a 7.90 D 14974 E

D European & Security ES & Defence 6/2019 International Security and Defence Journal

COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA ISSN 1617-7983

Heavy Lift Helicopters

• Russian Nuclear Strategy • UAS for Reconnaissance and • NATO Military Engineering CoE Surveillance

www.euro-sd.com • • Airborne Early Warning

• • Royal Norwegian Navy • Brazilian Army • UAS Detection • Cockpit Technology • Swiss “Air2030” Programme Developments • CBRN Decontamination June 2019 • CASEVAC/MEDEVAC Aircraft • Serbian Defence Exports

Politics · Armed Forces · Procurement · Technology ANYTHING.

In operations, the Eurofighter Typhoon is the proven choice of Air Forces. Unparalleled reliability and a continuous capability evolution across all domains mean that the Eurofighter Typhoon will play a vital role for decades to come.

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airbus.com Editorial

Europe Needs More Pragmatism

The elections to the European Parliament in May were beset with more paradoxes than they have ever been. The strongest party which will take its seats in the plenary chambers in Brus- sels (and, as an expensive anachronism, also in Strasbourg), albeit only for a brief period, is the Brexit Party, with 29 seats, whose programme is implicit in their name. Although EU institutions across the entire continent are challenged in terms of their public acceptance, in many countries the election has been fought with a very great deal of emotion, as if the day of reckoning is dawning, on which decisions will be All or Nothing. Some have raised concerns about the prosperous “European Project”, which they see as in dire need of rescue from malevolent sceptics. Others have painted an image of the decline of the West, which would inevitably come about if Brussels were to be allowed to continue on its present course. Either way, the more "Europe" was discussed - even if only niggles - and the more the parties tried to explain to their constituents what their actual vision for the continent is, at the end of the day voters still voted on the basis of their national prospects. What happens in distant Brussels is something they can hardly take seriously. Conversely, people know exactly what impression parties running for election in their own countries want to convey, as their solutions to the people's "problems". This explains why the Greens fell short in exactly that country where the "Fridays for the Future" campaign of young cli- mate activists started, while in other countries they clearly gained ground; why right-wing populists scored points in Italy and Hungary, but stagnated in Germany and lost ground in Austria; why the Social Democrats triumphed in the Netherlands but faced defeat elsewhere – the list of conspicuous points goes on and on. What has been seen as a European trend is not, therefore, something which is of uniform significance in all the EU Member States. Rather, it is a summation of the election results of all the Member States. A fundamental change in the party system, its pluralisation, the coming to the fore of protest movements, which sometimes rapidly recede, but which sometimes also become established, are things we have been seeing for some considerable time. In more than a few countries it is increasingly difficult to find stable parliamentary majorities, able to pursue a coherent governmental policy – preferably even beyond more than one legislative period. Since time immemorial, the plethora of parties present in the European Parliament has been substantially greater than at national levels, not least because some states which otherwise apply majority voting law (such as France and the UK), allow proportional representation at the European level, while Germany does not apply the five percent threshold that applies in national elections. Historically this fragmention was not worrying because two fractions, the European People’s Party and the Social Democrats, heterogeneous as they were in themselves, did at least together constitute a majority. This is now no longer the case. But this development is not really all that dramatic. Unlike the situation in national representa- tions, in the European Parliament there are no government and opposition fractions confront- ing each other. Shifting majorities are commonplace, and the assembly's influence continues to be severely restricted, even if nowadays it is integrated into a considerable number of areas of European legislature, undertakes supervisory and monitoring tasks, and has a significant voice in the composition of the European Commission. But overall, the role of the European Parlia- ment is too weak to reject the accusation that the European Union is lacking in democratic legitimisation. Instead, it is displaying to all and sundry that it is not possible to practise repre- sentative democracy at the European level; that is to say, it is not possible to implement the will of the citizens in the decision-making process. This is something which only the national parlia- ments can do (and nowadays only with a great deal of effort). The foundations of the EU still remain the nation states. As a supranational organisation, it cannot be further developed in the direction of a federal state without encountering prob- lems which it is not able to solve. Whoever tries to pursue this aim will lose public support, and, above all, will waste time doing those things which, pragmatically, can be created from and by the EU. It may be that in pursuing a more pragmatic course Europe will not become the "global player" that some would like to see, but that is not at all something for which the world is waiting, or that it needs. The actual aims of offering European citizens peace, stability, and welfare, would in no way be compromised by harking back to the original principles of the European unifica- tion process.

Peter Bossdorf

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 1 Contents

70 CASEVAC/MEDEVAC Aircraft: SECURITY POLICY Current and Pending Systems 14 Relations between Iran and Syria Sidney E. Dean A Marriage of Convenience or an Axis of Resistance? 78 “PESCO was a major step.” Andreea Stoian Karadeli Interview with Raimo Jyväsjärvi, National Armaments 20 Russian Nuclear Strategy after the INF Treaty Director at the Ministry of Defence of Finland Stephen Blank 79 UAS for Reconnaissance and Surveillance Sidney E. Dean

“Greece spends more than 2% on defence.” COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA 87 Interview with Vice Admiral H.N. (Rtd) Kyriakos Kyriakidis, 27 The Austrian Federal Army: Back to the Start? National Armaments Director of the Ministry of Defence A Last-Minute Comment on the Current Political of Greece Turmoil in Vienna 88 CHINOOK or KING STALLION? Georg Mader Heavy Lift Helicopter Alternatives for Europe 30 “With 0.5% of GDP, we cannot even achieve Georg Mader rudimentary military defence.” 94 Airborne Early Warning: Interview with General Robert Brieger, Watching the Noisy Neighbours Austrian Head of the Defence Staff Alan Warnes 36 The World Market Leader in Niches 98 “Belgium needed to invest in new major Georg Mader equipment to be prepared for the future.” Interview with Lieutenant General Rudy Debaene, National Armament Director of the Ministry of Defence of Belgium ARMED FORCES 99 UAS Detection and Countermeasures 38 NATO and Georgian–American Military Relations Sidney E. Dean Eugene Kogan 103 Switzerland’s Second Attempt 43 The NATO Military Engineering Georg Mader Centre of Excellence Team of Authors Index of Advertisers 46 "The technical revolution has changed the nature of conflicts." Airbus 2nd cover Interview with General Edson Leal Pujol, Arms & Security 41 Commander of the Brazilian Army Aviasvit 85 50 Blue Homeland: Turkey’s Naval Exercise Close Combat Symposium 69 Andreea Stoian Karadeli Defense & Security 108 Diehl Aviation 71 54 “The security landscape is rapidly changing.” DSEI Japan 37 Interview with Rear Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, ESG 29 Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy Expodefensa 113 General Atomics Aeronautical 51 General Dynamics European Land Systems 31 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY IAI 83 Kallmann 4-5 57 The Human Aspect in Modern Combat Aircraft Kärcher Futuretech 119 Tamir Eshel Leonardo 59 63 A Long Life for the Spanish EUROFIGHTER Lockheed Martin 7 Esteban Villarejo MSPO 23 MTU Aero Engines 76-77 66 “Our aim is to refrain from taking separate Proengin 117 national approaches.” Raytheon 4th cover Interview with Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, National Rohde & Schwarz 114-115 Armaments Director at the German Ministry of Defence Schiebel 81 68 “Trident Juncture in Norway was Sensonor 3 a priceless opportunity.” Sukhoi 3rd cover, 13 Interview with Morten Tiller, National Armament Taurus Systems 65 Director at the Ministry of Defence of Norway

2 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 109 “All candidates will be evaluated according to the same principles.” Interview with Bernhard Berset, Chief Test Pilot of armasuisse and Project Leader Evaluation NKF GYRO 110 Management Issues Thomas Withington TACTICAL GRADE 116 New Horizons in CBRN Decontamination Dan Kaszeta

INDUSTRY AND MARKETS

121 ASELSAN – a High-Growth Company with Global Potential Interview with Osman Devrim Fidancı, Vice President Business Development and Marketing at ASELSAN 122 The Serbian Alternative Developing Defence Export Momentum David Saw 126 “We are redefining aerospace.” Interview with Talel Kamel, 1:1 scale Vice President MEA, Collins Aerospace 127 Joint Fires in South Africa Gerhard Heiming STIM210 is a small, lightweight Three Axis 129 ASDA 2019 Gyro Module for accurate pointing and Igor Tabak stabilization, fl ight control and guidance applications. THE BRUSSELS BACKDROP

48 NATO in Afghanistan: • ITAR free A Situation Report on Resolute Support • Small size, low weight, power and cost Joris Verbeurgt • Insensitive to magnetic fi elds • Low gyro bias instability (0.3°/h) VIEWPOINT FROM … • Low gyro noise (0.15°/√h) • Excellent performance under vibration and shock 18 Pretoria • Available in 1, 2 or 3 axes Helmoed Römer Heitman • Fully calibrated and customer confi gur able to the specifi c application 25 Kiev • Weight 55 grams, volume <2cu.in, power 1.5 W Alex Horobets

42 Zagreb STIM210 is fi eld proven in Missile systems, Target Igor Tabak acquisition systems, Airborne surveillance, DIRCM, Remote Weapon Systems, Launch vehicles, Military Land navigators and Satellites. COLUMNS

1 Editorial

6 Periscope

56 Masthead When size, performance and robustness matter

131 Firms & Faces [email protected] • sensonor.com 136 Preview Issue 9/2019

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 3 U.S. PRESENCE AT MSPO 2019 WILL AMPLIFY STRONG AND GROWING BILATERAL PARTNERSHIP WITH POLAND Designation of the United States as the event’s “Lead Nation” affirms one of the most stable NATO alliances

U.S. defense and security companies looking to enter European markets or expand business there have set their sights on the next edition of MSPO, September 3-6, 2019 in Kielce, Poland, to strengthen partnerships with buyers and influencers in this strategically critical region.

The annual event, Europe’s third largest and most diversified aerospace industry gathering, has designated the United States as its “Lead Nation,” ensuring extra interest and attention to U.S. equipment, products and services.

The distinction “reflects longstanding and strong military Raytheon Patriot Missile System cooperation between Poland and the United States as well as increased U.S. commitment to Poland’s and the region’s security,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Warsaw.

Both countries have prioritized developing and acquiring state- of-the-art technology and equipment, and have collaborated in the field to deter aggression in Europe and around the world.

“Poland’s security is Europe’s security, and by extension, U.S. security. By ensuring Poland’s national security, the U.S. is ensuring the region will be able to defend and deter aggression from Russia and other malign actors,” said the embassy spokesperson.

Lockheed Martin F35-A Fighter Aircraft The U.S. aerospace and defense industry is a preferred supplier to Poland, as demonstrated by recent sales of the Raytheon Patriot missile defense and Lockheed Martin HIMARS artillery rocket systems. Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced May 28 the country’s intent to purchase 32 Lockheed F-35A fighter aircraft.

“Poland is one of a handful of NATO members which has committed to spending more than 2% of its GDP on defense because it will benefit the country economically as well. For example, much of the manufacturing or assembly of U.S. equipment purchased may be conducted in Polish factories and by Polish workers,” the embassy spokesperson said. Lockheed Martin HIMARS Artillery Rocket Systems U.S. PRESENCE AT MSPO 2019 WILL AMPLIFY STRONG ASK AMERICA AND GROWING BILATERAL WE LISTEN. WE INVENT. WE DELIVER. PARTNERSHIP WITH POLAND Looking for equipment, Designation of the United States as the event’s “Lead Nation” components or system solutions affirms one of the most stable NATO alliances at MSPO 2019?

U.S. defense and security companies looking to enter European Find the industry’s most markets or expand business there have set their sights on the innovative partners in the next edition of MSPO, September 3-6, 2019 in Kielce, Poland, to strengthen partnerships with buyers and influencers in this USA Partnership Pavilion strategically critical region. September 3-6, 2019 Targi Kielce, Kielce, Poland The annual event, Europe’s third largest and most diversified aerospace industry gathering, has designated the United States as its “Lead Nation,” ensuring extra interest and attention to U.S. Exhibitors equipment, products and services. Alaska Structures

AM General LLC The distinction “reflects longstanding and strong military Raytheon Patriot Missile System AQYR Technologies, Inc. cooperation between Poland and the United States as well as Arnold Defense increased U.S. commitment to Poland’s and the region’s security,” Bell said a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Warsaw. Blue Sky Network Both countries have prioritized developing and acquiring state- Corfin Group, Inc. of-the-art technology and equipment, and have collaborated in Crystal Group, Inc. the field to deter aggression in Europe and around the world. Cubic Global Defense Defense Security Corporation Agency “Poland’s security is Europe’s security, and by extension, FLIR Systems U.S. security. By ensuring Poland’s national security, the Frazier Aviation, Inc. U.S. is ensuring the region will be able to defend and deter Harris Corporation aggression from Russia and other malign actors,” said International Military Solutions the embassy spokesperson. Jewell Instruments JSC Motorola Solutions Lockheed Martin F35-A Fighter Aircraft The U.S. aerospace and defense industry is a preferred supplier L3 Technologies to Poland, as demonstrated by recent sales of the Raytheon Lockheed Martin Patriot missile defense and Lockheed Martin HIMARS artillery Marvin Group rocket systems. Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak Maven Engineering announced May 28 the country’s intent to purchase 32 Lockheed Maxar Technologies F-35A fighter aircraft. Owl Cyber Defense Solutions, LLC USA Partnership Pavilion Apollo 15 CMP, Al Worden

PEI-Genesis The USA Partnership Pavilion is America’s Bolstered by the USA’s “Lead Nation” “Poland is one of a handful of NATO members which has Raytheon headquarters on-site: an eŸcient location status at MSPO 2019, Apollo 15 Command for buyers to meet more U.S. suppliers, Module Pilot, Col. Al Worden, USAF-Ret, committed to spending more than 2% of its GDP on defense RFHIC Corporation a high profile showcase for American will attend the show as a designated “VIP” because it will benefit the country economically as well. For exhibitors to maximize their exposure and goodwill ambassador for the U.S. State of New Hampshire and impact at the event, and a forum defense and security industry. example, much of the manufacturing or assembly of U.S. Team Group for all to share ideas and insights. equipment purchased may be conducted in Polish factories Thinklogical, A Belden Brand U.S. REPRESENTATIVE and by Polish workers,” the embassy spokesperson said. Transupport, Inc. Lockheed Martin HIMARS WB Group Artillery Rocket Systems WWW.KALLMAN.COM ORGANIZER OF THE USA PARTNERSHIP PAVILION Periscope

French MoD to Bring development and testing; and spare parts Forward HIL Programme support including MRO, purchasing, storage (ck) The French MoD has announced that and distribution. The contract should keep

the launch of the Joint Light Helicopter (Héli- more than 200 full time jobs in Australia. Photo: ARQUUS coptère Interarmées Léger; HIL) programme The two-seater ARH TIGER attack helicopter has been brought forward to 2021. The HIL is a key asset for the Australian Army which programme, for which the AirbusHelicop- plans to keep the TIGER in operational ser- vice into the 2040s. Today, the fleet of 22 ARH TIGERs has flown over 30,000 hours date 5 soldiers or 4 FELIN system-equipped and been deployed for day-and-night sur- operators. With its payload of up to 900

Photo: Airbus veillance and fire-support missions. Globally, kg, it is designed for homeland operations 181 TIGERs have been delivered to Australia, (Sentinelle, training, liaison), and for foreign France, Germany and Spain, and have ac- operations in low-threat regions. The 3,700 cumulated over 115,000 flight hours to date. ARQUUS VT4s will equip the Army by 2025, replacing the P4 vehicle. In 2018, the first Hardkill Anti-Torpedo 500 Standard 1 VT4s were delivered to the Torpedo French Army. The VT4 Standard 2 integrates (ck) ATLAS ELEKTRONIK CANADA Ltd has 350 new references, and offers several new ters’ H160 was selected in 2017, was initially entered an agreement with Magellan Aero- evolutions compared with Standard 1: inte- scheduled for launch in 2022. Launching the space Corporation for the development of gration of modern communication and po- programme earlier will speed up the deliv- the SEASPIDER Anti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT) sitioning systems, extra racks, towing equip- ery of the first H160Ms to theFrench Armed programme. The initial CDN$19M phase of ment and blackout lights. The VT4 Standard Forces, enabling them to be delivered in the programme was launched in January 2 is also designed to be air-transportable for 2026 rather than 2028 as originally planned. 2019 and is expected to conclude in 2023. extra tactical capabilities. The H160M has been given its official name and will be known as GUÉPARD (CHEETAH) Interoperability for NATO by the French Armed Forces.The H160 was Enhanced Forward Presence originally designed as a modular helicopter, (ck) Germany has been the lead nation in and this versatility will enable its military ver- charge of the Enhanced Forward Presence sion, with a single platform, to perform mis- Multinational Battle Group in Lithuania sions ranging from commando infiltration to since February 2017. From the beginning Image: ATLAS ELEKTRONIK air interception, fire support, and anti-ship ensuring interoperability between the par- warfare in order to meet the needs of the ticipating nations was a key challenge and, army, the navy and the air force through in February 2019, the German armed forces the HIL programme. The HIL programme Magellan will design the motor and warhead handed over the "Information Mediation should benefit from the many advantages of the torpedo. SEASPIDER is a new naval Service (IMS)" software developed by ESG inherent in the civil H160, particularly in defence product by ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a GmbH to the Lithuanian armed forces. IMS terms of support, maintenance and lower company of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, is stand-alone software ensuring interoper- operating costs. which can be used by surface vessels and ability between different command systems submarines for “hardkill” defence against Supporting Australian attacking torpedoes. The anti-torpedo sys- TIGERs tems currently available rely on decoy and (ck) The Australian MoD has awarded Airbus jammer countermeasures; in contrast, SEA- Image: ESG a five-year extension of the Australian Army’s SPIDER destroys the attacking torpedo. The Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) TI- technology has been developed by ATLAS GER Through-Life Support (TLS). The TLS ELEKTRONIK together with the German extension, until 2025, includes: more ex- MoD and now gains a Canadian element in tensive aircraft maintenance; maintenance product development. SEASPIDER ATT will combine ATLAS’s expertise in torpedoes, submarine and naval systems with Magel- via international interfaces and special pro- lan’s industry leading rocket technology. prietary/national solutions. The software

Photo: Airbus gives all nations involved in NATO Enhanced ARQUUS Launches the VT4 Forward Presence a unified view of the field Standard 2 Production Lines situation, at all command levels, for the first (ck) The French procurement authority, DGA, time, in order to achieve full interoperability has notified ARQUUS about the second tier of deployed forces, significantly increasing of the VT4 programme. This tier comprises their capabilities and operational value.In 1,200 new Standard 2 vehicles. Production late 2018, the NATO Support and Procure- and delivery of the Standard 2 started in ment Agency (NSPA) contracted ESG to sup- of training aircraft; aircrew and technician early 2019, and ARQUUS plans to deliver ply the IMS software under an agreement training; design services including OEM de- 800 of them in 2019. The VT4 is a non-ar- between the governments of Lithuania and sign incorporation; systems and software moured, light, 4x4 vehicle. It can accommo- Germany.

6 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Partnering with European industry to create security and prosperity.

Innovation can’t happen without collaboration. Understanding the problems you face, comes first. You talk. We listen. That’s how we approach each project and work with customers to build the technology and capabilities they need for every challenge they face. We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach. We offer partnership. Learn more at lockheedmartin.com.

Lockheed Martin. Your Mission is Ours.®

© 2019 Lockheed Martin Corporation

Live: n/a Trim: H: 297mm W: 210mm Job Number: FG18-23209_075 Bleed: 3mm all sides Designer: Daniel Buck Publication: Aerospace Media Awards Program Gutter: None Communicator: Ryan Alford Visual: Male and female in front of screens. Resolution: 300 DPI Due Date: 5/13/19 Country: France Density: 300 Color Space: CMYK Image:HENSOLDT Photo: ESG Radar-Guided Weapons 8 Lithuanian Harbour weapons and integrated and systems. air defence weapons upcoming anti-aircraft against protected be to aircraft enables KALAETRON Thus ond. of a sec in fractions frequencies between hop or bandwidth that cover awide systems radar air defence latest the to identify data, of raw amount alarge from threat patterns new to detect techniques intelligence (AI) artificial uses range. KALAETRON frequency rate, false alarm a low with and over a wide quickly, threats identifies and detects warner radar new the design, digital of its Because weapons. radar-guided from helicopters and WarningRadar aircraft Receiver), to protect = (RWR RWR KALAETRON system, warning radar anew has developed (ck) HENSOLDT in 2016Obama G7 the and summit in 2015. burg in 2017, of US President visit state the G20 the such as summit in Ham events cal politi important protecting in effectiveness its has demonstrated system anti-drone ON GUARDI The environment. in aport drone counteringtracking, and asea-launched detection, demonstrated personnel ESG 71), harbour. Klaipeda protecting practised Centre (WTD Weapons for Naval and Ships Technical Bundeswehr the and Battalion Sea (NATOters Navy COE German the CSW), in Confined Shallow Wa and for Operations NATO by the Centresupported of Excellence 2019” Navy, Lithuanian the which during ordnance “Open operation disposal Spirit HPEX19 NATO of the is part representatives. to NATO defence system Lithuanian and drone GUARDION its ny demonstrated ESG 2019“Exercise (HPEX19), compa IT German (ck) NATO the During Protection “Harbour Periscope

Protection from Protection from Drone Defencefor European Security&Defence

· 6/2019 ------

Photo: HENSOLDT Radar fortheUK platforms. air defence several and helicopters NH90 the aircraft, combat 2000 MIRAGE and RAFALE the GAULLE, DE CHARLES carrier aircraft the on is deployed France, In company’stions. the equipment to 42 NATO na systems NATO-allied and has delivered and equipment IFF with world all the over customers supplies HENSOLDT a precondition of NATO joint operations. forces into as introduced to be all western 5needs Mode 4, of Mode commissioning identification is process reliable. the de With signal manipulation, thus ensuring that the to hostile avoid techniques encryption ploys 5em Mode 4, Unlikeinterrogations. Mode 5 Mode 4and Mode to perform platforms air defence range short and range short very in 2020 delivered French be the enabling STANAG 4193with 3. Edition 41 will units are compliant devices The control stations. air command defence and MARTHA and launchers missile MISTRAL Army’s French for into integration the radar) destined ary of 134 second (monopulse ery MSR1000I deliv the covers France SAS, to HENSOLDT awarded contract, forces. The hostile and friendly between distinguishing thereby ships, or aircraft friendly onboard sponders tran by answered automatically are which signals interrogation sending automatically by aircraft ships and identify systems IFF applications. air defence range short and range short interrogator for very (IFF) Foe Identification-Friend-or- toSOLDT deliver its HEN has contracted (ck) French MoD The Interrogators forFrance radars to have been incorporated into the into incorporated the to have been radars C130. the as LTR25 latest of The the is one such small aircraft, in relatively transported be and quickly to operate able of being larger fixed radars, but the advantage with tion capabilities, comparable of with those detec long-range high offers it because out 25 Range (LTR25) tical L-band radar stands radar. air defence range Tac Long Indra The long- deployable, advanced, an with Force Royal Air the fence to company supply Indra de Spanish has contracted MoD (ck) UK The

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Photo: Israel Shipyards Photo: Indra

to 24 people. of 16-24,ment for up space additional with has acomple OPV-45 the and containers, 20 ft two house can deck work move. The the is on vessel acrane, the while without into water, launched from recovered and be easily and quickly can RHIB The (RHIB). Boat Inflatable aRigid-Hull carry can OPV-45 the interception, speed high requiring missions For 24 of above knots. speed sustained a offers and observation, 360° enabling of 45.7length acommand bridge metres, has atotal OPV-45 the missions, various for suitable systems communication and radar and electro-optics stations, weapon modern with Equipped missions. HLS and for naval, paramilitary designed OPV-45, Vessel Patrol Offshore multi-purpose new Shipyards Ltd its company Israel presented 2019 ASIA (ck) shipbuilding the At IMDEX Vessel Ration Pack optimal nutritional provision for each of the of for the each provision nutritional optimal the training, provides and physical intensity high- before, after and during sumption Training for con Pack” is designed Ration “Performance The training. military mance high-perfor on focused specifically pack ration (MRE) Ready-to-Eat Meal, first the has created (ck) company Jomipsa Spanish countries all over the world. in systems fifty around has deployed Indra damaged. or is attacked radars fixed of the event backup in that one as the or basis off aone- area on of aspecific surveillance the to and reinforce territory national outside toLTR25 facilitate deployments is designed by Indra. developed radars family of LANZA

New Offshore Patrol New OffshorePatrol Soldier Training Specific Soldier TrainingSpecific

- - - training phases, older trucks, over the next few years. Of- third (KARANJ) have already been com- supporting both fering reduced costs for parts and mainte- missioned by the Indian Navy. Following performance and nance, the HDT has improved capabilities the launch of VELA, MDL will integrate the muscular recov- equipment and machinery onboard before ery. It provides embarking on sea trials. India ordered the specific nutrients SCORPENE class submarines in 2005 and such as L-argi- they have been built through technology Photo: Jomipsa nine, L-carnitine, transfer and partnership with Naval Group,

vitamins, amino Photo: Mack Defense in line with India’s “Make in India” policy. acids and rapid The SCORPENE is a 2000 tonne conven- absorption carbohydrates as well as proteins tional-propulsion submarine designed for and minerals. The ration pack offers a practi- cal lightweight solution as the package is small enough to fit into most pockets during training and it weighs only 400 g. when it comes to payload, mobility and occupant survivability: the armoured cab Armoured Heavy exceeds the Army’s blast requirements, Photo: Naval Group Dump Truck while maintaining all interior features of (ck) Mack Defense has recently presented the commercially available Mack GRANITE its new M917A3 heavy dump truck (HDT) model, on which it is based. which has a number of upgrades includ- ing an armoured cab. The M917A3 HDT Fourth Indian SCORPENE all types of mission. Stealthy and fast, its will go to work immediately on combat Submarine Launched level of operating automation allows for support missions overseas, as well as do- (ck) On 6 May 2019 Indian shipyard a limited number of crew, thereby reduc- mestic duties in response to floods, fires Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), ing its operating costs. Its combat edge is and other natural disasters, and will be launched the INS VELA, the fourth of P75 highlighted by the fact that it has 6 weapon rolled out to active US Army and Nation- SCORPENE class submarines entirely built launching tubes and 18 weapons (torpe- al Guard units, currently equipped with in India. The second (KALVARI) and the does, missiles, mines).

EXPAL Integrates Air Armament for EUROFIGHTER

(Esteban Villarejo) The modernisation of the Spanish fleet of EUROFIGHTER combat aircraft (see report on page 63) will also have an impact on other Spanish companies. For example, the high-end technology company EXPAL SYSTEMS is currently Photo: EXPAL working on the integration of air-to-ground armament of the MK80 ordnance family that enhances the aircraft’s operational supremacy in its air-surface training and real-fire combat missions. "Our objective is to offer MK80 family warheads optimised for Laser/GPS guidance systems, thus expanding the all-weather and precision attack capa- bilities of the Spanish EUROFIGHTERs", Stéphane Plantinet, Marketing Direc- tor at EXPAL SYSTEMS told ESD during the FEINDEF International Defence and Security Exhibition in Madrid."Our collaboration with the Spanish Air Force reinforces our expertise for a perfect integration of air armament. In addition to the EUROFIGHTER, it allows us to provide integration services for other air platforms such as the C-295 military transport aircraft", Plantinet emphasised. Indeed, the company provides engineering support for integration of standard weapons such as 70mm rockets as well as MK 80 series warheads for the C- 295W in the scope of an agreement signed with Airbus Defence and Space three years ago. Apart from the Spanish fleet of combat aircraft EXPAL SYSTEMS is working with BAE SYSTEMS to support the development of an enhanced air launched weap- ons capability for the EUROFIGHTER aircraft. This project involves engineering support for the integration of various standard weapons with MK 80 series warheads. This integration forms part of the Phase 3 Enhancements Package B, Stéphane Plantinet, Marketing which has been contracted to further evolve the EUROFIGHTER fleet. Director at EXPAL SYSTEMS

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 9 Periscope

Ninth FREMM Frigate Integrated Air and tion and total cost of ownership. SeaFIND Launched Missile Defence provides navigation capabilities in a compact (ck) On 18 April 2019,Naval Group (ck) Northrop Grumman has delivered to package, making it suitable for applications launched the multi-mission FREMM frig- the US Army the first engagement opera- where low cost as well as reduced size, ate, ALSACE, thirteen months after the tions center (EOC) for the Integrated Air and weight and power requirements are criti- keel laying of the first block. In addition cal. It is the first maritime inertial navigation to being the seventh unit in the class, AL- system to move from the existing ring laser SACE is also the first of two air defence technology to Northrop Grumman’s fibre variations destined for the French Navy. optic gyro technology (eFOG). The system The ALSACE was ordered by OCCAR on has embedded navigation data distribution behalf of the French procurement author- capabilities, allowing interfacing with a mul- ity DGA and integrates a number of modi- titude of users that require accurate position Photo: Northrop Grumman fications ordered by OCCAR in response to and timing. Its smaller size allows for flexible operational requirements. These technical installation in tight places. Applications in- adaptations translate into: more powerful clude guidance systems for unmanned un- multifunctional radar, reinforced commu- derwater vehicles and unmanned surface nication tools, three additional consoles Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command vehicles, coastal and offshore patrol vessels, for the Combat Management System System (IBCS). IBCS represents a paradigm as well as small, medium and large surface shift for IAMD by replacing legacy stove- vessels. piped systems with a net-centric approach to address an evolving array of threats. The New Cooled MWIR Long system integrates disparate radars and weap- Range Lenses ons to construct a far more effective IAMD (ck) MKS Instruments has recently intro- Photo: Naval Group enterprise. IBCS delivers a single integrated duced its OPHIR SupIR 45-900mm MWIR air picture as well as broader surveillance and f/4 and SupIR 50-1350mm MWIR f/5.5 long protection areas. With its open systems archi- range, motorised, continuous zoom lenses. tecture, IBCS allows incorporation of current The MWIR f/4.0 and f/5.5 lenses are part of and future sensors and effectors and enables a larger collection of long-range, high-per- SETIS in the combat information centre interoperability with joint C2 and the ballistic formance, thermal imaging lenses suited for (CIC), and enhanced air defence capabili- missile defence system. The IBCS EOC has 15 and 20µm VGA and 10µm HD formats, ties with ASTER 15 and 30 missiles. The completed all configuration audits for major based on an open communication proto- ALSACE will also receive a new mast to in- configuration items and system verification col that enables simple integration over a crease its detection performance. The ship review, and is representative of the produc- detection range of up to 26km. Building will be responsible for the air defence of tion configuration for hardware and software on the legacy of SupIR 15-300mm MWIR the CHARLES DE GAULLE aircraft carrier. that will undergo qualification testing before f/4 zoom lens with its proven track-record IOT&E. Northrop Grumman is on track to de- of thousands of units operating in the field 12 Mine Hunters for liver 11 EOCs and 18 IFCN relays for the IBCS and its rugged design, the new SupIR 45- Belgium and the Netherlands programme by the end of the year. 900mm f/4 delivers high image quality for (ck) The Belgian and Dutch navies have long-range observation systems. All lenses contracted Belgium Naval & Robotics, a SeaFIND Inertial use the same communication protocol to consortium Navigation System smooth integration into existing camera sys- comprising Na- (ck) Northrop Grumman has launched the tems. They are especially designed for UAV val Group and Sea Fiber Optic Inertial Navigation with applications as well as other applications ECA Group, to Data Distribution, (SeaFIND), a successor to where weight and size are critical. supply twelve the company’s MK-39 Mod 3 and 4 series Image: Naval Group mine-hunt- Inertial Navigation Systems. SeaFIND uses Otokar Presented Scorpion II ing vessels. eFOG technology to maintain equivalent (koe) Serdar Görgüc, the CEO of Turkish Equipped with performance comparable to larger gyro- defence company, Otokar, has recently around 100 scopes with on-board data distribution in a unveiled the AKREP II (Scorpion II), Tur- drones, consti- smaller footprint, weight, power consump- key’s first electric armoured vehicle (E-AV). tuting approxi- Görgüc describes AKREP II as being a first mately ten step for Otokar in the field of electric, hy- drone systems brid and autonomous military vehicles. (toolboxes), six AKREP II builds on the success of AKREP, ships are destined for the Belgian Navy, and has been specifically designed to meet whilst the other six will be delivered to the evolving demands of current and future the Dutch Navy. The ten year contract is military environments with its increased Photo: Northrop Grumman worth nearly €2Bn. After a three-year de- speed and manoeuvrability, compact size, sign phase, Belgium Naval & Robotics will low silhouette, low acoustic and thermal launch the production phase of the ships signature, and effective firepower. AKREP II and drone systems. First deliveries are ex- is designed for three crew members – driver, pected in 2024. weapon operator and commander. The ve-

10 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 devices connected to a common infrastruc- ture, sensor data can be transmitted to any combination of mission computers and dis- Photo: SCD

Photo: OTOKAR plays. Vehicle crew can view the information they need on a single display, and know im- mediately if something has changed in their environment.

ROSY Smoke Screens for Portugal and Belgium hicle’s 250 km range can be increased with (ck) Two NATO nations have contracted additional batteries, which take three hours Rheinmetall to supply its ROSY rapid smoke/ nano satellite by the Space Lab reactor. The to recharge if completely drained. AKREP II obscurant system in order to protect their imager provides infrared images that help will be ready for delivery to its first customers vehicle families. The two orders are worth provide solutions for monitoring and man- within the next 12 months. several million euros: as a result of these aging the effects of climate change and as- orders ROSY will soon be in service in 11 sisting in the prediction of natural disasters Sensor Networking countries. Delivery of 126 systems to Span- such as forest fires: images from space re- Platform for Real-Time ish defence contractor URO Vehículos Es- ceived by the VTT imager to date are of a Imaging Systems peciales S.A. (UROVESA) was set to begin very high quality. (ck) Military imaging systems have tradition- in April 2019. UROVESA will be installing ally used point-to-point interfaces to con- IFF Antenna for PATRIOT nect sensors, processors, and displays. This (ck) Raytheon and PIT RADWAR have re- approach adds system and integration costs cently completed the integration of a PIT- as well as redundancy and failure concerns. RADWAR made Identification More critically, it results in difficult to oper- Friend or Foe (IFF) antenna into ate vehicle electronics (vetronics) systems for Photo: Rheinmetall a PATRIOT radar, for delivery to an already overburdened crew. In response an international customer. An to these issues, Pleora Technologies, a de- IFF antenna enables PATRIOT Photo: Raytheon to determine whether an air- craft is operated by friendly these systems in 126 of the 139 VAMTAC or hostile forces; a necessity

Photo: Pleora protected patrol vehicles purchased by the in the growing threat envi- Portuguese armed forces. Rheinmetall will ronment. Raytheon has been also deliver ROSY to British company Jankel manufacturing PATRIOT in Po- which is supplying the Belgian Army with land for some time, and PIT- Light Troop Transport Vehicles (LTTV): all RADWAR is part of Raytheon’s 199 of the vehicles are being prepared for supply chain. The PATRIOT is integration of the system. ROSY provides the backbone of air and missile defence for protection from surprise attacks by creat- Poland and 15 other nations. Seven NATO signer of video interfaces, has developed ing a wall of smoke/obscurant that renders nations rely on PATRIOT. a sensor networking platform that helps vehicles invisible to the enemy by producing system integrators increase mission-effec- an instantaneous, extensive, multispectral FIELDGUARD for Brazil tiveness for end-users while meeting inter- interruption in the line of sight and generat- (ck) Brazilian defence contractor Avibras operability and scalability demands in size, ing a dynamic smoke screen that provides has contracted Rheinmetall Air Defence to weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) sensitive moving assets with long-lasting protection. supply its FIELDGUARD 3 military measure- real-time military imaging systems. The Rug- Thanks to effective screening measures in ment system. FIELD- gedCONNECT NVPU converts sensor data the visual and infrared spectrum, including GUARD, which can from multiple sources into a standardised integrated IR jamming and decoying effects, cover ranges of up to feed that is transmitted over a low latency, ROSY reliably wards off all TV-, EO-, IR-, IIR-, 100 kilometres, is a fire multicast Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) network laser- and SACLOS-guided weapons. control system whose to endpoints. With the scalable, modular special sensors enable Photo: Rheinmetall RuggedCONNECT platform, manufactur- SWIR Sensor Launched it to measure the tra- ers can design straightforward camera-to- into Space jectory of projectiles, display systems and cost-effectively evolve (ck) Semi Conductor Devices (SCD), a de- thereby assuring maxi- to fully networked architectures integrating veloper of cooled and uncooled infrared mum precision when different sensor and display types,switching, detectors and high-power laser diodes, has engaging targets. The processing, and recording units. Migrating started operating its CARDINAL InGaAs new order, worth a to a unified sensor and display network, SWIR (Short Wave Infrared) detector. The figure in the low double-digit million-euro manufacturers can reduce hardware and detector has been integrated into a hyper- range, is a part of the programme originally equipment within the vehicle and deploy spectral imager installed in the Hello World started in 2012, in partnership with Avibras, simplified, less expensive cabling to help Nano satellite. The hyperspectral imager in order to realise the ASTROS 2020 multiple meet cost and weight objectives. With all was developed by the Finnish VTT and the rocket launcher system.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 11 Periscope

CAMCOPTER for Norway image of the ice structure and to identify Fire Control System (ck) The Norwegian Andøya Test Center has the boundaries between shallow and rough for German Corvettes selected Schiebel's CAMCOPTER S-100 Ver- ice. The Norwegian tests are scheduled to (ck) The German Navy has contracted tical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned start in autumn 2019, with the UAS being Thales to equip all new German K130 cor- Air System (UAS) for search and rescue tests used by Coast Guard vessels in Andfjorden, vettes with the Electro-Optical MIRADOR Norway. Further missions in Spitsbergen are Mk2 observa- planned for spring 2020. tion and track- ing system. This

CH-53K KING STALLION contract, to- Photo: Thales Photo: Schiebel for US Marine Corps gether with the (ck) The US Navy has contracted Sikorsky to one signed in deliver 12 CH-53K KING STALLION helicop- March 2018 for the delivery of the TACTICOS infrastructure for the Com- within the Arctic 2030 project. The aim of Photo: Sikorsky bat Direction the Andøy Municipality project is to dem- System (CDS), onstrate the ability of VTOL UAS to improve completes the maritime safety in the Arctic. For these tests Thales element of the K130 project. The the CAMCOPTER will be equipped with an signed MIRADOR Mk2 contract includes Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera 12 systems. Accordingly, all five new Ger- cardan, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Ocean- man corvettes will be equipped with two watch payload, an Automatic Identifica- MIRADOR Mk2 systems and, in addition, tion System (AIS) receiver and a Maritime ters with a contract valued at US$1.13Bn. two land-based systems will be supplied Broadband Radio (MBR) from Radionor. This These helicopters are part of a 200 aircraft for test and training purposes. MIRADOR combination of payloads will strengthen programme for the US Marine Corps. Under Mk2 is a monitoring, tracking and fire emergency preparedness in the region and the terms of the contract, known as Low control system with an unobtrusive de- support search and rescue missions. The Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 2 and 3, sign that contributes to a ship’s efforts to CAMCOPTER also offers a number of ad- Sikorsky will begin delivery of the 12 CH-53K go unnoticed. Designed for use on a large vantages for marine operations in the Arc- helicopters in 2022, and will also provide number of platforms, from small patrol tic. As a VTOL platform, the CAMCOPTER spares and logistical support. The CH-53K vessels to large frigates, MIRADOR Mk2 requires no launch or recovery equipment is the only sea-based, long range, heavy- can function as an observation system and and its minimal footprint is ideal for offshore lift helicopter in production and will provide fire control director for optical surveillance patrol vessels (OPVs) with small deck sizes. three times the lift capability of its predeces- at a distance, but can also be used for The CAMCOPTER can operate in extreme sor. The CH-53K will conduct expedition- anti-surface warfare and anti-air warfare weather conditions and fly in temperatures ary heavy-lift transport of armoured vehi- against fighters and missiles. as low as -40°C. This has been proven in cles, equipment, and personnel to support a number of tests, including the Canadian distributed operations deep inland from a Water Containers icebreaker operation, during which the sea-based centre of operations. The new for Croatia CAMCOPTER was used 60 nautical miles CH-53K is the only heavy lifter planned to re- (ck) The Croatian armed forces have con- north of Fogo Island to obtain a wide-angle main in production until 2032 and beyond. tracted THIELMANN WEW to deliver a self-contained 10,000 litre water trans- port and dispensing unit. The order will see THIELMANN WEW deliver a single unit for testing and evaluation by the Croa- tian land forces. Delivery will take place by Find us on facebook! the end of 2019. Based on the company’s Heavy Vehicle Module (Water) concept, the Multi Water Tank Container is a self- contained ‘drop and go’ drinkable water storage and distribution system fitted  within a low profile 20ft ISO frame. With integrated heating, pumping and 2.4kW generator system, the system can pump 150 litres per minute and can be trans- ported on military logistics vehicles with DROPS/hooklift capability. The system Daily News – Upcoming Events requires no site preparation prior to its de- ployment and can provide a stand-alone www.facebook.com/eurodefence capability or be integrated into a wider camp infrastructure.

12 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Marketing Report: JSC Sukhoi Company SECURITY POLICY 

Su-35: The Multi-Role Super-Manoeuvrable Fighter

The production of the Su-35 (Russian des- the 5th generation Su-57fighter. Dis- radar visibility. The propulsion system ignation Su-35S) 4++ generation multi-role tinctive features of the aircraft include a is based on new engines with a digital super-manoeuvrable fighter is one of the high flight envelope, high-altitude and control system and thrust vectoring fea- top priority programmes of the Sukhoi better manoeuvrability characteristics, tures and significantly improves aircraft Company, a subsidiary of the United Air- long-range information and targeting performance and manoeuvrability. craft Corporation (UAC). systems, and a modern communication Maximum speed at low level is 1,400 The Su-35 fighter’s prime task is to gain system for exchange of high-speed in- km/h, and 2,400 km/h at high altitudes. air superiority and to destroy surface/ formation both between aircraft and air- The service ceiling is 18,000 m. The ground targets at day and night in all craft and ground control stations. Apart maximum combat payload is 8,000 kg. weather conditions at long distances from these features, the Su-35 is fitted The phased-array radar can detect aerial from its base. It is a transition version of with highly effective air-to-air and air-to- targets at a range of up to 400 km. It can aircraft between 4th and 5th generation surface long-range guided missiles, ad- track up to 30 targets and engage up fighters. vanced electronic countermeasures and to 8 of them in parallel at long ranges. The Su-35 incorporates many of the ad- self-defence systems. Advanced signa- The onboard optical sensor suite units vanced technologies implemented with ture management provides for reduced detect and track several aerial targets at a range of up to 80 km. The implementation of design advance- ments aimed at improving the opera- tional and technical characteristics of Photos: Sukhoi the aircraft has increased the life-cycle of the aircraft; maintenance time has been reduced by the introduction of an automated troubleshooting system. The Su-35 technical characteristics allow it to successfully compete with foreign analogue counterparts: 4 and 4+ gen- eration fighters such as RAFALE, Eu- rofighter TYPHOON and upgraded ver- sions of F-15, F-16 and F/A-18, as well as the F-35 and F-22A. The series production of the Su-35/ Su-35S is taking place at the Sukhoi Company’s Y.A.Gagarin Aircraft Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAZ). Air- craft of this type have been delivered on order to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation as well as to foreign customers.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 13  SECURITY POLICY Relations between Iran and Syria A Marriage of Convenience or an Axis of Resistance?

Andreea Stoian Karadeli

Throughout the last 40 years, relations between Syria and Iran have developed on the basis of a shared sense of threat and of an effective approach to both convergence and divergence of interests in the region.

elations between Syria and Iran, defined Rby analysts either as a "marriage of con- venience" or an "axis of resistance", have survived all the crises in this unstable and

unpredictable region. This article analyses Photo: President Iran the forces that have shaped the alliance between Syria and Iran and examines the military, economic and diplomatic relations that have existed over the last four decades.

Balance of Power

The theory of the balance of powers has created the framework for understand- ing and further analysing the decision of states to form alliances. However, this theory has been questioned for the analysis of Syrian-Iranian relations and has been refuted in many aspects, mak- ing this alliance even more intriguing. At its core, the theory says that states forge alliances to protect themselves from stronger powers. To this end, states form alliances with weaker partners to coun- ter a bigger threat. That has been the case with the Syria-Iran alliance. A shared perception of threat was an important cohesive factor for these two actors. The On 25 February 2019, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad met with Iranian theory of the balance, however, argues President Hassan Rouhani to talk about the situation in war-torn Syria. that states with similar characteristics Iran has been a strong supporter of the Syrian regime. are more likely to form an alliance, as Morgenthau’s argument of "ideological their relations properly. Syria, a secular The First Spark solidarity" suggests. However, the Syria- pan-Arab country, and Iran, an Islamic Iran axis proves the opposite: states with republic, couldn't be further away ideo- In 1946, Syria gained independence from opposing ideologies can actually form a logically. And yet this alliance has always France, but it had no functioning govern- sustainable partnership when they shape been stabilised by common threats. ment; it only gained national stability under Although helpful with some of its argu- the rule of the deceased Hafez Al-Assad. His Author ments, the theory of the balance of pow- rule lasted until 2000, when his son Bashar er does not address the most important Al-Assad took over the Syrian leadership. Andreea Stoian Karadeli is freelance aspect – the relevance of the context, Syrian-Iranian relations developed between researcher based in Turkey and a PhD both individual and external. The individ- 1979 and 1982. In 1979, the Islamic Revolu- Candidate at Mihai Viteazul National ual profile of these two countries, which tion resulted in a regime change in Iran and Intelligence Academy in Romania. results from the historical, cultural, social, ended the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty that Her interdisciplinary research varies political and economic factors in the un- had existed since 1925. The defeat of Pahlavi from cultural and intercultural studies stable Middle East, is the most important Shah – a strong Western ally and promoter to conflict resolution and focuses on pillar for understanding Syrian-Iranian re- of the Western lifestyle – sent a message national security and terrorism, with lations. Therefore, an understanding of to the Western powers, and to the United expertise in the Middle East. the regional context is more helpful than States in particular, that they were no longer the traditional theory. in control of Iran.

14 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 SECURITY POLICY 

Syria was the first country to recognise had established with other Arab countries Syria entered Lebanon in 1976 as part of the new Iranian government because it before the war. This gave Damascus the an Arab peacekeeping force following the saw it as an opportunity to strengthen its necessary means to reduce tensions with outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. The scale regional role by balancing common en- Iran diplomatically and, at the same time, of the Israeli attack surprised the Syrian re- emies such as Iraq and Israel. From the to create opportunities for indirect trade gime and changed its relationship with Iran. outset, Syria-Iran cooperation has been with the rest of the Arab League. This time Syria needed Iran's help. Given its dependent on regional asymmetry. With limited natural resources and a high expo- sure to external pressure, Syrian leaders recognised the importance of an alliance with neighbouring Iran. Similarly, Iran, sur- rounded by hostile pro-Western nations, Photo: Khamenei.ir also needed an ally like Syria to ensure that its regional interests were protected, in- cluding a buffer zone to Israel. After the Iranian Islamic Revolution, both countries turned over a new leaf and be- gan to build an alliance that would last to this day. Though repeatedly challenged over the past 40 years, the Syrian–Iranian alliance had its most difficult times during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. Since then, Iran has used its power to en- sure that the Assad regime would prevail in its struggle against the entire interna- Former Syrian dictator Hafez Al-Assad, the father of Bashar Al-Assad, tional coalition. has built the relationship with Iran. Depicted is a visit to Iran on 1 August 1997, where he met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei The Iran-Iraq War and President A. H. Rafsanjani.

The Iran-Iraq war was a key factor in con- The cooperation was not only advanta- long-standing presence in Lebanon, Damas- solidating the political, economic and mili- geous for one side, but was a win-win cus was able to leverage the Lebanese war tary alliance between Syria and Iran. situation, because Syria was allowed to economy by offering Iran the much-needed One of the most common threats to Syria establish a military presence at the head- strategic economic depth in Lebanon. Iran's in the 1980s was Baathist Iraq. Although quarters of the Iranian Ministry of Defence access to the Lebanese quagmire gave As- they had a similar political ideology, since in early 1983 and received advice and in- sad the leverage he needed to deploy Ira- the Sykes–Picot agreement Syrian-Iraqi formation on Iraq's military strategy, train- nian resources and implement his "sword relations have been problematic due to a ing and use of Soviet weapons. The Syrian and shield" strategy. By doing so, Iran served strong historical rivalry for regional and Ar- regime also supported Iran by capping Ira- Assad's offensive goals in Lebanon; Assad ab leadership. Several disputes have exac- qi oil pipelines, resulting in an enormous used the influence of the Islamic Republic on erbated the strong disagreement between financial loss to Baghdad – an estimated the Lebanese Shiites to conduct a campaign the two: allegations of mutual interference $17 million a day. In addition, the regime of subversion, terror and guerrilla warfare in domestic politics, disputes over the Eu- sent Syrian troops to the Syrian-Jordan against their common opponents. In the win- phrates water, oil transit charges, and the border, forcing Iraq to prepare for war ter of 1982, two thousand Iranian Revolution- position towards Israel. on its western border. All these measures ary Guards were stationed in the Syrian Bekaa During the Iran-Iraq war, the direction in enjoyed overwhelming approval from the Valley. Over time, they established close ties which the Syrian-Iran alliance would de- Iranian clergy, the military and the people, with Shiite militias in the region, such as Amal velop first became apparent. Both Hafez as well as security guarantees and, most and Hezbollah. The situation in Lebanon gave Al-Assad and the Iranian leadership were importantly, energy subsidies as compen- the Syrian-Iranian alliance the opportunity to aware of the importance of close coor- sation. For example, Tehran provided Syria deepen its influence in the Levant and to dination of their policies. When Saddam with a total of US$400M in the form of a use its forward defense strategy to expand Husssein invaded Iran, Damascus began grant and one million barrels of oil per year its regional influence. For Iran, an active role to provide valuable diplomatic and military at a favourable price. This was a significant in war-torn Lebanon was an opportunity to support to Tehran. The alliance was for- stimulus for the Syrian economy, and it export its revolution and fight Israel and its malised through a series of bilateral agree- was only the beginning for Syria to reap Western allies. In addition to paramilitary per- ments on oil and trade in March 1982, more and more benefits from its alliance sonnel, Iranians were also bringing clerics to when a high-level Syrian delegation led by with Iran. the region to expose the local Shiite popula- Foreign Minister Abd al-Halim Khaddam tion to their religious and ideological teach- visited Tehran. The relationship did not The Israeli Invasion of Lebanon ings. In addition, Iran supported Hezbollah end with political and economic ties; on financially and with personnel, making that occasion, a secret military treaty was Soon the already established and formal- southern Lebanon an essential buffer zone signed allowing the delivery of heavy ised alliance entered a new phase when between Israel and Syria. The Syrian-Iranian weaponry from Syria to Iran. The strategic the two countries decided to align their alliance led an effective, unconventional importance of this agreement is under- military efforts in light of the Israeli inva- fight against the Israeli forces and forced the lined by the regional relations that Syria sion of Lebanon. Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 15  SECURITY POLICY

The Aftermath of the Israeli Withdrawal

After Israel's withdrawal in 1985, the political vacuum which remained over- shadowed the success of the Syrian-Iran alliance because the two countries had different objectives. While Iran wanted to export the Islamic Revolution to the Lebanese countries, Syria was deter-

mined to stabilise the region and exert Photo: Media Service of the President Russia more influence. Two factors posed significant obstacles to Syrian–Iranian relations: the massacre of Hezbollah and the growing rivalry be- tween Amal and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. But Damascus and Tehran fi- nally understood that it was better for them to stick together and navigate their different regional goals appropriately. Without the support of Russia and Iran, Bashar Al-Assad of Syria would That is why a compromise was found. not have maintained his power; he met repeatedly with Russian Presi- The two crises showed that the alliance dent Vladimir Putin and members of the Russian General Staff and the was not only a "marriage of conveni- Russian Ministry of Defence. ence" dictated by temporary, converging interests but had in fact become a stable, by its respective Vice-Presidents and For- to the successful establishment of pro- long-term partnership – a true "axis of eign Ministers, to promote economic and duction facilities in Hama and Aleppo. resistance". political cooperation. In addition to the Cooperation between the two countries political and economic dimension of the was also influenced by the collapse of the The 1990s alliance, Syria and Iran once again dem- Soviet Union, which resulted in the loss of onstrated the importance attached to the Damascus' main arms supplier. In the 1990s, the Syrian–Iranian alliance military level of their relations, as demon- After the Gulf War of 1991, Iraq's military became more formalised with the es- strated by a joint programme to acquire capabilities and its ability to harm Syria tablishment of the Syrian–Iranian Joint the capability to produce ballistic, cruise and Iran were severely weakened. But Higher Cooperation Committee, chaired and surface-to-surface missiles, leading the common threat remained: a strategic partnership between Turkey and Israel and the US emerged, which turned into competition between pro-Western Israel European and Turkey on the one hand and Iran and Photo: AlMahra Syria on the other. This period was also an impressive example of Hafez Al-Assad's Security strategic balance of relations with all sides. & Defence The 2003 Iraq War

Hafez Al-Assad died on 10 June, 2000, and his son Bashar Al-Assad became president of Syria and has held this posi- ESD at DSEI 2019 tion to this very day, defying the violence that began in 2011. Printed in the UK and fitted with a dedicated front cover different from the regular print run, an Even during this time the two countries extra circulation of 2,000 copies of the September issue of EUROPEAN SECURITY & DEFENCE maintained their alliance in view of the common threat – the USA. Although will be available for bonus distribution to delegations, conference delegates, visitors and exhibitors both Syria and Iran supported US coun- at DSEI 2019, arguably this year's most important international defence exhibition in Europe. ter-terrorism efforts following the Sep- tember 11 attacks and the US invasion of Afghanistan, the 2003 US invasion was The regular circulation of ESD 09/19 will be published on 02 September 2019 crucial to changing the alliance's strategy. (also distributed at MSPO in Kielce, Poland), thus more than a week ahead of the exhibition. As in his father's time, also for Bashar Al-Assad, Iran proved to be Syria's most As a result, your advertising message will attract attention valuable ally. Despite some disagree- both prior to and during DSEI 2019. ments over Iraq, Tehran maintained its Initially, Iran supported the Arab Spring uprising, but that stance changed partnership with Damascus, especially af- completely when the Arab Spring came to Syria. Depicted are Arab Spring ter 2003. But the Syrian civil war became For more information, call the marketing team at +49 228-35008-70, protesters in Aden. the greatest challenge for the alliance. or send an email to [email protected]

16 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 www.euro-sd.eu · www.mittler-report.de SECURITY POLICY 

The Syrian Civil War And support for the Syrian regime did not Unlike the other rulers who were toppled by end there; Iran, Iraq and Syria have signed a the uprisings during the Arab Spring, Bashar The Arab Spring uprising began in Tunisia in US$10Bn gas contract for the transit of Ira- Al-Assad is still in power after more than 2010 then spread to Libya and then Egypt. nian gas to Europe. Iran continues to support eight years, mainly because of the old alli- In the beginning, Iran declared its support the Syrian regime by supplying arms and ance with Iran and the support of Russia. for the demonstrators, who largely ques- helping the regime build its military. Iran has tioned the authority of conservative pro- also established Revolutionary Guard bases Conclusion Western regimes. Underlying the Iranian in Damascus and Latakia. These bases were leadership's view was the belief that the designed to secure Iran's ability to transport The last eight years have put the Syrian– uprisings would unleash a new pan-Islamic weapons and troops through Syria to create Iranian alliance through a tough test, and wave in the Middle East that would de- an Iranian military footprint in close proximity both sides have demonstrated their com- feat pro-Western governments and bring to Israel and Lebanon. The Latakia base gives mitment. Although their objectives differ, Islamic governments into power again. But Iran the ability to transport weapons without both Syria and Iran know that a lasting al- Iran's stance changed completely when freight oversight by the aviation authorities. liance secures their common priorities: the the Arab Spring came to Syria. As soon In addition, Syria and Iran have strengthened survival of the regime, national security and as the protests began, Iran extended full their partnership to develop weapons of territorial independence. Iran wants to be political and military support for Assad's mass destruction while ensuring mutual se- the main political actor in the Levant and the regime and ignored popular sentiment in curity and regional influence. Iranian security Arab Gulf and therefore supports Syria in its the Arab-Muslim world. Given the histori- and intelligence services have advised and approach to Israel and the United States and cal context, Iran had no choice but to sup- supported the Syrian military to keep Bashar to ensure that the Lebanese Government port the Assad regime. In the event of a in power. The Quds Force is responsible for does not pursue policies detrimental to Syr- regime change, Iran could face the loss of Iran's external operations, and Commander ian interests. For four decades, Syria and Iran an important ally, which would further iso- Qassem Suleimani has played an important have been learning that together they are late the country in a dangerous time. Iran’s role in leading Iran's activities in Syria. In this stronger, and the Syrian war has once again support for the Syrian regime shredded its context, former Syrian Prime Minister Riad proved it. What initially looked like a "com- reputation in the Arab-Muslim world and Hijab declared after his transfer: "Syria is oc- munity of convenience" has developed into damaged its relationship with the Hamas cupied by the Iranian regime. The person Syrian–Iranian relations and has become a movement, as Hamas supported the Syrian leading the country is not Bashar Al-Assad, strong "axis of resistance". And as recent opposition. Iraq and Hezbollah also sup- but Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Quds developments have shown, they are no ported the Syrian regime. Force of the Iranian regime. longer alone. 

European Security & Defence ESD at DSEI 2019

Printed in the UK and fitted with a dedicated front cover different from the regular print run, an extra circulation of 2,000 copies of the September issue of EUROPEAN SECURITY & DEFENCE will be available for bonus distribution to delegations, conference delegates, visitors and exhibitors at DSEI 2019, arguably this year's most important international defence exhibition in Europe.

The regular circulation of ESD 09/19 will be published on 02 September 2019 (also distributed at MSPO in Kielce, Poland), thus more than a week ahead of the exhibition. As a result, your advertising message will attract attention both prior to and during DSEI 2019.

For more information, call the marketing team at +49 228-35008-70, or send an email to [email protected]

www.euro-sd.eu · www.mittler-report.de Viewpoint from Pretoria

A Mixed Blessing: South Africa after the Elections

Helmoed Römer Heitman

hile the recent general election in South Africa brought the tricity supplier, Eskom, which has startling debt of some $42 billion Wexpected return of the ANC to power, it also brought some and continues to trade at a loss and struggles with maintenance is- other interesting results. The ANC saw its share of the vote drop sues and poor build quality at new power stations. If Eskom cannot from 62.2% in 2014 to 57.5%, the lowest since 1994, a clear sign be turned around, the economic prospects will remain gloomy. The of voter dissatisfaction. This also helped the populist Economic problems at the railways and South African Airways are minor by Freedom Fighters (EEF) increase its vote from 6.4% to 10.8%. comparison, they are nevertheless significant in themselves. The Democratic Alliance remains the largest opposition party with The third challenge is to ramp up service delivery by government, 20.8%, down from 22.2% achieved in 2014. particularly to the poor. This has been deeply unsatisfactory in many Worrying from a national rather than ruling party perspective is respects, despite ample funding. The problem has been a combina- that only 73% of eligible voters registered for the election and tion of poor management and corruption. only 65.95% of them actually voted. More worrying still is that a large proportion of those who did not even register were young Rampant Corruption people with only a 33% registration rate among 18-to 19-year olds. Combined with the election results, this suggests not just a A related but longer-term challenge is to improve basic education sys- dissatisfaction with the ruling party but with the political system as tem, which has produced dismal results again despite lavish funding. a whole, particularly among the young who have been worst hit If that is not corrected, higher education will not be able to remedy by unemployment, now standing at 27%, and as much as 50% the situation and the economy will be starved of the people to run it. among the younger age groups. Worse still, is the fact that the None of this is unknown to South Africa’s leaders. However, many lowest registration was in those provinces with the weakest local have chosen to ignore evidence that contradicts cherished beliefs economies. That could be a warning of troubles to come. and views. Correcting the situation will require more than just ad- dressing the massive levels of corruption in the state agencies, which Trouble to Come is now being revealed by several public commissions. It will require a change of mindset in the ruling party, which will not be easy to That, however, is a future challenge, as President Ramaphosa achieve. Yet, this is not impossible as there are many in the ANC and his new cabinet face a number of more immediate chal- who understand the issues and the solutions but have not had their lenges to address. ‘hands on the wheel’. If President Ramaphosa succeeds in this re- The greatest and most urgent challenge will be in reviving an ailing spect, the economy will go on to recover. Then comes the next economy. This will be difficult given that much of what is wrong challenge, to demonstrate effective government and service delivery stems from policies dear to the heart of the ruling party and its po- before the next elections are held. litical allies - the trade union grouping Cosatu and Communist Par- While things do not look good, South Africa still has a basically sound ty. Himself a corporate businessman, Ramaphosa will understand and well diversified economy, one that can recover quickly given why the economy is ailing, but may struggle to take his party with the right impetus. It is an economy that despite the emigration of him. A particular problem is that the ANC took some ideas from the many successful business people and skilled professionals, still has EFF on its own to undercut the EFF. One is ‘expropriation without a remarkable ability to innovate. It is also the only manufacturing compensation’, which is hardly likely to attract the kind of foreign economy of any note south of the Sahara and the closest such capital investment South Africa needs badly at the moment. economy to much of the Middle East. Second in urgency will be to ‘clean house’ in the state-owned There is potential, and President Ramaphosa is well qualified to gather companies, which have been crippled by a lack of planning, poor the best advice and take the right decisions. However, he will face an management and corruption. Key among them is the national elec- uphill battle to drag his party and allies along this path.

18 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 rebels from Bangui, only to be stymied by the Central African heads of state who insisted on giving Seleka ‘a chance’.

