIPER targeting pod has the distinction of having been integrated onto a two 'heavy' platforms inthe form of the USAF's Rockwell International/Boeing B-1B Lancer and Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers.

Damocles (Thales) – A Dassault Rafale combat aircraft sits on the ramp. These aircraft boast ahigh degree of precision thanks to their Thales Damocles targeting pods. Thales is now working onan improved version of this system called the Damocles-XF.

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a strike aircraft, but also to provide asecondary reconnaissance capability.

RaytheonNo targeting pod article would be

complete without mentioning theproducts manufactured by Raytheon.These include the ASQ-228 ATFLIRforward-looking infrared systemwhich, among other aircraft, is usedon board the Swiss Air Force's F/A-18C/D Hornet combat aircraft. TheASQ-228 can perform laser range-finding, designation and laser spottracking and, like the Litening systemdiscussed above, uses a diode-pumped laser and mid-wave infraredelectro-optics. Meanwhile, an integralKu-band communications datalinkallows over-the-horizon imagerytransfers to other units via satellitecommunications. Although the ASQ-228 is a mid-wave FLIR targetingsystem, the AN/AAQ-16 provideslong-wave FLIR functions. This sys-tem can be used both for targeting andas a FLIR. As such, it has proved pop-ular for employment on helicopters.Other targeting pod systems in theRaytheon catalogue include theAN/AAS-38 NITEHawk system forutilisation in all weathers during theday and during the night.

For fixed-wing aircraft, one ofRaytheon's most famous products isthe company's HARM TargetingSystem (HTS). The HTS is designedto be used in conjunction with theAGM-88 High-speed Anti-RadiationMissile (HARM) family of weapons.The HTS has a highly specialist appli-cation as it listens to the electro-mag-netic spectrum for hostile radar emis-sions. Once detected, an AGM-88 canthen be launched to intercept anddestroy the hostile radar. Althoughthe AGM-88 is synonymous with theUnited States Air Force LockheedMartin/General Dynamics F-16CJ

datalink. All of these functions areperformed in a package weighing196kg, and which can operate at alti-tudes of up to 50,000ft.

Recent combat experience in Libyahas underscored the importance of theprovision of highly accurate air-to-ground fire. The scalpel-like preci-sion with which NATO was able toinflict devasting damage againstGaddafi's forces was due in no smallmeasure to the high performance ofthe targeting pods available to airforces today. It is only since the endof the Second World War, and thesubsequent development of the tar-geting pod, that the precision of air-to-ground fire has taken such animpressive leap forward. This accura-cy is set to improve still further in thefuture.

(*) Strategic Analyst

Viper Weasel family of SEAD air-craft it can, in fact, be used with anyaircraft outfitted with a Mil-Std 1553-compatible data bus.

EL/M-20600Israel's Elta Systems produces the

EL/M-20600 radar targeting pod foruse in the Suppression of Enemy AirDefence (SEAD) mission. The EL/M-20600 contains a Synthetic ApertureRadar (SAR) and a ground movingtarget indicator. This provides the air-crew sharp pictures of the groundbeneath them, and of any vehicleswhich may be on the move. The useof the SAR means that the EL/M-20600 is unaffected by smoke, fog orinclement weather. As well as beingused for targeting, this pod can beemployed for general reconnaissancemissions, and has the wherewithal tohand imagery to other users across a

The ASQ-228 ATFLIR can be used both for targeting and as a FLIR.(Photo by Raytheon)

¯

Mr. Serge Buchakjian: The M-ATV is applyingdecades of expertise and production capabilities

Defence21 seizes every available opportunity to explore the latestvehicle technologies that Oshkosh Provides to US Forces and

other armies around the world. Oshkosh Defense longstanding pres-ence in MENA region in general ,and Gulf States in particular, aimedat better understand and respond to the needs of their customers, andto provide full life cycle service support for their tactical and armoredvehicle platforms, especially the legendry M-ATV, through their for-ward-deployed personnel and forward facilities. For this end,Defence21 has interviewed Mr. Serge Buchakjian, Senior VicePresident and General Manager of international programs forOshkosh Defense. Here are the details:

Mr. Serge Buchakjian, Senior Vice President and General Manager of international programs forOshkosh Defense

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May we have a general overviewon Oshkosh Defense?

