International Defence Digest

NOVEMBER 2013 VOL 46

ihs.com/janes

Airpower vs irregular warfare IDRexploreshowmuchofa role aviation really plays

TDemo AVIATIONAHIP HOMESTATION INTERIM PACKAGE

Combining Longbow Apache Tactical Engagement Simulation System, Aerial Weapon Scoring System and aircraft through-site video Reliable When neededneeded iin n t thehhe h heateaat of bbattle,atttltle,e, M Meggitt’segeggigittt’ss l linklessininklklesess ammunitionammunitionon handlinghanandlinng systemssysystems ded deliverelilivever ror roundsounundsds w withiith everypup pullullll o off tth thehe tr trigger.riiggggeer. High rreliabilityeleliaiabibililityty m makesaakkeses t themhheem idealideal forffoor useususein in unmannedunmmaanned applications.appliccaatioonsns. AdaptableAdaptable LinklessLiLinnkklless ammunitionammmmununiition handling systemssystetemmss f fromror m Meggitt havehhaave been ssu successfullyccceessfully deployed ono n av a varietyaariety of ground, sea and airaaiir platformsppllaatforms in both medium andand large calibercalibber — singsinglelele shot,shhoot, or fully automatic, with ro roundsounu ds being fed at ratesrateess u upp tto 6,000 shots per minute.

Seamless live fire gunnery After Action Review

TDemo email: [email protected] CONTENTS For further in-depth coverage go to ihs.com/janes

Contents November 2013, Volume 46 Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Nick Brown Assistant Editor: Fay Brigden Features Upgrades and Unmanned Systems Editor: Huw Williams Air Desk Editor: Gareth Jennings C4ISR Reporter: Geoff Fein 38 Virtually grounded: UAS training eyes Senior Americas Reporter: Daniel Wasserbly a future in simulation Consulting Editors: Land Forces: Christopher F Foss; Naval Forces: Richard Scott; Armoured Fighting Vehicles: 42 Rising STOM: China expands R M Ogorkiewicz amphibious capabilities Chief Sub-Editor: Jonathan Maynard Deputy Chief Sub-Editors: Thomas Brown, Martin Cooper 48 Airpower challenge: applications and Sub-Editors: Jessica D’Alonzo, Karen Deans, Terry Gault, limitations in the COIN environment Susie Kornell, Dom Passantino, Clare Welton 1165388 Systems: BAE Design Head of Design: Roberto Filistad Chief Designer: Jeff Pye Departments Production 34 Director EMEA, Production Services: David Ward Production Controller: Kriss Holliday INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST Production Services: Kevan Box, Harriet Harding, 4 Brazilian Air Force conducts first night 22 Skate UAS active in Afghanistan Wayne Sudbury flights without runway lights 24 Saab Seaeye demonstrates Advertising Senior Key Accounts Manager: 5 ISAF working to improve ANSF amid underwater vehicle developments Richard West, Tel: +44 (0) 20 3252 2292 uncertain future 25 ENICS extends Eleron family Advertising Copy and Operations Executive: Wayne Bulled, Tel: +44 (0) 20 3253 2267 26 RWUAS programme explores potential General WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT of UK maritime UAS Director, News and Analysis: James Green 6 Terminator 2 makes its debut Director, EMEA Editing and Design: Sara Morgan Group Publishing Director: Sean Howe 8 Russia’s latest BTR enters production SPECIAL REPORTS Senior Vice President IHS & 9 F-35 project seeks to overcome EW 28 Exactor, the ‘missile that never was’, Managing Director IHS Jane’s: Michael Dell Administrative Assistant: Hannah Brockwell obsolescence comes in from the cold Subscriptions 10 New chip promises iPhone encryption 32 Imperial aspirations: Nexter aims Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 160 425 1491 12 Individual soldier systems step out TITUS at export market Customer Services Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia Pacific: Email: customer. 13 Research into pencil squids serves as 34 Fledgling Hawks: taking RAF pilot [email protected] Tel: +65 1344 328 300. North/Central/ basis for counter-infrared camouflage training to the next level South America: Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (703) 683 3700, (US toll-free) +1 (800) 824 0768 16 Selex launches BriteCloud decoy 36 Small arms lethality: never mind the Editorial Enquiries calibre, take aim at the training IHS Jane’s, Sentinel House, 163 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, Surrey UPGRADE UPDATE CR5 2YH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 8700 3700. Email: [email protected]

To order reprints of IHS Jane’s articles/features please contact 17 More firepower offered for BMP-2 IFV EQUIPMENT PROFILE [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 8700 3738. 18 Refreshed BVP upgrade readies for trials 54 Flexible 57 mm firepower trains on Copyright © IHS Global Limited, 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, 19 MANPADS co-ordination system littoral targets photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without prior written permission of IHS Global Limited. Any views or opinions expressed gains mobility do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of IHS Global Limited or its affiliates. Disclaimer of liability: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and 20 Raytheon tests anti-radar seeker for TECHNOLOGY REPORT accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, IHS Global Limited and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or Block IV Tomahawk 60 Training day: simulation software completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any advances come into focus statement contained in this publication. Advertising: Advertisers are solely responsible UNMANNED SYSTEMS for the content of the advertising material which they submit to us and for ensuring that the material complies with applicable laws. IHS Global Limited and its affiliates are not 21 Combat support system demonstrates PARTING SHOT responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any actions or Russia’s advanced UGV 66 T-72 in the frame for upgrades omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any views expressed, nor products or services offered, nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement. IHS Jane’s International Defense Review is published monthly except combined December/ February and July/August issues by IHS Jane’s at an annual subscriber rate of £190.00 (US$295.00 airmail). To order reprints of IHS Jane’s articles/features please contact ON THE COVER ON THE WEB [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 8700 3738. Trade Marks: IHS Jane’s International Defense Review is a trade mark of IHS Global Limited. Registered in England under company number 00788737. Registered office: Willoughby Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8FB UK. For more stories, log on to Printed in the UK by Warners Midlands plc. ISSN: 2048-3449. 48 IDR’s website at ihs.com/janes Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Jane’s International Defence Review, Air Business Ltd., c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., Online content is only available to online subscribers 156-15. 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. A US soldier crouches TDemobehind an AAF Mil Mi-8-17 US Navy software improves satellite ‘Hip’ helicopter in Afghani- stan. This month’s cover imagery analysis for maritime detection This publication was feature explores how much EDA progresses rapidly with ammo produced using ® of a force multiplier airpower FSC certified paper testing standards can really be for the counter-

ISAF: 1487860 insurgency mission. F-35 ofﬁce abandons alternative HMDS

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 3 INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST

the units were operated remotely Brazilian Air Force conducts first by the ground engineers from the Ponta Pelada Airport control tower at Manaus. The Arara Squadron night flights without runway lights pilots in the C295’s cabin could also operate the SLTA from as far JANET TAPPIN COELHO The SLTA system can out as 4 km using an embedded be operated from an approaching aircraft to remote control. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) trigger an infrared bea- The signalling system includes con that helps guide has released details of its first the pilot in landing at independent units that can be clandestine flights that involved night without runway adapted to different configura- co-ordinated take-offs and lights. tions, runway lengths, and landings in the dead of night helipads. Aside from the infrared without runway lights. option, the equipment can also The exercise, Operation operate as a beacon with six ‘Green Owl II’, consisted of light intensities. training pilots in the Arara “The system is portable and FAB/Sargento Carleilson/VII COMAR: 1484750 Squadron (1st Squadron, 9th does not require cables and a Transportation Group) at The aim was to provide air crew, Renato Fontes, with the FAB’s generator, making installation Manaus Air Base to use night- who had undergone previous Aerospace Medical Institute. very fast and safe,” said Major vision goggles (NVGs) during simulation training, with opera- As the crew guided the C295 in Ricardo Rodolpho, an officer night operations. tional experience without visual to land, the NVGs illuminated the with the 7th Regional Engi- The flight crew worked with references, navigating at low SLTA infrared signalling system neering Service. The technical ground staff from the FAB’s 7th altitudes and learning how to that had been assembled on the ground team installed the units Regional Engineering Service land on runways without lights. runway by personnel from the within the first 40 minutes of who were being trained in the The training enables the FAB to 7th Regional Engineering Service. the four-day operation. assembly, use, and dismantling of perform rescue missions or to The signalling equipment The exercise demonstrated the recently introduced Signalling launch paratroopers in a conflict comprises solar-powered LEDs that the FAB now has the Luminous Autonomous Tactical zone without revealing their that are boosted by compact ability to perform tasks during (SLTA) landing guidance system. position to the enemy. solar panels and batteries. Each a blackout and in previously The drills ran from 16-19 “Because the NVG turns the lamp, fixed to the ground of an inaccessible locations, Major September and involved five night into day, the exercise was aerodrome or heliport, emits an Juraci Muniz, with the Arara take-offs and five landings per no longer about a day or night independent light and signal, Squadron, said. “We have now night in Airbus Military C295 flight, but a flight with char- supervised and handled via an reached another stage in avia- (designated C-105 Amazonas acteristics that needed to be encrypted remote control. tion transport. We now use the by the FAB) transport aircraft. trained in,” explained Sergeant During Operation ‘Green Owl II’ night to benefit us,” he added.

Russian military authorities to ‘Vigilant Skies’ trials ATC system scramble fighter jets to escort the aircraft to safe landings,” DANIEL WASSERBLY and direct the response to a civil- control (ATC) system meant to according to the alliance. ian aircraft hijacked by terror- identify and respond to hijack- The first part saw a mock civil- Polish, Russian, and Turkish ists in the skies over NATO and ings, particularly those in which ian aircraft take off from Poland fighter aircraft jointly conducted Russian territory”, NATO said in the aircraft might be used as a and fly towards Kaliningrad, a live five-day NATO-Russia a statement. weapon against a population Russia, and air traffic control- counter-terrorism exercise in late The initiative was created in centre, according to the NATO- lers collaborated through CAI September, including participa- 2002 following the September Russia Council. ‘co-ordination centres’ in Warsaw tion from each state’s air force 2001 attacks in the United For its 2013 event, the NATO- and Moscow to identify the and ground controllers. States, and is designed to bolster Russia Council created a two-part problem and then launch Russian Exercise ‘Vigilant Skies 2013’, airspace security co-operation scenario in which a civilian and Polish fighters to jointly which ran from 23-27 Septem- between Russia and NATO. The aircraft was ‘hijacked’ by terror- intercept and escort the aircraft. ber, marked the second time that first live exercise was in 2011 istsTDemo while aloft over NATO and A second part took place over air traffic controllers from the and they now focus mainly on Russian territory. the Black Sea and saw Turkish NATO-Russia Council’s Co-oper- real-time surveillance and air “All incidents were success- and Russian air traffic control- ative Airspace Initiative (CAI) traffic co-ordination. fully resolved after NATO and lers and fighter aircraft work to were tested “in a live scenario on The CAI, which began in 2006, Russian air traffic controllers identify, intercept, and escort the their real-time capacity to detect is essentially a shared air traffic co-ordinated [NATO] and hijacked aircraft.

4 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST

ISAF working to improve ANSF amid uncertain future

DANIEL WASSERBLY A joint ANA and British Army patrol is seen here at Kalang bazaar in the Nad-e Ali The International Security Assis- district of Helmand province. ANA is now tance Force (ISAF) in Afghani- the ‘lead’ for all security operations. stan is continuing with its efforts to train and support the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) even as the future of the NATO mission there grows increasingly uncertain. In June the ANSF undertook responsibility for nationwide security as ISAF assumed a sup- 1441010 Copyright: RLC/Crown Blake Steve Sgt porting role instead. “A clear physical and cogni- tive shift has taken place as we have completed a transition that started with our forces in the lead, to our forces partnered with Afghan forces, to the current Security Force Assis- tance [SFA] construct,” ISAF Afghan governments reaching a the progress we have made to date ordinators, according to ISAF. Commander US Marine Corps formal Status of Forces Agree- is sustainable,” Gen Dunford said. US Air Force personnel are, General Joe Dunford said in a ment (SOFA) that would legally The commander lamented under this initiative, helping to recent command update. allow foreign troops to continue that the uncertain future for develop a curriculum for a new He noted that ISAF’s only operating there. NATO and ISAF operations ‘Afghan Tactical Air Coordinator’ unilateral operations are At the time of writing, has been causing “unhelpful career field within the ANA. conducted for the force’s own officials in Washington were hedging behaviour” among ISAF officials have also noted security, such as route clearance, becoming frustrated with the some potential allies. that the ANSF still lacks the but added that the Afghans were lack of progress towards a SOFA, Meanwhile, Gen Dunford said ability to effectively manage not fully capable of operating with the United States unwill- that “ISAF’s current focus is to logistics tasks and various effectively on their own. ing to meet Afghan requests for enable the ANSF to emerge from administrative functions, such as “ANSF capabilities are not a NATO-like security guarantee this fighting season confident paying and promoting personnel. yet sustainable, but they have and Afghanistan unwilling to and credible in the eyes of the For more basic combat and made significant and very real allow ISAF to continue counter- Afghan people”. support functions, the UK progress,” he said. “Much work terrorism operations. To bolster the ANSF, ISAF Ministry of Defence (MoD) remains to be done on the The US Department of State continues to execute a variety of announced in early October that systems, processes and institu- on 11 October sent Secretary programmes to prepare them to ANA troops had begun enrolling tions necessary to make our of State John Kerry to Kabul to operate on their own. in training courses at a new 215 progress enduring, and we are meet with Afghan President For example the AAF and the Regional Corps Battle School providing support at the minis- Hamid Karzai, but no agree- Afghan National Army (ANA) are (RCBS) at Camp Shorabak in terial level, as well as the corps ments were reached. The White integrating air and ground forces Helmand province. level and below. In the fielded House hoped for a deal by the to conduct combat fire support The RCBS is to be a sustainable force, the Afghan Air Force end of October 2013 so that and logistics missions, as the training facility for the ANA’s [AAF], logistics and intelligence plans could be made for shifting Afghans currently rely upon 215 Corps that can “provide are particular focus areas for to Operation ‘Resolute Support’ ISAF for air support. Afghan recruits who have com- improvement.” or for withdrawing all forces. In late September ANA officers pleted their basic training with However, ISAF might not have “It is anticipated that a Loya conducted an air-to-ground more advanced skills, such as much time to support or teach Jirga will be convened in late integration exercise in eastern firing mortars”, the MoD said. the ANSF, as political issues are 2013 to gain public assent to the AfghanistanTDemo that saw Afghan Aside from offering seven endangering the NATO force’s US BSA [Bilateral Security Agree- soldiers work with two Afghan infantry courses, it also provides future role in Afghanistan. ment] and NATO SOFA. These Mi-35 helicopters during live- 10 ‘combat service support’ The presence of NATO and ISAF agreements are critical precondi- fire drills. This served as part courses for functions such as in Afghanistan beyond 2014 is tions for the ‘Resolute Support’ of a proof-of-concept initiative providing food, transportation largely dependent on the US and mission, which will ensure that meant to certify Afghan air co- and maintenance. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 5 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

is provided with a video and Terminator 2 makes its debut IR channels. Both the hull and turret are CHRISTOPHER F FOSS made of steel armour with further protection in the form Uralvagonzavod unveiled its of integrated explosive reactive latest armoured fighting vehicle armour (ERA) to the front of the at the Russian Arms Expo 2013 turret, a detachable ERA module in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. on the glacis plate and applique Dubbed a Fire Support Combat 1448673 Foss: F Christopher ERA on the sides of the hull and Vehicle, the BMPT-72 ‘Termina- turret. Over the rear arc, bar/slat tor 2’ is built on a base T-72 main armour is fitted to increase pro- battle tank (MBT) hull – includ- tection against rocket-propelled ing drivetrain, running gear and grenades. It is equipped with so on – and has been designed The BMPT-72 ‘Terminator 2’ has a T-72 MBT at its core. a screening system to counter to operate alongside MBTs or laser target-designators and laser independently. between the two vehicles is the ing – out to a maximum range rangefinders. This system warns A key selling point of the number of crew required, which of 6,000 m. The vehicle also the crew of targeting lasers and vehicle, a Uralvagonzavod spokes- has been reduced from five to features a coaxially mounted 7.62 automatically deploys an aerosol person told a select audience at three due to the removal of the mm PKTM machine gun and is via grenades that are fired from the exhibition, is that existing two, bow-mounted 30 mm auto- provided with 2,100 rounds of 12 launchers. operators of the T-72 will be able matic grenade launchers. ready-to-use ammunition. While the BMPT-72 would to convert surplus vehicles into The Terminator 2’s main arma- A new computerised fire- feature the T-72 engine as stan- the BMPT-72 configuration; ment is externally mounted, control system (FCS) has been dard, it can also be fitted with offering utility and increasing separating it from the crew installed to enable stationary and more powerful diesels in the service life. compartment, although it still moving targets to be engaged day form of the B-84MC and B-92C2 This latest variant builds on rotates synchronously. and night, and under a range of units, which develop 840 hp the earlier BMPT Tank Support It comprises two stabilised weather conditions, while the and 1,000 hp respectively. An Combat Vehicle, which began 2A42 30 mm cannons – with a vehicle itself is on the move. The auxiliary power unit is fitted deliveries to Kazakhstan, in 2011. maximum range of 4,000 m and FCS features target detection that enables all of the vehicle’s While the initial variant was 850 rounds of ammunition – and and location capabilities, stabi- systems to be operated without partly funded by the Russian mili- two protected pods of Kolomna lised weapons laying, and laser the engines running; two options tary and built on new hulls, the KBM 9M120 anti-tank laser- rangefinders for the commander are available: 5 kW and 8 kW. latest vehicle was developed with guided missiles. Two types of and gunner. The maximum road speed is internal company funding over a warhead can be utilised – tandem The gunner’s sight features stated as 60 km/h; when fitted period of less than one year. high-explosive anti-tank and electro-optical and infrared (IR) with external fuel tanks the A significant difference high-explosive concrete pierc- channels, while the commander vehicle has a range of 500 km.

units, also has potential for use New airborne assault vehicle rolled out with the Russian Navy Amphibi- ous Forces. CHRISTOPHER F FOSS the vehicle adopted for other As was the case with the Armament consists of bow- specialised missions, including BTR-MD, the new vehicle is and roof-mounted 7.62 mm The latest member of Russia’s command post, ambulance, and fully amphibious and, in addi- machine guns and two banks of BMD family of airborne assault logistics variants. tion to being used by airborne twin 81 mm grenade launchers vehicles was shown for the first that fire over the frontal arc. To time at RAE 2013 in Nizhny The BTR-MDM was shown for the first time at RAE 2013. reduce life-cycle costs the vehicle Tagil in late September. uses many components common The new vehicle is designated to the BMP-3M, including the BTR-MDM and is a further power plant, electrical system, development of the BTR-MD, and information management which features a raised super- TDemo and monitoring systems. structure at the front of the hull 1448672 Fpss: F Christopher Production of the BMD series to provide a significant increase was originally undertaken at the in internal volume. This enables Volgograd Tractor Plant but has it to be used as an armoured per- since been transferred to the sonnel carrier and has also seen Kurgan facility.

6 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Intelligence has changed. Have you?

Open-source information was critical [in Libya]. We took advantage of any information to make our product as accurate as possible. “– NATO ISTAR Analyst, IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly ”

The value of open-source intelligence is indisputable – but in an expanding and increasingly complex information universe, are you fully exploiting this critical resource?

IHS OSINT Training delivers tested methods and techniques that enable defence, security and business professionals to gather, process and report open-source intelligence securely and effectively, giving them the tools to deliver meaningful, actionable intelligence – on time, every time.

Join IHS experts at our next scheduled course to learn how you can increase the value of your OSINT: OSINT Methods & The Middle East 10-12 December 2013 London, UK

Visit www.ihs.com/osint to register to attend, or contact us to ﬁnd out more about bespoke OSINT training for you or your organisation. TDemo

3715_1013AA WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

Russia’s latest BTR enters production

CHRISTOPHER F FOSS than the BTR-80, depending on variant) and a road range of up Russia’s Military Industrial to 600 km. Company (MIC) has begun The transmission and suspen- building a new generation of 8x8 sion have also been upgraded BTR-82A amphibious armoured to support a growth in gross personnel carrier (APC) for the vehicle weight (GVW) from the Russian Army. BTR-80A’s 14.55 tonnes to MIC is Russia’s major wheeled 15.4 tonnes.

armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) An electrically operated 1452692 MIC: manufacturer, having made ‘commonised fighting module’ BTR-60, -70, and -80 variants. is mounted on the roof of the According to the company, vehicle, armed with a two-axis The main difference between the BTR-82A (left) and the BTR-82 (right) is that speaking at the RAE exhibition stabilised 30 mm 2A72 dual-feed the former has a more powerful weapon station. in Nizhny Tagil, it can manufac- cannon and a 7.62 mm PKTM ture between 200 and 300 of the machine gun (MG), all aimed and ballistic protection is the built the first Bumerang proto- new BTR-82A vehicles a year on through TKN-4GA-02 sights. same as the BTR-80A, but crew types, but they are not expected a single shift basis. A bank of three forward-facing survivability has been increased to be seen in public for some time. Although similar in appear- 81 mm grenade launchers is sited with the installation of spall The Bumerang design ance to the earlier BTR-80A, on each side of the weapons. liners, blast-attenuating seating is expected to break with the BTR-82A has a number of sig- The module’s design represents and an improved fire detection tradition,looking to a design nificant improvements, although an improvement, as the weapons and suppression system. The crew more in keeping with modern perhaps not a major step change are mounted externally so ammu- are also protected by a nuclear, ‘Western’ lines, by moving the in capability despite MIC’s claims nition fumes do not enter the biological, and chemical filtration engine from the rear to the that the BTR-82A has double crew compartment. Their loca- system and air conditioning. front, unlike all of the BTR-60, the combat effectiveness of the tion also enables a high degree Beyond this latest BTR-82A -70, and -80 series types. This earlier vehicles. of movement, with elevation iteration, the Russian Army is frees up room in the rear for the Enhancements include the ranging from -7 to +70°. planning a longer term replace- troop compartment and adds replacement of the original Although the army has adopted ment for the BTR-80 FOV with more bulk at the front, which Kamaz 260 hp diesel engine the BTR-82A, it has not gone for the Bumerang (Boomerang) is more likely to point towards with a 300 hp turbodiesel from the more lightly armed BTR-82, vehicle, which is one of five key objectives to be assaulted. It the same company, which gives which is fitted with a 14.5 mm new AFV expected to be fielded also makes it easier to adapt the a maximum road speed of up to KPVT heavy MG and PKTM. by the Russian Army from 2015. vehicles for a more specialised 100 km/h (10-20 km/h faster The BTR-82A’s overall layout MIC is believed to have already missions, such as ambulance, command post or specialised The latest Russian BTR-82A weapon platforms. amphibious armoured personnel carrier has a turret armed with a Like the BTR-80 family, 30 mm 2A72 cannon and 7.62 mm Bumerang will be fully amphibi- PKTM machine gun. ous. One version will be armed with the same weapons as the tracked Kurganets, which is the replacement for the currently fielded BMP-3 IFV. MIC is the prime contractor for the Bumerang as an umbrella organisation drawing in management of the Arzamas Machinery Plant JSC, Vehicle Hull Plant JSC, and the Military Engineer- TDemo ing Centre. MIC also developed the larger BTR-90 8x8 and built a small batch for the home market, but all marketing of this vehicle has

Christopher F Foss: 1518352 now ceased.

8 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

F-35 project seeks to overcome EW obsolescence

ANIKA TORRUELLA (joint venture between Elbit missile countermeasures. Bar- issues. The overall system will Systems and Rockwell Collins) racuda also includes Northrop maintain the planned Block 3 The United States has embarked Helmet-Mounted Display System Grumman’s Communications, baseline software and capabili- on a technology refresh for the (HMDS), and BAE Systems’ Navigation, and Intelligence ties. This effort will be confined electronic warfare (EW) module digital AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) (CNI) suite datalinks and may to the EW racks and will not of the F-35 Lightning II Joint system derived from the F-22 have some passive jamming affect the countermeasures Strike Fighter to overcome obso- Raptor’s AN/ALR-94 EW suite. capability through the APG-81 subsystem or antennas.” lescence issues before the system Sensor fusion and avionic com- AESA antenna. The refresh is planned to be has even made it into service. ponent integration is enabled by The Barracuda EW system is applied to all F-35 variants and The US Naval Air Systems multiple commercial, off-the- comprised of five sets of sensors will be rolled out to international Command has placed a USD149 shelf (COTS) Freescale Power PC distributed on wing-leading partners. Work on the refresh million contract to Lockheed processors, Green Hills Soft- edges (6), trailing edges (2), and is expected to be completed by Martin, as a modification to a ware’s Integrity DO-178B real- the horizontal stabiliser’s trailing March 2018. previous advanced acquisition time operating system (RTOS), edges (2), enabling aft Band 2, The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter deal and covers the “redesign and Xilinx field-programmable 3, and 4 coverage. The digital Joint Program was recently criti- and qualification of replacement gate arrays (FPGAs), which nature of Barracuda enables cised in a 126-page US Depart- F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike support missile and aircraft precise geo-location and target- ment of Defense Inspector Fighter Electronic Warfare detection, identification, orien- ing of potential hostiles without General report citing 363 find- system components due to tation, target-tracking, engage- requiring triangulation using ings that contained 719 quality current diminishing manufactur- ment, and evasion capabilities as other networked aircraft. assurance issues. ing sources”. well as real-time data-sharing. “This change is a technology The report also criticised Principal components of the “The technology refresh is refresh beginning with aircraft subcontractors Northrop fifth-generation multi-mission aimed primarily at the [Barra- in Low Rate Initial Production Grumman, BAE Systems, L-3 F-35’s integrated avionics suite cuda] EW system,” a Lockheed (LRIP) Lot 7 that is necessitated Display Systems, Honeywell are the Northrop Grumman Martin spokesperson told IHS by diminishing manufactur- Aerospace, and United Technolo- AN/APG-81 Active Electroni- Jane’s. Barracuda is essentially ing sources,” said the Lockheed gies Corporation, as well as the cally Scanned Array (AESA) a radar warning receiver that Martin spokesperson. F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), radar, Northrop Grumman’s AN/ enables passive targeting of The spokesperson added: for not ensuring that Lockheed AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture other aircraft, high-sensitivity “Hardware modules within the Martin and its subcontractors System (DAS), the Lockheed electronic surveillance, radio EW system are being updated were applying sufficient “rigor Martin AAQ-40 Electro-Optical frequency sensor fusion, infrared with new components to in design, manufacturing, and Targeting System (EOTS), a VSI tracking, and multi-spectral address these obsolescence quality assurance processes”. MBDA offers PARS 3 as HOT successor

RUPERT PENGELLEY missiles broadly analogous to allowing air and ground launch, fire (fire support) role, lock-on the longer-range MHT version with flexible operating modes after launch (LOAL) with third- A range of evolutionary develop- of the multinational Multi-Role and changeable warheads party SAL designation would be ments of the 7 km-range PARS Combat Missile project. enabling the engagement of a used. MBDA has also embarked 3 LR (LR TRIGAT) air-ground MHT, which MBDA Germany wide range of targets. on development of a datalink as missile system, now in produc- has been studying in conjunction Its guidance system would a means of passing mid-course tion for the Bundeswehr’s Tiger with its French and British coun- allow it to be used against static updates in the LOAL mode. The attack helicopter fleet, has terparts for the past several years and moving targets, in line-of- projected Future HOT launch been proposed to the German and is unfunded, would remain sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) platforms range from utility Ministry of Defence by MBDA the group’s preferred offering in engagements. vehicles to 8x8 tank destroyers, Germany as a potential succes- international markets. When operated as a direct- attack helicopters, and medium sor to the Bundeswehr’s current The company claims Future fire weapon, Future HOT would unmanned aerial vehicles. HOT missile inventory. The latter HOT could be developed in a TDemovariously employ fire-and-forget An MBDA representative has is due to be withdrawn from shortened timescale and would GPS guidance; semi-automatic told IHS Jane’s the first firing service in 2017-18. be cost-effective, exploiting command-to-line-of-sight man- demonstration of an evolved Dubbed ‘Future HOT’, MBDA existing components and using in-the-loop guidance; or lock-on PARS 3 missile conforming to the is suggesting development on modular airframe configurations. before launch semi-active laser Future HOT concept is expected a national basis of a family of It would be platform-agnostic, (SAL) guidance. In the indirect- to take place in 2014.