Photo: GCIS Potential challenges exist in the situation in Zimbabwe, which is far from being stabilised, the off and on instability in Lesotho and potential instability in Swaziland.

Danger of Conflict Spill-Over

The bottom line is that South Africa needs peace and stability around it but faces the reality of some conflict within the SADC and the real danger of conflict spill-over from countries along the periphery into the SADC – mostly into the already fragile DRC. The armed forces of most of the SADC countries are too weak to do much about the situation, and as the de facto regional power, some look to South Africa to act, albeit with diminishing confidence. The challenge here is that a quarter of a century of underfunding the defence sector has left the Defence Force short of many critical capabilities – key among them in this context being airlift, as was so After the elections, President Cyril Ramaphosa clearly demonstrated in Bangui in March 2013, when the Defence announced measures to boost the South African Force had to scramble to charter transport aircraft to deploy a force economy. Despite its solid economic roots, of not much more than two companies with only light vehicles. South Africa struggles with numerous problems. With the defence budget having been just cut – for the first time in many years in real terms – and the acquisition budget planned to be A quite different challenge lies in regional security. South Africa has the largest and strongest economy of southern and central Africa, which makes it de facto a regional power. Yet, one of its potentially most profitable markets is in the southern/central African region, if only because of its proximity. However, that market will only pros-

per and grow if there is “peace, security and stability”, as President Photo: US Army Africa Mbeki pointed out at Davos in 2001. Therein lies existing, looming and potential challenges.

Regional Security

The existing challenges are primarily the ongoing conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the apparently Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique. Both hold direct economic risks for South Africa: Some 160,000 jobs depend on exports to the DRC, and Mozambique’s gas fields will become a major source of energy. However, these are con- veniently located for pumping to be disrupted by the guerrillas in the north who have already carried out minor attacks, while South African troops perform community service in escalating violence, which will undermine its economy and its Postmasburg on Nelson Mandela day, 18 July 2017. ability to import goods from South Africa. Unemployment among young people is high in The primary looming challenges are wider instability in the DRC, al- South Africa. ready visible in the Kasai province, and conflict and instability along the periphery of the Southern African Development Community slashed to just $57 million in 2021/22, the prospect of recovering (SADC). The SADC’s immediate neighbours are the DRC is fragile; such capabilities is zero. Meanwhile, the Defence Force is steadily the Central African Republic (CAR) is a failed state; South Sudan losing more capabilities and the defence industry is suffering from a is suffering a sporadic civil war; Uganda and Rwanda; Burundi, lack of orders that also impacts their future export potential. engaged in self-mutilation; and Kenya. Spill-over from conflicts The problem is obvious, but the solution is difficult. The Defence along the periphery can also have a negative impact on the region’s Force needs more funding, as successive defence ministers have economies and, therefore, also on South Africa. repeatedly pointed out, but the cupboard, while not quite bare, is That is why President Zuma deployed a small – in the event too small close to that. And there are many other real and pressing demands – force to the CAR and deployed additional forces to evict the Seleka on state funds as well.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 19  SECURITY POLICY Russian Nuclear Strategy after the INF Treaty

Stephen Blank

Putin and his staff have introduced explicitly ruthless threats, including nuclear threats, into Russian reasoning about acute international crises. They hypothesise about the high political value that would accrue as a result of nuclear use on a limited scale.

he INF treaty regime collapsed due to NOVATOR or 9M729 missiles furnished a of these and presumably other nuclear TRussian cheating. Although China’s decisive trigger for Washington to exercise weapons, which remain the priority pro- massive buildup of intermediate-range its right of withdrawal. Indeed, Moscow curement for the Russian military. ballistic and cruise missiles played no has deployed four battalions of this missile small role in galvanising US opinion and thus threatening both European and Asian The New START transforming international security, Rus- targets. Even worse, Latvian Foreign Min- sia’s deliberate deployment of up to 100 ister Edgar Rinkevics recently commented So while commentators have expressed alarm that the demise of this treaty regime could leave both Moscow and Washington bereft of an arms control “architecture”, fact is Moscow deliberately and with ul- terior strategic objectives in mind violated this treaty and has possibly also violated the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction

Photo: US Department of State Treaty), even though the State Department claims it is in compliance with it. Indeed, Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has now admitted that Russia’s new strategic weapons do not come under New START's rubric. That is, they circumvent the treaty and will not be discussed in any new treaty negotiation, thereby demonstrating the insufficiencies of the New START. Simultaneously, Sec- retary of State Pompeo also revealed that these fears of no arms control architecture should be allayed as preliminary discussions have begun with Russia on a new arms Ambassador Eileen Malloy, chief of the arms control unit at the US control treaty when this treaty expires in Embassy in Moscow, Russia, is pictured at the destruction site in 2021. Thus we are negotiating with a pow- Saryozek, (former Soviet Union) Kazakhstan, where the last Soviet er whose reputation for compliance is dubi- short-range missiles were eliminated under the INF treaty in the ous at best and who may have violated the spring of 1990. original treaty and definitely circumvented that treaty whose subsequent renewal is Author that Latvia knew Russia was violating the the issue under discussion. treaty long before Washington decided to In December 2017, Bill Gertz reported, Dr. Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow withdraw. Latvia and the US also knew “Russia is aggressively building up its nu- at the American Foreign Policy Coun- and discussed the fact that Moscow had clear forces and is expected to deploy a cil. He is the author of numerous already targeted the Baltic States with four total force of 8,000 warheads by 2026, foreign policy-related articles, white different types of missiles banned under along with modernising deep under- papers and monographs, specifically the INF treaty and deployed in Kaliningrad ground bunkers, according to Pentagon focused on the geopolitics and geo- and European Russia. In other words, even officials. The 8,000 warheads will include strategy of the former Soviet Union, if one believes, as some evidence has it, both large strategic warheads and thou- Russia and Eurasia. He is a former that Russia produces nuclear weapons sands of new low-yield and very low-yield MacArthur Fellow at the US Army in droves simply because that is what its warheads to circumvent arms treaty limits War College. defence sector can reliably do, there was and support Moscow’s new doctrine of and is a strategy behind the deployment using nuclear arms early in any conflict.”

20 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 SECURITY POLICY 

This is quite plausible. Existing Russian pro- velopments impel us to examine what world are bent on overthrowing it, then grammes can support the deployment of Russian nuclear strategy really is, espe- permanent posture of being in a state of 8,000 or more nuclear weapons with an cially as it appears to be developing what siege and relying on nuclear weapons to emphasis on either strategic or non-stra- arguably is an excessively unbalanced and overcome conventional inferiorities makes tegic (tactical) nuclear weapons or both. nuclear-heavy military. For as Charles Dick sense. This is the well-known Russian has recently written, why would Russia world view, even though it exists largely in New Nuclear Weapons invest considerable resources in creating the fevered minds of Russia’s leaders, not offensive and defensive capabilities for the Western ones. And, of course, this also Moreover, during 2018 and 2019 President conduct of nuclear war if it was not pre- resembles Pakistan and North Korea’s rea- Putin has regularly trumpeted the virtues pared, or even did not intend, to do so? Is sons for building nuclear weapons, as well and capabilities of new nuclear weapons this part of a far-sighted, comprehensive as Israel’s original situation when its pre- that Russia is designing. In his statements it is crystal clear that he is threatening both the US and NATO. Indeed, Russian offi- cials have long advocated nuclear weap- ons that can overcome or circumvent the US missile defence system to which they have ascribed truly magical powers in spite of dozens of briefings specifying its real capabilities and analyses by reputable Rus- sian experts. These new weapons include Photo: US Defense Imagery / Jose Lopez hypersonic, multi-warhead ICBMs, laser, underwater autonomous, nuclear-pow- ered cruise missiles, air defence systems with an anti-satellite (ASAT) potential, land-based and ship-based cruise mis- siles, not to mention conventional weap- ons like the Su-57 fighter jets, and so on. Furthermore, the ground forces now fill 11 brigades, each carrying 12 ISKANDER-M missiles with a range of 400-500 km and capable of delivering conventional, nu- clear, or fuel-air warheads. These are also supplemented by comparable air and sea- based missiles, for example the KALIBR cruise missile. Thus, all in all Moscow is Soviet inspectors and their American escorts stand among several dis- now building between 20-23 short, inter- mantled Pershing II missiles as they view the destruction of other missile mediate and long-range nuclear weapons components. The missiles are being destroyed in accordance with the comprising both countervalue and coun- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, 14 January 1989. terforce projects, and these are part of a long-term project, discerned long ago by preparation for war, or is it a part of an in- sumed programme began in the 1950s. US intelligence agencies to build a fleet fluence operation to deter and intimidate But beyond these well-known facts, nu- of nuclear weapons tailored to every con- political enemies? clear weapons serve multiple purposes for ceivable kind of contingency and range. In posing this question, however, Dick Moscow. Russian doctrine advertises the More recently, General Paul Selva (USAF), omits the possibility that Russian strategy deterrent purpose of its nuclear weapons, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, might comprise both the influence and and if NATO attacked first, especially if tar- said that Russia is also developing new deterrence operation on the one hand geting nuclear command and control, we tactical nuclear weapons to tailor its forces and the preparation for war or conflict on could reasonably expect to see a retalia- to virtually any contingency. And that is the other. Arguably this is the real answer tory first strike. But deterrence only begins only one of over 20 Russian programmes and this essay attempts to substantiate here. Russia’s ability to intervene in neigh- currently under way to manufacture and this proposition. bouring states and its coercive diplomacy deploy nuclear weapons, for example, a towards them and NATO “rests upon its heavy ICBM, new bombers, new SLBMS, Russia’s Nuclear Strategy nuclear arsenal, as well as on the new- and missile submarines. Moreover, given est conventional weapons, and is used for current procurement plans and counting If we try to think with Moscow, as proper both defensive and offensive purposes.” rules under the New START Russia could analysis of Russian strategy requires, to- Thus deterrence does not stop at deterring actually increase its nuclear weapons and day’s emphasis (not to mention during the a NATO attack but rather includes Russia’s still comply with that treaty. Finally Gen- Soviet period) makes considerable sense. interventions in what has been called the eral John Hyten (USAF), commander-in- If a regime, overwhelmingly cognisant of grey zone, for example, its original attack chief of US STRATCOM has testified that its own domestic illegitimacy and pos- on Crimea and the Donbass and its inter- Russian weapons are being built to cir- sessing an obsession with having an ac- vention in Syria. Thus the tailored nuclear cumvent the New START, obviously a view knowledged great power status, believes arsenal replete with capabilities that can at odds with that of the State Department, that for years stronger alliances (namely, be employed at all levels and ranges of but probably more accurate. All these de- NATO) and the strongest power in the conflict and the capacity to inflict what

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 21  SECURITY POLICY

Moscow calls calibrated damage upon an pansion into Russia’s historic sphere of for nuclear use is classified while, open enemy that will compel him to stop hos- influence, retaining regional hegemony doctrinal statements are hardly revealing. tilities is automatically invoked whenever in Eurasia, and demonstrating improve- That Russia could use nuclear weapons Moscow intervenes abroad to deter any ments to Russian military capabilities. in a first strike when the survival of the kind of US and/or NATO response. The presence of nuclear weapons is state is at risk is self-evident for a nuclear perhaps the first critical component for power, especially one that is haunted by An Asymmetrical Strategy modern hybrid warfare. Nuclear weap- the spectre of state disintegration and that ons provide insurance against a massive cannot afford to lose a war. But Russia’s Russian nuclear weapons therefore are ground response to an incremental lim- “nuclear behaviour” is sufficient grounds part of what Putin has called an asym- ited war. The offensive nation that pos- for real anxiety. As Colin Gray observes, metrical strategy. And defenders of Rus- sesses nuclear weapons knows that the even though there is no sign of Russian sian policy, for example, Andrei Tsygank- adversary or its allies will not likely com- discourse concerning the use of a nuclear weapon to defeat NATO in limited nu- clear scenarios, Moscow talks as if it can achieve this outcome. In a manner that is ominously reminiscent of Adolf Hitler, Putin and others have cho-

Photo: Sergei Lysenko sen to introduce explicitly ruthless threats, including nuclear threats, into Russian reasoning about acute international crises. They hypothesise about the high politi- cal value that would accrue as a result of nuclear use on a limited scale. The hoop, apparently, is that the NATO enemy, cer- tainly the less robust members, at least, would be outgunned either by the actu- ality, or more likely only by the credible threat of nuclear use, especially in a first- strike mode.

Escalation Dominance

Not surprisingly, and as we argue here, Russia sent Soviet-era long-range BLACKJACK bombers to Gray’s inescapable conclusion is that esca- Venezuela to be stationed at La Orchila island 160 miles off Caracas. lation dominance is Russia’s strategic goal. While no such scenario has yet occurred ov, explicitly invoke this kind of strategy. mit large ground forces to a conflict for nor is likely, this does show just how nu- Thus, Tsygankov writes that, “It seems fear of the aggressor employing those clear scenarios are intertwined with con- that a major factor in understanding weapons against ground or naval forces. ventional wars. Presumably, a network of the present and future global transition This dynamic emboldens the aggressor conventional scenarios leads to supposed- processes will be a global rethinking of nation. In the case of Russia, its pos- ly limited nuclear war scenarios, perhaps (asymmetric) resources available to inter- session of nuclear weapons emboldens with tactical nuclear weapons, for which national actors, ideas and perceptions leaders to take offensive action, because the West has not yet found an answer. of the leaders of major powers, and the they know that even the threat of nuclear In this way, traditional strategic deterrence nature of internal political processes.” employment forces potential adversaries is broadened to cover both Russian nuclear Though he omits nuclear weapons here, to a standstill. and conventional assets. On the other hand, it is quite clear that they, like cyber capa- the abolishment of the restrictions for the bilities, serve that purpose. A Limited War use of nuclear weapons means that the Nuclear weapons consequently serve a dividing line between waging war with much broader strategic need than de- As Fox points out this is how Moscow can conventional or with nuclear weapons is terring real or potential conventional or use nuclear weapons to prevent NATO vanishing. When the principle of surprise is nuclear strikes. As Dmitry Adamsky ob- from responding to a limited but large- connected to this idea, it seems that Russia serves, “The nuclear component is an scale Russian attack and thus limit a mas- wants to indicate that non-strategic nuclear inseparable part of Russian operational sive ground responsive to an “incremental weapons could be regarded as “normal” as- art that cannot be analysed as a stand- limited war.” sets on a conventional battlefield. This is the alone issue”. This is because it abets Rus- Therefore we arrive at a conclusion that basis upon which Russia regulates the level sian conventional threats and aggression nuclear weapons are not used merely to of deterrence for example in the Kaliningrad through the deterrence of adversaries’ intimidate, deter, or threaten enemies but exclave. By introducing the concept of pre- counteraction to that aggression. Simi- are rather a primordial instrument of an emptive strike to its military means, Russia is larly, Major Amos C. Fox writes that the effective strategy of escalation control trying to enhance its non-nuclear deterrence strategic defence provided by Russian and conflict regulation. Moscow’s behav- even further. nuclear weapons and its IADS facilitate iour and apparent nuclear strategy vali- Thus we see a broader nuclear strategy attainment of all of Russia’s conventional date these points because the document that aims to use these weapons to control warfare objectives: deterring NATO ex- detailing that strategy and conditions the entire process of escalation through-

22 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 SECURITY POLICY  out the crisis from start to finish. If the economic and military resources would Projection of Power crisis becomes kinetic, then escalating to allow a standoff against any opponent de-escalate may well become an opera- along Russian borders for a limited pe- We now see signs of the projection of tive possibility within that framework. This riod of time, while its nuclear weapons power into Africa through private mili- kind of strategy explains the violations of prevent the conversion of a conflict into tary contractors but in Venezuela we see the INF Treaty and the new developments full-fledged war. regular troops who will probably expand in Russian nuclear weaponry. Although In this context, the possession of a wide previous efforts to gain air and/or naval some claim that the decision to violate range of usable nuclear weapons allows bases in Venezuela if not elsewhere in the INF is connected to NATO enlarge- Moscow not only to dominate its former Latin America. When Putin was prepar- ment, the strategic rationale of girding Soviet peripheries and threaten all of Eu- ing the recent expedition to Venezuela for war with the West and attempting to rope and the United States, it also allows of 100 Russian Air Force troops and ac- develop the capabilities for dominating it to project power abroad in places as companying materiel he also warned the former Soviet glacis and even project- far away as Venezuela and Syria without Washington, in relation to the INF treaty, ing limited power abroad are bound up in too much fear of consequences and then that he was ready for another Cuban this approach. steadily enhance its strategic and military missile crisis if Washington wanted one. Nuclear weapons are therefore critical in- position in these areas. While Moscow Since then not only has he dispatched struments for prevailing in an environment is doing so, its intermediate and longer- these forces, but he also sent TU-160 of international rivalry and contestation range conventional and nuclear missiles BLACKJACK long-range strategic bomb- that from Moscow’s view is characterised hold European, American (and if it ever ers there in late 2018 to suggest what by the struggle for relative, rather than came to this, Chinese) military power at might follow. And now apparently the absolute, gains – a climate of small grey risk. We have already seen repeated exam- Kremlin is also setting up an Air Force zone clashes that are controlled in Rus- ples of this strategy in Ukraine and Syria Bomber Group in Venezuela. Lt.Gen. sia’s favour due to its nuclear arsenal and so that Moscow not only now has an inte- Vasily Petrovich Tonkoshkurov leads proclaimed readiness to use it first across grated air and naval defence capability in this formation, and the term “military a range of contingencies. Still, in decid- and around the Black Sea that threatens group” in Russian denotes an external ing to get involved in a conflict and utilise littoral states like Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, group of forces or air group commanded coercive diplomacy, Russian civilian and Bulgaria, and Romania; it has also long by a comparably high-ranking General. military authorities do believe that the since begun building a chain of naval and We have seen such formations in East conflict itself could be located within ex- air bases across the Middle East and East- Germany, Vietnam, Angola, and more isting norms of international law. Russia’s ern Mediterranean. recently Syria. This group not only will be

The Honorary Patronage of the Republic of Poland President Mr. Andrzej Duda

27th International Defence Industry Exhibition

USA LEAD NATION

3-6.09.2019, Kielce, Poland

Strategic Partner

www.mspo.pl

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 23 Photo: Kremlin neighbour and a staunch US ally com- plained that, “Venezuela's joint military exercises with Russia should put the entire South American continent on alert against an 'unfriendly act'."

Diminishing Returns

Russia’s actions in Venezuela, Syria, and Ukraine correspond to Tkachenko’s theory that Russia is employing “a new strategy for nuclear powers.” This strategy employs nuclear weapons not only to threaten and deter but also to make the world safe for limited Russian wars by controlling escala- tory dynamics and conflict regulation pro- cesses. The metaphor is ‘carless pedestrian behaviour’, for example, entering a road On several occasions Putin has met Nicolas Maduro, President of and forcing drivers to stop their car lest su- Venezuela, to discuss urgent issues. Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez perior force including nuclear weapons be has offered the Russians the island of La Orchila for the stationing of brought to bear. Russian aircraft. In several cases, Russian leaders have uti- lised military means in a mass, holistically, the beachhead for an expandable pres- US for its intention to leave the INF treaty. and in a risky manner. Russian leaders today ence, it will also no doubt provoke the Accordingly, we can expect regular visits consider military standoffs with political US. The forces and their logistical sup- by nuclear-capable planes and ships to opponents in neighbouring states as com- ply, including an Ilyushin Il-62M CLAS- the neighbouring naval base if not per- prehensive operations of its Army, operat- SIC and an Antonov-124 CONDOR are manent deployments since a precedent ing under authority of a single commander, already in the theatre and BLACKJACK has been set unlike 1962 and 1969. while all needed resources are mobilised bombers are apparently being readied for the sake of immediate breakthrough. at Engels-2 base in southern Russia for In Washington’s Backyard This is an audacious strategy of limited a journey around the Norwegian North war ,where nuclear weapons are always Cape via mid-air refuelling and down This will also show many different audi- there to deter and allow Moscow to take the Atlantic to Venezuela. ences that Moscow is able to play in Wash- risks to achieve any positive transforma- ington's "backyard", as it claims the US is tion in the status quo. But as Alexander Another Cuban Missile Crisis doing, for example in Ukraine. Gorchakov, a 19th-century Tsarist foreign There are even reports of Moscow, through policy maker that Russian leaders love to Undoubtedly, as these forces are being low-level contacts, offering Washington a quote, memorably wrote, the danger lies reinforced so will air and/or naval bases deal, namely, we will stay out of your back- in knowing where to stop. As Putin's hun- be developed for them. In late 2018, Ven- yard if you get out of Ukraine. And, along ger for great power adventures grows ezuela announced that Russia is obtain- with the Venezuelan air base it has appar- with the erosion of public support and ing a long-term base on the island of La ently gotten the right to make port calls the total absence of economic reform, so Orchila that had been offered to Mos- here. In fact, earlier in 2018 Venezuela’s does the likelihood that he will intervene cow a decade earlier by Hugo Chavez. Defence Minister Vladimir Lopez told his somewhere to uphold the myth of the The base is some 160 miles from Caracas Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu that great power, and thus the possibility of and home of a Venezuelan airfield and Venezuela aspired to go beyond arms sales a serious escalation and misjudgement. navy base. This is a portentous event and to an operational level cooperation. This Gorchakov’s colleague P.A. Valuev wrote a harbinger of developments to come. raises the question of what operations about the “lure of something erotic in Moscow has been interested in Latin these governments are thinking of, where the borderlands”; it still seems to drive American bases for at least a decade. In- they might take place, and against whom Russian statesmen even beyond know- deed, in February 2014 Defence Minister they might be directed? This question be- ing where to stop. The effort to build a Shoigu explicitly mentioned Cuba, Ven- comes especially pertinent when we realise nuclear arsenal usable as far as possible ezuela and Nicaragua as places where that Venezuela, at least, is expecting more across the entire spectrum of conflict is Moscow wanted naval and air bases. The Russian troops. novel and innovative. But when we look Venezuelan crisis and the collapse of the It is not only the US or Canada that should at Ukraine and the other examples where INF treaty regime thus appear to have feel threatened by such deployments cov- Moscow seems all too willing to run the come together in official policy to pro- ered by a likely nuclear umbrella. Russian risk of nuclear escalation – has it really duce a result that threatens to create a forces in Venezuela or client forces, like been a successful strategy, not only in base for BLACKJACK strategic bombers the estimated 15,000 Cuban forces there, our eyes but in Putin’s and is it not sub- carrying ICBMs or Intermediate Range represent a threat as well to other Latin ject to the law of diminishing returns? Ballistic Missile to target the US In addi- American countries of either intervention Since these returns constitute the future tion, Russian commentators openly stat- or organised subversion backed up by a of his system and his state, if they decline ed that this would be the beginning of robust conventional and nuclear deterrent. beyond the break-even point, then what Moscow’s nuclear retaliation against the Already in Colombia in 2018, Venezuela’s will remain for Russia? 

24 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Viewpoint from Kiev

Volodymyr Zelensky – Servant of the People

Alex Horobets

Ukrainian presidential elections have shown the success of a number of tech- nologies that have worked in favour of one of the presidential candidates.

uring the 2016 US presidential election campaign, journalists Poroshenko. Many attributes this to the fact that the media holding Dwrote that the team of Republican candidate Donald Trump belonging to Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. Although Zelensky used the services of Cambridge Analytica who tried to convince US has tried more than once refute his connection with the oligarch. voters to vote for Trump applying a wide variety of sophisticated digital analysis tools. A Middle Class Man Later came the reports that this private company interfered in the course of more than 200 elections worldwide. Besides the US, just The following message can be traced in ‘The Servant of the People’ as significant was the scandal around its co-operation with UK's Vote Party: 'there is a corrupt oligarchic system in Ukrainian politics. With Leave campaign during the 2016Brexit referendum. The company the election of a middle class man, the era ends.' This message profiled people according to their political views in order to better was the basis of Zelensky’s successful presidential campaign. With target Facebook ads. The ultimate result of the vote depended on no political experience whatsoever, he came to power in April’s 1% of the electorate. Therefore, it is believed that working with social elections, gaining 73.22% of the vote, defeating Poroshenko who network users had a key impact on the results of the vote in favour received 24.45%. of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. It is impossible to say that Zelensky sealed his victory only due to his After a series of publications on the impact of modern technology presence on television and online. In Ukrainian society, there was a on the election outcome, it became clear that this sort of activity is a great demand for a ‘total reboot’ of power structures. People often new reality, and then it will become even more interesting. associate all problems, including those faced at the local level, with The recently held Ukrainian presidential elections have shown the the figure of the president. In addition, before the elections, investi- success of a number of technologies, which worked in favour of one gative journalists published stories on corruption in various sectors. of the presidential candidates. And, due to this fact, these elections Zelensky was elected, among other things, on his election promises were monitored across the world. to change the existing system. Zelensky has headed Studio Kvartal 95 since 2003. Since 2012, his A Politicised Sitcom ‘Evening Quarter’ comedy show has been broadcast on Ukrainian television on a weekly basis. These and other projects have allowed On November 16 2015, a heavily politicised sitcom ‘The Servant of him to gain more recognition among citizens. Both the series and the People’, produced by Kvartal-95 Studio, was aired for the first comedy show were full of political and social satire targeted toward time. It concerned a history teacher suddenly becoming Ukrainian the government. President with a famous Ukrainian comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, founder of the Kvartal 95, playing the main role. So far, all three A Double-Edged Sword series have proven to be quite highly rated among citizens. The plot portrays an idealistic picture of a regular person becoming president, However, the fact that Zelensky is famous among many Ukrainians able to defeat corruption and external enemies, and becoming a for criticising the authorities and popular in the media is a ‘double- national hero. Political analysts had already suggested that the idea edged sword’. On the one hand, it delivered him excellent election of nominating a candidate for the actual presidential elections could results, yet, on the other hand, his lack of experience in politics is happen after the first season of the series was shown. constantly becoming the object of criticism on the part of his op- On 31 December 2018, at one minute before midnight, when the ponents. Therefore, rather quickly, he will need to meet those high New Year's address of the President is traditionally broadcast on all public expectations. TV channels, Zelensky said on channel 1+1 he was running for presi- Another criticism is his format of communication with the media dent. After that, 1+1 aired the address of incumbent president, Petro and voters during the campaign, which mostly boiled down to short

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 25 video appeals on social media. In turn, the economic, defence, social and other areas of his future policy are still commented only by advis- ers within his team. Given the media component of his election campaign, it was clear that his presidency would be rather unique. His Instagram account Photo: Hronometer has an astounding 5.4 million subscribers, while his short video ad- dresses gain millions of views. Most likely, this format of communica- tion will continue. However, we must bear in mind that he is unlikely to be able to pursue this format alone as he will be expected to gain more understanding in all aspects of foreign and domestic policy. His team of advisers and experts was formed a few months be- fore the elections, and a great deal of emphasis in their selection Zelensky's successful presidential campaign was was placed on their ‘background’ in politics. Among his team are: based on the message that his party "Servant of the Ruslan Stefanchuk (focusing on reforming state and legal institu- People" would put an end to the corrupt oligarchic tions), Dmytro Razumkov (domestic issues), Oleksandr Danyliuk (in- system in Ukrainian politics by bringing a regular ternational relations, economics, financial and banking), Ruslan Ria- middle class citizen in power. boshapka (law enforcement and anti-corruption), and Ivan Aparshin (defence and security). impressive result than its leader achieved in the presidential elections. As for Poroshenko, it is believed that the election result shook him Fighting Corruption up and encouraged him to work on the mistakes he made. He has publicly acknowledged erroneous appointments and even agreed Zelensky's policy vision in the field of defence and security remains to provide the necessary assistance to his rival after the inaugura- unchanged and seeks a continued course towards co-operation with tion process. We should not forget that his term of office saw many NATO, continued creation of a professional army and modern system achievements such as ensuring Western support in confronting the of territorial defence. A priority will also be placed on fighting corrup- Russian Federation, strengthening the army, keeping Western sanc- tion. It most likely be possible to talk more about a more specific policy tions against Russia alive, gaining visa-free travel with the EU, and in the field of security and defence after he has made his first appoint- recognising a autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. And ments, as well as after the adoption of a national security strategy, the his electoral result of 24.45% of voters can form the electoral core development of which is expected to take six months. for his political force during parliamentary elections. After a brilliant victory comes the routine. His first test will be early par- liamentary elections scheduled for 21 July 2019. Presidential elections Hopes for General Improvement have shown that the demand for a renewal of political parties has matured in society. Therefore, a rather large share of the vote (6.04%) What Ukrainians expect from the newly elected President Zelensky is was scored by Ihor Smeshko, the former head of the Security Service the end of the crisis, cessation of hostilities with the Russian Federa- who practically did not appear in the public space before the election tion, a return of Crimea, success in the fight against corruption, and campaign. A major reason for his success was played by the support of a general improvement of citizen well-being. However, this will not a popular Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon. The popular national happen without hard and routine work. The reality is not as predict- singer and public figure Svyatoslav Vakarchuk refused to participate able as his sitcom plot. in the elections even though he could have achieved a strong result. His dialogue with the Kremlin will hardly be easy. Among Russian However, it has now been revealed that he will form his own political experts, it has already been mentioned that President Putin would party and take part in parliamentary elections. It will be these elec- immediately begin to test the new president, including through the tions that will determine how effectively the newly elected president intensification of hostilities in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is also in- and political parties will be able to interact. According to preliminary terested in the majority of pro-Russian political parties in the parlia- surveys, Zelensky’s ‘Servant of the People’ Party will achieve a less mentary elections. After the presidential elections, Russia has already simplified the granting of Russian passports to residents of Donbas, which will be another pretext for ‘protecting Russian citizens’ in Ukrainian territories. In general, in contrast to countries that were formerly part of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine has set an example of a democratic

Photo: MoD Ukraine change of government and political struggle. Zelensky was able to conduct a non-typical presidential campaign, which gave him the opportunity to beat his competitors in an electoral landslide. Now the main question is whether he will be able to effectively take advantage of the credit of trust given to him by the electorate, and whether he will pursue the same non-standard presidential course. Practical officer training in Ukraine, 7 November 2018. Ukraine26 is stillEuropean involved Security in a& simmeringDefence · 6/2019 war with Russia. It is unclear how the new president wants to mitigate the resulting difficulties. COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA The Austrian Federal Army: Back to the Start? A Last-Minute Comment on the Current Political Turmoil in Vienna

Georg Mader

ithout doubt, the despicable and Wfoolish video showing two drunk- en and corrupt politicians from the Vi- ennese coalition partner FPOE, recently published by leading German media, Photo: MoD Austria is unprecedented in Austrian post-war politics. As a successful outside "sting operation" which "killed" a national government and led to early elections, a consequence of the scandal has been that all military financing and moderni- sation steps, which have been painstak- ingly and, despite much opposition, ini- tiated since the start of 2018, are now left in limbo without losing relevance or urgency. And, since the shocked and humiliated FPOE has been unwilling to sacrifice its popular ‘anti-migration’ minister of interior Herbert Kickl to the demands of chancellor Sebastian Kurz, all their ministers have subsequently resigned, including the esteemed minister of de- fence Mario Kunasek. It remains uncer- tain whether he will be able to keep his party's promise to double defence funds by up to 1% of GNP or receive additional funds for long overdue ‘big ticket’ acqui- sitions. It is very much unclear what will Austria needs to decide how to proceed with its fleet happen now until a new government is of Eurofighter TYPHOON. appointed by December. in decades. They are aware that defence the curve shows a downturn once again. A Foreseeable Downturn issues - with the exception of disaster It remains to be seen whether the "dark relief – are not a high priority among the times" of 2007 until 2016 will return, The young Chancellor Kurz will achieve population and the majority left-wing when the military had to ‘swallow’ budg- good electoral results at the ballot box leaning media. Most Austrians have et cuts of €571M due to a broad pack- in September, given his courage in drop- never taken the military aspect of neu- age of austerity measures introduced in ping the discredited FPOE. He and his trality seriously, no matter to what ex- the wake of the European financial crisis. party, the OEVP, will continue to focus tent the ‘Founding Fathers’, in Moscow These cuts forced the decommissioning on zero new debt, which, in fact, was 1955, had conceived this concept along of 750 older armoured and wheeled ve- only recently achieved for the first time Swiss lines. For example, Austria has hicles and artillery over the past decade. 84,000 sq km and 15 jets while Switzer- During this period, 41% of air and ro- Author land has 41,000 sq km and 50 jets. torcraft, 62% of heavy weapons, 60% The officers around Chief of General of protected and armoured vehicles and Georg Mader is a defence corres- Staff Robert Brieger would be delighted 56% of unprotected vehicles were de- pondent and freelance aerospace if they were able to maintain the urgent- commissioned. The number of workers journalist based in Vienna, Austria, ly needed growth rates of 2016, which fell by 16%, with mobilisation falling by and a regular contributor to ESD. add up to the highest financing ever – as much as 50% and the annual share of €2.3Bn. From 2021 onwards, however, conscripts by some 47%.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 27 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA

train the Malian army in the fight against A New Interim Defence Minister Islamist and Tuareg insurgents. The in- As of 3 June, MjrGen Thomas Starlinger (56) will be the new interim defence minis- coming commander Bgdr Habersatter ter in Chancellor Bierlein's "transitional government of experts". In 2017 he became will oversee the Bundesheer’s fourth- military adjutant of Federal President largest mission abroad, after Kosovo/ van der Bellen. Prior to that, Starlinger KFOR (>400), Bosnia (>300) and Leba- was deputy Chief-of-Staff in the multi- non/UNIFIL (<200). With a total of 1,028 national command "Operational Leader- personnel deployed abroad, the Austri- ship Intervention" in Ulm for four years. ans are maintaining a traditionally large He was therefore responsible for current footprint overseas in relation to their

Militärkommando Kärnten geopolitical developments in the Balkans, size. It is also important to mention a re- the Middle East and Africa as well as for cent joint exercise between Austrian and migrant movements from the East and US military police where a binational, South towards the EU. Following a Gen- company-sized element went through eral Staff course from 1997 to 2000, Star- different training scenarios. The overall linger served as Chief of Staff and Deputy aim was to enhance interoperability and Brigade Commander of the 7th Infantry to work out communication protocols Brigade. From 2003 to 2007 he was with and procedures for international deploy- the Austrian military mission to the EDA ments. in Brussels. In December 2007 Starlinger became commander of the same 7th bri- Back to the Old structure gade in Klagenfurt. From November 2008 to May 2009, he assumed command of the Multinational Task Force South in the KFOR mission in Kosovo. Further stations took When it comes to their structure, how- him to Syria, Cyprus, Iran and Tajikistan. Prior to a successful referendum in 2013, that ever, the Austrian forces have become maintained conscription, Starlinger was a well-known advocate for abolishing conscrip- ‘normal‘ again, since the 2019 structural tion and introducing a professional army in Austria. reform became effective only by 1 April 2019. The ill-fated so-called ‘LV 21.1’ re- form from a year ago has been rolled Right-Wing Infiltration? making processes with the participation back and the extra Air and Ground of two or more ministries and corre- Forces Commands made way for a uni- Since the inauguration of this govern- sponds to the idea of ‘comprehensive fied upper command, led by a three-star ment before Christmas 2017, the left- national defence’, the guiding principle general in an effort to further centralise wing opposition has always been afraid of Austrian defence - at least in theory. command structures. The Bundesheer that handing over both armed execu- Connections have the potential to be operated under such a ‘Joint Forces tive bodies to the FPOE would lead to a step towards the realisation of this Command‘ (at Graz) until 2016. How- right-wing infiltration. And, just at the concept, which envisages national de- ever, the actual extent of this change beginning of May, there were new con- fence not only as a matter for the armed remains to be seen. It was perhaps not cerns about military liaison officers in forces, but for all political, economic really a decisive change, but only part other federal ministries. This has caused and social public institutions. However, of the general reform ‘frenzy’ in which astonishment and criticism. Liaison of- the opposition parties suspect ulterior the military - and not just the Austrian - ficers are deployed in the offices of the motives lay behind the move, warning constantly finds itself, as current defence Chancellery and Vice Chancellery offices against both infiltration and espionage. ministers reverse the reforms made by and in the Ministries of Finance, Infra- A constitutional expert has warned that their predecessors. Only the Austrian Air structure, Foreign Affairs, Interior and the aim of this new role could be to ob- Force (now again only a staff element) Education - but not necessarily on the tain information for the Bundeswehr has protested against this move, angry ground and/or on a full-time basis. Origi- and questioned the legality of this move. to have lost their short-lived independ- nally introduced during the Austrian EU This shows that the MoD has also moved ence from the ‘aardvarks’. As the most Presidency in 2018 to improve interde- into the focus of those who are now expensive branch, they have asked who partmental co-ordination, these officials cheering on the collapse of the current advised Minister Kunasek to retitle an remain in place and are expected to be centre-right model. engineer "Air Chief". deployed more intensively in the future. What will become of Minister Kunasek Military liaison officers have previously Remaining a Trustworthy is completely an open question. In fact, served temporarily in connection with Partner who will replace him and by which party certain events and there has always is actually a matter of no concern. This is been one in the Office of the Federal In spite of all this turmoil, the Austrian because the new minister and all heads President as Commander-in-Chief of the forces are still a trustworthy ally in many of government will, nevertheless, have Bundeswehr. However, the fact that Mr. multinational missions and bilateral to deal with geopolitical conflicts, in- Baumann previously held senior posi- agreements, the increase of the Austrian ternational terrorism, organised crime, tions in the Federal Intelligence Service contingent in Mali being a vivid example. cyber risks and hybrid conflicts involving and that the Ministry of Defence is in Since 4 June, a total of 47 Bundesheer state and non-state actors. These inter- the hands of FPOE has now made this a personnel will have been deployed to nal and external threats pose growing sensitive issue. Mali as part of the European Training challenges to all government agencies The MoD claims that this closer link be- Mission Mali (EUTM), which will be un- involved in providing security and de- tween ministries will quicken decision- der Austrian command. Its objective is to fence protection to the public.

28 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA

The Endless TYPHOON meeting said he "had difficulty under- wanted to have a fundamental decision Squabble standing why the investigation was made this summer as to whether Austria opened at all." should either phase out its EUROFIGHTER Despite of all this turbulence, Vien- After the controversial meeting was fleet or upgrade it. However, the MoD nese public prosecutors believe that, publicised, the public prosecutor's of- (FPOE), who is now also outgoing, said contrary to public expectations, there fice, which has been conducting the that a "timely solution is needed, as the is little basis for initiating criminal pro- Eurofighter investigation since February life span of the 12 remaining 70s of the ceedings against the €1.7Bn Eurofighter 2019, is now openly accusing the Secre- Saab-105 jet trainer in Austria, which TYPHOON purchase, of which Austria tary General in the Ministry of Justice, works alongside the 15 EUROFIGHTERs became the launch export customer Christian Pilnacek (OEVP), of abuse of in air policing, expires at the end of next some 15 years ago. In an internal meet- office for having demanded that the year." Austria must, therefore, decide ing held on 1 April, which only became case be closed quickly. whether to continue using two fleets public because of an internal document The Procurator General’s Office, a body of jets for air policing or switch to one that was leaked by the news platform which oversees prosecutors, confirmed type. In view of the financial situation and ‘Addendum’ (a product of Red Bull it had received a complaint. In response, current political rifts, however, the latter founder Didi Mateschitz), two public Mr Pilnacek has rejected the accusation, seems increasingly unlikely. prosecutors stated that there was no saying on public radio that “the ques- At the same time, and according to ICAO sufficient legal reason to open the in- tion at the meeting was how to make regulations, the Austrian EUROFIGHTERs vestigation in 2017. best use of the results we have collected will also have to operate a new IFF Mode At that time, the former Defence Minis- to date, or to bring the case to an end. S/-5 transponder after 2021. At an ex- ter Hanspeter Doskozil (SPOE), together There was a lack of willingness [at the pected cost of around €500.000M per with the Austrian financial prosecutor special prosecutors’ side] to understand aircraft, the materials authority of the Wolfgang Peschorn, initiated the inves- that viewpoint. But I was not asking to MoD is currently waiting to see which tigation, claiming that former EADS ex- ‘simply‘ turn it down!“ of the models the four core nations will ecutives had "cheated Austria of supply The Austrian Air Force is suffering from all choose. Allegedly, the German Air Force capability, equipment and hidden costs this delay. The ongoing third parliamen- is very relaxed on this matter, and if no for many years." However, contact with tary inquiry has caused the now outgoing fleet-wide decision is to be expected, ESD at "Addendum" confirmed that a centre-right government to once again sit Austria would turn to Leonardo's model prosecutor at the (unusually recorded) tight. Chancellor Kurz (OEVP) originally of equipment. 

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VISIT US Paris Air Show, Le Bourget 17 to 23 June 2019, Hall 2C, Booth C353 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA “With 0.5% of GDP, we cannot even achieve rudimentary military defence.”

The Austrian Head of the Defence Staff, General Robert Brieger, talks to ESD about what he has encountered and what he has been doing for the drained army of the wealthy neutral country since taking office a year ago.

readiness. For many years now, it had been be done with their armed forces and that, accepted that this status was unsatisfac- if we maintain the current level of funding, tory. However, we we military people have we will soon be at 0.5% of GDP, well be- become accustomed to this dire funding low any minimum required to comply with culture, while emphasising and publicly certain basics of military defence. highlighting what in fact are secondary roles – and not the constitutionally stipu- ESD: But today that doesn’t mean the lated armed defence of this neutral country classical defensive combat with all means and its citizens. I decided to change this against a comparably armed conventional strategy and presented - together with De- enemy. ESD: General, first of all, I would like to ask fence Minister Mario Kunasek - a candid Gen. Brieger: No, of course not - not you an international question: during the look at the status of the armed forces to in the classical way. I did not mean that, current EU Parliament Election campaign the public and the media, without groan- since for that large-scale conventional here in Austria,, and also in other Member ing or complaining but also not creating a defence the Armed Forces are too small States, the issue of a future EU army was raised several times. Do you consider this issue to be realistic or feasible? Gen. Brieger: Neither - nor. It does not pop up for me but you have described it correctly. We are a neutral and democratic Photos: Bundesheer country in the middle of Europe; we utilise the possible cooperation among NATO-PfP and EU nations to the maximum as we are deeply embedded in all these bodies. And we are happy with that – according to our possibilites. What may happen in 30+ years from now does not help us with today’s manifold tasks, and I answer with my min- ister: No topic for now.

ESD: In March 2019, you attracted some public attention by publishing a brochure where you openly pointed out the limits of Austrian military capabilities if everything remains at the current and forecast budg- et level of 0.5% of GDP, or how high the Although the Austrian Bundesheer has a respectable numbers of funds or billions will need to be if we only recruits, a sizable component is not fully combat-capable due to the want to keep the current level or how high cut in compulsory service. if we want to reduce the investment back- log. What prompted you to publish this? glossy image that all is fine and that we can and also lack certain up-to-date capabili- Gen. Brieger: I woud like to summarise happily fulfil our tasks. That was the driving ties. But national defence today for ex- the issue as follows: When I came into force behind the brochure 'Effective Na- ample also means securing nationwide this function, I faced the severe challenge tional Defence – An Appeal.' Of course, by critical infrastructure against asymmetri- around the financial situation of the Aus- creating a certain public stir, the brochure cal threats and hybrid attacks, to be ex- trian Armed Forces on the equipment level had the strategic objective of pointing out pected in ‘derailed‘ or otherwise chaotic and the critical level regarding combat to the Austrians that something must now times, or under an indiscriminate terrorist

30 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA attack. And for that, as we call it ‘protec- task to translate the constitutional tasks that were sold to Estonia, for example. Or tion operation‘ in several locations, we entrusted to the Austrian Armed Forces how many vehicles of an obsolete type are need manpower equivalent to a fund- into capabilities. These demand a certain still operational. ing of 1%. If policymakers in their fis- amount of quality and quantity of forces. cal approach decide otherwise, then the If we are forced to accept or, rather, suf- ESD: To me, it seems that since the Ukraini- General Staff and advisers to the minister fer drawbacks from those amounts, the an crisis in 2014, the public mood in Europe, must draw consequences and policymak- responsible politicians will have to accept including Austria, has turned away from ers must know what risks they are taking the inherent or connected risks. And that the zero expenditure policy and returned to if this underfunding continues. is what we are making clear here. the defence of all of us, even though there are still some politicians playing games on ESD: So, was it worth it in the end and ESD: Meaning, to simply highlight the risks the backs of the armed forces. For exam- what was or will be the outcome? they are taking for the population? ple, one party is not granting its coalition Gen. Brieger: I must say that some re- Gen. Brieger: Exactly, to let them know partner a budget success because its cur- actions have strenghtened or underlined the risks occurring sooner or later. That rent defence minister would run against my position as no factual or technical was the intent behind this brochure as the it in next year’s regional elections. Is this arguments against what I said were put budget negotiations have only now begun. also the impression in the armed forces as forth. In the public reception it was not a drained institution? questioned in substance, but it was un- ESD: In May, you were criticised by the op- Gen. Brieger: You know that in my func- derstood that here a critical situation has position Social Democrats for your open- tion I cannot comment on domestic po- been highlighted, similar to when the di- ness in a parliamentary questionnaire on litical manoeuvres, no matter how more rector of a hospital explains that he lacks the grounds that you had 'revealed military or less accurate these observations may or some vital up-to-date technical installa- secrets'. Was it not exactly the same people may not be.. I can only say that for decades tions for curing and caring according to who, over a decade, created and ignored we, in Austria, have unfortunately accepted their professional integrity. So, there was this backlog? the daily experience of party politics inter- a broad consensus in the media and in Gen. Brieger: That is partly right. I do not fering into the planning and financing of public comments by various decision- need to tell you that you can easily find all the armed forces. And there has always makers. Closely related to this, however, the capability data in SIPRI, reports to the been the contradictory desire to keep de- is the question of whether what I am ask- OSCE, Jane’s or Military Balance. At least in fence policy and its instrument to protect ing for is at all realistic in Austrian politics. Europe, you can today track every piece of the country and its population out of such I then always answer that it is my and our equipment, like our M109 artillery pieces infighting.

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ESD: This is more or less how it is handled protect and patrol an international airport border operation, for example. It is an as- in most Western countries, keeping the like Schwechat within its perimeter, you sessment of priorities. In general, in any armed forces out of politics and election quickly get to several battalions. It is a high- military, it is a reality that when you have campaigns. and so forth. ly manpower-intensive mission. Also, you four building blocks, like large units, in fact Gen. Brieger: Exactly. There is a consensus would initially not mobilise but instead try only one is fully available for combat. in all parliamentary parties that security and to cover this with available forces, which, of defence policy has to stay out of the daily course, are limited. While we have quite re- ESD: This is like warships and aircraft car- party political infighting. spectable numbers of recruits, a large num- riers. Only one in three is ready for action. Gen. Brieger: Right. In the form of a con- struction kit, where you can take the mod- ules you need right now.

ESD: Or, in large-scale exercises for exam- ple, when units have to borrow vehicles from other units to fulfill their objectives? Gen. Brieger: For example, sometimes, for better co-ordination in such larger ex- ercises, we are now moving along the path to standardising the induction dates during the year in order to have the brigades do their exercises together towards the end of each conscript contingent’s service period. In the past, this was a ‘patchwork‘ and the large units are, in effect, no longer brigades anymore but instead only 'force providers'.

ESD: Let us talk about border-protection. When you took office, you said in an inter- view that uncontrolled mass migration is one of the major current threats. That has caused raised eyebrows in some political circles. What did you mean in particular? As an alpine country, the Austrian armed forces are competent in moun- And when does it become a military ques- tain warfare, which frequently attracts international military visits. tion that requires military action? Gen. Brieger: I would explain what I meant ESD: Surprisingly, however, in late 2016 ber of them are not fully combat-capable, by saying that we are currently supporting there was this all-party parliamentary mo- which has to do with the cut in compul- border protection in the form of assistance tion to provide additional funds to the Bun- sory service [since 2006 from eight months to law-enforcement. Furthermore – and desheer. down to six]. Thus, we largely rely on the this easily draws us into a highly political Gen. Brieger: Yes, this was one such rare ready or standing troops, which quickly arena – our approach to security is that if in case; it occured also because of the aware- brings us to the limit. By the way, I am ob- a society you have a growing share of prob- ness of changed security parameters. But serving this not only in our own forces. lematic or hard-to-integrate characteristics, that was a singular effect and it did not then this can lead to social discord and fur- translate into a turn-around and mean- ESD: With the current level and strength thermore, over the medium term, theo- while has been ‘consumed‘.Hence our ap- of troops, what kind of protection could retically to law-enforcement operations peal to get serious again and to achieve the Austrian armed forces provide for how on a larger scale, to calm or tone down a solid and decent regular budget that is many critical objects? What numbers of scenarios of – again potential - domestic also appropriate for one of the wealthiest troops could be deployed throughout the unrest. Thus, migration as a potentially countries in the world. country and in what timeframe could it be destabilising factor is listed today in every achieved? international threat analysis. ESD: You mentioned the key task of protect- Gen. Brieger: Of the ready component of ing critical infrastructure. Aside an exercise the Austrian Armed Forces, about a bri- ESD: And such threat analyses and strat- at Vienna Airport, I once was told by an of- gade equivalent can be deployed within 48 egy papers also shows we can no longer ficer that the material and human resources hours. We constantly prove that we can afford the 'luxury' of ignoring many sce- scale to protect Schwechat international air- achieve this in various so-called assistance narios and potential crises as we could a port the country's largest oil-refiniery nearby operations in support of law-enforcement. few years ago. and the close main railway marshalling yard We have over 700 troops – including con- Gen. Brieger: Of course not. The ‘end of at Kledering, would consume all the short- scripts – in border surveillance operation. history‘, longed for and propagated af- time available personnel. Yet, there are many And we have about 1,000 troops in inter- ter the Cold War, has been falsified. That more such physical objects in Austria. Is that national operations, which ties up certain luxury is gone – and all European armies true and how many forces would we really potential. In an assessment of a situation are struggling to cope with that. Especially need to cover all of them? or crisis, there would likely be a decision since 2014, potential threats have tended Gen. Brieger: Yes, for that task we would to shift forces, as in the event of a domes- to develop much faster. There are no warn- need the equivalent of a brigade. To fully tic terrorist attack, to interrupt or end the ing times anymore, very different players.

32 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA

ESD: Let us get back to capabilities and force posture. We have collected some fig- ures from various sources about what has been abolished, phased-out or scrapped from your inventory over the last 15 years: 41% of air and rotorcraft, 62% of heavy weapons, 60% of protected and armoured vehicles, 56% of unprotected vehicles. Hu- man resources dwindled by 16%, with the mobilisation number down by even 50% and the annual contingent of conscripts by 47%. Are these figures correct? Gen. Brieger: Unfortunately, these figures are correct, and are the figures I have pre- sented in my brochure. One can use these figures, yes. And, after it was released, for example, I was asked why the number of standing manpower was reduced by only 16%, while there were 60% fewer MBTs. Well, it is hard to explain that even equip- ment that is not in the first line has to be In view of shrinking demographics, the Austrian army is rethinking its maintained., skills need to be preserved, fitness criteria: If you do not have the sight of a sniper, you can still and so on. work on a computer screen.

ESD: When it comes to weapon systems, tanks, at least after they had used NATO art. We simply have good personnel, other- where do you see the largest gaps in the diesel during some deployments to Ger- wise we would not achieve successful daily Austrian inventory? many. And you are right, they need night- operations. And thanks to the efforts under Gen. Brieger: First, I would mention pro- combat capability. These steps are neces- [former defence minister] Doskozil, there is tected as well as unprotected mobility. sary to make the tank combat-capable for more interest in military service and more Many trucks are twice as old as their drivers, another 10 to 15 years. Some demand is recruitment of capable personnel. Yet, of andit is possible, if only selectively, to pro- also reported from the artillery, where, for course, the point is to provide these young, cure replacements. The fleets are shrinking targetting, we are introducing the mean- ambitious ‘tech-afficionados‘ that they are even though there is considerable demand. while operational tactical tracker UAV. We with modern, up-to-date equipment. And We are also struggling to equip our infantry have also begun fielding the protected with decent infrastructure in the barracks with protected vehicles. We have been able Iveco HUSSAR 4x4 vehicle for the mobile and decent working conditions to keep to equip three battalions but the majority reconnaissance units. them in the forces after national service. of them currently do not have that kind of equipment. There are deficits in individual ESD: How would you rank the capabili- ESD: Regarding incoming conscripts and combat equipment and in communication ties where the Bundesheer today is 1) very their 'potential', there have been reports in equipment like modern radios. Another good, 2) on a moderate level 3) has only recent months that you want - or need - to area that is dear to me are the tracked vehi- scientific basic knowledge or 4) is not pic- ease the demands on personal fitness or cles, the core of any force. For 20 years, no tured at all? Things like EW on troop level, medical aptitude in mustering the incom- investment has been made in the Leopard mobile air-defence, and so forth. ing young recruits. So, what is the aim and 2A4 fleet, so at least some life-extending Gen. Brieger: I would not answer that us- the reason? measures are needed. ing such categories. Why? Because in all Gen. Brieger: Generally, we have a shrink- these assessments, one must not underes- ing demography and, of course, the incom- ESD: Were these MBTs not subject to mod- timate the human factor. And we have very ing conscripts reflect that. But the number ernisation in co-operation with Germany good and capable professional soldiers in of conscripts considered unfit for service has and Switzerland? Which upgrade was or is most units. Our training is a ‘top product‘, risen by a quarter [in 2017, 10,204 or 26,3% planned for them? Night combat capability also internationally. In fact, we receive very out of 38,840 conscripts were found unfit]. perhaps? good marks when it comes to training and Therefore, we are reassessing the fitness Gen. Brieger: Yes, there are ongoing talks the approach to the professional education criteria: If you do not have the eyesight of about that. The problem is that these steps of NCOs and officers, which results in great a sniper, you can still work on a computer are so costly that we have come to take capacities of improvisation, down to the in- screen, just as you do in your private life. such life-extending measures on our own. dividual commander. In international opera- That is often no big deal, like when it comes tions, other and larger armies often admire ESD: However, of course, there are capabili- to hoses, which have become porous. Or us for that. That being said, we have some ties or roles where, in an international com- changing the turret‘s hydraulic drive to branches of the forces where the training parison, there is only basic theoretical knowl- an electronically controlled one. There is level and the equipment quality are better edge in the higher and specialised ranks, a need to overhaul the tank gun since the or more up-to-date than in others. This is although not at troop level. I would like to old Rheinmetall gun cannot fire modern the case with the NBC defence units versus emphasise once again the entire EW sector. ammunition. In such cases, we look for armour. This means that, generally, our plus Gen. Brieger: Yes, as in any army, there bilateral solutions. Another issue was that is the human capital, which often compen- are strengths and weaknesses. Being an cadmium sediments had been found in fuel sates for equipment that is not state-of-the- Alpine country, we are very competent in

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 33 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA mountain warfare and operations. Foreign of accounting, where I was told that we we cannot even achieve rudimentary mili- armies are continously coming to see and should set sound priorities, and then we tary defence. We have also illustrated in the learn from us about that. For decades, we would manage with our budget. That is booklet what can be expected from what have had bi-annual helicopter mountain the impression some people have. On the figures, and what cannot be expected. flight training, where foreign forces send other hand, I have the impression that it has pilots and sometimes helicopters too. That become known at the highest fiscal level ESD: This brings us directly to the post- is very demanding for crews otherwise that large-scale procurements cannot be poned decision on the future of the 15 flying only over sea or desert. And let me funded by our meagre annual budget. But EUROFIGHTER Tranche-1s that have been highlight here the sector of cyber defence regardless of more or less accurate impres- operating from Airbase Zeltweg since and warfare, where we have – with our sions, the General Staff is requesting a rise 2007. The current Defence Minister Ku- very limited resources – established a level of military funding from the current €2.2Bn nasek handed over his report on another commission to the political level of the cur- rent coalition a year ago, which, however, held him back. Now it is no longer up to the MoD to decide whether to modernise EUROFIGHTER, drop it or replace the old Saab trainers. But I am sure that you had to make some fundamental considerations on this rather expensive question. Gen. Brieger: Oh yes, while this is or will be a political decision, some basics cannot be left unmentioned. With all variants, there is the need to calculate all life-cycle costs. That was the mistake with the EUROFIGHTER; after delivery of the first EUROFIGHTER, their instalments and running costs were suddenly included in the annual budgets by a following government – contrary to what The Austrian fleet of tracked vehicles needs to be renewed as there has had been agreed earlier. Nevertheless, es- been no investment in the LEOPARD 2A4 fleet for 20 years. pecially a neutral country has to take care of its own sovereign airspace. We cannot leave where we have repeatedly won ‘cyber to a minimum of €3.3Bn by 2022, or an an- this task to others, as some NATO countries challenge’ competitions and are decently nual budget of €2.7Bn, plus approximately like Slovenia and the Baltic States do. The able to protect our networks. Thus, while €400M for extra procurement investments, other week, I was invited to Switzerland to there are top marks in some sectors, there and from then on a minimum of 1% of GDP, Payerne by my Swiss colleague KKdt. Re- is hardly any weapon system in our arsenal for example, €4Bn just to cover the most bord. They take this task very seriously. where there would be no need for smaller pressing needs to get the armed forces to or larger upgrades or improvements. an up-to-date level. ESD: There, at Payerne, the in-country evaluation for the renewed Swiss fighter ESD: This brings us back to the dire budg- ESD: I am sure some of my fellow jour- programme is going on now. Did you get etary situation, which is the result of wide- nalists have asked you what you will do if any insights? spread illusions among politicians and the these well-calculated and illustrated ques- Gen. Brieger: No, not when it comes to media. While Austrians drive to SATURN for tions continue to be ignored. What can you evaluation details. However, what I have every latest technical gadget, the defence do to highlight the shortfall? Would you noted in general was that one can do much sector of the EU’s fourth richest country then propose at the political level that it more with €4.4Bn than with €2.2Bn. And has to continue with 50-year-old systems, tells the people that military defence should we have heard that the Swiss Air Force will such as the helicopter ALOUETTE-III or the be removed from the Constitution? in the near future raise its QRA readiness to jet trainer Saab-105OE, or with 0.5% of Gen. Brieger: One should not scare the 24 hours/seven days. GDP. European defence budgets average general public that may be more insecure at around 1.4%, which means that Austria than in the past. But with the necessary in- ESD: This means that we are the last coun- would have to spend more than twice as sistence and tenacity, I have to clearly point try in Europe with a fleet unable to provide much just to reach the average of its neigh- out to individual decision-makers, who have QRA readiness, right? bours. Is this realistic, or does it give the sworn an oath to protect the constitution Gen. Brieger: Yes. But that extended mis- impression that the military is of no inter- and the population who elected them, that sion we cannot achieve with the Eurofight- est to political decision-makers - no matter underequipment and understaffing of the er today. We would need to do an upgrade which party? Can you still be disappointed? Armed Forces does come with considerable and we would need to fly considerably Gen. Brieger: I must admit I am a trauma risks. If we are unable to protect high-level more fleet hours than we do today. And we patient when it comes to the treatment of summits or comparable large-scale events, would clearly need more pilots than today. the Austrian Armed Forces. Ever since I was politicians need to know this. If we are un- a lieutenant, we have always had shortfalls. able to respond to a large-scale terrorist at- ESD: ‘Pilots‘ is the buzzword for my next We discussed guided weapons decades tack, politicians need to know this. Chang- question. While any composition of the after their introduction on the battlefield. ing the constitution is a political decision; the future active air-surveillance components Just yesterday, I had an appointment at military has to illustrate faithfully the status will be a political one by any coalition the Ministry of Finance on the dry subject of the available forces. With 0.5% of GDP, government, is it right that it is impossi-

34 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA

passed a part of that number on to Slove- nia, since they had selected that type. The prerequisite is that a partner nation – like for example Italy – procures a particular item and then passes it on to us. That is government-to-government.