Oshkosh Defense has been helpingmobilize military forces for more than90 years. Our tactical and armouredvehicle platforms cover the spectrumof military requirements, including

heavy, medium and light vehicles.We have manufactured more than100,000 military-class trucks andtrailers.

Our work isn’t done when vehiclesleave the production lines. With a fulllife-cycle focus, we stand ready to

support our customers with integratedproduct support, from parts supplyand training to maintenance and fleetrestoration services. We also continueto evolve the capabilities of militaryvehicles with the latest advancedtechnologies. Some of our leadingtechnologies include independentsuspension systems, unmannedground vehicle operability and hybriddiesel-electric powertrain technology.

Oshkosh Defense has established adedicated international organization,including employees in severalregions close to customers, to betterunderstand and respond to the needsof our customers. This includes for-ward-deployed personnel to providetechnical support for our installedbase of vehicles.

What are the latest success andpotential stories for OshkoshDefense in MENA region in generaland Gulf States in particular?

We completed deliveries of ourGlobal Heavy Equipment Transporter(HET) to support the United ArabEmirates Armed Forces earlier thisyear. The vehicle uses a 700-horse-power engine and has a 70 metric tonpayload capability, allowing theArmed Forces to keep at a minimumthe equipment wear and tear and crewfatigue that can happen in long-dis-tance equipment transportation. Weworked closely with the Abu Dhabi-based Al Jaber Group to design theGlobal HET specifically to meet therequirements of the UAE ArmedForces, putting it through rigoroustesting and evaluation in extremedesert conditions.

We also are establishing a new

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192

Oshkosh Defense facility in AbuDhabi. This will expand the reach ofOshkosh Arabia, which is our region-al hub in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, andhelp us best serve our customers andpartners in the UAE. The new officeis in addition to our growing presencein Saudi Arabia, with an office inRiyadh and our partnerships with in-country industry.

Some of our other work in theregion has included co-production ofHeavy Equipment Transporter (HET)trailers at the Egyptian Ministry ofMilitary Production’s facility nearCairo as well as foreign military salesof the M-ATV to a regional military.There’s also the potential for directcommercial sale of these vehicles.And we have the capability to recapi-talize thousands of already fieldedvehicles for our MENA customers.

This, along with expansions of ouremployee base in the region to sup-port our MENA customers, is all partof our ongoing commitment to sup-port military, police and securityorganizations with world-class vehi-cles and exceptional life-cycle sup-port. We also continue to look at newareas of expansion in the MENAregion.

Attending SOFEX 2012 andinternational exhibitions is a clearcut signal that Oshkosh is headingto international export markets,where the MENA as well as FarEast, India and Brazil are occupy-ing strategic positions. How isOshkosh Defense approachingthese markets in general andMENA region in particular?

Oshkosh Defense is already a glob-al supplier of military vehicles, withnearly 20 countries around the worldusing our vehicle platforms. Our cus-tomers include the UAE, SaudiArabia, Jordan, Oman, Turkey,

Egypt, Qatar and Iraq, among others.In the MENA region, we offer a rangeof solutions to meet the unique needsof different countries, particularly asthey replace aging vehicle fleets withmore advanced, modernized plat-forms and look for more service andsupport capabilities from their OEMs.

We put a strong emphasis on life-cycle support because we’re a spe-cialty vehicle manufacturer thatunderstands how vehicles are utilizedacross decades of service. By focus-ing on customers’ needs, and collabo-rating with them through design,delivery and beyond, we help ensureour new product development processmeets their specific needs.

We also understand the importanceof keeping work in-country and part-nering with local industry to providelasting value to local economies. Thisis why we’ve had a presence in theMENA region for more than 50 years.The relationships Oshkosh Defensebuilds with customers is always withthe long-term in mind, because weknow their needs will continue farafter they receive our vehicles.