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 9 qTHCZ C Ue.TBC`

C¼ŷ äêĤ ĤļĒăêń¼ń êTäĒĉ¼ ¼ĉļźĤŒêĒĉ

C.: `HVVe<< ćȴ˞ɯ ōɯɕ̊ćȍɕ˞ ćɕ ćɕōȍȴȴćˏν ʈŦ̧ϜϜ Ȯȍ̊ ōćȴȴƌŮ Åˏ̬˞̊¸)wŦ ćɕŮ ̊ȁƌ ̊ȁƌ ōˏνʘ̊ɯ άɯ̬ȴŮ ĵƌ ȍɕ ̬˞ƌʫ ̬̊ ɇȁ ĵć̊̊ƌˏν ʘćōȮ ̊ȁć̊ ʘˏɯΨȍŮƌ˞ άȁɯȴƌ ƌɕΨȍˏɯɕɇƌɕ̊ ōćɕ ĵƌ ć˞ ˞ɯɯɕ ć˞ άƌ ȁćɕǧ ̬ʘ ǀˏɯɇ ɯɕƌ Ï¸Ȍĵć˞ƌŮ wɯɯȴ¸ʘćɕ ȁć˞ ŮƌΨƌȴɯʘƌŮ ĵƌ̊άƌƌɕ ʈ̧ ̊ɯ ʈ̚ʫǕ ȁɯ̬ˏ˞ ʟΨɯȍōƌ ˏƌɇɯ̊ƌȴν ɇćɕćǧƌŮ ĵν wɯɯȴ˞ʘćɕˊ˞ ćɕɯ̊ȁƌˏŦ ɯ̬ˏ ōȁȍʘŦ ĵƌōć̬˞ƌ ɯǀ ̊ȁƌ άȁć̊ ȍ̊ ōȴćȍɇ˞ ć˞ ̊ȁƌ Ǐˏ˞̊ ȁćˏŮȌ ćɕŮ Ůć̊ćʤʫ Åˏ̬˞̊¸ȴƌƌΨƌ ȍ˞ ō̬ˏˏƌɕ̊ȴν Åˏ̬˞̊ƌɕ̊ƌˏ ōɯɕ˞ɯȴƌŦ άȁȍōȁ ōćɕ ʘˏɯōƌ˞˞ƌˏŦ ̬̊ˏɕ˞ ɯǅ ̊ȁƌ ōˏνʘ̊ɯ άćˏƌȌĵć˞ƌŮ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ ōɯɇʘć̊ȍĵȴƌ άȍ̊ȁ ȍ¬ȁɯɕƌ ǡ ćɕŮ ǡ¸ ćȴ˞ɯ ˏƌɇɯ̊ƌȴν άȍʘƌ Åˏ̬˞̊ȁȍʘ˞ʫ ćɕŮ ˞ćΨƌ˞ ĵć̊̊ƌˏν ʘɯάƌˏʫˆ ǀɯˏ ʘʘȴƌˊ˞ ȍ¬ȁɯɕƌŦ ɯʘƌɕȍɕǧ ̊ȁƌ ŮƌΨȍōƌ˞Ŧ άȍ̊ȁ ćɕ ȍ¬ȁɯɕƌ Ǖ Ψƌˏ˞ȍɯɕ J̬ȴȴν ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ƌŮ ōćȴȴ˞ ɇ̬˞̊ ¸ȍɕōƌ ̊ȁƌ Ȯƌν ˞ƌˏΨƌˏ ćɕŮ Ůƌ̊ƌˏȌ Ůɯɯˏ ̊ɯ ȍɕōˏƌć˞ƌŮ ćŮɯʘ̊ȍɯɕ ɯǀ ̊ȁƌ ƌιʘƌō̊ƌŮ ȍɕ ̧Ϝʈ̚ʫ ĵƌ ȍɕȍ̊ȍć̊ƌŮ ĵƌ̊άƌƌɕ ʘȁɯɕƌ˞ ɇȍɕȍ˞̊ȍō ˏćɕŮɯɇ ĵȍ̊ ǧƌɕƌˏć̊ɯˏ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ ǀɯˏ ɇȍȴȍ̊ćˏν ̬˞ƌˏ˞ʫ VćˏŮάćˏƌ ćɕōȁɯˏćǧƌ ƌɕćĵȴƌ˞ ƌɕćĵȴƌŮ άȍ̊ȁ ̊ȁƌ Åˏ̬˞̊ȁȍʘʫ ˏƌ˞ȍŮƌ˞ ɯɕ ̊ȁƌ ōȁȍʘˊ˞ ȁćˏŮάćˏƌ Åȁƌ ɕƌά ōȁȍʘ ȍ˞ ć ˞ƌȴǀȌōɯɕ̊ćȍɕƌŮŦ ̊ȁƌ ōȁȍʘ ̊ɯ ĵƌ ȍɕ˞̬ȴć̊ƌŮ ǀˏɯɇ ćȴȴ˞ ćˏƌ ʘȴćōƌŮ ̊ȁˏɯ̬ǧȁ wɯɯȴȌ ˏć̊ȁƌˏ ̊ȁćɕ ȍɕ ˞ɯǀ̊άćˏƌŦ ȍ̊ ćȴ˞ɯ ȁćˏŮάćˏƌȌćɕōȁɯˏƌŮŦ ˞ƌō̬ˏƌŦ ɇȍȴȍȌ ̊ȁˏƌć̊˞ ̊ȁć̊ ˏƌ˞ȍŮƌ ȍɕ ɯʘƌɕ ¸ʘćɕˊ˞ Åˏ̬˞̊ćȴȴ ćʘʘȴȍōć̊ȍɯɕ ćɕŮ ƌɕ˞̬ˏƌ˞ ̊ȁć̊ Ůć̊ć ̊ˏćɕ˞ćō̊ȍɯɕ˞Ŧ ̊ćˏνȌǧˏćŮƌŦ J\¬¸ ʈǡϜȌ̧Ȍōɯɇʘȴȍćɕ̊ ʘȴć̊ǀɯˏɇ˞ ćɕŮ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮ˞Ŧ ɯˏ ć̬̊ȁƌɕ̊ȍōć̊ƌŮ ĵν wɯɯȴ˞ʘćɕˊ˞ ˞̬ōȁ ć˞ Ψɯȍōƌ ōćȴȴŦ Ůć̊ć ̊ˏćɕ˞ɇȍ˞Ȍ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ōȁȍʘ ōćʘćĵȴƌ ɯǀ ʘˏɯΨȍŮȌ ć̊̊ćōȮ˞ ɇɯ̬ɕ̊ƌŮ ɯɕ̊ɯ ȍ̊˞ ȁɯ˞̊ Åˏ̬˞̊°ƌȴćν ˞ƌˏΨƌˏ ɯˏ ̊ȁƌ ō̬˞̊ɯȌ ˞ȍɯɕŦ ɯˏ ¸¸ ćōˏɯ˞˞ L¸ ćɕŮ ɯŮƌ ȍɕǧ ̧Ǖ˿Ȍĵȍ̊ ŮΨćɕōƌŮ 0ɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ŮƌΨȍōƌʫ Åȁƌ ōȁȍʘ ȍ˞ ćȴ˞ɯ ƌɕćĵȴƌŮ ɇƌˏˊ˞ ɯάɕ ɯɕ˞ȍ̊ƌŦ ɇćɕćǧƌŮŦ ɯˏ )ȍΨȍ˞ȍɯɕ ̬ȴ̊ȍʘȴƌ ōōƌ˞˞ ʟ)ʤ ¸̊ćɕŮćˏŮ ʟ0¸ʤ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ǀɯˏ ̊ɯ ƌɕǧćǧƌ ˞ƌō̬ˏȍ̊ν ˞ƌˏΨȍōƌ˞ ɯɕ ōȴɯ̬ŮȌĵć˞ƌŮ ǏˏƌάćȴȴȌʘˏɯ̊ƌō̊ƌŮ ōƌȴȴ̬ȴćˏ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮ˞ ȍ˞ ƌɕōɯŮƌŮ ǀˏɯɇ Ψɯȍōƌ ćɕŮ Ůć̊ćʫ ȍɕ˞̊ćȴȴƌŮ ćʘʘȴȍōć̊ȍɯɕ˞ ćɕŮ ɯʘƌˏć̊Ȍ ˞ƌˏΨƌˏʫ Åȁƌ Ůć̊ć ʘć˞˞ƌ˞ ̊ȁˏɯ̬ǧȁ ˞̊ˏɯɕǧ ʘƌˏȌʘćōȮƌ̊ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ Åȁƌ ̧̚Ȍĵȍ̊ ōˏνʘ̊ɯ ° ōɯȌ ȍɕǧ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ˞Ŧ ć˞ άƌȴȴ ć˞ ōɯɕɕƌō̊ƌŮ ć ĵȍȌŮȍˏƌō̊ȍɯɕćȴŦ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ƌŮ \¬ ćȴǧɯˏȍ̊ȁɇ˞ ȍɕ ̊ȁƌ ȁćˏŮάćˏƌʫ ʘˏɯōƌ˞˞ɯˏ ˈÅˏ̬˞̊ȁȍʘˊ ȍ˞ Ůƌ˞ȍǧɕƌŮ ŮƌΨȍōƌ˞ ˞̬ōȁ ć˞ ˞ɇćˏ̊ʘȁɯɕƌ˞Ŧ ̬̊ɕɕƌȴ ˏć̊ȁƌˏ ̊ȁćɕ ˏƌ˞ɯˏ̊ȍɕǧ ̊ɯ 0ɕōˏνʘ̊ƌŮ ˞ƌ˞˞ȍɯɕ˞ ćˏƌ ̊ȁƌˏƌȌ ćˏɯ̬ɕŮ ćɕ ȍɕŮ̬˞̊ˏν ˞̊ćɕŮćˏŮ ɯǆōƌ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮ ʘȁɯɕƌ˞Ŧ ̊ćĵȴƌ̊˞Ŧ ̊ȁƌ ˞ƌˏΨƌˏʫ ǀɯˏƌ ƌ˞̊ćĵȴȍ˞ȁƌŮ άȍ̊ȁɯ̬̊ ƌιʘɯ˞ȍɕǧ ʘȴ̬ǧȌȍɕ ɇȍōˏɯ¸) ōȁȍʘ άȍ̊ȁ ̬ʘ ̊ɯ ̧ ȴćʘ̊ɯʘ˞Ŧ ¬˞ ćɕŮ ˞ƌˏΨƌˏ˞ʫ Åȁƌ ɯɕĵɯćˏŮ ʘˏɯōƌ˞˞ɯˏ ƌɕćĵȴƌ˞ ć Ȯƌν ƌιōȁćɕǧƌ ćɕŮ ćˏƌ ˞̬ʘʘɯˏ̊ƌŮ L ɯǀ ɇƌɇɯˏνʫ Åȁƌ ōȁȍʘ Ǐ̊˞ ȍɕ̊ɯ Lˏƌǧǧ ¸ɇȍ̊ȁŦ 0 ɯǀ wɯɯȴȌ ̊ȁƌ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ̊ɯ ĵƌ ̬̊ˏɕƌŮ ɯɕ ɯˏ ̊ȁˏɯ̬ǧȁ J\¬¸Ȍʈɦ˵ ΨćȴȍŮć̊ƌŮ ćɕ ȍćȍ˞˞ƌǡñ ʘˏɯ̊ƌō̊ȍΨƌ ćŮćʘ̊ƌˏ ¸ʘćɕŦ ̊ɯȴŮ \V¸ sćɕƌˊ˞ʫ Ůɇȍɕȍ˞̊ˏćȌ ɯǅ ć˞ ćɕ ćʘʘȴȍōć̊ȍɯɕ ȍ˞ ȍɕ ̬˞ƌʫ ˄¸ɯ 0¸ȌL ɯˏ Lćȴɯȍ˞ ɯ̬ɕ̊ƌˏ ˞ȴƌƌΨƌ Ȯɕɯάɕ ć˞ ˈÅˏ̬˞̊¸ȴƌƌΨƌˊ ̊ɯˏ˞ ōćɕ ŮƌΨƌȴɯʘ ō̬˞̊ɯɇŦ ˞ƌō̬ˏƌ ȍǀ νɯ̬ ćˏƌ ̊ćȴȮȍɕǧ ɯɕ ć ˞ƌō̬ˏƌ ōćȴȴŦ ɯŮƌ ƌɕōˏνʘ̊ȍɯɕ ɯˏ ć J\¬¸ ʈƦϜȌ̚ ĵ̬ȍȴ̊ ĵν )ƌΨȍōƌJȍŮƌȴȍ̊νŦ άȁȍōȁ ćʘʘ˞ Ψȍć ć ˞ɯǀ̊άćˏƌ ŮƌΨƌȴɯʘɇƌɕ̊ ɯˏ άƌˊˏƌ ̊ƌι̊ȍɕǧ ɯˏ ˞ȁćˏȍɕǧ Ǐȴƌ˞ ʫʫʫ ΨćȴȍŮć̊ƌŮ ¸V̧Ǖ˿ ˞ƌō̬ˏƌ ȁć˞ȁʫ

;OL TVZ[ HK]HUJLK QL[ PU ZLY]PJL ,\YVÄNO[LY ;`WOVVU ¶ )\PS[ [V TLL[ `V\Y JOHSSLUNLZ

0556=(;065 >/,9, 0; 4(;;,9:

TDemo qTHCZ C Ue.TBC`

ȍɕǀˏć˞̊ˏ̬ō̬̊ˏƌ ˞ƌō̬ˏȍ̊ν ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ˞ʫ <éŗ ùĒĒ÷ń ŒĒ ¼ĉä|ĉ¼ ăĒêù¼© Œ|Œê|ù ȴ˞ɯ ˞ȁɯάɕ ć̊ )¸0\ άć˞ ̊ȁƌ ȴć̊ƌ˞̊ Ψƌˏ˞ȍɯɕ ɯǀ {Ȍ̚ {ȍɕȮćĵȍ̊ˊ˞ ̃ ¼ù¼ŒļĒĉê ŷ|ļÏ|ļ¼ Ĥ|÷|Ö¼ń ¬°)Ȍʈ̚ ɇćɕȌʘćōȮ 0¸ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇʫ Åȁƌ ̃¬°)Ȍʈ̚ʟåʤ̚ ʘˏɯΨȍŮƌ˞ &.<Z e`` ȍɕ ˞ƌˏΨȍōƌ άȍ̊ȁ ć ɕ̬ɇĵƌˏ ɯǀ Åȁƌ ˏƌ˞̬ȴ̊ȍɕǧ ɯʘƌˏć̊ȍɯɕćȴ ćɕ ɯɕȌ̊ȁƌȌɇɯΨƌ ʟÅʤ ōćʘćĵȍȴȌ ̬ɕ˞ʘƌōȍǏƌŮ ō̬˞̊ɯɇƌˏ˞Ŧ ʘȴ̬˞ ̊ȁƌ ʘȍō̬̊ˏƌ ōćɕ ĵƌ ̬˞ƌŮ ̊ɯ ˞̬ʘʘɯˏ̊ ȍ̊ν ćɕŮ ȍɇʘˏɯΨƌɇƌɕ̊˞ ɯΨƌˏ ȍ̊˞ {Ȍ̚ Å°{ ćɕŮ {Ȍ̚ {ȍɕȮćĵȍ̊ ĵɯ̊ȁ ¸ɇćˏ̊˞ōćɕ °{\Ŧ άȁȍōȁ ȍ˞ ć ɇȍ˞˞ȍɯɕ ʘȴćɕɕȍɕǧŦ ǀ̬ˏ̊ȁƌˏ \¸Å° ʘˏƌŮƌōƌ˞˞ɯˏ˞Ŧ ȍɕōȴ̬Ůȍɕǧ ˞ɯǀ̊άćˏƌȌ ˞ȁɯάōć˞ƌŮ ɕƌά ̊ćō̊ȍōćȴ ƌȴƌō̊ˏɯɕȍō ȴȍǧȁ̊άƌȍǧȁ̊ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ ǀɯˏ ʘć˞˞ȍΨƌ ̊ć˞ȮȍɕǧŦ ɯˏ ̊ȁƌ Ůƌʘȴɯνɇƌɕ̊ ɯǀ ŮƌǏɕƌŮ ʘˏɯōƌ˞˞ȍɕǧŦ ˏƌŮ̬ō̊ȍɯɕ˞ ȍɕ άćˏǀćˏƌ ʟ0çʤ ōćʘćĵȍȴȍ̊ȍƌ˞ ć̊ ̊ȁƌ ɇɯɕȍ̊ɯˏȍɕǧ ɯǀ ōɯɇɇƌˏōȍćȴ ˞ć̊ƌȴȌ Ůȍǅƌˏƌɕ̊ ƌǅƌō̊˞Ŧ ʘćˏ̊ȍō̬ȴćˏȴν άƌȍǧȁ̊ ćɕŮ ʘɯάƌˏŦ ćɕŮ ćɕ \¬Ȍĵć˞ƌŮ ̧Ϝʈ̚ )¸0\ ƌιȁȍĵȍ̊ȍɯɕ ȍɕ {ɯɕŮɯɕʫ ȴȍ̊ƌ ōɯɇɇ̬ɕȍōć̊ȍɯɕ˞ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ˞Ŧ ̊ȁƌ ̊ć˞Ȯȍɕǧ ćɕŮ ƌɇʘȴɯνɇƌɕ̊ ɯǀ ćˏōȁȍ̊ƌō̬̊ˏƌ ̊ȁć̊ ƌɕćĵȴƌ˞ ˏƌɇɯ̊ƌ ÅƌάȮƌ˞ĵ̬ˏνȌĵć˞ƌŮ {Ȍ̚ Å°{ ȍɕōȴ̬Ůȍɕǧ Åȁ̬ˏćνć ćɕŮ \ɕɇćˏ˞ć̊ʫ ̊ćō̊ȍōćȴ ƌȴƌō̊ˏɯɕȍō ć̊̊ćōȮ ̬˞ȍɕǧ ɯʘƌˏć̊ȍɯɕ˞ ć˞ άƌȴȴ ć˞ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮȍɕǧ ȁć˞ ŮƌΨƌȴɯʘƌŮ ¸ɇćˏ̊˞ōćɕ \ɕ̊ƌȌ ¸ɇćˏ̊˞ōćɕ \0ç άȍȴȴ ȍɕ̊ƌǧˏć̊ƌ {̚ȌÅ°{ˊ˞ °)¸V\0{) 0ʫ ɯǀ ɇ̬ȴ̊ȍʘȴƌ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ˞ʫ Åȁƌ )J ćȴǧɯȌ ǧˏć̊ƌŮ 0ç ʟ\0çʤŦ ć ˞ɯȴ̬̊ȍɯɕ ̊ȁć̊ Ůć̊ć ǀˏɯɇ ̊ȁƌ˞ƌ ˞ɯ̬ˏōƌ˞ άȍ̊ȁ ̊ȁȍˏŮ Åȁƌ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ ōćɕ ĵƌ ȁɯ˞̊ƌŮ ɯɕ ć ˏȍ̊ȁɇ˞ ȁćΨƌ ćȴ˞ɯ ĵƌƌɕ ȍɇʘˏɯΨƌŮ ̊ɯ ȍɕ̊ƌǧˏć̊ƌ˞ ȍ̊˞ Ψćˏȍɯ̬˞ ̊ćō̊ȍōćȴ 0ç ʘćˏ̊ν ˞ƌɕ˞ɯˏ ȍɕǀɯˏɇć̊ȍɯɕ ȍɕ̊ɯ ć ˞ȍɕǧȴƌ ˏ̬ǧǧƌŮȍ˞ƌŮ ȴćʘ̊ɯʘŦ ćɕŮ ȍ˞ ƌɕȁćɕōƌ )J ćōō̬ˏćōνʫ ɯǅƌˏȍɕǧ˞ ̊ɯ ˄ƌɕćĵȴƌ ć ̊ćō̊ȍōćȴ ˞ȍɕǧȴƌ ɯʘƌˏć̊ɯˏȌŮƌǏɕƌŮ ǧˏćʘȁȍōćȴ ɇɯŮ̬ȴćˏ ćɕŮ ˞ōćȴćĵȴƌ άȍ̊ȁ ćɕ Åȁƌ Å ōćʘćĵȍȴȍ̊ν ȁć˞ ĵƌƌɕ ōɯɇɇćɕŮƌˏ ̊ɯ ɇćȮƌ ĵƌ˞̊ ̬˞ƌ ɯǀ ̬˞ƌˏ ȍɕ̊ƌˏǀćōƌ ̬˞ȍɕǧ ōɯɇɇƌˏōȍćȴ ɯʘƌɕ ćˏōȁȍ̊ƌō̬̊ˏƌʫ \̊ ȍ˞ ˞ʘƌōȍǏōćȴȴν ćōȁȍƌΨƌŮ άȍ̊ȁ ć ō̬˞̊ɯɇȍ˞ƌŮ ȁȍ˞ ̊ćō̊ȍōćȴ 0ç ć˞˞ƌ̊˞ˆŦ ćōōɯˏŮȍɕǧ ɯǅȌ̊ȁƌȌ˞ȁƌȴǀ ̊ƌōȁɕɯȴɯǧνʫ Ůƌ˞ȍǧɕƌŮ ̊ɯ ƌɕćĵȴƌ ̊ȁƌ ȍɕ̊ƌǧˏć̊ȍɯɕ ćɕ̊ƌɕɕć ɇɯ̬ɕ̊ ćɕŮ ćɕ ɕŮˏɯȍŮȌ ̊ɯ °ȍōȁćˏŮ Jȴȍ̊̊ɯɕŦ Ψȍōƌ ʘˏƌ˞ȍŮƌɕ̊ \̊ ćȴ˞ɯ ȁɯ˞̊˞ ćɕ 0ç Ůć̊ćĵć˞ƌ ɯǀ ȴƌǧćōν ˞ƌɕ˞ɯˏ˞ ćɕŮ ć ʘɯ˞˞ȍĵȴƌ ĵć˞ƌŮ ȁćɕŮȁƌȴŮ ōɯɕ̊ˏɯȴȴƌˏŦ άȁȍōȁ ɯǀ {Ȍ̚ Å°{ˊ˞ 0ç ŮȍΨȍ˞ȍɯɕʫ άȁȍōȁ ōćɕ ĵƌ ʘɯʘ̬ȴć̊ƌŮ ĵν ̊ȁƌ ǀ̬̬̊ˏƌ ŮƌΨƌȴɯʘɇƌɕ̊ ʘć̊ȁ ȍɕōȴ̬Ůƌ˞ ōćɕ ĵƌ ōɯɕɕƌō̊ƌŮ ƌȍ̊ȁƌˏ ĵν ōćĵȴƌ Åȁƌ ōɯɇʘćɕν ćȴˏƌćŮν ʘˏɯΨȍŮƌ˞ ō̬˞̊ɯɇƌˏ ̊ɯ ˞̬ʘʘɯˏ̊ ̊ćˏǧƌ̊ ōȴć˞Ȍ ̊ȁƌ ȍɕ̊ƌǧˏć̊ȍɯɕ ɯǀ ɯ̊ȁƌˏ ̊νʘƌ˞ ɯǀ ɯˏ ̊ȁˏɯ̬ǧȁ ć άȍˏƌȴƌ˞˞ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮʫ ć ˞ȍǧɕćȴ˞ ȍɕ̊ƌȴȴȍǧƌɕōƌ ń¸\L\ÅŇ ˞ȍǏōć̊ȍɯɕʫ Åȁƌ ōɯɇɇ̬ɕȍōć̊ȍɯɕ ˞ƌɕ˞ɯˏ ˞̬ōȁ ć˞ ƌȴƌō̊ˏɯȌɯʘ̊ȍō˞ʫ Åȁƌ ōɯɇʘȴƌ̊ƌ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ άȍȴȴ Ǐ̊ ȍɕ ć ōćʘćĵȍȴȍ̊ν ȍɕ ̊ȁƌ ǀɯˏɇ ɯǀ ȍ̊˞ ȴȍɕȮ˞ άȍ̊ȁȍɕ ¸ɇćˏ̊˞ōćɕ \0ç ćˏƌ Jȴȍ̊̊ɯɕ ˞ćȍŮ ̊ȁć̊ ȍ̊ ƌɕȁćɕōƌ˞ ˏ̬ōȮ˞ćōȮ ćɕŮ άƌȍǧȁ˞ ȴƌ˞˞ ̊ȁćɕ ¸ɇćˏ̊˞ōćɕ 0ç¸ ɇćɕȌʘćōȮćĵȴƌ ĵƌćˏƌˏ ćǧɕɯ˞̊ȍōŦ ćȴȴɯάȍɕǧ ̊ȁƌ ƌιȍ˞̊ȍɕǧ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ˞ άȍ̊ȁɯ̬̊ ̊ȁƌ ɕƌƌŮ ̧̚ ȴĵ ʟʈǡʫǕ Ȯǧʤʫ ˏćŮȍɯ ȍɕ̊ƌˏōƌʘ̊ ćɕŮ Ůȍˏƌō̊ȍɯɕȌ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇ ̊ɯ ̬˞ƌ ƌιȍ˞̊ȍɕǧ ōɯɇɇ̬ɕȍȌ ̊ɯ ćōʸ̬ȍˏƌ ɕƌά ˞ƌɕ˞ɯˏ˞ ćɕŮ ȍ˞ ʘćˏȌ ǏɕŮȍɕǧ ʟ)Jʤ ˞ν˞̊ƌɇŦ άȁȍōȁ ȍ˞ ōć̊ȍɯɕ˞ ɕƌ̊άɯˏȮ˞ʫ ̊ȍō̬ȴćˏȴν ćʘʘˏɯʘˏȍć̊ƌ ǀɯˏ ĵɯˏŮƌˏ ɯˏ Z¼¼ êäńĪĒăŎõ|ĉ¼ń ÏĒļ ăĒļ¼

5HRHS TR @S #TA@H HQRGNV -NUDLADQ SG RS

/@UHKHNM /

TDemo

>>>*(::0+0(5*64 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

New pod expands Individual soldier systems step out storage for SDVs GILES EBBUTT Above: Sagem’s CHARLES HOLLOSI new individual soldier Advanced Sagem showcased its Advanced Warfighter solu- Stidd Systems Inc has developed Warfighter Solution, which tion displayed at a low-drag towed cargo trailer leverages its work in producing DSEI. The near-eye for its range of Diver Propulsion the French Army’s Fantassin à eyepiece can be seen on the right of Device (DPD) swimmer delivery Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés the vest, with the vehicles (SDVs). (FÉLIN) individual soldier tablet secured at The DPD Capsule provides an system, while Elbit displayed the the front. additional 340 litres of equip- latest iteration of its Domina- ment stowage space for 181 kg tor system, Dominator Light of neutrally buoyant cargo, with (Warrior), at the DSEI exhibition no significant increase in drag, in London in September. according to the company. This is the fourth generation It is made of marine alumin- Dominator system, which was ium alloy and measures 2.3 m in first announced in October length with a diameter of 53 cm, 2012 but has not been widely 1448653 Ebbutt: Giles enabling compatibility with displayed since then. Developed NATO submarine torpedo tubes originally for special forces use it for stowage and deployment consists of the ruggedized Raptor purposes. It weighs around 27 kg computer, which has a 4.3 inch in air, but is neutrally buoyant in display with a smartphone-like partnered with NFM Group and water due to hard-mounted rigid human-machine interface, a for ISSP with Raytheon Canada. foam volumes fitted in the nose battery pack and radio. For both bids the system uses and tail sections. Access to the The Raptor includes integrated Raytheon’s DH500 Micro- interior is via a sliding top hatch. GPS and a compass, and has a Light radio paired with a new The capsule is towed by a light sensor to control display Sagem computer and display cable, which together with rear- brightness. Rachamim Cohen, for commanders. This provides mounted horizontal and vertical Elbit’s Dominator programme a networking layer and new planes reduces snaking in its manager, observed that despite routing protocols. The tablet movement through the water the current drive towards using computer with a 5 inch display and results in a calculated drag commercial smartphones for user is smaller than the SIT ComDé

load of 67 N at 3 kt. The tow cable interfaces they were not rugged 1448652 Ebbutt: Giles used in FÉLIN, and it has new attaches to the rear tow point enough for operational use, even C2 software with a simplified integrated onto Stidd’s new SDV. with a rugged wrapper. “They are menu and improved applications, In addition to the towing con- all right for Trade Shows” he said according to Patrick Curlier, figuration, two capsules can be “but not for real operations”. Sagem’s Vice President for Busi- attached directly to the sides of Elbit offers the system with its The Dominator Light/Warrior ensem- ness Development, Optronics ble shown by Elbit Systems at DSEI. the DPD using its quick-release Personal Network radio-1000A and Defence. The system also attachment points to increase ultra-high frequency, although less than 2.5 kg. includes a near-eye eyepiece, cargo capacity from the DPD’s the system is communications Sagem’s Advanced Warfighter which incorporates a camera and baseline 85 litres to 765 litres. agnostic. It runs a reduced Solution has evolved from the a simple finger interface acting as In response to the customer version of the TORC2H com- FÉLIN programme and forms a mouse, providing an alternative feedback, the company has also mand-and-control (C2) software, the basis for Sagem’s bids for to the tablet display and intended introduced exterior quick- which forms the backbone of the both the Benelux SmartVest mainly for junior leaders. Indi- release cargo tie down points Israel Defence Forces’ Digital programme and the Canadian vidual soldiers are provided only on the vehicle’s fore body, Army Programme and has also Individual Soldier System with the networking radio. allowing operators to attach been partially adopted by the Project (ISSP). ISSP is currently Some of the developments in weapons, hooks and ladders Australian Army. in the assessment phase for the the system will be incorporated with minimal increase in drag. The battery pack provides TDemosecond time, the first competi- into FÉLIN V1.3, the contract for The DPD also benefits from a between 24-36 hours of life tion having been abandoned for which is expected to be issued by new high-efficiency lightweight depending on use, with power undisclosed reasons. Downse- the French Ministry of Defence brushless thruster providing a management software in the lection of the winning system by the end of 2013, in particular 25% increase in speed over the Raptor controlling power con- is expected at the beginning of the load carrying and modular standard thrusters. sumption. The assembly weighs 2014. For SmartVest, Sagem is protection arrangements.