ESD: For a long time, the Austrian mili- tary structure placed aviators under the the army or an air force staff in the joint forces command. In 2017, new Air Force Command was created, which was recently revoked by the current Minister with the ill- fated LV 21.1 reform. I have heard people criticise this 'downgrade' and say that it is only a political step to create a new name tag. Did you hear that too? The Austrian Armed Forces are currently supporting border protection Gen. Brieger: Partly. Yet, this is an emo- measures of civilian law enforcement authorities; depicted is an tional thing. I am sure that the Austrian exercise at Spielfeld, 26 June 2018. military pilots do an excellent job every day, no matter where they are on the ble to shift the 40% fortnight share of air- still the 1 January 2021? Is there flexibility organisation chart. policing shouldered by the 12 remaining remaining to stretch that? 1970s Saab-105 to the 15 EUROFIGHTERs Gen. Brieger: I rule that out. End of service ESD: There is a problem with human re- with the same number of pilots and not is at the end of 2020. sources, with a shortage of pilots and doubling their annual flight hours? The 14 technicians on the AB-212 helicopters at Czech GRIPEN at Caslav for example, are ESD: When will the so-called ‘mobilisation Linz-Hörsching. Reportedly, one squadron flown by 28 pilots! package’ announced last August lead to is down. Why is that? Gen. Brieger: Yes. Without any substitute the launch of an RFP for the 12 to 14 light Gen. Brieger: Because on the one hand, aircraft, the air surveillance will, of course, multi-role helicopters? The extra funds personnel are leaving for the private sec- become further limited or restricted. Just the have been granted, right? tor, and on the other hand, it is difficult opposite of what we said about Switzerland. Gen. Brieger: Yes, they are granted. And, to replace them because we have a rather in parallel, there has been a wide-ranging stringent selection process for pilots, with ESD: And that will not be alleviated or request and questionnaire to friendly na- a lengthy assessment procedure. The sepa- straightened by possibly two or three ex- tions – including Canada from what I have ration between jet, fixed-wing and rotary- German EUROFIGHTER two-seaters. That heard – and the answers are now being wing assignments happens relatively late in means from the view of human potential, evaluated. We aim to have a relatively swift the process. Trainees sometimes feel that there is a need for a second much cheaper selection process following government- it takes too long, which is another issue and modern platform. to-government (G2G) principles. we need to fix. While pay allowances have Gen. Brieger: Correct, such two-seat been raised, but there are also personal is- fighters would not really help. If you look ESD: G2G means to speak only with for- sues, such as individual work-life balance. at the issue economically, saving precious eign governments without a tender for an and costly flying hours in peacetime air open competition of manufacturers, right? ESD: When does the first S-70 BLACK surveillance by bringing it down from the However, I have heard from some manu- HAWK return from Alabama where 'Ace supersonic element into a second fleet facturers that they have doubts about how Aeronautics' has been upgrading cock- would be a good solution, because tech- this should be done in detail, because in the pit displays, Navaids, NVG-readiness and nically and from a maintenance perspec- end you have to talk to the manufacturers comms systems? tive, our centre at Zeltweg is indeed able to of the helicopter or any other item. And only Gen. Brieger: We do not have an exact deal with such systems. We have surprised Sweden and the US have their own defence date yet, but it should happen this coming German Air Force guests with the level export agencies for their equipment. Armies autumn. of what we service on the EUROFIGHTER can only sell used or superfluous equipment, on our own and how cost-efficiently we but not newly produced technology. ESD: Is there anything to consider regard- operate that system. We have successfully Gen. Brieger: Based on what we expe- ing the Pilatus PC-7 TURBO TRAINERs? stretched check intervals according to our rienced with the EUROFIGHTER procure- They are 36 years old. flying hours pensum, we do not send the ment, there is now a preference for gov- Gen. Brieger: These are not in a critical ejection seats to a German company but ernment-to-government. We are investi- condition as far as the stress on the air- service them ourselves. gating the options as there are several. We frame is concerned. There may be some have sent various enquiries to partners, regulation-driven updates, but currently ESD: When a new administration might and the answers are now being evaluated there is no urgent need to take any steps. finally commit to a variant including a by our directorate-general for armaments. small number of modern substitute train- I am convinced we will see results shortly. ESD: Thank you for the interview, General. ers, would it not be too late? Initial deliver- Regarding the type, I want to point to the ies following a contract take two years or example of the PANDUR APC. Here, we The interview was conducted by more. Is the deadline for retiring the ‘105s‘ procured a certain number – and we then Georg Mader.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 35 COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA The World Market Leader in Niches

Georg Mader

Currently, more than 100 Austrian companies are working in the security and defence sector, employing about 32,000 staff directly or indirectly. They generate an annual turnover of approx. € 2.5Bn. With an export share of more than 90% – also due to the persistently underfinanced national army – the industry is at the top of an already strong Austrian export industry.

ustrian security and defence companies between consumers, research centres and defence technology sector by bringing A– partly in joint ventures, partly foreign companies. With public funds amounting to Austrian expertise to international atten- owned – offer a broad portfolio of products, around €80M to date, KIRAS has supported tion in order to generate an exchange of services, technologies and technical exper- some 232 projects, the results of which have information about potential customers, tise to meet the ever growing technical, been used to develop a range of commer- business partners and opportunities and technological and engineering demands. cialised products and services for the securi- to promote cross-border co-operation Their portfolio consists of the following ar- ty market. Austrian companies and research with OEMs and their supply chain in the eas of technology: institutions, which already have national re- areas of research and development, qual- • Automotive & accessories search experience, are often welcomed as ification, system supply and operation. • Non-jet aerospace/surveillance platforms partners in projects of the European Security To bring together the national and in- (manned/unmanned) Research Programme. ternational demand for products, ser- • Weapons & ammunition Regarding special defence research, al- vices, technologies and "know-how" • Personal defence equipment though Austria is still at the beginning of and to support the Austrian security and • Information, communication and cyber its activities for a national defence research defence industry, ASW offers free of technology programme, co-ordinated and close co-op- charge services by identifying and intro- Austrian companies have system and com- eration with KIRAS will hopefully soon lead ducing co-operation opportunities and ponent expertise in all of these areas. In ad- to the firstsuccessful projects and resulting business cases, facilitating the exchange dition, they also offer certified engineering technologies in this field. of information between customers and and consulting, as well as certified testing potential partners, establishing contacts and experimental services and facilities. Austrian Security and between business partners for individual Most of the companies, however, are de- Defence Industry exchange, supporting the distribution of signing and producing so-called "dual-use" information material at major interna- products, used – often as suppliers – in mili- "ASW" has nothing to do with the "anti- tional trade fairs and exhibitions and co- tary and civilian sectors or, as the Austrian submarine warfare" as the last Austrian organising special events, briefings and Federal Economics Chamber (WKO) puts it submarines were decommissioned in 1918. workshops, for example site visits, in and “Technology leadership, customer orienta- Today, ASW stands for “Austrian Security outgoing missions and showcases. tion, an excellent level of quality and the & Defence Industry Group", which acts as ability to provide innovative and tailor-made the national association of the security and Networking solutions justify the global competitiveness defence industry. As an organisation within of Austrian players in the strategic security the WKO, ASW is a specialised lobby group, Together with the supporting members sector.“ promoting the interests of the Austrian of the association – the WKO, the Aus- security and defence industry, supporting trian Associations of the Metal Technol- Research and Development the international visibility of Austrian com- ogy Industry, the Automotive Industry panies and their skills and knowledge in and Electrical and Electronics Industries With investments of more than 3% of GDP security and defence technology. They are and the Federal Foreign Trade Commis- in research and development – two-thirds trying to position Austrian companies as sion – the ASW operates a strong and ex- of which are directly financed by compa- innovative, qualified and competitive pro- tensive network reaching out to all Aus- nies, with an upward trend – Austria is the viders on a global market. trian companies operating in the security European Leader in this sector. And, since & defence sector. Working closely with 2005 with the national security research A "One-Stop" Shop the network of ‘Advantage Austria‘ – the programme KIRAS (which also covers dual- foreign trade promotion organisation for use products) and the co-operation pro- ASW’s main objective at present is to act the Austrian economy, ASW offers tai- jects promoted by it, Austria has pursued as a "one-stop"-shop for Austrian manu- lor-made support to worldwide potential a holistic approach with a close exchange facturers and suppliers in the security and partners, customers and suppliers. 

36 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 JAPAN 18-20 November 2019 Makuhari Messe  ARMED FORCES NATO and Georgian–American Military Relations

Eugene Kogan

Since the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia has become a staunch and dependable non-NATO ally of the United States in the South Caucasus. Georgian-American bilateral military relations have become stronger and have climaxed in November 2017.

ith 870 soldiers per capita, Georgia training the Georgian military for the Af- US Financial Support Wis the leading donor of troops in Af- ghanistan mission and began training the to Georgia ghanistan. This is highly appreciated by the Georgian military for the territorial defence United States. James Mattis, US Secretary of Georgia in May 2018. Georgia's acquisi- American military assistance to Georgia, of Defense, said on 13 November 2017: tion of JAVELIN portable anti-tank systems designated the FMF and intended for "Georgia is a role model for all" NATO in January 2018 was indeed a milestone military equipment, fell from US$30M in 2016 to just US$20M in 2017, with fund- ing in 2017 aimed at "promoting the de- velopment of Georgian forces capable of enhancing security, countering Russian

Photo: U.S.M.C. aggression and contributing to coalition operations". This also includes support for the modernisation of Georgian rotorcraft air transport capacities, Georgian military institutions and defence reform. A spend- ing law passed by the Senate Administra- tive Committee in September 2017 in- creased Georgia's FMF from US$20M in 2017 to US$35M in 2018. And we can ex- pect a further increase for 2019, although the official FMF data have not yet been published.

A Turn in the US Military Approach In recent years, the US military approach to Georgia has shifted – from training for The US holds two major military exercises annually on Vaziani military international missions to the territorial de- base – Agile Spirit and Noble Partner. Depicted are Georgian, US and fence of Georgia. The latest US-Georgia Azerbaijani troops during the opening ceremony for Exercise Agile “Memorandum on Enhancing the Defence Spirit in Orpholo, Georgia, 3 September 2017. and Security Partnership”, signed in Tbilisi on 6 July 2016 by US Secretary of State member states deploying forces in Af- in relations between Georgia and the US. John Kerry and Georgian Prime Minister ghanistan. And the United States responds Up until then, the US did not deliver de- Giorgi Kvirikashvili provided for this shift accordingly, not only with regard to foreign fensive weapons to Georgia. This develop- of US military assistance to Georgia from military funding (FMF), but also with regard ment has consolidated bilateral relations, training Georgian soldiers for international to the annual US-led military exercises in taking them to a new level. Finally, with deployment to the territorial defence of Georgia (codenamed Agile Spirit and No- the pending Georgia Support Act (GSA), Georgia. In addition, the memorandum ble Partner). In addition, US instructors are introduced on 26 June 2018 by the Con- provides for assistance in defence procure- gressmen Ted Poe and Gerald Connolly, the ment for Georgia in order to enhance the Author US provides robust support for Georgian country's defence capabilities and the com- sovereignty, although it does not provide bat level of its armed forces so that they can Eugene Kogan is a defence details of emergency assistance to Georgia cooperate with NATO forces. and security expert based in Tbilisi, in the event of a Russian invasion. In other The initiative focuses on modernising Vazi- Georgia. words, in a conflict with Russia, Georgia ani military base outside Tbilisi in order to has to defend itself on its own. better deploy Georgian forces in combined

38 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMED FORCES  arms operations or to improve coopera- tion between ground troops and air sup- port. For example, during the 2016 Noble Partner Exercise Georgia commanded joint Georgia/USA/UK air and land forces for the first time. The US does some combined arms training of Georgian troops, but it does so at the US-operated Joint Multinational Readiness Centre at Hohenfels Training Area, Germa- ny. The establishment of the US-financed Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JM- RC) in Georgia, similar to the centre of the Infographic: Josh Wick, US Army Europe Public Affairs same name at the US site in Germany, is a step in the right direction. The US-Georgia JMRC is located at Vaziani military base and has been in operation since May 2018. Under the Georgian Defence Readiness Programme (GDRP) launched at the JMRC, between 40 and 50 American army offic- ers are stationed at Vaziani base to train Georgian troops. The programme was launched in May 2018; it has a duration of three years and trains nine NATO standard rifle battalions. This complements Geor- gia's operational programme, under which some 80 US Marines are stationed in Geor- gia to train Georgian troops before they are being sent to NATO's Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan. In addition to training, the United States has finally approved the supply of defen- sive weapons to Georgia. Currently, the US holds two major military exercises annually on Vaziani military base – “Agile Spirit” and “Noble Partner”, a point which has repeat- edly drawn criticism from Grigori Karasin, Russia's Deputy Secretary of State. Karasin said in February 2019, "NATO's agenda is becoming more and more visible in Geor- gian foreign policy. They quite often hold large NATO military exercises, and Geor- gia is getting involved in other countries in the region, such as Armenia. Georgian politicians speak of an accelerated NATO membership strategy and an alleged Rus- sian threat to democratic Europe". The mili- tary exercises have become a real irritant in Russian-Georgian relations.

Georgian Procurement of US Defensive Weapons Thirteen nations participate in the annual Noble Partner exercise. Agile The US Defence Security Cooperation Spirit and Noble Partner are multilateral training exercises designed to Agency (DSCA) announced on 20 Novem- promote unit cohesion and interoperability between the United States, ber 2017 that "the State Department has Georgia, and other NATO and partner nations. approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of JAVELIN missiles and command launch- tics and programme support elements. defence needs." DSCA also noted that the ers to Georgia for an estimated cost of According to DSCA, the proposed sale sale "would not alter the military balance US$75M". In January 2018, the sale was "would contribute to the foreign policy in the region" and that "there would be no approved. and national security of the United States negative impact on US defence as a result DSCA specified that arms sales would in- by enhancing the security of Georgia. The of this planned sale". What is important clude 410 JAVELIN missiles and 72 JAVELIN JAVELIN launcher system will improve in the DSCA Declaration is the explicit link Command Launch Units as well as logis- Georgia's capability to meet its national between the foreign policy and national

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 39  ARMED FORCES

tion. Furthermore, in 2017, the US began replacing Soviet AK rifles in the Georgian Army with American M240 machine guns. Besides JAVELIN missiles and M240 guns, Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia, said in October 2018, "American specialists are ready to upgrade US helicop- ters donated to Georgia." Already in 2001, the USA donated 10 Bell UH-1 IROQUOIS

Photo: US Army / LANDCOM Public Affairs helicopters to Georgia. One of the helicop- ters was lost; two are still in use, and seven more are to be retrofitted. It is still unde- cided whether the USA will donate more of the Bell UH-1 helicopters to Georgia.

Vaziani Military Airfield

Last but not least, in November 2018 Le- van Izoria, Georgian Minister of Defence, welcomed General Stephen Lyons, Com- The logo for the NATO-Georgia Exercise at the NATO–Georgia Joint mander of the United States Transportation Training and Evaluation Centre in Krtsanisi National Training Centre Command (USTRANSCOM). The talks fo- cused on expanding the capabilities of Va- security of the United States and the en- as a responsible actor on the international ziani military airfield. Izoria said: "We want hanced security of Georgia. It underlines stage and in order not to aggravate the to strengthen ongoing cooperation and Georgia's importance for US foreign and unsafe relations between the US and Russia implement the initiative we have presented security policy and underlines the Ameri- and because of an unofficial arms embargo to the NATO Georgia Commission (NGC) can understanding that such a limited sale against Georgia after the war of August to implement the Georgian Defence Readi- of defence systems to Georgia would not 2008. Undoubtedly, the illegal Russian an- ness Programme. To this end, we need ad- be a turning point. At the same time, the nexation of the Crimea in March 2014 was equate infrastructure capacity and a key US signalled to Russia that it was willing an additional factor that prompted the US component is Vaziani military airfield". to supply defensive weapons to Georgia, Government to reconsider and eventually The Russian newspaper "Voenno-Promy- a signal which was perceived in Moscow. sell JAVELINs to Georgia. Whether the US shlennyi Kurier" reported that Vaziani Air- The sale of JAVELIN anti-tank missiles is will sell more JAVELINs or not remains to base, which in Soviet times housed a Soviet therefore a milestone in relations between be seen. However, such a sale is no longer military airbase, might once again become Georgia and the USA. Until the announce- completely unlikely. The Trump govern- a military airfield, but this time an Ameri- ment of the DSCA, the US Government ment has revitalised military relations be- can one. The Russian newspaper “Kom- hesitated to sell defensive weapons to tween Georgia and the US, which had mersant” further stated that Georgia and Georgia, because Georgia was not seen been neglected by the Obama administra- the US had agreed to build a large NATO military logistical hub on the basis of the existing Vaziani airport. After modernising the runway, American HERCULES transport planes would be able to touch down in Photo: US Army Vaziani. The modernised airfield would be used for deploying NATO troops for mili- tary exercises in Georgia, but it could also be used to deploy troops in the event of an escalation in Georgia. It is not yet known when construction will begin and how high the costs will be. However, it is premature to consider mod- ernising Vaziani Airport and upgrading it from Vaziani to a large NATO military lo- gistical hub as a sign of a fully-fledged US military base in Georgia. What is happen- ing at the moment, however, is indeed a first step in this direction. However, it is important to consider the Russian perspective. President Vladimir Putin and his military advisers are likely to react militarily if the proposed plan is im- At Vaziani Training Area, a platoon of Georgian Army BMP-2 infantry plemented. They regard Georgia as their fighting vehicles firing during a combined arms live fire exercise with zone of influence and are not prepared to US troops. The exercise was part of Noble Partner 18. hand Georgia over to the Americans. The

40 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMED FORCES 

US military planners should take this point with the Georgian Navy in 2009. On 30 Conclusion into account, as the implementation of the September 2016, the US donated two IS- above plan would give Putin and his mili- LAND class patrol boats to the Georgian Georgia's military involvement in the US mis- tary advisers a licence to invade Georgia to Coast Guard. The Georgian crews were sions in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated take over or destroy the US military facilities trained for 10 weeks by the US Coast Guard the determination of a small country to be and expel American and NATO instructors in Baltimore, Maryland. Since the August at the forefront of US combat operations. from Georgia. Such a scenario is not far- 2008 war, the US has financed four radar The 32 Georgian soldiers who died in Af- fetched. We must remember the famous stations for the Georgian Coast Guard – ghanistan in the last 10 years were seen by SAS motto "He who dares wins", and Rus- in Gonio, Anaklia, Supsa and Chakvi. The the US military as brothers in arms, and their sia's recent military invasions of Crimea and two previous radar stations were destroyed deaths strengthened the link between the Syria clearly show that President Vladimir in August 2008. The US also financed a militaries of both countries. It is for good Putin's government is not afraid of un- maritime fusion centre in Supsa and a ship reason that Congressman Ted Poe said on known dangers and is ready to respond repair facility in Poti, which were opened 26 June 2018: "The friendship between our to its well-prepared plans. It should be in 2014 and 2013 respectively. Finally, in two nations has been forged in blood, with stressed that Russia's soft security policy September 2015, a new Coast Guard boat Georgian troops fighting and dying along- is supported by the robust military arm, a pool was inaugurated in Batumi, built with side American troops in Iraq and Afghani- fact that the US military should be aware US$14M from US funds. stan.” The abovementioned initiatives show of, along with Russia's willingness to invade There is no doubt that US support for the that a viable Georgia is crucial for the United other countries. Georgian military is a source of hope for States and its strategic planning in the Black According to US estimates, the war be- Georgia's possible accession to NATO. Sea region. Georgia's military progress since tween Georgia and Russia in August Georgia's ability to provide a relatively large the August 2008 war should encourage wa- 2008 led to the destruction or loss of number of well-equipped and well-trained vering NATO members to reconsider their around US$30M in donated materials troops in the event of a national emergency stance on Georgia's NATO membership. and equipment. Next time, costs are likely will demonstrate to the NATO Alliance that The official NATO approach "More NATO in to be higher. Georgia is a vital partner. A country able Georgia and more Georgia in NATO" is no In addition to military support, the US has to defend its interests with or without the longer sufficient and will certainly not bring been providing support for the Georgian Alliance is worth NATO membership, even Georgia any closer to full NATO member- Coast Guard since the end of the 1990s. if some NATO members are not yet con- ship. This is something of which Russia is very The Georgian Coast Guard, which reports vinced of Georgia's value and follow their well aware, and the danger of a Russian inva- to the Ministry of the Interior, was merged natural instincts not to obstruct Russia. sion is indeed lurking around the corner.  Viewpoint from Zagreb

Croatia – 10 Years as Photo: Igor Tabak NATO Member

Igor Tabak

n May 2002, Croatia fence planning developed before the crisis, making the Minis- Iwas invited to become try of Defence (MoD) a passive player on the national political part of the NATO Mem- stage. In fact, took Croatia until 2013 to start getting back bership Action Plan, and its defence bearings with a new Strategic Defence Review ap- in October that year, it proved in July 2013, and a new Long-term development plan submitted its first Annual National Programme. At the April 2008 for the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) published in December NATO summit in Bucharest, Croatia received a formal invitation to 2014. During the crisis, all the larger planned modernisation join NATO, and after some final negotiations, the Accession Pro- efforts were first temporarily suspended (for example, fighter tocol was signed in July 2008, with the ratification process finally aircraft, naval modernisation), and then partially supplanted concluded on 1 April 2009 so that Croatia was able to attend the by a systemic reliance on equipment donations by larger NATO NATO summit in Strasbourg/Kehl as a full member. member. This proved to be a clear benefit of being a NATO However, while the economic benefits for joining NATO were stated member. Another benefit, although an unexpected one, proved among the arguments during the pre-accession period, Croatia felt to be the ‘shielding’ effect that various national NATO commit- none of the economic benefits. The full weight of the economic ments (in-country and abroad) provided to the MoD and CAF at crisis hit the country right around the time of NATO accession – a time when faced with proposals for even more severe budget when international economic ratings were slashed, the budget got cuts and connected loss of capacities. Therefore, the need to rebalanced three times in 2009, and, on 1 July that year, the prime perform well but also to look good in front of NATO allies minister resigned in spectacular fashion on corruption charges. stymied the tendencies to reduce the national defence budget From almost HRK5.7Bn (around €764.1M), the defence budget was even further during this period. quickly cut to HRK5.05Bn - a reduction of almost €87.2M or about Unfortunately, the way that the Croatian authorities approached 11.4% in 2009 alone. In fact, the defence budget kept falling until NATO negotiations - with a severe lack of transparency - had reper- the low point in 2016 at HRK4.02Bn (around €542M). The loss of cussions. The wider public remained to a large degree unaware of almost 30% of the available defence funding during this period set the reforms undertaken, as well as the realistic costs and benefits the stage for a myriad of problems in the field of defence and made of NATO membership itself.. While there was no referendum held Croatia one of the slowest EU countries to exit the economic crisis. in Croatia on the question of NATO accession, with only a notional Those budget developments also broke down most of the de- public campaign informing about the topic, the approval rate for NA- TO membership conveniently skyrocketed in February 2008 when the first recognitions of Kosovo also caused the Croatian embassy in Belgrade to be burned - awaking public fears of new confrontation with its former wartime enemy Serbia. Even after NATO accession, this kind of regional context continued to drive relations with its neighbours - with the general public having little faith in NATO col- lective guarantees of security or assistance. Since 2017, and the corresponding economic recovery, the national Photo: Arturo Guzman, US Army defence budget began to rise again. NATO membership gained promi- nence slowly, with several highly visible international operations forming the backbone of the Croatia-NATO relationship (for example, NATO EFP in Poland and Lithuania, KFOR, and Resolute Support in Afghanistan). All these are places where Croatia is acting in a ‘lead country’ role, bringing together combined forces of smaller countries from the West- ern Balkans region to enhance, through co-operation, their otherwise A Croatian HEDGEHOG Battery at Bemowo Piskie training limited national capacities. Along the way, Croatia continues to struggle range, Poland, 12 May 2018. The Croatian Armed Forces in coming close to the NATO goal of 2% of GDP for defence, primarily are participating in two NATO Enhanced Forward through focus on investment in personnel (education/retention in ser- Presence Battle Groups in the Baltic Region. vice) and modernisation.

42 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMED FORCES  The NATO Military Engineering Centre of Excellence

Team of Authors

Military Engineers have always had a tight bond with technology. This fact is easily explained as many national engineers have a civil engineering background, and if not, they receive a military engineering education, which has lots of similarities.

echnical thinking is in our veins and, military engineering are already in practice. Twhen searching for solutions, we have Not that we are ready for the future. We to force ourselves to broaden our views and will never be finished improving and inno- not immediately find a solution by using vating, but we are on the way towards the technical applications. future and future warfare. This article will This technical focused thinking – call it a provide an update on the development of slight disablement if you like – also brings operational and tactical military engineer- us some advantages. Where others turn ing doctrine. It is, of course, joint, but also into despair if plans are blocked, military gives guidance for cyber- and special op- engineers tend to stay calm and use what- erations support. The article conclude with ever is available in the physical environment a view on the interdependency of military to solve the problem. Examples from his- engineering and logistics. tory include floating bridges of claimed civil boats by connecting them, the use of ex- Route Clearance Capabilities plosives to crack iced rivers, inundate areas if enemy troops move too fast, or drain land "Mobility" is expressed as one of the fun- and protecting moats before attacking. damental roles of military engineering. One The most recent technological develop- of the common tasks listed in this role is ments ask for technical counter-thinking route clearance. Clearing routes and roads and counter measures. I quote the key mies. Or by using technology for the meas- from several different type of obstacles, takeaway from the Chiefs of Transforma- uring and mapping of the physical arena primarily IEDs, both facilitates friendly force tion discussion: “Future capability develop- where we create advantages for our own movements and reduces possible risks in ment will require developing an innovative forces, making it hard for enemy troops. Fast the area of operation. mindset and change in culture both within and accurate information is key also for mili- The most important distinction between our militaries and in the relationship we tary engineers. route clearance and conventional mine have with industry, academia and interna- The innovative mindset we require is partly clearance activities is related to the pro- tional organisations. Embracing this diver- in progress when we, for example, look gress, speed and level of threat. Unlike sity and sharing best practices among allies at the developments in route clearance mine clearance under the condition of and partners are key to solving our current and military search techniques. More will no enemy threats and at lower speeds, and future challenges in this arena”. be explained about this in this article. The route clearance is performed at higher Of course, we can ask ourselves what re- change in culture to link up with industry speeds and at varying levels of enemy ally changes with regard to military en- and academia is not new for military engi- threat to facilitate the movement of gineering objectives. Mobility will remain neers. We already have them. However, we friendly forces. It is also different from important for the movement of our own do hesitate to exchange military and civil “Breaching Operations", which gener- troops, as it has always been. The bridge personnel and truly share knowledge and ally are conducted under a higher level might be laid down more quickly and with best practices. Here, we might really move of enemy threats and with an increased less manpower, it is still a bridge. The same towards a deep integrated and resilient de- level of speed. holds true for counter mobility and gen- fence organisation we seek for. Assessing route clearance solely as part of eral engineering. And base camps might Another challenge is the vast logistical counter-insurgency operations might not use energy saving techniques and solar support our units require to perform their be appropriate due to changing threat en- panels for power production, but it will tasks. In case we have to fight in dispersed vironments. Nowadays, as the concept of remain base camps to host troops in the or isolated situations, we cannot rely on hybrid warfare is often pronounced, the field if we need them there. a guaranteed military support and so the ability of quick and easy adaptation of ex- Where we can find advantage, is using tech- available civil services might be the only plosive systems to impede friendly forces nology when it reduces manpower – our link we have to extend our military sustain- mobility is more likely than in the past. On most vulnerable and expensive asset. Be- ability. Therefore, it is better to know our the other hand, as remotely controllable sides, we can no longer rely on the large mutual possibilities before a crisis occurs. land and air systems gain popularity, threat quantity of troops we had in conscript ar- The technical innovations in the field of direction has recently shifted from X-Y to

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 43  ARMED FORCES the third dimension of battlefield. These technologies that are expected to improve should, therefore, be sufficiently defini- recent changes in the operational environ- as next generation capabilities in route tive to guide operations and versatile ment indicate that there is still a need for clearance. enough to accommodate a wide variety continued improvement in the develop- In addition to doctrine work, MILENG of situations. ment of detection and protective capabili- CoE’s recently initiated "Web Based RC MILENG is a function in support of op- ties for route clearance. E-Learning Package" project aims to share erations to shape the operational environ- The main capabilities currently used for IED knowledge, increase the level of situation- ment. To achieve this goal, the MILENG identification in route clearance operations al awareness and train member states per- staff is adequately equipped with a broad are metal and GPR-based. Considering cur- sonnel. Within the current and possible field of knowledge. MILENG incorpo- rent route clearance capabilities, detection threats, route clearance is expected to be rates various areas of expertise such as of small/often-concealed threats, tracking a major effective factor for friendly forces engineering, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), environmental protection, military search and management of infrastructure, structure (including contracted civil engi- neering). MILENG also makes a significant contribution to countering improvised ex- plosive devices (C-IED) by protecting the force; and providing life support.

Graphic/Photos: MILENG CoE Therefore, AJP-3.12 is in the review pro- cess by the CoE as the main MILENG ref- erence document at the operational level. The above mentioned capabilities are the foundations to develop technical solu- tions needed to support MILENG func- tions and roles (for example, engineer construction equipment such as bulldoz- ers, graders, excavators, route clearance systems, mine detection devices, military bridge systems, bridge classification tools and programmes, base-camp construc- tion and maintenance).

Joint Publication for Tactical Level HQ Writing doctrine is all about getting the Route clearance is performed at high speeds and at varying levels right balance of detail required by the of enemy threat. reader. For NATO tactical level doctrine, there are varying levels of detail required low-signature/slow-moving targets, fusion in the future, as it is today. Considering depending upon the audience you are across multiple tracking sources, target dis- the evolving technology and changing writing for. Higher level doctrine will, crimination and identification, neutralisa- operation needs, works carried out on all therefore, contain less detail normally, as tion in complex environments, and force aspects of doctrine, organisation, training, we do not want to constrain the HQ and protection through stand-off are some of material, leadership, personnel and facili- planners with detail they simply do not the stated shortfalls by both academics and ties seems to be continuing with determi- need. Higher level doctrine is written more practitioners. nation as we move forward. to inform HQ staff officers on how to think To overcome these shortfalls, joint initia- about a task, whereas lower tactical doc- tives for the development of additional ca- Allied Doctrine on trine requires the level of detail on how to pabilities continue within NATO. Panel and Military Engineering perform a task. task group activities carried out in NATO This can be easily demonstrated in look- Science and Technology Organisation are For allied and coalition forces to plan, ing at a counter-mobility problem. A divi- some examples of this. Over the last three execute and support operations, they sion HQ requires to know and explain the to four years, five different task groups fo- need a clear understanding and widely effect they are looking for a given ob- cusing on mounted and dismounted capa- accepted doctrine. As NATO transforms stacle zone to a subordinate unit. Lower bilities have been observed to focus directly its capabilities to meet the evolving secu- in the organisation, a battle group and on route clearance capabilities. rity challenges, the Alliance must adapt its associated MILENG elements must The development of detection tech- its doctrine accordingly. establish a way of providing that effect nologies, currently used in different Allied joint doctrine enhances the inter- through the use of obstacles covered by fields for identifying IEDs, constitute the operability of Alliance forces, and fos- observation and effective direct and in- main focus of R&D activities within the ters initiative, creativity and conditions direct fires. In this example, the divisional industry.“Hyperspectral camera”, “Short- that allow commanders to adapt their HQ would not be as concerned with ob- Middle-Long wave Infrared Sensors", "RF approaches to varying and evolving cir- stacle placement as they will leave this High Power Microwave” and" Multispec- cumstances. Doctrine focuses on “how”, fine detail to their subordinate unit(s) to tral Imaging" are some of the alternative not “what” to think. Allied joint doctrine sort on the ground.

44 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMED FORCES 

For the ongoing review of Allied Tactical the two objectives of search: defensive and with regard to general support, the action Doctrine for Military Engineering, ATP- offensive search. The objectives are linked to of military engineers is delivered in the fol- 3.12.1, this type of balance must be struck the purpose of the search, not whether or lowing (although not limited to) areas. throughout the publication, as at the “tac- not the search activity is linked to offensive Advice to the commander for infrastruc- tical level” the book is designed primarily or defensive operations. ture management and construction is a for the high tactical level of division. How- Defensive search is reactive in nature and wide subject, requiring a high-level of ever, as with most things, there will always covers force protection, protection of pre- education as a civilian engineer. However, be exceptions. For instance, whenever an planned events and protection of critical In- it has to be transferred to the demand- emerging capability or special mission is to frastructure. This aspect of military search ing military aspects of an operation. In- be described it may be described in greater seems quite well understood in most staffs frastructure assessments in theatre of detail than actually required for the pur- and headquarters, as this has been the main operations include vertical and horizontal pose of spreading knowledge about it or employment of military search in opera- infrastructure needed for a specific mis- because it only resides in this one location tions. This relates especially to the “Defeat sion (road, rail networks, airports, sea- in the doctrine. the Device” pillar of the C-IED approach. ports, buildings provided by a host coun- The current review of Allied Tactical Doc- Another aspect is how military search can try or are to be built, platforms and camp trine for Military Engineering involves a contribute to mobility and force protection design) are some of the missions military number of interested countries and NATO in urban and sub-surface environments. engineers will have to perform to support HQs, seeing what they require from the These environments include inherent the mission. MILENG must also have the publication. The main objective of this revi- threats and threats placed by an adver- capacity to harden or restore existing in- sion is streamlining the delivery and expla- sary. Military search has developed tactics, frastructure as well as building brand new nations of MILENG tasks. However, as with techniques and procedures for operating in camps. The MILENG advisor will, there- many things, tasks can fall in more than these environments. These enable military fore, also have to deal with the financial one of the traditional MILENG roles. The search units to provide intimate support to aspects of infrastructure, by contracting writing of a high tactical publication defi- units operating in these environments. with civilian companies when needed or nitely has its issues that need to be tackled The objectives of defensive search will still dealing, for example, with real estate and along the way. The MILENG CoE, as custo- be valid in future conflicts as there is still private property. This mindset is what the dian of this publication, is fortunate to have a likelihood of asymmetric threats being MILENG CoE is trying to emphasise. a core group of countries, HQs and other present in rear areas. Defensive search ac- Utilities (water and power production) is CoEs that are assisting the process. tivities will assist to mitigate these threats. one of the key aspects in providing life Offensive search is characterised as being support to the units on the ground. It Military Search used to seize the initiative in order to deny contributes significantly to the sustain- Developments resources and opportunity or to secure ment of a deployed force. In that field, material for exploitation. The gathering support to logistics is essential: supply For most people in the army, military search of material is used to feed the intelligence roads maintenance, logistics platforms is about personnel being equipped with cycle and for exploitation and can be seen with storage effective and enduring mine detectors trying to detect improvised as especially relevant in scenarios where an capacities will enhance sustainabil- explosive ordnance in Afghanistan or Iraq. adversary is hidden. The material gathered ity. MILENG is also always on the edge This is a symptom of how military search may help identify the adversary, which when it comes to implementing new has become linked to 'out of area' opera- could feed in to the targeting process. technologies, such as bridge assessment tions and, specifically, to countering impro- Furthermore, the denial of resources could software, UFVs for Engineer reconnais- vised explosive devices. deny the adversary the means to mount sance, or energy efficient equipment and To describe the wider military search con- actions. Offensive search may be less well procedures to reduce the energy demand tribution and its role to future operations, understood than defensive search as mili- while keeping the optimum military ef- we need to look at possible future con- tary search is widely associated with the fectiveness. If the planning conducted by flicts. In future operations, it is is likely that latter as the objective. MILENG officers is important, the key for NATO will face a combination of state and The continuing development of the military success is the actual work performed by non-state actors, thus constituting a sort search capability will only enhance its con- MILENG NCOs and soldiers, using specif- of 'hybrid-threat'. Some of these actors will tribution. Also, an increased understanding ic and sometimes high-tech equipment, likely also act in an asymmetric manner to of the offensive aspects of military search where long and demanding training is negate the advantages of the alliance. An will lead to better intelligence and poten- necessary (for example, water purifica- adversary choosing this approach may be tially targeting. tion units, heavy work equipment like difficult to identify and its resources may bulldozers, levellers), not forgetting other be hidden. Future conflicts will increasingly Military Engineering professional bodies like masons, carpen- take place in urban areas. This includes and Logistics ters, electricians, bringing their essential super-surface and sub-surface areas. Sub- skills while still remaining real fighters. surface operations will also increase as the Among the roles of Military Engineering Military engineers make it happen and adversary will use these areas to avoid de- (MILENG) in NATO, general support is the MILENG CoE is happy to develop tection and targeting. maybe the one involving the most differ- knowledge to support this mindset. In The combination of the asymmetric threat ent and numerous skills and expertise - addition, Environmental protection is a with a more complex operating environ- from infrastructure management and con- MILENG area of expertise which impor- ment will make it increasingly difficult to struction to support to logistics (including tance grew significantly over the past identify and target non-conventional ad- water and power production) as well as years, maintaining military engineer- versaries. The military search contribution environmental protection considerations. ing in line with current environmental to these challenges is best described using As stated in NATO MILENG Policy, and concerns. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 45  ARMED FORCES “The technical revolution has changed the nature of conflicts.”

The Brazilian Armed Forces are in the midst of several major modernisation programmes. ESD had the opportunity to speak with General Edson Leal Pujol, Commander of the Brazilian Army.

purchase of other versions of the 6x6 vehicles. fensive. Do you consider the Army to be an The EE GUARANI programme also aims at offensive or defensive force, and what are its the procurement of armoured 4x4 vehicles, main challenges? incorporating modern weapon systems General Pujol: The strongest branch of the (with selective lethal capacity) and a flexible Brazilian army is the Land Force (FTer), which control and command system allowing their is structured into "Grandes Comandos" and use in various conflict scenarios. The acquisi- "Grandes Unidades". With a different fire- tion of these vehicles is the responsibility of power in their operational levels. The Fter is the Manufacturing Directory and the con- prepared and trained to be used in Brazilian tract for the purchase of a pilot batch will be defence as an offensive or defensive force. signed later this year. Since 2010, the Brazilian Army has been in a When it comes to modernising the other process of transformation in order to better

Photo: FTer armoured vehicles, there are two more fulfil its main task, which derives from our ongoing projects – one related to the VBC constitution – the defence of the country ESD: The Army’s vehicle fleet is receiving LEOPARD 1A5BR MBT and another to the – bearing in mind the size and international significant resources for the modernisation VBTP M113 troop transporter. The first pro- weight of the country. The main challenges of MBTs, the production of GUARANIs, the ject is in its preliminary phase at the Army in achieving these goals are to increase the upgrade of all M113 variants, for 4x4 vehi- Doctrine Centre. The VBTP M113 is being resources allocated to Fter modernisation in cles from IVECO, and so much more. What investigated at the Maintenance Regional order to bring it into a better condition, as is the status of these programmes? Park 5 (Curitiba/PR) and there are plans to provided for in the National Defence Strat- General Pujol: The Strategic Army Pro- upgrade the vehicle to the A2MK1 standard; egy, to increase budgetary stability and to gramme GUARANI aims at the mecha- 150 vehicles related to the first contract have address the technological challenges that nisation of the land forces, the transfor- already been modernised. Currently, a sec- will come with the new equipment and mation of the motorised infantry into a ond contract is in place aiming to upgrade weapons that the FTer will have at its dis- mechanised infantry and the moderni- another 236 vehicles until the end of this posal after transformation. sation of the mechanised cavalry. It is a year. Hence, only 196 armoured vehicles will strategic initiative based on research and be left awaiting a future modernisation. ESD: When it comes to Army Aviation, while development carried out by the Ministry there are a number of programmes currently of Science and Technology and the Brazil- ESD: The Brazilian Army has significant fire- running or envisaged (BLACKHAWKs, HM- ian Defence Industry. In this sense, equip- power that might even be considered of- 4s, SUPER PANTERAs, and so forth): is the ment and materials used on the platform for military operations are produced do- mestically, with more than 60% local con- tent. This programme provides quality and technological progress through high-level technology transfer and qualification of personnel, which contributes to income and jobs. Currently, the programme has already delivered about 10% of the ex- Photo: Andre Gustavo Stumpf Filho pected fleet. The programme has been conceived in a way to be integrated with the other Army Strategic Programmes, particularly with the SISFRON, PROTEGER and anti-aircraft defence, besides enhancing integration with the other forces. The first product to be engineered and de- livered is the GUARANI 6x6 armoured trans- port vehicle to replace the URUTU vehicles manufactured by ENGESA, which have been The VBTP-MR GUARANI is a 6x6 armoured personnel carrier developed used by the Brazilian Army for more than 40 by IVECO and the Brazilian Army to replace all URUTU by 2015 as part years. The programme also provides for the of the URUTU-III modernisation programme.

46 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Army able to bring enough force to bear quickly? Is there a sufficient strategic trans- port capacity? General Pujol: In any operational environ- ment the deployment of necessary force does not depend exclusively on the Army Aviation; it is a much broader concept that rests on a joint effort of Navy, Air Force and Army. The National Defence Strategy states that the Army will utilise flexibility and elasticity to fulfil its constitutional duty. In response to

your question, we will focus on flexibility – Photo: Centro de Instrucao Blindados “the ability to deploy military forces with a The Brazilian Army plans to upgrade its VBTP M113 to the A2MK1 minimum of fixing in advance and maximum standard. adaptability to the circumstances of the de- ployment. In peacetime, this stands for the ing the limits guaranteed imposed by the of operations and the need to establish versatility of substituting presence (or even "Guarantee of Law and Order" (GLO)? C² with agencies and governmental and omnipresence) by the capability to become General Pujol: The development of the non-governmental organisations operat- present (mobility) wherever required accord- global operational environment has gradu- ing in the area, CCOp Mv will allow co- ing to the information available (observation/ ally changed the balance of power between operation and coordination with these control)." states. As a result, we have instabilities and units´ activities in support of a "Grande When it comes to the long-range transport uncertainties that fuel local and regional Comando Operacional" (DE and/or Supe- of large troops, which is a characteristic of conflicts with roots dating back into the rior. In this way, the modular and mobile strategic transport, it will always be neces- past, as well as the emergence of new ac- structure made it possible to set up C² in sary to have large aircraft, preferably fixed- tors, including non-state actors. the shortest possible time and in areas wing aircraft, which are typically deployed The technological revolution that the world without local communication resources. by our Air Force. On the other hand, trans- has experienced has also changed the The Brazilian Army´s mission can be found in porting smaller formations of troops to en- nature of conflicts and the way politics is Article 142 of our Federal Constitution, which gage in tactical operations in the field will re- conducted. States are therefore exposed states that the Armed Forces must contrib- quire smaller means of transport which are to new threats. Technological change has ute to the guarantee of national sovereignty, more flexible and more mobile. This is why transformed "conflicts of the industrial age" constitutional rights and law and order (GLO), we have Army Aviation, because it allows into "conflicts of the knowledge age". the protection of national interests playing local commanders to "decisively explore an In this sense, military operations in environ- a part in national development and social opportunity to quickly intervene in the ma- ments regulated by GLO require a command prosperity. Hence, law and order measures noeuvre and concentrate or disseminate the and control structure (C²) that is fast and belong to the duties of the Terrestrial Force. combat force, thereby significantly impact- mobile, as well as the ability to enhance par- According to the doctrine, these operations ing the campaign." This has dynamised the ticipants' situational awareness and interop- are enlisted among Basic Operations/Opera- concept of the "nonlinear battlefield". erability in these conflicts. tions of Coordination and Cooperation with The high mobility of Army Aviation, com- Under the Strategic Programme for the Pro- Agencies. Nevertheless, it is common sence bined with the versatility of its means and tection of Armed Forces Society (PROTEGER), that the employment of the Army in this kind the lethality of its weapon systems, allows we are developing the prototype of a Mobile of operations as the GLO in Rio, conducted operations to be conducted for the purpose Operations Coordination Centre (CCOp Mv) in the context of the Hurricane Operation, of external defence and for domestic and in cooperation with Brasília University (UNB). presuppose an exceptional situation and have territorial defence. This modern command and control system to be conform to legal marks that define the Today, Army Aviation can be used to provide (SisC²) will be equipped with state-of-the-art limits of force employment. the ground force with the air mobility and communication technology and electronic flexibility it is expected to provide in a tacti- devices that will enable transmission of voice, ESD: In an ideal situation, what would you cal context. The Army Aviation Strategic Pro- data and images to other command centres most like to be able to add to the Army's gramme was introduced to adapt Army Avia- (CC²), including the MoD. In addition, its soft- resources? tion to the current and future requirements ware architecture will enable integration and General Pujol: In an ideal situation, the of Brazilian society as defined by END. With interoperability with other actors, improving Army General Needs (NGE) would be fully investments, the programme (among other its capacity and performance. satisfied and the government would ap- objectives) aims to expand the infrastructure The CCOp Mv will consist of an Operation prove the budget proposal. The Land Forces of Army Aviation, modernise its training and Coordination Team and Access Knots (NA). are aware that the best result would be to employment capacities, provide the Army The first module will control the communi- implement the following strategic priorities with medium-sized aircraft to replace the ex- cation, conduct meetings and enable some as defined in the Strategic Plan of the Bra- isting and obsolete manoeuvre aircraft and secrecy of information. The second module zilian Armee (PEEx): the re-equipping and increase the capability for immediate strategic will have the ability to be deployed in the op- restructuring the field artillery, re-equipping response, command and control and logisti- erating theatre and to stabilise a communi- and restructuring the anti-aircraft artillery, cal support, especially in the border region. cation network that will ensure the informa- mechanising the Land Forces and restructur- tion flow required to complete the mission. ing the armoured forces. ESD: What do you think about the use of With regard to the deployment of the the Army to protect public safety, as hap- Army in Rio de Janeiro in 2018, which The interview was conducted pened in Rio de Janeiro in 2018, consider- has been characterised by a wide range by Roberto Carvalho.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 47

 ARMED FORCES The Brussels Backdrop

NATO in Afghanistan: A Situation Report on Resolute Support

Joris Verbeurgt

n the interim-review report of Operation Force (ISAF) which had been stationed in stan and its citizens in a sustainable manner. IResolute Support, which was published in Afghanistan since 2001 following the at- Operational planning, budgetary develop- the April 2018 issue of ESD, we concluded tacks on the United States on 11 September ment, force generation processes, manage- that “The conflict in Afghanistan extends 2001. As a non-combat mission, Resolute ment and development of personnel, logis- beyond the Afghan borders and, there- Support provides training, advice and assis- tical sustainment and civilian oversight are fore, a sustainable solution can only come tance to the Afghan National Defence and the area’s in which the men and women of from diplomacy and bargaining between all Security Forces (ANDSF), which assumes full Resolute Support are active. In each area, stakeholders. Resolute Support, initially de- security responsibility over Afghan territory they also take care of ensuring that the Af- signed as a step towards an honourable exit, and airspace. The Resolute Support Mission ghan security forces and institutions act in is just another phase in a conflict that seems works closely with different elements of accordance with the rule of law and good to have no ending.” More than a year has the Afghan Army, Police and Air Force and governance principles. In July 2018, at the comprises around 17,000 Brussels NATO summit, Allies and partner personnel from 39 NATO countries agreed to extend the international Allies and partner coun- community’s support to the long-term fi- tries, or 4,000 personnel nancial sustainability of the Afghan security Photo: US Army more than in April 2018. forces until the end of 2024 through the Af- The Mission operates from ghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund, one one ‘hub’ situated in Kabul of three funding streams used by the Inter- and on Bagram Airfield national Community to channel its financial and four ‘spokes’: Mazar- support to Afghanistan’s security forces and e-Sharif in the north of the institutions. country, Herat in the west, The current commander of the Mission Kandahar in the south, (and of US forces in Afghanistan) is General and Laghman in the east. Austin S. Miller. The Senior Civilian Repre- There are nine commands sentative, who carries forward the Alliance's in total: a Combined Tran- political-military objectives in Afghanistan sition Security Command and represents the political leadership of for the whole of the ter- the Alliance in Kabul officially and publicly, A BLACK HAWK helicopter of the US Army Combat Avia- ritory and airspace, five is Ambassador Sir Nicholas Kay from the UK. tion Brigade, 1st Armored Division, navigating through Train, Advise and Assist He liaises with the Government, civil society, diverse terrain in Afghanistan in March 2019 Commands (one for Ka- representatives of the international commu- bul province and four for nity and neighbouring countries. passed since that somewhat sceptical con- north, east, south and west Afghanistan) clusion was published. So, what has hap- and also two taskforces, one for the south- Training, Advising and pened in Afghanistan since early 2018? Are east and one for the south-west. The task- Assisting the ANDSF there any changes or hopeful signs? And in forces have the specific aim of preventing what sense does Resolute Support contrib- terrorist safe havens in southern Afghani- What does Resolute Support accomplish ute to a sustainable peace in Afghanistan? stan, in full co-operation with the ANDSF. on the terrain? It would take us too far here Resolute Support focuses primarily on train- to sum up all the initiatives, which were The Mission ing, advice and assistance activities at the taken within the framework of the mission security-related ministries in the country’s in the fields of training, advice and assis- The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission institutions, and among the senior ranks of tance to the ADSF. However, some exam- was launched on 1 January 2015 as follow- the army and police with the purpose of de- ples from the period April 2018 to April up to the International Security Assistance veloping the capability to defend Afghani- 2019 may serve as an illustration.

48 European Security & Defence · 6/2019

ARMED FORCES 

Training throughout 2018 and the first quar- April 2018, US Forces and ANDSF conducted sources? The examples given above show ter of 2019 was mainly focused on the Af- strikes on 11 Taliban narcotics production fa- that Resolute Support is committed to the ghan police, Special Operations Forces and cilities in Farah and Nimroz provinces. In the overall US strategy of pressuring the Tali- airpower. Training ranged from basic war- Northern Jowzjan province, Afghan Special ban to the negotiating table. rior training to staff courses for operational Security Forces, advised by US SOF, elimi- Intense fighting is still going on all over planners and from firing the M203 grenade nated 22 IS fighters attempting to defend the country and the Taliban now control launcher to a specialised mountain warfare the strategic centre course. Special attention is given to the inte- of Darzab district. gration of women officers in the rank and Six days earlier, the IS file of the Afghan forces. Take, for example, emir for northern Af- the Afghan Special Mission Wing, employ- ghanistan was killed Photo: US Army ing a fleet of Mi-17 helicopters and PC-12 by a US airstrike. fixed wing aircraft to conduct a full-range of Persistent military special operations aviation mission tasks. The pressure in Jowzjan personnel numbers are increasing towards province, applied 60, and additional women soldiers are be- by Afghan and US ing recruited to serve in different sections Special Operations of the SMW, such as medical, operations, Forces (SOF), have intelligence, logistics and security. Another reduced IS to an iso- example is the Cobra Strike Manoeuvre lated group of fight- Course (CSMC), Afghanistan’s premier train- ers devoid of leader- ing venue mentored by NATO, which took ship. Besides offer- place near Kabul in September 2018. CSMC ing assistance with is responsible for developing the superior airstrikes and special fighting skills of the Commando Special Op- operations, Resolute A Resolute Support logistical officer discusses building erations Kandaks (SOKs) from a mounted Support also assists plans to improve living conditions in Parwan prison platform, known as a Mobile Strike Force the Afghan govern- with the Afghan army officer in charge of the Parwan Vehicle (MSFV) and honing their unmounted ment in strengthen- Detention Facility, 10 January 2018, on Bagram Airfield, patrols, search and urban warfare expertise. ing democracy and Afghanistan. The provision of advice also takes place in institutions. For ex- numerous fields: In April 2018, senior Af- ample, the parliamentary elections, which and influence more territory than at any ghan officials met with New York City took place on 20 October 2018, were pre- point since 2001. The violence is far from Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill to pared in an exercise called ‘Strong Shield’. To under control and civilian casualty rates are discuss the state of policing in the country promote peace and reconciliation in western peaking. Official talks between the Taliban and exchange ideas and best practices. In Afghanistan, the First Interregional Shura, and the Afghan government continue to Sangin (Helmand province), US Marines including local authorities, religious leaders, be illusory: the Taliban see the Afghan gov- advised the ANA 2nd Brigade on new or and elders from five provinces, as well as ernment as puppets and the Loya Jirga, the updated administrative and logistical pro- leadership from the Train, Advise and As- traditional gathering of more than 3,000 cedures to maintain and sustain equipment sist Command-West, assembled to discuss elders, religious scholars and prominent and personnel deployed to the frontlines in peace and reconciliation efforts. Afghans to discuss peace in Afghanistan, Helmand and Nimroz provinces. In combat and the next steps in the search for direct situations, on 29 August 2018, commandos Resolute Support and talks with the Taliban – failed because of from the Afghan 7th Special Operations the Afghan Peace Process internal disputes. Kandak, advised by US Special Operations However, there is also some good news. In Forces, raided Taliban compounds in Sangin How does Resolute Support contribute to 2018, for the first time since 2001, the Tali- district (Helmand province) and seized large the Afghan Peace Process? Does it fit into ban agreed to a three-day cease-fire during amounts of weapons and bomb making President Trump’s strategy to stabilise the the important Muslim religious holiday of materials. One week later, Afghan Special country and quell the Taliban insurgency by Eid al-Fitr. Although much needs to be done Security Forces (ASSF), advised by US Special focusing on defending population centres before a genuine intra-Afghan dialogue can Operations Forces, conducted a helicopter while ceding much of the remote coun- take off, direct US-Taliban talks, taking place raid on Taliban compounds in Maywand tryside to the insurgents? Does Resolute in Quatar’s capital Doha right now, might district (Kandahar province). Support help the interdiction campaign have a chance of succeeding. Resolute Sup- Assistance is predominantly given by the US against the Taliban, with airstrikes on their port can help support and facilitate these Airforce and US Special Operations. In early narcotics laboratories and other revenue discussions.

6/20196/2019 · ·European European Security Security & & Defence Defence 49  ARMED FORCES Blue Homeland: Turkey’s Naval Exercise

Andreea Stoian Karadeli

Launched on 27 February, Blue Homeland 2019 was Turkey's largest naval exercise in the country's history, testing its ability to wage war simultaneously in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. The exercise was designed to build confidence and stability throughout Turkey and to contribute to NATO's common objectives and should therefore be analysed in a wider context.

he Turkish naval exercise "Mavi Vatan", 14 outpost ships, 22 landing ships and a in a combat-proven fashion, is a break- Ttranslated “Blue Homeland”, took place training ship. The new systems and weap- through and a force multiplier in joint from 27 February to 8 March and was an ons were tested in various operations, in- operations. The ANKA-S system is devel- important show of force on 462,000 square cluding naval control, submarine defence oped for day and night reconnaissance, kilometres in the Black Sea, the Aegean and warfare, mine warfare, electronic war- surveillance, fixed/mobile target detec- the Eastern Mediterranean, with 103 mili- tary ships and 20,000 soldiers participating. As part of the exercise, the Turkish Navy vis- ited 33 ports in Turkey and another seven abroad in the Black Sea to demonstrate Turkish interest in military cooperation in Photo: Turkish MoD the region. The exercise had been planned six months in advance according to NATO rules and regulations and was conducted in accordance with international law. According to Turkish officials, Blue Home- land 2019 was a joint military exercise to test the weapons and military systems of the Turkish naval forces, to increase the level of preparation and to develop inter- operability procedures with other military commands. The exercise provided an op- portunity to present the new weapons and systems recently added to the Turkish military inventory and manufactured by the domestic defence industry. As an impressive show of force, which sent a powerful message both internally Turkish corvettes during Blue Homeland 2019 and externally, a large number of national and international military ships took part fare, preparatory training, joint training tion, detection, identification, tracking in Blue Homeland: 13 frigates, 6 corvettes, with the Air Force Command, the Turkish and real-time image intelligence tasks 16 assault boats, 7 submarines, 7 mine Land Weapons Command, and training of also under adverse weather conditions. hunting ships, 17 auxiliary class ships, all-purpose helicopters by the associated ANKA-S has a payload of 200 kg and an coastal units. altitude of 30,000 feet and is capable of Author 24 hours of flight time. In addition, the coordinated operation of Andreea Stoian Karadeli is freelance Turkish Defence Industry Results the Turkish Land Weapons Command pro- researcher based in Turkey and a PhD vided an opportunity to test the develop- Candidate at Mihai Viteazul National An important element of the exercise ments of the UMTAS and CIRIT weapon Intelligence Academy in Romania. was the use of new military systems and systems. Her interdisciplinary research varies equipment developed by the Turkish de- According to the descriptions of the Turk- from cultural and intercultural studies fence industry. The Navy used ANKA and ish MoD, UMTAS is a long-range anti- to conflict resolution and focuses on BAYRAKTAR Unmanned Aerial Vehicles tank missile system that can be integrated national security and terrorism, with in marine operations. The incorporation into various platforms such as helicop- expertise in the Middle East. of unmanned systems into the Turkish ters, UAVs, light armoured vehicles, fixed military’s operational concept, especially ground platforms, short-range aircraft and

50 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 SeaGuardian

ENSURING MARITIME SECURITY

• Sovereign capability and NATO interoperability

• 35 hours endurance

• Payloads up to 2,155 kilograms, including 360° maritime radar

• Demonstrated sonobuoy monitoring and control capability

• From a family of UAS with more than 5 million flight hours

ga-asi.com

©2019 GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC. Leading The Situational Awareness Revolution

2019_GA-ASI_ES&D_English_P02463.indd 1 2/4/2019 10:17:33 AM  ARMED FORCES

The Turkish naval corvette TCG BUR- GAZADA, which was produced within the Photo: SSB framework of the Turkish MILGEM project ("Milli Gemi" – "National Ship"), fulfilled its first major task during Blue Homeland. As part of an operation, TCG BURGAZADA carried out warning and destruction shots with ASELSAN weapon systems on a boat identified as a potential threat. In another phase of the manoeuvre, TCG BURGAZA- DA participated together with the Turkish minesweeper AKCAY in an exercise with the Russian patrol vessel VASILY BYKOV and the sea trawler VALENTIN PIKUL near the port of Novorossiysk. Once again, the exercise was a symbol of Turkish-Russian During the military exercise Blue Homeland 2019, Turkey tested cooperation in recent years. domestically developed and produced systems. During another important part of the ex- ercise, military planners deployed Turkey’s naval platforms and is effective against all and expensive anti-tank missiles. Com- battle-hardened amphibious units to ac- armoured systems. UMTAS is designed pared to the classic 2.75" laser-guided tive conflict zones to keep them at high as an anti-tank missile system for the Na- missiles, CIRIT, with a range of 8 km, has combat-readiness; the Navy’s special op- tional ATAK Helicopter (T-129). The system the longest fuselage in its class thanks to erations teams (SAS and SAT commandos) developed by ROKETSAN enables day and its aerodynamic structure and the com- fought hard in Operation Euphrates Shield night operation in all weather conditions. posite solid fuel engine. Two alternative and Operation Olive Branch. Open-source With a range of 8 km, UMTAS was devel- warheads with high explosive capacity can pieces of evidence suggest that detach- oped against armoured targets and can be attached to the CIRIT missile, which ments from the Amphibious Marine Bri- be used either air-to-surface or surface- is capable of destroying mobile and light gade’s battalions also took part in the to-surface using either the infrared seeker armoured/unarmoured targets. While the cross-border efforts in Syria. and laser seeker options. With both fire- multi-purpose warhead has armour-pierc- The Navy's manoeuvre and the use of new forget and fire-update capability, UMTAS ing, burning and anti-personnel effects, national military systems and equipment provides the ability to shoot beyond cover, the second one has only a fragmenta- reflect Turkey's awareness of the benefits achieve precise hits and effectively evalu- tion effect. Series production of the CIRIT and responsibilities arising from its mari- ate impact, and it is effective against both rocket began in 2010 and has met great time territory and the ability of a strong stationary and mobile targets, with the interest in foreign markets. Navy to enhance military, political and benefit of target update. During “Blue Homeland”, air defence economic success. Unlike other tradition- CIRIT is a cost-effective solution against warfare, underwater warfare, submarine al branches of the armed forces, navies light armoured/non-armoured fixed/ warfare, land bombardment, control and are truly effective diplomatic means that mobile targets that can be integrated direction of air elements, and extraction can benefit Turkey, especially in the cur- into various platforms such as helicopters, planning and execution were carried out rent regional context. In this sense, one UAVs, land vehicles, stationary platforms, by using the Ship Integrated Combat Man- of the most impressive messages of Blue light attack aircraft and naval platforms; agement System (GENESIS) developed by Homeland is Turkey's commitment to us- it is designed to close the gap between HAVELSAN in cooperation with the Turk- ing its maritime options more actively in low-cost/low-precision unguided missiles ish Naval Forces Command. the coming years to achieve its political, economic and military goals and, above all, increase its status in the region. In view of this, the main elements of the Blue Homeland manoeuvre should be considered in a regional and international Photo: Turkish MoD context, which analyses the codename of the exercise and its geographical scope, including its economic and political im- plications.

Not just the Land

The code name of the exercise – "Mavi Vatan" / Blue Homeland – symbolises the future political and military agenda of Tur- key in the region. Given the strong emo- tional meaning of the word "homeland" for the Turkish population, Blue Home- land is intended to remind Turks that their Turkish supply ships and oilers in support of Blue Homeland. national sovereignty is not limited to the

52 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMED FORCES  land. Therefore, the very code name is a The Big Picture Training "Medusa 8" was launched to pro- Turkish declaration that assigns the same mote military cooperation with fraternal importance to ensuring the security of One day after the end of the Turkish naval and friendly countries with the participa- their territorial seas as to the protection of manoeuvre, the Egyptian Minister of De- tion of the Egyptian and Greek Naval and the country and suggests that the Navy is fence, Lieutenant General Mohamed Za- Air Forces and the Egyptian and Greek and important in protecting national maritime ki, met his Greek counterpart, Evangelos Cypriot Special Forces. According to official interests and the exclusive economic zone. Apostolakis. The two ministers discussed statements, the training is characterised by recent regional developments and their the growing military partnership between The Significance of the impact on stability and security in the Mid- the Egyptian armed forces and fraternal Exercise dle East region, as well as ways to improve and friendly countries. It demonstrates the military cooperation between the armed great fighting strength of the participating “Blue Homeland” is a good opportunity forces of both countries. Zaki praised the forces and the high level of training that for the international community, and re- coordination and consultation between contributes to meeting the growing chal- gional actors in particular, to assess the Egypt and Greece on military and secu- lenges in the Mediterranean region. improved capabilities of the Turkish Navy rity issues. The Greek Minister stressed In view of these developments, which oc- and its joint operational capability with his country's desire to strengthen bilateral curred after the Turkish naval exercise, other branches. However, the impor- cooperation between the two countries in Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Israel, all sup- tance of the exercise goes far beyond the the coming years. ported by the US, are not ready to coop- military dimension, as Turkey is investing heavily in its naval capabilities, not only to defend territorial waters but also to pro- tect the country's sea lines of communica- tion (SLOC) and to build power projection capabilities. Photo: Turkish MoD Analysts see the Turkish naval exercise as a sign of Ankara's determination to protect its territorial and gas explora- tion rights in the Mediterranean and as a sign of the Navy's recovery from the failed coup d'état in 2016, as well as re- flecting three important dimensions of Turkey's strategy in the region: to pursue national interests in an expanded zone of influence, to play a more active role in competition for geopolitical energy markets including naval diplomacy, and to continue developing the domestic de- fence industry. Although the military aspect of the exer- cise is the most important, the economic dimensions are also relevant. Gas fields were first discovered in the waters off Cyprus in 2011, and the Greek Cypriot The Turkish Navy shows off its ships at the beginning of the government has recently signed drilling Blue Homeland exercise. contracts with big oil companies in the Eastern Mediterranean. If developed, the At the end of March 2019, the sixth tri- erate with Turkey in the Mediterranean. undersea reservoirs could fundamentally lateral Cyprus-Greece-Israel Summit was This is completely contrary to Turkey's change energy geopolitics and reduce held in Jerusalem with the aim of fur- position, as reflected by the words of Europe's dependence on Russia for gas. ther developing cooperation on energy Çavuşoğlu: No deal without Turkey. Turkey's position in this regard is stronger sources and security in the Eastern Medi- than ever, as the Turkish Foreign Minister, terranean; the US Department of State Conclusion Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, has stated that noth- also participated in the conference. The ing can be done in the Mediterranean Summit was attended by Greek Prime Turkey has redefined its position on the without Turkey. For this reason, Turkey Minister Alexis Tsipras, Cypriot President regional and international stage, and the wants a share of the revenues and will use Nicos Anastasiades, Israeli Prime Minister Blue Homeland exercise has reflected maritime power as an important element Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of both Turkey's commitment and its suc- in future negotiations. State Mike Pompeo, and Deputy Secre- cess to date. However, the regional con- The Blue Homeland exercise is a reflection tary for Energy Francis R. Fannon. The text is becoming more complex every day of the words of Çavuşoğlu and a strong agenda included developments in the as attempts are made to isolate Turkey message that Turkey will not remain pas- Eastern Mediterranean and cooperation from any regional agreement in the Med- sive in matters contrary to its national in- in the fields of energy, security and de- iterranean. Time will tell what Turkey's terests. For these reasons, it can be said fence, the economy and migration. next step in this regard will be and how that this major naval exercise has military, One month after the Blue Homeland ex- motivated it is to use its vast arsenal in a political and economic reasons. ercise, the Egyptian-Greek Joint Maritime new diplomatic game. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 53  ARMED FORCES “The security landscape is rapidly changing.”