When the lives of soldiers wereon the stake in the Afghani theaterof operations, Oshkosh respondedto strict requirements for the


The Heavy Equipment Transport (HET)

The M-ATV Special Forces Vehicle

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The SandCat Tactical Protector VehicleMRAP-All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) in record time. Would youplease shed the light on this dynam-ic development and productioncapacity?

The Oshkosh M-ATV is the mostmobile platform in the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)family of vehicles. The M-ATV usesa modular crew-protection systemthat can accept bolt-on armour tomeet a range of protection require-ments. To give the vehicle its signa-ture off-road mobility, the vehicleuses our TAK-4 independent suspen-sion system. This delivers more than40 centimeters of independent wheeltravel and a 70 percent off-road pro-file capability, allowing the vehicle totravel across unimproved roads,rugged off-road terrain and largeobstacles.

Within six months of receiving theM-ATV contract, we were producingmore than 1,000 vehicles per monthat our facilities. This was an urgent-need program for our customer, so wemobilized our workforce globally forproduction, training and maintenance.We met or exceeded all monthlydelivery requirements for the M-ATVby applying decades of expertise andproduction capabilities to stay on

schedule, all while keeping on targetwith our other programs. We canreplicate this rapid production to meetthe needs of international customers.

Oshkosh was displaying atSOFEX 2012 MRAP All-TerrainVehicle (M-ATV) Special ForcesVehicle (SFV) and the SandCatTactical Protector Vehicle (TPV).These vehicles gained a lot of atten-tion through the show. Would youplease shed the light on the capabil-ities of these two vehicles and theirpotential customers in MENAregional markets?

The Oshkosh M-ATV SFV and

SandCat TPV are protected and high-ly mobile vehicles that can support awide range of special forces, lawenforcement and border patrol mis-sions. The M-ATV SFV delivers theprotection and mobility capabilitiesthat are common across all M-ATVvariants, but also features alterationsfor special forces needs. This includesa modified cargo deck that can acceptspecialized equipment and largerfront windscreens for increased visi-bility. Among our orders for nearly8,700 M-ATVs to date, we’vereceived orders for more than 460SFV variants.

The SandCat TPV is part of ourSandCat family of vehicles and isdesigned to provide protected mobili-ty in both tight urban settings andrugged rural terrain. The SandCatTPV can be configured to meet cus-tomers’ unique performance, protec-tion and payload needs, and it canaccommodate up to nine passengers.To date, we’ve received SandCatorders from Mexico, the U.S.,Canada, Sweden, Bulgaria andNigeria.

Oshkosh is exploring opportunitiesfor both products with several MENAcustomers to meet requirements for

The Light Combat Tactical all Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV)

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highly mobile and protected vehicles.Oshkosh Defense has offered its

solution for EMD phase of JLTVprogram, which is composed of lat-est generation of Light CombatTactical All Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV). This vehicle is featuring lat-est Oshkosh technologies as regardprotection, mobility, propulsionand suspension systems. Would youplease elaborate on this?

The Oshkosh L-ATV representswhat’s next for light tactical vehicles.We developed six generations ofvehicles since 2006 to meet the JLTVprogram’s evolving requirements.The resulting L-ATV delivers excep-tional crew protection as well asunprecedented levels of off-roadmobility. In addition to testing our L-ATV against the JLTV mission pro-file, we entered an L-ATV prototypein the Baja 1000 race, which runsmore than 1,700 kilometers throughunforgiving Mexican desert terrain.The vehicle was the first of its class tosuccessfully complete the race. Thetrek was an invaluable provingground for vehicle mobility, handlingand reliability, with severe terrain andunpredictable challenges throughout.

Like our M-ATV, the L-ATV usesa modular crew protection system thatcan accept multiple armour configu-rations for changing requirements.The L-ATV also sets the bar evenhigher for off-road vehicle mobility.It uses our TAK-4i intelligent inde-pendent suspension system, whichbuilds on the success of our TAK-4system. The TAK-4i system delivers50 centimeters of independent wheeltravel and is tailored specifically forhigh-performance lightweight mili-tary vehicles.