12 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

In particular, the team is Research into pencil squids serves as looking at lightweight and flexible conductive materials to deliver a basis for counter-infrared camouflage low-Watt current to the reflectin. “There’s been a lot of work on ERIK SCHECHTER lecture on cuttlefish by noted ent chemical stimuli, causing it organic, carbon-based electron- marine biologist Roger Hanlon. to change colour and reflectance. ics,” he noted. “You can’t generate Researchers at the University Studying the camouflage prop- Finally, when exposed to the massive amounts of power with of California Irvine’s Henry erties of the pencil squid, the vapour of high-concentration them yet, but they are great for Samueli School of Engineering UC Irvine researchers focused vinegar, the reflectin reacted personal devices, and you can have announced that they their attention on reflectin, the again, this time modulating well easily integrate them into clothes.” believe protein found in cepha- structural protein in the animal’s into the near-IR spectrum. The UC Irvine team’s work has lopods may help troops evade skin cells that allows it to change Gorodetsky realized reflectin attracted some initial attention near-infrared (IR) sensors. colour and modulate the light could be used on uniforms to from US Department of Defense Like many cephalopods, pencil it reflects. Gorodetsky copied confuse active near-IR sensors. agencies, but it will take many squid can change colour, pattern the protein and expressed it in Adding the protein to clothing more years of experimentation and even skin texture to match bacteria, which was then fixed fibres will not pose a challenge, before the proof of concept their background with incred- to a silica surface using graphene Gorodetsky says. But finding reaches the field-test stage. ible fidelity in part thanks to a oxide as the adhesive. “It was a stimulus that could be used “As a scientist, I tend to be very protein called reflectin. much easier to mass produce under battlefield conditions will optimistic, so I’d love to say that Alon Gorodetsky, an assistant reflectin using bacteria than to be more difficult. “Obviously, if we’ll have near-infrared camou- professor of chemical engineer- kill a lot of squids,” he explains, you want a realistic application, flage tested in just a few years ing and materials science who “but functionally it’s identical to you can’t be putting vinegar on from now,” he says. “But realisti- leads the UC Irvine team, began what you get out of a squid”. yourself,” he admits. “So we are cally speaking with our current researching cephalopods two The UC Irvine scientists sub- trying to find either a mechanical funding, if we are very good and years ago after attending a jected the bacterial film to differ- or an electrical stimulus.” very lucky, maybe a decade.”

TDemo

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 13 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

SPAWAR reveals novel human detector

GEOFF FEIN The ability to sense a person’s it shows the same 59 beats per ings, Tam added. “We can capture heartbeat and respiration could minute. That is how we verify everybody’s heartbeat signature Two scientists at the US Navy make the device ideal for detect- [the results].” The device is cur- and we can put it into a database.” Space and Naval Warfare ing someone buried under rubble, rently at a Technology Readiness Using funding obtained (SPAWAR) System Center Pacific Dea said, or it could be used by Level (TRL) 3 so has a way to go through SSC, Tam and Dea have (SSC) have developed a technology soldiers to see if anyone is hiding before it could enter production, been able to digitise the signal, that can detect a moving person by behind a wall or within a struc- according to Tam. perform signal analysis as well as sensing their heartbeat and respi- ture. “I have been able to observe “The TRL is roughly equivalent improve the system’s circuits to ration from tens of feet away. people’s respiration and heartbeat to a research and development make it easier to use. The Remote Human Presence through walls,” he added. area right now. We got the patent “We are always improving the Monitoring System (RHPMS), The RHPMS could also have a couple of months ago when product even though we only have which is no bigger than a pack application on an unmanned it was a TRL 1,” Tam said. “We a small amount of funding for it. of cigarettes with an external ground vehicle. “That is entirely proved we can detect human But the picture can change if a antenna, was developed by possible. People working heart rate and respiration.” corporation is interested in this Daniel Tam and Jack Dea. The unmanned systems have talked Tam and Dea have also under- and can work with us,” Tam said. technology uses triboelectric to me about that, they are taken a parallel effort to adapt “We are slowly improving the charging – the result of the interested in this area,” Tam, an the RHPMS to detect people hun- technology maturity level. The pumping of the human heart engineer at SSC said. dreds of feet away, which could government is not interested in and lungs causing the skin to rub “For closer [detection] we are make the technology ideal for putting in funding until they see against surrounding air mol- confident in the heartbeat capabil- perimeter defence. “Even though a TRL of 8,” Tam added. “By the ecules creating triboelectricity, ity, but for distance we are more we have not publicised it we are time we push to a TRL 8, the risk according to SSC. confident in respiration,” Dea said. focused on improving the heart- is minimal for building it.” The device can sense the Currently, the monitor can detect beat and respiration detection Tam and Dea acknowledge it electric field, or charges, that are a heartbeat at a distance of about [capability],” Dea said. “It uses our will take quite a bit of additional always present in a person’s heart- 3 ft (0.9 m). Tam and Dea verified detector but we add attachments funding to reach the TRL 8 beat and respiration, Dea, the the device’s results against a blood to it to improve range.” milestone. Each TRL takes about designer of the RHPMS, told IHS pressure (sphygmomanometer) Because each person has their USD500 thousand, Tam said. “We Jane’s on 13 September. “When monitor. “If I know someone’s own unique heartbeat pattern, have five more levels to go so [we a person moves, the electric field heartbeat is 59 beats per minute, another potential application for will need] USD2 million more.” also changes because the charge Jack [Dea] will run sensor [results] the device would be biometric moves with the person.” through the signal analyser and data for accessing secure build- See ihs.com/janes for more GD to build full family of more affordable Ocelots

CHRISTOPHER F FOSS (HUMS) data gathering. tested carrying two NATO-stan- Steel and composite bodies are dard pallets with a two-tonne General Dynamics Land Systems fully interchangeable, so custom- payload to the rear of a protected – Force Protection Europe has ers will be able to specify types two-door cab. privately funded the development 1524976 Allen: IHS/Patrick to suit their budget and weight Other potential Ocelot UV of a range of new Ocelot protected requirements. The steel versions concepts are artillery tractors for vehicle variants based on a cheaper are naturally heavier than the 105 mm Light Gun, fuel bowsers, design that swaps the crew cita- composite vehicles, imposing an recovery cranes, protected del’s widespread use of high-end 1,800 kg reduction in payload, shelters, dog kennel and mortar composite materials for steel. but General Dynamics claims platforms. The current vehicle has Ocelot-S promises lower-cost pro- According to the company, the tection, eschewing composites. that the mobility of the Ocelot-S a wheelbase of 3.65 m but there is new vehicle, known as Ocelot-S, is unaffected. also the potential of a long wheel offers similar levels of ballistic and integrated communications and The Ocelot and Ocelot-S are base (LWB) variant, which would blast protection against impro- battle management systems TDemoboth built on a Common Base offer more volume and payload. vised explosive devices (IEDs). with Thales’ generic vehicle Platform (CBP) propulsion ‘skate Further down the line, the pos- The ﬁrst version of Ocelot-S architecture (GVA) kit. The latter board’ with earlier variants sibility of a 6x6 model has also is optimised for the command forms the digital backbone for including an open Reconnais- been discussed. function at unit level and blends electronic integration and Health sance design and a Utility Variant General Dynamics UK’s (GDUK) & Usage Monitoring System (UV), which has been built and See ihs.com/janes for more

14 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes GAME CHANGER MAXIMUM CLEARANCE. TWICE THE RANGE.

FLIR Systems continues to pioneer ground-breaking broadcast-quality high definition EO/IR imaging systems.

The new Star SAFIRE® 380-HDc is the world’s first stabilized multi-sensor system specifically engineeredforlong-range,low-altitudepoliceair support, military special ops and SAR missions. The lightweight & compact Star SAFIRE® 380- HDc will change rotary-wing and light-aircraft tactical surveillance operations forever. The revolutionary new design combines low-weight and maximum ground clearance flexibility with long-range performance.

These significant size, weight and cost advantages now mean safer low-altitude flying and more successful missions.

BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST YOUR JOB, IT’S YOUR LIFE.

TDemo

For more information visit www.flir.com/380HDc

/flirhq @flir WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

escape envelope. In its current Selex launches BriteCloud decoy 55 mm flare cartridge configuration, the case contains the expendable decoy and foldable LUCA PERUZZI rear fins, with the electronics to activate the firing sequence and Finmeccanica’s Selex ES sub- preprogrammed jamming tech- sidiary planned to unveil a new niques are connected through an generation of self-contained internal umbilical connection to expendable Digital Radio the standard dispenser interface. Frequency Memory (DRFM) The decoys are 200-375 mm jammers for fast jet aircraft long to suit integration aboard dif- before the end of October. ferent platforms and range within The new system – known as the standard 0.7-0.85 kg flare BriteCloud – are designed to 1518376 Selex: weight mass, offering a shelf life be ejected from the aircraft, of around five years. providing an off-board RF decoy The new decoys can be pre- to counter fire-control radars and loaded with threat data from Expanded image of Selex’s new BriteCloud expendable decoy. lure away active and semi-active Selex ES’ EW Operational missile threats. According to Selex ES, BriteCloud new system is cheaper and at Support (EWOS) outfit under Each expendable jammer is will be available at significantly least twice as effective, providing a support contract or users can packed with high-power batteries lower costs than fibre-optic towed Doppler and range obscuration to upload their own information for to react and respond to threats decoys (FOTDs) as there is little or defeat chaff discrimination tech- specific missions. quickly, and then provide at no platform integration required niques and systems with range Prototyping design work was least 10 seconds of life after the and each BriteCloud unit is highly and velocity ‘gates’. completed 12-15 months ago and decoy is ejected. Their form factor competitively priced. In addition, to avoid the included aerodynamic, anechoic enables them to be loaded into Compared with older-gener- inherent ‘home-on-jam’ vulner- chamber, shock and fire testing. standard 55 mm chaff and flare ation off-board products – such abilities of on-board devices, Since then, Selex ES has been dispensers, reducing crew training as simple repeater-based active the new expandable active decoy working with Chemring to pro- requirements and ensuring that decoys that are only able to defeat puts significant distance between ductionise the decoy design. they can be handled by first-line legacy continuous-wave emit- the decoy and the fighter after and maintenance personnel. ters – Selex ES claims that the launch, providing a larger See idr.janes.com for more

would offer superior capabilities France and Russia team for future IFV over comparable vehicles on the market today. CHRISTOPHER F FOSS, The heavy IFV version would HUW WILLIAMS have three crew and space for eight dismounts. Renault Trucks Defense and the The projected design features Uralvagonzavod Research and an all-welded hull with a gross Production Corporation unveiled vehicle weight of 32 tonnes a full-scale mock-up of a concept claimed to offer protection to infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) STANAG 4569 Level 5. at RAE 2013 in Nizhny Tagil, in 1448671 Foss: F Christopher Further projected character- late September. istics include a maximum road Designated Atom, the 8x8 speed of 100 km/h and a range vehicle brings together the capa- of up to 750 km. bilities of the two contractors in Discussions are ongoing as to what Oleg Sienko, Uralvagonza- A full-scale mock-up of the Atom infantry fighting vehicle concept was whether to progress to the next vod’s director general, described shown at RAE 2013 in Nizhny Tagil in late September. stage of the programme. as a 50:50 partnership. TDemo The development of a wheeled The French partner brings its counterpart will be responsible to fill a heavy IFV role and was IFV represents Uralvagonzavod’s expertise in wheeled vehicle tech- for the complete hull and associ- shown fitted with a mock-up of first effort in this vehicle class and nology, with responsibility for the ated weapon system, as well as a remote-controlled turret with is part of its plans to broaden its complete powertrain, driveline, final assembly. a 57 mm cannon as its principal product range away from tanks and suspension, while its Russian The first version is projected armament, which Sienko said and tracked combat vehicles.

16 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UPGRADE UPDATE

7.62 mm PKT co-axially More firepower offered for BMP-2 IFV mounted machine gun. The more limited second firepower upgrade package CHRISTOPHER F FOSS includes the installation of a remote-controlled 30 mm AG-17 Russia’s Kurganmashzavod Joint automatic grenade launcher and Stock Company has developed a BPK-3-42 gunner’s sight. two firepower upgrades for the Survivability enhancements widely deployed BMP-2 infantry come in the form of appliqué fighting vehicle (IFV). passive armour to the hull and The first version includes the turret, spall liners inside the installation of a B07K2 gunner’s crew compartment, and plates sight that features double-plane 1127547 source: Anonymous under the hull floor for improved head mirror stabilisation, a protection against mines. Bar/ thermal imaging camera, and a slat-type armour has been fitted laser rangefinder. The imagery to the hull and turret to help from these devices is displayed counter rocket-propelled on a monitor at the gunner’s grenades. ERA could be fitted as Above: Standard production position in the turret. Russian BMP-2 IFV with 30 mm an alternative to the bar/slat Furthermore, in place of the 2A42 cannon. armour, but this would increase commander’s roof-mounted Right: Scale model of the up- the gross vehicle weight. TKN-3MB vision device, the graded BMP-2 IFV with two 1518365 Foss: F Christopher Other survivability improve- turret-mounted 9M120 series TKN-AI unit, which features ATGWs and bar/slat armour for a ments include the installation of laser active pulse illumination, higher level of protection against fire- and explosion-proof diesel has been installed. rocket propelled grenades. fuel tanks and suspended seats Armament improvements for the crew. come in the form of a twin has a maximum range of 5,800 m For improved crew comfort launcher for the Kolomna KBM (the Konkurs is effective out armour (ERA). The 9M120F1 during operations in high 9K120 Ataka missile system. to a range of 4,000 m), and at has a thermobaric (or fuel air ambient temperatures, a KBM 2 This offers improvements in least three types of missile are explosive)-type warhead that is air-conditioning system can be lethality and range over the currently being marketed. optimised for use against fitted, and tracks with rubber 9K113 Konkurs anti-tank The first of these, the 9M120, bunkers, and the 9A220 has a pads will reduce damage to roads guided missile that is installed on is the option for the BMP-2 continuous-rod high-explosive and noise. the standard BMP-2 IFV. IFV upgrade. warhead with impact and Finally, the existing engine can The Ataka has a semi-automatic The 9M120-1 features a proximity laser fuzing, which be replaced by a more powerful command-to-line-of-sight tandem high-explosive anti-tank is most often used against UTD-23T turbocharged diesel guidance system, requiring the warhead that is claimed to be airborne targets. unit that develops 360 hp and an gunner only to maintain his sight able to penetrate 800 mm of No upgrades have been made upgraded suspension, including on the target until missile conventional steel armour to the BMP-2’s 30 mm 2A42 stronger torsion bars and new impact. The supersonic missile protected by explosive reactive dual-feed cannon or to its road wheels.

!" ! TDemo ! "## $ $% &! '() *

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 17 UPGRADE UPDATE

Refreshed BVP upgrade readies for trials

The BVP-M2’s driver station features an intuitive layout. xaiu ry 1518366 Army: Excalibur xaiu ry 1518368 Army: Excalibur

Excalibur Army’s new BVP-M2 is a substantial modernisation of the BMP-1 and -2 line.

MICHAL ZDOBINSKY further with elements of passive and active protection systems, as A Czech and Slovakian consortium well as vehicle-speciﬁc camou- is preparing to conduct trials of a ﬂage designs and nets. new comprehensive overhauled As well as boosting protec-

and upgraded version of the tion, the designers have greatly 1518367 Army: Excalibur Soviet-era BMP-1 and BMP-2 improved the crew comfort and armoured fighting vehicle lines. ergonomic layout of the vehicle, Czech-based Excalibur Army with the crew accessing via a and the Slovak VOP Trancín rear hydraulic ramp with a single military repair unit and EVPU built-in door replacing the legacy Internal view of the BVP-M2, which has been completely redesigned with Inc have been working on the two-door set-up. space for six dismounts in suspended seats. vehicle – known as the BVP-M2 The fuel tank and batteries – SKCZ – since 2009 and this first located in the dismount section 7.62 mm machine gun, smoke origin UTD-20 engine is replaced prototype leverages work under- in the BMP-series – have been grenade launchers, and mounting with a more powerful Caterpillar taken on the MGC-1, which was relocated and the compartment’s for an optional anti-tank missile C9.3 turbodiesel, developing revealed in 2011. ceiling has been raised to offer a twin launcher. 402 bhp and 1,696 lb/ft of Its main focus is on boosting more usable 1.3 m height. Details are unconfirmed, but maximum torque, which is quite protection for the crew, who now Two independent heating and the turret is understood to be substantial for a vehicle with a sit on blast-attenuating, hinged air conditioning units should aimed through day-and-night, combat weight of 18 tonnes. seats. In standard form, the belly enable a more tailored tempera- all-weather surveillance and tar- The prototype vehicle retains of the vehicle is protected to ture range. geting sights for the commander the original gearbox, albeit STANAG 4569 Level 1, rising to The vehicle’s armament fea- and gunner, enabling the weapon controlled by a new system Level 2a for explosions under tures EVPU’s TURRA-30 remote to fire on the move. capable of full- or semi-automatic the tracks, with the main hull turret, armed with a stabilised The BMP-series’ traditional and operation. It also offers an emer- offering Level 3 armour or 30 mm 2A42 cannon, coaxial reliable – but obsolete – Soviet- gency manual mode in case of Level 4 with appliqué plate. If malfunction or tow-away. the hull is breached, the crew is IHS Jane’s has learned that Slo- now protected by a standard vakia may become the first cus- anti-explosion and fire extin- tomer for the upgrade, looking guisher system. to enhance part of its BVP-1 and The 7 m long, 3.2 m wide, BVP-2 fleet to BVP-M2 SKCZ and 2.9 m tall (without bar/ standard, as those vehicles are slat armour) prototype vehicle TDemo 1518369 Army: Excalibur approaching the end of their is also equipped with an RF service life and Slovakia has not jammer to protect against acquired any modern wheeled remotely detonated improvised IFVs to replace them (unlike the explosive devices. Czech Republic, which has more Protection can be bolstered The overall layout of the BVP-M2 offers more space for crew and dismounts. than 100 Pandur II 8x8s).

18 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UPGRADE UPDATE

MANPADS co-ordination US to ﬁt lightweight system gains mobility armour to helicopters

HUW WILLIAMS sented on the ACM operator’s GARETH JENNINGS ballistic protection currently in computer display. place, and there is a comparative Russia’s Radiozavod has added The ACM also receives data The US Army is to fit its Boeing weight reduction for the Black a mobile control capability from its subordinate MANPADS CH-47 Chinooks and Sikorsky Hawk also. to its manportable air-defence units regarding their position, UH-60 Black Hawks with a new Developed at the Army system (MANPADS) co-ordina- combat readiness, ammunition lighter ballistic protection system Aviation and Missile Research, tion system. levels, and combat actions. that is designed to provide the Development and Engineering The system is designated Information sent to the crew and passengers with greater Center’s Prototype Integra- KTSAU PZRK (Komplet Tekh- MANPADS includes the air protection against small arms fire tion Facility (PIF) at Redstone nicseskikh Sredstv Automa- picture and operational com- over larger sections of the heli- Arsenal in Alabama, the BPS is tizirovannovo Upravlenia mands for engaging targets. copters, the service announced in part of a wider drive to employ Strelka Perenosnovo Zenitnovo Each MANPADS operator is early October. lighter-weight armour systems Raketnovo Kompleta), and provided with an Individual The Ballistic Protection System in aircraft while maintaining or enables up to nine MANPADS Automation Kit (IAK), which (BPS) comprises a floor kit and a increasing the ability to with- to be co-ordinated from a single consists of a vest and helmet, Multi-Impact Transparent Armor stand advanced ground fire. Automated Control Module the former is fitted with the System (MITAS) for the windows The PIF will now deliver a (ACM), with the intention of communications and computing to provide additional protection technical data package to the speeding up engagements and systems, as well as the battery, to the pilot and cargo areas. CH-47 and UH-60 programme increasing lethality. the latter features the operator’s Fitted to the Chinook, the management offices to allow An ACM consists of a laptop radio and a monocle that pres- system weighs just 680 kg industry to compete for future computer – linked to GPS or ents the information received compared with 1,590 kg for the BPS acquisition contracts. GLONASS – housed in a rug- from the ACM regarding the gedised case, along with the assigned target. communications equipment for This information is displayed voice and data, and batteries. on a grid and includes the The ACM can be connected range to target, its direction to higher level command-and- of travel, a visual indication of control (C2) elements – such as the target’s position, and an 9S482M, 9S482M7, and aim mark. 9S737MK – as well as a radar The IAK is able to receive (1L122-1), which the company information on one target track claims enables the ACM to only, with information on the simultaneously track at least 60 target refreshed at 0.5-second aerial targets travelling at speeds intervals and presented to the of up 2,550 m/s and out to a operator at an update rate of range of 40 km. once per second. The new mobile control The ACM can be connected configuration is intended for to the C2 systems and radar use in vehicles and sees the via a hard wire to a maximum computer and voice radio unit distance of 5 km, via radio com- removed from the ruggedised munications these ranges are case – although still connected extended to 10 km. by wire – and the communica- The link with the IAK is via tions and power elements fitted radio and out to a maximum elsewhere in the vehicle. range of 1.5 km. Adding this mobile capability The system’s elements are enables a greater flexibility in stated as being capable of oper- the deployment of the system. ating in temperatures ranging TDemo The ACM automatically from -40 to 50° Celsius and in receives information for the all-weather conditions. higher C2 levels regarding the With the standard batteries, air picture, which includes radar continuous operating time data, all of which can be pre- is stated as up to six hours. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 19 UPGRADE UPDATE

including planned recertification Raytheon tests anti-radar efforts, will sustain fleet operations until the 2045 time frame,” seeker for Block IV Tomahawk the spokesperson said. Block III Tomahawk missiles GEOFF FEIN enhancements to Block IV procured and delivered prior to production in 2017 as a part of a the Block IV production will The US Navy will begin upgrad- recertification phase beginning remain in the fleet until their ing its inventory of Block IV between 2017 and 2019. All new service life expires. Tomahawk cruise missiles in production following the recer- It is anticipated that Block III 2017 with a new seeker capable tification phase will incorporate missiles will be out of the inven- of locating and tracking fixed and new capabilities,” Roy Donelson, tory by 2020, the spokesperson moving radar-emitting targets. Tomahawk programme director said. “It is not possible to modify The electronic support mea- at Raytheon Missile Systems, the Block III missiles to make

sures (ESM) seeker is part of a told IHS Jane’s. 0522981 Navy: US them Block IVs. new product improvement pro- The seeker upgrade will allow “The Tomahawk programme gramme for the missile that also the Tomahawk to target, for continues to evaluate potential includes a two-way satellite example, fixed radar installations enhancements of the Block datalink to enable a strike on land that would be emitting The US Navy will install a new ESM IV missile for future budget controller to redirect the missile energy, Donelson said. seeker onto the Block IV Tomahawk submissions, including warhead cruise missile beginning in 2017. in-flight to pre-programmed However, in its current and communications improve- alternate targets or more critical form the upgraded Block IV ments,” the spokesperson added. targets, Raytheon said in an early Tomahawk ESM is not designed The Block IV Tomahawk Raytheon is pursuing other October announcement. to find non-emitting targets. programme started production new product improvements, Raytheon’s ESM seeker capa- “This test covered only the in 2004 and has delivered more according to Donelson. bility was validated in a realistic, passive ARH [anti-radar homing] than 2,900 production missiles The company is also exploring high-density environment after element,” Donelson said. “The as of September 2013. capabilities to provide Tomahawk seven months of testing in programme is pursuing a multi- The current budget reflects enhancements for operations in anechoic chambers, Raytheon mode sensor capability. The procurement of Tomahawk an anti-access/area-denial envi- said. The demonstration occurred multi-mode sensor could then missiles through 2020, a US ronment, a multi-mode sensor in July. locate, identify, discriminate, and Naval Air Systems Command package, enhanced communi- “The plan would be to insert engage both moving/fixed and spokesperson told IHS Jane’s. cation suite, and multi-effect this capability along with other emitting/non-emitting targets.” “Block IV missile inventories, warhead capability. USN to upgrade AV-8B Harrier mission computers

GEOFF FEIN spokeswoman, told IHS Jane’s in equipped aircraft with the ability tions are expected to begin after late September. to navigate using GPS as a primary the contract is awarded, which The US Navy (USN) will begin “This will allow future capa- means of navigation, enabling is anticipated late this year, modifying AV-8B Harrier mission bilities to be added to the AV-8B those aircraft to file and fly RNAV Hart-Wise said. Installations are computers before the end of mission computer via FACE soft- departures, routes, arrivals, expected to continue to the end 2013 to provide additional com- ware applications,” she added. and RNAV (GPS) non-precision of 2016. RNP RNAV software is puter memory and processing, The second card upgrade to approaches with civil airspace expected to be delivered in 2017. and enable future upgrades. the Mission Systems Computer authorities, and allow for global The upgrade will enable the Under the current contract – (MSC) will provide additional RNP RNAV airspace access,” she US Marine Corps (USMC) to con- awarded to General Dynamics computer processing, additional said. The effort includes hardware tinue flying the Harrier after the Advanced Information Systems – computer memory, and a card on and software upgrades. A second arrival of the F-35B short take-off all 133 AV-8B Harriers in the fleet which the Required Navigation OSP3 card will be installed in the and vertical landing variant of will receive the upgrade. Performance/Area Navigation AV-8B mission computer. This Joint Strike Fighter. Hart-Wise “This upgrade will provide a (RNP RNAV) capability developed card will have a FACE environ- said the AV-8B and F-35B will be second Open System Processor by the government will be hosted, TDemoment that will support the RNP flown together on the battlefield, [OSP3] card with a Future Air- Hart-Wise said. RNAV application. The second with the USMC hoping to keep borne Capabilities Environment “Once government-produced card will support RNP RNAV the AV-8B operational until 2030. [FACE] software environment in software is completely separate even if FACE conformance is not The USN has awarded 44 con- the AV-8B,” Marcia Hart-Wise, from the processor card upgrade, achievable, Hart-Wise added. tracts for Harrier upgrades since USN Naval Air Systems Command RNP RNAV will provide AV-8B Hardware upgrade installa- 1 October 2012.