Interview with Rear Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy

In October and November last year, Norway hosted Trident Juncture 18. More than 50,000 participants, 150 aircraft, 60 naval vessels and up to 10,000 vehicles from 30 nations came to Norway for the big- gest NATO exercise held in Norway since the Cold War. The exercise has also been a NATO show of force in the Northern region, where the military situation is rapidly changing.

Since Wold War II, the Royal Norwegian Navy has been a key player in the North Atlantic and the Barents Sea. Rear Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes and his staff are working hands-on to develop and prepare the Norwegian Navy for what appears to be an uncertain and complex future in the Navy's main area of operations, an area not only crucial to Norway but to all of Northern Europe. Photo: Jakob Østheim/ FMS

ESD: Apart from the accident of the FRIDT- JOF NANSEN class frigate HELGE INGSTAD, what is your assessment of the past year for the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN)? Admiral Stensønes: The Royal Norwe- gian Navy (RNoN) assesses that the security

landscape is rapidly changing. This land- Photo: Torbjørn Kjosvold/ FMS scape is characterised by high-readiness forces, more modern submarines, long- range precision weapons and the use of hybrid means, which create more instabil- ity, complexity and uncertainty. This has led to an increased operational tempo for the RNoN fleet and growing demand for naval presence and security in our region. The Coast Guard (CG) is an integral part of the RNoN. Not only security threats, but also environmental changes affect fishing and maritime transportation routes in the High North, leading to increased need for law A SKJOLD class SES Corvette/Fast Patrol Boat in Northern Norway. The enforcement assets. Both the Fleet and CG SES technology offers superior mobility capabilities combined with have therefore seen an increase in budgets, excellent sea keeping capabilities. shorter reaction time and increased opera- tional time both domestically and abroad. abroad with close allies is the normal situ- STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL (Naval Academy A more competitive security environment ation, and the RNoN has contributed both at sea en route to Norfolk), and the Coastal may have regional influence; therefore in the SNMG 1 and SNMCMG 1 during Rangers Commando (Afghanistan). defending Norway and Norwegian inter- 2018. As of today, the RNoN have currently Domestically, Norway’s position in the ests starts with operations abroad, primar- 151 personnel deployed in the following High North offers extensive room to exer- ily with our fleet. Taking part in NATO’s out-of-area missions; the KNM MAUD cise and allows military units to train effec- standing maritime groups and operations (Pacific Ocean, en route to Norway), the tively in challenging conditions. Exercising

54 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 regularly with allies in and around Norway is also the normal situation. In the autumn of 2018, Norway hosted NATO’s high- visibility exercise Trident Juncture, where the Alliance successfully trained its core task: collective defence. Trident Juncture was the main focus during 2018, and all available naval assets were used. During the exercise, Russian activity in the area of operation increased as expected. Dedi- cated assets for dealing with this activity formed part of our national exercise plan.

Our assessment is that both the exercise Photo: NCA/ Forsvaret/ FMS and the way the Russian activity was han- The Norwegian Frigate HNoMS HELGE INGSTAD sank following a colli- dled were successes. sion with the tanker SOLA TS on the morning of 8 November 2018. In late February and early March, the frigate was raised and transported to ESD: From the perspective of the Navy: Haakonsvern Naval Base. What was the reason for the above HNoMS HELGE INGSTAD accident? Have lessons sels are amongst the very best within the ESD: What are the most important pro- been learned? Will HNoMS HELGE ING- NATO Alliance. Their combination of mo- curement programmes for the RNoN – cur- STAD be replaced, cannibalised or repaired? bility and reduced underwater signature rent and future? Admiral Stensønes: The results of the has provided the RNoN with an important Admiral Stensønes: The most impor- ongoing investigation performed by the capability in the maritime domain. Mine tant procurement programmes are a new police, the accident investigation board sweeping and mine hunting are important submarine capability to replace the ULA and our own internal investigation group to control our waters. The mine threat is class, new CG OPVs to replace the NORD- will conclude the cause of the accident. clear and present and will challenge our KAPP class, the newly commissioned AOR Identified deviation from our current ability to maintain sea control. HNoMS MAUD IOC, the introduction of rules and practices will be implement- Our Navy is presently developing a prom- autonomous capabilities in all dimen- ed as necessary. Currently, no decision ising autonomous MCM capability. The sions, and last but not least an increase has been made regarding the future of system will not be unmanned, rather take in the sustainability in all dimensions of HNoMS HELGE INGSTAD. Firstly, the ves- most of our operators out of the assumed our Navy. The latter meaning more spare sel has to be safely lifted and transported mined area. The concept is maturing and parts, enhanced maintenance, increased to Haakonsvern Naval Base. Secondly, the brings new technology into the theatre readiness and more weapons and ord- vessel will be investigated further before with enhanced capabilities. One of our chal- nance. The reaction times are clearly re- a final decision about her future will be lenges is to avoid capability gaps between duced in the Norwegian areas of interest, made. the existing and the new MCM concept. and this means that our Navy must be Furthermore, we have to maintain mobility ready to operate on very short notice. ESD: With the SKJOLD, OKSOY and AL- also for the autonomous MCM concept. What is not available for operations today TA classes, the Norwegian Navy operates In total we are very pleased with both is simply not relevant. three different types of Surface Effect Ships classes of SES vessels. We have experienced 22 January, the Norwegian Chief of De- (SES). What are your experiences and les- strengths and weaknesses and have man- fence stated in his annual speech in Oslo sons learned from the use of SES in MCM aged to exploit the strengths and suppress that the size and capability of our armed and FAC applications? the weaknesses to meet the warfighters' forces is too small. He referred to our Navy Admiral Stensønes: In general, RNoN is needs in all operations. specifically, with the expression “quality satisfied with the application of the SES concept for the SKJOLD (FPB) and OKSOY/ ALTA (MCM) vessels. The selection of the GRP sandwich SES concept has proven successful within several major design fea- tures. For the FPBs, the superior mobility capabilities, combined with excellent sea keeping capabilities, have together pro-

vided the RNoN with a workhorse along Photo: Cedric Artiques/NATO/ FMS our long and rugged coastline. The SES concept has also provided ample topside and deck area for sensors and weapon sys- tems. On the negative side, as for all SES concepts, the weight margin is tight. This is especially challenging over the lifetime of the vessels, when updates and upgrades inevitably are implemented. For the MCM vessels we have experienced excellent capabilities since the class was HNoMS UTSIRA late at night. UTSIRA is one of six ULA class submarines FOC in 1994. The Norwegian MCM ves- to be replaced by the joint German–Norwegian CD212 submarines.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 55 Masthead European Security & Defence Issue 6/2019 · June 2019 satisfactory but quantity insufficient”. This is naturally also a ISSN 1617-7983 · www.euro-sd.com concern of mine. I want to emphasise that the RNoN needs to be present in our areas of interest. If we are not there, other Published by actors will fill the vacuum. Mittler Report Verlag GmbH A company of the Tamm Norway is NATO in the North Atlantic; Norway is NATOs north- Media Group ern flank. This means something; we have obligations to the alliance. Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Peter Bossdorf (pb) Managing Editor (Magazine): Stephen Barnard (sb) ESD: Norway and Germany have agreed on the joint procure- Managing Editor (Newsletter): Dorothee Frank (df) Industrial Editors: Rolf Clement (rc), Waldemar Geiger (wg), Gerhard Heiming (gwh), ment of identical Type 212CD submarines. In the scope of this Jürgen Hensel (jh), Hans Uwe Mergener (hum) programme, what are the particular requirements of the RNoN Sub-Editors: Christopher Ellaway-Barnard (cb), Christian Kanig (ck) and what advantages do you expect from the programme to be Correspondents: Rolf Hilmes (Army Technology), Peter Preylowski (Airborne Systems) brought along for Norway and the RNoN? Regional Correspondents: Roberto Guimarães de Carvalho (Brazil), Sidney Dean (USA), Tamir Eshel (Israel), Tim Guest (UK), Alex Horobets (Ukraine), Jaime Kar- Admiral Stensønes: Norway and Germany have agreed on remann (The Netherlands), Beka Kiria (Georgia), Shinichi Kiyotani (sk; Japan), Yury common requirements for the Type 212CD, and a common pro- Laskin (Russia), J. Bo Leimand (Denmark), Jay Menon (India), Chet Nagle (USA), curement of six identical submarines. This means harmonising Korhan Özkilinc (Turkey), Luca Peruzzi (Italy), David Saw (France), Joris Verbeurgt requirements to take into account both German and Norwegian (Belgium/EU/NATO), Esteban Villarejo (Spain) needs. The requirements have taken into account developments Layout: in technology and the present security situation along with CREATIVE.CONSULTING GmbH, Germany other important factors. Production: Working together with Germany, we have developed common Lehmann Offsetdruck GmbH plans for training, manning, lifetime management, and so on. 22848 Norderstedt, Germany This will reduce costs for both nations during the lifetime, and Office address: it will also benefit both nations through improvements and Mittler Report Verlag GmbH updates during the lifetime of the boats. Baunscheidtstraße 11, 53113 Bonn, Germany Phone.: +49 228 35 00 870, Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 Email: [email protected], www.mittler-report.de ESD: From the perspective of German industry, the 212CD part- nership has the potential to be extended to include additional Director of Marketing Jürgen Hensel (jh) partners – like the Netherlands or Poland. Would that be in Phone: +49 228 35 00 876, Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 accordance with your preferences? Email: [email protected] Admiral Stensønes: Both nations are welcoming additional partners. In order to maximise the benefit of additional part- Marketing & Business Development Dr. Andreas Himmelsbach ners, identical submarines will provide the most benefit for Phone: +49 228 35 00 877, Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 all partners, but similarities of most of the systems will also [email protected] provide benefits. Waldemar Geiger Phone: +49 228 35 00 887, Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 ESD: In view of the forthcoming Brexit – many Euro- [email protected] pean countries are considering realignments of their Advertising Representatives: armed forces. Will Brexit – provided it happens – have an effect on the RNoN? UK/Ireland/Eastern Europe/Israel/Turkey: Admiral Stensønes: Brexit will imply few changes for the Royal Stephen Barnard, c/o Mittler Report Verlag GmbH Phone: +49 228 35 00 886, Email: [email protected] Norwegian Navy. NATO is the backbone of European Defence and will remain so regardless of Brexit. The Norwegian and the USA/Canada: Royal Navy cooperate in various arenas. I do not believe Brexit Susan Spilman-Gardner Email: [email protected] will have an impact on our relations. Phone: +1 817-751-5888 Russia & CIS: ESD: Has NATO's new alignment towards national and Alliance Laguk Co., Yury Laskin, General Director defence had an effect on the RNoN's procurement allocation? Krasnokholmskaya Nab., 11/15, 132, RF-109172 Moskau, Russian Federation Do you anticipate the budget to increase over the next few Phone: 007-495-911-1340, Fax: 007-495-912-1260, Email: [email protected] years? Subscription/Reader Service: Admiral Stensønes: First, it has reoriented our focus towards PressUp GmbH, Postfach 70 13 11, high-end warfare against near-peer adversaries in the Euro- 22013 Hamburg, Germany Atlantic area. It also revitalises our focus on interoperability. It Phone: +49 40 38 66 66-319, Fax: +49 38 66 66-299 Email: [email protected] is important in all warfighting areas, but particularly in a thea- tre approach to Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) as well as Anti-Sub- European Security & Defence marine Warfare (ASW). Potential adversaries are improving; © 2019 Mittler Report Verlag GmbH this means that most nations in the Alliance cannot meet the The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. emerging threats on their own. The RNoN is fully committed All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher in Bonn. to participating with our allied partners with the capabilities we have at our disposal against any state or non-state actor Cover Photo: US Marine Corps, Lance Cpl. Shannon Doherty as directed by our government. Annual subscription rate (10 issues): € 49.80 incl. postage The interview was conducted by Björn Domaas Josefsen and Jürgen Hensel.

56 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  The Human Aspect in Modern Combat Aircraft

Tamir Eshel

With aircraft becoming sensor-rich and computerised, more than ever before, the cockpit transforms into a sophisticated and automated human-machine system, that translates machine sensing to human situation awareness, and human commands into machine actions.

espite the orthodox approach to fly- of view. Highly developed pilot skills were perfect hit. A typical HUD is BAE Systems’ Ding, military aviators cannot escape the also critical to hitting targets with bombs. LiteHUD, a modern, lightweight, small changes we all experience in our daily life, The first generation of radars and weap- and compact HUD, which utilises the Digi- changes that shape the way pilots fight, ons each used specific displays for op- tal Light Engine (DLE), a digital display that win and survive in future conflicts. Since eration. Howeverwith the introduction of replaces the traditional Cathode Ray Tube the beginning of aviation, a unique place multi-function displays (MFD), the fighter (CRT) used in legacy analogue HUDs. New was reserved for the pilot – combining the cockpit organised in a two or three display waveguide optics deliver a compact, low- ergonomics (seat, windshield), flight instru- ments (gauges in the instrument panel) and flight controls (pedals, stick, and throttle). With those indications, the pilot assessed

the aircraft situation and, by looking out- Photo: via author side, they developed 'Situation Awareness', the essential perception of flying and aerial fighting. This simple representation was enough for fighter planes in World War One, where airplanes operated in close formations and relied on hand signals for co-ordination. In World War Two, radio communications and radar introduced new dimensions to air combat, enabling the air flights to operate as part of a big- ger plan, centrally controlled and follow- ing a ‘master plan.’ In the mid-1960s, the appearance of missiles introduced another change, exposing aircraft to overmatch at much longer ranges, challenged by missiles with manoeuvrability levels beyond human tolerance. BAE System’s testpilot Mark Bowman with a helmet system of a Eurofighter TYPHOON The Glass Cockpit ‘glass cockpit’ operated by a complex ar- profile design, which can be integrated The aircraft and weapons of that genera- ray of switches, levers and triggers oper- into most cockpits, from turboprop train- tion were limited to attacking the enemy ated by the Hands On Stick and Throttle ers and fighters to transport aircraft. With in the direction of flight. While, over the (HOTAS) concept. Helicopters and trans- its low profile, it can also integrate with years, missiles evolved to become smarter, port planes also adapted MFDS in a hori- the wide area displays characteristic of more manoeuvrable and accurate, they zontal line, comprising three or four units. modern fighter cockpit designs. have always relied on the pilot to acquire These displays depicted the information the target. The gimbals of missile seek- driven from the sensors on board. Evolving Fighters Displays ers of the first generations were limited in The Head-Up Display (HUD) was an es- movement, which required manoeuvring sential capability for both air/air and air/ By the 1990s, all-aspect missile seekers, the aircraft to bring the target to their field ground tasks, as it displayed the missile’s active radar guided air/air missiles and pre- seeker field of view, or a continuously cision-guided air/ground weapons were Author computed impact point, depicting the introduced, enabling more flexible target point where the bombs were likely to hit. engagement. With improved sensors car- Tamir Eshel is a security and de- Presenting this information in front of the ried on board, such as targeting pods and fence commentator based in Israel. pilot, along the flight path, enables the airborne radars, pilots could also locate and pilot to manoeuvre the aircraft to score a designate targets off boresight.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 57  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

back of touching real buttons and switches. Other control methods could employ eye tracking, neural control technology and Photo: US Navy physio- and psychometric sensors, which will constantly monitor the pilot health and mental capacity. In an event where the pilot misses track of an important piece of infor- mation or loses consciousness due to high G or low oxygen, the mission computer or autopilot could automatically take control to save the situation. The new concept was presented in public for the first time in 2018, as part of the introduction of the TEMPEST future combat aircraft concept.

Improving the Helicopter Cockpit Aviator Night Vision Systems (ANVIS) and The cockpit of an F-35 LIGHTNING is the most advanced Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) are used manned-machine environment designed to date. to deliver a complete picture, such as a night view, generated by image intensifica- The means to leverage this capability slated to enter the future production lots. tion system or Forward Looking Infrared were HUDs with a wide field of view, The helmet mounted display is produced (FLIR). More recently, advanced HMD gen- offering enhanced eye motion, and by VSI, a Joint Venture of Elbit Systems and erating colour video displays are used to head-mounted cueing systems, a kind Collins Aerospace. deliver more information to pilots. of helmet mounted sight, which tracked Existing fighter planes undergoing mod- Today, such display systems provide much the pilot’s line of sight and directed the ernisation also adopted this approach to more than night vision. A miniature display sensor or seeker to cue to this direction. some extent, by replacing the multi-MFD and optics combiner attached to a helmet Such systems enabled pilots mount or ANVIS provides to leverage the full potential helicopter pilots with a vector of all aspect air/air missiles, graphics symbology and ras- by offsetting an opponents’ ter images, displayed through maneuverability with an all- the ANVIS HUD system. Such aspect missile with better Photo: BAE Systems devices become a critical ‘en- kinematics. hanced vision’ device, improv- HUDs and helmet mounted ing the flight safety at a low cueing systems combine head level, and handling brownout tracking systems and display condition, when landing in systems using computer-gen- desert terrain or snow-covered erated vector graphics, to pre- landscape. sent information to the aircrew In these conditions, a thick dust in any direction they look. or snow cloud blocks the pilot The F-35 cockpit represents BAE Systems´ TEMPEST "wearable cockpit" utilises 3D vision near ground level, at the the most advanced manned- audio and voice command and means for haptic feed- most critical phase of the land- machine environment de- back sensors, embedded in gloves, which give the tac- ing. These systems are as good signed to date. It is the first tile impression of touching real buttons and switches. as the sensors with which they fighter plane that has no HUD, operate. To improve perfor- and the first to use a single large display glass cockpit with LAD displays or replacing mance in these conditions, Elbit Systems’ screed (LAD) providing a large display area parts of the legacy instruments with new developed the BRITENITE sensor, covering for the presentation of flight information consoles offering a maximum display area. an ultra-wide field of view with an array and a tactical display. The LAD represents The F-16 central Pedestal Display (CPD) is of thermal imaging sensors delivering a a departure from the traditional three- one such concept used in the latest versions clear image of the area of degraded visual multifunction display ‘glass cockpit’ design, of the F-16, including the F-16V. environments (DVEs), such as under thick where each display depicts a specific sen- Innovative design features from BAE Sys- smoke or dust cover. Other concepts utilise sor page. Complementing the LAD is the tems rest on the idea of the 'wearable cock- repurposing existing sensors, such as infra- helmet-mounted display and a network pit' – utilising augmented reality to build red threat warning devices already used on of distributed aperture systems (DAS) pro- fully functional virtual displays and instru- helicopters, or distributed aperture systems viding the pilot 360 degree visibility from ments in front of the pilot’s eyes by using (DAS) derived from other platforms such as the cockpit, even under total darkness or a semi-transparent augmented reality dis- the F-35, for use as a panoramic or spheri- in conditions when the aircraft fuselage play, which projects virtual objects on top cal (360 degree) viewing system. obstructs the view. The original DAS was of the live scene, 3D audio and voice com- The Pilotage Distributed Aperture Sen- designed by Northrop Grumman, while mand and means for haptic feedback sen- sor (PDAS) developed by Lockheed Mar- Raytheon produces a different version, sors, embedded in gloves, give tactile feed- tin has recently made the first flight on

58 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

the Bell V-280 VALOR tilt-rotor aircraft. a capability toolkit, which includes multi- and Foe – IFF) from different aircraft and PDAS consists of six infrared sensors dis- spectral sensors, hardware, and software ground radars. Some of the sensors may tributed around the aircraft and linked to enable scalable automation. As an auto- be aircraft positioned far away from the to aircrew helmets and cockpit displays mation system, ALIAS supports the execu- scene, or ground-based sensors assisting through an open-architecture processor tion of an entire mission, from take off to the flight. Others could be stealth planes or (OAP). Although the system currently sup- landing, even in the face of contingency unmanned platforms, inserted deep inside ports two users (aircrew), it will ultimately events such as aircraft system failures. To enemy airspace to provide an inner view of support up to six users, enabling trans- cope with such emergencies, ALIAS uses the situation. ported troops to survey the environment persistent-state monitoring and rapid recall Individual fighters would get a segment of for tactical information and threats. Other of flight procedures. that sky picture, as viewed around the air- enhancements will include integration craft. Such a picture indicates the location with Multi-Modal Sensor Fusion (MMSF), Sensor-Based Situation of all friendly assets, known enemy missile a multi-sensor feed that helps to restore Awareness defended areas, civilian aircraft tracked by aircrew situation awareness in DVE and radar and air traffic control (ATC), uniden- enables navigation in GPS-denied zones. Situation awareness (SA) is a basic and tified objects or those identified as enemy Other changes to the helicopter cockpit most critical aspect, specifically for air com- planes, which could threaten the mission are being explored under DARPA’s Aircrew bat. The air aces of the past were those and friendly force. Labour In-Cockpit Automation System who could leverage Situational Awareness Each pilot watches a segment of that com- (ALIAS) programme. Through the DARPA to quickly seize the moment, take advan- mon picture, augmented with information ALIAS programme, Lockheed Martin Sikor- tage of the situation and implement the obtained from the sensors on board, such sky are developing systems intelligence that right manoeuvre and weapon to score a as radars, electronic support measures, will give operators the confidence to fly air- kill. In the jet and missile age, where the missile launch warning systems or infrared craft safely, reliably and affordably in op- reach of the platform, sensors, and weap- search and track (IRST) and other electro- timally piloted modes enabling flight with ons by far exceed human sensing, Situa- optical systems. two, one or no crew. tional Awareness is a combined and shared Each of these sensors provides critical in- ALIAS envisions a tailorable, drop-in, re- resource, just as much as the aircraft and formation to create situation awareness, movable kit that would emplace high levels the weaponry they carry. enabling the pilot or crew to respond to of automation into existing aircraft, ena- The battlespace is constantly monitored and evolving threats promptly – for example, bling operations with a reduced onboard mapped by imaging sensors, radars and pursue an attack against a pattern of crew. The system uses the Matrix system, identification systems (Interrogator Friend signals that could indicate a hostile ac-

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leonardocompany.com Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

tion. Such actions could vary from eva- Fusion Renders a and often required two crew members to sive manoeuvres and flare release to the Better Picture handle the workload. The introduction of deployment of electronic warfare, and a data buses and digital architecture in fourth pre-emptive strike by high-speed anti- A new challenge for military pilots is infor- generation fighters introduced situational radiation missiles. mation flooding. As aircraft become con- displays, which could depict a clear battle Connecting a situational picture to cen- nected, the amount of information gener- plan. However, sensor management still tralised decision making is part of the ated on board is staggering. With the in- required pilots to flip through many ‘pages’ Resilient Synchronised Planning and As- formation obtained from local sensors and to perform specific tasks. Critical indica- sessment for the Contested Environment constantly streaming from sources across tions, such as threat warning, remained (RSPACE) system BAE Systems develops the network, situation awareness is no with a unique display, which added audio under a DARPA contract. The project longer a matter of practices and disciplines. signals to increase attention. Source: BAE Systems

BAE Systems’ "wearable cockpit" utilises augmented reality to build virtual displays and instruments in front of the pilot’s eyes by using a semi-transparent augmented reality display that projects virtual objects on top of the live scene.

seeks to develop human-centered soft- It has become a complex technological and Managing an aerial picture on a small ware decision aids, which can assist air system integration challenge that address- cockpit display is a difficult task, par- operators in improving operational con- es the information flow, data fusion and ticularly when the situation is unfolding trol in a complex battlespace. As part of prioritisation, human-machine interface, at high speed, long range, and involv- the RSPACE programme, the company and ergonomics. Current developments ing large formations. That is where large developed the Distributed, Interactive, also leverage machine learning and artifi- area displays (LAD) come in handy. First Command-and-Control Tool (DIRECT) to cial intelligence, to bring the information to used in the F-35 LIGHTNING II, LAD has improve air battlespace awareness. DI- a humanly manageable workload. now been implemented in several aircraft RECT uses a visual interface to generate The electronic hardware and processing models, for example, in a vertical display real-time alerts for operators to evaluate power available to system designers in the placed on the central pedestal display for areas of concern during the planning and past could not support the integration of the F-16 (as used in the latest F-16V con- execution of a mission. The software also multiple, analogue sensor feeds onto a figuration), F-15X, GRIPEN E and future automatically adjusts to minimise band- common screen, necessitating the use of variant of F-18. width when communications are either many displays to monitor all sensors. The In a modern application such as the F-35, limited unreliable to assist in mission con- integration of all this information into a LAD is combined with helmet displays, as tinuity and completion. single situational picture was impractical the mission and display computers manage

60 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

as ‘domes’ indicating their effective cover- age. Such presentations enables the pilot to circumvent those threats just as other obsta- cles. To fly their planes through this virtual world, the pilot needs to obtain a good view of the real outside world with safe paths cor- rectly presented on it in real time. Elbit Systems has developed the SUPERVI- SION concept to presenting data to the aircrew in an intuitive manner, reducing crew workload and improving pilot re- sponse. Information layers, including vi-

Photo: Elbit sion systems depicting the outside world The Elbit BRIGHTNITE sensor delivers a clear image of areas under thick or night vision view sensed by night vi- smoke or dust cover. sion or thermal imagers, information lay- ers including terrain, known obstacles, the dataflow to display only the information ously. Therefore, this method can be used threats indicating the airspace coverage essential to the pilot at the specific time, only for critical alerts. A tactile channel can and recommended flight path are all su- resulting in reduced workload, which ena- carry multiple cues simultaneously, using a perimposed and correlated on the world bles a single pilot to perform the mission new and patented cuff, basic instructions view. By fusing the various layers of infor- previously handled by a full crew. Such a such as coarse directional cues, radio chan- mation, SUPERVISION superimposes infor- combination enables the pilot to fly ‘heads nel confirmation, etc., can be transmitted mation on the world view projected on out’ in the engagement phase and use the and processed intuitively even under ex- the visor, enabling ‘head out’ flight in any LAD display when the situation enables or treme stress and workload. terrain and under all visibility conditions. requires planning, situation assessment, Helmet display enables capabilities never Innovative display solutions utilise HUDs and management of remote assets. used in aviation. Projected on transparent or HMD, relieving aircrews of the mental Another advantage of a helmet display and visors positioned near the eye, the display load of having to interpret the data. Utilis- the cueing system is the ability to designate superimposes digital objects on the scene. ing the spatial orientation of information objects by a co-ordinated eye view (line- On such images, the sky view and terrain elements to enhance situation awareness of-sight) and hand controls. Before such are augmented with virtual objects to show enables the aircrew to focus on the es- helmet cueing systems were used, pilots navigational waypoints, depicted as ‘high- sential elements of the mission in hand. had to manoeuvre the aircraft to bring the way in the sky.’ Fixed or computed obsta- With advancing technologies, the concept head up display to the point of interest to cles, such as wirelines, antennae, and build- of SUPERVISION will continue to evolve designate a target. However, with helmet ings, or computed obstacles, such as ridge- toward a networked service comprising display sights, all that is necessary is to look lines are also represented to warn the pilot multiple airborne or air and ground ele- at it, and the target is locked-on with a click of flight safety hazards. Dynamic objects, ments co-operating on a mission, deliv- of a button. such as friendly aircraft and hostile SAMs are ering a shared, complete 3D situational Modern helmet displays also enable the also displayed as virtual objects, represented picture to all participants involved. integration of raster (bitmaps) on the eye- piece or visor, displaying images and live video as a 'window on the world' view. A small window can be used to assist in Photo: Elbit target recognition and identification, using the aircraft telescopic electro-optical tar- geting systems such as targeting pod or infrared search and track (IRST) as sensors. On a night flight, the whole visor can show the FLIR images obtained from navigation FLIR or Distributed Aperture System (DAS), to enable the pilot to fly ‘heads out’ at night as they see the terrain and fly as in clear daylight, avoiding other aircraft, terrain, and threats in the vicinity, without depend- ency on traditional flight instruments. To further reduce workload, designers can turn to new sensory channels, such as 3D audio and tactile sensing. 3D audio relies on the human capacity to differentiate au- dible cues by the direction from which they come. As such, directional audible alerts generate spatial cues, which are processed by the brain without effort. A major limita- The Advanced Cockpit of Elbit Systems of America optimises tactical tion of 3D audio is the brain’s inability to situational displays, processes advanced applications and provides process multiple audible cues simultane- high-definition formats for complex sensor video presentations.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 61  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft with Artificial Eventually, ALPHA aims to lessen the like- test, Lockheed Martin demonstrated how Intelligence (AI) lihood of pilot’s tactical mistakes since its aircraft equipped with OMS could exploit on operations already occur significantly faster board communications to link and transfer Integration of artificial intelligence in the than other language-based applications. An information between different platforms, cockpit would offer major advantages for ALPHA based virtual ‘co-pilot’ can take in using standard Link 16 and covert commu- the air force in general, yet significant chal- the entirety of sensor data, organise it, cre- nications used on stealth platforms (such as lenges for pilots that have relied exclusively ate a complete mapping of a combat sce- the F-22). This capability was demonstrated on their skills and senses for decision mak- nario and make or change combat decisions by a U-2 that provided multi-domain com- ing. AI capabilities were proven in studies for a flight of four fighter aircraft in less than mand and control, sharing data across dis- conducted in flight simulators, where hu- a millisecond. similar platforms in the denied environment. man pilots fought opponents flown by AI Eventually, future air combat will require Pursuing another research area, DARPA is piloted or assisted machines. reaction times that surpass human capa- developing the system of systems integra- One approach harnesses ‘connected decoys,’ bilities. Such engagements will integrate tion technology (SOSIT) connecting be- namely offboard electronic warfare decoys AI wingmen utilising Unmanned Combat tween battle managers, manned aircraft and ‘defensive missiles,’ which act as baits, Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) as the tip of the and unmanned wingmen. Boeing, General luring enemy missiles to divulge their guid- spear, teamed with manned aircraft likely Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop ance strategy, enabling the defender to opti- in stealth fighters and bombers, assuming Grumman are developing and analysing, promising architectures and designing plans for flight experimentation. Apogee Systems, BAE Systems, and Collins Aero- Photo: Elbit space are developing tools and technolo- gies to enhance open-system architecture approaches. Such systems are developed from the beginning to be robust and resil- ient to cyberattacks. The programme has already demonstrated the ability to process sensor data in differ- ent manners automatically. For example, the F-35 radar was linked with DARPA’s Automatic Target Recognition software, to reduce operator workload and create a comprehensive picture of the battlespace. Data-rich messages were then transferred over existing datalinks, sharing information between different systems on various plat- Advanced cockpit of a new generation F-15 forms. Such links also enabled connection of ground-based cockpit simulators with live mise evasive manoeuvres and countermeas- the battle management roles. Such systems aircraft systems in real time, enabling users ures to defeat them. Such methods would would be able to process situation aware- to reduce data to decision timelines. enable manned and unmanned combat air- ness, determine reactions, select tactics, With advanced information sharing, craft to increase survivability and gain the up- manage weapons use and more. Such AI manned/unmanned teaming would reduce per hand when dealing with enemy fighters derived systems could simultaneously evade the human crewmembers’ cognitive bur- and surface-to-air missiles in defensive and dozens of hostile missiles, take accurate den and workload, allowing the warfighter offensive actions. An Israeli research team, shots at multiple targets, co-ordinate ac- to focus on creative and complex planning led by Technion Prof. Tal Shima, studied this tions of squad mates, and record and learn and management. Each drone will have suf- Co-operative Evasion and Pursuit concept, from observations of enemy tactics and ca- ficient onboard autonomy to complete all under a US Air Force Research Lab study. pabilities. basic flight operations untethered from a ALPHA, an AI application, developed by Ps- AFRL has been experimenting with the “un- ground station and without full-time direc- ibernetix Inc., the US Air Force Research Lab manned wingman” concept for some time, tion from the manned lead. and the University of Cincinnati, also dem- using both surrogate manned aircraft and The US Air Force has already begun flying air- onstrated the advantage of AI. It uses an AI unmanned aircraft with manned fighters fit- craft equipped to control a full ‘Loyal Wing- method called ‘Fuzzy Logic’ to perform air ted with Lockheed Martin's Open Mission man’ drone formation and is planning to battle management decisions in a fraction System (OMS) providing the integration for test the concept through 2022. Eventually, of second and select the best plan with the the manned-unmanned mission. Among the assigning drone formations to all front-line maximum probability of success. In its earliest test programmes conducted in 2017 were aircraft – the F-35 LIGHTNING II, F-22 RAP- iterations, ALPHA consistently outperformed HAVE RIDER II that explored an experimental TOR and possibly its newest bomber – B-21 other computer programmes in air combat F-16 aircraft, acting as a surrogate Unmanned RAIDER. Combined with next-generation simulations. After the system matured, it was Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), autonomously Very Long-Range Air/Air Missiles (VLRAAM) pitted against seasoned manned pilots and reacting to a dynamic threat environment launched from long distances, and Beyond won every match. The ALPHA is so fast that during an air-to-ground strike mission. Visual Range Air/Air Missiles (BVRAAM) it could consider and co-ordinate the best Distributed operations of this kind rely on engaging the enemy beyond visual range, tactical plan and precise responses, within a robust communications, which link be- such formations are expected to overmatch dynamic environment, over 250 times faster tween all members at all times, even under existing and future enemy fighters and air than ALPHA’s human opponents could blink. extensive countermeasures. On another defence networks. 

62 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  A Long Life for the Spanish EUROFIGHTER

Esteban Villarejo

The retrofit of Tranche 1, the integration of the E-Scan radar and a possible replacement of the Spanish fleet of 85 F-18 aircraft are the most important pillars for the future of the jet-fighter in Spain.

n July 2020, the Spanish Air Force will Anyway, the Spanish government will likely Official Airbus sources have expressed Ireceive its last EUROFIGHTER jet, reach- change its defence staff members in the their satisfaction with the statements of ing the 72 deliveries agreed in the original coming weeks after the last general elec- the Spanish MoD, which spell out Spain’s contract, Airbus DS sources told ESD during tion was won by the current socialist gov- plans for the future of its EUROFIGHTER a visit to the company's facilities in Getafe, ernment. According to political analysts, fleet: "We hope to work with this valu- nearr Madrid. the of Defence, Secretary of State, and part able client to implement the proposed improvements that will ensure the fun- damental role of Eurofighter at the heart of the Spanish Air Force during the next decades and that will underpin the con-

Photo: AIRBUS DS tinuous stability of the production of combat aircraft in Spain." Spain participates in the Eurofighter pro- gramme by holding 14% of Airbus DS (Ger- many with Airbus DS, 30%; UK with BAE Systems, 36%; Italy with Leonardo, 20%). The final assembly line in Getafe pro- vides the delivery of the entire Spanish EUROFIGHTER fleet and manufactures all the right-hand wing of all 623 aircrafts ordered by nine countries (Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar).

The Tranche 1 Retrofit

Airbus has started the modernisation of Spain’s EUROFIGHTER Tranche 1, “The replacement of Tranche 1 EURO- which includes hardware and software upgrades. FIGHTERs is not an issue at the moment. Tranche 1 fleet has just started a mod- However, this milestone does not spell the of the Chiefs of the Armed Forces could ernisation programme, which includes end for Spain’s Eurofighter TYPHOON pro- be replaced and a new team would have hardware and software upgrades, gramme as the Spanish Airforce (Ejército to make the final decision about the F-18 taking care of obsolescence issues by del Aire) will enhance its current fleet of replacement. integrating Tranche 2 hardware. Opera- 70 aircrafts (there were two accidents in However, on 14 December 2018, the cur- tional upgrades include new capabili- 2014 and 2017) and, most importantly, will rent minister, Margarita Robles, approved ties, like the possibility of carry litening replace 85 F-18 HORNET by 2025. an extra €906M to improve the capabilities targeting pods”, the official spokesper- “The EUROFIGHTER is a solid candidate for of the EUROFIGHTER fleet until 2023 “since son of the Spanish Air Force, Lieuten- the replacement of the F-18 deployed in the €9,254M of the allocated budget had ant-Colonel Marcos Díez Estévez, Zaragoza, Madrid and Canary Islands”, a been spent." told ESD. Spanish Air Force spokesperson said. The final decision is also linked to the possibility of reinforcing the industrial capabilities of Airbus DS in Spain. Of course, there are two

other US-made candidates, the F-18 SUPER Photo: AIRBUS DS HORNET by Boeing and F-35 LIGHTNING II by Lockheed Martin.

The Airbus DS plant in Getafe. Airbus hopes that the Spanish MoD will chose the EUROFIGHTER to replace its ageing F-18 HORNET fleet.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 63 Spain ARMAMENT Considers & the TECHNOLOGY TAURUS Missile for the Eurofighter Is Spain considering participating in a project to integrate the Taurus missile into the EUROFIGHTER? "Spain is considering integration, and if deemed appropriate, it will probably take place METEOR is a radar missile designed to de- in co-operation with the rest of the TAURUS and EUROFIGHTER users, such as Germany, stroy targets at previously unattainable with the aim of being integrated into further developments of the EUROFIGHTER after distances. Its maximum range is well over 100 kilometres, twice as long as other mis- siles designed for combat beyond the visual line of sight (BVLoS), including the US AM- RAAM, which remains the most important

Photo: AIRBUS DS reference to date. Being a fully European technology, METEOR contributes to the autonomy of the conti- nent in terms of defence with a truly revolu- tionary product, which has no equivalent in the market. In addition to the EUROFIGHT- ER, this missile has been integrated into the Swedish GRIPEN, the French RAFALE and the British F-35.

E-Scan Integration

After the retrofit of Tranche 1 in 2023, Airbus DS wants to introduce E-Scan radar in the entire fleet. This adaptation will imply The TAURUS missiles could provide the EUROFIGHTER with a improvements in the following capacities: long-range precision strike capacity. detection, attack and identification; SAR modes (synthetic aperture radar); 2020," said an official source of the Spanish Air Force to ESD. transmission of images; electromagnetic Airbus is being even more explicit: "The integration of TAURUS missiles into the Spanish measurements; and integration of smart Air Force EUROFIGHTERs is clearly being considered by the Spanish MoD and Germany's weapons. accession to such a programme could obviously create synergies." The integration of the E-Scan radar is a bi- “The Spanish Air Force has already TAURUS air-to-ground stand-off missile capability, national programme involving Spain and in service with the F-18 fleet. The same capability with the similar weapon STORM- Germany to start in 2022 in the Luftwaffe SHADOW has already been cleared for operations with the British RAF EUROFIGHTER fleet. It will bring about an improvement fleet. The Spanish MoD is aware of the transfer of TAURUS capabilities from German in the processing and electronic warfare TORNADOs to its replacement fleet, so we are confident that it will be the EUROFIGHTER," functions. an Airbus source said. It is expected that Spain’s fleet of 77 EU- Oliver Strothmann, Director of New Business Europe at Taurus Systems GmbH points ROFIGHTER will be in service until 2045 out that “it is not complicated at all to integrate the TAURUS into the EUROFIGHTER. A when the Future Combat Aircraft System mechanical integration was already done some years ago. Only the electrical integra- (FCAS) will start to replace them. Spain will tion has to be done to be completely integrated. Of course, every integration is also very announce its participation in this French- much dependent on customer wishes, which have not been completely discussed yet. German led main military project during the I cannot see why TAURUS should not be planned to be integrated in Spanish Air Force Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. The Spanish EUROFIGHTERS." authorities will sign a Memorandum of Un- In fact, TAURUS integration into the EUROFIGHTER would maintain the capability for derstanding to be on board this ambitious long-range precision strikes for years to come, as the missiles procured have not even European jet fighter project. reached one-third of their lifetime. And the F-18 Spanish Fleet Replacement? Last February, Airbus delivered the first “This first single-seat EUROFIGHTER (se- upgraded Tranche 1 EUROFIGHTER to the rial number SS003), to be followed by a What are the possibilities for EUROFIGHTER Spanish Air Force. The upgrade was car- second two-seat aircraft currently under- to replace the 85 F-18 HORNETs fleet of the ried out at the Airbus facilities in Getafe going the upgrade, will be used initially by Spanish Air Force? After the integration of and involved the introduction of hard- CLAEX as a test aircraft for the qualifica- the E-Scan radar into the current fleet, Air- ware modifications, which support the tion of these new capabilities that will be bus DS expects to win a new contract to Operational Flight Programme 02 (OFP- implemented on the Air Force’s fleet of replace the F-18s. 02) developed by the Armament and Ex- 17 Tranche 1 EUROFIGHTERs”, Fernando “We are having conversations with the perimental Logistics Centre (CLAEX) in Peces, responsible for the EUROFIGHTER Spanish MoD to replace the F-18. Of course, the Spanish Air Force. programme at Airbus DS in Spain, stated. it is a sovereign decision. But, I can tell you The upgrade developed by Airbus includes Another pillar of the Phase 2 Enhancements that the favourite option to replace the first modifications that integrate Tranche 2 (P2E) of the Spanish EUROFIGHTER will F-18 aircrafts in Gando Air Base (Canary Is- and Tranche 3 equipment on the aircraft, be the integration of the METEOR missile. lands) is the EUROFIGHTER”, Alberto Gutiér- such as a Computer Symbol Generator, Developed and produced by a consortium rez, head of military aircraft at Airbus DS, Digital Video and Voice Recorder, Laser of European companies led by MBDA, the told ESD. This is where a new chapter in the Designator Pod and Maintenance Data METEOR missile is undoubtedly the main in- 'jet flight' between Europe and US is about Panel. novation of the P2E. to begin. 

64 European Security & Defence · 6/2019

 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY “Our aim is to refrain from taking separate national approaches.”

Interview with Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, National Armaments Director at the German Ministry of Defence

medical evacuation operations. Additional implemented in a national and international flights are conducted for operational context in the next decade. suitability tests. The crews are particularly As far as the TIGER programme is enthusiastic about the A400M’s cockpit concerned, we have commenced the design (human-machine interface), multinational midlife upgrade programme available engine power and handling “TIGER MK III” in cooperation with France qualities. and Spain. We expect the deliverance of At the same time, different variables have the upgraded helicopters starting in mid-

Photo: BMVg posed challenges, for example in starting 2020. in-service use of a new system. As a result, ESD: What are the most important military the availability of the system is not yet ESD: What is the focus of the forthcoming aerospace programmes in your country, satisfactory. Everyone involved is working programmes? both current and forthcoming? to change that. Stawitzki: While the ongoing projects al- Stawitzki: As of now, we are particu- Nevertheless, negotiating the contract ready bear witness to intensive European larly focussing on the EUROFIGHTER and amendment in the process known as cooperation, it is important to consistently A400M programmes with regard to our “Global Rebaselining” means that we will put the lessons identified from these pro- fixed wing capabilities. have a solid basis for further development grammes into practice and continue to Once the 143rd German EUROFIGHTER, and delivery planning for this important increase the level of cooperation with all which is the last one for the time being, is weapon system in the foreseeable future. possible partners. Our aim is to refrain from delivered in the second half of 2019, we will Thus, I expect a continual increase in the taking separate national approaches to fu- return our focus to the phase of in-service fleet’s capacity. ture cooperative programmes and instead use for this complex weapon system. At In addition and having identified a to consistently collaborate on meeting the the same time, we are planning continuous capability gap in missions abroad with challenges involved in planning, delivery further development of this system, and its regard to the access to certain places and especially operation of the systems in operational availability continues to present with limited infrastructure we have set up these complex programmes as the in-ser- us with major challenges. We support the together with France the procurement of vice support has to be assured for decades. ongoing export campaigns and plan to a small C 130 J transport fleet, which will The programmes for the Next-Generation replace the first aircraft of Tranche 1 with be homebased in Evreux. This programme Weapon System (NGWS) in a Future new EUROFIGHTERs in due time. This once again proves us to foster the delivery Combat Air System (FCAS) and for the weapon system is also a possible candidate of interoperable and commonly used Eurodrone are pointing us in the right for eventually replacing the TORNADO, capabilities to our armed forces shoulder direction. which is scheduled to be phased out by shoulder with partner nations. Based on the High Level Common Opera- starting in 2025. In the area of our rotary wing capabilities as tional Requirements Document signed in The A400M is also showing us what it of now the multinational European NH 90 2018, we are now initially cooperating with means when a complex weapon system and TIGER programmes serve as the main France to finalise the first steps in design- is simultaneously in the phases of basis, together with our ageing “working ing and developing the FCAS, which will development, delivering and in-service horse”, the CH-53 G. be more than a mere replacement for the use. The A400M is already successfully To replace the latter, we officially started an Eurofighter and Rafale. We are in discus- supporting our international operations open tender for a future heavy transport sions with other countries with France as such as Mali and Afghanistan and is proving helicopter in spring this year. the lead nation in the role of a caretaker in its enormous potential. At the moment, it For the NH90, we are preparing a retrofit this regard. In terms of the industry, Dassault is chiefly used for strategic air transport programme addressing more than 50 and Airbus will play key roles in designing, and – depending on the threat situation – requirements to improve the capabilities of developing, producing and maintaining the for protected air transport. An A400M is this weapon system for future scenarios. system, in close association and involvement also permanently on twelve-hour alert for These retrofit improvements will be with other industrial partners.

66 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

The Eurodrone is a programme we are ing an offer, which is expected in mid- ESD: Which of these activities are being advancing with France, Spain and Italy 2019. Development and qualification are carried out in international partnerships, to develop and procure an unmanned scheduled for completion as of 2025, and who are your partners? aircraft system for aerial imaging surveil- meaning that the first aircraft will prob- Stawitzki: We aim to implement a large lance and reconnaissance from medium ably be available starting in 2026. portion of our R&D activities in coopera- altitudes down to the depth of opera- tion with international partners. Current tions. The capabilities for long-term ESD: What share of your procurement projects include: intelligence, surveillance, target acquisi- funding is invested in military aerospace • Investigating technologies for the par- tion and reconnaissance (ISTAR) are to be R&T, and what are you focussing on? ticipation of unmanned aerial systems Photo: BMVg

A German Airbus A400M is being loaded for the Syrian mission at Jagel Air Base, 10. December 2015. The A400M is supporting Germany’s contribution to international operations in Mali and Afghanistan. supplemented with the ability to engage Stawitzki: In 2018, the German Federal (UAS) in general air traffic within the stationary and mobile point targets. This Ministry of Defence invested a total of framework of the European Defence programme is a significant step forward €61.5M in R&D activities in the field of Agency (EDA) in cooperation with Aus- towards the development of a European military aerospace. These activities range tria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, capability in this operational area. The from applied basic research to system and France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, programme is led by the multinational solution-oriented studies. They are primar- Sweden and the UK armaments agency OCCAR’s location in ily geared towards identifying, investigat- • Joint studies on rotary aircraft with Hallbergmoos, Germany. The main in- ing and achieving the technical maturity of the US dustrial contractor is Airbus D&S with technologies: • Analysing innovative technologies the support of Dassault and Leonardo. • For the participation of unmanned aerial for the further development of aerial systems in general air traffic combat systems in cooperation with the ESD: What role does Europe play in these • For innovative propulsion systems for countries in the European Technology programmes? the Bundeswehr’s aircraft Acquisition Programme (ETAP): France, Stawitzki: The Eurodrone receives sup- • For the implementation of a future Spain, Italy, Sweden and the UK port from the EU through the European aerial combat system • Space-related activities, currently in Defence Fund (EDF) and is to present fur- • To improve rotary aircraft systems cooperation with Australia, Canada, ther opportunities for European integra- • For satellite-based air-ground imaging Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK tion through use in Permanent Structured reconnaissance and the US. Cooperation (PESCO). Following comple- • To protect space infrastructure tion of the definition study at the end These activities will still be points of focus The questions were asked by of 2018, the industry is currently prepar- for the next few years. Peter Bossdorf

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 67  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY “Trident Juncture in Norway was a priceless opportunity.”

Interview with Morten Tiller, National Armament Director at the Ministry of Defence of Norway

expect it to increase further in the years Last year, NATO’s article 5 exercise Tri- to come. Norway is currently implement- dent Juncture in Norway was a priceless ing a long-term defence plan, which con- opportunity, as a host nation and a first stitutes a large increase in the defence line responder, to test the national Total budget of more than €18Bn over the next Defence Concept and draw several key 20 years. It represents a major strength- lessons for future implementations. ening of our Armed Forces. We also invest in new, high-end strategic The plan is based on a three-step strat- capabilities. The procurement of the new

Photo: MoD Norway egy, improved availability and endurance, F-35 fighter aircraft is on schedule. Cou- increased activity and presence, and in- pled with the Joint Strike Missile, it repre- ESD: In many western countries, the vestments in vital capabilities. sents major improvements of our military changed security-political situation in Generally, we are increasing the level of capabilities. In addition, we are investing Europe has induced governments to readiness and activity across all services, in new submarines, maritime patrol air- allocate additional funds for defence and especially in the High North. In addition, crafts (MPA) and air defence systems. We armament. To what extent and in what we focus on enhancing the logistical are also making significant investments in way has this trend influenced things in capabilities, availability of spare parts, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, your country? ammunition, maintenance and stocks, in order to maintain situational aware- Tiller: Defence spending in Norway has required for properly responding to a ness in the North Atlantic and the High increased every year since 2012 and we sudden crisis or armed conflict. North. Photo: NATO

A US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hits the beach in Ålvund, Norway during Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. About 50,000 soldiers from 31 NATO Allies and partner nations participated in this excercise held in central Norway.

68 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

Looking even further ahead, a premise to provide exact figures for aerospace ESD: What are your nation's current ac- for Norway’s next long term plan is to R&D, since Norway has a long tradition tivities and considerations in the frame- further increase our defence spend- of close R&D cooperation between the work of PESCO (Permanent Structured ing towards the NATO’s 2% GDP goal Norwegian Armed Forces, Norwegian Cooperation) and what are your plans? through annual growth in defence Defence Industry and the Norwegian Tiller: Even if Norway is not member of spending. Defence Research Establishment, the EU, we welcome EUs defence initiatives so-called triaxial cooperation. and consider a strong and well-coordinat- ESD: What are the most important This triaxial cooperation between the ed EU that takes greater responsibility for military aerospace programmes in your science and technology environment, common security to be important. How- country, both current and forthcoming? the industry and the end user has served ever, we argue it has to be done in close Tiller: The most important investments us well as basis for military innovation, cooperation and dialogue with NATO. within the military aerospace programmes capability development and delivery. Norway signed an Administrative Ar- are replacing F-16s with F-35s, maritime The model has enabled us to manage rangement with European Defence helicopters (NH 90), continued maritime available funds and resources in a fo- Agency in 2006, and is currently par- patrol capability by replacing P-3 ORION cused manner, thereby achieving cost- ticipating in the project “Preparatory with P-8 POSEIDON, new Ground Based effective development of world class Action on Defence Research – PADR.” Long Range/Area Air Defence system and products like the Naval Strike Missile, PESCO is still reserved for EU member upgrade of NASAMS Medium Range Air NASAMS, multi- purpose ammunition states only. However, third countries Defence system including replacement of and the nano-UAV BLACK HORNET, to may by be invited and Norway will con- medium range missiles. mention a few. tinue to argue for participation in PESCO projects. Our defence industry is deeply ESD: What share of your procurement ESD: Which of these are carried out in integrated with European defence in- funds is invested in military aerospace international partnerships, and who are dustry and we are concerned that exclu- R&D and what are you concentrating your partners? sions from EU’s defence initiatives may on? Tiller: About 70% of our armaments create major challenges for industrial Tiller: Norway attaches significant at- are procured through foreign companies partners and businesses owned by Nor- tention on modernisation. The defence and we have a broad international co- wegian industry within EU nations. budget’s share of procurement is around operation portfolio. Currently, the most 28% and the figure will increase in the important capability investments is our The questions were asked by years to come. However, it is challenging participation in the F-35 programme. Peter Bossdorf

Close Combat Symposium 2019 Defence Academy of the UK - 09 – 11 July 2019 As a result of the new Transformation Fund, Army HQ has announced a change in their theme for the symposium from Survivability to 21st Century Infantry. This is because of the money the Fund is making available over the next few years. Army HQ is looking to invest this across a number of areas. In respect of Ground Manoeuvre Capability these include autonomous vehicles, less than lethal technologies, nano-UAS technologies, supporting technologies and techniques for urban areas, and improving individual and collective STA. As a result of a recent planning meeting at HQ Army, Cranfield Defence and Security are now issuing a further call for exhibitors and demonstrations in these areas.

The aim of the symposium remains to consider trends and developments in small arms, dismounted weapon systems, ammunition, senors, optics, and protective clothing and equipment. The revised theme of 21st Century Infantry also seeks to examine additional opportunities for capability enhancements in the near-term, some of which will require new development. Although it is still being finalised, the programme currently includes: implications of the Transformation Fund; a Defence Intelligence threat brief; an engagement with DE&S specifically soldier systems and DTech on innovation and experimentation; Force Development and experimentation opportunities; soldier system integration; connecting the dismounted soldier; robotic vehicles; training munitions; mainting fightability; alternate weapon cleaning regimes; and UAV enhanced digital mortar fire control. In addition DCC Chesterman of the National Armed Policing Group will present on the Police perspective, whilst Captain William Shepherd USN Ret’d (ex Navy Seal and international space station astronaut) will present on the perils of when technology goes wrong. Day 2 is the usual live firing range day at COTEC, kindly sponsored by FNH UK, with an evening dinner at the GWR museum STEAM in Swindon.

This symposium brings together representatives from across the international defence and security sector. Through presentations by Army HQ, DE&S, Dstl, industry and academia, and through plenary discussion the purpose is to encourage a sharing of ideas and opportunity to challenge current thinking. Email: [email protected] - Telephone: +44(0)1793 785648 - Follow us on Twitter @SympatShriv www.symposiaatshrivenham.com Range Day kindly sponsored by  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY CASEVAC/MEDEVAC Aircraft: Current and Pending Systems

Sidney E. Dean

Armed forces rely on Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) and Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) aircraft to transport wounded (combat), injured (non-combat), and ill personnel. While the borders between both types of mission can be fluid (and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, even by armed forces), there are some general factors defining each.

ASEVAC is normally an emergency soldiers have the highest chances of sur- flights tend to cover medium-range to Cflight, transporting the patient di- vival. While any qualifying aircraft can be long-distance flights. They can transport rectly from the field to the nearest medi- used, dedicated CASEVAC aircraft are patients from field hospitals to regional cal/trauma facility, be it a field clinic or a usually rotary aircraft capable of landing medical centres, or repatriate them from regional hospital. CASEVAC patients are in unprepared terrain. Some helicopters overseas to major hospitals in their country of origin. While rotary aircraft can conduct shorter range missions within a theatre of operation, longer range MEDEVAC flights must be conducted by fixed wing aircraft. Since MEDEVAC flights are normally pre- Photo: US Air Force planned, there is time to await the avail- ability of aircraft specifically configured for such missions. This includes dedicated ME- DEVAC aircraft as well as general-purpose transports which can be configured with a medical evacuation module. Aircraft dedi- cated to the medical evacuation missions are marked with the Red Cross symbol as international law prohibits firing at these aircraft. These aircraft are generally desig- nated as MEDEVAC, even when employed in the CASEVAC role.

North America

UH/MH-60 The United States Army is a prime example, utilising both general purpose and dedi- cated helicopters for CASEVAC missions. The multi-mission Sikorsky UH-60 utility Unlike MEDEVAC missions, which are unarmed, CASEVAC missions are helicopter performs medical missions on frequently conducted by the nearest available aircraft. demand, while the HH-60M – a variant of the UH-60M introduced in 2007 – is opti- transported after only basic battlefield care are specifically equipped for the CASEVAC mised for this role and bears the Red Cross by fellow combat personnel or a combat mission. However, since evacuation is time symbol. medic, in hopes of delivering the soldier to critical, CASEVAC missions are frequently The HH60M variant includes a specialised a medical facility within one hour of injury conducted by the nearest general-mission MEDEVAC Medical Equipment Package, (the “golden hour” during which wounded aircraft, with only ad-hoc configuration to consisting of a broad set of optional medi- accommodate litter patients and (perhaps) cal equipment collectively referred to as Author a medical attendant. Many military forces “Patient Movement Items” (PMI), as well not maintain specialised CASEVAC aircraft. as special configuration of the aircraft it- Sidney E. Dean is President of By contrast, MEDEVAC flights normally self. The Army lists over 75 pieces of gear Transatlantic Euro-American transport patients in stable condition after under the PMI label. This equipment runs Multimedia LLC. and a regular they have received care in a medical facil- from standard litters and pain-manage- contributor to ESD. ity. While CASEVAC flights tend to cover ment items to various patient monitoring comparatively short distances, MEDEVAC devices such as a portable EKG. The heli-

70 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

Additionally, the Medical Hands-free Ultra- wideband Broadcast (MEDHUB) system, currently in development, is expected ex- pected to enter service in 2020. It consists Photo:US Air Force of networked vital signs monitors worn be patients, and data storage/communi- cations devices, such as tablets or smart phones, operated by the medical crew. The patient data gathered in flight is automati- cally relayed to the receiving hospital. MED- HUB will serve a double purpose: freeing the on-board medic from recordkeeping and reporting so that (s)he can concentrate on patient care; and ensuring that the re- ceiving facility is optimally prepared for the incoming patients. The HH-60M can carry up to six litter pa- tients plus an attending medic over a maxi- mum range of 510 kilometres at a cruising Aeromedical crews aboard a C-17 GLOBEMASTER III prepare dummy speed of 150 kn. Alternatively, the HH-60M patients for an airlift exercise from a Mobile AeroMedical Staging Facility. can carry stabilised, ambulatory patients in seats. The medical module includes an inte- copter does not carry every item at once; cific seat pallets, seats, litter supports; grated oxygen-generating system, an ECG the exact loadout is determined according a MEDEVAC Mission Sensor, Forward machine, medical suction equipment, and to mission parameters. The aircraft modi- Looking Infra-Red, designed to help pi- patient monitors. Plastic sealed bubble win- fications to support the CASEVAC/MEDE- lots and crew locate patients in limited dows, an infrared system and an environ- VAC role include an externally mounted visibility scenarios; and the BLACKHAWK mental control system also ensures a sterile rescue hoist for retrieving litter patients Advanced MEDEVAC (BAM) sliding win- environment. An external rescue hoist (pa- without landing; the Interim MEDEVAC dow designed to improve loadmaster and tient litter lift) facilitates CASEVAC when the Patient Support System (MEDEVAC-spe- medical crew visibility. terrain or operating environment preclude

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ES&D 06-19.indd 1 5/22/2019 3:40:37 PM  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

HC/MC-130J Where available, US Air Force (USAF) and USMC HERCULES transports and tankers Photo: US Army can be called upon for ad-hoc CASEVAC. Although not as versatile as helicopters, the Lockheed Martin C-130 can land in un- prepared terrain, and has a notably greater range (1,600-2,100 nautical miles) and speed (360 kn) than helicopters. Depend- ing on the terrain, altitude and payload, the take-off roll can be as short as 953 metres. The HERCULES aircraft can also be equipped with MEDEVAC modules for planned evacuation of wounded, injured or ill personnel. The latest model to enter service (1999) is the C-130J SUPER HER- CULES, which comes in two variants, with either a standard hull or with a stretched hull (C-130J-30). The standard C-130J can carry up to 72 litter patients; the C-130J-30 A combined forces squad transporting a sked with a wounded soldier to fits 97 litters. When equipped for MEDE- an HH-60M MEDEVAC BLACK HAWK helicopter in an exercise at Sventez- VAC missions the aircraft’s standard crew eris, Lithuania, 18 June 2016. is augmented by five medical personnel (two flight nurses and three technicians). landing. The HH-60M achieves a cruising calls for a threshold cruising speed of 250 MEDEVAC missions can be conducted in- speed of 150 kn. The unrefueled radius of kn and an objective speed of 295 kn. The theatre or out-of-theatre. 275 nautical miles can be extended through unrefuelled combat radius threshold is 200 use of an external fuel tank. The vertical rate nautical miles for the Army and 365 miles C-17 of climb (at 7.600 kg weight) is 478 metres for the USMC, with objective range of 300 The air-refuellable Boeing C-17 GLOBE- per minute, enabling a rapid departure from and 450 miles, respectively. Like its prede- MASTER has global reach, and is the air- a battlefield landing zone. cessors, the multimission FLRAA will per- craft of choice for long-range MEDEVAC form CASEVAC among other duties. The missions. These wide-body strategic air- FLRAA improved performance parameters could lifters can be configured as flying inten- The US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) cut CASEVAC response time in half or dou- sive care units. It can simultaneously ac- are setting high expectations in the Future ble the range for evacuating wounded sol- commodate 54 ambulatory and 36 litter Long Range Assault Aircraft FLRAA, whi- diers within the “golden hour.” Contenders patients in addition to necessary medical chis expected to enter service in around for the FLRAA contract are the Bell V-280 equipment. Patients are accompanied by 2030. The FLRAA will replace the Army’s VALOR tiltrotor and the tandem-rotor specialised critical care teams. In 2011, at current UH-60 utility helicopter and the Sikorsky SB-1 DEFIANT. A Critical Design the height of the ongoing conflicts, USAF USMC’s UH-1Y. The FLRAA programme Review is scheduled for 2024. C-17s were flying eight MEDEVAC mis- sions weekly to transport stabilised US and allied/partner patients from the cen- tral regional hospital at Bagram Air Base in Iraq to the US Army Medical Centre at Landstuhl, Germany. From there some

Photo: Bell Helicopter were airlifted further, to the US or other home countries.