After sales logistic support is sys-tem essential to maintain life cycleservice of vehicles. How is Oshkoshresponding to this market in

parts to every corner of the globe. The TPER program proved to help

reduce life-cycle costs for the U.S.military and took advantage of ourability to go whenever and whereverour customers need us. Rather thanshipping heavily worn or battle-dam-aged vehicles back to the States, ourcustomer sent them to the OshkoshLogistics Center in Kuwait for refur-bishment. We repaired the vehiclesback to strict equipment-readinessstandards so they could return tooperation quickly. In addition toreducing the cost of refurbishment,the TPER program reduced the main-tenance cycle time by at least 60 days.

We refurbished as many as 60 to 65vehicles per month. These vehiclesneeded anywhere from 300 to 1,000replacement parts per vehicle. Thisrequired close collaboration withmultiple agencies to deliver a multi-faceted supply chain managementapproach. The TPER program wascompleted last year, not long after wedelivered the 2,000th refurbishedvehicle to our customer.

Mr. Serge BuchakjianThank you very much

MENA region? Would you pleaseelaborate on Theater ProvidedEquipment Refurbishment (TPER)programs or field maintenance?

Oshkosh’s aftermarket solutionscover the complete spectrum of vehi-cle life-cycle support, including train-ing services, instruction manuals,maintenance and repairs, parts sup-ply, and fleet restoration services. Ourstaff and networks in the Middle Eastunderstand the regional challengesand bring that unique expertise tosupport the full life-cycle needs of ourcustomers.

Our field service representatives(FSR) go wherever our customersneed them. They are trained expertson our vehicles, and provide trainingto vehicle operators and mechanics toestablish systems-level expertise ontheir vehicles. Our FSRs also serve asa direct link to our company and ulti-mately allow militaries to performmore vehicle service in-house.Additionally, our fleet-restorationservices can deliver remanufacturedand recapitalized vehicles at a frac-tion the cost of a new vehicle. Andour parts-supply network is available24/7 to get spare and replacement

¯

Service Spectrum

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IN THIS ISSUE

Volume 9 •Issue N˚48 • June - July 2012

Volume 9 • Issue N˚48 • June - July 2012

VISIONGlobalization of DefenseREGIONAL NEWSPRESS INTERVIEWSMr. Serge Buchakjian- Oshkosh Defense -:M-ATV is applying decades of expertise andproduction capabilitiesSHOWS & EXHIBITIONS

- SOFEX 2012: The Persistent Exhibition- DIMDEX 2012: Successful as long as Threats are Emerging- DEFEXPO 2012: A Renewable Platform to Support Indian IndustryBase- Middle East Missile and Air Defense Symposium - MEMAD 2012- Eurosatory 2012: International Event For New TechnologiesLAND SYSTEMSDevelopment of MRAP Armored VehiclesAEROSPACE SYSTEMSAirborne Targeting Pods: High Resolution Images Coupled WithSmart TargetingWEAPON SYSTEMSNight Vision Systems: Fusing Thermal Imaging and ImageIntensification For Better VisionINFORMATION WARFAREHow to keep Data in Digital Era?ELECTRONIC WARFAREWhoever Controls the Electro Magnetic Spectrum Wins the WarMISSILE SYSTEMSVSHORAD: Status ReportTACTICAL COMMUNICATIONSHand Held Radios: The Revolutionary SystemsINTERNATIONAL NEWSNEW AND UPGRADED TECHNOLOGIESNEW DEALSNEW EXECUTIVESENGLISH SUPPLEMENT

36

193

203646

7276

98

106

110

114

118

124

129134148152161163

The MENA Region Defence, Security & AerospaceMagazine for the 21st Century

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSAECAgustaWestlandAirbus MilitaryAlenia AermacchiCassidianDatronDCIEurocopterEuronaval 2012Eurosatory 2012Fischer PandaFox Knives Military Division

115113536/77943

4th Cover67

3rd Cover785

GDLSIDEX 2013KMWMBDAMercedes BenzMilipol Qatar 2012NexterNorthrop GrummanOshkoshRheinmetallRUAGUS Ordnance

15198/9

2nd Cover774510317991018987

Documents

Defence 21 Magazine,English Supplement,Issue-48.pdf