20 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UNMANNED SYSTEMS

The partnership has also Combat support system demonstrates developed a four-wheeled UGV, designated MRC-001-b-23. This vehicle is also designed Russia’s advanced UGV capabilities to provide combat support and ISR capabilities. HUW WILLIAMS To date, most Russian efforts to develop UGVs have focused A Russian consortium has devel- on explosive ordnance disposal oped a combat support unmanned systems – which for the most ground vehicle (UGV). part offer basic functionality Armoured vehicle specialist when compared to Western Uralvagonzavod has partnered systems – and the conversion of with OAO Izhevskiy Radiozavod small engineering vehicles. These and the Federal State Unitary new systems represent the ﬁrst

Enterprise’s Radio Research and 1518353 Foss: F Christopher foray into larger purpose-built Development Institute (NIIR) to UGVs by Russian industry, and develop the system, a prototype the willingness to incorporate of which took part in the live-fire combat capabilities in systems display at RAE 2013 in Nizhny from the get-go is a notable Tagil, Russia. aspect, given that most Western The MRC-002-BG-57 system demonstrated a high degree of mobility during Designated MRC-002-BG-57, the live-fire display at RAE 2013. manufacturers (and militaries) the tracked system on display is are taking only tentative steps in intended to act in intelligence, optic/infrared (EO/IR) payload, and has an operational weight this area of UGV utility. surveillance and reconnaissance which is used for both its ISR of 1,100 kg, and it is said to be However, how far the devel- (ISR), and direct and indirect role and for engaging targets. able to operate in temperatures opment of these systems will combat roles. The current weapons fit can ranging from -40 to 40° Celsius. progress is not known. At RAE According to company data, accommodate 7.62 or 12.7 mm In its present configuration, it 2013, a number of leading indus- the vehicle can operate out to machine guns (with 500 and measures 3 m in length by 1.8 m try figures said the development a range of 5 km and travel at 300 rounds of ammunition, in width and 1.26 m in height. of advanced UGVs will require speeds of up to 35 km/h; it is also respectively), or a 30 mm auto- The level of autonomy pos- guidance from the Russian said to feature an encrypted com- matic grenade launcher. It also sessed by the system is not Ministry of Defence and military munications system. has a ballistic computer to aid known; however, direct control before companies can commit It is fitted with a gyrostabilised in engagements. is undertaken via a joystick and resources, but to date this has not weapons station and an electro- The vehicle is battery-powered control console. been forthcoming. MQ-8C Fire Scout readies for flight trials

GARETH JENNINGS frame, the MQ-8C is a larger both manned and unmanned ‘Magicians’ will field a mixed and more capable variant of its helicopters. Based at Naval Air force of eight Sikorsky MH-60R Northrop Grumman has begun MQ-8B Fire Scout namesake, Station (NAS) North Island in Seahawk and 10 Northrop preparing the MQ-8C Fire Scout which is modelled on the smaller California, Helicopter Maritime Grumman MQ-8B/C Fire unmanned helicopter for flight Schweizer Aircraft model 330 Strike Squadron (HSM)-35 Scout helicopters. trials set to take place in October. helicopter. The US Navy is set to The US Navy The main rotor blades of the receive 28 MQ-8Cs to augment is set to field first MQ-8C were rotated during the 168 MQ-8Bs it plans to 28 MQ-8C Fire initial ground testing and engine operate in both the intelligence, Scout unmanned helicopters, runs at Naval Base Ventura surveillance and reconnaissance based on the Bell County Point Mugu, California, (ISR) and unmanned strike roles. 407 airframe. in mid-September. This was done Northrop Grumman is currently to ensure that all of the aircraft’s under contract to produce TDemo systems are functioning and MQ-8C aircraft for deployment 1513026 Grumman: Northrop communicating properly prior to beginning in 2014. its first flight, the company said In May, the navy announced in a statement. that it was standing up its first Based on the Bell 407 air- composite squadron to operate ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 21 UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Skate features twin indepen- Skate UAS active in Afghanistan dently articulated motors that power two-bladed propellers and HUW WILLIAMS enable the aircraft to transition between vertical and horizontal Aurora Flight Sciences’ Skate ﬂight. These are intended to unmanned aircraft system (UAS) improve manoeuvrability and has deployed operationally endurance, the latter due to the

to Afghanistan, the company 1518346 Sciences: Flight Aurora ability to combine vertical take- revealed in September. off and landing functionality Skate’s deployment has been with typical ‘fixed wing’ flight. sponsored by the US Air Force Aurora Flight Sciences’ They also enable the vehicle to Research Laboratory. A company Skate UAS is in use with US be launched and recovered in armed forces in Afghanistan. spokesperson told IHS Jane’s that confined spaces. the UAS was sent to theatre in The aircraft has an operating March 2013 and that there is no reasons, however, the spokesper- on quiet electric power, as well range of around 3.5 km with an scheduled end date for its mission. son confirmed that the systems as having an autonomous opera- omni-directional antenna, but According to a company state- are being used in a variety of tion capability. this can be extended to 5 km ment, the initial assessment of intelligence, surveillance and The aircraft is made from with a directional system; it uses the system’s performance has reconnaissance roles, including expanded polypropylene and an encrypted digital datalink. been very positive, with system for patrol overwatch and forward weighs less than 1 kg, including Skate’s one-hour endurance can capability and ease-of-use among operating base security. the batteries and payload. The be extended to 90 minutes with the highlights. The aircraft is typically vehicle is essentially a rectan- an optional kit. It typically flies at The spokesperson said that equipped with electro-optical gular flying wing – with a span 400 ft above ground level and has multiple systems have been and infrared imaging payloads, of 61 cm and a length of 48 cm a maximum operating altitude of delivered and that Skate is in and the spokesperson said that – that has a rear-mounted control 13,000 ft above mean sea level. operation with two different both types have been utilised. surface and twin vertical stabilis- It is controlled via a handheld services. Exact details regarding Skate is hand-launched and ing surfaces. The aircraft has a unit that has an integrated video the number of systems in theatre designed to be lightweight, easily 0.2 kg payload capacity, which display and can operate under and where they are operating portable (in a backpack), and to is mounted centrally and can be manual control or using GPS cannot be disclosed for security deliver relatively long endurance swapped in and out in the field. waypoint navigation.

evolved from Boston Dynamics’ DARPA looks to enhance LS3 BigDog system. It undertook its most recent field trials in HUW WILLIAMS USD10 million in extra funding enhanced survivability against December 2012 at Fort Pickett, – Boston Dynamics has been small arms fire and introducing Virginia; the two-week effort The US Defense Advanced tasked with improving the a quiet power supply to support was held in conjunction with Research Projects Agency reliability and usability of the stealthy tactical operations. the US Marine Corps Warfight- (DARPA) has modified its con- platform, as well as providing LS3 is a quadruped and has ing Laboratory (MCWL). The tract with Boston Dynamics for robot’s legs have hydraulic the development of the Legged actuators with sensors for joint Squad Support System (LS3) in position and force. The system order to incorporate a range of can run and maintain its balance new capabilities. on loose, slippery, and uneven DARPA is working with the US ground, climb hills, and can also Marine Corps on the LS3 with an right itself if it falls over. aim of combining mobility and During the trials, five capabili- logistics capabilities in a system ties of the system were demon- that can haul 400 lb (181 kg) strated: verbal commands; night of equipment more than 32 km operations; ‘go to’ orders; percep- without the need for interven- TDemo tion of environment; and intelli- tion during a 24-hour period, and gent foot placement. At the time also keep pace with the forces it of the trials, platform robustness is supporting. and perception were identified DARPA: 1517081 Under the modification – DARPA has tasked Boston Dynamics with enhancing the survivability – as the primary challenges in the which provides for up to nearly among other improvements – of the LS3. development of the system.

22 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes See us at Dubai Airshow November 17 – 21, 2013 Dubai World Central Booth 1006 Ready for action – with MTU

Innovative technologies, decades of expertise, unparalleled repair capabilities, process excellence – just some of the reasons air forces all over the world rely on MTU Aero Engines. Our service experts will return your engines to peak condition – quickly and cost-effectively. www.mtu.de TDemo UNMANNED SYSTEMS

vehicle or a helicopter – using Saab Seaeye demonstrates an RF signal. The charge can be triggered up to 28 days after the mine is discovered. underwater vehicle developments Elsewhere, Saab Seaeye revealed that it has secured orders LUCA PERUZZI reusable system,” Saab Seaeye planned in UK waters using the during 2013 to sell the latest sales manager Bengt Larson told Thales/ASV unmanned surface version of its AUV-62 system to Leveraging technologies from IHS Jane’s. “This not only signifi- vehicle demonstrator Halcyon. two undisclosed customers. its Swedish and UK operations, cantly reduces costs compared “As MuMNS employs simple Called AUV-62-AT, the system Saab Seaeye showcased a number to current mine neutralisation deck filled charges,” Larson is designed for anti-submarine of new developments in the [concepts] employing either said, “the magazine can be warfare operator training, as well underwater vehicles arena on diver- or ROV-placed charges, but fitted to a variety of remotely as for on board sonar, helicopter board the Swedish Navy’s mine also substantially increases the operated vehicles. The charges sonar, and command system oper- countermeasures vessel (MCMV) efficiency and speed of advance are attached to the mines by a ations. The AUV-62-AT acts as a HMSwNS Vinga at DSEI 2013 in through mined waters.” manipulator arm and nail gun, target surrogate which mimics London, in mid-September. MuMNS consists of a magazine after which a float is released the signature of a submarine by Based on the Double Eagle system, which accommodates as with an RF communications transmitting broadband noise family of remotely operated standard three launchers housing antenna for command deto- similar to the passive signatures vehicles (ROVs), with advances the Ballista disruptor system. nation, or the charges can be of a conventional submarine. in autonomous underwater The latter system incorporates primed to detonate by a timer.” The AUV-62-AT returns active vehicles (AUVs) and ROVs in the the ‘Shadow Float’ capabil- In the MCM concept of opera- sonar pings with a realistic target commercial offshore sector, the ity, a remote command firing tions envisaged by Saab Seaeye, strength and echo location. company has developed a new system using an antenna buoy. an AUV equipped with MuMNS The AUV-62-AT system concept called the Multi-Mine More launchers can be included, would search for and identify package consists of a vehicle, a Neutralisation System (MuMNS). depending on the size of the ROV mines before activating the float- command-and-control system, “Wehavematchedourlatest and customer requirements. The ing antenna buoy. The charge and operating and maintenance version of the Seaeye Falcon ROV system was tested off Estonia in could then be triggered at long equipment. It can be launched with the MuMNS multiple-shot August, while further trials are range – by an unmanned aerial from a variety of platforms. Roboteam offers new mobility option for MTGR

HUW WILLIAMS The addition The platform uses a secure of a wheel kit MANET datalink and is controlled to the MTGR Unmanned systems specialist is designed to with the company’s tablet com- Roboteam has developed a new improve the puter-style Ruggedised Operator’s vehicle’s mobil- configuration of its Micro Tacti- ity in challeng- Control Unit-7 (ROCU-7). This is cal Ground Robot (MTGR) that is ing terrain. also powered by a 2557/U battery designed to improve operation in and runs Microsoft’s Windows 7, difficult terrain. with control software devel- The MTGR is primarily oped in-house. The batteries can intended for explosive ordnance be detached and worn on the disposal (EOD) and intelligence, operator’s belt to lighten the surveillance and reconnaissance controller. Through line-of-sight (ISR) duties. Roboteam: 1518375 communications, the system can The standard MTGR features to climb using the flippers. 20 lb payload capacity and is be controlled out to a range of rubber main tracks and tracked TheMTGRisinservicewith typically fitted with a company- almost 490 m. flippers that aid in stair climb- US special forces and EOD teams, developed manipulator arm. For situational awareness ing and traversing over objects; and in Israel with the police, Power is provided by a standard and surveillance, the MTGR interestingly, these flippers EOD units, and specialist elem- 2557/U battery pack, which sup- features five cameras: one in are approximately the same ents of the military. TDemoports an operating endurance of each flank and the rear; with two length as the main tracks. The The complete system can be up to three hours. facing forwards, one with a wide new configuration adds a wheel carried in a backpack. The vehicle A new manipulator features field-of-view, the other narrow kit to the platform to improve itself weighs 16 lb (7.25 kg) in its four degrees-of-freedom (DoF) and near-IR; another camera is manoeuvrability and mobility, tracked configuration and 19 lb instead of the three DoF previ- used to guide the manipulator while maintaining the ability when fitted with wheels, it has a ously available. arm’s gripper.

24 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Orion makes ENICS extends Eleron family maiden ﬂight

HUW WILLIAMS The Eleron-10SV (left) and Eleron- GEOFF FEIN 3SV are designed Russia’s ENICS displayed the to provide ISR latest variants of its Eleron capabilities. Aurora Flight Sciences has suc- unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cessfully completed the ﬁrst series at RAE 2013 in Nizhny ﬂight of its Orion unmanned

Tagil, Russia. 1518364 Williams: IHS/Huw aircraft system (UAS). The company has developed The flight, conducted in new SV versions of its Eleron-3 California, lasted three hours and and Eleron-10 systems, which thirty-one minutes with Orion offer a number of enhancements reaching an altitude of 8,000 ft, over the baseline UAVs, but which Patti Woodside, chief spokesper- also bring reductions in the per- operating range, now standing at 11,500 ft to 13,100 ft, and the SV son for Aurora Fight Sciences, formance of certain aspects. 60 km, an increase of 10 km over variant’s digital datalink transmis- told IHS Jane’s at the annual Air The Eleron-10SV brings an the earlier variant. sion range is 25 km as opposed to Force Association exhibition in improvement in maximum Both variants are powered 20 km in the baseline system. Washington, DC. speed, now standing at 135 km/h by electric engines and utilise The Eleron-3 variants are The current goal is to achieve as opposed to the baseline pneumatic rail launchers; they designed to operate in an ISR 120 flight hours; after which system’s 120 km/h. However, are recovered by a parachute role and to carry similar payload Aurora Flight Sciences will have the SV’s ceiling has reduced system. They are largely intended types to the Eleron-10 UAVs, to fly its UAS for five days with full significantly from 16,400 ft to for intelligence, surveillance albeit with reduced capacity. systems operation, she noted. 13,100 ft. While the maximum and reconnaissance (ISR) roles The Eleron-3SV can accommo- Orion will carry a 2,600 lb take-off weight has not changed and can be fitted with a range date a 1 kg payload and has (1,179 kg) payload. Woodside at 15.5kg, the new version’s of payloads, include electro- a maximum take-off weight of said it would be up to the US Air payload capacity is 2.5 kg less optic/infrared (EO/IR) imagers, 5.3 kg, while the standard Force to determine what pay- than the baseline vehicle, now communications relay systems, system has a maximum take-off loads to install on the aircraft. standing at 2 kg. The upside of and electronic jamming devices. weight of 4.9 kg and a payload It is intended that the unman- this loss in payload capacity is However, their open architecture capacity of 0.6 kg. Both variants ned aircraft will have an endur- an increase in endurance (when enables the payload to be tailored are launched by a rail system and ance of at least 120 hours. fitted with maximum payload) to to user requirements. recovered by parachute. Orion has a gross weight of 2.5 hours in the SV, up from the The Eleron-3SV features Visually, the biggest difference 11,200 lb and, according to standard 1.5 hours. improvements in all aspects over between the SV variants and the Aurora Flight Sciences, an endur- Perhaps the most significant the baseline Eleron-3 system. baseline systems is the introduc- ance of 120 hours with a 1,000 lb improvement in the Eleron- Maximum speed has increased by tion of a blended-wing design payload. It has a mission radius 10SV is the addition of a digital 10 km/h to 130 km/h, operating instead of the box fuselage and of 4,000 miles (6,437 km) with datalink in place of the standard endurance is up by 10 minutes delta wing; the vertical tail is a 30,000 ft operating ceiling analog system; this also brings an and now stands at 100 minutes, also removed. They still feature a and is capable of cruising speeds extended data transmission and the ceiling has increased from pusher propeller configuration. of 67-85 kt.

TDemo

& '(#) $# ! ! "# $% !# $

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 25 UNMANNED SYSTEMS

the RWUAS programme. It is RWUAS programme explores understood that the Solo will be flown in a manned configuration for certain CCD ‘vignettes’ as the potential of UK maritime UAS safety case requires. Shipboard trials from a Type RICHARD SCOTT established to aid understanding As project leader, AgustaWest- 23 frigate operating in UK of how a conceptual multirole land will deliver the RWUAS waters are planned for the third The AgustaWestland-led Rotary maritime vertical take-off and programme with a UK-based quarter of 2014. As well as Wing Unmanned Air System landing UAS could contribute to industry team comprising Atlas physical demonstrations, the (RWUAS) Concept Capability mitigating current shortfalls in Elektronik UK (bringing MCM CCD will also include subsystem Demonstrator (CCD) programme persistent local area surveillance/ expertise), BAE Systems (as trials, simulations and synthetic will inform options for a general situational awareness, lead contractor for the Type 26 environment experiments. projected Tactical Maritime mine countermeasures (MCM), platform), Pelydryn (hydrog- The underlying aim of the CCD Unmanned Air System (TMUAS). and hydrography. The demon- raphy), Selex ES (sensors) and is to enable the MoD to assemble The company was awarded strator effort is also intended Thales (which brings experience a body of evidence to allow an a GBP2.29 million (USD3.7 to assess platform integration in unmanned ISTAR and led informed decision to be made on million) contract by the UK issues, including air and ship the earlier Joint Unmanned Air any future acquisition; key deliv- Ministry of Defence (MoD) in safety management, and the Vehicle Experimentation Pro- erables will be taken forward August. The CCD programme impact across all defence lines gramme [JUEP]). to inform an MoD capability will include shipboard launch of development of bringing a In addition, the company is decision conference in mid-2015 and recovery demonstrations of RWUAS-type system into service. inviting interest from small where the future direction of a representative RWUAS – using The RWUAS CCD programme business and academia with TMUAS will be considered. the PZL-Swidnik Solo rotorcraft has emerged as the result of a regard to enabling technologies Maritime UAS operability from unmanned aircraft system/ joint capability strategy created by that may have a UAS exploita- frigate-size ships has previously optionally piloted helicopter as a Head of Capability (Above Water) tion path. Specific examples been evaluated by the MoD and testbed – from a Royal Navy (RN) and Head of Capability (ISTAR) include mission planning and the RN under the auspices of the frigate during 2014. that foresees a TMUAS operating decision support, sense and avoid JUEP. The maritime strand of CCDs enable the MoD to from the Type 26 Global Combat techniques, quiescent period JUEP saw a Thales-led industry explore how useful new systems Ship. However, DE&S points out prediction, ship/air vehicle/wake team demonstrate the operation could be to the armed forces. that the CCD is not intended as interaction, autonomous landing of the Insitu ScanEagle UAS from “The aim of the [RWUAS] CCD a test of a particular system and systems, communications/con- the Type 23 frigate HMS Suther- is to help us determine how we does not form part of a current nectivity, and onboard data filter- land. The first trial, undertaken could potentially deliver a wide acquisition programme; rather ing/fusion/compression. in March 2005 at QinetiQ’s range of maritime capabilities it will inform future maritime Based on the PZL-Swidnik Hebrides range, demonstrated in the future,” the MoD told UAS requirements, providing the SW4 single-engine light utility/ control of the ScanEagle system IHS Jane’s. “The findings will MoD with a detailed understand- training helicopter, the Solo from Sutherland. be reviewed at the end of the ing of the impact of putting a will be equipped with a testbed Further JUEP trials were project in 2015.” RWUAS into the maritime envi- sensor suite – comprising the conducted in March 2006 under Managed by the Defence ronment, exploring concepts of Selex ES PicoSAR radar, Selex the auspices of Trial ‘Vigilant Equipment and Support (DE&S) operation and employment, and ES VigilX panoramic distributed Viper’. This activity sought to organisation’s Programmes and examining integration with ships imaging system, and a DRS further extend the capability Technology Group, the RWUAS systems and other embarked avia- Technologies stabilised electro- demonstrated by ScanEagle, and CCD has been specifically tion assets. optic/infrared turret – to support successfully achieved the first UAV launch and recovery from an RN warship. More recently, the MoD has contracted Boeing to deliver a contractor-owned, contractor- operated maritime UAS for deployment from RN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. TDemo The service, based on the ScanEagle UAS, will be deliv- The PZL-Swidnik ered through Insitu to meet an Solo helicopter will be used a testbed Urgent Operational Require- for the RWUAS ment. Operations are expected programme. AgustaWestland: 1457234 to start later this year.

26 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Cloud Cap Technology TASE400

Cloud Cap Technology TASE Gimbals, the new standard in stabilized camera systems. The ideal solution for force protection and other ISR missions.

+1 541 387 2120 [email protected] www.cloudcaptech.com TDemo SPECIAL REPORT – Exactor

weeks of crew training). At the Exactor, the ‘missile that never end of its tour, 1 RHA was suc- ceeded in its newly acquired role was’, comes in from the cold by another close support regiment, 7 RHA. The British Army has since RUPERT PENGELLEY gone on to acquire some 600- 700 Spike-NLOS missiles all told, KEY POINTS the Mk2 (daylight camera) and Mk4 (thermal camera) versions Exactor is planned to originally adopted having latterly remain in Afghanistan until the end of UK deployments there been supplanted in its inventory by the latest Mk5 version, which A new version optimised for has a dual-mode electro-optic/ expeditionary operations is infrared (EO/IR) camera seeker. due to be operational soon Early Exactor operations were apparently not without their dif- he British Army is shortly ﬁculties. The Mk2 missile (which to officially receive a has a short-span cruciform delta Tnew version of a missile wing conﬁguration with chines) system that the UK Ministry 1448661 Pengelley: Rupert in particular proved uncomfort- of Defence (MoD) has hitherto ably fast for operator-controlled been reluctant to admit it has. engagements at the shorter However, the security level of battle ranges, from the point that the system, codenamed Exactor, post-launch control of the missile

was officially downgraded earlier Spike-NLOS launch canisters exhibited at DSEI 2013 alongside an Agusta- is passed to its operator from the this year after a succession of Westland AW159 Wildcat in Royal Navy colours presage the missile’s automatic gathering system. The disclosures – intentional or qualification with ROK Navy Wildcats. It could also provide a fallback or Mk4 was less problematic as it otherwise in both official and complement for the French/UK Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy) was slower, its designers having (FASGW[H]) missile, particularly in littoral environments. semi-official media – and in an- switched to a straight-wing ticipation of the missile becom- configuration to aid controllabil- The Spike-NLOS ing a more permanent feature of Mk5 missile with ity. Further, the early-generation the British Army inventory. its dual-mode EO/ seekers (designed more than IR camera seeker As intimated in previous on display at DSEI two decades previously) and reports in IHS Jane’s International 2013. A semi-active their associated monochrome Defence Review, the Exactor laser seeker can be vehicle display consoles provided integrated with the urgent operational requirement guidance system. a somewhat lower-definition (UOR) was originally endorsed in target-area presentation than April 2007 to provide the British newer technologies allow. Army with a rapid counter for Nonetheless, given sufficient hostile mortars and other indi- operator training, Exactor was rect-fire systems that were then passed as operational in its being used against it from within then condition and a number of built-up areas of Basra, Iraq. notable successes were sub- The chosen expedient was to sequently achieved in theatre acquire the Spike-NLOS (Non against targets requiring a very

Line of Sight) system, originally Rupert Pengelley: 1448660 low collateral damage precision- developed by Rafael for the Israel strike capability. Defence Forces. However, the which weighs 71 kg in its include shaped-charge and Meanwhile, spares support production line for the system, launch canister, has a range small-footprint penetration/ for the M113 launch vehicles known as Tamuz in Israeli of some 26 km and is guided blast/fragmentation types. (some of which were evidently service, had already closed and by an operator who views the Exactor ﬁrst went into opera- among the earliest of their the UK MoD accordingly leased target in the terminal phase by tionTDemo with a British close support kind) was proving to be “a two M113 tracked launch means of a camera in the nose artillery regiment (1st Regiment nightmare”, according to some vehicles, and purchased another of the missile, connected to the Royal Horse Artillery–1RHA)in of those associated with the dozen, direct from Israel Defence operator’s console by a radio Basra in August 2007, only three Exactor programme. Fortu- Forces warstocks. frequency (RF) link. Warheads months after contract exchange nately Israeli industry still had The Spike-NLOS missile, developed for Spike-NLOS (a period that had included six the means to refurbish or ﬁnd

28 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Exactor – SPECIAL REPORT

replacements for the majority of operations in Basra in 2009. A Guided Multiple Launch Rocket at the Eurosatory exhibition in the electromechanical systems. significant number of missiles System (GMLRS)-equipped Paris in 2010, and again in the Ironically for a system then remained in stock and depth-fire regiment, 39 UK at DSEI the following year. designed for Middle Eastern at the same time there was a Regiment RA. (Under the latest Its British unveiling followed de- operations, its built-in cooling need for a low collateral damage round of defence cuts, this regi- classification in August 2011 of arrangements proved inad- engagement capability against ment is in the process of being the original Tamuz system after equate, supplementary cooling hostile rocket and improvised broken up, three of its batteries 25-years service with the Israel having to be provided from an explosive device-laying teams being due to be parcelled out Defence Forces, during which external source through the operating in Afghanistan. It was to the close support regiments the latter had adapted Spike- vehicle hatches. Open-hatch therefore decided to extend the allocated to the new Reaction NLOS to a variety of wheeled, operation in turn left it vulner- Exactor UOR, the launchers in Force brigades.) light tracked, heavy tracked, and able to water ingress from cloud- Iraq being transferred directly to By then Rafael had begun air platforms. bursts or hailstorms. Afghanistan’s Helmand province offering to the British Army its The Mk5 has since become Since the British Army had using C-130 Hercules tactical improved Mk5 seeker and display Rafael’s standard model for the never previously had the transport aircraft. design, which catered for several export market, having been armoured personnel carrier Official journals recorded the of the lessons identified in Iraq. adopted by the Republic of (APC) version of the M113 in its resumption of Exactor opera- Since its provision necessitated Korea (ROK) – in addition to the inventory, the Exactor platform tions in Afghanistan by 1 RHA resumption of production, it UK – in ground-launched and risked providing a combat indica- in September 2009, when its made sense at the same time helicopter-borne applications. tor to hostile observers. However, B Battery deployed at Forward to modernise much of the rest A vehicular Spike-NLOS system in Basra this could be overcome Operating Base Edinburgh near of the missile’s propulsion and solution, understood to be the by altering its external appear- Musa Qala “with devastating guidance-control electronics. model selected for the ROK ance to match that of the British effect”. Later the responsibil- Development of the Mk5 was Army, was displayed again at this Army’s FV432 Bulldog APC, with ity for Exactor operation was subsequently completed with year’s DSEI in September. This its Rafael-designed side armour. consolidated within a battery an injection of British funds, the is based on the Plasan SandCat The British Army ceased its belonging to the Royal Artillery’s missile making its public debut 4x4 protected vehicle design,

! !

TDemo

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 29 SPECIAL REPORT – Exactor

with four Spike-NLOS ready on automatic image-correlation rounds, six reloads, an elevatable techniques could clearly provide Toplite observation and targeting alternative automated machine- sensor ball, and a second elevat- to-machine transfer options, able dome containing the RF suitable for future exploitation command and imagery datalink by reservists or crews not having antenna. At the same show the benefit of constant exposure Spike-NLOS was exhibited aboard to operations within a mature a Royal Navy frigate as one of the battlespace infrastructure. missile armament solutions to be The Mk5 missile is fitted for, qualified with the AgustaWest- but not with, a supplementary land AW159 Wildcat shipboard semi-active laser target-seeking helicopter variant, both the heli- 1448662 Pengelley: Rupert capability, which could be used copter and missile having been directly to cue the missile onto adopted by the ROK Navy. the correct target. Significantly, Spike-NLOS installed in a Plasan SandCat 4x4 launch vehicle, as chosen in addition to their visual for the ROK Army. Exactor Mk2 sensor outputs, the British In the UK case, Exactor is Army’s current Hermes 450 and expected to continue in service continue to provide Exactor gramme, as an interim solution developmental Watchkeeper in Afghanistan with the British spares and support, and the pending resolution of IFPA AP3. UAVs have both laser designator Army at least until the latter’s Frazer Nash consultancy, respon- Spike-NLOS comes with its and laser pointer capabilities, withdrawal in a post-2014 sible for the safety case. own on-mount target acquisition which potentially offer differ- timeframe. Prior to that, the capability, but self-evidently its ent means of highlighting the intention is that the troublesome Transfer to core capabilities can be most fully desired target to the Exactor M113s should be supplanted by At the Defence IQ Future Artil- exploited if it is networked. The operator, using either thermal the new Mk2 trailer-mounted lery Conference in March 2013, use of Exactor in conjunction (SeeSpot) or low-light TV obser- Exactor launcher system. Devel- a staff officer outlined the British with Base ISTAR electro-optical vation channels. opment of this readily transport- Army’s options for meeting its assets to engage insurgent At an estimated unit cost of able reduced-weight version was long-term ‘close point mobile roadside bomb-laying teams was USD100,000 (in the same contracted to Rafael by the UK target’ engagement requirement, first openly adumbrated in a BBC ballpark as the GMLRS Unitary MoD in June 2012 and the first currently being addressed on documentary broadcast in 2011. rocket and Javelin missile), it production sample was presented operations by Exactor. Typically, feeds from aero- remains to be seen how many to the customer in March 2013. Three solutions were being stat-based sensors such as the more rounds the UK forces will It was accepted for service in late weighed under the Indirect Fire US-operated Persistent Ground eventually buy. However, August, subject to a number of Precision Attack programme, Surveillance System or the British Spike-NLOS having already minor ‘tweaks’. A further round Assessment Phase 3 (IFPA AP3), Army’s mobile Revivor can be been qualified aboard Cobra and of tests is planned for November including an evolved Exactor installed in the Exactor launch Apache attack helicopters, and and, all being well, deployment implementation (viz the Mk2), vehicles, although it is still down being set to follow suit on the to theatre should take place upon an armed unmanned aerial to the operator to correlate what Wildcat naval variant, it may yet completion of training during vehicle (UAV), or the develop- may be seen on the various dis- find further uses aboard Royal the first part of 2014. mental MBDA Fire Shadow loi- plays available to him or her. Navy and Royal Marine plat- The Exactor Mk2 system com- tering munition. The decision, he For its part Rafael now also forms, in addition to those of prises a flatbed trailer supporting suggested, was to be taken in the offers UAV integration as part of the British Army. a four-round mount that gives next financial year (2014), with the Spike-NLOS targeting system. a 360° traverse capability, plus a view to having a precision-fire This is thought to have been ON THE WEB sighting and datalink systems capability ready to be deployed in declined for the UK’s current and a number of reloads. This is support of UK reaction forces by configuration, the British Army UK looks backwards and transportable as an entity in a 2017-18. However, in September having successfully devised third- forwards to its future land half ISO container, and can be industry sources suggested to IHS party target identification and fire support requirements, IHS Jane’s International associated with a separate contai- Jane’s the IFPA AP3 decision has hand-off drills for its artillery fire- Defence Review, 11.04.2013 nerised refrigeration facility for since been rolled back to 2015 support teams, using mensurated keeping sensitive munitions cool to coincide with the UK MoD’s grids and laser target indication. Exactor precision missile on the firing position. five-yearly Strategic Defence and TDemoThese drills can be expected engages Afghan insurgent Besides prime contractor Security Review. to remain well-rehearsed while bomb-layers, IHS Jane’s International Defence Rafael, other companies involved By contrast, a representative kinetic strikes are a common Review, 11.10.2011 in the Exactor Mk2 contract are of HQ Army has told IHS Jane’s feature of operational theatres. Thales UK (the original Exactor that Exactor had in fact already However, online data transfer ihs.com/janes prime contractor), which will been brought into the core pro- methods such as those based

30 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Be prepared! Practice to improve skills.