Europe

H145 Several European-made helicopters are de- ployed for CASEVAC/MEDEVAC missions, most often through the reconfiguration of multi-mission aircrafts. This includes the militarised version of the Airbus EUROCOP- TER EC145 Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). This aircraft is also operated by the US Ar- my, where it was introduced in 2007 under the designation UH-72 LAKOTA LUH. The majority of the LAKOTAs are permanently configured for medical transport and are Bell’s V-280 VALOR is a contender for the Future Long Range Assault officially designated as MEDEVAC aircraft Aircraft (FLRAA) contract. bearing the Red Cross symbol. The aircraft

72 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  can accommodate two NATO standard lit- ters in addition to one medical escort. The helicopter has a sprint speed of 145 kn and a cruising speed of 133 kn (268 kph), with a mission range of 370 nautical miles or Photo: US Air Force 685 kilometres. As the US Army considers the aircraft too light for combat theatre, the LAKOTA is de- ployed within US territory as well as under benign conditions overseas. Other users are less restrictive. The German armed forc- es, for example, use the special operations variant of the EC145 (under the designation H145M LUH). The mission profile includes combat search and rescue and CASEVAC flights. The SOF variant is suitable for covert CASEVAC in contested regions because of its reduced-visibility grey paint job and its acoustic-dampening shrouded tail rotor. The 11-meter diameter main rotor and 13 metre overall length makes the LUH suit- C-130s can deploy for CASEVAC as well as MEDEVAC. Here, a Special able for urban CASEVAC as well. Operations Support Squadron physician practices medical care on a simulated patient during exercise Emerald Warrior/Trident at Naval A169 Air Station North Island, California, US, 16 January 2019. The Leonardo/Agusta Westland Next Generation Multirole helicopter, desig- nated the AW169M, is another light-to- medium aircraft, which includes CASE- VAC and MEDEVAC among its mission Photo: US Army portfolio. The militarised version of the AW169 introduced in 2015, it features advanced avionics and a state-of-the-art digital cockpit which provides enhanced situational awareness as well as improved workload management under high-stress conditions. The AW169M achieves a cruising speed of 145 kn and a range of 440 nautical miles (820 kilometres). The 10-person cabin – the largest in its size class – can be converted to accommodate two litters plus attendant personnel. The external hoist and 1.6 metre-wide cabin doors facilitate loading the wounded, either on the ground or while hovering. The five-bladed rotor provides enhanced An HH-60M hoists up a flight medic and a simulated casualty at the hover performance under adverse condi- Battle Area Complex on Hawaii, on 6 October 2016. tions including “hot and high” operational environments. of the NH90 in the forward air medical Patients are attended in flight by a physi- evacuation (FAME) role, including in Af- cian and one or two medical technicians. NH90 ghanistan and Mali. Normal operating procedures call for one While the A169 is a new development Eurocopter first presented the FAME con- CASEVAC helicopter to be escorted by an- still being evaluated by European armed version kit at the 2010 international avia- other, combat-ready NH-90. forces, the Airbus NH90 introduced in tion exhibit (ILA) in Berlin in response to a 2007 is currently in service in 14 nations German MoD initiative for protected evac- C295 worldwide. Considerably heavier than uation of wounded personnel under com- The bridge between CASEVAC helicopters Leonardo’s new aircraft, the NH90 Tactical bat conditions, from all terrains and under and longer-range MEDEVAC aircraft are Transport Helicopter (TTH) variant features all environmental conditions. The kit can be light-to-medium tactical aircrafts such as a capacity of 12 litters when deployed in installed within 30 minutes. Elements in- the Airbus/CASA C295M military trans- the CASEVAC/MEDEVAC role. Perfor- clude two intensive care stations equipped port. The newest variant is the C295W mance parameters include a top speed of with defibrillators, respiratory ventilators, introduced in 2013. Compared to previ- 160 kn or 300 kph, an operational range diagnostic equipment such as ultrasound ous C295 versions, it comes with a more of 800 kilometres and a rate-of-climb of systems, heart monitors and blood-gas powerful PW127 turboprop engines and eight metres per second. Germany, in spectrometers. Additional ambulatory pa- with winglets, which improve lift and ma- particular, has favoured the deployment tients can be transported at the same time. noeuvrability, especially in “high and hot”

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 73  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY terrain. The state-of-the-art avionics suite configuration the C295 can carry up to 24 tegic airlift. The maximum range is 4.800 permits all-weather, day and night opera- litter patients plus seven medical attend- nautical miles (8.900 kilometres); the four tions even in extreme environments. Op- ants. An intensive care module with life turboprop engines provide a top speed erational range is 2,000 nautical miles. support equipment can also be installed. of Mach 0.72. The large cargo hold can The self-defence suite for hostile operat- easily be configured for MEDEVAC mis- ing zones includes radar-, missile- and laser A400M sions. Eight stretchers are permanently warning systems as well as flare and chaff The Airbus A400M multirole transport stored onboard, enabling the plane to dispensers. In the CASEVAC/MEDEVAC aircraft can deploy for tactical and stra- conduct ad hoc evacuation missions that might arise during its regular transport flights. However, the hold can accommo- date up to 66 standard NATO stretchers arranged in triple-bunk formation on both

Photo: Leonardo sides of the plane. This leaves seating for 25 attending medical personnel on pre- planned MEDEVAC missions. Since 2018, the Airbus A400M can also deploy in in Intensive Care Aeromedical Evacuation (ICEA) configurations. The key is the ICEA module, which can be installed aboard the standard A400M transport aircraft. The German MoD has procured four ICEA modules. Each module can ac- commodate six patients, including two seriously wounded persons requiring in- tensive care, two patients requiring inter- mediate care, and two with lower-priority injuries. Depending on the number of patients and the severity of injuries, each intensive care airlifter is accompanied by a six- to 11-person medical team. The The AW169M is being marketed to military and civilian government aircraft are ready to deploy on 12 hours agencies. notice. The air-refuellable A400M has a global reach, and can operate from unpre- pared grass or dirt landing fields without ground support. In most cases, the plane requires no more than 1,000 meters for take-off and landing. These characteristics Photo: USAF photo make it suitable for direct CASEVAC mis- sions in remote areas.

A310 The wide-body A310 transport jet based on the civilian Airbus A310 can also be equipped with an intensive care module with a capacity for six patients. Litters are placed directly onto each patient bay to avoid additional trauma when transfer- ring the wounded. Medical equipment integrated into to each patient bay is fed from the aircraft’s electric grid, but each station also has a four-hour emergency battery as backup as well. A total of 38 standard litters can be transported in ad- dition to the intensive care module. 16 of these 38 litters can be provided with intermediate-care-level monitors. Up to A reserve critical care air transport team nurse comforts a wounded 25 medical personnel escort the patients. Canadian army soldier aboard a C-130 HERCULES during an emergency Configuring the A310 for MEDEVAC mis- airlift from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, 14 February 2010. Aero- sions requires considerable restructuring medical Evacuation team members are considered as crew, meaning of the passenger bay, including removal they must be familiar with the C-130 aircraft in addition to the medical of internal dividers, overhead bulkheads, specialty they practice. They need to know how to configure the aircraft and seating. The work takes approxi- to accommodate patient litters and how the electricity works for the mately one week, and is commonly per- machines used to keep patients safe in flight. formed on aircraft designated for pro-

74 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  longed standby MEDEVAC duties. Planes can be ready for take-off within three hours of receiving a mission order. The A310 has an 11.000 kilometre operation- al range and a cruising speed of 464 kn or 860 kph. Photo: Tactical Robotics.

A330 MRT Many tanker aircraft perform dou- ble duty as transporters, and include a MEDEVAC capacity. This is true of the Airbus A330MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport). In the “light MEDEVAC” role, up to 130 standard litters can be rapidly installed over folded down seating. This permits the plane to carry personnel into Demonstration flight of the CORMORANT UAV in May 2018. a theatre of operation, then immediately take on wounded to be evacuated to permitting landing in a smaller space; platforms was controlled through the Verti- their home country or another safe na- potentially faster response times as dis- cal Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Evacuation tion. Alternatively, the plane the plane persed field units could keep their own and Resupply Tactical Interface, or VERTI. can be pre-configured in advance for smaller CASEVAC UAS on call. TATRC has also evaluated the DP-14 HAWK the “Intensive MEDEVAC” mission. This for CASEVAC suitability. Developed by DPI involves the installation of a six-patient United States UAV Systems in Pennsylvania, the HAWK re- intensive care module as well as carriage sembles a miniature CH-47 CHINOOK. The for an additional 28 stretchers and up to In 2015, Lockheed Kaman Aerospace and twin-rotor UAS can be transported in a van 20 medical staff. A third configuration Neya Systems jointly tested a collaborative or other utility vehicle, and reaches a top option calls for 40 litters, 20 medical at- CASEVAC using an unmanned ground speed of 105 kn and a cruise speed of 70 tendants, and 100 ambulatory or healthy vehicle to locate the wounded target, kn. The 180x50 centimetre cargo bay can fit passengers, but no intensive care unit. who was successfully evacuated by an one person lying prone. The service ceiling The MEDEVAC mission does not impair unmanned K-MAX heavy-lift helicopter. is 4,600 metres. The aircraft can hot start the plane’s ability to perform the primary The K-MAX was previously tested for bat- within five minutes or cold start – including tanker mission. tlefield logistic support from 2011-2014 in flight plan input – within 15 minutes. Afghanistan by the US Marine Corps. Unmanned CASEVAC The US Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Israel Over the past decade, there has there has Technology Research Center's (TATRC) is been increasing interest in the potential systematically pursuing research into un- Perhaps better known is the CORMO- of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the manned aerial and ground systems to per- RANT VTOL UAS (initially introduced CASEVAC role. Benefits would be: no risk form CASEVAC, MEDEVAC and medical under the designation AIRMULE) devel- for human flight crews; some (but not logistics missions. TATRC repeated the CA- oped by Israel’s Tactical Robotics. The first all) UAS would be smaller than manned SEVAC experiment with Kaman in 2016; the full-scale untethered autonomous flight aircraft, making them less detectable and interaction between the ground and aerial was conducted in 2016. In May 2018, CORMORANT performed a mission rep- resentative CASEVAC demonstration for the Israeli military. The aircraft navigates

Photo: Airbus via on board laser and radar altimeters, inertial sensors, and electro-optical sen- sors. The CORMORANT uses ducted fans rather than conventional rotors for lift. This enables a much smaller footprint than even a small helicopter. Including the ducted fans the aircraft measures 6.2x2.15 metres, making the UAS suitable for ur- ban and wooded settings. In its CASEVAC role, the the CORMORANT can carry two wounded internally. The CORMORANT is the first UAS certified by NATO for both cargo and CASEVAC missions. Tactical Ro- botics has been working closely with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for nine years to refine the design and capabilities. If ac- quired by the IDF, the CORMORANT will be the first serial UAS to deploy (among other functions) in its CASEVAC role. It will A Belgian army NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter certainly not be the last. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 75 Marketing Report: MTU Aero Engines AG

Full Steam Ahead Innovative processes and materials are key for the development of the next generation engines.

The next European fighter aircraft is expected to inject fresh im- petus into the development of engine technologies. With en- tirely new concepts, such as 3D printing and the Rendering of the engine digital twin, MTU Aero and the fighter Engines, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, is opti- mally prepared for the chal- lenges ahead and ready to get down to work. the Airbus A320neo. 3D Printing The technology opens the door to entirely new designs As one of the first companies in the which will help satisfy the requirements world, MTU is producing engine com- for the Next European Fighter Engine next-generation engines – including the ponents by 3D printing. MTU counts (NEFE). In addition, 3D printing also ap- NEFE – by the year 2030. among the first companies world- preciably cuts development, production In the development of the NEFE, MTU wide to use the new technology, hav- and lead times, thus bringing down is strongly relying on digital technology. ing made production parts by additive production costs overall. Estimates are Computer-aided simulation techniques manufacturing since 2013: At its Munich that parts manufactured using addi- have become an indispensable tool in location, the company produces bore- tive techniques will account for up to the design of engines. The “virtual en- scope bosses for the engine powering 15 percent of the total parts count of gine” allows the extent of costly and time-consuming testing of materials, parts, components and entire engines to be reduced. Iteration loops are faster, which cuts down on the experimental effort needed to achieve the required specification values. At the same time,

Photos: MTU Aero Engines the accuracy and quality of the results are improved. This method of virtual representation, which replaces the con- ventional processes used, for example, in the development of the EJ200, will open up entirely new possibilities for the NEFE right from the outset. The “virtual engine“ platform permits simulations of the overall system, thus making sure that potential problems and conflicts of objectives are identified early on. This is particularly important given the high standards to be satisfied in develop- ment and production, but also in main- tenance and service. Moreover, prob- lem-solving requires markedly fewer iteration loops. The company is also driving forward with the digital twin, which is a software Light, sturdy, temperature-resistant: ceramic matrix composites are representation of a real product (compo- ideally suited for engine construction. The new material could save nent, module, or engine) and contains weight, optimise combustion and increase efficiency. all digitally available information about

76 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Full Steam Ahead Innovative processes and materials are key for the development of the next generation engines.

the entire lifecycle – from development and production through to the in-ser- vice phase. This way, the product can be optimised by engineering as regards its function, manufacturability and use, for example by comparisons with actual data from production and operation. MTU plans to step up its research efforts in this field over the next few years and build a virtual network that spans the entire value-adding chain. The findings and lessons learned in the process will then be directly infused in the develop- ment of the NEFE. This way, it is hoped to cut down significantly on develop- Process of additive manufacturing: Series production of boroscope eyes ment costs. for the PW1100G-JM by selective laser melting (SLM)

Ceramic Composites currently used for a few engine parts ramic matrix composites stand out over only, the advantages they afford make conventional materials. Unlike conven- Apart from these innovative manufac- them attractive candidates for a much tional ceramics, these composites are turing and development processes, MTU wider range of components. Among the not brittle and are thus suitable for use is placing an increasingly strong focus materials that hold the greatest prom- in highly stressed structures, such as the also on new material classes. While fi- ise for future engine applications are low-pressure turbine. Despite the high bre-reinforced composite materials are ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Ce- mechanical and thermal loads to which CMCs are exposed in such applications, these materials require less cooling than metals. Moreover, components made from CMCs are much lighter than their conventional counterparts. The new ma- terial has the potential to lower weight and reduce the cooling air demand, thus increasing efficiency and mission flex- ibility.

New Ideas Need Financial Support Be it innovative manufacturing pro- cesses, such as 3D printing and the digi- tal twin, or advanced fibre-reinforced composite materials: Without adequate financial backing for sustainable tech- nology development it is not possible to fully exploit promising technology potentials in engine development. New ideas require strong financial support for sustained growth. This is one of the reasons why MTU today needs planning reliability through public funding com- Heat test: A part made from oxidic CMC is tested in an oven at 1,100 mitments, which are necessary to ensure degrees Celsius in order to study the possible applications of the the operational readiness of the new material under extreme conditions. weapon system as from 2040.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 77  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY “PESCO was a major step.”

Interview with Raimo Jyväsjärvi, National Armaments Director at the Ministry of Defence of Finland Photo: Fin MoD, Tiina Takala

Jyväsjärvi: Finnish Defence Forces invest ESD: What are your nation's current activi- annually a reasonable amount from its ties and considerations in the framework of procurement funds to military aerospace PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) related R&D projects. Currently the main and what are your plans? aerospace R&D priority areas include the Jyväsjärvi: The launching of PESCO overall development of current air combat was a major step. We expect PESCO capabilities, the HX fighter programme to become a driving force for defence aims to replace the current fleet (64 fight- investment, capability development ers) of F/A-18 HORNETs, and emerging and operational readiness. It is a broad space technologies. framework for defence cooperation, set to tighten along the years. For us, join- ESD: Which of these are carried out in ing PESCO was an easy decision to take. ESD: In many western countries, the international partnerships, and who are The binding commitments of PESCO are changed security-political situation in your partners? the element that sets it apart from pre- Europe has induced governments to allocate additional funds for defence and armament. To what extent and in what way has this trend influenced things in your country? Jyväsjärvi: This is indeed the situation Photo: MoD Finland also in Finland. Finland’s military operating environment has changed. Military activity and military tensions have increased in the Baltic Sea region. That means that we are also allocating additional funds for defence to improve our readiness so that we are able to respond to the changes in the security environment. Because Finland never abandoned the national defence as one of the key priorities in our security policy, the defence fundaments are already in good shape. Strategic capability programmes of the Navy and the Air Force (Squadron 2020 and HX) will be financed by additional resources during 2019-2031. During next decade our defence spending is coming close to 2% of the GDP. A Finnish F/A-18 HORNET takes off from Rovaniemi Airbase during Exer- cise Trident Juncture 2018 on 25 October 2018. Finland wants to replace ESD: What are the most important military its F/A-18 HORNET fleet. aerospace programmes in your country, vious defence initiatives. Currently we both current and forthcoming? Jyväsjärvi: Currently, Finnish Defence participate in four PESCO projects and Jyväsjärvi: The most important one is the Forces actively participate in multilateral are observers in six projects. We are cur- HX programme that aims to replace the R&D cooperation, for example, within the rently assessing new possible projects. existing F/A-18 HORNET fleet’s capability. framework of the European Defence Agen- Military Mobility is a good example of The procurement decision will be made in cy (EDA). Overall, international cooperation a PESCO project that can support our 2021. is an integral part of the Finnish Defence defence capabilities and help protect the Force´s R&D activities, and especially multi- Union and its citizens. ESD: What share of your procurement lateral cooperation is becoming increasing- funds is invested in military aerospace R&D ly important along the development of the The questions were asked by and what are you concentrating on? new funding mechanisms such as the EDF. Peter Bossdorf

78 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  UAS for Reconnaissance and Surveillance

Sidney E. Dean

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) – which consist of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) plus sensors, command & control, and launch elements – have become indispensable assets for military Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) missions.

hile different nations have different GLOBAL HAWK HALE entered service pro- Considered a next-generation technology, Wclassification systems, UAS are gen- visionally after the September 11 2001 ter- the AN/ZPY-2 provides highly detailed sen- erally categorised according to their size rorist attacks. Beginning in November 2011, sor imagery of moving targets. and performance parameters, whereby GLOBAL HAWK prototypes performed US The RQ-4 is 14.5 metres long, with a wing- large UAV naturally feature higher endur- Air Force reconnaissance missions over span of 39.9 metres. The gross take off ance, operating altitude and payload than Afghanistan in support of coalition intel- weight is 14,628 kg, including a payload of smaller aircraft. They can additionally be ligence gathering and mission planning. 1,360 kg. The surface ceiling is 18,300 me- classified as either fixed-wing, rotary or tiltrotor aircraft. While some UAS are gen- eralists, many are tailored to very specific

mission profiles. Performance parameters Photo: USMC in general are improving through ongoing developments in the fields of Artificial Intel- ligence (AI), Command, Control and Com- munications (C3), battery capacity, motor efficiency, and sensors.

HALE/MALE

The largest and most powerful UAS are cat- egorised as High-Altitude/Long-Endurance (HALE) and Medium Altitude/Long-Endur- ance (MALE), respectively. Because of their size, HALE and MALE UAV normally oper- ate like manned aircraft from a standard land-based runway. NATO classifies UAS with a service ceiling above circa 14,000 metres as HALE. These systems are con- sidered strategic or national assets, which A Marine launches a PUMA UAV by hand in Afghanistan. operationally support theatre command- ers. NATO classifies MALE UAS as those Several models are currently operational. tres. The jet-powered aircraft self-relocates flying between 5,500 and 14,000 metres The Block 30 variant entered service in to the operational theatre, and has a ferry altitude, in support of Joint Task Force com- 2011. It is equipped with the Enhanced range of 12,300 nautical miles. Maximum manders on theatre-level missions. Integrated Sensor Suite, which simultane- flight endurance exceeds 32 hours, with 24 ously carries high-resolution electro-optical hours loiter time over the target area (cal- RQ-4 Global Hawk and infrared sensors and an all-weather culated on a 1,200 nautical mile distance synthetic aperture radar/ground moving between the airbase and the target area). The largest and most powerful UAS in US target indicator (SAR/GMTI). The UAV also Typical loitering airspeed is 310 kn. production belong to the Northrop Grum- carries an Airborne Signals Intelligence Pay- The high surface ceiling, long-range and man RQ-4/MQ-4 family. The original RQ-4 load (ASIP) with high and low band signals powerful sensor suite enables the RQ-4 to intelligence (SIGINT) sensors. Multiple sen- simultaneously provide both wide area cov- Author sors can be used simultaneously. erage and detailed ISR in near real time. Sen- The Block 40 variant was added to the US sor date is relayed in near real time through Sidney E. Dean is President of Air Force inventory in 2013. It carries the wideband Ku SatCom and alternately Transatlantic Euro-American AN/ZPY-2 Multi-Platform Radar Technol- through line-of-sight communications. The Multimedia LLC. and a regular ogy Insertion Programme (MP-RTIP) active RQ-4 is remotely operated in flight by a two- contributor to ESD. electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, person crew (pilot and sensor operator). An which provides both SAR and GMTI data. additional pilot stationed at the forward op-

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 79 Photo: USMC Co-operation (OCCAR) for Airbus Defence and Space to submit a tender for the devel- opment, production and the initial in-ser- vice support phase of the European MALE RPAS Programme. As reported by Airbus, the preliminary design review will allow the participating states – France, Germany, Italy and Spain – and industry to start develop- ing the system with aligned requirements and a clear picture of the overall system design. Capacity goals include flight op- erations in non-segregated airspace, pay- load modularity, and capability to operate worldwide. The mission profile encompass- The BLACK HORNET Nano UAS has been fielded or tested by over 30 es Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisi- nations since 2011. tion and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.

erating airbase controls the UAV for take off kilometre swath during one sweep, or a PATROLLER and landing. The RQ-4 has been acquired seven million square kilometre area over by NATO as a joint asset. Japan and South the course of a 24-hour mission. The MQ- Another European-designed MALE UAS Korea are also acquiring the UAS. 4C is being acquired by Australia and by – Safran’s PATROLLER – is currently enter- Germany. The German UAS are expected ing service with the French army’s recon- MQ-4C TRITON to field a sensor suite developed by Airbus. naissance forces. It is equipped with the EuroFLIR 410 optronics suite, an imaging A maritime variant, the MQ-4 TRITON, EuroMALE radar, and a SIGINT suite. It is suitable for a achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) wide range of ISR missions, including target with the US Navy in 2018. Full Operational Airbus is leading a joint effort including acquisition and designation. A maritime Capability (FOC) is planned for 2023. The Dassault and Leonardo to field a MALE Re- variant is also offered. The PATROLLER can RQ-4C will perform persistent wide-area motely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) by carry a 250 kg sensor payload on missions maritime ISR, freeing up manned aircraft circa 2025. Frequently referred to as the Eu- exceeding 20 hours duration. The service for more targeted missions. It will also work roMALE, the UAS will be powered by two ceiling is 6,000 metres. The reinforced re- in tandem with manned aircraft, locating six-bladed turboprop engines and have an tractable landing gear permits operations and identifying targets to be attacked. The estimated operational range of 750 kilo- from short runways. The UAS has a lower onboard Automatic Identification System metres or 405 nautical miles. The surface than average noise, heat and radar signa- (AIS) enables the UAS to autonomously ceiling is expected to be in the 7,500 metre ture. The 8.5-metre long aircraft has an identify vessels by class without human range. The ten-metre long aircraft will have 18-metre wingspan and a range of 4,000 intervention. Flight parameters are largely a wingspan of 15 metres and gross take off kilometres. equivalent to the RQ-4, with the excep- weight of 1,100 kg. tion that the MQ-4 is capable of rapidly Airbus revealed a full-scale model at the HERON dropping from high to low altitude to focus Berlin Air Show in April 2018, although the electro-optical sensors and a laser range- company cautions that this may not fully Israeli industry globally markets several finder and target designator on an ac- reflect the final design. The system prelimi- MALE UAS, including the IAI HERON, Elbit quired vessel. The sensor suite is optimised nary design review – a major milestone in HERMES 900 and 1500, and Aeronautics for the marine environment and mission. the ongoing development – was achieved Defence DOMINATOR XP. The HERON is It includes AN/ZPY-3 AESA radar capable in November 2018. The design review fol- the most mature of the three, entering of operating in inverse SAR (ISAR) mode. lowed the October 2018 invitation by the service with the Israeli Defense Force in The AN/ZPY-3 can survey a 5,200 square European Organisation for Joint Armament 2007. An additional nine nations, includ- ing five NATO members, now operate the HERON. Several variants are available, including the extended-range HERON TP

Photo: Airbus with an endurance of more than 30 hours and a service ceiling of 13,850 metres. The 14-metre long plane has a wingspan of 26 metres and is powered by a single turboprop engine. The maximum take off weight of 5,670 kg includes a maximum payload of 2,700 kg. The payload con- figuration is modular and can be adapted to client and mission requirements. The aircraft control and Automatic Takeoff and Landing (ATOL) systems has been re- fined to permit remote operation in sev- Originally designed by EADS/Casa, the ATLANTE UAS made its maiden eral thousand kilometres distant from the flight in Spain in 2013. main base of operations. This includes the

80 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 WIDE AREA OPERATIONS At Paris Air Show 2019, France, please visit us in hall 4 at booth #B37.

Unmanned Multi-Sensor Surveillance WIDE AREA OPTICAL • EO/IR • RADAR laser designation, as well as SAR/GMTI, COMINT DF, ELINT and electronic war- fare. The ATOL permits remote operations from non-instrumented runways. A single operator controls both the aircraft and sensors. Control and communications op- tions include Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) through SATCOM, and Line-of-Sight (LOS) through datalink. Mission endurance can extend to 36 hours, with a surface ceiling of 9,200 metres. The UAS can be deployed for missions over land or sea. It has been ac-

Photo: Airbus quired by seven nations plus the European Unveiling of the EuroMALE model at the 2018 Berlin Airshow: One of the Maritime Safety Agency. characteristics of this UAS will be modularity for intelligence, surveillance The larger HERMES 1500 is powered by and reconnaissance missions, both wide-area and in-theatre. two turboprop engines. It achieves a sur- face ceiling of 10,150 metres and carries a 400 kg payload. At 24+ hours, mission en- durance is lower than the 900 variant. Mis- sion control is through the same Universal Ground Control Station as other HERMES utilised for other HERMES variants. Photo: Aeronautics Defense DOMINATOR XP

Unlike the other MALE UAS discussed here, Aeronautics Defense’s DOMINATOR XP is based on a manned aircraft, the Austrian DIAMOND DA42 Twin Star. While the UAS retains the manned aircraft’s avionics and general performance profile, it features im- proved fuel economy and consequently a higher mission endurance of 20 hours. The The DOMINATOR XP carries a wide range of ISR sensors. 373 kg ISR payload capacity permits carriage of multiple sensors, including electro-optical and infrared cameras (EO/IR), hyper-spectral sensors, laser designators, maritime radar

Photo: Safran for ISR in support of anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions, as well as for domestic security applications. The maritime radar includes SAR/ISAR modes. The mari- time surveillance suite also includes search & rescue transponder detection and a ship Au- tomatic Identification System (ASI) receiver. To date, the XP has been acquired by Mexico and by an as yet unnamed Asian client.

Medium UAS

Medium sized/medium endurance tactical UAS typically support operational units at the brigade level, as well as serving as ship- The PATROLLER UAS is currently entering service with the French Army’s board ISR systems. Service ceilings extend reconnaissance forces. to circa 5,500 metres. Wingspan tends to- ward the 5-to-10-metre range, with a max- capability of landing and take off from re- HERMES 900/1500 imum gross take off weight around 600 mote sites with minimal infrastructure, co- kg. Endurance varies significantly among ordinated from the main base via satellite Elbit markets a complete family of tacti- the systems, from several hours to more communication. This eliminates the need cal UAVs under the HERMES line. The two than 20 hours. Some medium UAVs take for a ground control station and flight most powerful are the HERMES 900 and off and land conventionally, including on crew to be located at the aircraft's forward HERMES 1500. The single-engine 900 has unprepared fields. Others utilise rail or cat- base. A small team with basic refuelling a 15-metre wingspan and 300 kg payload apult-assisted take off, and are recovered infrastructure will suffice in the theatre of capacity. Payload options include electro- either by parachute or through arresting operations. optics, IR imaging laser range finder and wires/nets.

82 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Marketing Report: Israel Aerospace Industries

5th Generation UAS Multi-Layered Mission Control Station

IAI is fielding the 5th generation of its UAS based on the extensive experience gained and control, location pointing and system control station. The iUCS, a game changing through over 40 years of UAS operations interface, enabling the controller to input new 4D Innovative Unified Control System with more than 50 world-wide custom- changes in the flight plan, employ proce- (iUCS™), is the latest in UAS control, built ers and over 1.7M flight hours, continuous dures, route management, altitude chang- to meet the multi-sensor, high-definition, evolution addressing user requirements and es, communications control, etc. multi-layered complex missions challenge operational experience. Utilising a compact, Special attention was given to reducing op- to be responded to with the HERON family, modular design iUCS is operable as a stand- erator workload under routine operation Photos: IAI

but not only... It brings refreshing and patent alone unit in a vehicle, or with multiple and in emergency. Voice commands are protected automation, planning, control, consoles grouped in a mobile (land or sea) part of the user-machine interface, as the simulation, ergonomic & modular design to shelter or fixed location. system understands spoken instructions, support multi-tasking easily performed by a Where several mission controllers simultane- repeating the command and requests user single operator. ously operate multiple-sensors on a single approval before carrying out the command. The challenges in 2020s missions have ex- UAS, iUCS can also operate in large groups, Handling alerts is another way for the sys- tremely increased with the development supporting multi-UAS operations centre tem reducing workload. Audio warnings are of new technologies (high-definition EO/ (MOIC - Mission Operation and Intelligence triggered in addition to visual alerts when re- IR/ LD, SAR, MPR, GMTI, ESM, COMMINT, Center). quired (weather warning, limitations cross- ELINT …), bringing new demands to link to iUCS panoramic multi-screen view com- ing or when approaching restricted areas, external C2 and C4I networking while using prises two 32”/24” (space depended) high- are indicated visually and verbally, drawing more and more unmanned solutions. resolution display screens locating the oper- the operator attention to the problem by The iUCS is part of a solution that offers a ator in the centre, providing ample viewing double checking appropriate action). powerful machine with maximum automa- area for simultaneous mission planning and The entire system uses Commercial off the tion, advanced tools for mission editing and control, with simultaneous live sensor feeds Shelf (COTS) hardware, and implements an planning, automated flight, remote auto- and access to local or remote information open and modular architecture that allows mated taxi, take-off and landing and latest sources online. both hardware and software to be port- mission operational tools. It provides synergy The iUCS operation implements a fighter able, scalable and upgradeable, supporting for the information gathered from all sources pilot ‘Hands on Stick and Throttle’ concept, international standard including all relevant combined for a better battlefield situational patent protected, for a user centric opera- NATO standards including STANAG 4545, picture and supports decision making. tion, using the joystick and the touch screen 4586, 4607, 4609, 4668, 4669, 4671 and The iUCS and HERON family provide a to maintain directional control of the pay- 7023. The system operates with multiple whole new level of complex missions han- load. An ergonomic ‘throttle’ type multiple servers, dual redundant database and RAID dling, such as: ISTAR, maritime patrol, aerial controls module is operated by the one storage for redundancy. persistence, border patrol, HLS, disaster re- hand, controlling various aircraft systems The iUCS is the latest control station de- lief, time critical situations and many more. and payload functionality. A retractable signed to get the best out of your missions iUCS reflects extensive investments in er- tablet-shaped touch-sensitive display pro- with less manpower and shorter qualifica- gonomics and man-machine engineering, vides the main interface for mission planning tion time.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 83  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

RQ-21A TO partners), the BLACKJACK can operate WATCHKEEPER from land or ship deck. Six payload spaces While the Boeing Insitu RQ-21A BLACKJACK permit customising the sensor suite, which The UK's WATCHKEEPER is the largest on- is sometimes referred to as a small UAV based can include full-motion, day and night EO/ going UAS procurement programme in on its size (length: 2.5 metres; wingspan: 4.9 IR camera systems, a laser rangefinder and Europe, with a minimum of 45 units de- metres), take off weight (61 kg), and range an AIS receiver. The RQ-21 is launched from livered in 2018. The UAS is based on the (102 kilometres), its service ceiling (5,900 a vehicle-towed rail catapult and recovered Elbit HERMES 450 and is produced by a metres) and endurance (16 hours) places it in flight through an arresting wire. In May joint venture between Thales UK and El- in the medium UAS category ('Tier III' ac- 2019, the USMC announced its intention to bit. The primary difference is the payload cording to the US classification system). In develop a vertical launch capability for the capacity. In addition to the EO/IR sensors service since 2014 with the US Marine Corps RQ-21 to reduce the logistical footprint and of the HERMES 450, the WATCHKEEPER (and subsequently purchased by several NA- shorten launch and recovery time. also carries a dual-mode SAR/GMTI radar. Each sensor is on a separate 38 centime- tre gimbal. The 6.1 metre long UAV has a CAMCOPTER - From the Arctic to the Desert 10.6 metre wingspan and a gross take off Schiebel's CAMCOPTER is among the best-known, widely used and field-proven UAV weight of 500 kg. The payload capacity is for naval and other applications. More than 60 UAV systems of this kind have been in 150 kg. Mission endurance is 16 hours per service in the United Arab Emirates since 2017. In addition to Jordan, Libya, Australia and aircraft, with a range of 200 kilometres for the USA, China is among the countries that successfully deploy the drone. Italy already LOS control and data transfer. The UAS is deployed it in the scope of ATALANTA. The OSCE used it in Ukraine, to name just a few designed to operate in extreme zones, in- of the users and areas of application. In addition, there are countless civil missions and cluding the arctic and desert. The UK army customers, for example in the energy sector, to control oil or gas platforms in deserts deployed WATCHKEEPER extensively in as well as in the oceans. Afghanistan in 2014 with full operational capability achieved in 2018.

ATLANTE

Photo: Schiebel The Airbus ATLANTE is 5.47-metre long, with an eight-metre wingspan and a gross takeoff weight of 570 kg. Payload capac- ity is 100 kg. Payload options include a retractable EO/IR turret, SAR/GMTI radar, and maritime search radar. Mission endur- ance exceeds 10 hours, with a service ceil- ing of 6,000 metres and an operational range of 200 kilometres. The aircraft can operate at temperatures between minus 26 and plus 44 degrees Celsius, and can withstand crosswinds of 20 knots. Anti- icing and lightning protection systems contribute to the all-weather capabilities. Two options for take off and landing are available: Short take off (catapult launch and subsequent recovery by parachute); and Long Endurance (automated take off There is no other rotor UAS that has been tried and tested to the extent of the CAM- and landing using prepared or unprepared COPTER, recent Arctic tests included. Under the "Arctic 2030" project Norway’s Andøya fields). A single operator console can con- test centre selected Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) trol two UAS simultaneously. The UAS can Unmanned Air System (UAS) for extensive search and rescue trials. The CAMCOPTER act as data relays for one another, improv- provided proof of its ability to perform in the harshest weather conditions and to operate ing operational range and mitigating ter- at temperatures down to -40°C. This was successfully proven in a series of intense trials rain impact on communications. such as Canadian icebreaker operations. In this particular case, the CAMCOPTER was deployed 60 nautical miles north of Fogo Island, providing a wide-view image of the ice SKELDAR V-200 structure as well as identifying the boundaries between flat and rough ice. Due to its long service life and global users, the CAMCOPTER has already undergone Medium UAS include rotary aircraft. Their several improvements. With the help of the local positioning system “DeckFinder”, take- reduced footprint and vertical flight char- offs and landings of the unmanned system without GPS were successfully executed. acteristics make unmanned helicopters Schiebel has also successfully demonstrated the heavy fuel variant of the CAMCOPTER particularly attractive as shipboard ISR ele- S-100 to the Royal Australian Navy. In addition, various payload options have been inte- ments. The SKELDAR V-200 – a joint ven- grated over the years. The CAMCOPTER is thus not only the UAS of this class with the ture between SAAB and the Swiss firm largest – also in terms of climatic conditions – operational area, but also with most of UMS Aero – is being acquired by the Ger- the options for the users, who can now configure the CAMCOPTER in response to their man Navy and by the European Maritime operational objectives, taking advantage from a large portfolio of equipment elements. Security Agency, and is on offer to several other navies. The system is 4586 STANAG

84 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  compliant, and can be operated from all classes of vessel. The onboard footprint is minimal (fuselage length: four metres; ro- tor diameter: 4.6 metres; takeoff weight: 235 kg). The V-200 is the only UAV in its class that utilises heavy-fuel, thereby reduc- ing logistical requirements. The system is controlled through an onboard single- operator console. Alternatively, the entire

reconnaissance flight can be conducted in Photo: US Air Force autonomous mode. Take off and landing An RQ-4 GLOBAL HAWK taxis on the flightline after an inspection at an are always autonomous. undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, 18 September 2015. The aircraft has a five-hour mission endur- ance. Sensor data is relayed through LOS Small UAS the equivalent of 'Small UAS' – includes datalink with a maximum 200 kilometre systems weighing between 9.5 and 25 kg range. Payload capacity is 40 kg. Payload The Small UAS categories display signifi- and with a ceiling below circa 1,080 me- options include EO/IR, hyper-spectral and cant variations depending on the classify- tres. Group 1, encompassing both Mini- multi-spectral cameras, SAR, GMTI, AIS ing agency. NATO defines aircraft weigh- and Micro-UAS, includes systems weigh- receiver, LIDAR (Laser Identification and ing between 15 and 150 kg, with a surface ing less than nine kilogrammes and with a Ranging) and ViDAR (Visual Detection and ceiling of circa 1,500 metres and a range ceiling 370 metres. Ranging). SAAB describes ViDAR as “the of circa 50 kilometres, as Small UAS. Sys- world’s first optical radar”, which combines tems weighing less than 15 kg are labelled RQ-20 wide-area maritime search with high-reso- as Mini UAS, with a service ceiling below lution imaging of surface objects. Mission 920 metres and a range of 25 kilometres. The AeroVironment RQ-20 PUMA is one profiles include reconnaissance, identifica- They operate at the company level and be- of the most successful small UAS. Since tion of vessels, and targeting guidance for low, and are deployed by hand. Extremely becoming operational with the US Special indirect fires. While currently marketed pri- small Micro UAS deployed at the platoon Operations Command in 2008, well over marily as a maritime system, the SKELDAR and squad level have a ceiling of circa 60 1,000 units have been sold. All US services V-200 can operate on land as well, requir- metres and a five kilometre range. By con- utilise the RQ-20, as do several partner ing no infrastructure. trast, the US DoD’s Group 2 category – countries. The US Army is the largest single  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

user. Each infantry company is issued one PUMA UAS and an additional 18 are al- located to each brigade. The aircraft is 1.4 metres long, with a 2.8 metre wingspan and a weight of 6.8 kg. The surface ceiling is 152 metres, with 2.5 hours flight endurance. The RQ-20's primary payload is the i45 gimballed sen- sor suite with dual 15mp EO cameras, 50x zoom, IR camera, low light camera for night-time missions, and a high-power illuminator. AeroVironment also provides users with Pocket Digital Data Link (pDDL AE) transceivers and Pocket RVT receivers

for mobile real time reception of video and Photo: UMS Skeldar. geodata collected by the UAS. Germany is acquiring the SKELDAR V-200 for deployment on the FoC The newest iteration is the RQ-20 PUMA 3, of the K130 class corvettes to undergo field tests. introduced in March 2018. The upgraded UAS reflects client feedback concerning im- most favourably aligned with the control- a laser target designator. Maximum altitude proved ability for integration of third-party ler. The standard line-of-sight communica- is 30 metres. MIKADO has a 20-minute en- payload elements. The PUMA 3 is also more tions range is 20 kilometres over land or durance and a range up to 1,000 metres. resistant to radio-frequency interference sea. In 2017, AeroVironment introduced a The backpack-portable UAS is ready to fly than the previous versions. Other improve- Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA) which in five minutes, and is controlled through a ments include: the ability to concurrently extends the LOS range to 60 kilometres for handheld tablet-sized console. The 'come- operate the i45 gimballed sensor suite and land operations. home' feature enables the UAS to return to signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads; the lat- is point of origin if the control signal is lost. est Digital Data Link (DDL) offering M1/M2/ MIKADO Small size, vertical flight, and quiet, gearless M5 and M3/M4/M6 frequency bands and electric motors make the MIKADO suitable AES-256 encryption; enhanced portability The MIKADO (Mikro-Aufklärungsdrohne for urban terrain and other cluttered envi- (the complete system of three air vehicles für den Ortsbereich – Micro-Reconnais- ronments. and two ground control stations is now sance Drone for Local Operations) micro- transportable in four portable cases rather UAS is built by the German company Air- BLACK HORNET NANO than six cases). Robot. It is deployed by the German army In April, AeroVironment announced another at the platoon and squad level for offensive At the very end of the scale, is the pocket- payload upgrade with the availability of a and defensive reconnaissance. The quad- sized BLACK HORNET Nano UAS devel- new 360 Multi-Sector Antenna (MSA) for copter has a one-metre diametre including oped by Norwegian firm Prox Dynamics maritime ISR missions. Equipped with 24 the rotors and engines, and weighs 1.3 kg. (now a subsidiary of US-based FLIR Sys- high-gain auto-selective antennas covering The complete system’s height is 24 centi- tems). The original BLACK HORNET en- 360 degrees, the MSA analyses downlink metres, including the sensor gimbal. The tered serial production in 2012, and has data quality and automatically broadcasts micro-gimbal mounted 200 gram payload been fielded by military and security forces through the antenna patches, which are includes day and low-light cameras, IR, and of 30 countries. It was widely employed by UK forces in Afghanistan, and remains the world’s smallest combat proven UAS. In 2018, FLIR introduced the upgraded BLACK HORNET 3 Personal Reconnais- sance System (PRS). The nano-UAS weighs

Photo: German MoD 32 grammes, and has an improved range of two kilometres. Flight speed is 21 kph. The BLACK HORNET is suitable for indoor and outdoor reconnaissance. The new variant can operate in GPS-denied areas. It retains the three-camera arrangement set into the helicopter nose, but adds sharper imaging processing capabilities with the FLIR Lepton thermal microcamera core and a visible sensor, which enhances im- age fidelity. An improved encrypted digi- tal datalink ensures seamless communi- cations and imagery beyond line-of-sight and in closed areas. The UAS can be inte- UAS of the HERON family are used by defence and security agencies of grated into the Android Tactical Assault ten nations. This includes the German armed forces, which are replac- Kit (ATAK), an application to form ad hoc ing their leased HERON 1 with the newer and more powerful HERON TP. battlefield data networks using smart- While primarily equipped for ISR, the HERON TP can be optionally armed. phones. 

86 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  “Greece spends more than 2% on defence.”

Interview with Vice Admiral H.N. (Rtd) Kyriakos Kyriakidis, National Armaments Director at the Ministry of Defence of Greece

agreements are in effect and in full progress willing and able to jointly develop defence such as F-16 and P-3 upgrade programmes. capabilities and invest in shared projects. Greece, a European country with strong ESD: What share of your procurement Armed Forces, participates and actively funds is invested in military aerospace R&D supports PESCO in order to address current and what are you concentrating on? shortfalls on military capabilities and sup- Vice Admiral Kyriakidis: In Greece, the port EU missions and operations. total share of expenditure allocated to In that context, Greece believes that the defence Research & Development (R&D), cooperation and the harmonisation of the including aerospace R&D activities, reaches requirements and capabilities of the mem-

Photo: MoD Greece the 1% of total annual defence spending. ber states will allow the more efficient use of available defence resources in European ESD: In many western countries, the ESD: Which of these are carried out in level. Taking into account the binding com- changed security-political situation in international partnerships, and who are your mitments of PESCO, Greece has elaborated Europe has induced governments to allocate partners? a National Implementation Plan (NIP), to im- additional funds for defence and armament. Vice Admiral Kyriakidis: At this stage, plement these commitments and recently To what extent and in what way has this international partnerships and collaborative the NIP has been reported. trend influenced things in your country? R&D projects are mainly elaborated through According to the binding commitments, Vice Admiral Kyriakidis: It is true that European Defence Agency (EDA) ad hoc Greece has made available deployable for- in recent years, the security environment programmes, while preparatory actions mations for the realisation at the EU Level has become unpredictable and fluid, with are under development for exploiting the of Ambition, while at the same time, it challenges and threats emanating from all European Defence Fund (EDF). participates in 18 out of the 34 first and directions, forcing many nations to increase second wave projects (5 as coordinator, 9 the allocated national budget for defence ESD: What are your nation’s current activities as full member and 4 as observer). Regard- and armaments. and considerations in the framework of ing the future national projects, all relevant However, this trend has not actually affected PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) factors will be considered on a case by case our country’s policy on defence spending. It and what are your plans? basis. is well known that Greece, despite the eco- Vice Admiral Kyriakidis: PESCO estab- nomic challenges that it faces, continues to lished a permanent framework for defence The questions were asked by be one of the few countries that constantly cooperation, among those member states Peter Bossdorf spend more than 2% of its GDP to defence and is planning to do so in the future.

ESD: What are the most important military aerospace programmes in your country, both current and forthcoming? Photo: MoD Greece Vice Admiral Kyriakidis: The Hellenic Ministry of National Defence is fully committed to take national defence capabilities to the next level. Given the security and financial situation along with the operational requirements, we are currently focusing on contracts and agreements for The Greek Ministry of “Follow-on” support of already operational Defence is currently in the military equipment and systems. Nowadays, process of issuing two major great effort is also focused on two major tenders for the follow-up tendering procedures for follow-on support support of its fleets of M2000/-5 of the fleets of M2000/-5 and SUPER and SUPER PUMA helicopters. PUMA helicopters. Additionally major G2G

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 87  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY CHINOOK or KING STALLION? Heavy Lift Helicopter Alternatives for Europe

Georg Mader

Platforms to fulfil the heaviest load-carrying demands can be counted on one hand. When not counting the medium category of an AW/EH-101 or NH-90 below 15 tonnes MTOW, there are just two or three Western types, plus one upcoming Eastern type. In light of the ongoing tender for the German Bundeswehr’s heavy- lift helicopter requirement, this article takes a further look at who is really lifting out there.

inally, the German government has taken of the tender documents. A request for pro- Referring to the RFP, Frank Crisafulli, Busi- Fanother step forward to replace its age- posals (RFP) will be issued shortly, followed ness Development Manager for heavy-lift ing fleet of CH-53 heavy transport helicop- by a type selection in 2020 and aircraft de- helicopters at Sikorsky, said that the delay ters. On 28 February 2019, the German liveries from 2023 onwards. The helicopters of the 2019 defence budget approval by procurement authority BAIINBw published will be based in Schönewalde/Holzdorf near the Bundestag budget committee (earlier the performance and programme details for Berlin and Laupheim near Ulm. in the same month) should have no real knock-on effect on the timeline for the STH programme for the Luftwaffe: “We are very happy about the approval after all the budget drama. The Germans have Photo: Boeing compressed the timeline but the planned delivery dates remain the same. They are looking for between 45 and 60 helicopters from late 2023 or very early 2024.” Ger- man Luftwaffe Chief of Staff LtGen Ingo Gerhartz has also welcomed the budget allocation for the new helicopter: “This will help to advance the urgently needed mod- ernisation of the air force.”

Secure for the Moment

In the end, procurement will be dependent on the budget plan of the Social Democrat- Boeing’s CH-47F CHINOOK is a contender for Germany’s heavy lift ic Finance Minister Olaf Scholz who is call- helicopter programme. ing for a German defence budget of 1.23 % of GDP by 2023. That is about €3.3Bn the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) According to the tender documents, the and clearly undercuts Berlin’s pledge to requirement. They want to procure 44 to future helicopter should be capable of spend 1.5 % on the military by 2024, and 60 heavy helicopters for the Luftwaffe over transporting personnel and equipment/ve- is much less than the €28.2Bn demanded an eight-year delivery period. After approv- hicles and have a maximum take-off weight by Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen ing the budget of up to €5.6Bn for the STH (MTOW) of 20+ tonnes. With such a load, for the next four years. Subsequently, there programme in November 2018, the German the helicopter has to achieve a minimum were some discussions about postponing government remarked that the Boeing CH- speed of 120 KTAS (~220 km/h) at Interna- or scrapping major procurement pro- 47F CHINOOK and Sikorsky’s CH-53K KING tional Standard Atmosphere. With regard grammes, such as the submarine to be de- STALLION would “appear to be appropri- to the lifting capability requirements, the veloped jointly with Norway by TKMS and ate” to replace the 70 incumbent Sikorsky tender specifies 30 soldiers with equipment Kongsberg, the new multi-role MKS 180 CH-53G/GS/GA/GEs. The (two) interested of 115 kg each, or 10 tonnes of cargo either warship, the new MEADS missile-defence parties responded by 14 May to the release stored internally or underslung externally. system by Lockheed Martin and MBDA, or Another "must" is the transport of eight the new heavy lift helicopter we are dis- Author tonnes of internal cargo over a distance of cussing here. 230 km. Winch sets, ballistic protection, an However, in March 2019, a German Fi- Georg Mader is a defence corre- ElOp/IR sensor and self-defence arrange- nance Ministry document, which has spondent and freelance aerospace ments are also listed. Procurement includes since been approved by the Cabinet, journalist based in Vienna, Austria, mission systems, logistics and operational singled out the STH as “the only major and a regular contributor to ESD. support, including the necessary equipment arms programme on a list of mandatory as well as technical and flight training. elements”. This means that – at the mo-

88 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  ment – hopes for the projectlook fairly good, so we can indeed expect a "real" RFP sometime this year.

No Heavy Lifter from Europe

During the discussion on the STH pro- gramme, the Federal Government stated Photo: Lockheed-Martin Sikorsky that a "new helicopter to be developed" was out of the question. This statement refers to an aborted plan to develop a tru- ly European “Heavy Transport Helicopter (HTH)” and a lighter FTH “Future Trans- port Helicopter”. Back in 2003, the Ger- man Army Aviation Corps (Heeresflieger) and the French General Delegation for Ordnance (DGA) laid down the basic re- In May 2018, the US Marine Corps took delivery of the first four quirements for a new heavy transport CH-53K KING STALLION. helicopter to replace the German CH- 53G/GSs and older CH-47s in Europe. What definitely is a significant difference is by as much as US$1.2Bn. At the moment, Germany was to procure between 60 that the CHINOOK has a much higher load- only six CH-53Ks for US$718Bn are included and 120 helicopters, with France being ing height through the rear ramp due to in the President's FY 2020 budget presented another prospective customer. In 2004, the tandem rotor without tail rotor shaft. in February 2019. it became clear that there were no funds The loading height is more than five metres, Some say there is a connection between for development until 2015. In February which is not only higher than that of the this reduction and the first results of the 2006, the German procurement author- KING STALLION (2.4 metres), but also higher test programme, which so far has reached ity nevertheless began discussing the than that of any other conventional rotor- almost 1,500 flight hours. Obviously, flight HTH with former EUROCOPTER. About craft. The CHINOOK can also use all 100% testing performance was not as satisfac- a month later, the company announced of its engine power for vertical lift, while his tory as anticipated as technical problems that it would start development by 2010 competitor – again like all normal helicopters were either discovered belatedly or not suf- and that such an aircraft would not be – diverts 10 to 15% of the power for the tail ficiently resolved. available until 2018 at the earliest – and rotor drive. So, both have their merits. only if it could co-operate with another company. At that time, it seemed likely The KING STALLION

that it would be the Sikorsky Aircraft, Photo: USMC but what is now AIRBUS-Helicopters The latest sibling of the initial HH-53 “Jolly collaborated with Boeing at HTH from Green Giant” (its 1960s nickname, after 2010 on and developed a design that a mascot of the “Green Giant” vegetable looked like a larger Boeing CH-47. The company) is designated CH-53K or KING HTH was expected to carry the DINGO STALLION and will be of the same size and or FENNEK armed personnel carrier, the shape as its predecessor. The CH-53E SUPER French VBL and VAB (13,000 kg), as well STALLION from 1980, of which the Navy as WOLF and WIESEL (4,500 kg) or the BV and the USMC acquired 177, was the first 206/210. Another requirement was that with three engines. With its now upgraded the helicopter would use the same train- GE38-1B engine, it will be able to externally ing equipment as the TIGER and NH90 lift 27,000 pounds (12.2 tonnes), which is helicopters. However, in the end, all the a more than three times higher load carry- domestic European interest amounted to ing capacity. The US Navy wants to buy up nothing. As national governments were to 200 KING STALLION for the US Marine rather cautious and the expected figures Corps. Allegedly, this was a prime motiva- rather bleak, the HTH programme was tion for Lockheed-Martin’s US$9Bn acquisi- considered too expensive. tion of Sikorsky Aircraft from United Tech- nologies Corp. back in 2015. Remaining Contenders The KING STALLION had its first flight on 25 October 2015, and in May 2018, the More than ten years later, there are only USMC received the first helicopter. The US platforms left to choose from, as other current budget called for the buying of 61 alternatives (see below) are not politically helicopters until 2023, based on an annual feasible. Currently, some German officials procurement rate rising from US$1.3Bn last support the larger CH-53K as it would al- year to US$2.3Bn. However, in its next five- low growth for future missions. Others year plan for FY 2020-2025, the USMC is are pushing for the CH-47, which in their now tentatively proposing to buy 10 fewer opinion is 'battle-tested', widespread and of these 'heavies' than planned and to re- A USMC CH-53 SUPER STALLION probably cheaper. duce procurement funding over that period lifts a RCAF CH-47 CHINOOK.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 89  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

While the postponement is also due to a lack of sufficient funds to complete the Sys- tem Development and Demonstration (SDD)

Photo: MoD Italy phase within the original timeframe, due to the technical problems that have extended the SDD beyond the original forecasts, the USN has not yet formally established a new IOC date. Current forecasts expect IOT&E (Operational Tests) to start in early 2021. Should Germany decide in favour of the KING STALLION, the highly competent and charming son of the legendary found- er and pioneer Igor Sikorsky, Sergey (94), said at the ILA Air Show 2018 in Berlin that Lockheed-Martin (with Sikorsky) has the following German industrial partners An Italian CH-47 CHINOOK in Iraq. For many years, the CHINOOK on board: Rheinmetall, which will lead has been a reliable workhorse. the local efforts – MTU Engines, ZFL, Au- toflug, Hydro, Rockwell-Collins Germany, It is, therefore, likely that the test programme A noteworthy problem was the exhaust gas Jenoptik, Hensoldt, Liebherr and Rohde & will miss the major milestone of the IOC recirculation. Currently, exhaust-gas is being Schwarz. (Initial Operational Capability, defined by sucked in again, which limits the service life of Besides, RH-53D deminers in Iran (with the USMC as four aircraft that can be parts such as the main rotor gearbox. How- questionable operational readiness), 33 operated with trained crews and main- ever, Sikorsky CH-53K Programme Director CH-53D YASURs in Israel and 11 MH-53J tainers) in December 2019. According to Bill Falk said in January 2019 that "the current in Japan and the predecessor of the KING Naval Air (NAVAIR) Systems Command technical problems are solvable and solutions STALLION, which is well established and ap- spokesman Greg Kuntz and the US Of- are in progress. For example, regarding the preciated in Germany, no other European fice of the Director, Operational Test and problem of exhaust gas recirculation discov- country acquired the large Sikorsky rotor- Evaluation (DOT&E) on 31 January 2019, ered during flight testing, Sikorsky engineers craft – with one rather unexpected excep- "the Programme Office is planning a are confident that they have a solution to solve tion. In September 1970, Austria surprisingly major schedule revision that will include the problem with minimal impact on ongo- acquired two of the so-called S-65OEE. This solutions to technical challenges such as ing flight testing and production. We have was a downgraded S-65C-2, very similar tail rotor and drive shaft defects, airspeed completed prototype designs, 3D-printed to what the USMC introduced at the time. anomalies, overheating of main rotor prototypes and identified suppliers for rapid Several flood and mud disasters in remote dampers and late deliveries of newly de- prototyping. And we expect a solution to be areas in 1965 and 1966 had highlighted veloped parts". integrated into production aircraft in 2019." the need for eight-tonnes lifting capability, and it was originally planned that each of the nine Austrian provinces would finance a heavy lorry. When the Socialists assumed office the following year, nothing was ever Photo: Sikorsky heard of these ambitions again, and the two heavy lift helicopters of 2nd Sqn Helicopter Wing 3 in Linz-Hörsching were surprisingly sold to Israel for a paltry €4M and flown out overnight on 14 May 1981. This move was a result of Chancellor Kreisky's Middle East policy, although he later officially declared to parliament that the two had be- come too expensive to maintain. What is true is that Israel's IAF has been searching to this day for crash replacements for its very similar and worn-out YAZURs it has been using since 1969. One of the two former Austrian aircraft allegedly crashed in 1996, while the other is still in IAF service as 065, although it has been significantly upgraded to the YASUR 2025 standard. According to the original plan, the type should have been in service until 2010 but it has since been upgraded to keep it in service until 2025. According to the IAF, there is no replacement for the old YASUR; there are no powerful VTOL aircraft capable of per- Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin have already put together their forming these missions. While Israel is already German industry teams. looking at the CH-53K, it believes that the US

90 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  will not be able to export it to allies until a few years after USMC completes the IOC. As far as possible priorities are concerned, however, the US military aid to Israel and an economic case in Germany are not really comparable.