TDemo Please visit us at I/ITSEC 2013, 2–5 December, Orlando, Florida

RUAG Schweiz AG | RUAG Defence Allmendstrasse 86 | 3602 Thun | Switzerland Phone +41 33 228 22 65 | [email protected] www.ruag.com SPECIAL REPORT – TITUS etrSses 1448655 Systems: Nexter 1448656 Systems: Nexter

TITUS has a high level of cross-country mobility and is based on a The ﬁrst example of TITUS is ﬁtted with a Nexter Systems ARX20 RWS proven Tatra chassis and suspension system. This photo clearly shows armed with a .50 calibre M2HB MG, 7.62 mm MG at the front and two the appliqué armour. 7.62 mm MGs mounted one either side on the roof at the rear.

Allison automatic transmission. Imperial aspirations: Nexter aims However, other options are available with growth potential up to 580 hp. Drive is selectable, with TITUS at export market the driver able to opt for 6x4 on road, leaving 6x6 for cross-coun- CHRISTOPHER F FOSS cover publicly at the DSEI (COTS) parts used wherever pos- try driving. exhibition in London in Septem- sible – including a Tatra tubular KEY POINTS ber. Nevertheless, according to chassis, the suspension, and Specifications Nexter officials TITUS is produc- powerpack – and overall dimen- The first example of TITUS was Nexter has designed a new tion-ready and the first vehicles sions suiting normal road use. built in the APC configuration vehicle it hopes will keep production lines going until can be delivered to the customer For example, its width of 2.55 m and offers individual, blast-atten- the French Army’s new 12 months after contract. enables it to travel on roads uating seating for 10 dismounts armour programmes take off In common with many modern without an escort. in addition to the commander, armoured vehicle designs, TITUS The powerpack pulled through gunner, and driver, with addi- Modular design enables TITUS to be rapidly configured has a high degree of modularity, from Tatra comprises a Cummins tional stowage space to the very for a wide range of missions which enables users to reconfig- 400 hp diesel, coupled to an rear of the vehicle. Swapping the ure the vehicle for different mis- blast seats could provide space for sions without a major redesign. Typical TITUS specifications two more dismounts. exter Systems has de- In base form, it aims to bridge Crew: 3 + 10 TITUS has an internal volume veloped its new Tactical the gap in the market between Length: 7.55 m of 14.4 m3, plus about 2.4 m3 3 NInfantry Transport & infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) Width: 2.55 m of stowage inside and 1.5 m Utility System (TITUS) family of and basic armoured personnel Height: 2.73 m outside in bins that will blow off 6x6 wheeled armoured fighting carriers (APCs) such as the widely in a blast incident. Combat weight: 23,000 kg vehicles (AFVs) with an eye on deployed M113. It is further The vehicle’s stern is domi- the export market and a hope that claimed to combine mine-resis- Empty weight: 17,000 kg nated by a powered ramp fitted orders will plug a looming gap in tant ambush-protected (MRAP)- Max speed: 110 km/h with a firing port to afford the the AFV production lines when type levels of protection with TDemoRange: 700 km crew a chance to lay down sup- current orders dry up in 2015. much greater mobility. Gradient: 60% pressing fire before dismounting. Development of TITUS started Living with the vehicle should Side slope: 30% There are no firing ports in the in 2011 and the first vehicle be relatively painless for users, Vertical obstacle: 650 mm flanks of the hull, but they could began automotive trials in maintainers, and accountants, be accommodated if required. Fording: 1.2 m mid-2013, but it only broke with commercial off-the-shelf A large single-pane armoured

32 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes TITUS – SPECIAL REPORT

considerable level of power, so expected in 2015, unless export the vehicle is fitted with four orders are won. 12V 120 Ah batteries and a stan- The facility is also build- dard alternator delivering 360 A, ing 4x4 Aravis APCs based on but with growth to 570 A. the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG It also carries a Nexter NERVA chassis and has delivered a batch reconnaissance robot and is fitted of 15 vehicles to the French with a roof-mounted acoustic Army as part of an urgent sensor that can be coupled to the operational requirement for a RWS to enable incoming small- route-clearing system. arms fire to be detected and Another 200 or so vehicles rapidly engaged. are understood to be being delivered to Saudi Arabia in Vehicle variants three batches – although Nexter Typical roles identified by Nexter Systems has never confirmed for modular refits include: an this contract – the first units urban assault variant fitted of which are believed to have with ramps to access buildings; already been handed over. ambulance; battlefield resupply; The French Army has two key

etrSses 14486557 Systems: Nexter combat engineer; command post future AFV programmes, the Vehi- (CP) vehicle; mortar (81 mm or cule Blindé MultiRole (VBMR) The front and rear power steering of TITUS is of particular use in urban 120 mm); recovery; and target and the Engin Blindé de Recon- operations. This vehicle is fitted with a roof-mounted acoustic small- acquisition with mast-mounted naissance et de Combat (EBRC) arms detector. day/night sensor package. to replace the currently deployed Nexter Systems is currently AMX-10RC armoured cars. window spans the front of the tyre-inflation system. in volume production of two The request for information vehicle, providing the commander The baseline TITUS has an wheeled vehicles at its facility for the VBMR has not yet been and driver a clear view out. They unloaded weight of 17 tonnes in Roanne. formally issued, but is expected each have a side door in the launch and gross vehicle weight (GVW) Under contract to the French to call for a smaller and more vehicle, but the door/hatch design of 23 tonnes, but with growth Army the company is building compact 6x6 vehicle than TITUS, is flexible enough to accommodate potential to 27 tonnes for extra 630 Véhicule Blindé de Combat so IHS Jane’s understands that the a number of options. armour, systems, and weapons. d’Infanterie (VBCI) 8x8 IFV and vehicle is not currently aimed at In the baseline version, the The first model of the TITUS CP versions, with final deliveries this French Army requirement. engine compartment is protected was fitted with a Nexter Systems to STANAG 4569 Level 1 with ARX20 remote weapon station an upgrade package to Level 3 (RWS) armed with .50-calibre ballistic. The rest of the hull is M2HB and 7.62 mm machine Level 2, but it can be upgraded to guns (MGs), surmounting banks Level 4 ballistic and Level 4a/4b of electrically operated grenade for blast, but at the expense of launchers. The ARX20 can be added weight. fitted with heavier weapons up The hull can also be fitted with to a 20 mm cannon or a 40 mm bar/slat armour to protect against automatic grenade launcher. rocket propelled grenades (RPGs). Additionally, the vehicle boasts The French Army has recently a pair of roof-mounted 7.62 mm increased its experience of this MGs to provide suppressive fire type of armour having installed over the rear arc. packages on some of its AFVs cur- The first example was fitted rently deployed overseas. with a range of systems that The Tatra swing axle suspen- will be optional on production sion gives a high level of cross- vehicles, including a suite of 1525020 Allen: IHS/Patrick country mobility, with a total subsystems such as electronic wheel travel of 340 mm. Powered architecture, air conditioning, a TDemo steering on the first and last road battle management system, and wheels gives a good turning diam- cameras for 360 degree situa- eter of 13 m. Standard fit tyres are tional awareness, feeding screens The dismounts can leave TITUS via a large power-operated ramp at the rear. Michelin 16.00 x R20 runflats, at the crew stations. This example has a vision block and associated firing port, and external hooked up to a Syegon central All of these systems require a stowage boxes. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 33 SPECIAL REPORT ––UKMFTSUKMFTS

Fledgling Hawks BAE Systems: 1165388 Taking RAF pilot training to the next level

GARETH JENNINGS through the flight training course. OCU], now they need to do just the most cost effective platform “The Typhoon OCU has cut two,” he said. With regard to possible.” The Hawk T.2 costs KEY POINTS the length of its flying hours in pilots that will convert to the about 10 times less per hour to The UK's Hawk T.2-based half for this first intake [of gradu- Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike fly than the Typhoon. fast jet training programme ate pilots] from Valley. Even I aircraft, Shinner noted that Run by the Ascent consortium aims to reduce costs, whilst have a sharp intake of breath at these will leave RAF Valley with of Lockheed Martin and Babcock improving quality that. That is where the real big “everything they need, and quite International Group, in partner- Although managed by savings to defence are,” he said, a bit more”, as the Tornado is not ship with the Directorate of industry, UKMFTS retains much adding: “We’ve changed the equipped with an air-to-air radar. Flying Training for No. 22 (Train- of the RAF’s military ethos output standard here to produce This improvement in the fast ing) Group and the UKMFTS a student who is capable of being jet training pipeline extends Project Team from the Ministry a multirole wingman. It’s a com- beyond the radar and into aspects of Defence (MoD), the UKMFTS mprovements in pilot training pletely different standard to the of weaponeering also, Shinner AJT pipeline aims to combine the brought about by the UK Mili- Hawk T.1, and in some areas it noted. “RAF Valley has a ‘secret’ best practice of the traditional Itary Flight Training System even goes beyond what they will clearance now, which it never RAF training establishment with (UKMFTS) programme have en- see on their OCU.” used to have, which means the flexibility and cost-effective- abled the Royal Air Force (RAF) The first four ab initio students that [the military] can [teach] ness of private industry. to make sizeable cost savings graduated from the UKMFTS AJT about Paveway IV, AMRAAM or “The customer [22 Training while improving graduate stan- course in June, before being trans- ASRAAM up to the standard that Group] sets us up with a whole dards, an industry official told ferred to 29(R) Squadron. Accord- they would normally have on the datapack of training objectives IHS Jane’s in early September. ing to Shinner, a former RAF fast OCU. This means that when they , and then it’s up to Ascent, Speaking at the home of the jet pilot himself, these students gettotheOCU,noneofthose working with the military, to UKMFTS’ Advanced Jet Trainer have demonstrated such a supe- briefs need to be repeated. What deliver,” Shinner said. “We have (AJT) course at RAF Valley in rior understanding of basic radar we have found is that the students a blank sheet of paper, basically, North Wales, Alasdair Shinner, concepts in particular compared have taken to this so well that we but we have realised two things – Ascent Flight Training station to students who trained on the are expecting them to scare some innovation is fabulous, but don’t manager said that the newly older Hawk T.1, that the Typhoon of the OCU staff because they throw away things that work well. introduced BAE Systems Hawk OCU has cut that aspect of their are bang up-to-date on the latest “The link with the RAF and the T.2-based training system had training by about a quarter. developments in weaponeering.” Central Flying School [CFS], and allowed the Eurofighter Typhoon “Previously they had a As Shinner explained, these the quality stamp that goes on Operational Conversion Unit [student] output from the old advances have been made by top, is what makes this partner- (OCU) – 29(R) Squadron – to make [Hawk T.1] system, but this TDemoclosing the training gap that ship unique. You retain the RAF a significant cut in the number is the first new output [from existed with the analogue Hawk brand and quality, but you use of hours needed to convert pilots the UKMFTS Hawk T.2-based T.1, and transferring a lot of the industry to help deliver that. onto the front line type, at the system]. Whereas before [these training currently done by the What you don’t do is to just con- same time as improving the students] used to do eight or OCU back to RAF Valley. “The tract out your flying training to quality of those students who pass nine basic radar stories [in the aim is to get the training down to someone independently and lose

34 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UKMFTS – SPECIAL REPORT

everything that you had before.” officer, because that’s the way it’s mapping, integrated GPS/INS, and fighting each other, a lot of The concept Ascent chose to going to be for them when they radar-altimeter, as well as terrain what they are interacting with adopt involved bringing all of the get to the front line,” he said. collision avoidance system (TCAS) (radar, missiles, other weaponry) training together under one roof For pilot training, Ascent and terrain proximity warning is synthetic.” at RAF Valley “[This includes] utilises a mixture of 28 Hawk T.2 systems. “All of this together in a At the basic level of simula- the classrooms, the simulators, aircraft, two full-mission simula- fast jet is a first for the RAF – even tion, Ascent employs the DTT. the squadron, and the people,” tors (FMSs), six flying training front line aircraft don’t manage to This laptop-based system can be Shinner noted. “It is very impor- devices (FTDs), and a desk-top get all of those in there together,” accessed anywhere, and enables tant to me that, for the first trainer (DTT) on every student’s Shinner enthused. the student to learn all the time, all of my ground instruc- laptop. It is the combination of Aside from the aircraft, much mapping of the hands-on-throt- tors and civilians are formally these tools, coupled with the of the student’s training now tle-and-stick (HOTAS) and how checked out by the CFS. We’re ground and flight instruction, involves simulation, as Shinner to control it. regarded by Wing Commander that makes for the complete explained: “The big change The six FTDs are run as mini- [Dan] Beard [Officer Command- UKMFTS AJT training system. is that, even in the airborne simulators. They can be either ing (OC) 4[R] Squadron] as being With a cockpit modelled on the environment, there is a huge standalone or linked, as either ‘D-Flight’ on the squadron, so Eurofighter Typhoon, the Hawk amount of simulation going on. the front or rear cockpit. They there’s a full integration there. T.2 is equipped with a full head-up [Even when] the students are are advanced enough to teach “The most important thing display (HUD), a digital moving actually in an aircraft, in the air basic radar, without having to go is that [Ascent] is part of 4(R) into the FMS, and simple enough Squadron. The students get an that the students can use them arrival chat from the OC of 4 on their own for some self-help. Squadron, they’re on a military At the top-end of the spec- flight, and they treat [the Ascent] trum of simulation devices are instructors as though they are the two FMSs. Built by CAE in part of the military. This is that Canada, these twin domes are stepping stone to the front line treated as real aircraft, with the that we sort of lost over the last students donning full flying 20 years in the air force when [the kit and having to sign for them

former training establishments IHS/Gareth Jennings: 1517115 before sorties. They are not full at] RAF Chivenor and RAF Brawdy motion, but provide motion- closed, and ﬂight training was cueing through the seat. They no longer in Strike Command. have a full ﬂight model sup- It’s really important now that, plied by BAE Systems, and a although we have a high level of high resolution terrain database contractualisation here, the stu- provided by the MoD that covers dents understand what going to a the whole of the UK (this is a front line squadron is all about.” limitation that Ascent has set, Shinner explained that this but it could cover elsewhere in philosophy extends to all aspects the world if needed). of the UKMFTS operation at RAF According to Shinner, the

Valley, including the Ascent Qual- IHS/Gareth Jennings: 1517117 upshot of these devices is that ified Flight Instructors (QFIs) and RAF Valley is now turning out the Babcock groundcrew. “Every more capable pilots at no extra Ascent QFI wears a black flight cost. “I strongly believe that we suit [military QFIs wear a green are giving cost effective, and flight suit], and the [Babcock] more reliable training,” he said. groundcrew wear squadron “That means that when you do badges.” He added that student get airborne you maximise every pilots are addressed in accordance single flying hour you’ve got. with their rank, as they would be What we have seen is that our air- on any operational squadron, and borne failure rate is now running that this help breed the military at less than half a percent, which

ethos required. IHS/Gareth Jennings: 1517120 TDemo compares to a norm of some- “If you go to [RAF] Linton, Top: Ascent has six FTDs at RAF Valley, which are advanced enough to teach where between 7 and 10% [on the where [pilot training] is largely basic radar, and simple enough that the students can use them on their own Hawk T.1]. For the same number for some self-help. Middle: The FMSs are treated as real aircraft, with the contractualised, you are likely to students donning full ﬂying kit and having to sign for them before sorties. of ﬂying hours and for the same be called ‘mate’, whereas here you Bottom: As part of the UKMFTS contract, Ascent has built a brand new han- cost, I think we have doubled the will be called ‘Sir’, if you are an gar facility at RAF Valley for the 28 Hawk T.2 aircraft. standard of the student.”

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 35 SPECIAL REPORT – Small arms training

Small arms lethality: never mind the calibre, take aim at the training

NICK BROWN

KEY POINTS

Studies show that 5.56 mm still appears suitable for current engagement ranges Training is the key to lethality improvements

ebate continues to rage Copyright:1347454 Crown across the small arms Dworld about the potential benefits of shifting from The 5.56 mm SA80 is set to remain in service until at least 2025, so in addition to some upgrade packages being adapted into core, the British Army is looking to improve its combat effectiveness and lethality through training. 5.56 mm NATO-standard ball ammunition in search of greater stopping power at longer ranges. weapons from front line troops with optics beyond their ‘red dot’ ing them or having recourse to That argument has gained a returning from Afghanistan. holographic reflex sights, which support weapons, then that is a little traction over the past few He said that the argument for are designed for short-range fundamental shift in doctrine, years as several International the heavier round appeared to engagements and are actually rather than something simply Security Assistance Force (ISAF) be flawed as most engagements counterproductive at long ranges addressed by buying a new rifle. armed forces have rolled out in Afghanistan – drawing on as the dot obscures the target. With all of this in mind, as weapons – such as the British Belgian and other countries’ data He acknowledged that NATO long-range engagements remain Army’s 7.62x51 mm (.308 Win) – occurred at ranges of around 5.56 mm ammunition has lower exceptional, he argued that L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle – to 300 m and that although he rec- penetration capacity against steel, Belgium should in the main provide accurate fire to overmatch ognised that there is no exact sci- but that it was not a problem for retain its 5.56 mm FNC and threats in Afghanistan at the entific consensus on the energy the target sets in Afghanistan, SCAR-L standard issue rifles. section or platoon level. However, deposit required, there is broad although it might be on future The British Army is similarly a wholesale shift to a larger calibre agreement that between 80 and battlefields. He also pointed out revisiting its small arms weapon of standard assault rifle is unlikely 300 J is enough to incapacitate that 5.56 mm ball is capable of mix using its experience in to happen any time soon, partly or kill a human target. penetrating all currently fielded Afghanistan and Iraq, but as as the issue is hedged around Further, he said that his body armour without plate funding for the Section System by substantial acquisition and studies using various weapons inserts (adding that plates also Lethality (SSL) project that was to logistics costs, but also because had shown that 5.56 mm ball still defeated 7.62 mm). replace the 5.56 mm SA80 assault the scientific analysis of the has around 300 J at 600 m and rifles and Light Support Weapons benefits of larger rounds appears pretty much the same amount of Manoeuvrist doctrine (LSW) has been cancelled, the inconclusive and is not neces- energy (and similar dispersion) In addition, he pointed to the army is now expected to keep that sarily compatible with current as a 7.62 mm round at 300 m. Belgian Army’s – and indeed family of weapons in service until fire-and-manoeuvre tactics. In addition, on hitting the target the rest of NATO’s – entire at least 2025. Commander Frederik Coghe, the 5.56 mm round was shown to manoeuvrist doctrine that calls Although there are weapons project manager of the Belgian tumble faster than the larger pro- for small arms’ weight of fire mix, doctrinal and upgrade Royal Military Academy’s Depart- jectile, which should incapacitate and incapacitating potential at studies under way, Lieutenant ment of Weapon Systems and Bal- more effectively. short to medium ranges as being Colonel James York, head of the listics, told Defence IQ’s Infantry Cdr Coghe conceded that more important than accuracy UK Ministry of Defence’s Capabil- Weapons 2013 conference in 7.62 mm ammunition still at longer ranges, which favours ity Directorate Combatant office, London that his department has retained 300 J out to 1,000 m, 5.56TDemo mm. He suggested that said that in the meantime the recently conducted a lengthy but he said that at that range it if there is a real operational army was relying on improved comparison study of NATO- was difficult to see the target, requirement to engage opposi- training to increase lethality. standard 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm let alone hit it. Part of this may tion forces at long ranges with Lieutenant Colonel John ammunition. This was in direct be coloured by the fact that deliberate aimed fire, rather Whitchurch, commanding officer response to calls for larger calibre Belgian soldiers are not issued than suppressing and outflank- of the British Army’s Small Arms

36 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Small arms training – SPECIAL REPORT

School Corps responsible for obvious Small Arms Range Target say, but nobody really enjoyed – Enhanced Range Management delivering much of that train- System range simulation. the shooting. By changing the Qualification – to help engender ing, told the Infantry Weapons However, Lt Col Whitchurch approach to shooting, by making a new culture that emphasises conference rather starkly that bemoaned the challenge of it more enjoyable and more the value of improved marks- “a shot in the face with 5.56 trying to keep graphics up to the relaxed – although no less safely manship and movement. is every bit as debilitating as a standards of the gaming industry, run – we are having a true impact shot in the face with a 12.7 mm as poor fidelity outstripped by on the ability of the range staff Back to school round. The important point here the latest first person shooter and the firers to improve shoot- The Royal Military Academy is to train your soldier to be able games undermines the simula- ing standards.” Sandhurst and the School of to deliver that shot accurately. tors’ psychological impact on A part of that approach has Infantry have also been conduct- “The problems are actually the students. He also called on seen the army return to training a series of training trials over very simple to resolve. The manufacturers to develop more ing with a variety of weapons, the past 18 months. Among biggest problem with marks- affordable practice ammunition not just focusing on the SA80 other aspects, these studies have manship, operational shooting to enable the instructors to and some pistol training. In looked at: varying the period standards, call it what you will, spend more time on the ranges. particular, Lt Col Whitchurch at which the soldier is made to is with coaching. If your coach He said that the British Army declared the reintroduction of air shoot burdened with equipment, doesn’t know how to coach, he is has so far rolled out an SA80 VTT rifle shooting an “outstanding” armour and so forth; shifting the going to fail… . Just to compound and is currently working on a success, enabling soldiers to prac- sequence of shoots; coaching that problem, if that [soldier] version for the General Purpose tise pure marksmanship prin- grouping in the prone position has been failed by his coach and Machine Gun, with development ciples without having to book a before moving on to positional manages to get through recruit of automatic grenade launcher full range or undergo all of the shooting; focusing on the training, in five or six years’ time and pistol versions funded and safety restrictions that control varying benefits of target time he will come back as a trainer set to follow in the future. the use of full match ammuni- exposure; and target distances. of recruits, perpetuating the Interactive publications are tion. He added that shotguns also The results of those trials are due problem. This is a situation we’ve also being rolled out – complete help to “introduce a bit of fun in April 2014 and are expected had for decades.” with animations and embedded into shooting. People enjoy the to have far-reaching effects on videos that Lt Col Whitchurch shotgun and clay-pigeon shoot- the army’s approach to opera- Training tools said were a great leap beyond ing and it complements close- tional shooting training. Part of the army’s response to complex diagrams to clarify tasks quarter fighting”. In the meantime, the army this is a shift to what the service such as section contact drills for Underlying this shift in train- has rewritten its Operational calls “agile instructors”, who jungle warfare – while a coaching ing, Lt Col Whitchurch said Shooting Policy to make it more are schooled in the modern ‘app’ for smartphones and tablets that chain-of-command support approachable and more easily educational methods and tools is also being built. has been critical. “Us guys who understood – Lt Col Whitchurch expected by the trainees. This Other digital tools include specialise in this sort of thing said that the average reading moves beyond the basics of the helmet-mounted cameras, which have been moaning about where age of a British Army recruit skills being taught and provides Lt Col Whitchurch said are a the problems lie for decades, is five years old – and brought the instructor with the auton- “brilliant tool for instructors” but it is only recently that we competitive shooting, which was omy and authority to conduct enabling them to film trainees’ have had true and unanimous traditionally covered in a sepa- lessons as they see fit to achieve shooting and then provide “group support from the chain of rate tome, into the Operational set aims. Lt Col Whitchurch said therapy afterwards. … By address- command. That has come off the Shooting Policy document. that trainees used to Wi-Fi tools ing [coaching and instruction] at back of operational experience Lt Col Whitchurch told IHS and ‘smart’ interactive white- one fell swoop we will address the in the last couple of operations, Jane’s that that policy is now boards in a classroom devalue most significant problem of bad where sub-unit commanders a “living document” that is training that appears outdated by operational shooting,” he said. have said ‘it would be quite updated with lessons learnt from using chalk boards. Another area that Lt Col handy if our blokes could actu- operational experience. “There He added that although live-fire Whitchurch identified as need- ally shoot the target’. So with is much more in there now on shooting is always preferable to ing improvement was the that admission that all isn’t close-quarter battle drills, for indoctrinate trainees to the physi- slightly ‘softer’ environment right, we have now set ourselves example, than there was 12 cality of shooting and the smells of “firing range atmospherics”. on the road to recovery. It’s been months ago,” he said. Despite associated with it, simulation has He described how until recently going on for about two years this evolving nature, the docu- an increasing role in training. firing ranges were more akin to now and we are making massive ment is currently still a hardcopy This ranges from the Virtual drill ranges, where “it was more improvements, particularly for manual but is due to be made Task Trainer (VTT) – which uses important where the coach stood theTDemo infantry, but actually across electronic and stored online for 3-D models of weaponry on an for health and safety reasons the whole army.” easy update dissemination in interactive whiteboard enabling than what interaction was going The army is engaging a number April 2014, enabling users to instructors to run through tasks on between the coach and the of other initiatives to further print out the latest standards and drills, explaining what they’re firer, and there was always a rush improve training, including when required “or take it out doing to the class – to more to get things done…. Strange to establishing a new qualification with you on an iPhone”. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 37 Feature UAV training

High-ﬁdelity synthetic environments support the realism required for training through simulation.

Virtually grounded: UAS training eyes a future in simulation 1460705 CAE:

UAS aircrew have become firm members of the military While the air force operates the Predator and its successor the Reaper, the army decided family and their effectiveness can have a significant bear- to plough its own furrow and opt for the ing on operations. Training, however, for this career field is Gray Eagle, which, although visually similar to the Predator, is significantly different under far from optimised, writes Huw Williams the skin. As the US Department of Defense notes in he proliferation of unmanned aircraft relatively short timeframes, even tactical- its instructions for the acquisition of systems, systems (UASs) during the past decade level systems, such as AAI’s Shadow, for training is critical in delivering the end Thas made them a mainstay in the order example, require a high degree of airmanship. capability. Militaries can acquire the most of battle of a number of armed forces. Their To further exacerbate this problem, the sophisticated of systems but if their effect ability to provide persistent intelligence, urgent requirements for operations in is to be felt on the battlefield, operators, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and Afghanistan and Iraq led to a lack of co- maintainers and support personnel must be remove humans from harm’s way has made ordinated acquisition. Nowhere is this more properly trained. Training, therefore, must be them indispensable assets and they are now apparent than in the US armed forces. While a key consideration in the acquisition process. routinely deployed in support of operations in other nations the responsibilities for It is fair to say that the scramble to acquire ranging from simple foot patrols to joined up, certain aspects of operations, for example and deploy UASs led to a haphazard training large-scale missions. precision strike and close air support, are infrastructure being established. It is hard to However, in certain respects the systems largely designated to oneTDemo branch, in the attribute blame for this, after all, unlike the have become the victim of their own success. United States multiple services hold the gradual evolution of training pipelines for With numbers increasing exponentially, same capabilities. Good examples are the manned aircraft, UAS programmes had to be the demand for aircrews outstripped supply. US Army’s and US Air Force’s (USAF’s) uses introduced as the platforms were acquired Although small UASs (SUASs) could be of different variants of General Atomics and there was little structure to build upon. placed into the hands of operators within Aeronautical Systems’ Predator UAS. UASs were previously few in number, less

38 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UAV training

sophisticated than the systems required for The method of UAS control – through home training – we started getting change the new theatres of operation, and largely remote operation – opens up the possibil- proposals [from the USAF] asking us to operated in very narrow mission sets, such as ity for UAS aircrew training to be conducted increase fidelity, so that was the big turning in support of artillery. entirely through simulation. Even with small, point and it’s escalated from there, especially In the case of larger platforms, armed manportable systems the operator spends emphasising the sensor operator portion.” forces were able to press trained pilots little time with ‘eyes on’ the aircraft. One of Simulating the payloads for UASs is no into service, but this was an unsustainable the most advanced UAS training programmes mean feat, a wide range of ISR systems and approach and for tactical systems the number in place – that for the USAF’s Predator and weaponry must be modelled and accurately of trained personnel immediately available Reaper aircraft – utilises a high degree of sim- presented in the simulation if training is to for operations could not meet requirements. ulation for all aspects of aircrew training and reflect reality. CAE’s approach to this chal- Adding to the turmoil of the situation is centred on the Predator Mission Aircrew lenge has been to develop a generic sensor was the unavailability of training systems – Training System (PMATS). The contract for simulator that can then be ‘tweaked’ to meet virtual or otherwise – there was little demand PMATS was first let in 2005 and awarded to the requirements of different payloads, for such systems and so few companies were L-3 Link Simulation and Training Systems. which can be stimulated by elements gener- involved in this area; early on this led to a PMATS utilises a modified ground control ated in the synthetic operating environment. higher than desired proportion of live train- station (GCS – supplied by General Atomics) At present, the amount of training for ing being carried out. that is integrated with the training system aircrew conducted in the PMATS stands at software. It is designed to provide training more than 50%, but Schram said that the Seeking synergies for both the pilot and sensor operator of the system is certified to deliver a far greater Fortunately, many of the issues in training Predator and Reaper aircraft. proportion. “The air force has said that they personnel to operate UASs have been ironed This ability to integrate training software want to certify a very high-fidelity model, out and a number of dedicated training pipe- with actual or modified GCS is a key benefit, [currently] over 90% of the training tasks that lines and career paths are in development. largely removing the need for new hardware they have to do for the platform they can do Furthermore, UAS training systems have also and enabling training to take place in-situ in the simulator. They certify the simulator made significant steps in catching up with when deployed, a capability that many other on a periodic basis as we do software updates. those for manned aircraft and the propor- platforms would like to benefit from. Different people have different requirements tion of training conducted in simulators has “The reason they [USAF] contracted for a depending on how much you’re going to use increased greatly. high-fidelity simulator – and this was the first simulation to offset your flight time. The air The rapid increase in numbers and types real requirement out there in the UAS market force ... could go to more simulation if they of UASs may have caused problems, but in – was because of the [high] accident rate, so desire, but there’s always a trade-off between the United States significant effort has been they needed something for pilot proficiency,” what you can do in the simulator and what made to co-ordinate work and share the cost explained Jeff Schram, a director of business you can do with a real aircraft. There are and burdens of acquisition, sustainment development at L-3 Link, adding that in the arguments on both sides … we can get very and training, although, as noted, due to the first instance the air force was focused on pro- accurate simulations of the sensor and the limited commonality of systems the opportu- viding flight training and improving airman- operating environment, and that’s growing nities for this are limited. ship, rather than full mission training. in accuracy.” At present, in the United States the most However, over time the service’s require- prominent examples in this area can be found ments developed to include increased empha- Blurring the lines in the joint army and marine corps training sis on the mission.“The sensor [simulation] As for undertaking all of the training in a infrastructure for Shadow and Raven aircraft requirements were not as sophisticated simulator, Schram believes there is potential, – at Fort Huachuca in Arizona the marine initially,” Schram said.“Over the years – and but technological developments are still corps and army operate a joint Shadow quali- I think the major turning point happened in required. “There’s a lot of talk about going to fication course – and the air force and navy’s 2008 when our leadership said they wanted 100% training in the simulator like the airlin- efforts to develop efficiencies in training all of our ISR assets in theatre and not at ers do. I think it’s moving down that path, for the former’s Global Hawk and the lat- I think that over the next five or six years ter’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance UAS you’re going to see that increased fidelity and (which utilises a variant of Global Hawk). I think it’s going to blur the lines between While improvements have been made, simulation and live operations. It will be getting to today’s position has been a difficult very difficult to tell the difference between process and UAS training is by no means in whether you’re in a simulation or whether an end state, work remains to be done in you’re on a live operation ... somewhere you developing career paths, training methods have to have a live checkout, but you can and in the technology required to support TDemo learn all of the things that are going to make programmes. UAS training presents unique 1460706 CAE: you a safe operator, an efficient operator, and challenges and opportunities, stemming get the expertise required, in the simulator.” largely from the nature of their operations Schram believes that the key for growth and relative immaturity – both in terms of The accurate simulation of UAS payloads is in the proportion of training conducted in system development and time in service. essential if training is to reflect operations. simulators is to increase realism and fidelity, ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 39 Feature UAV training

and that this is largely a matter of computa- tional power and software, adding that L-3 Link focuses a lot of its internal research-and- development efforts in this area. “The biggest thing we’ve latched onto is our physics-based environment generation system, where we are able to generate very complex scenarios without the need to script each individual element. It enables us to develop these very complex scenarios in which the participants interact with the environment and the next

phases depend on the actions you take. For 1423807 Training: and Simulation Link L-3 example, if you place a weapon down a road and the road blows up, all of the cars will jam up, people will die around that area, people will do different things, some people will The PMATS simulator utilises a real ground control station that is integrated with training software. run for example. All of that is turned into Using actual hardware increases the fidelity of training, removes the need for simulators to be an artificial intelligence environment that constructed, and enables training to be conducted in-situ. doesn’t have to be pre-scripted, there is a large environment you can put thousands of systems keep pace with the rapidly evolving can provide much of the same training. entities in.” platforms is of paramount importance and CAE has also signed a memorandum of The PMATS simulator operates with elem- is not an easy task, Daigle explained, “The understanding with General Atomics Aero- ents of L-3 Link’s HD World synthetic envi- main challenges remain with the proprie- nautical Systems to integrate its simulation ronment, which includes the company’s Data tary protection of information from the systems with the Predator family of UAS in Base Generation System, Physics Based Envi- OEMs [original equipment manufacturers]. order to offer a training solution for potential ronment Generator and Sensor Video Record- Technical capabilities, configuration changes international customers. ing System. HD World is able to simulate a and training system concurrency are part of The use of UASs in Afghanistan has dem- range of weapons and sensor systems, as well normal business … the challenges lie on access onstrated that they rarely operate indepen- as a variety of environmental conditions. to the information from the OEMs. Once dently of other assets and often work as part “That’s probably been the single biggest piece the customers secure access to the data, the of a package of systems that span a number for that type of training, because it’s actually training systems can be high-fidelity and fully of services and even the armed forces of better than what you can get on any of the representative of real systems for both flight several nations; therefore it is essential training ranges, with the amount of clutter characteristics and the sensor payloads.” that training integrates UASs within larger and the real world things you can add to the Daigle explained that CAE is working with scenarios and links simulators with those for scenario [to replicate] what they are faced OEMs to develop a generic, open architecture other platforms. Furthermore, the emerg- with in combat.” UAS mission trainer that is designed to be ing manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) adapted to any aircraft, GCS, and payload. concept – where UASs are operating alongside Turnkey approach This should go some way to providing a train- manned helicopters, with a level of control L-3 Link won a recompeted contract for ing solution that can be tailored to emerg- over the operation of the unmanned aircraft PMATS in June 2013, but it is not the sole ing training requirements and account for given to the helicopter crew – needs to be provider of training for the air force’s Preda- the wide range of systems in operation and taken into account in developing training tor and Reaper crews. In August CAE USA development, “The mission trainer is based on programmes and systems. won a five-year contract to provide aircrew modular technology and can be adapted to the Work into integrating UAS simulators training services, which will focus on instruc- simple tactical UAS as well as complex MALE within live, virtual and constructive (LVC) tion – simulated and live – as well as course- [medium-altitude long-endurance] and HALE environments; linking with distributed and ware development. [high-altitude long-endurance] platforms.” local networks; and developing MUM-T con- The award to CAE typifies the high level Scalability is a key benefit brought by the cepts is under way in varying degrees. CAE of involvement of industry in not only nature of UAS operation, as there is no need has demonstrated linking its UAS training providing hardware but also running and for the motion platforms and cueing required systems with those for manned aircraft as has staffing programmes. A turnkey approach to for high-fidelity manned aircraft simulation. L-3 Link with its PMATS and Aviation Com- training – that sees a range of capabilities from All aspects of the operation of UASs can be bined Arms Tactical Trainer for helicopters. courseware to mission simulators brought simulated accurately on computer monitors, The USAF has integrated the PMATS with together to provide an end-to-end solution – all that is missing is the tactileTDemo feel of the real its Distributed Mission Operations Center at is one that Martin Daigle, CAE’s UAS strategy system. L-3 Link’s PMATS Lite system is just Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. While and business development manager, believes one such example, although it has a smaller UAS elements in LVC and distributed training is a potential model for UAS training. footprint and does not replicate the exact is not new, the use of these training mediums With modern UASs in their relative infancy, layout of the Predator GCS, the system runs to develop UAS aircrew skills has largely been ensuring that training programmes and the same underlying simulation software and overlooked. This will need to be addressed if

40 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes UAV training

the amount of live UAS flights in combined simulated, and constructive assets. The during flight screening is three times higher training is to be reduced. The need for live UAS laboratories have been established largely in than that for manned aircraft pilots. The assets for certain aspects of training is not response to the US Army’s increasing empha- study called for screening to emphasise skills only detrimental to UAS crews, but also affects sis on MUM-T, most notably with the move such as familiarity with artificial intelligence other roles that regularly operate with UASs, to formalise Kiowa Warrior scout helicop- as well as a psychological capacity to deal such as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, who ters and Shadow UASs as combined units. A with long periods of boredom punctuated by also suffer from the inability to easily under- range of interoperable systems are present, occasional fast-paced, high-threat situations. take high-fidelity joined-up training. including Shadow hardware-in-the-loop and UASs will likely be among the last assets MUM-T efforts in the United States are maintenance trainers; Shadow and Gray Eagle to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, which being led by the army and are largely focused desktop trainers; Universal Ground Control underlines the importance that must be on linking the service’s Shadow and Gray Station and One Station Remote Video placed on qualifying and maintaining Eagle platforms with its Kiowa Warrior and Terminal hardware; and a rudimentary Kiowa operators. The inadequacies in training Apache helicopters, capabilities that have helicopter simulator. programmes and systems is evidenced by a already been rolled out in theatre. number of statistics, not least the number of Schram said that L-3 Link is approaching Career path challenges aircraft losses that have been attributed to the MUM-T requirement with its SimuScout The site is focused on developing technolo- pilot error. As of late 2012 the British Army system. “We saw a need for the army and gies and tactics, techniques and procedures, had lost 11 Hermes 450 aircraft in Afghani- developed a manned-unmanned teaming but is also used for familiarising and training stan since the type was introduced into concept called SimuScout. It takes two high- aircrew prior to deployment. service in 2007, losses were largely attrib- fidelity Kiowa simulators and couples them Technological challenges are not the only uted to poor training and airmanship. with a Shadow ground control station so they potential stumbling blocks for the devel- Comprehensive and effective training can operate [together] ... they’re training opment of UAS training and providing a will also be essential if the expertise and the people that deploy together – the Kiowa sustainable core of operators. Putting aside knowledge developed from the high intensity Warrior and the Shadow folks – so they can the debate of who should fly UASs – flight- of UAS operations in Afghanistan is to be interoperate before they get into the field, qualified operators or otherwise – establish- maintained post drawdown, it will be too prior to that they were thrust into this on ing dedicated UAS operator career paths easy for systems to be boxed away until the the battlefield essentially, they deployed and and filling those positions with competent next conflict. developed their teaming while they were out personnel has not been a straightforward task Among the other challenges that lie ahead there, and this [SimuScout] enables them to for a number of services. for UAS training is ensuring that when live do it prior to deployment.” In 2010 the USAF outlined its intentions assets are required they have access to airspace The army is currently leasing the to develop a dedicated UAS career field and and are provided with the appropriate facili- SimuScout system from L-3 Link and has has invested heavily in making this a reality. ties. While the former is intrinsically linked to fielded the capability at a number of bases, However, UAS pilot accession rates are low the issues regarding the integration of UASs including Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort and some studies have called for the career into national/civilian airspace, the latter is a Drum in New York, and Fort Riley in Kansas. path to be overhauled. A lack of volunteers question of investment by armed forces and Significant MUM-T development work is and a high ‘wash-out’ rate were cited by a industry. Fortunately, it seems that this is taking place at the Textron Systems Inte- Brookings Institute report as two reasons forthcoming, aside from the large training gration and Collaboration Lab, and the Bell for the failure to meet quotas. Particular centres such as Fort Huachuca, militaries Helicopter/AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems problems identified by the report include are backing UAS training infrastructure. For Manned/Unmanned Operations capability the failure to recognise the need for unique example, the US Army opened a UAS training development lab in Huntsville Alabama. screening and training based on the skills and facility at the Joint Multinational Training The co-located facilities – which opened in temperament required of UAS pilots, it also Center (JMTC) in Grafenwoehr, Germany, in December 2012 – feature a range of live, noted that the attrition rate for UAS pilots early October. This will serve both the JMTC and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, and is capable of accommodat- ing the US Army’s Hunter platform. While militaries cannot be sure what the nature of future battlespaces will be, the capabilities provided to them by UASs in the asymmetric warfare experienced in Afghanistan are combat proven. If these are to evolve it is TDemo essential that UAS training receives the same attention as that given to other key systems

SAm:1518374 Army: US and that it progresses as an integrated compo- A Hunter UAV at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. UAS training nent of a larger infrastructure, it must not be facilities such as those established at the nearby Joint Multinational Training Command in Grafen- allowed to return to its niche status once the woehr are essential if UAS training is to routinely be part of larger, joined-up training events. ﬁght is over. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 41 Feature Chinese amphibious capabilities

Side view of the PLAN’s current amphibious ﬂagship class, the Type 71 LPD Jinggangshan, alongside in Shanghai. YS 1401641 FYJS:

This cutaway shows the internal well dock arrangement of the Type 071 LPDs, with the dock running for roughly two-thirds of the ship’s length. CCTV via R Foster: 1513267 Rising STOM: China expands amphibious capabilities

However, it is in amphibious power that China’s amphibious forces are on the move. The country China is making the biggest strides, as its smaller island neighbours are quick to point is investing heavily in new ships and vehicles able to out. In March 2013, a PLAN amphibious deliver on its power projection ambitions. Nick Brown task force led by a Type 071 landing platform dock (LPD) caused a stir in the region when it and Christopher F Foss report steamed around the disputed Spratly islands, exercised amphibious assaults, and visited hina’s amphibious capabilities are vessels have expanded their horizons over the James Shoal just off Malaysia. inexorably on the rise. last few years, with ships deploying to the In July 2013 satellite imagery of the C Depending on where you are Horn of Africa on counter-piracy patrols since Jiangnan Group’s Changxing Island shipyard sitting, this is variously attributed to China late 2008 and interest growing in exercises showed progress on some large blocks of what belatedly building armed forces and capa- within its region and beyond. July this year was initially thought to be an indigenous bilities commensurate with its size and saw the PLAN wrap up its biggest-ever series Chinese aircraft carrier, but which might economic power, just a resurgence of its of exercises in foreign waters, then the PLAN actually be an amphibious assault ship. interest as a global player looking for power was a key visitor to the Australian Interna- A few months on, exactly what the vessel projection tools, a peer competitor flexing its tional Fleet Review in September. is remains unclear, but it could possibly be muscles, or an outright threat to neighbours The PLAN has been steadilyTDemo building its a manifestation of the landing helicopter with clashing territorial or mineral claims. submarine and surface combatant fleet for dock (LHD) design that China Shipbuilding Regardless of the reasons behind the the last couple of decades, as well as making and Offshore International Co (CSOC) has bid growth, China’s amphibious forces are matur- high-profile steps towards carrier aviation, to Turkey. China has yet to build an LHD and ing rapidly. much to the chagrin of India with its slow- CSOC officials working with the Turkish bid People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) moving carrier projects. asserted that the design they were bidding

42 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Chinese amphibious capabilities

was purely for export, but China does have however, remain the Yuting classes of much less capable vessels, serving more to aspirations in that direction. In late 2012, helicopter-capable tank landing ship (LSTHs). highlight the amphibious capability enhance- Admiral Yin Zhou said China would like large They were built in two main batches of 10 ments that the PLAN has undertaken. LHDs in future, possibly displacing in the split into two sub-classes: Type 072 II Yuting The PLAN also boasts a substantial force range of 40,000 tonnes. I (commissioned between 1992 and 2002) of medium landing ships (LSM). There are Until that ship emerges, the PLAN’s and Type 072 III Yuting II (2003 to 2005). a number of elderly vessels, such as the seven amphibious flagships centre on the three Both types share virtually identical dimen- Yuliang Type 079s that began construction in 18,500-tonne Yuzhao-class Type 071 LPDs, sions and official performance figures, the 1980 and several singleton survivors of other with a fourth reported to be in-build. later versions appearing to have a subtly classes still on the books, but the bulk of the Underlining China’s no-nonsense approach altered superstructure with design revisions force is made up of a dozen slightly smaller to naval acquisitions, the first Type 071, to the ramp and funnel, and easier access Wuhu-A Yuhai Type 074 ships and the 10 Kunlunshan, was laid down in June 2006 between the front and rear decks. newer Yudeng III Yunshu-class LSMs. and commissioned in November the follow- Accordingly, the on-paper performance The 58.4 m-long Wuhu-As were built ing year. It underwent substantial sea trials for both types includes a 3,000 n mile range, in the mid-1990s and can carry two light and design shakedowns before the second 17 kt top speed, and fully laden displacement tanks and 250 troops, displacing 812 tonnes and third hulls – Jinggangshan and Chang- of 4,877 tonnes (3,830 tonnes unladen). fully loaded. baishan – were laid down in 2009 and 2010, They have an overall length of 120 m and By contrast, the 87 m-long Yudeng III respectively. Changbaishan was commis- a 3.2 m draft, though as LSTs they are ships displace up to 1,880 tonnes and were sioned in September 2013. designed to beach and disgorge their con- built between June 2003 and March 2004. The ships have an overall length of 210 m, tents, which can comprise 250 troops and They can cover 1,500 n miles at 14 kt, lifting with a SEMT Pielstick 16 PC2.6V 400 10 light tanks. They can also offload using six light tanks or 12 trucks in a vehicle deck CODAD arrangement turning two shafts four LCVPs or two medium helicopters. loaded through a stern gate. to get the ships up to a maximum speed of They are armed only with guns, but fitted In looking to offload the amphibious 20 kt. Surprisingly, little is still known of with three twin 37 mm/63-calibre guns to forces, the PLAN has traditionally relied their exact capacity for amphibious forces, put up a weight of fire in the beach assault mainly on fairly generic utility landing craft but they require a crew of 120. and subsequent support phases. (LCU) designs, with some dating back to the They each have hangar space for an aviation As might be expected from their designa- 1960s and 1970s remaining in service. Some detachment of four Z-8 helicopters and two tions, they are derived from the earlier include novel design features, such as the spots on the flight deck. Below the flight deck, Type 072 Yukan LSTs, but with the addi- 1,219-tonne displacement, catamaran-hulled the ships have a two-level vehicle hangar that tion of the large helicopter deck (there is no Type 074A Yubei-class LCUs, commissioned can accommodate up to 16 ZBD-05 amphibi- hangar) in place of the rear gun and super- in 2004 and 2005. Somewhat unusually, ous armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). Those structure above the tank deck. The original those 10 ships feature the wheelhouse and hangars lead aft to the dock, which can fit four Type 072s were built between 1980 and superstructure on the port side amidships, Type 726 Yuyi-class hovercraft. 1995, and seven are understood to remain in rather than the traditional aft location. Imagery also shows a pair of vehicle and service in the East Sea Fleet. However, the biggest area of motion personnel-type landing craft (LCVPs) on Without the flight deck and a reduced currently sees the PLAN in the process of davits amidships, but there are no more payload (4,237 tonnes fully loaded – 200 recapitalising and bolstering its landing craft details available about the offloadte ra or troops and 10 light tanks), the Type 072s are air cushion (LCAC) forces. capabilities of the vessels. China has fielded three generations of hov- China is, however, building up a dual-role, ercraft since the 1960s, with varying degrees ships-taken-up-from-trade (STUFT) of success, before the Type 722 II Jinsha II capability. design really hit its stride in the late 1980s. A key stage of this saw the 36,000-tonne A number of them are still in service, offering ferry Bohai Sea Green Pearl launched at Yantai Port in August 2012. Its primary role is to serve as a passenger ferry, but also to provide guaranteed availability as a strategic lift platform for 2,000 military personnel, 300 vehicles (or “dozens” of main battle tanks [MBTs]), and stores. It can also serve as a temporary barracks alongside and has a helicopter platform aft, although with no hangar it will be limited to lilypad operations. TDemo

Three similar vessels are understood to be 1461761 Ukroboronprom: under construction, while a number of container vessels have also been converted to carry military stores. China’s ﬁrst Pomornik Zubr assault hovercraft. The amphibious workhorses of the ﬂeet, ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 43 Feature Chinese amphibious capabilities OIC:1132849 NORINCO:

Chinese WZ501 IFV modiﬁed for amphibious operations with new and larger trim vane on the front of the hull and large outboard motor at the rear. high-speed transits and a payload in excess amphibious mechanised divisions, but the of 65 tons. ‘Marine’ element of the PLAN still boasts More recently, however, production has a substantial capability with two amphibi- begun on a new class of far more advanced ous brigades, the 1st and 164th, which are LCACs, with the Type 726 Yuyi class set for deployed with the South China Sea Fleet and

service with the Type 071 LPDs and the cul- 1454215 internet: Chinese near their headquarters at Zhanjiang. Both mination of the long-running project to build services deploy similar equipment, although Ukrainian Zubr assault hovercraft. the navy section is a lighter force and does To date, not very many hard details have not currently operate MBTs. surfaced of the Yuyi class, but from the The PLA’s interest in amphibious AFVs is pictures that have emerged and very basic long-standing, but the new generation of Bohai Sea Green Pearl, the first of a new models that have been displayed, the design is commercial/naval partnership that will see amphibious tracked AFVs marks a step change very similar in concept to the US LCAC, with the ferry offered as a strategic sealift reserve. in capability, especially regarding their fire- an open vehicle deck/cargo area in the centre power and ability to operate in a wider range of the platform sandwiched between engine and launched in 2009, but there have been of sea conditions than that of older vehicles. fuselage fairings for the QC-70 gas turbines, no further reports of additional vessels yet This enables them to be launched from an which offer combined thrust and lift. Those and trials appear to be ongoing. LPD at a greater distance offshore, offering engines are a little larger than the engines Meanwhile, China’s project to build up greater tactical flexibility and enhancing the used by the US craft, which is likely one of a force of four Zubr assault hovercraft is survivability of the launch ship. the drivers of the platform’s growth. gaining traction, the first vessel having been Initial steps to improve the amphibi- Like the US LCAC, the Yuyi’s wheelhouse/ delivered in November 2012. ous capability of legacy WZ501/Type 86 cockpit is also forward, but it is located on China has been negotiating for the heavily infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) – a copy of the port side, rather than the United States’ armed craft since 2005. Their delivery should the Russian BMP-1 – saw the vehicles fitted craft’s starboard location. The vessels have lend the PLAN a potent assault capacity to with a large trim vane at the front of the hull straight-through, aligned bow and stern deliver three MBTs or 10 armoured person- and a powerful outboard motor at the rear. ramps, the latter between two large shrouded nel carriers and 230 troops, albeit over a The latter is claimed to have increased its main propellers. relatively short unrefueled range of 300 n maximum water speed by 50% to 12 km/h, Despite their passing resemblance, the miles at 50 kt (slightly less at the full speed but the vehicle is still limited in heavy seas. Chinese vessels are actually marginally larger, of 63 kt). As a result, Chinese industry has devel- measuring 33 m long and 16.8 m across the oped a range of more specialised vehicles beam (the US LCAC is 26.4 x 14.3 m), Hit the beach with greater natural buoyancy and higher although it appears to have a marginally Away from the ships, the PLA’s manoeuvrist in-water speeds, enabling them to launch lower displacement with 170 tonnes (the US doctrine and the terrain across the region assaults more effectively, cross the surf line, can carry 185 tonnes) and a similar military have combined to ensure that many of the and move inland. lift of around 60 tons. This means that they service’s AFVs have some ability to swim, As the United States learned to its cost are usually associated with lifting the army’s looking to cross lakes andTDemo slow-flowing rivers with the now-cancelled Expeditionary Type 96 MBTs into action. According to if not actually conduct beach assaults. Fighting Vehicle (EFV), this is a complex IHS Jane’s Fighting Ships statistics, both In addition, both the PLA and PLAN field and expensive operation, but China has vessels also have very even performance, their own amphibious forces. The army developed a similar – if ultimately lower- able to cover 200 n miles at 40 kt. has the largest capability with at least one performance – capability in the shape of the The first Yuyi was built at Qiuxin Shipyard amphibious armoured brigade and two ZBD-05.

44 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Chinese amphibious capabilities

The latest ZBD-05 amphibious assault comfortably afloat, providing its crew and entering the water, but it is relatively simple vehicle (AAV) configuration was first seen dismounts with basic protection from small for the crew, who just need to activate bilge in public in significant numbers in 2009, arms fire and shell splinters. The need for pumps and electronically erect a trim vane. having made literal and figurative waves when streamlined hulls means that vehicles of this Once in the water, the driver reduces drag by pictures emerged of it travelling at appar- type cannot sensibly be fitted with bar/slat retracting the suspension mounts, pulling ently high speeds only a few years before. It armour for amphibious operations, but in up the tracks, and then activating a pair of is estimated that more than 1,000 of these theory this could be fitted once ashore and waterjets at the rear of the hull, driving the vehicles and their more specialised support moving inland. vehicle with standard controls. versions have now been manufactured and are Although it is unlikely to be capable of The ZBD-05 has yet to be offered for deployed by army and navy amphibious forces. accurately engaging targets while surging export by China North Industries Corpora- The exact performance of the vehicle in the toward the shore, it is able to lay down tion (NORINCO), but as with other vehicles water is unconfirmed, with the contractor suppressive fire from a stabilised 30 mm developed to meet the requirements of the claiming simply that it is “high”, but sources dual-feed cannon and a 7.62 mm co-axial PLA this could well change in the future. variously report it can swim at up to 30 machine gun (MG) mounted in a two-person, In the meantime, a number of variants or 45 km/h (16-24 kt). If it is anything like power-operated turret. Launchers for Red have been developed, including a direct-fire that, it is substantially faster than its prede- Arrow 73 missiles – available with a range of version known as the ZTD-05, which has cessors and international equivalents. warhead types to engage different target sets a similar hull but is fitted with a different A range of variants have also been devel- out to 3,000 m – are mounted on either side turret mounting a stabilised 105 mm gun oped, enabling a mixed force to swim ashore of the turret. connected to a digital fire-control system to together and arrive with organic direct-fire Each vehicle is operated by a commander accurately engage moving targets. The gun support, engineering, and command-and- and gunner (seated in the turret), and a can also be fired during amphibious opera- control capabilities. driver, with space for nine dismounts in the tions, lending relatively heavy organic fire Unlike most traditional amphibious back. The main entrance is through a powered support to assault elements. vehicles, which were typically converted ramp in the rear of the hull. As well as conventional 105 mm ammuni- from existing designs, ZBD-05 was purpose- Despite its bespoke swimming design, tion such as armour-piercing, fin-stabilised built to be launched offshore and operate it still requires a little preparation before discarding sabot (APFSDS), it can also fire

! " # ! $ $ %& !' ( &%# )* ! % +!", -+ ! $ ! $ + !+ ! % .+! $+' $! / " ! $ ""+ !, ." "&" ! ! $ & "" +, ! !+ "! +! .+ % "! # $ " % /! . . !+ #'

! ""#$

TDemo

(0 0 1 $ !!2 3, 3344 , +! 5 678939:33 ;44, *5 678939:33 ;4;44< '.-+ !'"

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 45 IHS Jane’s 360 The new defence & security site

Your ﬁrst touch point for all that is More than happening across the global defence, 100,000* security and military sectors. updates a year

Features, white papers and interviews

Weekly video updates

Interactive events calendar News from more than 500 global reporters

Infographics and 36 New defence and analysis pieces security content sections

great content + great user interface = great user experience

Experience it today at ihsjanes360.com TDemo * 2012 updates on Janes 2.0

From the world’s leading provider of defence & security insight and information 2978_0713AA Chinese amphibious capabilities

high-explosive, anti-tank (HEAT), and ‘bunker-busting’ projectiles, the latter of which is claimed to penetrate 1 m of reinforced concrete at a range of 1,500 m. Another recent development is a programmable anti-personnel/anti-materiel round, and the gun is believed to be able to ﬁre the GP2 laser-guided projectile. The latter can provide precision ﬁre with a tandem HEAT warhead – able to penetrate 650 mm of steel armour protected by explosive reactive armour – out to 5,000 m. Other specialised versions of the ZBD-05

include a command post vehicle with a 1365055 INA: higher roof line and an auxiliary power unit The ZTD-05 amphibious direct-fire vehicle armed with a 105 mm gun coming ashore during amphibious operations. to supply all of the extra communications equipment required without recourse to the main engine, but armed only with a 12.7 mm 86 IFVs, which indicates the Type 63A is now with a base-bleed HE shell or 27 km using MG on the roof. being phased out and replaced by the ZTD-05. a base-bleed, rocket-assisted HE projectile. A combat engineer version has been China has also developed and deployed Beyond all of these new vehicles, Chinese developed on the ZBD-series hull fitted with a 122 mm tracked self-propelled artillery industry has also developed beach assault a front-mounted dozer blade and a hydrauli- system – likely designated the Type 07B – support systems such as the Type GLM120A cally operated, telescopic arm fitted with to support its amphibious assault vehicles, mechanised roadway-laying system that is a bucket. replacing elderly 12-round 107 mm now in service. This is typically used to prepare Chinese forces also deploy the Type 63 Type 63 multiple rocket launchers for exit points on beaches and river-crossing light amphibious tank, which is similar in indirect fire support. points that can be rapidly made unserviceable many respects to the Russian PT-76 light Although this is a substantial vehicle, it by heavy vehicles, delaying the assault. amphibious tank, but originally fitted with features a trim vane mounted at the front The system comprises a roll of deployable a different turret armed with an 85 mm gun, of the hull so it is assumed that this has at track ‘roadway’ mounted longitudinally on 7.62 mm co-axial MG and a roof-mounted least a deep fording capability and is probably the back of a locally built 6x6 Mercedes- 12.7 mm MG. amphibious, though not to the same extent Benz truck. Many of these vehicles have now been as the ZBD assault vehicles. In operation, it is traversed through 90° upgraded to the enhanced Type 63A stan- The howitzer is armed with a 122 mm and the truck reverses on to the roadway dard, which embodies a host of improve- turret-mounted ordnance, which is also used as it is laid, taking five minutes to lay the ments including increased buoyancy and in many other Chinese artillery systems, 40 m-long, 4 m-wide roadway. This can then a new turret armed with a 105 mm main gun tracked, wheeled, and towed. Its maximum support continued use from tracked vehicles and the same supporting weapons. range obviously depends on the projectile/ with a combat weight of up to 60 tonnes Venezuela has recently taken delivery of charge combination, but it and wheeled vehicles with an axle weight a batch of Type 63A tanks and WZ501/Type can reach 15.3 km firing of 20 tonnes. When the mission has been standard, high-explosive completed it takes only 10 minutes to be (HE) projectiles, 22 km recovered from either end. There is also the Type GLM123 light trackway system that can be laid from a vehicle manually or by hand and this can be used on gradients of up to 20%, which makes it of special use during amphibious operations. It takes five minutes to mechanically lay, is 120 m long and4mwide, and can accommodate tracked vehicles weighing up to 25 tonnes and wheeled vehicles with an axle weight of 10 tonnes. TDemo China also deploys a number of more specialised combat engineer systems that could be deployed during an amphibious assault. These include various types of mine-clearing systems The upgraded Type 63A light amphibious tank features a new turret and greater buoyancy. that could be used to breach minefields on It is shown here with the trim vane extended at the front of the hull for amphibious operations.