The CHINOOK

The only other competitor to the German MoD’s tender is Boeing’s latest version of the worldwide established tandem-rotor – the CH-47F CHINOOK. Of the 750 CHINOOKs

operated by the US during the Vietnam war, Photo: Boeing about 200 were lost in combat and 500 Celebrating the delivery of the 300th CHINOOK to the US military. were upgraded to the -D configuration. The author has visited the production line in Phil- a redesigned cockpit to reduce workload, with the rapid progress in this segment, avi- adelphia shortly after the new production improved and redundant electrical systems onics will also need to be modernised. of F-models and the upgrade of up to 300 and avionics and the adoption of an ad- The standard Block-II can be offered for ex- older D-versions to that standard had begun. vanced flight control system. Next to the port from 2025. This date should coincide In the meantime, production has risen to an Lockheed C-130 HERCULES, it is one of very with the start of Block III development when astonishing four to six aircraft per month, di- few aircraft developed in the early 1960s the US Army confirms its announced inten- vided between newly built CH-47s for the US that have remained in production and front- tions. The objectives of this modernisation Army and overhauled CH-47Ds. In the end, line service for more than 50 years. And the remain the same as for Block II – to increase the US forces will operate 473 CH-47F. Pro- CHINOOK has not stopped evolving since load-bearing capacity and autonomy, im- duction for 15 CHINOOK ordered by India Boeing is developing a new standard called prove avionics and develop interoperability. is under way as well, with a first helicopter Block-II with increased capabilities to the Boeing has already begun flight testing of delivered in February 2019 to Mundra Port F-model. And another re-evaluation is to the new rotor blades. This year three aircraft in Gujarat and ferried to its future base at begin from 2023 on and might even be fol- are expected to be converted and used as Chandigarh. The subcontinent is the latest lowed by a Block-III. In that case, the design prototypes for Block II. Once approved, 25 to addition to the basket of 20 operators world- would still be around by 2060, which would 30 Block IIs can be shipped out annually out wide and six in Europe (UK, Netherlands, make it more than 100 years! of Philadelphia. Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece), with a total Today, the CH-47F avionics is, of course, Of course, Boeing has also named its Ger- of 900+ airframes flying worldwide. 'state of the art', with full screen MFD cock- man industrial partners, should it win the The CHINOOK – the word designates a na- pits. The autonomy and power handling of contract. On board are ten companies such tive Indian tribe from today‘s Washington the CHINOOK have also increased consider- as CAE, Diehl, Honeywell, Liebherr, Reiser, state – marketed today by Boeing Rotorcraft ably. Block II includes the integration of new Rockwell Collins Germany (also in the Sikor- has little to do with the aircraft that made its rotor blades, which increases its load capac- sky ‘basket‘) and Rolls-Royce Germany. And, first flight as the YCH-1B by Boeing-Vertol ity. The bow and stern area of the hull will be according to Chuck Dabundo, Boeing’s Vice in September of 1961. Improved and more replaced and reinforced by new structures to President Programme Manager of Cargo powerful versions followed since its intro- accommodate the heavier and more power- Helicopter programmes, there is potential duction, with the CH-47D being one of the ful engines for Block III. The three lateral fuel for more to join. Last year, it was also an- most substantial versions. It first entered tanks are replaced by a single tank capable nounced that Boeing and Rohde & Schwarz service in 1982 and improvements included of holding more fuel, which increases the had reached an agreement to integrate upgraded engines, composite rotor blades, autonomy of the aircraft. And in keeping Rohde & Schwarz’ next-generation soft- ware-defined airborne radio (SDAR) into the flight systems of the CH-47F/G CHINOOK helicopters. Dr. Michael Haidinger, President of Boe- ing Germany, explained that Germany "is

Photo: Georg Mader looking for a low risk standard solution with support, maintenance and training in Germany". Depending on Germany's requirements, both the CH-47F and the Extended Range MH-47G will be of- fered. However, air-to-air refuelling will be included in both variants. Support and maintenance will be carried out in Germany, as well as pilot and crew train- ing with partner companies. With pro- duction up and running, Boeing Sikorsky is well ahead in terms of delivery times. Boeing is well positioned to deliver the 40 to 60 new helicopters between 2023 The cockpit of a CH-53K KING STALLION and 2031.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 91 ised CHINOOK is to be delivered in 2021. “The CHINOOK is a versatile aircraft flown by eight NATO nations, including Spain,” said Chuck Dabundo. “With this contract, Spain’s CHINOOK crews will enjoy the plat- form’s current technology and capability,

Photo: Sikorsky while the country gets an affordable up- The Sikorsky H-92 SUPERHAWK. With a MTOW of 12+ tonnes it is not as grade that builds on its existing and well powerful as the CHINOOK and the KING STALLION. established H-47 investment.” In the 1980s, NATO partner Greece bought As mentioned, there are six European op- purchase of 11 CH-47F helicopters, with a 10 CH-47C, nine of which were later up- erators of the CH-47 series and some of first batch of six helicopters for US$400M graded to the CH-47D standard. In 2015, them replace them or invest into modernisa- delivered until 2016. In 2015, Turkey placed Greece bought three second-hand CHI- tion, life-extension and upgrade steps. The a follow-on-order for a further five CH-47F. NOOK from the US National Guard. In 2016 Netherlands is pursuing both paths, with 14 Assembled in the US and in Izmir, the pur- and 2017, the Greek government purchased new CH-47F acquired through FMS in 2016 chase of these helicopters was processed 10 former US Army CH-47D CHINOOK heli- and with an agreement with Boeing and under a US government FMS contract for copters and had them repaired, modified the Netherlands MoD signed in December US$3.4Bn. In August 2018, the Turkish Presi- and painted by Summit Aviation at Summit 2017 for upgrading six RNLAF CHINOOKs to dency of Defence Industries announced that Airport in Delaware. All in all, Greece has a the latest F-model configuration, ensuring it had received the second batch from the total of 15 DG/SD-helicopters in operation commonality of systems for their entire fleet US in spite of the ongoing crisis surrounding at Megara Airport of 20 F-model CHINOOKs. Deliveries of the the delivery of F-35 jets to Turkey. Four of the In Italy, 38 C-models were assembled lo- six modernised CHINOOKs equipped with CHINOOK helicopters in the second package cally for the Army Aviation (Aviazione a ‘Common Avionics Architecture System‘ are used by the Special Forces and one will be dell'Esercito). Two were delivered in 1973 cockpit and an integrated ‘Digital Automatic given to the MoD apparatus. for evaluation. Subsequently, 26 airframes Flight Control System‘ are planned to begin Since 1962, the Spanish Army Aviation were upgraded to the CH-47C-Plus stand- in 2021. Programme Manager Colonel Koen (Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra) ard, with fibreglass rotor blades and T55-L- van Gogh explained "Ever since their intro- operates a fleet of 17 CHINOOKs. Between 412E engines. In 2009, 16 new CH-47F were duction in the mid-1990s, the CHINOOKs 1982 and 1994, they were upgraded to ordered by the General Directorate of Air have been continuously involved in almost the D-standard and recently, Boeing has Armaments to replace the CH-47C, with de- all of our missions abroad, but also in dis- announced that it will upgrade these heli- liveries planned for between 2014 and 2017. AgustaWestland Italy is the prime contractor for systems integration, final assembly and aircraft delivery, and the first two helicop- ter were handed over on 2 October 2014 at Verigate. Furthermore, the CO.FS (Joint

Photo: Georg Mader Forces Command for Special Forces opera- tions) greenlighted the acquisition of four CH-47F in the ER (Extended Range) variant to equip the 3rd Army Special Operations Helicopter (REOS) ‘Aldebaran‘ Regiment. The version chosen for the 3rd Regiment will be the same as the Canadian one, with larger standard fuel tanks and larger side sponsons. This modification will make it possible to greatly extend the range of the helicopter, without having to use an internal fuel-tank kit, thus avoiding sacrificing pre- cious space for the transport of material and The Canadian CH-148 CYCLONE is based on the Sikorsky H-92, men. In addition, the request for the instal- itself a spin-off of the 1998 civilian S-92 HELIBUS. lation of an in-flight refuelling probe was forwarded to Boeing. aster relief operations and in domestic sup- copters to the CH-47F standard. The deci- port. They are truly versatile workhorses of sion by the Spanish MoD to modernise the No Real Western Alternative our Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO). It CHINOOKs was taken in September 2018, is responsible for providing the Dutch armed for a sum of €820M. According to Boeing, Although it is not a real competitor for the forces with the best equipment money can modernisation will include the integration German STH replacement programme, an- buy, and our troops deserve that. And that of digital flight controls and new avionics as other western heavy lift helicopter has to be upgrade to a common configuration will well as modified internal and external lift- mentioned: The Sikorsky H-92 was devel- improve operational effectiveness, mainte- ing/slinging capacities. Meanwhile, these oped on the basis of the civilian S-92 HELI- nance, and affordability." aircraft are operated by the 5th Transport BUS of 1998. With a MTOW of 12+ tonnes Turkey is another NATO country acquiring Helicopter Battalion of the Spanish Mobile it is not as powerful as the CHINOOK and new CHINOOK airframes. In 2011, Turkey Air Forces, who is responsible for logistical the KING STALLION. The Sikorsky H-92 has signed an agreement with Boeing on the support to combat units. The first modern- so far only found one customer with the Ca-

92 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  nadian naval helicopter CH-148 CYCLONE. Unfortunately, since 2004 the programme has developed into a textbook example of what not to do in a military acquisition. While Canada’s 50-year old SEA KING fleet aged and deteriorated to dangerous levels, po- litical pettiness and lack of concern turned a straightforward off-the-shelf buy into a 25+ year long odyssey of cancellations, lawsuits, rebids and so on. Eventually, the Canadian military settled on Sikorsky’s MH-92 SUPER- HAWK, which will serve from the decks of Canada’s naval ships and bases. It is a larger

derivative of the ubiquitous H-60 family that Photo: ROSVERTOL comprise most of the USN’s current fleet and The Russian M-26T HALO is the world’s largest heavy lift helicopter. makes heavier use of salt/rust-proof com- posite materials. It also sports uprated GE siderations by European countries but with ate day and night in automatic mode. An CT7-8C engines rated at 3,070 hp (2,290 a length of 40 metres and a rotor-diameter NVG-friendly cockpit is fitted with MFDs, kW), a rear ramp and other features that of 32 metres. By far the largest or heaviest- which considerably enhances the aircraft’s place it slightly ahead of Europe’s NH/NFH- lifting rotorcraft anywhere, of course, is controllability and allows to eliminate the 90. The H-92 can carry up to 3,030 kg of fuel the Russian Mil-Mi-26 (NATO designation flight engineer and navigator stations, while in standard self-sealing fuel tanks, while an HALO). Able to lift a fully loaded CH-53, it crew protection has been increased with in-flight refuelling probe allows in-air refuel- first flew in 1977, can transport more than hardened and crash-worthy seats. ling for extended range flights. A 17 cubic 25 metric tons or carry 82 combat-ready The world's newest addition to the heavy metre cabin is fitted with a cargo handling troops and a range of combat vehicles. The lift sector is a helicopter modelled on the system with a centreline 1,814 kg/4,000 HALO still holds the world-record for the HALO – the Chinese-Russian "Advanced pound capacity cargo winch, floor rollers heaviest mass lifted to 2,000 metres (6,562 Heavy Lift" concept. This helicopter is also and cargo tie-down points. A six foot-wide ft) – 56,768.8 kilogrammes (125,153.8 lb) on larger than all the others in the West. At aft ramp allows easy and fast loading and un- a flight in 1982. About 20 HALO are in ser- IDEX, Viktor Kladov, a high-ranking ROSTEC loading of cargo and troops. A 272 kg/600 vice with the Russian Air Force and Border- representative, declared that development pound capacity hydraulic rescue hoist can Guard – 14 HALO were exported to Algeria, contracts "will soon be signed". What he called "the contract of the century signed with AVIC and its partners" developed in four years of back and forth discussions as a joint venture to develop a new heavy multi-purpose helicopter with a maximum

Photo: Georg Mader take-off weight of 40 tonnes. Specifica- tions are 15 tonnes payload, a range of 630 kilometres and a maximum speed of 300 km/h. The helicopter will have a maximum lift capacity of 15 tonnes. All this clearly points to the Chinese Military (PLA), which urgently needs more heavy helicopters to increase its readiness in the event of a mili- tary emergency, major natural disasters or to support yet another island fortification far off its own coastal waters. PLA's current helicopter squadrons consist mainly of me- A model of the Chinese-Russian Advanced Heavy Lift Helicopter Project dium-sized transporters such as the Z-9, Z-20 and Mi-17. The Chinese know the Mi-26T reportedly be installed if necessary, while a China, India, Jordan, Mexico, Peru, and Ven- because Beijing leased a number of Mi-26s Telephonics APS-143B radar, a HELRAS ac- ezuela. A civilian Mi-26 was once leased by after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake tive dipping sonar system supplemented with the US military to lift-out a couple of dam- in May 2008 to transport relief supplies, launched sonobuoys and a Star SAFIRE-III day/ aged and crippled CH-47s and UH-60s from first responders and injured civilians in Si- night IR/ElOps surveillance turret offers a good various spots in Afghanistan. On 19 August chuan province. Chinese media welcomed mid-level sensor set. In 2014, the S-92 was 2018, the Russian industrial conglomerate the orange Mi-26s as they flew first aid and selected as the future MARINE ONE flying the ROSTEC, the parent company of ‘Russian heavy earthmoving equipment to some of US-President as the VH-92A. 21 of them are Helicopters‘, announced the first flight of a the devastated villages that could only be on order with the first flight witnessed in 2017. prototype of the latest military version. As reached by air or trail. And, if there is no war the original engine manufacturers Ivchenko or large troop deployment, deployments like Eastern Heavy Lifters and Motor Sich are now in Ukraine, the Mi- these will most likely be the reason that such 26T2V has gotten new Aviadvigatel PD-12V heavyweights could be much easier to sell Due to the current climate between the engines and features the NPK90-2V avionics to the public and taxpayers than most other West and Russia, it is not subject for con- suite, which allows the helicopter to oper- military equipment. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 93  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Airborne Early Warning: Watching the Noisy Neighbours

Alan Warnes

The airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft is a high value asset that not many countries can afford.

s a commanding officer of an AEW Asquadron recently told the author, “Our aircraft can peer hundreds of miles into our adversary’s air space, giving us no- tice of their intentions. We can watch all their aircraft’s manoeuvres to provide us with ample opportunity to scramble our assets into the air.” As India and Pakistan went close to all-out war on 27 February 2019, we saw airborne early warning assets from both sides playing a significant part in the unfolding drama. When the IAF’s Air Vice-Marshall RGK Ka- poor was responding to denials that the IAF had shot down an F-16 in early March, he

responded by showing a declassified radar Photo: Alan Warnes track from one of the IAF’s AEW aircraft. He The UAEAF&AD has contracted Saab to deliver three cutting edge also provided two images, believed to have GLOBALEYE Multi-Role Sensor Systems (MRSS) in a deal worth US$1.5Bn. come from an A-50Ei PHALCON, of three The first aircraft, without UAE marks, made its first flight on 14 March Pakistan Air Force fighter formations being this year. tracked. One made up of JF-17s and the other two were F-16s. One of the jets in the sets. They control the tactical battle space battlespace, allowing our ships and aircraft latter group disappeared from the screen, with a variety of tactical options on offer. to track and target adversaries more effec- which the IAF claim was because it crashed. Monitoring the movements of your foe’s air- tively than ever. We will operate 'state-of- The PAF denied that they had lost a VIPER craft, ships or vehicles is one. They can also the-art' F-35 jets and world-class Type-26 and US sources claimed all the F-16s were offer command and control, provide direc- warships, and this announcement will help still in the inventory. tion for fighter aircraft, surface combatants us work even more closely [with our allies] Having scoured the adversary’s airspace, air- and land-based elements, as well as sup- to tackle the global threats we face.” bourne early warning and control (AEWC) port aircraft such as tankers and intelligence Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal platforms can gather information from a platforms. Alternatively, they can distinguish Sir Stephen Hillier also stated: “This world- wide variety of sources, analyse them, dis- between allied and enemy forces to reduce class capability, already proven with our tributing them to other air and surface as- the chances of 'blue-on-blue' incidents. Royal Australian Air Force partners, will significantly enhance our ability to deliver Author Recent AEW Acquisitions decisive airborne command and control and builds on the reputation of our E3D Alan Warnes is a journalist specialis- With more new sophisticated threats SENTRY Force.” ing in military aviation and has trav- emerging from both Russia and China, it The E-7 is based on a standard Boeing 737 elled to over 60 countries researching is not surprising that both the RAF and US NG airliner modified to carry a sophisticat- articles and taking action photos for Navies have in recent months bolstered ed Northrop Grumman active electronical- his work. For 12 years, he was the their respective AEW forces. On 22 March ly-scanned radar mounted in a 'Top-Hat' Editor of AirForces Monthly maga- 2019, the then UK Defence Secretary configuration on its roof, which can cover zine in the UK, before opting to go Gavin Williamson signed a US$1.98Bn deal up to four million square kilometres over a freelance. He has also written several to purchase five Boeing E-7 WEDGETAIL ten-hour period. Modification of the air- books, including two on the current AEWC aircraft to replace the RAF’s current craft will be carried out in the UK at the Pakistan Air Force in 2008 and 2017, fleet of five E-3D SENTRY AEW1s. The con- Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group in and, most recently, on 100 years of tract had been expected for some time. Cambridge leading to the entry into RAF Aero Vodochody. Williamson said: “The E-7 provides a tech- service by the early 2020s at RAF Wadding- nological edge in an increasingly complex ton, Lincolnshire.

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Defence Equipment and Support body, Tony Douglas, said in January 2017, “CROWSNEST will play a key role in pro- tecting the Royal Navy’s future fleet acting as the eyes and ears for the new QUEEN ELIZABETH class aircraft carriers. This 'state-of-the-art' project will demonstrate how we are providing world-leading, in- novative equipment to our Armed Forces.” The official maiden flight took place on 28 March, when the trials aircraft flew from Leonardo’s Westland facility to com-

Photo: RAAF mence aero-mechanical flight trials. Ross The Royal Australian Air Force withdrew its Air Tasking Group from the Powlesland, Managing Director at Military UAE in early February and with it the Boeing E-7T WEDGETAIL. Solutions, Lockheed Martin UK said at the time, “The objective of this phase of work On 11 April, Northrop Grumman an- SEA KING ASAC7s were retired, its main is to assess the flight envelope and han- nounced that it had been awarded the AEW role was to detect low-flying attack dling qualities of the aircraft with the ex- contract to deliver an additional 24 E-2D aircraft as well as the interception and over- ternal equipment fitted. A series of flight Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to the US the-horizon targeting for surface-launched trials will take place throughout 2019.” Navy. The deal, valued at US$3.2Bn, in- weapon systems. The ASaC7 could simul- cludes an option for nine additional for- taneously track up to 400 targets. RAAF WEDGETAIL eign military sales aircraft. Production of The new generation CROWSNEST MER- the 24 US Navy aircraft, funded by the LINs are now going through test and In early February, the Royal Australian Air five-year contract, is expected to be evaluation before being delivered. The UK Force (RAAF), which operates six E-7A complete in 2026. The US Navy’s Cap- ordered ten CROWSNEST systems from WEDGETAILs ended its Operation Okra tain Keith Hash, of the E-2/C-2 Airborne Lockheed Martin on 16 January 2017, deployment to Minhad Air Base in the Tactical Data Systems Programme Office which are modular kits that can be fitted United Arab Emirates. No 2 Squadron, (PMA-231) Manager, said of the deal, to any of the 30 MERLIN HM2s operated home-based at RAAF Base Williamtown, “This is a critical element in providing the by the FAA. Lockheed Martin, as the prime New South Wales, has been flying from next generation of world-class command contractor for CROWSNEST, is integrating the UAE base as part of Australia’s Air and control aircraft to the fleet and helps the Thales system, an updated and im- Task Group (ATG) since 1 October 2014. us fulfil our mission to increase US naval proved version of the CERBERUS tactical The E-7A WEDGETAIL can track airborne power at sea by providing our fleet the sensor suite, which was in service with the and maritime targets simultaneously, with information they need to accurately plan ASaC7 helicopter. The design comprises a a variety of sensors and sources, analyse and win the fight today and tomorrow.” single mechanically scanned radar head, them, distributing them to other assets. The carrier-based E-2D with its powerful to provide a 360 degree visibility from the The systems on board include HF, VHF, AN/APY-9 radar is the US Navy’s airborne system, which is fitted to the underside of UHF, Link-11, Link-16 and UHF SATCOM early warning and command and control the helicopter that can then fold up to the while electronic warfare self-protection aircraft system. Generally, the small twin side of the aircraft when not in operation. includes infra-red countermeasures, turboprop provides an expanded battles- The Chief Executive Officer of the MoD’s chaffs and flares. pace awareness for aircraft carriers and their strike groups. Northrop Grumman claims the E-2D is a two-generation leap in radar technology, allowing it to work with ship-, air- and land-based combat systems to track and defeat air, ship and Photo: Alan Warnes cruise missiles at an extended range.

UK’s AEW Helicopters

During the 1982 Falklands War, the Roy- al Navy did not have an airborne early warning aircraft, having retired the Fairy Gannet AEW in 1978. They paid for it by suffering the loss of nearly 100 sailors and soldiers that were killed on board six ships attacked and sunk by the Argentine navy and air force. It taught the Fleet Air Arm a costly lesson and made the rest of the world’s military The oldest AEW aircraft still operational is the Boeing E-3, known by ensure they provided their battle ships and the USAF as the Airborne Warning and Control System. The example aircraft carriers with the best protection. depicted here is operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force and escorted Until September 2018, when the FAA’s by two TORNADO aircraft.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 95  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

A senior RAAF officer, Air Cdre Akren against Daesh while also keeping track other systems into the battlespace to who was heading up the ATG in early of Russian aircraft operating over Russia shape greater situational awareness in 2018 said, “The picture from the E-7 is a without using their Identification Friend the battlespace. You can put the energy higher quality picture than other AWACS or Foe (IFF) transponders. in the mission area where you have the such as the USAF, RAF and French E-3s, NATO is also upgrading 14 of its E-3s highest priority.” and it can navigate through the picture with new flight decks and avionics suites, Japan, the only country to have pur- better in terms of working out who’s who which will replace its 1970s era analogue chased the Boeing 767 as an AEW&C, in the zoo, so speak." systems. Boeing was awarded a US$257M operates four Boeing E-767s and despite Three air forces are today flying the E-7 – upgrade contract in 2014 to integrate five initial problems they have now settled in. Australia (6), South Korea (4) and Turkey (4). full-colour digital glass displays with cus- They are being augmented by four E-2D tomisable radar, navigation and engine HAWKEYEs, at a cost of US$1.7Bn, which AWACS data. The work was started on the pat- will include associated equipment, spares tern aircraft in the US during August 2016, and logistical support. A US$151.3M or- The most popular AEW aircraft today before the work was transferred to Airbus der for the first aircraft was contracted is still the Boeing E-3 Airborne Warning at Manching, Germany. The last aircraft on 12 November 2015. Egypt operates and Control System (AWACS), despite was delivered on December 2018. seven E-2C HAWKEYE 200s, France 3 E- the first examples being delivered in the In May 2017, Boeing announced that it 2C HAWKEYE 2000s, Japan two E-2Ds mid-70s. Today, there are five custom- had completed the Radar System Improve- plus two more on order and a require- ment for another five, Taiwan (Republic of China) operates six E-2K HAWKEYEs and the US Navy has 36 E-2Ds and an- other 39 on order.

Photo: Alan Warnes ERIEYE

A new threat to US dominance in the AEW market comes from Saab’s GLOBALEYE. The Global 6000 mounted with a new gen- eration ERIEYE ER radar won a US$1.27Bn contract from the UAE Government in No- vember 2015 for two aircraft, which was increased to a third aircraft worth a further US$235M in February 2017. The GLOBAL- EYE beat off competition from the Boeing E-7A and Northrop Grumman E-2D, which had been working on a deal for more than ten years. Matts Wicksell, the Saab GlobalEye Pro- An AEW configured GULFSTREAM 550 of the Republic of Singapore gramme Manager told me about the capa- Air Force bilities the new platform can offer, “We can see extremely small subjects, like rib boats, ers operating around 50 active aircraft ment Programme (RSIP) on the Royal Sau- and jet-skis from the air and we can see include the USAF (24), NATO (15), French di E-3 AWACS fleet, which began as a joint stealthy targets at a longer distance.” This Air Force (4), RAF (5) and the Royal Saudi US/NATO development programme. The has been made possible because mounted Air Force (5). kit, build by Northrop Grumman, includes on top of the airframe is the S-band active Most of the E-3s have been through a new radar computer, a radar control electronically scanned array (AESA) ERIEYE regular upgrades to overcome obsoles- maintenance panel, and electrical and ER (Extended Range) multi-mode radar. cence and to remain up to date with new mechanical software and hardware. Saab claims it has a detection range, which emerging threats that currently exist. Keith Burns, Saudi AWACS Programme has been improved by over 70%, compared Under a US$2.7Bn upgrade, the USAF Manager for Boeing said in May 2017, with the previous generation model, to is upgrading 24 E-3s with a new more “The modernised software, multiple ra- more than 300 miles (450 km). Augmenting sophisticated RED HAT Linux-based sys- dar nodes and overall enhanced opera- the ERIEYE is a Leonardo SEASPRAY 7500 tem to replace the antiquated 1970s/80s tion make this the most significant up- maritime radar, which can track up to 300 systems. Development of the E-3G Block grade to the AWACS radar since it was targets, and a STAR SAFIRE 380HD Electro 40/45 upgrade started in 2003, and developed in the 1970s.” Optical/Infra Red (EO/IR) turret. The jet must includes the fusing of air, land and sea As one Boeing engineer put it to the au- descend to around 5,000 ft to allow the op- tracks into one single integrated sensor thor, “The main difference between the erators in the rear cabin to focus on anything display, in line with most modern AEW WEDGETAIL and the AWACS is you are of interest. systems. not limited or defined by a 360° rota- With eight countries flying ERIEYE systems An E-3G was deployed into combat for tor. You can configure how much power on three different platforms, Saab has the the first time in November 2015, to Al you want to put into your radar reach; biggest network of AEW operators. They Udeid, Qatar, where, like the RAAF E-7Ts it is configurable to the mission. The in- are Sweden (two Saab 340s), Brazil (three flying out of Al Minhad, it was used to co- tegrated IFF and radar functionality also EMB 145/R-99s) Greece (four EMB-145H), ordinate the multinational air campaign allows the system to reach further than Mexico (one EMB 145SA), Pakistan (three

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Saab 2000s plus two on order), Saudi Arabia (two x Saab 2000s) and the UAE (two Saab Staying Informed and Alive 340 with three Bombardier 6000 GLOBAL- EYEs on order). Saab’s Ideas on Airborne Electronic Warfare (Ulrich Renn) Now that the focus of mili- Gulfstream CAEW tary readiness is shifting from asymmet-

ric operations to the deployment of tra- Photo: Saab The Israel Air Space Force operates four ditional combat troops, radar threats are heavily modified Gulfstream 550s for the regaining importance. At the same time, AEW mission. The Eitam is fitted with the the electronic warfare (EW) environment EL/W-2085 multi-sensor suite, which pro- is becoming increasingly complex: vides a full 360-degree coverage, with its • Stealth and counter-stealth tech- narrower field S-band antennas on the rear nologies are leading to increasing and forward spheres of the aircraft, as well interest in surveillance radars operating in low-frequency bands (VHF/UHF). as wider-scoping L-band antennas mounted • The proliferation of modern long-range anti-access/area denial systems calls for more on the sides of the G550 CAEW fuselage. complex and sophisticated protection systems. It has a ten-hour endurance and a 7,000 • Radar sensors are increasingly agile. km (5,500 miles) range. The most recent • Nowadays, communication systems (military and commercial) work on frequencies customer for the Israel Aerospace Industries previously reserved for radar. (IAI) Gulfstream 550 is the Italian Air force, • Traditional separation of passive sensors for radars and communications is becoming which took delivery of two jets in 2016/17 in less and less relevant. a US$750M deal made in 2012. • Traditional receiver technology is rapidly becoming operationally obsolete. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) • Traditional threat libraries are becoming extremely difficult to keep up to date. bought four Conformal Airborne Early • The line between traditional electronic warfare and cyber attack is becoming blurred. Warning (CAEW) configured Gulfstream This requires advanced electronic combat systems capable of protecting airborne plat- 550s for US$1Bn from IAI Elta in May 2007. forms from all elements of the air defence kill chain, from surveillance and target acquisi- The CAEW, with its EL/W-2085 sensor suite, tion to target tracking and weapons deployment, with the aim of disrupting the chain has revolutionised the way the RSAF car- as early as possible. ries out its AEW role after flying the E-2C By cleverly combining long-term research programmes with product-oriented research HAWKEYE for 23 years. and development, Saab has developed a technology platform for EW systems that leads the world in outsmarting even the most advanced threats. These systems employ India and Pakistan Gallium Nitrate (GaN) transmitters, wide band Active Electronically Scanned Antenna Arrays (AESA), ultra-wide band digital processing of radar frequency signals, signal The Indian Air Force purchased three Em- and data processing enhanced by artificial intelligence, machine learning and cognitive braer EMB 145s in a US$208M deal, lead- algorithms, precision direction finding and localisationas well as stealth-enabled coun- ing to the first delivery on 14 February 2017. termeasure systems (that do not increase a platform’s radar signature). They are fitted with an indigenous Defence The most advanced and complex product of this kind is AREXIS, a family of EW systems Research & Development Organisation for the self-protection of airborne platforms. The first version of this system will be the (DRDO) AEW&C system known as NETRA. onboard EW suite installed in GRIPEN E. To strengthen self-protection and disrupt the Equipped with a 240-degree coverage ra- kill chain already at the surveillance and target acquisition stage, AREXIS will also include dar and a 240 mile range to detect, identify an electronic attack (EA) jammer pod that can detect and jam surveillance and acquisi- and classify threats. They work alongside tion radars in frequency bands ranging from VHF/UHF to the L and S bands. Both the three AEW&C configured Ilyushin Il-76s onboard suite and the jammer pod can be adapted to other platforms. known as the A-50EhI, purchased under a US$1.1Bn deal, which saw the original airframes modified with the IAI EL/W-2090 AEW&C PHALCON radar system by Israel The Pakistan Air Force operates the ERIEYE with command centres, fighters, UAVs and Aerospace Industries (IAI) and its subsidiary system mounted on the Saab 2000, aug- navy ships, the aircraft’s data-link provided Elta at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport. These menting four ZDK-03 Korakoram EAGLEs the information it was detecting over long- were delivered between 2009-2011. An- delivered between 2010 and 2012. The ranges, down-linked other pair are believed to be on order. The aircraft are Shaanxi Y-9G airframes with a the aerial picture and up-linked data from radar is able to track multiple fast moving dome on top. China Electronics Technology ground-based air defences. The ZDK-06 targets at a range of up to 250 miles (400 Corporation (CETC) has upgraded the four is also said to offer mid-course guidance, km), and a communication suite, which Shaanxi Y-9G airframes, fitting the AESA ra- updating a missile’s trajectory en-route to a guarantees the secure voice, and data links dar in the dome. At Zhuhai Air Show in 2018, mobile target. to air, ground and sea. CETC displayed two different Y-9 AEW&C Obviously, AEW plays an extremely impor- The IAF is now close to clearing the way aircraft. A KJ-500/ZDK-06 with a dome on tant role within the military, which is the rea- for the acquisition of two Airbus A330 that top appeared in the static display, while two son that the systems and aircraft operating will be configured with DRDO’s indigenous models of the same K/JE-03 stood at the all over the world come in all shapes and system. DRDO Chairperson, S Christopher stand, with the balanced beam radar, but sizes. They provide countries with a sense told reporters at Aero India 2017 in Febru- presented in different colour schemes. Like of situational awareness in their would-be ary, “the system mounted on the Airbus, will the event in 2016, a video also was played adversary’s 'back-yard', an opportunity to have 360-degree surveillance and a cover- showing a more flexible means of attack defend against any possible aggression, and age area of 300 km.” and defence in the newer ZDK-06. Working strike back almost immediately. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 97  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY “Belgium needed to invest in new major equipment to be prepared for the future.”

Interview with Lieutenant General Rudy Debaene, National Armament Director of the Ministry of Defence of Belgium

2000 flying hours intercontinental business ESD: Which of these are carried out in jet, with the possibility for leasing wide body international partnerships, and who are aircraft within the same contract. This part of your partners? our fleet will be “completely European” and LtGen Debaene: For the F-35 pro- will be put under the EATC. gramme, it will be US as well as EU indus- Our F-16 fleet is ready to leave service in the trial partners and MoDs. For the EDIDP 2023 – 2028 period and will be replaced by programmes, industry still is in negotia- F-35 combat aircraft. Here we seek to link up tion phase with their international part- with our other European partners (Nether- ners, but we have already identified po- lands, UK, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and so tential EU nations that show interest in

Photo: MoD Belgium on), but due to or rather thanks to the con- joining up. nectivity on board (such as Link ESD: In many western countries, the changed 16), we will be able to cooper- security-political situation in Europe has in- ate with all other European and duced governments to allocate additional international partners as we do funds for defence and armament. To what for the moment being.

extent and in what way has this trend influ- Belgium is contracting MQ 9B Photo: MoD Belgium enced things in your country? MALE drone systems through LtGen Debaene: Of course, Belgium follows an FMS case with the US that this mainstream as we are part of Europe and are to be delivered in the 2023 the European security environment. But next timeframe. Concerning “im- to the trigger of the changing security situa- age intelligence” we joined tion, as our legacy systems are slowly reach- the MUSIS-CSO project under ing their end of life, Belgium needed to invest French lead and in the area of in new major equipment to be prepared for satellite communication, we the future. Other elements that influenced partner up, amongst others, the strategic investment plan are the short- with Luxemburg in their Gov- falls that are/were identified within NATO SatCom programme. and within the European Defence arena: tanker aircraft, MALE drones, unmanned ESD: What share of your pro- systems, communication assets, protection curement funds is invested in Together with the Netherlands, Belgium has against cyber-attacks, and so on. All these military aerospace R&D and just launched two major naval procurement elements are at the basis of the investments what are you concentrating on? programmes; Belgium is the lead nation in the part in the “Strategic Vision for Defence” ap- LtGen Debaene: It is difficult procurement of Mine Counter Measure Vessels proved in June 2016. to give a precise indication of (MCMV). this percentage, but Belgium is ESD: What are the most important military supporting several EDIDP programmes with ESD: What are your nation's current activ- aerospace programmes in your country, both elements of aerospace R&D in it: the first ities and considerations in the framework current and forthcoming? one is called HAPS, “high altitude pseudo of PESCO (Permanent Structured Coop- LtGen Debaene: Next to the Agusta A109, satellite”, that heads for a long endurance eration) and what are your plans? we operate since 2014 the NH90 helicopter airborne system (based upon solar energy), LtGen Debaene: Belgium is lead nation in close relationship with our European and able to carry communication systems or in the “MAS – MCM” project, that looks international partners in the project. image sensors on board. We also support at the follow-up for the existing maritime Our C-130 fleet will be replaced from 2020 an EDIDP project that aims at generating a autonomous systems for mine counter- on by A400M, a decision our government “European protected waveform” in satellite measures. Next to that, Belgium joined as already took in the beginning of this century. communications. Next to that, our industry “partner” in 10 projects and as “observer” Next to that, we engaged in the EU MRTT will get the opportunity to be involved in in another 4 programmes. project for the equivalent of 1000 flying high tech industrial work packages and R&D hours and our “white fleet” is subject of an topics together with the partner industry in The questions were asked by “outsourcing” project for the equivalent of the F-35 programme. Peter Bossdorf

98 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  UAS Detection and Countermeasures

Sidney E. Dean

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have become ubiquitous. More than 600 types of UAS are currently in use in eighty nations. They range from multi-million-dollar aircraft rivalling manned military systems in capa- bility, to small and cheap Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, meaning the “airplane” or “helicopter” part) which can be purchased online and controlled via laptop or smartphone.

ncreasingly, non-state actors – including Hezbollah, al Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS) – are

I Photo: ESG deploying the latter as camera-equipped reconnaissance aircraft. More recently they have begun weaponising small quadcop- ters, and small-to-medium-sized UAVs with up to ten feet wingspan, to drop grenades or mortar-sized bombs on Iraqi and Pesh- merga forces. Globally, security services are also concerned about “suicide-drones” packed with high-explosives. And nation- states are themselves acquiring small and micro-UAVs as reconnaissance and attack systems. When the G7 summit was held in Germany in 2015, the German security forces also introduced a special asset against small drones. Under the leadership of the com- pany ESG the industry partners Diehl De- fence and ROBIN Radar Systems deployed a joint solution as a defence against threats due to the unauthorised use of commer- This joint solution of ESG, Diehl Defence and ROBIN radars protected cial micro-drones. The solution focused on the G7 summit in Germany effectively against the unauthorised use of electronic detection, verification and coun- micro-drones. termeasures as well as appropriate means of command & control. 50 counter-UAS systems evaluated during Sensor options include high-definition In light of this growing threat, many na- each year’s exercise. The search for CUAS electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras, tions are pursuing Counter-UAS (CUAS) goes well beyond the terrorist threat, with radio-frequency (RF) sensors, highly sen- technology in tandem with fielding their the US military and other nations’ armed sitive microphones to detect UAV engine own UAS. Since large UAS can normally be forces seeking systems capable of deterring noise, as well as radar providing pano- detected and targeted using conventional and defeating peer-level unmanned aerial ramic or sector surveillance. The sensors air defense systems, these CUAS efforts are systems. can be fixed, man-portable or vehicle mostly directed against small- to medium- mounted, including the option of trail- sized unmanned aircraft which often have Find and Fix er-based extendable mast systems for a minuscule radar profile and a low noise increased range. The C2 suite identifies signature. At this point government agen- The first order of business is developing and classifies the targets while the sen- cies rely heavily on industry to help define vi- systems to reliably detect, identify, and sors track the flying object, allowing it able technologies and operational concepts. track adversary UAS. This is particularly to be attacked and neutralised at range CUAS elements are being incorporated into challenging for smaller UAVs, especially with a variety of weapons and technolo- exercises and field experiments, while sev- in urban canyons where sightlines can be gies. Selex also touts the option of tak- eral dedicated CUAS experiments are con- short and few. Several detection and sur- ing control of the drone and landing it ducted annually. The largest, BLACK DART, veillance systems are already on the mar- safely, eliminating the danger that a fall- is hosted by the US Air Force with more than ket or nearing operational capability. Most ing drone causes injuries on the ground. rely on a combination of sensors. SILENT ARCHER, a system introduced by Author In September 2015 Finmeccanica’s Brit- Syracuse (New York) based SRC Inc, func- ish subsidiary SELEX introduced FALCON tions similarly to Falcon Shield. The US Sidney E. Dean is President of Trans- SHIELD, a modular, multi-tiered system Army in 2017 contracted to buy fifteen atlantic Euro-American Multimedia optimised to combat low-and-slow-fly- systems – ten mobile and five fixed – for LLC. and a regular contributor to ESD. ing small UAS against the “background US$65M, followed by a US$108M order clutter” typical of urban environments. January 2019; the US Air Force placed

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 99 Israel’s Rafael has introduced the DRONE DOME system with 360 degree radar cov- erage, electro-optical identification and an RF jammer. A 5 kW laser is optional as a “hard-kill” solution. Both the jammer and laser have a 2.5 kilometre range. The UK acquired the DRONE DOME without the laser in 2018. And in November 2016 Russia’s Zavod Elektromash announced that it was developing a vehicle-mounted non-emitting radar with a detection range of 20 kilometres. The passive radar will not trigger enemy radar-detection sensors. According to a Zavod Elektromash spokes- man the system will detect “sophisticated stealth drones of various types”.

Photo: US DoD Kinetic Countermeasures The annual Black Dart exercise tests innovative concepts for the detection and neutralisation of UAVs. The most obvious defence against hostile UAVs is to shoot them down. At the tactical a US$57M order in 2018 (US$57M). Ac- systems paired with special detection and level – where counter UAS operations take cording to SRC, the combination of radar tracking algorithms as the primary small- place – any available weapon can theoreti- signature and RF signature data is suffi- UAS detection agent, augmented by EO/IR cally be directed at a drone. “We’re looking cient for positive classification and iden- sensors. ELTA radar can detect UAS at sever- at everything from shotguns to water can- tification of particular UAS; confirmation al kilometres’ distance. Since its introduction nons,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Sousa and additional information are obtained in 2015 IAI has sold hundreds of units to ten of the Marine Corps Combat Development visually via EO/IR sensors. The system can countries. In November 2018 IAI presented Command. Various kinetic solutions are be- be deployed against single drones and the latest generation DRONE GUARD. The ing studied and applied, ranging from ma- drone swarms. It has been used to secure upgrade adds a communications intelli- chine guns to air-burst air-defense artillery high-profile international summits as well gence system to enhance detection of the shells; ground-, air- and sea-based weap- as the 2012 Olympics. frequencies employed with drones. The 3D ons are equally viable. During the 2016 Israeli Aircraft Industries’ DRONE GUARD radar, electro-optical sensors and jamming BLACK DART CUAS exercise a US Marine system centres on ELTA air-surveillance radar systems have also been improved. Corps sniper riding in a helicopter downed a FLANKER UAV (wingspan: seven feet) us- ing a precision rifle. One drawback of most infantry weapons in the CUAS-role is their limited range. Photo: US DoD However, air-defence missiles are not a viable alternative. In addition to effec- tiveness, military planners must consider proportionality and economy. A senior US Army general related in 2017 that a US ally had shot down a US$300 quad- copter UAV using a US$3M PATRIOT missile. Even discounting the cost-effect ratio, this is not an acceptable CUAS strategy. State actors could quickly de- plete an adversary’s air-defence arsenals by launching waves of cheap UAS before committing manned (or sophisticated un- manned) aircraft and missiles. That principle also holds for deploying inter- mediate value missiles such as the HELLFIRE, STINGER, and AIM-9, all of which have been successfully tested against drones. The US Navy has also successfully tested The AVENGER short-range air-defence system features eight STINGER the much smaller and cheaper SPIKE mis- ground-to-air missiles in vehicle-mounted launcher tubes. The US Army sile in the CUAS role, using the projectile’s has decided to deploy 72 AVENGER systems to Germany as a full com- proximity fuse to destroy two small aircraft. plement for two battalions. One battalion set will be activated and the The US$5,000 SPIKE has a range of 3.2 kilo- other battalion set will be placed in prepositioned storage. A major metres and can be deployed by dismounted mission component of the battalions will be defence against Russian infantry, vehicles, boats or aircraft, making it drones. a more viable CUAS option.

100 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

Jamming and Hacking metres, and then slew surveillance to the a feature lacking on many other CUAS sys- EO sensors for tracking. Once visual con- tems. Like some other jammers, DRONE- Regardless of type, kinetic CUAS solutions firmation and identification of the drone GUN can scale the effect on the target UAS, are not considered optimal, especially over is made, operators put the target in their optionally triggering the aircraft to return to urban terrain where projectiles and drone crosshairs and pull the trigger, locking onto its point of origin (thereby pinpointing the parts could inflict unintended casualties. and automatically tracking the UAS. “The operator). The prospect of future deployment of system then puts a 20-degree cone of Iran has developed its own rifle-shaped drone swarms containing dozens or even energy downrange [to] interrupt the sig- jammer which, according to Tehran, can hundreds of very small air vehicles could ul- nal from the operator to the drone,” said not only disrupt a UAV’s command signal, timately make kinetic defence virtually im- Tom Scott, president of US-based LITEYE but reprogramme the drone to turn against possible. For these reasons military planners Systems, who helped create AUDS. The its owner. A US Army study confirmed the are increasingly turning to electronic coun- integration of components enables AUDS Iranian claims, stating: “Once the device termeasures (ECM) to disrupt UAS radio- to defeat a target withing 15 seconds of locks onto a drone, its operator is no long- control frequencies and/or GPS-navigation detection. The system is available in fixed- signals. ECM systems have already proven site and deployable configurations, but is themselves in real-world CUAS operations. not operated on the move. AUDS is used According to US Army sources, Russia has by both civilian and military agencies, and demonstrated a very capable UAS-jamming has been deployed with US forces over- and hacking capability during operations seas since 2016. The variant used by the in the Ukraine since 2014, disabling west- US has been customized with additional ern-built reconnaissance drones operated American-made components by LITEYE to by Kiev. And the commander of the Iraqi meet specific end-user requirements. Photo: Blighter Surveillance Systems Counterrorism Service in early 2017 credited Man-portable directed energy jammers for a US-operated, vehicle-mounted jamming use by dismounted forces are also in service, system (identified only as the “interference including with US forces in the Middle East. machine”) with completely halting Daesh Battelle industries’ DRONEDEFENDER looks UAS operations around Mosul. and handles like an assault rifle, but emits Increasingly, vehicle mounted and fixed electromagnetic (EM) radiation that disrupts CUAS systems are being developed that the UAS remote control or GPS signal. The permanently integrate detection, tracking weapon operates on standard GPS and ISM and engagement capabilities for greater ef- radio bands and is designed to neutralise fectiveness. Some are designed with open commercially available UAS. The weapon system architecture which allows multiple can fire within one second of acquiring the hardware configurations, including an array target. The EM is fired in a 30-degree cone of controllers and sensors for target detec- of directed energy, wide enough to ensure tion, tracking and engagement. The final a “hit” on the moving target, but narrow configuration is determined by operational enough to concentrate the weapon’s en- requirements and the client’s preferences. ergy. According to the manufacturer the Other systems have a fixed configuration. effect is nearly instantaneous, preventing A sophisticated CUAS system is supplied remote-controlled or automatic detona- by Airbus Defence and Space. It includes a tion of any payload or failsafe system, and SPEXER 500AC radar, NIGHTOWL Z ther- severing all video-feedback to the drone- mal imaging camera and laser rangefinder, controller. The battery-powered weapon SKYLARK 7050C direction finder, UAV da- has a 400-metre range and is capable of tabase and VPJ-R6 jammer. The radar has up to two hours of continuous operation. Tower-mounted variant of the an effective range of up to 10 kilometres, For point defence, US forces are deploying Anti-UAV Defence System (AUDS). while the remaining sensors and the jam- it in conjunction with the ELTA radar which mer have a maximum range of 2 kilometres. serves as an early detection system. In 2017 er in control. It is also reported that it has The AUDS (Anti-UAV Defence System) Battelle introduced the second-generation hacking capabilities, potentially rerouting developed by a British consortium con- DRONEDEFENDER v2. It features miniatur- a targeted drone. Additionally, its hacking sists of a BLIGHTER Systems A400 Series ized electronics to make the weapon less abilities may allow the device user to safely Ku-band electronic scanning air security cumbersome, and has only two moving land a drone.” radar; the Chess Dynamics HAWKEYE sta- parts, the selector and the triger. bilised electro-optic director, infrared and The Australian-made DRONEGUN operates Light and Heat daylight cameras, and target tracking soft- on the same principle as DRONEDEFENDER. ware; and a co-mounted (with the EO/IR The latest variant, DRONEGUN TACTICAL, In the future, not all UAS will be suscep- sensors) directional RF inhibitor from ECS was introduced in early 2018. It has an ef- tible to RF jamming. For example, the US which disrupts the command-and-control fective range of one kilometre – half the military is developing autonomously guided channels of the UAS, forcing the target to range of previous versions – but is more unmanned gliders. Autonomously operat- the ground. AUDS has been tested against portable and targets a broader spectrum of ing UAS that navigate by visual sensors 60 different small UAS types. The radar frequencies. It can attack multiple targets rather than RF or GPS are also approach- consists of two 180 degree arrays placed simultaneously. In addition to radio-control ing operational reality. Potential alternatives back to back. The 360 degree radar can frequencies and GPS it expressly also jams to frequency jamming include CUAS lasers acquire targets at a distance of 10 kilo- the Russian GLONASS navigation system, and microwave weapons.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 101 “dogfight” between swarms of autono- mous unmanned aircraft. Each team con- sisted of ten propeller-driven ZEPHYR UAVs. While the ZEPHYRs were unarmed, they practiced aerial engagement and “scored” when they manoeuvred into a firing posi- tion. The test was a concept demonstration, not part of a developmental programme. What type of weapons could be mounted on future CUAS-UAVs was not discussed. Theiss UAV Solutions already offers the (non-lethally) armed EXCIPIO CUAS sys- tem. It consists of a high-speed VALIDUS Y-6 UAS which discharges a capture net as it overtakes the target UAV. Infantry-deployed nets are also an option. British start-up firm Open Works has devel- oped the SKYWALL 100, a man-portable

Photo: US Army weapon which fires a net to entangle a US Army soldiers are using Battelle Industries’ DRONEDEFENDER electro- drone, and the turret-mounted SKYWALL magnetic weapon to defeat terrorist drones in Iraq. 300. Following capture, a small parachute deploys, gently lowering the captured UAS Lasers can exert varying levels of destruc- as well as manned helicopters at a range to the ground for retrieval. The bazooka- tion, depending on the energy output of of four kilometres. In 2017 the firm pre- like SKYWALL 100 weighs 22 pounds and the beam, and whether the beam targets sented an upgraded variant dubbed SILENT requires eight seconds to reload. A “smart the UAS sensors (“blinding” but not de- HUNTER. Chinese officials claim a power scope” automatically calculates the drone’s stroying it) or more vital elements. Effec- rating between 30 and 100 kW, and the distance and vector, providing the operator tive range is also determined in part by the ability to ablate 10mm of steel coating at with the optimal aimpoint. The weapon’s energy potential. 800 meters. range is 100 metres. The man-portable Numerous lasers have been successfully Since laser weapons rely on unobstructed system has only been tested against small tested against drones, including the US sightlines and several seconds of dwell time rotary UAVs. During Black Dart 2018, SKY- Navy’s 30 kW Laser Weapons System on target, laser CUAS systems may not be WALL 300 successfully took down fixed- (LaWS) demonstrator. Sea-based evalua- optimal for urban terrain. Microwave weap- wing UAVs as well. At the lower end of tion began in 2014 and continues to date. ons offer an alternative approach. They the spectrum, SKYNET Mi-5 shotgun shells The experimental Stryker-mounted Mobile would be capable of firing a broad pulse of can be fired from standard 12-guage fire- Expeditionary High Energy Laser (MEHEL) microwave energy in the general direction arms. Designed to combat quadcopters, 2.0 has destroyed dozens of UAVs during of identified or suspected drones of all sizes the shell’s five tethered segments separate testing in 2017 and 2018. The weapon has and classes. This would enable the weapon with centrifugal force to unfold a 1.5-me- a nominal power of only 5 kW, which was to destroy the electronic components of an tre-wide capture net to trap the drone’s sufficient to destroy small UAVs (hard kill) entire drone swarm with only one pulse; propellers. or to alternately disrupt their control signal, alternately the beam power can be scaled In February of this year, the US Army re- forcing them to the ground for retrieval and down to “disrupt” flight without destroying ported that its own scientists had patented exploitation (soft kill). The MEHEL 2.0 sys- the aircraft. a CUAS net fired from a standard 40mm tem also includes an on-board radar and In August 2018 the US Army announced grenade launcher, including the under-bar- optical sensors. The Army’s goal is a 100 plans to award Lockheed Martin the con- rel M203 carried by infantry. The Scalable kW tactical air defence laser; to this end, tract for the Airborne High-Powered Mi- Effects Net Warhead contains a weighted both Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are crowave (HPM) CUAS. The HPM CUAS will net which releases when sensors in the gre- developing vehicle mounted 100 kW proto- be mounted on US Army UAVs and enable nade detect target proximity. The grenade types to be tested in 2022. In the interim the them to directly neutralize adversary UAVs. has a range of several hundred meters, and Army is testing a 60 kW Lockheed Martin Ground-based microwave systems are also should be effective even against sophisti- laser on a heavy tactical truck, and assess- being tested. In March of 2018 Raytheon cated UAVs and drone swarms. ing the viability of including a 50 kW laser demonstrated a combined microwave and One solution is even more retro. Guard on the objective Manoeuvre Short-Range laser weapon system that destroyed 33 from Above, based in The Hague, and pro- Air Defence system which should enter the drones via a high-powered microwave and vides site security using trained eagles to engineering and manufacturing develop- twelve per high-energy laser. intercept intruder drones. Government se- ment phase in 2022.To support light forces curity agencies form the primary client base. Raytheon has mounted a prototype CUAS Old Concepts Redefined Since 2017 the French Air Force has also laser with 1.6 kilometre range on a MRZR been training eagles to protect air bases dune buggy. In addition to such ultramodern weap- from terrorist drone intrusions. To protect The United States is not alone in pursuing ons, security forces are also repackaging the animals – which strike their target at 80 these capabilities. For example, in 2016 the solutions from decades – and even mil- kilometres per hour – the military has de- Chinese firm Poly Technologies introduced lennia – past. signed special mittens of leather and kevlar. the 30 kW Low Altitude Guard II truck- In February of 2017 the US Naval War Col- For their own safety the animals will only be mounted laser capable of destroying UAVs lege coordinated the first massed aerial deployed against smaller drones. 

102 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  Switzerland’s Second Attempt

Georg Mader

The renewed Swiss attempt to procure new fighter jets is open to all however, will be retired before that time, and the F/A-18s will be phased out gradu- Western manufacturers. The procurement project will also include ally when deliveries of the new aircraft long-range surface-to-air missiles (BODLUV). Given a volume of up to start coming in. CHF8Bn (US$8.45Bn), the programme will leave its mark on the Swiss Various Options Air Force and the Ministry of Defence, but also on Swiss politics and The options listed in 'Air2030' and their taxpayers. calculated costs included regaining the lost roles of ground attack and reconnaissance (gone with the retirement of the classics n June, the government agency ‘armasu- and the resulting costs for the NKF (Neues Hawker HUNTER and MIRAGE-IIIS respec- Iisse‘ will complete the in-country evalua- Kampfflugzeug) to replace the country’s tively) plus renewal of the ground-based tion of the five aircraft contenders. Since ageing F-5E/Fs TIGER and the F/A-18C/D in air defence system (GBADS) and radar. The the GRIPEN E was rejected on the ballots service since 1992. It is now a more holistic two Swiss panels (one expert and one ad- in 2014, another such referendum will be approach to ensure the best possible future visory panel) met 14 times between April held, this time ahead of any type decision. air defence and airspace security for the 2016 and May 2018, coming up with four Additionally, the Swiss fleet of COUGAR Swiss Confederation. different options: and SUPER-PUMA helicopters will be re- juvenated. And there is a brand-new, gov- ernment-run business jet carrying the Swiss roundel.

In the past, there have been several inci- Photo: Luftwaffe dents when Swiss F-5E and F/A-18C/D air- craft were unavailable for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) alphas. However, that should change by 2021 in realisation of 'Projekt Luftpolizeidienst 24'. Project LP24 aims at establishing a full 24/7 QRA, making Aus- tria the only European country where no active element is on QRA at night. Moreo- ver, Switzerland has lost half of its precious six F/A-18D two-seaters in crashes. It was, therefore, a harsh blow to the Swiss AF – then under charismatic Airchief Markus Gygax and Defence Secretary Ueli Maurer – when in May 2014 the Swiss vot- Swiss Air Force HORNETs lined up. Switzerland’s HORNET fleet is ageing ers rejected the budget for the 22 GRIPEN- and in need of modernisation. E/Fs. Yet, everybody in Switzerland knew that the delay would not be forever. And In early 2017, a panel examined possible Option 1 foresees the procurement of 55- with international challenges mounting, it packages, while the Federal Council opted 70 new combat aircraft, in addition to a was only a matter of time before a new to pursue a programme worth CHF8Bn multi-layered GBADS, which could cover an competition would be launched. Guy Par- (US$8.45Bn) for approximately 30+ air- area of 45,000 sq km and protect 20 sites, melin, at the time Head of the Swiss Federal craft and a ground-based air defence for a total cost of CHF15Bn to CHF18Bn, Department of Defence, Civil Protection, (GBAD) system. The new programme with CHF4Bbn allocated to the GBADS. and Sports, tasked two panels to deliver launched in November 2017 as 'Air2030' Under Option 2, Switzerland procures 40 a report on the matter and to present op- aimed to replace both the F-5 and the F-18 new combat aircraft and a GBADS, which tions on how to proceed. The 200-page in the Swiss AF service. The DDPS also would cover approximately 15,000 sq km. document 'Air2030' listed several options announced that in contrast to the previ- The overall procurement would include the ous botched fighter acquisition, a refer- retention of some legacy weapons sys- Author endum would be held before any type of tems. The cost would be CHF8Bn for the equipment is selected. That vote is likely aircraft and CHF1Bn for the GBADS. Georg Mader is a defence corre- to take place by the spring or summer of Option 3 sees the procurement of 30 spondent and freelance aerospace 2020, following parliamentary discussions new combat aircraft and a multi-layered journalist based in Vienna, Austria, this and early next year. A type selection GBADS covering 45,000 sq km. The exist- and a regular contributor to ESD. would then occur in late 2020 or early ing GBADS would be retained only against 2021, leading to an IOC in 2025. The F-5s, low-level threats. Costs would amount to

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 103  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Swiss pilots. The quotation has to consider total costs based on procurement and op-

Photo: RUAG eration of the equipment for a total time span of 30 years. The Swiss government clearly calls for an off-the-shelf product, with „No ‘Helvetization‘ required beyond minimal adjustments such as integration into the Swiss FLORAKO command and control network. Finally, locall assembly of the aircraft is “not a requirement, but is not ruled out.” On 23 March 2018, the DDPS published the basic requirements for the new NKF and the ground-based part. The document named potential suppliers and established offset requirements. Since the 2008/2009 tender, resulting in nothing following the The HORNETs are currently being modernised by RUAG. 2014 referendum, many facts that were controversial or considered crucial at the CHF6Bn for the aircraft and CHF2-2.5Bn Requirements time have changed fundamentally since for the GBADS. then. At that time, it was often said that Option 4 foresees the procurement of For the NKF requirement, the Swiss govern- the GRIPEN-E was the preferred model, 20 new combat aircraft and a GBADS. ment calls for an aircraft with air defence as but back then the full performance range Under this option, the service life of the its primary mission, but also with the ability of the EUROFIGHTER P1E and RAFÁLE F3 F/A-18C/D would be extended to the to perform strike and reconnaissance mis- configurations was still years in the future. early 2030s, and the GBADS would cov- sions as a secondary task. The fighter must On the other hand, the proposals related to er 15,000 sq km and focus primarily on be interoperable with those employed by aircraft projects, which the various manu- threats such as helicopters, unmanned neighbouring states and NATO PfP na- facturers were able to present at the time. aerial vehicles and combat aircraft. Op- tions, particularly in terms of communica- The competitors at that time were evaluat- tion 4 would cost CHF4Bn for the aircraft tions, IFF, and tactical datalinks. Although ed according to what was demonstrated at and CHF1Bn for the GBADS. the Swiss government did not specify an that time and to what was still in progress, because all three types offered a configura- tion that was not yet verifiable at that time. The latter has not changed fundamentally.

Photo: armasuisse Evaluations

Swiss officials say that the unique topog- raphy of the country determines their par- ticular needs. While simulation can now answer many of the Swiss customer’s ques- tions, and the number of evaluation flights has been reduced from around 20 in 2008 to only seven or eight this year, officials still need to understand how the aircraft’s sen- sors, in particular the radar, deal with the rugged Alpine landscape. Of the seven or eight flights, two will be technical flights and will test the sensors in an alpine envi- A US Navy F-18F at Payerne in April 2019. The type is a contender for ronment, according to Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, Switzerland’s procurement programme. Spokesperson of the Swiss Defence Agency armasuisse. Five of the flights will be typical Reportedly, Option 3 was the most popular exact fleet size, the fleet should be large for operations of Swiss fighter aircraft such among a panel of experts who reviewed enough to maintain four aircraft on patrol as QRA, Scramble and Intercepts. the report as it allows for daily air-policing for at least four consecutive weeks during Each aircraft candidate had to carry out a operations, while the extended coverage periods of tension, while the logistics net- total of seven or eight missions with one or of the GBADS provides a potential force- work must be able to maintain operations two combat aircraft during four flight days multiplier. Option 4 was criticised for its de- for six months – without spare parts supply in one week. Beforehand, the candidates mand for yet another extension of the ser- from abroad. From the outset, the national had the opportunity to familiarise them- vice life of the old HORNET fleet, especially armaments giant RUAG is named as the selves with the specific procedures in Swit- as Switzerland could be the only HORNET preferred centre for maintenance, repair, zerland’s narrow airspace by making an- operator towards the end of its planned and overhaul. Another requirement is that other flight. One flight had to take place at service life, at which point the jet would no an in-country evaluation is to be conducted night. To this end, the take-off times were longer have combat effectiveness. in Switzerland and – where possible – by seasonally adjusted, with flights always

104 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  ending before midnight. No test flights F-35 because the radar is considered half were carried out at weekends or on pub- The "Air2030" ‘mature’. The current CAPTOR-M, never- lic holidays. Since the F-35 and 'Gripen-E' Programme theless, is excellent, which has been con- are only single-seated (the 'Gripen-F' is cur- firmed by Austrian AF officers who have At a meeting on 15 May 2019, the rently only planned for Brazil), the data col- gained substantial operational experience lection of the various mission profiles was Swiss Federal Council decided to con- since 2007. dependent on company test pilots and the tinue the "Air2030" programme. The Similarly, the offered Block-III of the F/A- 'armasuisse' recording of all flight test data. Federal Council instructed the DDPS 18E/F will only feature the APG-79 AESA- On the other platforms, Swiss test pilots to submit a draft planning contract for radar when the first two aircraft will enter supervised from the rear seat of two-seater the acquisition of new fighter aircraft USN troop tests later this year. For flight aircraft. by the beginning of September. The tests in Switzerland, the aircraft carried a AIRBUS Defence for the EUROFIGHTER acquisition of a new long-range air de- radar-independent and passive IRST in the T3, BOEING for F-18E/F SUPER HORNET fence system is not part of this plan but front tip of the ventral fuel tank. Block-III, DASSAULT for the RAFÁLE F3R, part of the 'normal' procedure. While Armasuisse will now use the obtained LOCKHEED-MARTIN for the F-35A JSF, and the Federal Council Decision 2017 pro- flight test data to confirm the answers to SAAB for the latest GRIPEN-E/F have sub- vided for the purchase of new combat 2,000 questions provided by the manu- mitted bids and were subsequently invited aircraft and an extensive ground-to- facturers to the first request for propos- to demonstrate their aircraft at Payerne. air defence system for CHF8Bn, the als (RFP) issued in July 2018. Several voices The JAS-39 GRIPEN-E/F still is in validation- decision only covers the combat air- have questioned the secrecy with which tests, like on the SELEX RAVEN radar, prior craft component for CHF6Bn, since a the initial bids were processed by armasu- to serial-production for Brazil and Sweden. smaller volume would jeopardise the isse and DDPS. To avoid leaks, the bidding Thus, it may again not be able to demon- size of the fleet requiring a minimum documents were locked away for weeks strate all the features that the Swedes will number of aircraft, while a larger vol- and fed into a data system disconnected offer on the type. ume would not leave sufficient finan- from the internet and accessible to only five When it comes to the F-35 demonstra- cial leverage for the ground-to-air de- individuals. The names are publicly with- tors, they were sent from Hill AFB in Utah, fence system. held. Similarly, the technical responses are with stops on the US east coast and Ram- strictly separated from the pricing details stein. Opinion polls show that there is and enclosed in separate envelopes. As Mr general support for a new fighter, but of Nº41 Sqn, the RAF Eurofighter test and Sievert explains, no member of the evalua- the F-35 is considered to be too expensive evaluation unit. P3Ea-standard and CAP- tion commission in his segment should be and, above all, as a 'striker' unnecessary TOR-E are completely unrelated, both con- influenced by what that part means for the for Switzerland. tractually and from a configuration point overall budget. Newspapers and discussion forums criti- of view. Therefore, it was the UK’s 'Radar The data obtained from the flight tests will cised and questioned that although the 1+Export Interim Standard' since 'Radar 2' be used for a direct comparison to support F-35 JSF would provide military under- is not yet available. It remains to be seen if a second RFP planned for 2020. A second standable access to the latest data link and Eurofighter gets a chance to demonstrate referendum, also in 2020, is a possible signature technologies, it would be unfair the CAPTOR-E to the Swiss authorities. hurdle for this timetable. Instead of asking to compare it with other fourth-generation The situation might have been different if whether the government should buy a par- jets without considering Russian or Chinese Eurofighter had not been the first but the ticular platform, the referendum is likely to stealth types such as Su-57 or FC-31. The last type to be evaluated. With TYHOON be more fundamental, officials say, and will author said on Swiss TV that while it is a production for Kuwait and Qatar now un- ask whether the country should modernise nice idea to use such aircraft as sparring derway, there are some uncertainties as to its air defence system at all. Referendums partners for Western aircraft, Switzerland’s which of the latest specifications apply to are one of the most important pillars of pro-Western and NATO-oriented orienta- which customers. It seems that, at least in Swiss citizenship. For the Swiss, direct de- tion renders such ideas inappropriate. terms of its radar, what Eurofighter dem- mocracy is not just about empty words, Another significant detail: When, on 11 onstrated falls short of the RAFALE and and such public votes take place several April, a two-seater Eurofighter TYPHOON took off from Payerne to its first evaluation mission, the aircraft did not yet carry an ac- tive electronically scanning AESA radar be- hind the nose radome, nor did the Boeing

SUPER HORNETs deployed later. Of course, Photo: Georg Mader with the CAPTOR-E there is an E-scan radar in the programme but its demonstrators are IPA5, a UK TYPHOON that has been flying with the AESA-set since July 2016 and IPA8 at Manching as a second asset. However, the latter aircraft was currently unavailable and is in a kind of ‘Frankenstein‘ configuration with P1Ea and the CAPTOR- E. The Swiss were likely better served with a mature operational asset of the P3Ea stand- ard and that was what the RAF deployed to A Saab GRIPEN NG demonstrator at the Axalp in 2012. In 2014, Swiss Switzerland, with two full T3 TYPHOONs citizens rejected the procurement of the GRIPEN in a referendum.