China Xinshidia Company: 1334180 beaches after the initial assault.

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 47 Feature Airpower vs irregular warfare

Light attack turboprops, such as the Beechcraft AT-6B Texan II, offer a number of advantages over their ostensibly more capable jet-powered stablemates when it comes to the application of airpower in irregular and COIN warfare.

Airpower challenge: 1480537 Force: Air US applications and limitations in the COIN environment

In irregular and counterinsurgency warfare, airpower provides the side that has it with the ultimate asymmetric advantage. Gareth Jennings explores the historical, contemporary, and future role of airpower in small wars, while examining both its power and limitations

ith United States strategic policy Quantico, Virginia. “Irregular warfare is also referred to as shifting to the largely maritime “Small COIN conflicts and irregular wars ‘asymmetric warfare’, and aviation definitely Wdomain of the Asia-Pacific region, are the norm rather than the exception,” gives you that asymmetric edge over the some observers have postulated that irregular Powers said during an IQPC conference on enemy,” US Air Force (USAF) Colonel David and counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare as we the subject in London in late 2012. “It is “Torro” Torres-Laboy noted at the same have known it over the last decade is a thing not a lesser form of warfare, in fact it is the conference. This is a point reiterated by USAF of the past and that the lessons of Afghani- predominant form of warfare.” Major General Allen Peck in his 2007 essay stan and Iraq over the previous decade or so The US military’s Irregular Warfare Joint ‘Airpower’s Crucial Role in Irregular Warfare’, are no longer relevant. Operating Concept (IWJOC) defines irregular which was printed in the Air and Space Power However, as recent events in North Africa warfare as “a violent struggle among state and Journal, in which he said: “Airpower can also and beyond have proven, this low-intensity non-state actors for legitimacy and influence serve as a powerful irregular warfare capabil- type of warfare is as relevant today as it ever over the relevant populations”.TDemo While such ity in its own right.” has been. Indeed, 80% of all the wars fought wars are predominantly land-centric in their When it comes to its application in irregu- since the end of the Second World War have nature, airpower provides the government lar and COIN warfare, airpower has three core been fought along irregular or COIN lines, (normally, but not exclusively) with an irregu- functions. These can be defined as strike, as noted by Bill Powers of the US Marine lar capability of its own with which to erode an air mobility (including transport, personnel Corps’ (USMC’s) Warfighting Laboratory in adversary’s power, influence, and will. rescue and psychological operations), and

48 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Airpower vs irregular warfare

intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance appears to be a problem that many pilots are such an effective COIN tool. As such, the side (ISR – including command and control [C2]). still grappling with. “Effectiveness is impor- that does wield it must employ it in ways that While each of these roles needs to be fulfilled tant, but the avoidance of killing civilians is do not hand the propaganda victory to the if airpower is to have a decisive effect on the more important,” said Colonel Wray Johnson, enemy. On today’s battlefield, this increas- irregular battlefield, some are arguably more Professor of Military History at the USMC ingly means smaller yield and precision- important than others. School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine guided munitions. While many would consider strike to be Corps University, Quantico. As with so much else in the application the most important element of airpower’s of COIN doctrine, there is nothing new in contribution to irregular warfare and COIN Hearts and minds this concept. As far back as 1940, the USMC operations, it should be noted that, when This is a key point that can be lost on some of Small Wars Manual stated: “The employment trying to win over the civilian population today’s combat pilots. One former operative, of aviation in small wars [is] performed by (which is, after all, the ultimate aim in such who requested not to be identified, told IHS airplanes of the scouting or observation class wars), not dropping bombs can be as strategi- Jane’s: “Unfortunately, some air force pilots armed with light bombs and machine guns.” cally important as dropping them. remain wedded to the classic paradigm and What was true in 1940 is just as true in As Col Torres-Laboy dryly noted: “It’s not maintain that the whole idea of collateral today’s small wars. “Things haven’t changed all about ‘warheads on foreheads’ and the damage is just mere handwringing. I had a since then,” Powers noted. “In the last 10 kinetic fight. There’s a lot more to it when special forces friend who was in an Afghan years we have come full circle with weapons it comes to winning hearts and minds.” He village for 11 months and brought them getting smaller – I don’t remember dropping added: “Precision strike and BDA [battle over to the government side. A few days later anything smaller than 500 lb [as a USMC A-4 damage assessment] have become really A-10s shot up the village and the villagers pilot during the Vietnam War], but now 50 lb big issues because of collateral damage. If went over to the Taliban because they lost 11 is sometimes considered to be too big a bomb.” you start killing people wantonly when you children in that strike.” While fast jets have increasingly domi- shouldn’t be, it’s not going to help you in the Incidents such as this give succour and nated the ground attack role in most modern long run. Small tactical actions can have huge provide propaganda victories to the insur- air forces, the propeller-driven light attack strategic implications.” gents. Since airpower was first employed as platform has remained in service through- A demonstration of how a seemingly sound a tool against insurgency in the early 1900s, out the world’s irregular warfare and COIN tactical decision to employ the use of kinetic those on the receiving end have depicted battlefields, and has even seen something of a airpower can have disastrous strategic conse- it as being unfair and its use indicative of renaissance over recent years. quences was provided by the French during a bullying colonial overlord or unpopular Western manufacturers such as Embraer the Algerian Crisis, noted Dr William Dean, government. Political pamphlets through- and Beechcraft are offering their own dedi- Professor for Airpower and Irregular Warfare out the twentieth century invariably used cated light attack solutions in the form of at the US Air Command and Staff College. bomb-dropping aircraft when attempting to the Super Tucano and AT-6 Texan II respec- After having repeatedly taken ground fire deride and disparage the forces of the state in tively, and the USAF itself has decided on the from an insurgent camp over several weeks irregular or COIN conflicts. former to fulfil its Light Air Support (LAS) in 1958, French Air Force RB-26 bombers Of course, the reason why the use of air- requirement to equip the fledgling Afghan attacked, with the resulting carnage, com- power is singled out for criticism by the side Air Force (AAF). plete with civilian casualties, being captured that does not have it is precisely because it is Compared with other types of kinetic ‘air’, on film by the international media. The effect of its broadcast was catastrophic to the French COIN effort in the region. “The French did not understand the strategic effect of the misuse of airpower, and this tactically successful raid arguably sowed the seeds of the failure of the campaign in Algeria and the subsequent fall of the French government,” Dr Dean said. A more recent example of how the tactical employment of airpower can have an adverse strategic effect on a wider COIN campaign came in 2011 when US airstrikes against suspected Taliban positions in eastern Afghanistan resulted in the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers. In response, the Pakistan TDemo authorities closed the border to NATO traffic Along with air mobility and ISR, kinetic strike is one of the core capabilities that airpower for many months, giving the international brings to irregular and COIN warfare. This coalition a major headache in maintaining its is amply demonstrated by the strike markings 1398668 DoD: supply lines. stencilled onto the fuselage of this USMC KC-130J Harvest HAWK gunship. Knowing when not to use kinetic airpower ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 49 Feature Airpower vs irregular warfare

such as fast jets (otherwise known as Tacti- Precision-guided munitions with relatively low yields are now almost exclusively used in COIN air cal Air, or TacAir), attack helicopters, and campaigns as governments look to minimise the potential for civilian casualties. unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), light strike turboprops offer a whole raft of advantages in terms of cost, capability, and maintainability. As highlighted by Tom Tyson, director of US Programs Business Development at Beechcraft, the turboprop attack aircraft offers excellent persistence, sustainability, and responsiveness. It comes equipped with full target spectrum lethality, has good survivability in a semi-permissive environment, can be made to be highly interoperable with other assets, and has among the lowest costs- per-flying-hour of any aircraft type. To Tyson, himself a former USAF F-15C Eagle pilot, the advantages of such a platform are self-evident. “What is high performance? Is it being able to fly at Mach 2 at 50,000 ft, or is it the ability to lift off from A ytm:1487794 Systems: BAE 3,000 ft of hot dirt with a full load? Current capable light attack candidates have roughly the same loadout as an F-16, but with more than twice the endurance.” The most obvious advantage that a turboprop has over a fast jet is in its procurement expeditionary aircraft by its very nature. be fitted], but it’s a trade-off with increased costs, which are massively different. Some “They are ‘agricultural’ and really easy to weight, which means you can’t spend as much analysts quote the price of a single F-35 operate. All the systems and connectors in time over the target or you won’t be able to Lightning II as being the same as 90 turbo- the aircraft are easily reached and can be carry as many munitions. It’s an interesting props – an entire air wing. While the F-35 quickly changed and you don’t have to take balance for a turboprop aircraft.” is undoubtedly a technological marvel, its things out to get to something else – it’s a According to Tyson, it is a case of balanc- suitability to the irregular warfare and COIN much more simple aircraft than [a fast jet].” ing the capabilities of a turboprop against its environment is open to question. Being expeditionary, this class of aircraft vulnerabilities. “Compared to the titanium is ideally suited to operating in some of the ‘bath-tub’ protection for the pilot of an A-10, Big blue mentality more remote and austere environments that a turboprop pilot is not going to be protected Also, the costs of operating fast jets in typically play host to irregular and COIN to the same degree, but you have to ask: a COIN environment can sometimes be warfare, which is something that is not nec- ‘Where is this asset most valued?’ For Day prohibitive in fuel use alone. For rough essarily true for fast jets such as the F-15 and 1ofthe big war you probably don’t want to comparison, a cruising F-15 burns through F-16. “Over the years the USAF has become use this aircraft – the B-1s with the Sniper approximately 4,000 lb of fuel an hour fond of 200 ft-wide and 12,000 ft-long pods are more suitable for deep interdiction (depending on stores, flight profile and so runways at sea level, but out in places like in a hostile environment, so you have to keep forth) whereas an AT-6B uses a relatively Afghanistan you have to operate at altitude in mind what the limitations of this kind of parsimonious 350 lb. In addition to the fuel and at 50 degrees Celsius,” noted Tyson. aircraft are.” expenses, there are the costs associated with One area that detractors of turboprop air- With regard to weapons fits there are a lot the widespread ground support and mainte- craft have flagged as a possible Achilles heel is of options, and for turboprop aircraft these nance that fast jet fleets require, as well as that of survivability. Being much slower than options are only increasing as munitions get the extensive infrastructure that needs to be fast jets, the thinking goes, they must surely smaller and more lethal. With less collateral built and defended. be more vulnerable to ground fire, especially damage and a deeper magazine, manufactur- “To have legions of maintenance troops in the ‘low and slow’ environment in which ers are trying to learn from the lessons in with large fleets of aircraft and large supply they must spend much of their time. Afghanistan, Tyson explained. warehouses goes against the mindset of expe- Tyson does not buy into these concerns, This was a point taken up by Col Torres- ditionary warfare,” Tyson said. “Our concept although he concedes that the need for Laboy, when he said: “We work really hard is to have maybe two of these aircraft at one self-protection must be weighedTDemo against the to make sure there is no collateral damage forward location with three dedicated crew decreased performance that comes with car- through precision engagement and lower yield chiefs that are qualified to do everything for rying such equipment, saying: “We consider weapons. Right now it is harder to drop a bomb those aircraft. We’re trying to get away from turboprops to be like helicopters in the respect in Afghanistan than it is to move an entire the ‘big blue air force’ mentality.” that they get down and dirty where there is brigade, and maybe it should be that way. In As Tyson explained, the turboprop is an potential to get shot at. [Defensive aids can irregular warfare one event [in which civilians

50 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Airpower vs irregular warfare

are killed] can have severe consequences.” against Sri Lankan government and military than is kinetic strike. However, it should be recognised that, targets in the early 2000s. As Dr Dean explained: “While kinetic [air- despite this apparent reawakening in US and Dubbed the ‘Air Tigers’, ‘Sky Tigers’, or power] is often highlighted, campaigns such Western circles of the merits of light attack ‘Flying Tigers’, this air arm of the Tamil Tigers as Malaya [in the 1950s] show that air mobil- aircraft, the USAF LAS programme for the flew a number of bombing missions from ity is extraordinarily important.” In regions AAF has recently become somewhat bogged 2007 through to the defeat of the LTTE in that are typically remote and inhospitable, down in budgetary and service priority issues, 2009. Fitted with up to four 50 lb bombs each, airpower allows the government to extend its and its long-term prospects remain unclear. these two aircraft launched successful attacks authority and the rule of law out into areas of According to Dr Dean, what is stopping the against the capital Colombo, the Katunayake the country that it could not otherwise reach. US military leadership taking the final step Air Force Base, Sri Lankan naval facilities, and Not only does it allow the authorities to reach and embracing the ‘low-tech’ turboprop is a whole host of other installations. further, but it allows them to do so far more down largely to institutional reticence. “It is What is perhaps most remarkable about quickly than would otherwise be possible, a question of service priorities. The USAF, for these attacks is that they were conducted which can provide a decisive advantage in a example, wants a long-range stealth optionally by light aircraft in a non-permissive envi- form of warfare that is often defined by its manned strike bomber [which is at the other ronment. Flying low to the ground they fluidity and mobility. end of the capability spectrum to a light attack were able to evade Sri Lankan fighters and turboprop], while the USMC is determined ground-based air defences. The Air Tigers Collapsing the battlespace to get back to its amphibious roots – what it were able to continue their airborne attacks As Col Johnson noted: “Countries plagued knows, rather than looking ahead.” with apparent impunity until, with the Tamil by insurgencies generally have poor commu- While conventional militaries are still Tigers on the brink of defeat, they launched nications – do you want to build 1,000 ft of grappling with the paradigm of ‘less is their final suicide sortie against Colombo on runway or 1,000 km of road? Which can you more’ that comes with light attack turbo- 20 February 2009. afford to build and protect?” props, other less-conventional forces have Though short-lived and ultimately unsuc- The added capability that air mobility been no more reticent in trying out the cessful, the LTTE’s air campaign proved brings to the fight was amply demonstrated concept for themselves. the propaganda and psychological value of by the USMC in its first operational deploy- airpower (albeit from the ‘other’ side), and ment of the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltro- Insurgent airpower showed that its use in irregular warfare can tor to Iraq in 2007. Speaking to IHS Jane’s Curiously, perhaps the most potent dem- be a potent tool for whichever side has the some months into this first deployment, the onstration of the utility of light propeller- means to wield it. corps’ then-deputy commandant for avia- driven aircraft in irregular and COIN warfare The second application of airpower in tion, Lieutenant General George J Trautman, over recent years has come not from a state irregular or COIN warfare is with regard to talked of the MV-22 “collapsing the Al Anbar power, but from an insurgent group. In one air mobility (including personnel rescue and battlespace – making Texas seem like Rhode of the most celebrated uses of airpower psychological operations). To many ana- Island”. As well as shrinking the battlefield, in irregular warfare in living memory, the lysts, fixed- and rotary-winged air mobility air mobility allows forces to circumvent secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is arguably a more important application of roadways and bypass choke points that might (LTTE) flew two Czech-built Zlin Z 143 airpower in irregular be used by insurgents for the staging of light aircraft on a number of strike missions or COIN warfare ambushes or bomb attacks.

TDemo SArFre 1457257 Force: Air US

AvFID is a critical aspect of irregular and COIN warfare, and the USAF Special Operations Command has a unit – the 6th Special Operations Squadron – dedicated to it. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 51 Feature Airpower vs irregular warfare

A key component of air mobility is personnel rescue, and this is especially true for irregular and COIN warfare. An example of the importance of this was provided by the Philippine military in its operations against Islamist and Communist insurgencies. “The government forces would not launch assaults at night because there was no personnel recovery capability should it be needed,” Col Torres-Laboy explained. “This meant that the insurgents would do all their moving and preparation at night. Now [Philippine pilots] have night-vision goggles The USMC is at the forefront of to infiltrate and exfiltrate at night, and [gov- non-traditional ISR, and insists ernment troops] now know that if they get that every aircraft it fields operationally can double-up injured and need evacuation they will get it.” as a surveillance or reconnais- According to the colonel, this ability to sance platform if required. Here a provide ‘round-the-clock’ personnel recovery KC-130J Harvest HAWK gunship displays its EO/IR sensor turret, capability has had a tremendous impact on which it uses primarily for target- the battlefield by effectively denying the ing, but which can just as easily be used for ISR. insurgents ownership of the night. US Navy: 1398068 In addition to personnel recovery, Military Information Support Operations (MISO) – DoD] would be saying: ‘Of course we’ll have is instead becoming increasingly focused also form a key component of the overall air a light attack turboprop aircraft’ – it would again in the full-spectrum doctrine of con- mobility capability. “[MISO is] another key be obvious. I would say there is a linkage ventional operations. This is despite the Air combat multiplier for us, as far as getting the between [the] choice of platforms and not Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) right word out in a timely manner and trying fully understanding the importance of AvFID. having a unit – the 6th Special Operations to counter any kind of dramatic event with All great powers, especially democracies, Squadron – solely dedicated to assessing, ‘ground truth’ as soon as possible,” said Col struggle with this and are slow to develop training, advising, and assisting foreign Torres-Laboy. “This is especially important AvFID. They fail to see the strategic conse- nation aviation forces worldwide. when it comes to civilian casualty reports – quences of failing at AvFID, and so it is very the legitimacy of the local government ... is hard to convince military and political leaders Eyes in the sky based on putting out the truth.” of [its] importance.” Aside from light attack and air mobility, the Under former Defense Secretary Robert This failure to engage in AvFID is all the third and final major application of airpower Gates, the USAF had grand plans with regard more curious as its importance is laid bare in an irregular or COIN campaign is that to building up its COIN air mobility and light in the DoD’s own ‘Strategic Guidance 2012’ of ISR. Insurgencies are arguably the most strike capabilities. While the light strike document. The document states: “Building intelligence-driven forms of warfare there plans have been watered down to such an partnership capacity elsewhere in the world are, and ISR and C2 are essential components extent that it seems likely that now only also remains important for sharing the costs in any state arsenal if the ‘small war’ is to be a handful of turboprop platforms will be and responsibilities of global leadership. Across successfully waged. procured for Afghanistan, the service’s light the globe we will seek to be the security As Col Torres-Laboy explained: “The mobility plans appear to be completely dead partner of choice, pursuing new partnerships biggest thing that we do that has the most in the water. with a growing number of nations. Whenever effect [in irregular warfare] is combat ISTAR Not only has the Light Mobility Aircraft possible, we will develop innovative, low-cost, [intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, (LiMA) programme that was designed to and small-footprint approaches to achieve our and reconnaissance], and the fusion of intel- build up the air mobility capacity of allied air security objectives, relying on exercises, rota- ligence that we get from different sources is a forces been axed, but the USAF’s own fleet tional presence, and advisory capabilities.” huge enabler.” of Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan tactical Gates said as much, when in 2010 he While ISR/ISTAR and C2 have traditionally turboprop transport aircraft is also set to be proclaimed: “Helping other countries better been the domain of specialist platforms such canned. According to Dr Dean, this decline in provide for their own security will be a key as the McDonnell Douglas RF-4 Phantom the USAF’s air mobility and light strike ambi- and enduring test of US global leadership and II or the English Electric Canberra PR.3, in tions is indicative of a wider malaise in terms a critical part of protecting US security as today’s budget-constrained world it is more of the training of international partners to well. Improving the wayTDemo the US government and more falling to the other air assets in take on a greater share of their own internal executes this vital mission must be an impor- theatre to take on the role. COIN burden, otherwise known as Aviation tant national priority.” Otherwise known as non-traditional ISR for Foreign Internal Defense (AvFID). Despite the rhetoric, however, the (NT-ISR), this capability typically sees tacti- According to Dr Dean: “If [AvFID] really evidence seems to be suggesting that the cal aircraft such as the Boeing F-15E Strike were a priority, [the Department of Defense DoD’s gaze is shifting away from AvFID and Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-16, or Panavia

52 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Airpower vs irregular warfare

Learning the lessons As to the future, there is a real concern in the West that, with the end of Afghan operations and the shift in the United States’ strategic vision to the Pacific theatre, that many of the lessons learned over the previous decade with regard to the application of airpower in irregular warfare will be lost. According to Powers, the importance of retaining the lessons learned is something that must be done from the bottom up, but this is not happening as it should be: “We have young captains and majors now coming back from Afghanistan and they’ve got great stories to tell about what works and what doesn’t, but when you ask them if they’ve written this stuff down they just don’t do it and it’s lost.” SArFre 1452076 Force: Air US These concerns that hard-won lessons can all too easily be lost are made even more acute with the realisation that COIN, as the most prevalent form of warfare, is one that Air mobility, seen here in the form of an airdrop, is another core function of airpower in irregular warfare. the West will most certainly find itself once As well as extending the reach of the government into the more remote and inhospitable regions of the again embroiled in at some point in the not- country, it allows for resupply or the rapid deployment of troops to trouble spots while avoiding roads too-distant future. that might be seeded with improvised explosive devices. In setting out and remembering the lessons learned over recent years, the West in par- Tornado using their external targeting pods tions Forces (SOF) by the end of 2015. ticular must remain mindful of what does not as surveillance and reconnaissance tools to Although no official announcement as to work, as well as what does. Though airpower feed intelligence directly into the system. their expected payload has been made, IHS does undoubtedly afford the state power an Of all the services, the USMC is more Jane’s understands it to be the Sierra Nevada asymmetric tactical advantage, the jury is still advanced in this respect than most, insisting Corporation-Exelis Night Vision & Tactical out on it strategic effects. that every airborne asset it deploys to theatre Communications Systems Vigilant Stare While there have been instances in which has the capability to double as an ISR asset wide-area airborne surveillance (WAAS) airpower has been the deciding factor in the if required. system. This system, which is derived from outcome of an irregular and COIN campaign, However, this desire to have non-tradi- the Gorgon Stare WAAS programme devel- most notably in the Malayan Emergency tional platforms fly ISR and ISTAR missions oped for the USAF, is designed to provide during the 1950s and over Libya in 2011, has not completely sounded the death knell real-time imagery over a city-sized area for there have been as many instances where of the dedicated surveillance and reconnais- extended periods of time and marks a major it has not provided the strategic victory: sance platform. Over a decade of operations capability boost for the ANSF in terms of its Vietnam, Rhodesia, and Afghanistan (with in Afghanistan, such platforms have prolifer- ISR and ISTAR capacity. both Russia and NATO) to name but a few. In ated, be they manned like the Beechcraft However, despite the growth of airborne each of these cases the use of airpower was King Air 350-derived MC-12W Liberty and ISR and ISTAR capabilities over recent years, highly successful in a tactical sense, but strate- the Bombardier business jet-based Raytheon these and other ‘low-end’ assets required for gic victory could not be achieved, largely as a Sentinel R.1 aircraft, or unmanned aircraft irregular and COIN warfare still, more often result of other geopolitical factors. such as the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator than not, find themselves at the back of the That is probably the take-away lesson and MQ-9 Reaper. queue when it comes to the allocation of on the application of airpower in irregular The impact of these and other ISR/ISTAR funding. While the reasons for this are many warfare – for while airpower does provide a platforms on the battlefield has been such fold, at their heart is an intrinsic resistance tactical advantage, it is just that, an advantage. that to a large part the war in Afghanistan in the higher echelons of the militaries con- Insurgencies are borne of a myriad of reasons, can be defined by such aircraft. This has not cerned, and the US especially, to be diverting and unlike conventional conflicts there are no been lost on the Afghan National Security funds away from their high-end fighter and clear or easy routes to success. forces who, ahead of the imminent pullout bomber fleets. Consequently, airpower is not a panacea of international forces, have procured 18 As put by Dr Dean: “TheTDemo fighter and but one of a number of tools that must be “uniquely modified” Pilatus PC-12 turboprop bomber generals run the USAF, and have a brought to bear if strategic victory is to be utility aircraft. very hard time adapting their traditional achieved. This will be as true for tomorrow’s This contract should see the specially C2 to a more dynamic form of warfare. At irregular and COIN wars as it is for today’s and fitted aircraft in service with the Afghan the heart of great power organisations they was for yesterday’s. As the saying goes, there is National Army (ANA) Special Opera- want conventional kinetic operations.” nothing new under the sun. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 53 Equipment profile 57 Mk 3/Mk 110 naval gun

Flexible 57 mm ﬁrepower trains on littoral targets SNv:1448676 Navy: US

The 57 Mk 3 gun is designated Mk 110 Mod 0 in US service. The system is seen here, on board the littoral combat ship USS Freedom, during a surface gunnery serial.

Now in US naval and coastguard service as the Mk 110, the Bofors 57 Mk 3 naval gun system is the latest instantiation of a lineage dating back to the mid-1960s. Richard Scott examines the past, present and future of BAE Systems’ 57 mm naval line and its associated 3P multipurpose ammunition

edium-calibre gun systems remain SAK 57 L/70 Mk 1 automatic mounting. each with a 20-round capacity. a sine qua non for smaller surface Selected by eight navies, production totalled When filled, the cassettes move to a Mcombatants. They provide a cost- some 80 systems of which a large number position above the ready-to-fire magazines effective weapon with utility through the are still in service today. and the 20 rounds are released. Within whole spectrum of operations, from policing Development of the improved 57 mm the cupola there are also two intermediate to conflict. They are responsive and rapid Mk 2 gun began in 1977, the aim being to magazines with a capacity of 20 rounds reacting, have a large and relatively cheap engineer a high rate-of-fire multipurpose each. The cupola has a total capacity of 120 ammunition load, and offer graduated effect weapon affording smaller surface combat- rounds, considered sufficient to engage (from a warning shot across the bows to ants with a credible anti-air, anti-surface, between 15 and 20 targets. The company sustained fire on target). and shore bombardment capability. Putting adds that using two reloading systems It is in this domain of naval gunnery that this all into a compact lightweight mount- (reloading the ready-to-fire magazines only the Bofors name has now made something ing, Bofors designed a new fully automatic takes a few seconds) enables almost instan- of a comeback, having for a time been all but ammunition handling system, introduced taneous selection of anti-air or anti-surface erased from the corporate vernacular. Per- new gun-laying servos for improved accuracy, ammunition. Switching between the two petuating the name of Swedish armaments and developed new ammunition types while takes less than 0.5 seconds. group Bofors Weapon Systems AB – acquired maintaining the gun, elevating mass and New filtering techniques and improved in 2000 by United Defense, which was itself magazine arrangement of the Mk 1. hydraulics were introduced to improve gun bought by BAE Systems in 2005 – the brand is In the Mk 2, ammunition is transported accuracy. Further reductions in dynamic once again being used to promote the product from the magazine to the handling system servo error were obtained using an internal lines of BAE Systems Land and Armaments – by means of two parallel hoists. By using rate gyro system, which provides data on ship Weapon Systems in Karlskoga, Sweden. two feed routes (independentTDemo all the way to motion to the servo system. Barrel oscillation Heritage, it seems, is a powerful thing in the gun) two alternative ammunition types damping is another feature contributing to the marketplace. And the Bofors heritage can be ready for use. The automatic reload- improved accuracy, with automatic compen- is certainly a long one, exemplified by a ing system comprises two moving cassettes sation for the dispersions caused by barrel 57 mm naval gun lineage that goes back to (mounted on a rail behind the gun and filled oscillations on firing. Gun dispersion in train- the mid-1960s and the development of the from the ammunition hoists) in the cupola ing and elevation is 0.4 mrad.