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direct and indirect offsets, from a security and economic policy point of view.

Photo: Pilatus All three external reports were presented to the public on 2 May, and this is when Mme. Amherd first explained that she had decid- ed to review the biggest arms procurement programme in modern Swiss history, in an attempt to reduce the risk of yet another negative referendum outcome. Claude Nicollier recommended separating the two contracts and putting only the fighter jet acquisition up for popular vote, yet pro- posing the acquisition of about 40 aircraft to gradually replace the existing fleet. He A Swiss Air Force One. Just recently, the Swiss government bought also added “With every purchase of fighter a brand-new PILATUS PC-24 with VIP interiors. aircraft, the idea of leasing comes out of the woodwork. Switzerland has leased 12 times a year on many important issues. Currently, Swiss forces are operating RA- TIGER aircraft to Austria in 2004. But the On the other hand, as we saw in 2014, PIER and STINGER missiles. opposite must remain an obvious 'no-go' a referendum on combat aircraft and Offsets for both requirements were ex- for an independent and neutral country.“ SAMs can also backfire, as not all voters pected in full, divided among direct off- In his report, fiscal expert Kurt Grüter ac- are experts on the capabilities and costs sets associated with the purchase (20%), knowledged Switzerland’s efforts to in- of military aviation. Switzerland is a stub- indirect offsets for Switzerland’s defence crease the transparency of compensation bornly neutral non-EU country, which for industry (40%) and the remaining 40% for offsets. However, only direct related cases decades has done much more in military other industries. However, latter part now and indirect compensatory cases relating to terms to live up to its self-chosen status seems to change. Offsets should be distrib- the technology and security industry would than its like-minded EU neighbour Austria. uted across Swiss regions along the lines of be relevant. He recommended giving up But here, too, the left-wing pacifist 'Swiss 65% for German-speaking regions, 30% the other indirect compensatory cases. Group without Army' has been collecting for French and 5% for Italian. Given the volume of CHF6Bn to CHF7Bn, signatures, supported by local left-green a compensation of 100% would be dif- majorities in almost all major Swiss cities. Stepping on the Brakes ficult to achieve and might generate higher prices. Cases directly related to the produc- BODLUV As a result of the complete reshuffling tion of the chosen aircraft at the order of of government functions in the federal 20% and indirect compensatory cases of Meanwhile, the so-called BODLUV GBAD executive body every two years, one of the order of 40% for the core industry are requirement is being sought for a ground- Switzerland’s two newly elected Federal more realistic, provided that the quality of based system with a horizontal range of at Councillors, Viola Amherd of the centre- the industrial programmes is carefully eval- least 50 km and altitude engagement ca- right Christian Democrats (CVP), became uated when comparing the offers. Oscar pability of at least 40,000 feet (12,000 m), the country’s first Minister of Defence on 1 Schwenk, Chairman of PILATUS Aircraft, with the system’s radars contributing to the January 2019. She succeeds Guy Parmelin said in 2018 that he would increase the overall Swiss RAP (recognised air picture). of the conservative Swiss People’s Party, price of orders from foreign armies by 15% Invited to bid are the Eurosam SAMP/T, who had initiated the combined procure- to 20% when talking about compensation RAFAEL‘s DAVID’S SLING‘ and Raytheon’s ment of combat aircraft and GBAD missiles agreements. PATRIOT in conjunction with Rheinmetall. and intended to present the entire package Drafted under the guidance of Pälvi Pulli, to parliament in February. the DDPS officer responsible for security However, as often happens when a new- policy, the threat status report reevaluated comer wants to leave a footprint, already the threat scenarios, which formed the ba- Photo: VBS in the first month, Mme Amherd interfered sis for the modernisation efforts in the first with the Air2030 programme. At first, she place. His report confirmed the previous commissioned the well-known and popu- decision that Switzerland was in dire need lar former Swiss astronaut, ex-Hawker of sufficient combat aircraft and ground HUNTER pilot and ex-Swissair captain defences to effectively protect Swiss air- Claude Nicollier with an outside assess- space. The negative development of the ment of the whole matter. He was given international security situation in the last until late April to review the entire project, two or three years and the time constraints and his 'second opinion' might topple the associated with acquisition projects make it entire programme. She requested the VBS all the more urgent to take action. to come up with yet another analysis of the current threat situation and also tasked Interim HORNET Upgrade Kurt Grüter, Ex-Director of the Swiss Fed- eral audit office (SFAO), with a third outside The new developments did not interfere Swiss Defence Minister Viola Am- opinion. Grüter was to investigate the cost with plans to extend the service-life of herd has once again revised Swit- of the assumed 100% offset transactions the F/A-18s. In spring 2017, Switzerland’s zerland’s Air2030 programme. with Swiss industry, as well as the use of 'Army Report 2017' was accepted, in-

106 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 cluding a CHF450M agreement to have

RUAG upgrade and modernise the HOR- Photo: Georg Mader NET fleet. The aircraft are about to receive upgraded avionics and a new BVR missile. Mr. Salzmann, an armasuisse engineer at ETH Zurich, said that when evaluating the HORNETs in the early 1990s, the experts had underestimated how quickly the jets would show fatigue problems, as opera- tion in small and mountainous airspace would put more strain on the aircraft than over flat land or sea. Mr. Salzmann was unsure whether RUAG would be able to complete the modernisation process in A Swiss AF COUGAR helicopter, purchased in 1998. RUAG was contracted time, as there was a shortage of specialist to upgrade the COUGARs until mid-2022. human resources. Work per aircraft might also easily last up to six months instead of the planned four. Until 2024, the air force could face a limited availability of the type. In 2017, Swiss executives, however, reject- ed the plan to integrate an air-to-ground Photo: Georg Mader capability into the HORNETs. That capabil- ity was seen as an option to weigh into the new jet procurement plan. Of course, nowadays all contenders are real multi or swing role fighter jets, with the classic inter- ceptor long since scrapped or in museums of the Cold War.

Swiss TIGERs for the US Navy

For the next couple of years, the Swiss Air Force will fly a total of 22 F-5E and four F-5F two-seaters, down from a peak of 98 and 12 in 1981. Almost all of them have Switzerland’s 15 SUPER PUMA transport helicopters were procured in become the target of a unique item in the the late 1980s and modernised by RUAG between 2011 and 2014. US DoD’s FY2020 budget as the US Navy wants to acquire another 22 F-5E/Fs from squadrons are also from surplus Swiss Air services continues to rise. Although some Switzerland to fulfil so-called 'fleet adver- Force stocks. However, delivery and refur- of this demand is being offset by employing sary support duties.' The 44 F-5N/Fs that bishment of those jets took place between private 'Red Air' contractors like ATAC or are currently flying as 'aggressors' with May 2003 and November 2007 and with 'Draken Intl.' for adversary support duties, two US Navy and one Marine adversary the fleet continuing to age, demand for its the Navy will still have to shore up its F-5 force unless it plans to retire the type en- tirely. Currently, the F-5 – and in particular the Swiss ones because they are very well maintained – still are a sounding economic

Photo: Swiss AF solution for a range of threat presentations. However, theUS Navy will still have to wait a little until the Swiss have procured new aircraft.

Rotory Modernisation

In December 2018, the Swiss Air Force and armasuisse contracted the Swiss company RUAG to upgrade eight COU- GAR transport helicopters until mid- 2022. The COUGARs purchased in 1998 are used for transport, search and rescue missions, but the platform’s electronic flight control, navigation and commu- nication systems now require major up- The Berne-based VIP transport unit also operates two EUROCOPTER EC grades. The scope of the modernisation 135 with VIP interiors. includes new flight management com-

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 107  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY puters, a precision navigation system for an accurate navigation solution that sup- termeasures, such as dispensing decoys. IFR flying, a collision avoidance system ports all flight operations. Modernising the In addition to the upgrade, RUAG is also that alerts pilots to aircraft in critical prox- Swiss COUGAR fleet broadens the pres- tasked with conducting a full structural imity, and a system developed by RUAG ence of CMC’s solutions within the Swiss and mechanical overhaul on the helicop- that emits an acoustic signal when the Air Force, which also operates 15 SUPER ters. Specialists at RUAG will disassemble rotorcraft leaves a defined altitude. PUMA transport helicopters (procured at them, check the relevant parts for wear In March 2019, RUAG Aviation and the the end of the 1980s and already modern- and tear and repair or replace parts as Swiss AF selected CMC Electronics business ised by RUAG between 2011 and 2014) and necessary. CMC of the Canadian avionics specialist 20 EC135/635 helicopters. All of them are Esterline to supply their CMA-9000 flight- already equipped with CMC’s CMA-9000 A New Swiss Air Force One management System (FMS) and CMA-5024 and CMA-5024. GPS landing-system for the modernisation RUAG‘s COUGAR modernisation pack- From its facility at Belp airport to the west of these eight Swiss COUGAR helicopters. age also features helmet mounted dis- of the capital Berne, the Swiss AF oper- CMA-9000 supports both military and civil plays to project important flight data ates a small governmental flying service, navigation modes and complies to the lat- on the pilot’s visor, as well as the latest which recently received a special addi- est standards for ‘Required Navigation Per- generation of radio equipment and sat- tion. In a handover-ceremony in Berne, formance‘ and ‘Satellite Based Augmenta- ellite phones, for ensuring safe OPSEC on 18 February 2019, the service took tion System‘ (RNP/SBAS) approaches, while communication. RUAG will also equip the delivery of a single PILATUS PC-24, regis- the CMA-5024 GPS landing system sensor helicopters with the latest IDAS-3 self-de- tered as T-786. The domestic Swiss busi- meets the requirements for IFR and civil fence system, alerting the crew to radar, ness jet will replace a CESSNA 560 XL certified GPS. Its wide-area augmentation laser and electro-optical waves, as well as CITATION EXCEL on flights operated on system and SBAS GPS capability provide launched missiles. It also includes coun- behalf of the Swiss Federal Council (Bun- desrat). The Swiss Air Force ordered the aircraft from PILATUS in 2014 for €8.8M. Oscar Schwenk, Chairperson of Pilatus Aircraft, described the latest addition as “the new Swiss Air Force One", saying he is “confident that other governments will adopt the PC-24 once they see the unri- valled opportunities and flexibility which it offers.” Certificated in December 2017, the Wil- liams International FJ44-4A-powered aircraft has a range of 2,000 nm (3,700 km), a cruise speed of 440 kt (810 km/h) and is designed to take off from and land on runways with a length of only 856m (2,810 ft). The 17-metre-long business jet is the only one of its kind that can start and land on short and/or unpaved run- ways made of sand and gravel. This fea- ture gives the aircraft access to more than 20,000 landing sites around the globe, said Mr. Schwenk, more than twice as many as competing light-jet models. The Berne-based VIP transport unit also operates a Dassault FALCON 900EX. A BEECHCRAFT-1900 turboprop will, this year, be replaced by two CANADAIR CL604s (T-751 und T-752), which are tak- en over from REGA MEDEVAC Aviation. And there are two (out of 20 standard configured) EUROCOPTER EC 135 with VIP interiors (T-351 und T-352). The service’s demand for special military transport platforms has not yet been met. As early as 2015, several unsuccess- ful motions were submitted to parliament to review the rejection of the acquisition of two air bridges in 2004. While ALE- NIAs (now LEONARDO) C-27J SPARTAN and CASA (now AIRBUS) CN-235 were assessed, the Swiss neutrality principle has prevented any progress.  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  “All candidates will be evaluated according to the same principles.”

Interview with Bernhard Berset, Chief Test Pilot of armasuisse and Project Leader Evaluation NKF

ESD: Why are the new fighters tested logistics base, command support base and in Switzerland and not in the producer‘s armasuisse with the involvement of all de- country? partments. Berset: Not all tests take place in Switzer- land. Important parts of the soil testing and ESD: What is the role of armasuisse? What verification in the simulators take place in tasks does the Air Force have? the country of manufacture because we Berset: Basically, armasuisse carries out the can perform them there with less effort evaluation in this procurement phase. Howev- and better quality. er, during the tests, we work as an integrated However, it was a requirement for the team. In addition to the organisational units

Photo: Georg Mader producer countries that the actual flight mentioned before, military departments, testing must take place in Switzerland. such as military security, also help with the ESD: Mr Berset, what is the subject of Swiss This is the only way to ensure that all can- evaluation. Based on the jointly developed re- flight testing, what does it cover and what didates have the same test conditions. sults, the formal responsibility for the general is the focus? This enables, for example, the same tar- and logistical troop suitability remains with Berset: During the test phase, which is part get presentation or use of the sensors in the army staff, the air force or the logistics of the regular procedure of a procurement the same environment and topography. It base of the army and with armasuisse for the project, the capabilities and characteristics of also ensures that the new systems func- 'maturity' of the procurement. the combat aircraft are assessed. The basis is tion in harmony with the existing systems the military requirements and the answers and infrastructures. ESD: What are your highlights? to a very long questionnaire, which had to Berset: To be able to carry out these tests be answered by the manufacturers with the ESD: What are the biggest challenges dur- successfully with a motivated and inte- tender. During the flight test, the manufac- ing the tests? Are there any risks? grated team. turer’s specifications are checked. The focus Berset: The number of candidates is a is, above all, on the performance of the sen- challenge. We carefully plan the effort and ESD: You are the chief test pilot. Will you sors, their integration into the combat sys- make sure that the scope and depth of the fly the planes personally? Or who will do it tem and presentation of the information to tests are as comprehensive and efficient as instead of you? the pilot. In addition, the flight performance possible. During the entire procurement Berset: The two-seater candidates will and flight characteristics are examined. project, and, thus, also in flight testing, risks have two Air Force test pilots and two ar- However, this flight test is only one part are systematically recorded, monitored masuisse test pilots flying together with of it. Equally important is the verification and, if possible, minimised or eliminated. a manufacturer’s test pilot. For bidders of logistical and operational aspects, such For example, we schedule reserve blocks with only single-seater fighters, this task as the provision of aircraft numbers. Daily for weather-related flight cancellations is performed by the manufacturer’s pilots. operations are a major part of the costs. wherever possible. They fly exactly according to our mission Prior to the actual flight tests in Switzer- criteria list and all parameters are, nonethe- land, two-week tests were, therefore, car- ESD: How do you ensure that all types are less, recorded. All candidates are evaluated ried out in the simulator in the country of evaluated the same way? according to the same principles by Swiss manufacture. Compared to previous evalu- Berset: On the one hand, all candidates test pilots and flight test engineers. As a ations, the number of flight hours flown must complete the same examination sub-project manager for testing, I focus on can be significantly reduced and costs programme, while on the other hand, the managing these evaluation activities and saved. For logistics and operation, product- documentation and evaluation is carried leave the actual flying to my colleagues. related audits are also carried out at the out using precisely defined processes and manufacturers or air forces of the produc- methods. These activities are carried out by The interview was conducted tion countries. mixed teams of air force, army staff, army by Georg Mader.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 109  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Management Issues

Thomas Withington

The command and control of air operations places a premium on sors, principally ground-based air surveil- lance active and passive radars (see below) connectivity. Having responsive tools and communications to this and consolidates this into the RAP so that end is a sine qua non for mission success. control of this airspace can be exercised. The CAOC, on the other hand, is the ‘war fighting’ element of the ACCS. This will not he numbers speak for themselves. member states will federate a country’s only support the command and control of TWhen it is fully deployed, NATO’s Air disparate ground-based air surveillance ra- air operations either unilaterally or multi- Command and Control System (ACCS) will dars to form a single, national Recognised laterally in support of larger joint opera- cover ten million square kilometres of NA- Air Picture (RAP). This RAP can in turn be tions, but it will enable the production of TO’s European territory. ThalesRaytheon- shared with other NATO members and the Air Tasking Order (ATO). The ATO forms Systems, the consortium that is rolling out merged into a single ‘Super RAP’ of NATO’s NATO’s ‘sheet music’ for air operations. It the ACCS across all of NATO’s European European airspace. It is clear that this will details all air operations to be performed in membership (except the UK), states that greatly increase the alliance’s situational a particular theatre over a 24-hour period. the ACCS architecture, which comprises awareness, especially when confronting This includes all combat air patrols, close air support, battlefield interdiction, tanker and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) orbits, and combat search and rescue coverage to name just five distinct missions. Effectively, Photo: US DoD the ATO transforms the commander’s in- tent into action. NATO is procuring four distinct configu- rations of ACCS: These include ARSs and CAOCs, plus their deployable equivalents (DCAOC and DARS). ARS centres are being rolled out across 12 sites for the first part of the ACCS initiative. These will be received by Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Ger- many, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Tur- key. In addition, NATO will receive a fixed CAOC and a deployable system will be built and based at Uedem, western Germany. A DARS has been delivered to NATO as part of this initiative and is based at Nieuw-Mil- ligen airbase in eastern Netherlands. Com- bined CAOCs and ARS, imaginatively called The interior of a US Air Force Boeing/Rockwell Collins B-1B LANCER CARS, have been installed at the Poggio strategic bomber is seen here. Such platforms rely on TDLs to share Renatico airbase in northern Italy and at and receive tactical information. Lyon Mt. Verdun airbase in eastern France. The second phase of the ACCS initiative will an ensemble of software and hardware any large scale air offensive developing see additional ARS centres being installed will be used by the alliance for everything across much of its territory. in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Ger- from day-to-day monitoring of national Although the contract for the ACCS was many, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, airspace to the planning and execution of signed in 1999, work is still ongoing. As Slovakia, and Romania. Here, the deploy- high intensity air operations both within noted, the ACCS will provide a single, scal- able elements of ACCS are particularly in- and without NATO as a result of its de- able suite of hardware and software, which teresting. As NATO-led operations in Af- ployable elements. Furthermore, the ACCS can be tailored to the needs of NATO mem- ghanistan showed, the alliance is no longer infrastructure deployed in each of these bers and the alliance as a whole. Two main called upon to deploy forces exclusively to architectures comprise the ACCS concept its own 'back-yard'. Operation Deliberate Author – The ARS (Air Control Centre, RAP Produc- Force (ODF), the Alliance-led initiative in tion Centre and Sensor Fusion Post) and the 1995 to undermine the military potential Thomas Withington is an independ- CAOC (Combined Air Operations Centre). of Bosnian-Serb forces in Bosnia-Herzego- ent electronic warfare, radar and mili- The ARS is designed to support air control vina, was a wake-up call. Reflecting on the tary communications specialist based to safeguard a country's airspace, or the C2 of the “Deliberate Force” air campaign, in France. airspace over a defined area in a deployable Colonel Christopher M. Campbell of the context. It receives information from sen- US Air Force (writing in Col. Robert Owen’s

110 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  edited volume “Deliberate Force: A Case Study in Effective Air Campaigning") wrote that the CAOC facilities, from which the operation was conducted at Aviano airbase Photo: US DoD in northern Italy, “did not adequately sup- port planning requirements for a dynamic operation such as Deliberate Force.” He continued that “the CAOC lacked a cen- tral command facility … Further, it lacked adequate communications.” Fortunately, ODF achieved its strategic goals, although his observations underline just how im- portant satisfactory CAOC facilities are to the conduct of a large-scale air campaign. NATO’s possession of a deployable CAOC will ensure that such shortcomings can be avoided in all future operations.

The Sensors The USAF CAOC at Al Udeid airbase in Doha, Qatar is responsible for man- The sensor integration integral to the ACCS aging air operations in the US Central Command’s area of operations. underscores the complexity of the initia- Similar NATO facilities are being upgraded through the ACCS initiative. tive. Up to 48 different types of radar will be linked into the overall architecture. The eight BAE Systems S-743D MARTELLO L- Boeing E-3A SENTRY using its Northrop ACCS software alone includes 12 million band radars provide national airspace cov- Grumman AN/APY-1 S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7- lines of code. Taking just one country as an erage. Beyond the national assets discussed 3.7GHz) AEW radar to watch the skies for example shows the magnitude of the task. above, the ACCS architecture will have to potentially hostile aircraft, or to manage Portugal’s Força Aérea Portuguesa (Portu- integrate sensors owned by NATO. These the air battle, such information will need to guese Air Force) currently operates eight include the two ERA Vera-E passive radars be shared with the ACCS. ground-based air surveillance radars. These acquired by NATO under a US$18M deal include three Hughes/Raytheon HR-3000 in 2014 and delivered between 2016 and Link-16 HADR S-band (2.3GHz to 2.5GHz/2.7GHz 2017, plus the two Indra LANZA-LTR-25 to 3.7GHz) and two Lockheed Martin L-band ground-based air surveillance ra- This is done using NATO’s standard Link-16 AN/TPS-44 L-band (1.215GHz to 1.4GHz) dars. Both radars support the deployable Tactical Data Link (TDL) used for the trans- ground-based air surveillance radars. Add elements of the ACCS, notably the DARS. mission of track and tactical information to this, the radars that the Flyvevåbnet Moreover, ACCS will link not only federate between aircraft, and between aircraft (Royal Danish Air Force) has to integrate. the ground-based air surveillance elements and ships or ground deployments involved These comprise 24 Thales RAC-3D C- owned by European NATO members, air in the air battle like surface-to-air missile band (5.25GHz to 5.925GHz) deployable platforms will be added to the architec- batteries. Link-16 uses a waveband of ground-based air surveillance radars, which ture. Whether it is a Armée de l’Air (French 960 megahertz to 1.215GHz. Compared are operated by the Hæren (Danish Army) Air Force) Dassault RAFALE-B/C equipped to civilian telecommunications, the TDL to provide battlefield air defence, while a with a Thales RBE-2 X-band (8.5GHz to can move a fraction of the data one’s single Selex/Leonardo RAT-31S S-band and 10.68GHz) fire control radar, or a NATO smartphone handles at rates between Photo: NATO

NATO’s E-3A SENTRY aircraft are one of a multitude of platforms that will be connected to the ACCS architecture via the Link-16 TDL.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 111 receiving information when they need to. The key difference is that a Link-16 node will consult all of the participants when ‘do- ing its rounds’ regardless of whether they have any information to share or receive. The key attraction of Mr. van der Graaf’s approach is that it helps to preserve that important commodity in communications, namely bandwidth. He adds that it would enable the network to expand and contract according to its number of participants, again helping to save bandwidth. Mr. van der Graaf is emphatic that the world of air battle management needs to look beyond Link-16 “We have to look at what is com- ing after. It is about time as this technology is from the 1970s. We have to get away from a TDL mindset and look at a service- oriented approach.”

The Cloud

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have adopted such an approach with its OPAL air battle management system, which it unveiled in April 2019. At the core of OPAL is a communications network, which all participants – be they conventional aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground vehicles, ships or troops – can access. Participants can then view a common operating pic- ture, which is shared across the OPAL net- work. Tactical data can be shared too, in much the same way as it is currently with TDLs such as Link-16. One of the interest- ing attributes of OPAL is that while Link-16 et al can share track data, OPAL can make the full operational environment visible to all participants. One key attraction is that existing communications can be used to access OPAL removing the need to outfit platforms with new radios. IAI shared with

Photo: IAI the author through a written statement The OPAL network developed by IAI has been in service for 15 years and noted that “OPAL relies on a variety com- takes an innovative "cloud" approach to managing air operations. munication means and technologies such as radios, satellite communication and even 2.4 kilobits-per-second (kbps) to 16kbps. It The beauty of such a network would be ground Ethernet connectivity.” is a legacy system, having been in service that sensors, platforms and effectors could The network can share a mind-boggling since the late 1970s/early 1980s. Nonethe- access this as and when they needed to quantity and diversity of information, less, it shows no signs of retiring and is in share data. This would be a step-change which “ranges from tactical mission data, as much demand now as ever. The reason from the modus operandi of Link-16. The platform inventory, video and images, intel- for its longevity is quite simply that it does TDL uses a Time Division Multiple Access ligence data and even weather conditions.” the job. Bart van der Graaf, Thales’ Direc- (TDMA) approach. In plain English, this is The architecture is flexible allowing it to tor of Operational Business Development, a ‘roll call’ system. Each Link-16 network easily scale-up or down according to the says that, from an air battle management includes a central node controlling it and number of network participants and the in- perspective “Link-16 is still more than suffi- all the participants. The node will ask each formation they are sharing “OPAL is highly cient to generate a common operating pic- participant in sequence if it has any infor- dynamic and allows for a highly agile op- ture.” However, he is now thinking about mation to transmit to other participants, erational methodology vs. the somewhat what could supplement or replace the TDL and will share any information destined rigid nature of Link 16,” IAI continued. over the long-term “I would like to move for that participant. The node will perform Interestingly, IAI does not necessarily see towards a composite tracking network. this roll call several times a second cover- OPAL replacing Link-16 but rather as com- Every sensor and effector would dissemi- ing all of the participants. However, the plementary as it can “extend Link-16 com- nate their role and track data into a service- approach Mr. van der Graaf is promoting munications to non-Link-16 entities and oriented architecture network.” would see participants only sharing and thus ensure overall force interoperability.”

112 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

in several armed forces. During this time, it has constantly evolved to include more capabilities and was installed on dozens of Photo: US DoD different platforms.” Air operations are unlikely to reduce in complexity in the near future. Platforms such as the Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C LIGHTNING-II are sensor rich and can gather an unprecedented quantity of in- formation. These aircraft, and their other fifth-generation counterparts, will share the skies with a host of other platforms such as UAVs, smart munitions and mis- siles, which can gather and distribute data. The upshot of this is that a torrent of zeros and ones will be generated that will need to be managed and shared. New architectures such as ACCS highlight the enormity that the challenge of connectivi- The Link-16 TDL has been placed in the hands of troops through systems ty on such a large scale. For now, air forces such as Viasat’s BATS-D. This is a handheld system allowing soldiers to can rely on legacy TDLs like Link-16 to car- connect to Link-16 networks. ry this information. Future air operations will almost certainly depend upon wider This company has taken a leaf from the risking the overall deployment. As this is bandwidth and more agile communica- civilian telecommunications world, particu- quite common in the mobile phone market, tions to share information to the fullest larly regarding smartphones, in its develop- it is quite unique in the defence arena.” It extent possible. This will ensure that situ- ment of OPAL“Once an operating system may surprise readers to know that, despite ational awareness and hence 'command has been certified for a specific hardware IAI’s recent announcement OPAL has been and control' is as timely and accurate as (for example, a specific phone) then new in service for a number of years “OPAL has possible during air operations moving at applications can be simply installed without been operational for more than 15 years the speed of relevance.  Marketing Report: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG

SOVERON® Delivers Technological Independence and Digital Communications Sovereignty Pictures: Rohde & Schwarz

Software defined airborne radios from Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz, an independent, pri- tion of secure communication architectures technology based on the international vately owned German company, offers and networks are summarised under the recognised Software Communications technologically leading systems for secure SOVERON® concept. SOVERON® stands for Architecture (SCA). SOVERON® SDRs are communications. Thanks to its long-stand- fully integrated, high-performance and scal- implemented as open platforms with strict ing experience and in-house product de- able trusted communications solutions. SOV- separation between hardware (radios) velopment, Rohde & Schwarz is the centre ERON® is intended to strengthen customers’ and software (waveforms). This design al- of excellence when it comes to creating digital sovereignty and give them the greatest lows both SCA-based waveforms such as high-quality communications solutions. possible independence from manufacturers. SOVERON® WAVE and third-party legacy Rohde & Schwarz capabilities for system de- The key feature of SOVERON® is the Rohde waveforms to be ported to the radios, sign, development, production and integra- & Schwarz software defined radio (SDR) protecting customers' investments and providing backward compatibility with legacy radio systems. Since customers can Next generation waveforms create and modify the embedded encryp- tion as well as the waveforms, they can set up secure communications channels to provide interoperability between different branches of the armed forces and between nations.

SOVERON® AR: Reliable, Flexible and Secure The latest member of the SOVERON® fam- ily of software defined radios is SOVERON® AR (Airborne Radio). Thanks to the radio's innovative technology and a family of net- work capable, wideband waveforms, users can achieve information superiority during operations. Information superiority is vital to effectiveness and survivability during ® SOVERON WAVE offer three separate waveforms for different scenarios: missions. Key factors to mission success ® SOVERON WAVE WB (High data rate wideband) are the reliability, security, flexibility and Mobile networked, high data rates, medium range, low jamming – for the best radio system system capability of the deployed commu- performance in terms of network capability and data rate. nications solution. SOVERON® WAVE AJ-WB (High data rate anti-jam wideband) Simultaneous voice and data transmis- Mobile networked, medium data rates, higher range, high jamming – a good compromise sion and very fast frequency hopping between security and performance. The all-purpose wideband waveform. combined with highly secure encryption algorithms provide the capabilities to keep SOVERON® WAVE AJ-NB (High data rate anti-jam narrowband) Best possible data rate in tactical VHF band, best possible range, high jamming, low spectrum pace with complex mission challenges. ® requirements – for uncompromising security and enormous range in the classic 25 kHz VHF band. Within SOVERON wave users can select The network-capable high performance narrowband waveform. the waveform that best matches their re- quirements regarding range, data rate and jamming.

114 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 fast-moving, harsh environment. Fast frequency hopping, advanced encryp- tion technologies, simultaneous voice and data transmission and embedded mobile ad-hoc networking (MANET) capability are just a few examples of superior technology. 4) Based on the internationally accepted SCA standard, the strict separation between the radio platform and the waveform application allows custo- mers to fully modify this part of the ra- dio in line with national requirements. Developing an indigenous national Military aircraft need to operate in the air- 2) An essential part of the airborne radio waveform, including the crypto algo- space without restrictions when they fulfill development process is the continuous rithm, gives customers true indepen- both military and civil tasks. SOVERON® AR and intensive exchange of expertise dence. from Rohde & Schwarz is the only military with industrial partners to eliminate 5) Founded more than 80 years ago, radio to meet the civil aviation certifica- platform integration risks. SOVERON® Rohde & Schwarz is one of the world‘s tion requirements of the European Avia- AR was designed to ease the integra- leading manufacturers of information tion Safety Agency (EASA). tion effort. It goes without saying that and communications technology for the radio has been qualified in line with the armed forces. The resulting entre- Five Pillars of True Independence respective MIL-Standards. preneurial freedom allows us to orient 1) SOVERON ® AR can be used as a primary 3) Rohde & Schwarz offers state-of-the- all our business processes toward sus- ATC radio. Software defined airborne art wideband waveforms to achieve tainability, from product planning and radios from Rohde & Schwarz are the information superiority. Applications employee loyalty to a trusting part- only on the market that also meet civil range from voice to high-speed tacti- nership with our customers. Rohde & safety avionic standards, providing full cal data covering all airborne platform Schwarz is the only leading manufac- independence for unrestricted joint scenarios. The waveforms permit reli- turer of software defined radios who civil-military operations. able and secure communications in a is completely independent.

ESD Spotlight

Published by Fortnightly Newsletter SEP-27-18

/ SPOTLIGHT 100 European Security & Defence is escorted by the new bi-weekly newsletter ESD Spotlight which The Geopolitics of Energy is distributed by email. ESD Spotlight is available free of charge. You can order your subscription by Joris Verbeurgt, Editor Belgium/EU/NATO for ESD

The existing world energy system was largely shaped by Anglo-American interests, which favoured mar- ket-driven competition over access to energy resources on a demand and supply basis. Global geopolitical sending an informal email message to [email protected]. shifts in the early 21st century have caused a profound transformation of this market-oriented system to which we need to find an answer. Alternatively, there is a subscription order form on the magazine’s website at www.euro-sd.com. The geopolitics of energy comprises three gy infrastructure and dimensions: an economic dimension, an should enhance ener- ecological dimension, and a security di- gy efficiency in the mi- mension. litary as well. The economic dimension of the geopolitics Energy security, with of energy is twofold: on the one hand, ener- numerous implicati- ISSUE 100 / 2018 ISSUE 100 / 2018 gy is indispensable for modern economies ons for Allied security, ISSUE 100 / 2018 to produce and transport goods. There is a became a real strate- 5 SPOTLIGHT 8 SPOTLIGHT relatively straightforward relationship -bet gic issue for NATO in 3 SPOTLIGHT ween energy and economic development, the aftermath of the Poland Orders Four Patriot Fire expressed interest in gallium nitride-based Industry & Trade Units based mainly on the degree of energy Russian annexation of Technology - 360-degree active electronically scanning self-sufficiency and on the composition of the Crimea in 2014. get, the projectile ejects 152 or 600 pro (df) The U.S. Department of Defense an- array radars, and SkyCeptor, a low-cost in- 40 Years Elettronica primary energy supply. On the other hand, For many NATO Al- jectiles to destroy targets like, for example, nounced that the U.S. Army has awarded terceptor missile, the company said. Boxer Skyranger For Air Defence UAV. Raytheon a more than $1.5 billion contract “Patriot will enhance Polish, European (df) The German Elettronica GmbH is ce- energy resources are economic commodi- lies energy supply is - (gwh) Rheinmetall has integrated a Sky During a demonstration of the system in for production of Poland’s Patriot Integra- and NATO security while creating jobs in lebrating its 40th anniversary from the acquiring new capabilities and skills, enlar

ties themselves. The rise of the oil industry a challenge. In March ranger Mk 4 turret equipped with a cooperation with industrial partners in - ted Air and Missile Defense System inclu- Raytheon) (Photo: Poland and the U.S.,” said Tom Laliberty, foundation in 1978. According to the com ging its customer portfolio in Germany and 35 mm Oerlikon revolver gun with the front of air defence experts at the Ochsen ding spare parts, support and training. The land’s two-phase medium-range integrated Vice President of Integrated Air and Missile pany this has been a big goal for a compa abroad, evolving from a logistics company - is interconnected with the rise of capita- 2014, NATO Secretary - Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle. With an - boden proving ground (Switzerland), two - contract includes building and delivery of air and missile defence procurement. Un- Defense at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense ny born as a local logistic and maintenance to engineering and systems integration en lism and international business, and fossil General Anders Fogh - ammunition stock of 252 rounds, tar UAVs were located, tracked and successful four Patriot fire units for Poland. der Phase II, Poland has the potential to Systems business. facility created to support the mother com tity able to cope with the requirements of fuels are perceived as the driving forces Rasmussen declared gets up to 4,000 m away can be en- - ly destroyed by the system. - This contract is for Phase I of “WISLA,” Po- acquire additional Patriot fire units and has www.raytheon.com pany, Elettronica S.p.A, in occasion of the the Aerospace & Defence market. - -

(Photo: Gerhard Heiming) Gerhard (Photo: The Boxer Skyranger can enter series pro award of its first contract with the German behind technological advancement and that Europe’s depen- gaged with a cadence of 1,000 rounds/mi - “This anniversary represents the oppor nute. The cannon is equipped with two measu duction in the foreseeable future and MoD for the provision of Electronic Warfare tunity to underline the importance of the ) Fourth Batch Of Kc-46a Tankers economic power. In the twentieth century, dency on oil and gas The Boxer can follow the combat troops ring coils and one programming coil to fire could, for example, cover the need for wing refueling pod kits, initial spares, and Countermeasures to be installed on board 40 years ago intuition to open the EW - AHEAD ammunition. This makes it possible mobile air defence that the Bundeswehr Ordered of the F104 Starfighter. Over the years, this gateway to Europe, pursuing an innova Defence Industry, which could represent the oil industry became the world’s biggest imports was increa- in surveillance a mission. With X-band or - support equipment being produced under to: Elettronica needs in order to participate in the NATO German industrial entity started its growth tion-oriented business concept, with so (Pho business and the first globalised modern sing at a time when Ku-band radar, the airspace can be moni to measure the current rate of muzzle (gwh) The U.S. Air Force has ordered a the basic contract. the base for the creation of an effective Eu tored and targets can be tracked while on velocity (v0) of the ammunition and set VJTF. fourth batch of 18 KC-46A tankers for $2.9 In 2011, Boeing won the development and within Europe thanks to the participation lid Italian roots, but looking to the future - ropean Defence strategy among the Mem industry. The existing world energy system the energy needs of the exact detonation time depending on - www.rheinmetall-defence.com in international defence programmes such with a strong German footprint,” said Enzo - - the move. Targets can also be assigned by billion from Boeing. The contract modifi- supply contract in competition with Airbus. Boeing) (Photo: ber States.” the measured target distance. At the tar as Eurofighter and NH90. During the last Benigni, President and CEO of Elettroni - was largely shaped by Anglo-American oil rising powers such as EIA) US (Graphic: external search radars or higher command cation provides for the exercise of an op- The maiden flight took place three years la- tests are currently underway at the U.S. Air Elettronica’s German footprint has been decade, Elettronica GmbH has success- levels. The vehicle must stop for firing. tion for an additional quantity of 18KC- ter. The first production aircraft flew for the Force. ca Group in his welcome address. “At the stressed out by the words of Major Ge companies that favoured market-driven China and India were rising as well. Poli- political consultation process with shared te procurement decision will be made for fully entered the new market segment of - 46 aircraft, data, two spare engines, five first time at the end of 2017. Acceptance www.boeing.com same time, the leading idea aimed at im neral Axel Binder, in his welcome address: competition over access to energy resour- tical instability was haunting many- ener intelligence. Although NATO’s contribution vehicles and related data transfer systems the supply of vehicular radios to the com- Homeland Security and EW Simulation, plementing a deeper collaboration bet - bat vehicles that will be “Elettronica has proven to be a reliable and Spain Chooses Bittium For The to replace their current, long-lived combat ween industries able to foster the coope - ces on a demand and supply basis, sensiti- gy-producing and transit states, while the to energy security is limited to analysis and deployed by the Spanish valuable partner for the Federal Armed Pilot Phase vehicles. ration and integration of the European - - Army. Mini Sensor For Airborne Systems loads, armored vehicle sights, sniper ther- Dan Slasky, SCD’s CEO. “The Sparrow is a Forces and Strategic Reconnaissance Com ve to price volatility. quest for energy and other resources had consultation, it has become a permanent The Bittium Tough - (df) Spain has chosen Bittium to supply tac- Participation in the pilot (df) Semi-Conductor Devices (SCD) will mal weapon sights, perimeter security cost-effective video core solution, offering MASTHEAD mand.” NATO discovered energy security at the sparked territorial disputes all around the fixture in NATO’s education and training tical Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular radios- to SDR Vehicular radios www.elettronica.de - phase of the programme launch its Sparrow-Blackbird 640 MWIR sensors and more. high-quality thermal vision for many TechNet Europe gether with the ESSOR High Data Rate Wa will be delivered to ESD Spotlight Bucharest Summit in 2008. Although ener- world. Terrorist and cyber attacks against programmes. NATO sees a role for itself in does not automatically Sensor at AUSA 2018. The low-SWaP MWIR Additional capabilities of applications. Due to its extre- Email newsletter of the magazine veform (ESSOR HDR WF) for the pilot phase- the temporary joint AFCEA Europe provides a forum for the ethi guarantee participation Sparrow has a 10μm pitch VGA FPA, which the Sparrow include a mely compact size and very “European Security & Defence” (ESD) gy security is largely non-military in nature refineries, pipelines and power plants oc- the three following areas: of the Spanish Army’s VCR 8x8 vehicle pro venture UTE 8x8 (Unión cal exchange of information and knowled General Fernando Giancotti, Operational in the following phase of is significantly smaller than common exis- digital ROIC, a linear low weight (just 300gr), it Editor-in-Chief: and mostly a national responsibility, NATO curred in many countries, as well as piracy 1. Raising awareness by sharing intelligence gramme. These radios can flexibly use the Temporal de Empre- Dr. Peter Bossdorf ge sharing across Europe in the field of IT in- Forces Commander, Italian Air Force; Bri the programme, but it will be ting VGA solutions, enabling the user to cooler with high-reliabi- will open up new opportuni- Managing Editor: best performing waveform considering the sas) formed by the Editors: Dorothee Frank (df) defence and security, with the purpose to - gadier General Roberto Angius, Director understood that the energy developments along critical maritime choke points. on energy developments, by fostering poli- most likely that those technology reduce the overall size and weight of the lity and performance, in- ties for our customers, provi- Stephen Barnard (sb), Wilhelm Bocklet conditions and the mission, such as the Spanish companies (wb), Gerhard Heiming (gwh), Dieter meet the needs of governments. NATO Strategic Direction South Hub Allied - - tested successfully will be procured system optics, thereby lowering overall sys- tegrated smart electronics ding them with an advanced, Stockfisch (ds) mentioned above will have serious secu- NATO’s energy security agenda is aimed at tical consultations among Allies and - part Bittium TAC WIN Waveform, ESSOR HDR GDELS Santa Bárba Layout: TechNet Europe, one of its annual events, Joint Force Command Naples, Hub; Dr. Ro tem SWaP. which support the cooler, FPA uncompromised operational per- Dorothee Frank rity implications. NATO could not turn a creating awareness of global and regional ners and by exchanging information and Waveform and Bittium Narrowband Wa- ra Sistemas, Indra and SAPA. After the later, of course. will be held this year in partnership with berto Battiston, President, Italian Space www.bittium.com The Sparrow enables implementation of control and built-in image proces- formance solution. veform. pilot phase, the programme will continue Published by the AFCEA Naples and Rome chapters and Agency; Brigadier General Martin Konertz, - blind eye to the protection of critical ener- energy developments and supporting the insights with outside experts. new operational capabilities for a wide sing, such as NUC, BPR, DRC, noise reduc- The Sparrow will also enable stand-off In the scope of the VCR 8x8 programme with another phase during which a separa- Mittler Report Verlag GmbH held under the patronage of the Ministry Director Capability, Armament & Technolo range of applications that would other- tion and more. operation from tactical platforms, enga- A company of Tamm Media Group the Spanish Army will acquire new combat of Defence, Italy. It will take place at the gy, European Defence Agency; Fionn Mol wise have to rely on larger, heavier sen- “We are proud to present for the first ging long-distance targets earlier, thus Mittler Report Verlag GmbH Baunscheidtstrasse 11 Hilton Sorrento Palace, Italy, November 6-7 loy, Deputy Head of Unit, European Ma - For a free subscription send an email to: [email protected] gnal which is received and evaluated by a sors that consume a lot of power, and at time the Sparrow, which is one of the la- leveraging the overall platform and force 53113 Bonn, Germany under the theme “Challenging the Situatio ritime Safety Agency. - Phone: +49 228 350087-0 Maritime Rescue System With harmonic radar system which is also to be a higher cost. Such applications include test additions to the SCD Blackbird family, performance.” nal Awareness on the Sea – from Sensors Panel sessions: - Low-Interference Radar www.scd.co.il Telefax: +49 228 350087-1 developed. This signal is not superimposed- hand-held sensors, tactical UAV mini pay- with 10μm-pitch mature technology,” says Email: [email protected] to Analytics - New technologies for data - - Seen from above: Strategic Aspects of Si- (ds) The German research institute cluster- by the otherwise typical interference cau www.euro-sd.com gathering, dissemination, sharing and ana tuational Awareness - Fraunhofer Institut für Hochfrequenzphy sed by reflections from waves. Managing Directors: Peter Tamm, lytics in the Mediterranean theatre.” - Seen from within: Operational Viewpo

(Graphic: Fraunhofer Institut) Fraunhofer (Graphic: Spain Orders Another 23 NH90s sik und Radartechnik, the University of - This means that shipwrecked or small life The decision of the Spanish Council of Mi- Dr. Peter Bossdorf and Thomas Bantle Featured speakers: Elisabetta Trenta, Mi - ints/Effectiveness through Sharing the Si - The company is located in Bonn Applied Sciences Aachen and Raytheon An boats drifting in the water can be reliably (gwh) The Spanish Ministry of Defence will nisters concerns a further six projects over nister of Defence, Italy (invited); General tuational Picture - radars equipped with an extension modu District Court of Bonn – HRB 18658 schütz are developing a sea rescue system located at long distances of up to approx. - approve the procurement of further 23 a period from 2019 to 2031, including two Identification number DE 811 223 089 Claudio Graziano, Chief of Defence, Italy - - Status and Prospects of Existing Govern- - le and thus indicate the exact position of based on a low-interference radar in the 10 km, even in heavy seas. The system con NH90s, an official statement said. The fleet BAM (Buque de Acción Marítima) patrol (invited); Mr. Sergio Piazzi, Secretary Gene mental, EU and NATO-Projects shipwrecked persons in the water. SEERAD publicly funded joint project. For sists of small transponders in life jackets of NH90 transport helicopters in Spain will vessels, the performance upgrade of the ral of the Parliamentarian Assembly of the - Technology Can Make It Work: Technolo www.fhr.fraunhofer.de To subscribe or unsubscribe please send an this purpose, compact and cost-effective or life rafts/lifeboats, for example, which thus grow to the originally planned num- CH-47D Chinook, fire-fighting aircraft, 8x8 email to: [email protected] Mediterranean; Vice Admiral Joachim Rüh - gical Aspects and Solutions

transponders are being developed which - reflect the radar signals of future ship ber of 45 aircraft. To date, the Spanish technology programmes and an F-100 fri- Helicopters) Airbus (Photo: le, Vice Chief of Defence, German Federal - Technological Aspects and Solutions (Big - send back a frequency-doubled radar si Army has eight NH90 TTHs. gate. www.lamoncloa.gob.es Ministry of Defence; Admiral Valter Girar - Data, Data Analytics, Cyber Aspects) delli, Chief of the Navy, Italy; Lieutenant - Keynote panel: CIOs from Seafaring Na- For a free subscription send an email to: [email protected] - tions For a free subscription send an email to: [email protected] For a free subscription send an email to: [email protected]

MITTLER REPORT VERLAG GMBH Baunscheidtstraße 11 · 53113 Bonn · Germany Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 · [email protected] · www.mittler-report.de

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 115  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY New Horizons in CBRN Decontamination

Dan Kaszeta

The threatened use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials has not significantly abated in recent years.

ne of the reasons such weapons CBRN threats, despite the general over- of systems for military (and civilian) de- Oare considered taboo in interna- all success of arms control treaties. Vari- contamination roles. A pillar of their tional law is that many CBRN weapons ous UN, NATO, and EU operations keep product line is the truck-based MPD 100 cause short- or long-term contamination, European militaries, ground forces in heavy decontamination system, which can be configured for any major decon- tamination task. It can support person- nel decontamination up to 120 persons

Photo: OWR per hour, or it can support vehicle and heavy equipment decontamination. An improved version, the MPD 100i can do up to 240 persons an hour. Decontami- nation systems are often used to apply generic products, such as bleach or soapy water. But manufacturers put great effort into development of specialty solutions for CBRN decontamination. OWR’s own proprietary decontamination solution is GD-6, which is a replacement and im- provement on their older GD-5 product. (GD-5 apparently is still on the market in some areas.) GD-6 is notable in that it is meant to be used without water, whereas some rival products are concentrates that are meant to be diluted in water. Since it is useable without water, it is less damag- ing to sensitive items of equipment. GD-6 was, notably, adopted by the Canadian Deployment of GD-6 with an MPD-100i Multipurpose Decontamination military as a standard decontaminant and Container at the Joint CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence in Vyškov, it is now in service with a number of NATO Czech Republic militaries. As a solution for decontaminat- ing chemical and biological threats, GD-6 which must often be addressed through particular, in areas where CBRN threats has proven highly effective in a number of time-consuming and resource-intensive may occur. Gradually, new life has been trials and tests. VOP-026, the noted Czech contamination efforts. Last year (ESD breathed into the CBRN decontamina- CBRN laboratory has produced a report on 2018-5) this magazine discussed many tion arena in the European defence in- use of GD-6 with actual warfare agents of the issues particular to military decon- dustrial base. and the results, widely available online, are tamination. A relatively narrow group of companies impressive. dominate the European landscape in Military Decontamination military decontamination. Kärcher Fu- Civil versus Military turetech (Germany), Cristanini (Italy), and Requirements Military requirements for removal and/or OWR (Germany) all are significant play- neutralisation of CBRN hazards broadly ers in military decontamination. All three The main uses of CBRN weapons in recent declined in Europe after the end of the provide a full spectrum of decontamina- years have been in civilian or partly civilian cold war, but have never gone away en- tion products, systems, and technologies. environments. These have included brazen tirely. There is a continued existence of That two of the three are German firms air and rocket attacks against civilians in is a strong reflection of the Bundeswehr Syria, an assassination in an airport in Ma- Author having decades of experience taking the laysia, and the use of “Novichok” agents CBRN threat seriously, and both had a in the UK. Also, historically, the anthrax ter- Dan Kaszeta is Managing Director at strong history of supplying German mili- rorism in 2001 in the USA is of significance. Strongpoint Security Ltd. and a regu- tary requirements. All of these show that CBRN terrorism is lar contributor to ESD. OWR, based in Elztal-Rittersbach in not just a military problem, but one for civil southern Germany, provides a variety authorities as well.

116 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

As with every other aspect of defence and civilians. However, some positive devel- (e.g. Kärcher’s GDS 2000, Cristanini’s security, decontamination is not an area opments have begun to occur. Emergent BX-24, OWR’s GD-6, and the US “San- where every military product and technol- BioSolutions (USA) received US Food and dia Foam” now made under licence) that ogy can be converted to civilian use with a Drug Administration approval for their are indeed superior to soap and water in coat of green paint, although some ven- Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion many ways. The struggle now, however, dors have attempted this tactic in the past. for civil use. is one of economy. Water, bleach, and Some of the difference is due to the great soap are not any less effective than they variety of things that might need decon- New Horizons were before, and are far cheaper than tamination in an urban setting and the specialty powders and liquids. Actual need to reduce property damage from use In the 1980s and 1990s, there were CBRN warfare or widespread terrorism of harsh decontaminating agents. Some- years when the only tangible improve- will consume a lot of decontamination thing useful for decontaminating nerve ments in CBRN decontamination were, products, and none of the specialty prod- agent on the side of a tank may be too literally, improved plumbing and better ucts are known for being cheap. The next dangerous to use in residential settings. water tanks. Much of this had to do with challenge will be to make the same level Many products designed for personnel simple economics. CBRN decontamina- of effectiveness more affordable to allow decontamination are meant to go onto tion has long been a field where cheap acquisition of large stockpiles. human skin. However, such products are generic materials still have some domi- effectively regulated as medical products nance. Specialty products cost far more Fumigation and Large if they are going to be used in a civil- than generic decontaminants like bleach, Volume Decontamination ian environment. The regulatory hurdles soap, water, or the mineral Fuller’s Earth. are non-trivial and take much time and The fact that specialty products were or- One new horizon is improved fumiga- money for a manufacturer to surmount. ders of magnitude more expensive than tion. Fumigation is an old technique for For decades there have been products in soap and water, but often were only dealing with vermin, such as rodents military service which can be used by sol- twenty percent more effective at dealing and insects. As such, it can easily be diers which were simply illegal for use on with some contaminants, has been an in- considered a form of biological decon- a civilian terrorism victim. For example, tractable philosophical problem in CBRN tamination. Fumigating agents, such as the US Army had a powder-based sorb- decontamination for decades. The 21st ethylene oxide have a long history of ent skin decontamination kit called the century, so far, has seen number of new such uses in industrial settings. In 2001 M291, which was legal for military use products. All of the major manufactur- and 2002, the gas chlorine dioxide saw but of questionable regulatory status on ers produce decontamination solutions much use in the decontamination of

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 117  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY contaminated offices and mail-han- dling facilities. However, older fumigat- A Compact Decontamination Unit ing agents pose serious issues. Chlorine First presented at Eurosatory dioxide can be dangerous to property 2018 and IDEX 2019, the MPDS while ethylene oxide is a fire and ex- 2 is Kärcher Futuretech’s latest plosion hazard. Neither are particularly generation of mobile decontami- good for sensitive items like electronics. nation devices. It provides up to Damage to property is a valid concern 1,500 litres of cold or hot water in building decontamination after a per hour, and superheated steam terrorist event. In at least one instance up to 140 °C, the high-pressure after the anthrax terrorism in the USA pump delivering up to 110 bar. in 2001, decontamination forced aban- MPDS 2 can be operated with donment as the costs would have ex- almost all commercially avail- ceeded the value of the building. able aqueous and non-aqueous Photo: Kärcher STERIS (USA), known more for its prod- cleaning and decontamination ucts in the mainstream medical care agents, including two-compo- market, has entered the CBRN mar- nent chemicals. The possibility ketplace with various systems that use of three-lance operation allows hydrogen peroxide as a fumigating for simultaneous pre-, main- The Futuretech MPDS 2 is a new agent. This has shown great promise and post-treatment. With an generation decontamination device. as vaporised hydrogen peroxide is a integrated diesel engine, electric reasonably effective chemical and bio- generator, an optional pump for non-aqueous chemicals and two dual injectors within logical decontaminant. Of great note, a stackable tubular frame based on the dimensions of a euro pallet, it is an extremely this method is less destructive of mate- compact, independently usable decontamination unit. rials, and can decontaminate sensitive items like aircraft electronics or medi- cal equipment. The virtue of STERIS’ by hospital sterilisation requirements mist of hydroxyl radicals. One or more approach is that it is scalable. Systems and that the defence market is a small of their spray systems can be used to could be made as small as a cabinet for subset of the overall business of these fog an enclosed space, such as a room small items, and as large as a hangar to companies. This is not a detriment to or a compartment on an aircraft. The decontaminate a tank or a fighter jet. the technical quality. properties of the hydroxyl radicals are STERIS is not the only player in this seg- Cristanini (Italy) has similarly pursued such that sensitive electronics are un- ment. Bioquell (UK) pursues hydrogen decontamination by fumigation. How- harmed by this fumigation process. The peroxide-based decontamination as ever, they have not pursued hydrogen product offering is less extensive than well. It should be noted that this par- peroxide. They have fielded a product STERIS, but is eminently affordable ticular market segment is more driven called LVD-X. This system uses a fine and is scalable simply by using multi- ple units. Testing on actual chemical warfare agents occurred at the Czech laboratory VOP-026 and this technol-

Photo: DEW ogy clearly does work to reduce con- tamination on a variety of surfaces.

Enzymes and Catalysts

Chemical warfare agents are generally de- graded by contact with water in a chemical process known as hydrolysis. If time and water supply were no impediment, water is not a bad decontaminant in itself. How- ever, various tricks can be used to speed up hydrolysis. Some of the older techniques in- volve raising or lowering the pH of the wa- ter with acids or bases. However, this can be quite physically destructive to whatever surface has been contaminated. One way to approach the problem is to find chemical substances that work as “catalysts” which PROTECTING AND SUPPLYING THE PEOPLE improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Well equipped for the common goal! hydrolysis or other mechanisms by which chemical warfare agents can be degrad- Kärcher Futuretech is a strong partner by your side. For more than 30 years we have stood for expertise, innovative spirit and quality “made in Germany”. We develop and produce mobile systems in the areas of ed. Many, but by no means all, of these CBRN decontamination, drinking water supply, catering and field camps. catalysts are enzymes. “Enzymatic decon- www.kaercher-futuretech.com tamination” has been an area of legitimate Vehicle decontamination with foam solutions from DEW inquiry since at least the early 1990s.

118 European Security & Defence · 6/2019

Anzeige A5 Querformat.indd 1 27.05.2019 14:36:21 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

One commercially available product in this battle, very costly goods could end up that is most mature is monitoring of surface category is DEFENZ, produced by Genen- being washed down the drain. Likewise, contamination for chemical or radiological cor (USA), a branch of DuPont. The DE- a decontamination effort that used the hazards. Surveying surfaces (such as on an FENZ VX-G product works against nerve wrong cocktail would only be as good armoured vehicle) for contamination, both agents and DEFENZ B-HD is designed to as the water in which the expensive en- prior to decontamination and as a quality work against Mustard agent. Both can be zymes were dissolved. control measure after decontamination, is dissolved into water or foam. The US EPA one of the older missions for detection in- evaluated these products in 2013 and have Detection Helps struments. Many of the current detection in- published the test results online. Based on struments stem from technologies originally reading the 2013 report, it can be fairly Decontamination, both in military and civil crafted for contamination monitoring. stated that these products are good, but settings, works best when it is intelligently One of these technologies is flame ionisa- still show room for improvement. combined with detection instruments. A tion detection (FID). An FID device takes a There are legitimate criticisms to be “decontaminate everything everywhere” sample and ionises it using a hydrogen flame. made in enzymatic and catalytic de- strategy is illogical and not logistically sus- As it turns out, this technique is highly useful contamination. First, these substances tainable. Military commanders and civil au- for detection of persistent chemical warfare are never cheap. Generally, these sub- thorities will be burdened with decisions. agents on surfaces. Decades of testing with stances are highly specific to specific Someone needs to decide what actual vehi- chemical warfare agents shows that FID threats. For example, there are specific cles, items of equipment, personnel, and ar- detection works very well on phosphorus enzymes that work only on the nerve eas need to be decontaminated. Detection compounds, which includes nerve agents, agent Sarin. If you have some other instrumentation, which has been discussed and sulphur compounds, which includes so- nerve agent, they won’t work. Some several times in this publication in past is- called “Mustard Gas.” The only real player in substances in this family are somewhat sues, is particularly relevant to this decision- the chemical warfare FID market is Proengin more broad-spectrum than others. But if making process. (France). For decades, their AP2C was the in- you do not know what exact substance The area of CBRN detection is one that has dustry standard FID device, and it is still mar- you are dealing with, you might need historically been full of both inadequacies keted by Proengin. It has been supplanted by to throw an entire cocktail of chemicals and many changes to products and technol- the AP4C, which is a superior instrument to at the contamination, and end up wast- ogies. It changes more quickly than the de- the AP2C with a broader library of chemical ing the enzymes that are not applicable contamination market segment. However, agents that it can detect. Some will make crit- to the problem at hand. In the heat of one of the areas of the detection segment icisms about these instruments in other ap-

PROTECTING AND SUPPLYING THE PEOPLE Well equipped for the common goal!

Kärcher Futuretech is a strong partner by your side. For more than 30 years we have stood for expertise, innovative spirit and quality “made in Germany”. We develop and produce mobile systems in the areas of CBRN decontamination, drinking water supply, catering and field camps. www.kaercher-futuretech.com

Anzeige A5 Querformat.indd 1 27.05.2019 14:36:21  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

plications beyond their original design scope. low-tech solutions to the problem of locat- not accurately function. This means that, in However, in the detection of specific chemi- ing contamination. This is an area where any particular scenario, there will be levels cal warfare agents on surfaces, such as re- the specialty Czech firm Oritest has a well- of contamination left after decontamina- quired by decontamination operations, these defined market position. Their CALID-3 tion that cannot be measured. A standard instruments give excellent performance. chemical warfare detection paper sets the of zero contaminant is therefore technically By far the oldest surface contamination de- standard in this niche. unrealistic. Photo: Kärcher Futuretech

A DSVP 10 C Rapid Response System in action

tection technique is not actually an area of How Clean is Clean Enough? Since the theoretical level of zero contamina- instrumentation, as it predates handheld tion cannot be adequately measured, there electronic detection instruments. One can A perennial problem in decontamination is needs to be serious discussions of what level use colorimetric detection paper to detect one of knowing when to stop. How clean is of hazard is, therefore, acceptable. This sort the major categories of chemical warfare clean enough? Ideally, the standard would of discussion is often difficult, because it agents on surfaces. Absorbent strips of pa- be zero presence of hazard. However desir- involves substances that are inherently dan- per are treated with specific reagents than able this might notional standard might be, gerous. A rational risk assessment involving change colour when exposed to various cat- it is utopian and is completely unrealistic for military troops and military equipment can egories of chemical warfare agents. Such a variety of reasons. Every type of detec- easily occur and lead to a reasonable stand- techniques go back many decades, but are tion and measurement instrument has a ard for use in military operations. However, firmly established as highly economic yet threshold of detection below which it can- such a standard may not be acceptable in civilian settings. Public health considerations and practical politics will likely drive a lower level of acceptable contamination. Further, new threats such as so-called “Novichok” agents have poorly understood human toxi- cology and there is not the body of knowl- edge available to allow for a full assessment Photo: Wikimedia Commons of what small levels of Novichok contamina- tion might be permissible to remain after de- contamination. The problem of “how clean is clean enough” is going to be a philosophi- cal problem in CBRN decontamination for some time to come.

Conclusions

CBRN decontamination has long been con- sidered one of the more difficult subseg- ments of the CBRN industry in terms of eco- nomics and profitability. When one’s com- peting technology is essentially free (water), it can be hard to make a good business case Decontamination works best when it is intelligently supported by de- that a particular product or system is worthy tection instruments. Shown here is an AP2C-V chemical agent detector of investment. However, new and interest- from Proengin mounted on a NBC reconnaissance vehicle of the Japan ing technologies and products continue to Ground Self-Defence Force. emerge in this segment. 

120 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 INDUSTRY & MARKETS  ASELSAN – a High-Growth Company with Global Potential

With an expanding global footprint, Turkish technology conglomerate ASELSAN cultivates economic growth. ESD had the opportunity to talk to Osman Devrim Fidancı, Vice President Business Development and Marketing at ASELSAN

ogy company among engineers in Turkey. develop their own core technologies in Of our app. 7,000 employees, app. 4,000 very near future and to gain their team members are engineers working in home-grown technology development research, product development, inte- capability. Localisation, which comes gration and testing. As an engineering with local manufacturing, is another tool oriented high technology company, we that we utilise as we serve nations in line see ourselves as a large educational in- with our conviction to create innovative stitution for engineers, where they can “Technology Serving People and Planet.” prepare themselves with key competen- Localisation also leads to economic, tech- cies for current technologies and improve nological and the educational growth of their skills for designing and developing a nations via the increase in employment, future technologies. establishment of new production facili- We continue to improve robust and sus- ties and the training of employees. In ad- tainable corporate growth in our home dition to these examples, we are proud ESD: What is ASELSAN's mission strategy country, and in foreign markets through to see that ASELSAN’s experience and and its global positioning in the world mergers, acquisitions and investments know how is spreading all over the world markets? as well. With more than 20 subsidiaries, through our successful collaborations Fidancı: ASELSAN currently offers our global footprint continues to expand and cooperative partnerships. several hundred products and services - both in the local and international mar- under the five divisions operating world- ket, including countries such as South ESD: ASELSAN will be exhibiting at the wide. The divisions consist of "Com- Africa, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakh- Paris Air Show in June this year. What are munications and Information Technolo- stan, Malaysia and Jordan. In February ASELSAN's aims in France? gies", "Defence Systems Technologies", of this year, we also acquired 51% of "Microelectronics, Guidance & Electro- the shares of a future promising Ankara Fidancı: From 17 June to 23 June we will Optics", "Radar and Electronic Warfare headquartered software company BITES exhibit our innovative competencies and Systems" and "Transportation, Security, AS. This enabled us to further expand solutions at the Paris Air Show, but more Energy and Automation Systems". our strategic orientation in the areas importantly we will meet with our part- ASELSAN develops technologies and of software development, geospatial ners and clients so that we can shape the products both at home and abroad in intelligence, augmented & virtual real- future product & solution roadmap. At defence as well as non-defence markets. ity applications and training/simulation the Paris Air Show ASELSAN will proudly In line with the company’s motto "Tech- technologies as well. demonstrate its proven, complete and nology Serving People & the Planet", we comprehensive set of solution at its recognise that commercial markets are ESD: What added value is behind the col- booth. We have gained valuable experi- a key part of the future and ASELSAN’s laborative and cooperative approach of ence with various international foreign technological know-how. "Transfer of Technology" for ASELSAN’s air forces through the contracts and co- ASELSAN’s technological understanding customers? operations and we are now willing to is based on three basic principles: first, the Fidancı: We share our state-of-the-art showcase our achievements to our inter- "Improvement of Current Technologies", technology and expertise with allied national clients and partners once again. second the "Development of New Tech- countries, especially those in the various For instance, we can take over a Gen- nologies and Products" and third, the "De- stages of development. We respect the eral Utility Aircraft and convert this high velopment of Core Technologies / Technol- countries that are striving to build their technology platform into a Special Mis- ogy Creation". As a technology company, own defence and technology industries sion Aircraft, according to the require- we pay particular attention to disruptive while we are optimizing competence ca- ments of the customer, missionising the technologies and the digitalization of the pabilities within these respective markets aircraft according to its concept of use. technological landscape, which includes Ar- by introducing the new technologies that The Special Mission Aircrafts are typically tificial Intelligence, Swarm, Deep Learning, we are continuously developing. We con- equipped with the cutting-edge avionic Machine Learning, Virtual Reality and Sen- sider the Transfer of Technology to be a systems and sensors in order to conduct sor Techno-logies. process that allows nations to build their pre-planned missions accordingly. Investing in employees is a fundamental own technological capability based on aspect for ASELSAN and the company the infrastructure that we build, it is a The Interview was conducted by has become the most preferred technol- process that enables them to be able to Korhan Özkilinc

6/2019 ·6/2019 European · European Security Security & Defence & Defence121 121  INDUSTRY & MARKETS The Serbian Alternative Developing Defence Export Momentum

David Saw

The Serbian government sees its defence industry as a strategic national asset that it wishes to sustain and grow.

ncreasing defence exports helps to sus- clauses on Serbian autonomy. By the end of Bulgaria in 1885, this was just the overture Itain the defence industry and also brings the 1860s, the last Ottoman presence on to a much larger set of conflicts known as in foreign currency, which boosts the Ser- Serbian territory had been removed, and the Balkan Wars. The first Balkan war com- bian economy. The defence industry also under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin, in menced in 1912 when the Balkan League presents a means of attracting Foreign Di- July 1878, the great powers of the time comprising of Bulgaria, Greece, Montene- rect Investment. gave official recognition of Serbia as an in- gro and Serbia sought to take advantage of Across the course of the nineteenth cen- dependent country. This was followed in instability in the Ottoman Empire to grow tury, Serbia struggled to free itself from 1882 by the establishment of the Kingdom their own territory and liberate those of the the shackles of the Ottoman Empire. This of Serbia. same ethnicity from Ottoman rule. They Photo: Ministry of Defence, Serbia

The Defence of Freedom parade in Nis, held to celebrate Victory Day in May, saw the Serbian Army display 51 M-84 tanks. The M-84 sale to Kuwait at the start of the 1990s was the last major export sale of the Yugoslav defence industry. Today’s Serbian defence industry continues to break records with sales of US$897M in 2018.

saw the emergence of the Principality of One of the best illustrations of the level of were successful in this and by May 1913 Serbia and its de facto recognition as a autonomy that the Principality of Serbia and the signature of the Treaty of London, political entity from the end of the 1820s. had achieved and the fading of Ottoman the vast majority of Ottoman territory in The Principality of Serbia also established power was the launch of production at the Europe had been conquered. a small army. Achieved through the Treaty Kragujevac Cannon Foundry in 1853. The The month after the signature of the Treaty of Adrianople, which was imposed by Rus- city of Kragujevac had become the centre of London, the second Balkan War broke sia on the Ottomans in 1829, and included of industrialisation in Serbia from the mid- out, with Greece, Montenegro, Romania 1830s onwards and is now Serbia's fourth and Serbia, supported ironically by the Ot- Author largest city. As to the cannon foundry, it is toman Empire, taking on Bulgaria. By the considered to be the legacy organisation time the war ended in July 1913, Bulgaria David Saw is a specialist defence of Zastava Arms, currently one of the most had lost most of its gains from the first Bal- writer based in Paris, France. He has important defence industrial enterprises in kan War, the Ottomans had regained some a long and comprehensive record of Serbia. territory and everybody else kept what they writing and managing defence maga- Having a defence industrial capability had and/or gained a bit more. From the zines at the highest level, from the would prove to be important to Serbia, as Serbian perspective, they had increased USA through Europe to Asia, and is from the 1880s onwards it would be em- their territory and their military was effec- now a regular contributor to ESD. broiled in a host of conflicts in the Balkans. tive and battle tested. A little over a year Although there was a short war against later, the First World War broke out and

122 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 INDUSTRY & MARKETS  while eventually Serbia would emerge on the victorious side, the human cost was im- mense. The country had been fought over and occupied and the physical damage was enormous, with infrastructure and indus- try, including the defence industry, needing to be rebuilt.

The territorial settlements at the end of Photo: Ministry of Defence Serbia the First World War imposed a new reality on the Balkans. Serbia absorbed the King- dom of Montenegro and then Slovenia and Croatia, becoming Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in December 1918. In December 1929, country was renamed as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Strategically, Yugoslavia saw itself as more than just a Balkan state and had ambitions to be a maritime power in the Aegean and the Mediterranean. The national defence industry was rebuilt post-1918 and its spectrum was gradually Serbian Army NORA B-52 155mm self-propelled howitzer systems on expanded to include the construction of display at the Victory Day parade in Nis in May 2019. The NORA system small naval vessels. There was also invest- continues the tradition of export success for Serbian artillery systems, ment into aircraft and related industries, having been acquired by Bangladesh and Kenya amongst others. through the establishment of companies such as Ikarus in Novi Sad, Vojvodina. Ikarus was established in 1923 to manufacture aircraft, aero engines and engines for cars, trucks and buses (the company still exists today as a bus manufacturer). It later ex- panded into aircraft manufacture, being re- sponsible for the local assembly of foreign fighter and bomber aircraft. Later, it would Photo: Ministry of Defence, Serbia design and build its own indigenous fighter aircraft. Yugoslavia also had other aircraft manufacturers building trainers and float planes. Rogožarski designed the advanced IK-3 fighter that was being adopted by the Royal Yugoslav Air Force on the outbreak of war in 1941. Once again, war would devastate Yugo- slavia and would also mark the end of the royalist state that was superseded in November 1945 by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) under the leadership of Marshall Josip Broz Tito. The The Advanced Light Attack System (ALAS) is a missile system originally new Yugoslav Army had been established developed for the Serbian military in two variants: ALAS-A with a 25 km in March 1945 and this would be renamed range and ALAS-B with a 60 km range. The third variant, ALAS-C, was as the Jugoslovenska narodna armija (JNA) developed as part of the military cooperation arrangement with the in December 1951. The JNA was a tri-ser- UAE to be used for coastal defence applications. vice organisation covering ground, air and naval forces. course for the SFRY was to steer a course strategic direction, it would need to meet between the two superpowers (the US and as many of its defence requirements as pos- Building the Base the USSR), achieving maximum conces- sible from indigenous resources. sions from the both the East and the West. The importance of a domestic defence in- It had been assumed that the SFRY would One of the first tasks for the Tito govern- dustry was made plain after the split with align itself politically with Stalin and the ment was to rebuild a shattered country and the USSR. At that point, most of the pri- Soviet Union. Initially, this was the case its industrial infrastructure. One immediate mary combat aircraft in service with the but in 1948 Tito broke relations with Stalin bonus from breaking with the USSR was the Yugoslav Air Force were of Soviet origin and determined to forge an independent arrival of US economic aid. This would assist and after the break with the Soviets no direction in foreign, economic and social the SFRY in its reconstruction, an important spares or other support was forthcoming. policy. Relations between the SFRY and the part of which was re-establishing the na- This created a need for new combat air- USSR would be restored in 1955, but by tional defence industry. It was obvious that craft and the domestic industry responded. that time Tito had determined that the best if the SFRY was to follow an independent Ikarus used the design of the Rogožarski

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IK-3 as the basis to design a new fighter legacy equipment, but also led to Yugosla- Export Direction known as the S-49A. Work commenced via developing its own equipment solutions in 1948 on the aircraft. The first flight was based on these legacy designs. NAM also helped to provide Yugoslavia in mid-1949 and deliveries commenced in During the partisan era, Tito's forces were with an export marketplace for its defence 1950. The improved S-49C variant arrived supplied with both UK and US equipment industry and a means of selling surplus in 1952 and this remained in service until and much of this remained in service equipment to Cambodia, Cyprus, Egypt, 1961. Over 150 S-49 aircraft were built by post-1945. The break in relations with the Ethiopia and Honduras amongst oth- Ikarus for the Yugoslav Air Force. USSR saw Yugoslavia turn to the UK and ers from the late 1950s to the end of the There was also a requirement to sustain US for military assistance, and, due to Yu- 1970s. In terms of Yugoslavian-produced the legacy equipment being used by the goslavia’s strategic position, this assistance equipment, it should be noted that systems Yugoslav military. This led to the develop- was forthcoming. British aid included sur- for ground, air and naval applications were ment of an industrial base to support the plus combat aircraft, helicopters and naval successfully exported. Clients for naval extremely diverse selection of equipment units. However, it was US military assis- equipment included Bangladesh, Ethio- present in the country. Echoes of this sup- tance that would be critical in re-shaping pia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar and port for legacy equipment can still be seen the JNA in the 1950s. Military equipment Sudan. In terms of air systems, the SOKO in the eclectic range of small arms ammuni- supplied included armour, artillery, com- GALEB jet trainer was exported to Libya, tion currently offered by Prvi Partizan in Uz- bat aircraft, transport aircraft, plus radars Myanmar and Zambia, while the SOKO ice, Serbia, from the pre-1914 standard rifle and gun systems for a destroyer built in JASTREB light attack aircraft was exported rounds of Austria-Hungary and France, to Yugoslavia. It is important to note that to Libya and Zambia. the 6.5mm Grendel and .338 Lapua Mag- the US equipment supplied to Yugoslavia Ground systems were a particularly strong num of today. The breadth of the Prvi Par- in the 1950s was essentially the same as area for the Yugoslavian industry, with the tizan ammunition range allied to its qual- that supplied to allied states in NATO, il- sale of the M-84 tank to Kuwait at the ity puts the Serbian company in a unique lustrating the importance of Yugoslavia at end of the 1980s being the most notable position to meet the needs of military, law that time. contract. The M-84 tank was a licensed enforcement and civilian shooters. Added Although relations with the USSR improved produced version of the Soviet T-72 with to which, their ammunition range is a good from the mid-1950s onwards, it was only significant improvements to firepower, pro- value proposition as well. from the early 1960s that equipment was tection and mobility characteristics to meet JNA requirements. The Kuwaiti contract, signed in 1989, covered the supply of 170 M-84AB tanks, 15 M-84ABK command tanks and 15 M84AI ARVs (a licensed pro- duced version of the Polish WZT-3 ARV). A few tanks had been supplied prior to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, but the majority were supplied to exiled Kuwaiti military

Photo: Ministry of Defence, Serbia forces in Saudi Arabia prior to the libera- tion of Kuwait in 1991. Artillery and mortar systems were suc- cessfully exported. These included the M56/M56A1 105mm howitzer that was exported to Bangladesh, Cyprus, El Sal- vador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nigeria and Peru amongst others. El Salvador and My- anmar received 120mm mortar systems, while Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Georgia are reported to have received 128mm OGANJ and PLAMEN multiple rocket systems.

The locally designed and produced LAZAR III wheeled armoured vehicle New Beginning on parade at Nis. The Serbian Gendarmery operates the vehicle, while the Serbian Army is in the process of procuring a large number of In June 2006, an independent Serbia LAZAR III systems. The vehicle will be fitted with different RCWS emerged, but this new state was in a highly options depending on the mission requirement. vulnerable economic and strategic position. This is hardly surprising when one considers Post-1945, Yugoslav military found it- acquired from this source. Another impor- that the 1990s had seen the collapse of self with equipment drawn from multi- tant development was the foundation of Yugoslavia, the end of the JNA and a brutal ple sources, including from the pre-1941 the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). This conflict amongst the former components royalist era. Then came a vast quantity of was established in September 1961 at a of the SFRY. Then, in 1999, came the NATO Axis equipment captured in 1945, much of conference In Belgrade, with Yugoslavia as bombing of Serbia, striking military as well which remained in service for many years. a prime mover, along with India. Its leading as infrastructure and industrial targets. It To which was added equipment gained as role in NAM allowed Yugoslavia to con- was vital for Serbia to recover and rebuild. reparations post-1945 and machine tooling tinue to navigate between the two super- As a part of this recovery process, Serbia and technical data also gained as repara- powers, seeking the most advantageous sought to develop a military structure that tions. This allowed for the support of this terms from either side. the new country could sustain and deter-

124 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 INDUSTRY & MARKETS  mined that an effective defence industrial Industrial Growth It is important to note how competitive the base was a key asset for national defence. Serbian industry is. This is illustrated by the The defence industry of the former Yugo- In April 2019, the Serbian government an- case of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of slavia had been located all over the country, nounced that Serbian defence exports for the largest defence exports markets for but with the collapse of the Yugoslav state, 2018 amounted to US$897M; this was a China, whose immense defence industry the integrated defence industry that had major boost on the defence sales figure for ought to be able to supply any conceivable served it and the JNA disappeared. The 2017, which came to US$570M. One factor Bangladeshi defence requirement. Further- end result was that Serbia would build its given for this sales growth was an increase more, the financial packages to support new defence industrial base upon the for- in demand for firearms and ammunition. equipment acquisition that China can offer mer Yugoslav capabilities that were within The government reported that the largest a key customer such as Bangladesh are vir- Serbian territory and would add to these number of export sales permits were grant- tually unbeatable. And yet, Serbia was able capabilities as time and resources allowed. Having a competent defence industrial base was more significant than just meeting Serbia’s defence equipment needs. It also had important economic consequences. In the Yugoslav era, the defence industry was the key national export industry with only tourism coming close as a source of foreign currency. Serbia’s aim was to have its de- Photo: Ministry of Defence, Serbia fence industry make an equally positive con- tribution to its national economy. Another important factor is that a credible defence industry provides international visibility and this translates into the ability to obtain influ- ence internationally, plus the ability to ob- tain more tangible economic benefits such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). It would be fair to assume that Serbia’s de- fence industrial capabilities were a key fac- tor leading the extensive investment into the Serbian economy by the United Arab Emir- ates (UAE). From 2013 onwards, the UAE The PEGAZ 011 UAV system was displayed at the Victory Day parade has invested heavily in Serbia in such areas in Nis. This is a medium-range tactical UAV for day and night missions, as agriculture, aviation, defence, as well as with an armed variant developed more recently. Although Serbia has in renewable energy, semi-conductors and purchased Israeli UAVs and intends to buy UAV systems from China, telecommunications. This FDI came at a time locally UAV development will be sustained. when the Serbian economy was under in- tense pressure and made an important con- ed for sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and to sell advanced artillery systems to Bangla- tribution to economic stabilisation. This was the United States. Other important export desh beating off Chinese competition. further assisted by a US$1Bn low-interest destination destinations were Belgium, There is no reason why Serbian defence loan granted to Serbia by the Abu Dhabi Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany and Romania exports cannot continue their upward tra- Investment Authority in 2014. according to government reports. Serbian jectory. A decline in demand for small arms, Apart from assisting the broader national Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin noted ammunition and related systems would ap- economy, these economic links with the in May 2018 that Serbian defence exports pear to be unlikely in their core export mar- UAE would have positive implications for had quadrupled between 2012 and 2017. kets. What would be useful is FDI and joint the Serbian defence industry. In 2014, Ser- The 2018 figures confirmed the continuing ventures with the defence industry to allow biasigned a military co-operation agree- upward trend in defence exports. investment in terms of R&D and products. ment with the UAE that would cover While demand for Serbian small arms and The Serbian government has indicated that exchanges of information and defence ammunition, plus grenade launchers and it would allow FDI and joint ventures, but technology between both countries. Addi- 60/80/82mm mortars has been highly lu- that Serbia would retain a 51% sharehold- tionally, the UAE military personnel would crative for the industry, the sale of higher ing in these joint ventures. train in Serbia. For Serbian industry, the value and more complex equipment should As to the future of the Serbian defence most important facet of the agreement not be ignored either. Artillery systems such industry, much will depend on the po- was that the UAE would fund weapon de- as the NORA-B52 155mm self-propelled litical course chosen by the government. velopments in Serbia. An example of this is gun system, the OGANJ multiple rocket Will they look to follow their regional the Advanced Light Attack System (ALAS), system, 120mm mortars, armoured vehi- neighbours into the embrace of the EU, a missile programme that was under devel- cles, training aircraft and missiles have all or will they look towards Moscow as their opment for the Serbian military. Here, the been exported. Customers in recent years strategic partner? The choice of future UAE funded the development and fielding include Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democrat- strategic direction will inevitably have of the ALAS-C variant of the missile system ic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kenya and an impact on defence industry develop- to meet its needs for a coastal defence mis- Nigeria. Surplus Serbian equipment such ments. In the meantime, the defence sile system. The UAE remains an important as artillery and tanks has also been sold to industry will continue to be a prized eco- market for the Serbian industry. Cambodia and Ethiopia. nomic asset for Serbia. 

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 125  INDUSTRY & MARKETS “We are redefining aerospace.”

Interview with Talel Kamel, Vice President MEA, Collins Aerospace

and to train local talent. Above that we will Kamel: In the Middle East obviously the continue our established and significant UAE is an important market for us as well as collaboration with academia, for example the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And in Africa, Khalifa University in the UAE we have very promising market growth, in North Africa as well as in the sub-Saharan ESD: The product and service portfolio of region, including South Africa Collins Aerospace is widespread – in both the civilian and the defence markets. You ESD: What is your message for the Turkish ESD: You were appointed as Vice President offer solutions in the fields of communica- customer? of Collins Aerospace for the Middle East, tions, avionics, electronic systems, naviga- Kamel: We have enjoyed a long-standing Turkey, and Africa a few months ago. What tion, optronics, targeting, electronic war- relationship with Turkish customers. More is your strategic vision for the company to- fare, simulation and training, to name only than 20 years ago, we started collaborating wards these markets? a few. What synergies can be generated with TAI, Aselsan, and other major players Kamel: Collins Aerospace has brought to- from a portfolio like this, especially for the in the Turkish industry, and our collabora- gether two of the most innovative players defence market? tion has become stronger over the years. in the industry – UTC Aerospace Systems Kamel: We have not even concluded the first Now, we would like to manifest this collabo- and Rockwell Collins. In terms of our re- half year after the merger, and we are already ration on the occasion of current Turkish gional strategy, we would like to renew our uncovering very nice synergies between our Air Force programmes, particularly the TF-X commitment to the Middle-East region in product portfolios. I will, for example, men- national combat fighter aircraft and the T-X line with the economic diversification poli- tion Mission Systems. We have now ejec- HURJET future jet trainer. cies expressed, for example, in the "Vision tion seats as part of our portfolio – and that 2030" plan of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia complements perfectly the avionics suite we ESD: What do you offer the civil security forces in the MEA market? Kamel: We have a lot of innovative products of interest for the regions I am dealing with. I would like to mention the PSR-500, which is an example of perimeter surveillance very much suited to protect critical assets from

Photos: Collins Aerospace intrusions or from non-legal interference.

ESD: What benefits do your customers get from the merger of UTC Aerospace and Rockwell Collins? Kamel: Imagine, you bring together the best talents from secure communications, avionics, ejection seats, sensors and many others, and a team of 70,000 highly skilled employees, including an engineering work- force of more than 16,000. This generates The PSR-500 perimeter surveillance radar system from Collins Aerospace powerful performance, in line with our is suitable for locations such as airports, industrial and military sites statement "We are redefining aerospace." and public or private urban sites. Our customers will benefit from a large portfolio of products and services, our abil- and the "Tomorrow 2021" plan revealed by offer and our communications systems. Thus, ity to drive aerospace technical innovation the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi last year. we are able to provide much more content - and to provide world class aftermarket sup- Thus it was very exciting for me to be at intelligent content - to our customers than port. And, not least, they will benefit from IDEX for the first time under the banner of before: innovative defence solutions aimed the financial strength of UTC which enables Collins Aerospace last February. We have at fully connecting the battlespace, sensors us to push more R&D and therefore to bring forged successful partnerships in all the re- generating data to be leveraged to better more innovative products to the market in a gions I am responsible for. Our strategy is manage the operational challenges. shorter amount of time. to continue to invest locally, to support the regional industry in line with their respec- ESD: What are the key markets you will The interview was conducted by tive policies, to develop new partnerships focus on? Peter Bossdorf.

126 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 INDUSTRY & MARKETS  Joint Fires in South Africa

Gerhard Heiming

In late March 2019, Rheinmetall and its South African subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) dem- onstrated the capabilities of their ammunition to around 800 customers and prospects from 53 countries at the Denel Overberg test site in the South African province of the Western Cape.

his was the third time that RDM hosted Tthe Munition Capability Demonstration (ACD). An exhibition with products of the

organisers and partners as well as a series Photos: Heiming of lectures on ammunition concepts and development lines were the background. The highlight of the ACD, a demonstration of live ammunition, supported by the South African Defence Forces (SANDF) under the leadership of Lt-Gen Lindile Yam, Chief of Staff. SANDF provided the weapon systems from which the ammunition was fired by the personnel. At the beginning of the night and day shoo- ting campaigns, RDF personnel technically MISSION MASTER protection and rescue in convoy described each type of ammunition and demonstrated it in single shots, followed by infantry with small arms from R4 assault by fire with 107mm (type 63 MRL) and the demonstration of the ammunition du- rifles, machine guns, and 40mm grenade 127mm (6x6 BATELEUR) rockets. ring the interaction of forces under tactical launchers repelled the last enemy forces The GRIPEN D, HAWK Mk 120 and ROOI- operating conditions. The demonstration at close range. In this phase, illumination VALK initiated daytime shooting with included SANDF fielded weapon systems ammunition supported reconnaissance at bombs and missiles. The ensuing firefight with the appropriate ammunition as well as various distances. The end was marked saw howitzers G5 and G6, with 155mm systems intended for introduction (such as the T5-52 howitzer and ammunition at the end of its development phase). The Denel Overberg Test Range The Denel Overberg Test Range is a subsidiary of Denel and operates a 430 square Ammunition in a Tactical kilometre training area near the southern tip of the African continent. The fully secured area consists of two up to 14 km wide sectors and offers fully instrumented facilities Environment for testing flight systems and modern guided weapons with a variety of different target The Luftwaffe launched night shooting wi- configurations. The De Hoop nature reserve between the sectors can be included in th two GRIPEN D and HAWK Mk 120 figh- the security zone. This results in a maximum firing distance of 70 km including the front ter aircraft, which fought the enemy with south-east sea area. The Mediterranean climate allows year-round testing with little bombs and guns, supported at a medium climatic variation. distance by ROOIVALK Mk I attack helicop- ters with 70mm rockets as well as on-board cannons and heavy machine guns.

Then the artillery took over the fire fight with Graphic: RDM pulled howitzers G5 and 6x6 self-propelled guns G6 and suppressed the enemy with 155mm shells. The artillery was supported by the navy with a 76mm cannon from Oto Melara. According to the 'integrated fire plan' the advancing enemy forces were fought at medium distance with ROOIKAT reconnaissance tanks and 76mm ammuni- tion and OLIFANT tanks with 105mm am- munition. The last combat phase began with the RA- TEL infantry fighting vehicle with 20mm and 90mm cannons in conjunction with 60mm and 81mm mortars before the

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(MV) and high (HV) velocity cover a range equipped with two rocket launchers and from 300 m to 1,000 m. In addition to ex- seven unguided 70mm rockets from Tha- plosive/splitter ammunition, several types les FZ. According to Rheinmetall, MM P is of smoke and signal ammunition are also the first air-to-ground system on a UGV. available. The MM R has two stretchers and medi- As with the night shootings before, the BA- cal equipment as well as seats for medical TELEUR and Type 63 multiple rocket laun- personnel for transport of the wounded chers were the eye-catching final items in (CaseEvac). the demonstration. The firing and flying noises of the salvos of 40 (BATELEUR) and Control 12 rockets alone gave an impression of the effect in the target area. The UGV is controlled and programmed through a portable computer, for example World Premiere: from the ARGUS soldier system and a bi-di- MISSION MASTER in Hot Shot rectional radio link. The system can be re- mote controlled or operated partially or fully Selection of 60mm, 81mm and In addition to the many weapon systems autonomously. 120mm mortar ammunition in the South African army, the unmanned While under fire protection by special units from RDM ground vehicle MISSION MASTER (MM on their HORNET Rapid Reconnaissance Ve- UGV) was presented for the first time as hicle (RDRV) with heavy and light machine explosive and splinter shells, as well as dis- guns and grenade launchers, supported by mounted mortars and mortars mounted a towed 20 mm cannon, infantry on foot on RATEL and BADGER combat vehicles in Rheinmetall Denel positioned the MISSION MASTER convoy 60mm, 81mm and 120mm calibres engage Munition in 'Follow-Me' mode. The convoy included the enemy columns. In 2008, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition an armed MM P and MM R to rescue the This is where the new 60mm (insensitive) (RWM) established the Rheinmetall wounded. mortar cartridges of the PATROL insensitive Denel Munition (RDM) joint venture with Near the planned firing position, the MM R high explosive series (IHE) were demonstra- the South African state-owned Denel, was held in a covered position. The convoy ted, the variant with preformed fragments of which Rheinmetall has a 51% stake. leader took over the control of the MM P (PFF) of which is on its way to qualification RDM pools Denel's expertise in the de- from the cover and led this person remotely at RDM. The PATROL cartridges are optimi- velopment, design and production of through their laptop computer into the firing sed for command and special mortars and ammunition. Two-thirds of the ammu- position. The target data were also entered can be fired from mortars with tube lengths nition is produced for land systems with through computers from the cover and the between 895 mm and 1,450 mm. a focus on artillery and mortars while fire command was given. Each of the seven Insensitive ammunition will only explode if the remainder is for air and naval forc- unguided missiles from two missile launch triggered by a detonator. In the case of bom- es. While RWM mainly supplies NATO containers generated a surface fire in the bardments or explosions in the immediate countries, RDM concentrates on South target area in order to suppress the suspec- vicinity, the explosives can at most deflagra- Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South ted enemy there. te (decay) without significantly affecting the America. In total, 85% is exported. In The MM R then took cover near the firing surroundings. With PFF, a uniformly high the 11 years since its foundation, RDM position. The convoy leader now took con- effect is achieved in the target area. has become a profitable company. trol of the MM P and steered the vehicle INGWE and UMKHONTO armoured ve- remotely with a portable computer to the hicles with anti-tank missiles cordoned off firing position. From the cover, target data the area. Meanwhile, the PLOFADDER mi- a firing weapon system. The electrically was entered by computer and then the fire ne-clearing system created a minefield la- powered, air-transportable MM UGV has order was given. Each of the seven ungui- ne, which allowed battle tanks and infantry all-wheel drive with eight balloon tires, all ded missiles from two missile launch cont- fighting vehicles to advance. A rocket pulled of which are powered. The MM UGV can ainers generated a surface fire in the target 300 kg of explosives over the minefield and be operated for up to eight hours without area to suppress the suspected enemy there. distributed them in such a way as to create requiring a battery recharge. At the end of the firefight, the two MISSION a wide and safe lane for the combat vehicles MASTERs were given the command to auto- after bursting. After artillery and combat he- Mission Modules nomously dodge into a hide position behind licopters prepared the ground, the combat the fire line. troops cleared the location with RATEL, Quickly replaceable modules provide ROOIKAT and OLIFANT vehicles. equipment for various missions. Each mo- Start of Production Enemy forces that had broken through dule is connected to the chassis through had been defeated by defensive fire from mechanical and electrical quick connec- Denel received the first orders for MISSI- infantry and Special Forces (the effect of tors. Six module types have already go- ON MASTER vehicles when development which is described below in relation to the ne beyond the concept phase, of which reached technical maturity level TRL7 mission master). the variants MISSION MASTER Protection (Technology Readiness Level). In addition This was preceded by an extensive demons- (MM P) and MISSION MASTER Rescue to orders from Italy and Middle East, the tration of explosive ordnance for the infan- (MM R) were presented in Overberg. German Armed Forces also ordered MM try. The focus was on 40mm ammunition, The MM P is the armed version of the UGV to test the properties and perfor- which can be fired from various grenade UGV. It carries a stabilised FIELDRANGER mance of the system against the backg- launchers. Grenades with low (LV), medium weapon station from Rheinmetall Canada, round of military requirements. 

128 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 INDUSTRY & MARKETS  ASDA 2019

Igor Tabak

Adriatic Sea Defense & Aerospace (ASDA) is a specialised tri-service defence exhibition in a large and growing market focused on International Defence, Homeland Security, Cyber Security, Security & Protection and Aerospace.

he costal Croatian city of Split host- Ted the fifth ‘Adriatic Sea Defence & Aerospace Exhibition and Conference’ (ASDA) from 10 to 12 April 2019. This bi- annual event covers defence, aerospace, cyber defence and homeland security, and is organised by the US company TNT Productions with support from the Cro- atian Ministry of Defence (MoD). ASDA Photos: Igor Tabak/Obris.org began in 2011, under a contract for 5 such exhibitions, with the 2019 edition being final one in the initially agreed cy- cle. As the organisers determined the event series to be a success, during AS- DA 2019, a contract was subsequently signed for a further five such events to be staged in Croatia. Unlike some similar industry gatherings in the region, ASDA is not exclusively focused on promoting the defence in- dustry in Croatia but is truly an inter- national event. Official sources claim that this year's edition of ASDA had, in total, 185 exhibitors from 26 countries, making it the largest organised to date. The exhibition space used for the event was 30% larger than 2017, which made it necessary to use asecondary exhibiti- on hall as well as open spaces around the Spaladium arena – traditional ASDA venue in Split. This year, the Croatian MoD organised a technical exhibition in The ASDA 2019 main exhibit hall the next-door space of the naval base Lora, a successful test of future possible from the ranks of the larger exhibitors, to acquaint themselves with the ser- ASDA expansion, as declared by Roman culminating in a discussion on the fu- vices and equipment on offer and held Mikulić, Assistant Minister of Defence ture prospects of the Croatian defence a series of talks with various industry and Croatian Armament Director. Du- industry. It is thought that in future AS- representatives. The special feature ring the exhibition, a number of specia- DA's, this segment of the programme of ASDA 2019 was the inclusion of lised panels took place, making together will be further strengthened. three national pavilions - from Israel, the conference component of ASDA The main benefit of holding ASDA in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2019. Most of them were led by experts Croatia are the opportunities for regi- which made it possible to exhibit a co- onal networking and outreach. In this herent palette of products from smal- Author light, it is important to emphasise the ler producers, side by side with world arrival of 145 official delegates from giants such as Lockheed Martin, Bell, Igor Tabak is an analyst for defence some 34 countries. All of them were Saab, Elbit or Rafael. Altogether, a to- and security based in Zagreb, Croatia, hosted by the Croatian MoD as well tal of 5,259 visitors came to the event and member of the Homeland Se- as a total of eight ministers of defen- from a total of 46 countries, where the curity Council of the President of the ce and 7 chiefs of staffs from neigh- entrance fee earnings were donated to Republic of Croatia. bouring and partner countries. This the Croatian military solidarity fund on group of VIP visitors took their time the final day of the exhibition.

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 129  INDUSTRY & MARKETS

The Israeli Elbit presented the future com- position of its 30mm weapon station on Croatian AMV Patria armoured transport vehicles, which is soon to be delivered to the Croatian Armed Forces. A range of communications equipment was presen- ted, among others, the Rohde & Schwarz digital radios of the Soveron line, which are to equip the German Bundeswehr within the scope of the SVFuA program- me. Also significant was the range of unmanned systems on offer from mul- tiple parties, complimented with various defensive solutions for combating the emerging threats that such drones pose to military and civilian sphere alike. As stated by the Croatian MoD, this element of unmanned systems and defence the- reof, as well as the cyber defence might form a topic to be highlighted during the next ASDA, scheduled for Spring 2021. While the presentation of the Croatian de- fence industry did not overwhelm the AS- Foreign defence ministers, chiefs of staff and delegates at the DA 2019 programme, it was nevertheless ASDA 2019 opening ceremony present and visible. The demonstration by the Croatian Armed Forces presented The international cast of exhibitors was the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. These the joint capabilities of the Croatian Navy, dominated by the companies interested are helicopters that Croatia might consi- Air Force and newly formed marine units, in the defence requirements of Croa- der procuring after the recent arrival of while also deploying its new Brodosplit tia and the region. So, there were the an US donation of two such aircraft. Bell patrol ship, OOB-31 ‘Omiš’, a prototype two main contenders for the new figh- Helicopters has emphasised their civilian that is being tested before a becoming the ter aircraft of Croatian Air Forces - the and military products, well represented first vessel in a class of five similar ships. Swedish SAAB, which brought a large in Croatia, Montenegro and North Mace- HS Produkt from Karlovac, the Croatian model of JAS 39 Gripen with Croatian donia, while MBDA and Rafael presented producer of handguns - represented on markings, and Lockheed Martin, which their respective ranges of various missiles the US market by Springfield Inc. (voted besides the F-16 simulator, also presented for the defence of air and coastal spaces. US handgun of the year in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2013) - presented its range of assault rifles, while also showcasing its upcoming co-operation with FN Herstal. The product of this partnership will be HS Produkt taking part in the worldwide pro- duction of FN Minimi, while offering the Squad Automatic Weapon for the Croa- tian Army as well. The scope of personal infantry equipment was rounded through domestic production of apparel, tactical and ballistic equipment presented by the strong exporters Šestan-Busch and Kroko, as well as of new Takrad tactical radios. Ammunition production from a range of producers was introduced through the state-owned Alan Agency, as well as the Croatian capability to manufacture the 8*8 Patria AMV vehicles by Đuro Đako- vić consortium from Slavonski Brod. A special emphasis was also placed on the presentation of research and develop- ment capacity of the Croatian academia. In particular, space was given to the Fa- culty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture from Zagreb, whose student team won the US AIAA Gradu- A JAS 39 GRIPEN model with Croatian markings at SAAB’s stand on ate Team Aircraft Design Competition in ASDA 2019 late 2018. 

130 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 Firms & Faces

Fighter Jet Training Aircraft (59; photo left) became Head of Strategy, up for Lease Mergers & Acquisitions and Public Affairs (ck) Buying trainer aircraft outright is a major on 1 June 2019. In this position, he reports investment for any air force and much of that to Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus. At MB- Photo: Babcock investment is wasted when the planes are DA, Bouvier was succeeded as CEO by Eric Béranger (56), who has held a number of leadership positions in Airbus Defence and Space. His appointment also became effec- tive 1 June 2019. MBDA, a joint venture be- Image: AERALIS tween Airbus (37.5%), BAE SYSTEMS PLC (37.5%) and Leonardo S.p.A. (25%), is Eu- 100-strong team carried out work during rope’s leading missile systems house. Fur- the docking period, replacing 284 hull valves thermore, Patrick de Castelbajac (47, photo and renewing all cathodic protection elec- right) has been appointed Head of Region trodes and anodes, as well as painting the Asia-Pacific for Airbus, effective 1 June hull and working on the stabilisers, rudders 2019. In this capacity he succeeds Jean- and shaft lines. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH Marc Nasr who was recently appointed Ex- and her sister ship, HMS PRINCE OF WALES, ecutive Vice President Space Systems with- are the largest warships ever built for the in Airbus Defence and Space. De Castel- Royal Navy. Due to enter service in 2020, bajac has also been named Head of Sales HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH has a four-acre standing idle because training needs have Asia-Pacific for the company’s commercial flight deck and two propellers weighing 33 changed. AERALIS, a recently formed British aircraft business as of 1 July 2019: as such tonnes each. She is capable of carrying up company developing military and aerobatic De Castelbajac will be responsible for one to 40 aircraft, as well as weaponry and com- jet trainer aircraft and flying training systems, of Airbus’s most strategic growth regions. munications systems. is promising to change all this with a new leasing arrangement for fighter jet pilot train- Curtiss-Wright to Support Gravitek Opens Production ing aircraft which promises to reduce costs MQ-25 Unmanned Tanker Facility in Turkey for customers. Adopting a modular concept (ck) Boeing has contracted Curtiss-Wright’s (ck) Gravitek, a company specialis- built around a common long-life fuselage, Defence Solutions division to supply data ing in energy absorbing seats, will the AERALIS suite of jet trainers is fully cus- technology systems for the aircraft carrier- open a new facility in Turkey to tomisable in terms of engines, outer wings deployed MQ-25 unmanned tanker aircraft supply the domestic armoured and avionics, enabling end-users to config- programme. The MQ-25 is the US Navy’s vehicle industry with its blast ure their fleet of training aircraft to match first operational carrier-based unmanned protection seats. Gravitek offers the needs of their trainee pilots. The AERALIS aircraft and is designed to provide a much- several blast mitigating seats, Photo: Gravitekw suite of jet trainers will have 85% commonal- needed refuelling capability. The MQ-25 from ergonomic troop seats ity of parts allowing for cost savings when programme is intended to increase the to more complex purchasing more aircraft. With AERALIS’ range of the carrier air wing. Curtiss-Wright driver and com- leasing arrangements, the customer will not will support Boeing’s engineering and mander seats. With be burdened with huge purchasing costs but manufacturing development programme its "Made in Turkey" will have the ability to flex their flying training to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the US strategy, Gravitek system as their requirements change over Navy for Initial Operational Capability by intends to become a time. AERALIS promises that leasing trainer 2024. For more than 60 years Curtiss- key supplier to the Turkish and Eurasian aircraft will offer a significant return on in- Wright has been a supplier to Boeing, and armoured vehicle industries as well as vestment (ROI) due to a fuselage that can be this latest MQ-25 contract will require the to export to other countries from Tur- easily re-roled and which is built to outlast addition of half a dozen engineers and key. Gravitek’s seats comply with STAN- traditional airframe structures. technicians at Curtiss-Wright. AG4569 Levels 3 and 4, the NATO stand- ard for protection levels of occupants in Leadership Changes at Airbus First Maintenance for Aircraft armoured vehicles. (ck) Airbus has announced several sen- Carrier QUEEN ELIZABETH ior leadership changes. Antoine Bouvier (ck) Babcock International has completed INVISIO to Supply German the first docking and maintenance period Police Force on HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH at its Rosyth (ck) Defence and security communications site. After the six-week work package was equipment is being modernised throughout delivered, the Royal Navy’s QUEEN ELIZA- the world, and in Germany numerous com- Photos: Airbus BETH (QE) class aircraft carrier departed panies are competing for lucrative orders. from Rosyth at high tide, through the spe- INVISIO, with its partner IMTRADEX, has cially designed roller-fender system, into the received a major order (up to SEK10M) from River Forth. As the assembly site for the UK a regional German police force. Lars Højgård carrier programme, the Rosyth facility has Hansen, CEO of INVISIO, said, “Winning this had significant investment over recent years. tender is a breakthrough for INVISIO in Ger- Babcock has been charged with maintain- many and with police forces.”The systems ing the carrier in optimum condition and a from INVISIO are claimed to guarantee good

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 131 Firms & Faces

hearing protection and enable the user to New Key Account Executive at Digital Innovation in Naval communicate with constant situational Marshall Aerospace and Defence Defence awareness under extreme conditions. (ck) Marshall Aerospace and Defence (ck) The global Group has appointed Lee Doherty as Key naval defence Karsa Oy Joins EOS market received (ck) Karsa Oy, a developer of CBRNE €40Bn in rev-

threat detectors for security applications, enue in 2018 Photo: Naval Group has joined the European Organisation for and is expected Security (EOS), the voice of the European to grow steadily security industry by 4% each year. and research com- Nonetheless, munity. Founded in there is fierce 2016 by a team of competition be- detection experts tween European, Photo: Marshall Aerospace and Defence Photo: Karsa from the Univer- Chinese, Russian sity of Helsinki, the Account Executive where he will be re- and South Ko- company is cur- sponsible for developing relationships with rean companies. rently developing the company’s leading customers. Doherty In response to this, Naval Group has been explosives detec- joins the company after 14 years at Rolls expanding its investments to maintain a tion equipment Royce in a range of international business technological edge and has joined b<>com, with high sensitiv- development and supply chain manage- a European innovation centre based inFrance ity and specificity to ment roles. Prior to this, Doherty spent and a pioneer in digital dual-use technolo- provide increased over 20 years in the Royal Air Force as a gies. Naval Group will benefit from a partner- detection capabili- Supply and Movements officer in UK-based ship with the researchers and engineers at ties at lower costs and international roles: in Hong Kong he the centre and the two partners will work on than current technologies. Whilst the co-ordinated the logistics recovery on the digital naval defence solutions. By partnering technology is primarily aimed at the global handover of the region to China in 1997; with b<>com, Naval Group plans to maintain air cargo market it can also be applied to similarly he worked in Saudi Arabia during a digital advantage in areas that have become customs and border protection and emer- Operation Desert Storm; and he led hu- essential, such as advanced communication gency management. manitarian convoy operations in Sarajevo networks, software radio, image and sound for the UN. His final appointment was in processing, artificial intelligence, cyber de- New Vice President Communi- the UK MoD’s Defence Logistic Operation fence, and cognitive technologies. cations at Lockheed Martin in Bath, England. Doherty was commis- (ck) Lockheed Martin has appointed Dean sioned into the Royal Air Force in October A Deployable Communication Acosta as Senior Vice President, Commu- 1983 and subsequently gained an MA at Cube nications, effective since 20 May 2019. King’s College. (ck) When NATO units are deployed they Acosta has almost three decades of ex- carry their communications technology perience in corporate communications Simulation Software for the with them, namely NATO’s Deployable in the technology, energy and aerospace Bangladesh Army Communications and Information System and defence industries. Most recently, he (ck) In 2015, MASA, a company develop- (DCIS). The DCIS consists of a static por- served as Vice President and Chief Com- ing simulation software for defence appli- tion, situated in NATO data centres, and munications Officer for cations, signed its first contract with the deployable points of presence. The deploy- Resideo, a smart home tech- Bangladesh Army Training and Doctrine able portions are, essentially, transportable nology company, where he Command (ARTDOC) to provide them with mini data centres and can come in boxes of led employee and executive a customisable training solution. Now ART- different sizes and weights, not all of which communications, media DOC has signed a follow-on contract with can be carried easily: some can weigh as relations, social media and MASA for the company to provide mainte- much as 150 kilograms. NATO recognises Photo: Lockheed Martin public affairs. Prior to that, nance of its SWORD software to the Army the need for one standardised box that is Acosta was Vice President War Game Center (AWGC) until 2023. easy to carry and replace. Accordingly, last of Global Communications MASA’s flagship product, SWORD, which year, the Agency involved industry-leading for Honeywell's Home and can simulate and control tens of thousands architects in testing a new approach for a Building Technologies busi- of soldiers and units, enables the Army modern DCIS: the DCIS Cube, a deployable ness. He also served as Di- to immerse its training audience in differ- mini data centre. The new approach was a rector of Communications ent types of military and civil emergency success and, as a result,the Agency is plan- for Lockheed Martin's Corporate Engi- scenarios. The AWGC chose SWORD for ning to work with an even larger group of neering organisation. Acosta earned his command post training from battalion to companies this year on other aspects of the bachelor's degree from the University of division level. Bangladesh has successfully DCIS. Instead of having boxes of varying Texas at San Antonio, his master's degree used SWORD for two years for a variety sizes and weights that can serve as differ- in strategic communication from Seton of exercises including military and disaster ent parts of a communications system, the Hall University and he began his career as relief training and MASA has supported the DCIS Cube calls for one common box that a broadcast journalist, winning an Emmy AWGC during this time with maintenance can be programmed to serve those differ- award for his reporting. and software upgrades. ent purposes. This means that NATO forces

132 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 need only carry a single box of spare parts dustries – industrial safety, security, law with them for repairs and that the DCIS enforcement, military, general industrial, Cube can be carried by two people, making outdoor, fire and rescue, and so forth –on it a better fit for deployments. Its function- the expectations of those users in terms ality comes from its software and it can be of lighting tools. The survey showed that programmed automatically in a matter of 66% of respondents preferred a hand- Photo: Northrop Grumman hours. The Agency expects to obtain up held torch to a headlamp. More than to 30 Cubes from a larger infrastructure 50% of the respondents agreed on a contract known as the Firefly project. The minimum of +500 lumens, a beam dis- contract award is planned for 2019. ment office in Melbourne. The SPA fleet tance covering up to 100m, and 10 hours comprises two Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) Maintenance of Special Aircraft aircraft and three CHALLENGER CL604 (ck) The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) jets which are being replaced by three has contracted Northrop Grumman to FALCON 7X business jets. The RAAF’s Photo: Peli continue providing through-life support SPA capabilities are set to ramp up mid- to the Commonwealth’s special purpose year with the delivery of a KC-30A Multi aircraft (SPA) VIP fleet operated by No. 34 Role Tanker Transport modified to sup- Squadron in Canberra. This sole source, port long-range government VIP trans- 18-year rolling wave contract has an ini- port needs. tial period of six years for sustainment and maintenance valued at AUS$84M. Results from Survey into Northrop Grumman will service the SPA Lighting Tools of usable run time. In response to ques- fleet by providing logistics, maintenance, (ck) PELI Products, the US manufacturer tions about size and weight, 49% of the engineering and training. The work will of lighting tools, has conducted a sur- survey participants preferred a torch of be supported by a programme manage- vey of European users from different in- between 11 cm and 20 cm, with a maxi-

FEINDEF 2019 – Una Feria Impresionante

Organised by the two industrial associations TEDAE (Asociación Española of the TEDAE, Jaime de Rábao, and AESMIDE, Gerardo Sánchez Revenga, de Empresas Tecnológicas de Defensa, Seguridad, Aeronáutica y Espacio) explained during a press briefing, that FEINDEF's major objectives included: and AESMIDE (Asociación de Empresas Contratistas Con las Administra- • Strengthening the role of Spain in the European security and defence en- ciones Públicas de España)and strongly supported by the Spanish Ministry vironment with Spain to play a key role in future European defence, and of defence the first-ever FEINDEF exhibition took place at Madrid's IFEMA • Providing a bridge to and for the Latin American defence community. Exhibition Centre from 29 to 31 May 2019. Some 140 industrial exhibitors Against this background both protagonists pointed out that already this took advantage of the event, and in addition the show grounds featured year the exhibition had attracted the interest of 48 international delegations dedicated exhibits of the three services of the Spanish armed forces, as well from 32 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, as of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior. From every thereof 15 Latin American chiefs of armed forces. point of view the event was very well organised and accompanied by an With 77 member companies TEDAE is mainly dedicated to the representa- impressive schedule of dedicated presentations and briefings. tion of industries with capabilities at system level, whereas AESMIDE (65 There was remarkable traffic on the exhibition floor, and according to the members) regards itself as a supporter of mainly the SMEs in Spain's defence organisers FEINDEF 2019 could attract the interest of some 10,000 visitors. industrial base.

FUERZA 35 The Spanish Army took advantage of FEINDEF 2019 to draw attention to their FUERZA 35 concept, which describes the land forces material requirements Photo: GDELS SBS until the year 2035 and covers a widespread spectrum of equipment already in service (like the LEOPARD 2 E fleet), equipment under development/subject to procurement (like the DRAGÓN/PIRANHA 5 8x8 vehicle) and materiel re- quirements yet to be determined in detail. The latter includes for example an active protection system for the Army's combat vehicles. Remarkably enough, not all of the new programmes will be made subject to a competitive tender- The expected contract award for some 350 PIRANHA 8x8 ing process. Instead, the Army prefers to accompany and influence certain vehicles - designated DRAGÓN by the Army - was among selected industrial development programmes intended to result in equipment the dominating subjects at FEINDEF 2019. items tailor-made in response to the requirements of the service.

Objetivos El Futuro Although mainly focussed on the Spanish defence market with foreign The next FEINDEF, for which the organisers expect a significantly higher companies mainly represented by their Spanish subsidiaries – exceptions number of international exhibitors, will be held in 2021 during the Spanish included Iveco, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin and Rafael – the presidents Armed Forces Week, the date of which has yet to be determined. Firms & Faces

mum weight (with batteries) of 200 g. Rohde & Schwarz to Partner President of Close Combat Systems at In terms of water level ingress, 37% of with Hamburg's Bundeswehr Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, the fire and safety users required IP67. University says, “We will adapt SPICE to meet US The survey respondents all had differing (ck) A Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) subsidiary, standards so bomber and fighter aircraft opinions on accessories depending on ipoque GmbH, has formed a strategic re- can benefit from the added mission flex- their working equipment. Indeed, 61% of search partnership with Helmut Schmidt ibility that SPICE offers.” participants working in industrial safety University in Hamburg in order to establish and fire and rescue preferred a light that a programme of exchange and collabo- New Raytheon Office in Warsaw could easily be used with gloves. (ck) Poland is the 16th nation to use PATRIOT to defend itself against ballistic and cruise New Market Area Leader at NIXU missiles. Raytheon has now opened a new (ck) European cybersecurity services com- headquarters in Warsaw and this will be the Photo: ipoque pany, Nixu, has appointed Matthijs van der setting for other defence initiatives and the Wel as Market place where future cyber security and mis- Area Leader Ben- sile defence programmes will be developed. elux to lead the The new headquarters houses the WISLA air

Photo: NIXU operations and and missile defence programme as well as a further growth centre for strengthening Polish security and of Nixu in the re- developing the country's defence industry. gion. Nixu started ration. ipoque GmbH provides network The need for the WISLA Programme Office operations in the analytics solutions for secure, reliable and became clear when the Polish government Benelux market efficient networks and the partners’ re- signed an agreement with the US govern- by establishing a search, focussing on artificial intelligence, ment on the purchase of the PATRIOT missile subsidiary in the machine learning and big data analytics, defence system. The centre will establish the Netherlands in will run for 4 years. Maintaining the security Polish defence industry as a solid player on 2016. Since entering the market, Nixu has and reliability of networks is crucial as the the world market and will assist in boosting focused on recruitment and building its challenges presented by IP traffic rates, pro- the number of jobs in the defence indus- market presence in the Benelux cyberse- tocol complexity and the number of cyber try in both Poland and the USA. As part of curity market. Van der Wel’s task will be attacks continue to increase. A main focus the WISLA programme, Poland intends to to grow Nixu’s market position in cyber- of the partnership will be the potential of acquire additional PATRIOT fire units, gal- security services for local enterprises. Van future technologies to enhance network lium nitride active electronic raster radar and der Wel has nearly 20 years of experience analytics and security solutions. SKYCEPTOR, a low-cost interceptor rocket. in the cybersecurity industry and a track record in building and developing cyberse- Lockheed Martin to Team RENK Purchases Suspension curity organisations. Prior to joining Nixu, with Rafael Specialist he served at Fox-IT, at Booking.com as a (ck) As access to GPS is becoming increas- (ck) As part of its internationalisation strate- Corporate Security Officer, and as Direc- ingly limited in contested environments, gy, RENK AG has completed the acquisition tor Cyber Forensics at PwC in The Neth- Rafael’s Smart, Precise Impact and Cost- of Horstman Holdings Ltd and its group erlands. Effective (SPICE) guidance kits provide a of companies. Horstman is a player in the solution to this challenge. SPICE is a family global armour and tracked vehicle mobility New International Partner of stand-off air-to-surface weapon systems markets and known for its hydraulic and Manager at OTM hydropneumatic suspension systems. The (ck) OTM Servo Mechanism, a designer acquisition will expand the product port- and prototype developer for actuation folio of RENK’s vehicle transmissions unit, solutions, has further develop RENK’s expertise in pow- appointed Jere- ertrains for tracked vehicles and strengthen my Abel as Inter- its global presence. Horstman operates Photo: Lockheed Martin Photo: OTM national Partner three areas of business: Mobility, Project Manager. In this Build Services and Environmental & Power newly created and currently employs 157 staff across its role, Abel will be locations in the UK, the USA and Canada. helping OTM’s for GPS-denied environments. In use since international 2003, SPICE is currently in service with the Modernisation of Dutch business part- Israeli Air Force and several other nations. Armoured Recovery Vehicles ners to identify Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced (gwh) The Dutch army has contracted Rhein- and secure new Defense of Israel have now signed a team- metall to modernise its fleet of armoured business opportunities for their design ing agreement to develop, market, manu- recovery vehicles (ARVs). In the first phase of team. Abel comes to OTM following an facture and support SPICE for US sale. The the project, four armoured recovery vehicles international business career which agreement covers the SPICE 1000 (1,000 will be upgraded, and a further 21 vehicles has included several projects in Africa. pound/453 kilogramme weight class) and will be upgraded in the second phase. Each At OTM, Abel’s initial focus will be on SPICE 2000 (2,000 pound/907 kilogramme phase has a contract value of a double-digit South America and India. weight class) kit variants. John Varley, Vice million euro sum. The modernisation of the

134 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 BERGEPANZER 3 BÜFFEL (BUFFALO) ARVs documentation, infrastructure, as well as of operation and reliability. Mi-17-1V is intended to extend the service life of the providing fully equipped aircraft docking has a top speed of 250 km/h and a maxi- vehicles until 2040 and the first modernised facilities. Information technology services mum range of over 600 kilometres. It recovery tanks are to be delivered to the also needed to meet requirements as all can accommodate up to 37 paratroop- troops at the beginning of 2021. maintenance tasks had to be document- ers. The civilian variant is often used for ed in the Bundeswehr’s IT system which goods and passenger traffic, firefighting therefore required the Oberpfaffenhofen and rescue operations. site to implement the required SASPF software. RUAG has been a partner to Saab International Press the German Bundeswehr over many Tour 2019 Photo: Rheinmetall years and provides maintenance services (ure) Starting with high level briefings for the Bell UH-1D helicopter fleet, still in by the President and CEO of Saab AB, use for search and rescue missions. Håkan Buskhe, and the Swedish Minister of Defence, Carl Anders Peter Hultquist, Maintenance for ANSAT this year’s edition of Saab’s International Helicopters in Mexico Press Tour (20 – 24 May) concentrated (ck) In cooperation with Russian Helicop- mainly on products and projects relating ters (part of Rostec State Corporation), to military aviation. The main presenta- In addition to a complete overhaul of the the Mexican company Craft Avia Center individual ARVs, the modernisation work plans to open a technical maintenance includes: conversion to a new digital oper- centre for ANSAT civil helicopters in Gua- ating concept, the installation of modern dalajara. The centre will be equipped Photo: Saab visualisation equipment, mission packages with the appropriate technology, have with ballistic and mine protection as well as the required documentation and is cur- new battlefield recovery equipment and a rently planning the training of Mexican universal support platform. technical service technicians. The first The new battlefield recovery system has ANSAT helicopter will be delivered to the been relocated to the rear of the vehicle Craft Avia Center in 2019. Rostec is focus- which will enable the crew to hook up to sing on strengthening cooperation with a damaged vehicle and tow it from the bat- Mexico as well as building long-term tions comprised an update on the status tlefield at high speed, in a forward gear, relationships across Latin America. In of GRIPEN E and GLOBALEYE as well as without having to leave the safety of the 2014-2015, Russian Helicopters success- an insight into Saab’s share of the TX- fighting compartment. The new universal fully overhauled 19 helicopters operated Programme which will produce the next transport platform on the rear of the vehicle by the Mexican MoD and, currently, the generation of advanced training aircraft can be used flexibly and can, for example, company provides after-sales support for the USAF and possible other world- carry additional equipment for the recovery for the entire fleet of Mi-17 helicopters wide customers. Additionally, Saab pre- of other vehicles. operating in Mexico. The ANSAT light sented their proposal for operating and Similar mission configurations are being managing airfields under drone threat. used by NATO partner Canada and the This includes hardware and software to Swedish armed forces, whilst, in December operate (multiple) airfields remotely from 2018, the Bundeswehr commissioned the control centres (already in operation for modernisation of its ARV fleet in order to some Swedish airfields and looked at by ensure its suitability for current operational the military) and the Enhanced Low Slow

scenarios. Photo: Russian Helicopters and Small (ELSS) software that allows (newer generation) radars of the GIRAFFE RUAG Completes NH90 Inspection family to detect very small objects and (ck) RUAG MRO International has com- to classify them automatically. The tour pleted the first inspection of an NH90 ended with a visit to Lulea Air Base where helicopter for the German Bundeswehr multi-purpose helicopter has the larg- the Swedish Air Force ran the Arctic Chal- having given the Bundeswehr an alterna- est cabin in its class. The twin-engined lenge Exercise (ACE) 2019. ACE is a bi-an- tive support provider for NH90 mainte- helicopter is compact in size and does nual, multinational exercise capitalising nance. Volker Wallrodt, Senior Vice Presi- not need a large landing area. It can be on the large test and exercise airspace in dent at RUAG MRO International, said, used for normal passenger and VIP traf- northern Sweden and projected to reach “The Bundeswehr is our long-standing fic, cargo delivery and environmental the quality of flag level exercises in the customer and RUAG is well positioned to monitoring. ANSAT is capable of operat- near future. meet their requirements in full.” Before ing in mountainous areas at altitudes of RUAG could begin working on the NH90, up to 3,500 metres. The Mi-17-1V multi- WEW Becomes Thielmann in autumn 2018, a type rating was re- purpose helicopter is one of the Mi-17 (ck) THIELMANN WEW will be rebranded quired from the German Military Aviation modifications developed by Mil Moscow as the defence business line of THIEL- Authority. This involved meeting require- Helicopter Plant, a subsidiary of Russian MANN. The defence business line will ments such as: rules on personnel certi- Helicopters. The helicopters have gained continue to operate out of Weitefeld, fications, process instructions, technical recognition for their performance, ease Germany, where it has been based for

6/2019 · European Security & Defence 135 Firms & Faces

more than two decades and, as part of President of WB Group New CEO at UVision the THIELMANN company, the Weitefeld Receives Award (ck) UVision defence team will continue to serve its (ck) In recognition of his services to the Air Ltd, a de- customers with deployable fuel and water development of the Polish economy, the signer of le- solutions for forward deployed operations President of the WB Group, Piotr Woj- thal loitering Photo: UVision and expeditionary logistics. Over a three- ciechowski, was honoured by Prime Min- systems, has year transition period, THIELMANN has ister Mateusz Morawiecki in the Prime appointed focused on incorporating WEW’s defence Avi Mizrachi capabilities into its wider container solu- as its new tions portfolio, while bolstering the unit’s CEO. Mizra- financial position. The Weitefeld facility chi joins UVi-

has also undergone modernisation; it can Photo: WB Group sion after 35 supply containers with a storage capacity years of ser- of between five and 80,000 litres. THIEL- vice in the Is- MANN IBCs and tank containers have rael Defense approvals in place for transporting more Forces (IDF), than 1,800 hazardous liquids, toxic gases during which he held a number of sen- and dry-powder bulk. Within the defence ior positions including: the Head of the market, THIELMANN supplies modular Minister's Chancellery with the "Medal Logistics Directorate, the Chief of the water and fuel solutions for defence forc- for the 100th Anniversary of Regaining Ground Forces, and the Head of the es worldwide, including the German, US, Independence". The medal was awarded IDF Central Command. After his retire- British, Austrian, Lithuanian, Slovenian, on behalf of Prime Minister Morawiecki by ment from the IDF, Mizrachi served as Irish and Belgian armed forces, under its Jadwiga Emilewicz, Minister of Entrepre- EVP of International Marketing at Elbit THIELMANN WEW brand. neurship and Technology. Systems.

Preview ESD 9/2019 · September 2019

• Defence and Security in Poland • UK Defence Policy • Soldier Modernisation Programmes • Light Anti-Tank Weapons • Infantry Fire Support • CBRN Protection • Night Vision Technologies • Weapons for Surface Combatants • Logistic Vehicles • Combat Vehicles in Urban Warfare • European Submarine Requirements • Reconnaissance at Sea • Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges • UGVs for Combat Support • Cables and Connectors • Geoinformation • Air-to-Surface Weapons • MPA Requirements in Europe

Mittler Report Verlag GmbH Baunscheidtstr. 11 · 53113 Bonn, Germany Phone: +49 228 35008 70 · [email protected] www.mittler-report.de · www.euro-sd.com

136 European Security & Defence · 6/2019 ANYTHING.

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