54 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes 57 Mk 3/Mk 110 naval gun

Another development introduced of the Mk 3 development effort, this being keting in the rest of the world. with the Mk 2 gun was a new lightweight specifically engineered to suit the ultra-low “That coming together came about because reduced radar cross-section (RCS) gun RCS requirements of the Royal Swedish the US Navy was not as happy as it could be shield manufactured from composite Navy’s (RSwN’s) new generation Visby-class with the medium-calibre gun in its inven- material. Aluminium has been used in the corvettes. Extensive RCS modelling, allied to tory, a product that United Defense was elevating mass wherever practical to reduce careful design and manufacture techniques, licensed to build to print,” Tom Danczyk, BAE magnetic signature. produced an angular cupola formed from a Systems’ Mk 110 programme manager, told Bofors developed two types of ammuni- reinforced glass-fibre mesh. The sides of the IHS Jane’s. “So the company, with the navy, tion for the Mk 2 gun: a proximity fuze turret are inclined to reflect incident radar had looked at what else was out there. pre-fragmented shell with an effective range energy; the barrel itself is depressed for con- “We supported the service in a trade of 3-5 km against missiles and 7 km against cealment, and only exposed during firing. study to examine the medium-calibre gun aircraft; and a high-capacity extended-range What was then Bofors Weapon Systems market. The 57 mm Mk 3 seemed to have the delayed-action high-explosive round for use was awarded a SEK175 million (USD27.3 best characteristics, leading the US Navy to against surface targets out to a range of 17 km. million) contract by the Swedish Defence conduct a system demonstration and logistics Maximum rate of fire is 220 rds/min. Materiel Administration (FMV) in June 1997 evaluation to support the potential fielding The total weight of the gun system, with its for the development and production of an of a foreign intermediate calibre gun system three-stage hoists and above decks mount- initial four 57 Mk 3 ‘stealth’ mountings for able to meet US requirements.” ing, is about 7,000 kg. With 1,000 rounds of the Visby-class corvette programme, plus In 2002 a 57 Mk 3 mounting was imported ammunition, the full outfit weighs 13,000 kg. a fully integrated logistic support package. from Sweden and installed at a United Over 40 Mk 2 mountings were sold FMV subsequently placed orders for a further Defense facility in Louisville, Kentucky. worldwide to customers in Canada, Gabon, three systems and for an undisclosed quan- “The Naval Surface Warfare Center [NSWC] Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, and Sweden. tity of 3P ammunition. Louisville detachment went through a very The 57 Mk 3, using the standard Mk 2 comprehensive logistics evaluation and Third generation cupola, went on to secure orders for the engineering analysis of the system, complet- Development of the 57 Mk 3 began in navies of Finland (four systems for Ham- ing in 2003, to see if the trade study outcomes the early 1990s. The design builds on the ina-class missile craft) and Mexico (four match the published technical literature,” mechanics of the Mk 2, but has introduced Durango-class offshore patrol vessels). Both Danczyk continued. “This showed that, yes, all-digital interfaces and new on-mount navies have also procured the associated 3P this was a more reliable system, and one easier computers for performance monitoring and ammunition. Elsewhere, however, the 57 to use.” test, prediction, and ballistic calculation. Mk 3 has found itself up against tough peer One big plus identified by the NSWC Furthermore, it has sought from the outset competition in the shape of the OTO Melara team was that check and test functions to capitalise on the multi-target functionality 76/62 Super Rapid gun. could now be completed in just a few hours afforded by a new generation of ‘smart’ 3P (having typically taken three days previ- (Prefragmented, Programmable, Proximity- US breakthrough ously using dummy directors and chart fused) 57 mm ammunition (see box). For It was in the United States that Bofors found recorders). This was facilitated by the example, an integrated BAE Systems Austra- new opportunities for 57 Mk 3 sales, and incorporation of laptop computer-based lia muzzle-velocity radar is fitted to supply the company in March 1998 announced gun-mount testing applications. data to the fire-control computer for calcu- that the 57 Mk 3 (and its sibling 40 Mk 3) It was in September 2003 that the 57 Mk lating ballistics and target intercept point, would be jointly marketed into the US with 3 gun system (then under the moniker EX-57 enabling the Mk 3 to achieve maximum United Defense. The arrangement struck Mk 3) was selected, following competition, accuracy and fully exploit 3P functionality. provided for United Defense to address to meet the needs of the US Coast Guard’s An improved local control function is the needs of the US armed services and US (USCG’s) National Security Cutter (NSC) incorporated in the Mk 3. As a back-up the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. (part of the Deepwater recapitalisation gun can be controlled from a PC-based gun Bofors would retain responsibility for mar- programme). By now, United Defense had panel that can be located anywhere in the ship. The sight used in this mode is a TV- camera mounted on the elevating mass. This same equipment can also be used for optical surveillance and to align the gun and fire- control tracker. As with the Mk 2, the 57 Mk 3 turret can be loaded with 120 ready-to-fire rounds.

The length of the ammunition hoists can be TDemo 1448677 Scott/NAVYPIX: Richard adapted to suit ship size (ranging from 2-10 steps). The only ships’ services requirement is a power supply (3 x 440 V 60 Hz or 3 x The 57 Mk 3 is evolved from the earlier Bofors 400 V 50 Hz). 57 Mk 2 mounting, pictured here on board the Royal Malaysian Navy frigate KD Lekiu. A new ‘stealth’ cupola was another facet ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 55 Equipment proﬁle 57 Mk 3/Mk 110 naval gun A Systems:1448679 BAE Kockums: 1448678

Royal Swedish Navy Visby-class corvettes are equipped with a 57 Mk 3 gun featuring a unique ‘stealth’ cupola. The barrel is raised through a special hatch in the faceted gunshield to ﬁre.

itself acquired Bofors (the latter operating as environmental and safety qualiﬁcation River Test Range over the course of testing, Bofors Defence), and what had begun its US tests for the gun and 3P ammunition. Firing with results presented to the USN’s Weapon life as the EX-57 Mk 3 was now re-designated tests of the gun and ammunition continued System Explosive Safety Review Board in as the EX-110 Mod 0. through 2004 (the USN purchasing both May 2005. The US Navy (USN) subsequently put 3P and Target Practice [TP] ammunition to In September 2004 the EX-110 Mod 0 the system through more extensive tests support testing). More than 2,000 rounds nomenclature was revised to become the at the NSWC Dahlgren Division to conduct of ammunition were ﬁred on the Potomac Mk 110 Mod 0. The 57 mm 3P ammunition

$$// -((: + - ./+ ( --

)+,$, $+-, ( - ./+ () -

&& , +,,$$, $+-, ( , .+ ++. 2 - $- $$,3 &&44 %! + .5& ,, 6 7447 8!! 9 ; < =$ +,$, $+-, ( -,, 0 ; < =/+$+-, $$, , + (+. $$ $ 0 =+, 0 ,,--$ 0 ($ 1

!""# $% &'# ( >! * !# ) "* &) ? ! '# TDemo (& ) !"# "## # *' +% $%&

56 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes 57 Mk 3/Mk 110 naval gun

has been designated Mk 295 Mod 0, and the 57 mm TP ammunition as Mk 296 Mod 0. Selectable effects: 3P programmable ammunition puts six functions into one LCS selection Following its selection for the USCG’s NSC The 57 mm 3P programmable, pre-fragmented and programme, the Mk 110 was in 2005 selected proximity-fuzed ammunition, known as Mk 295 by Lockheed Martin to equip the Freedom- Mod 0 in US service, is described by BAE class variant of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Systems as ‘one round for all threats’. A ytm:1448683 Systems: BAE The following year General Dynamics (teamed Ineffect,itallowsthe57Mk3to with Austal USA) also confirmed the selection engage different threat types of Mk 110 for its Independence-class LCS – whether airborne, at sea or trimaran design. Both selections were made on land – without the need following competition. to switch between multiple In 2010 BAE Systems and Oto Melara went ammunition types. The 57 mm 3P ammunition head-to-head once more for the 20-ship Fiscal Programmable in six different modes, the (near left) is designated Mk 295 Mod 0 in US service. Year 2010-15 (FY10-15) LCS buy. Both Lock- mode function is programmed individually at heed Martin and Austal USA (having taken on the point of firing by an electronic fuze pro- the lead for the Independence-class variant) grammer connected to the fire-control computer BAE Systems Bofors in Karlskoga last year began re-selected the Mk 110; each prime is deliver- and range sensors on the gun. The fire-control the development of a second generation ‘smart’ ing 10 vessels under a dual-buy strategy. computer supplies the proximity fuze programmer programmable fuze for the 3P line. Although primarily “The Mk 110 has a lot of capabilities with data on the time-of-flight to target, and the designed to address component obsolescence in the very relevant to engaging surface threats,” fuze is in turn programmed with the time-of-flight original design, the new fuze will also improve produc- Danczyk told IHS Jane’s, “and that’s the and gate duration. ibility, reduce costs, and allow for software-based primary reason behind the selection for LCS. Thesixalternative3Pfunctionmodescomprise: updatestofunctionality. The high rate of fire, and dual ammo feed are gated proximity function (main air-defence mode According to BAE Systems, the rapid development both big pluses. But the key factor is the 3P against missiles, strike aircraft, helicopters); of micro-electronics technology means that a number ammunition, which has a time mode that gated proximity function with impact priority (large of the components in the current 3P fuze design are enables the engagement of more difficult aircraft, helicopters); continuous proximity func- nowoutofproduction.Asaresult,thecompanyis threats, such as small boat ‘swarm’ attacks.” tion (default mode for air targets); time function developing a new, more powerful integrated processor The 3P time function enables the ammu- (designedtofragmentabovesoftgroundtargets, that will enable previously analogue functions and nition burst point to be accurately pre- concealed helicopters, small naval craft); impact parameters to be changed via software. This will also programmed. “A lot of the time you can’t function (against trucks, personnel carriers, small ‘futureproof’ the ammunition by allowing for software- employ direct fire because you won’t know naval craft); and armour-piercing impact function based updates. exactly where the target is, only the general (lightly armoured vehicles). This new version of the 3P fuze will feature only location,” observed Danczyk. “So this mode Each 57 mm 3P round weighs 2.4 kg and commercially available components where possible allows you to put a pattern above the target comprises the six-mode programmable fuze, a pre- so as to avoid supplier dependency and take full – 10 rounds in a spread pattern allows you to fragmented projectile shell containing PBX explosive advantage of proven components already in volume blanket a 4,000 m2 area. (460 g) and pre-formed tungsten fragments (about production. The digital environment will also simplify “You can do the same in air mode. In 8,000intotal),andabrasscartridgecasewithlow production testing and allow for reduced lead times. essence, 3P enables you to put up a ‘vertical’ vulnerability ammunition and an electric primer. The Design qualification of the new ammunition will start wall of lead to defeat speed and manoeuvre.” Mk 295 munition is qualified as an Insensitive Muni- in 2014, with theobjectiveofhavingthenew3Pround Another pivotal factor in selection for LCS tion in accordance with MIL-STD-2105B. qualified for series production in mid-2015. was the gun’s weight and volume requirement. “At just over 15,000 lb, the Mk 110 is about 4 tons lighter than the competitor “For example, you can remove the breech relationship with its sister company in Karl- [OTO Melara] 76/62 Super Rapid gun system, block in less than 30 minutes. The sailors skoga, which remains system Design Author- and occupies a significantly smaller below- love it because it is so much easier to main- ity. “Almost 100% of parts are produced in decks volume,” Danczyk said. “That opens tain and operate. Sweden,” Danczyk noted, “though we are the way to installation on a wide variety of “What’s more, all infrastructure is now slowly transitioning the data package to the platforms – common gun and ammunition in place with respect to trainers, end-user US, primarily for spares production purposes. across multiple ship platforms allows for documentation, and technical publications. “For the coastguard ships, about half of batch buys and lower acquisition costs. And we have the Mk 110 gun integrated with manufacturing and assembly activity is “You also need to consider reliability, multiple fire-control systems,TDemo in the shape of performed in Sweden, with final assembly ease of maintenance, and total ownership Mk 160, Dorna and TACTICOS, on US ships.” and integration performed in Louisville. costs. We estimate that the Mk 110 gun Firing acceptance tests are then undertaken is three times as reliable, easier to repair Production plan at Dahlgren prior to delivery.” and requires half the maintenance of its BAE Systems Land and Armaments in Lou- Work is also in hand to transition Mk 295 main competitor. isville has established a very close working Mod 0 ammunition production to the US. ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 57 DIRECTORY

CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICES Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia Pacific Tel: +65 1344 328300 Fax: +65 1344 328005, email: [email protected] North/Central/South America Tel: Customer Care to 1-800-IHS-CARE or 1-800-447-227, email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING OFFICES LIST OF ADVERTISERS

AUSTRALIA: Richard West, see UK SCANDINAVIA: Ian Thompson, UNITED STATES: Jane’s Information Group, Armassglass www.armassglass.com 25 BENELUX: Adam Smith, see UK The Falsten Partnership, 23 Walsingham 110 N. Royal Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA Barrett Communications BRAZIL: Drucie DeVries, see USA Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 4FE; 22314, USA; Tel +1 (703) 683 3700; www.barrettcommunications.com.au 19 CANADA: Janet Murphy, see USA Tel: +44 (0) 1273 771020; Fax +1 (703) 836 5537; Bartington Instruments FRANCE: Carly Litchfield, see UK Fax +44 (0) 1273 770070; e-mail: [email protected] www.bartington.com 17 GERMANY, AUSTRIA, EASTERN EUROPE e-mail: [email protected] (EXCLUDING POLAND): SINGAPORE: Richard West, see UK Janet Berta, US Advertising Bohemia Interactive Simulations Dr. Uwe H. Wehrstedt, MCW Media & SOUTH AFRICA: Richard West, see UK Sales Director: www.bisimulations.com 63 Consulting Wehrstedt, Hagenbreite 9, SOUTH KOREA: Carly Litchfield, Tel +1 (703) 236 2410; Cassidian www.cassidian.com 10-11 D-06463 ERMSLEBEN, GERMANY; Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2291 Fax +1 (703) 836 5537; ESG Elektroniksystem www.esg.eu 29 Tel +49 34 743 62 090; e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Fax +49 34 743 62 091; SPAIN: Carly Litchfield, see UK CENTRAL USA AND CANADA: Flir Government www.ﬂir.com/380HDc 15 e-mail: [email protected] TURKEY: Richard West, see UK Janet Murphy, Frequentis www.frequentis.com 45 GREECE: Carly Litchfield, see UK UNITED KINGDOM: Senior Account Manager, International Armoured Vehicles HONG KONG: Carly Litchfield, see UK Tel +1 (703) 236 3139; IHS Jane’s, IHS Global Ltd., Sentinel House, www.internationalarmouredvehicles.com 56 INDIA: Carly Litchfield, see UK 163 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 Fax: +1 (703) 836 5537; Meggitt Defense Systems IFC ISRAEL: Oreet International Media, 2YH, UK; Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2289; e-mail: [email protected] 15 Kinneret Street, Bene Berak, 51201 Israel; Fax +44 (0) 20 3253 2103; SOUTH AND SOUTHEASTERN USA: MTU Aero Engines www.mtu.de 23 Tel +972 (3) 570 6527; e-mail: [email protected] Drucie DeVries, Senior Account Manager: Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Fax +972 (3) 570 6526; Janine Boxall, Global Advertising Tel +1 (703) 236 2446; (IDS) www.raytheon.com OBC e-mail: [email protected]. Sales Director: Fax +1 (703) 836 5537; RUAG www.ruag.com 31 Defence contact: Liat Heiblum; Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2295; e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Fax (See UK); NORTHEASTERN USA: Saab Dynamics www.saabgroup.com 13 ITALY AND SWITZERLAND: Ediconsult e-mail: [email protected] Janet Berta. Singapore Airshow 2014 Internazionale Srl, Piazza Fontane Marose 3, Richard West, Senior Key Accounts US Advertising Sales Director, www.singaporeairshow.com/registration IBC 16123 Genova, Italy; Tel +39 010 583684; Manager: Tel +44 20 3253 2292; Tel +1 (703) 236 2410; Fax +1 (703) 836 5537; Singapore Technologies Engineering Fax +39 010 566578; Fax (See UK); email: [email protected] www.stengg.com 7 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] WESTERN USA: JAPAN: Carly Litchfield, see UK Carly Litchfield Advertising Sales Manager Richard L Ayer, 127 Avenida del Mar, Suite 2A, UTC Aerospace Systems MIDDLE EAST: Adam Smith, see UK Defence: San Clemente, California 92672, USA; www.cloudcaptech.com 27 PAKISTAN: Adam Smith, see UK Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2291; Tel +1 (949) 366-9089; POLAND: Adam Smith, see UK Fax (See UK); Fax +1 (949) 366-9289; RUSSIA: Anatoly Tomashevich, email: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] 4-154, Teplichnyi pereulok, Moscow, Adam Smith Advertising Sales Executive ADVERTISING COPY: 123298, Russia. TelFax +7 495 942 0465; Defence: Wayne Bulled, Ad Copy & Operations ONLINE SPONSORS Mobile +7 926 211 4672; Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2293; Executive: (see UK address); Airbus Military, Cassidian, DCI, Eurosam, Expal, Finmeccanica, Harris, Israel Aircraft Industries, e-mail: [email protected] Fax (See UK); Tel +44 (0) 20 3253 2267; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Lockheed Martin email: [email protected] Fax (See UK); MS2, Meggitt, Oshkosh, Photonis, e-mail: [email protected] Renault Trucks, Thales. Subscription enquiries We are here to help. There are four easy ways of contacting us about starting or renewing your subscription or to inform us of a change to your delivery address. TELEPHONE +44 1604251491 DSB.net Ltd. McGowan House, MAIL 10 Waterside Way, Northampton. NN4 7XD

EMAIL [email protected]

FAX +44 1604 251 031

One year print or digital subscription rate: UK £290 • Europe EUR355* • Rest of World (inc. US) $455* *includes airmail delivery 57 Mk 3/Mk 110 naval gun

“All previous 3P ammunition contracts have A 3P airburst delivers a been delivered from Sweden,” said Danczyk. devastating effect on a surface target. “However, for current contracts, we are in the process of transferring production into the US. “This is a multi-phase activity. In the ﬁrst instance, we are bringing in components from Sweden for in-country assembly over the next two years. Eventually, however, the customer wants us to transfer as much of the production process as possible to meet the requirement for a US supplier. The plan is to transition almost 100% of component

manufacture to the US – only the fuze would BAE Systems: 1448680 still come from Sweden.” The US Coast Guard BAE Systems completed delivery of the national security cut- USCG’s first Mk 110 Mod 0 naval gun system ter USCGC Waesche in January 2006. The company has so far conducts a live-fire produced five systems for the coastguard, gunnery exercise with its Mk 110 57 mm gun comprising four for the NSC programme during the ‘CARAT 2012 and a single gun (installed at Dahlgren) to Philippines’ exercise in support training. July 2012. In August 2012 the company announced a contract worth more than USD20 million to supply a further two Mk 110 Mod 0 guns, plus engineering support, to the USCG and USN. Due for delivery in 2014, one system is destined for the fifth NSC, while the other

will be located at the USN’s training facility US Navy: 1448681 in Dam Neck, Virginia, to support operations and maintenance training. for each LCS team). It has firm contracts for a both the navy and coast guard.” A total of eight NSCs are planned, with further eight (split four and four), and holds While the USN is said to be very satisfied Huntington Ingalls Industries in June 2013 FY14 and FY15 contract options (four each to date with the Mk 110 and associated authorised to move ahead with procurement year, split two and two). Mk 295 ammunition, BAE Systems has of long lead time materials for the seventh Aggregating existing orders and forecast begun to examine potential enhancements ship. Furthermore, the USCG has confirmed contracts (against NSC, LCS and OPC pro- that could further improve probability of the Mk 110 as the baseline gun option for grammes of record), BAE Systems expects kill. According to Danczyk, discussions have the USCG’s projected Offshore Patrol Cutter Mk 110 production to nudge towards 90 centred on the implementation of pre-pro- (OPC). The OPC is currently in the ship ship systems. “We are looking to add to that grammed burst patterns. concept development phase, with a contrac- total through FMS sales,” said Danczyk. “The “This is a function that Bofors has already tor down-selection expected in 2015-16. A primary market we’re looking at right now is demonstrated with Sweden and Finland,” he class of 25 vessels is planned. Saudi Arabia. They have identified the capa- said. “Computer-controlled burst patterns, opti- As regards LCS business for Mk 110, BAE bility to defend against swarm threats as a top mised for different target types, can be auto- Systems has so far produced eight guns (four priority, and are interested in the Mk 110 for selected to achieve a higher kill probability.”

Malaysia selects 57 Mk 3 for SGPV-LCS

BAE Systems in April 2013 announced agreement AccordingtoBAESystems,theﬁrst57Mk3 maintenance and spares support for the Royal forthesaleofsix57Mk3navalgunsfortheRoyal gun will be ready for delivery from Karlskoga to the MalaysianNavyandtheMalaysianMaritime Malaysian Navy’s Second Generation Patrol Vessel – Boustead Naval Shipyard in mid-2015. It is planned Enforcement Agency. LittoralCombatShips(SGPV-LCS)programmeina to step up Malaysian industry involvement, through AccordingtoBAESystems,BHICBoforsAsia deal worth approximately USD57 million. joint venture company BHIC Bofors Asia (owned in could initially support Karlskoga with production The contract, placed under a Letter of Award equal shares by Boustead DefenceTDemo Technologies and local procurement of components as part of a from Contraves Advanced Devices (a joint venture Co-operation Bhd and BAE Systems Bofors Hold- global sourcing programme. A subsequent transfer between Boustead Heavy Industries and Rheinmetall ings) as the programme progresses. Established of technology programme would allow for assembly Air Defence AG) also includes ammunition hoists, a in2004,BHICBoforsAsiahasoperationsinKuala and test of guns, as well as expanding existing simulator, and initial support. Lumpur, Lumut and Kota Kinabalu to carry out maintenance support activities.

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 59 Technology report Command and training Training day: simulation software advances come into focus Training of commanders and staff is often overlooked in favour of other areas of simulation. However, progress has been made in developing realistic and demanding systems to support command and staff training. Giles Ebbutt reviews the available options

here are several different aspects to command and staff training. There is Tthe teaching of doctrine and tactics. There is formal, basic instruction which teaches staff processes and procedures, and is intended to turn out trained individuals who can operate effectively in a headquarters (HQ). Both of these involve practical exercises. Then there is the development and maintenance of individual and team skills in command, control, and co-ordination – the business of an operational HQ. The difficulty with this type of training is that as an HQ is essentially a mechanism for receiving and processing information, making decisions based on that information and communicating those decisions to others, for it and the individuals within it to be thoroughly exercised needs a realistic level of information 1448667 Ebbutt: Giles to be input from above, below, and from the side. This can be achieved either by copious The UKCATT simulator hall at the Land Warfare Centre at Warminster. use of role players in higher and lower controls, which is a resource-intensive solution, or CAST supports Mission by using simulation systems and particularly Specific Training for computer-generated forces (CGF) to generate Afghanistan pre- the tactical activity and scenario necessary, deployment training. which at their most sophisticated can include Note the presence of Danish officers in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). this HQ. The British Army has developed comprehensive facilities to meet this requirement. The Command, Staff, and Tactical Training Group (CSTTG) includes the Command and Staff Trainer (CAST) at Warminster and Catterick in the UK and at Sennelager in Germany, together with the separate but linked Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT) at Warminster and Sennelager. These are part of a spectrum of

collective training facilities encompassing live, Crown copyright: 1448666 virtual, and constructive training that supports Hybrid Foundation Training (HFT), generic could be accommodated withTDemo the addition and assess HQ effectiveness by examining training for all operations, and Mission Specific of extra resources. Originally intended for the three elements that contribute to HQ Training (MST), which is part of tailored generic training a significant effort has gone fighting power: processes and procedures; pre-deployment training. into providing MST for Bde and battalion HQs. tactical application; and the dynamics of CAST is optimised for Battle Group (BG) or According to Lieutenant Colonel Adam the HQ, all while under pressure. His staff Brigade (Bde) HQ, although a Divisional HQ Crawley from CAST the aim is to observe observe how the HQ is set up and how its

60 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Command and training

internal relationships work, how well doc- at considerable potential cost. Martin UK with BAE Systems as its sub- trine is adhered to, and the effectiveness of Raytheon UK has now modernised the contractor, the facility includes 70 specific its Standing Operational Instructions and system by porting it to a new software envi- armoured vehicle simulators and 70 generic internal procedures. “We are assessing, not ronment with a modern graphical user inter- vehicle simulators, together with an immer- testing. The judgements we make at the end face and browser-based clients. Installation sive simulator, and is the largest facility of are all about how they can become a better, at all three CAST sites and for the Canadian its kind in the world. The synthetic environ- more efficient HQ. This is a very valuable Department of National Defence (DND) is in ment is provided by Lockheed Martin. There tool for a commanding officer [CO].” progress. Initial Factory Acceptance Testing are terrain databases for the UK, Germany, Each HQ establishes its command post (FAT) has been successfully completed, with and Afghanistan. (CP) for the two-week training period using final FAT expected in early 2014. The new CATT also hosts the facilities for MST for its own equipment, communications, and version can be further enhanced if required. HQ, which have been developed to support vehicles adjacent to the CAST building. ABACUS will play all activity and engage- predeployment training for units and forma- Higher and side controls and the overall ments to reflect terrain, equipment capabili- tions deploying to Afghanistan. In this case the relevant operations rooms are exactly duplicated together with all the communications networks and available sensor feeds.

Initial-stage activities A BG HQ will spend the two weeks in CAST planning and executing a series of increasingly demanding missions, while the main body of the unit is in CATT undertaking tactical training. During the ﬁrst week the two activities are not connected, with subunits working up using the tactical simulators in CATT, while the HQ is planning and executing its ﬁrst mission using ABACUS and planning its second. At the beginning of the second week the CO moves to CATT as if in his tactical HQ and the remainder of the missions are conducted

aten 1448665 Raytheon: using the tactical simulators in CATT, with the results being reported back to the BG HQ in CAST and forming some of the information flow into the system. CATT opposition An ABACUS screenshot showing the tactical picture overlaid on satellite imagery with a chronological forces are created using CGF and AI, although record of events in the right-hand corner. Lieutenant Colonel Murray McLeod in CATT notes that there needs to be overall human exercise control are provided by the parent ties, relative strengths, and doctrine. With control to ensure the pace and tempo of the formation, with lower controls from within the addition of a third party tool called the exercise are properly regulated. the unit. These provide a constant flow of Virtual Command and Control Interface On completion of CATT and CAST there is information, with the process monitored (VCCI), developed by SimFront in Canada a major After Action Report (AAR) session as by CAST staff and interspersed with hot on behalf of the Canadian DND, the system well as the interim sessions. Lt Col Crawley debriefs. This also provides a useful training can be integrated with other simulation notes that “nothing should come as a surprise opportunity for all these controlling HQs, and command-and-control (C2) systems, as we should have already flagged it up”, because if they are doing it properly they notably the ComBAT Battle Management while Lt Col McLeod observes how quickly too will be following a planning cycle and System and BiSim’s Virtual BattleSpace 2 individual personnel work collectively to providing back briefs. (VBS2) among others. improve performance. Both emphasise how Underpinning the whole is the ABACUS This enables all the activity simulated important it is to establish a good rapport constructive simulation system, which is by ABACUS to be realistically reflected in with a unit CO. “It is his unit we are helping now provided by Raytheon UK. “[It] is the ComBAT and, therefore, reported by lower to train, and we need to ensure that we are key piece of simulation we use” observes controls and seen by players. Integration helping to meet his objectives.” Lt Col Crawley. The original version of with VBS2, with some additionalTDemo terrain A system that is currently widely used ABACUS was developed in the United detail, enables a simulated unmanned aircraft elsewhere in Europe is CAE GmbH’s States and consisted of a Linux Server system (UAS) feed to be provided to the HQ GEfechts-SImulation (GESI). This is based with Windows Clients and a mix of ‘old’ via a remote viewing terminal. on a constructive simulation model designed programming languages. This version had Unlike CAST, CATT is aimed at the lowest to run complex combined arms combat and become obsolete and was due to be replaced tactical levels. Developed by Lockheed Operations Other Than War (OOTW) exercises ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 61 Technology report Command and training

from company up to division level. A typical battalion system consists of 23 workstations, of which three are used for controlling, evalu- ating, and documenting the exercise. Bde level systems consist of 40-70 workstations, depending on the training aims. An exercise normally runs in real-time, but can also be accelerated. The simulation features resolution down to single entities, which are normally grouped together in aggregate units. A graphical user interface is part of the tactical workstation software to allow for entering orders and controlling the forces under command. Up to 12 parties can participate with their relationships deﬁned before and during the exercise in order to satisfy the requirements for OOTW and other types of exercises. Relations between parties

may be asymmetric. 1448668 CAE: The German Army is the principal customer for CAE’s GESI system. Continuous development GESI was first introduced in 1994. It is in use in various guises in Germany, Austria, Italy, and the ability to include refugee and other Norway, Finland, and Ireland and is being camps. A new “humans” entity classifica- acquired by Poland for use in its Officer Candi- tion – providing the simulation of different date School with first use planned for Novem- individuals or groups of people – has been ber 2013. The system has been continuously introduced, and this development is also par- developed, according to Joachim Kramp, CAE’s ticularly useful for emergency management key account manager for GESI, on CAE’s initia- training where the simulation of the actions tive and according to customer requirements. of large numbers of people is required. The principal customer whose requirements The Phase 1 software was tested success-

have driven most development is the German Raytheon: 1448664 fully at the German Army Warfighting Simula- Army, where it is known as SIRA (Simula- The (US) CAST Control Room: the various tion Centre at Wildflecken, and was accepted tionssystem für Rahmenübungen: simulation control cells are arranged around the central at the end of June 2013. At present it is only planning map. system [framework] for exercises). the Germans who are acquiring the latest The first major upgrade was in 2008 with version, although according to Kramp discus- the introduction of GESI-smartt (Simulation has also been improved with the development sions with Austria and Norway for upgrading Model with Adaptive Resolution of Terrain of a High Level Architecture (HLA)-based are at an advanced stage. The Austrian system and Troops), which increased the number of interface with the German Army’s C2 system, is an original 1998 version, while Norway entities to 32,000. It enabled simulation over the Führungsund Informationssystem Heer upgraded to GESI-smartt in 2009. different levels of resolution, and therefore (FüInfoSysH). This will also enable GESI to be levels of command, allowing a much wider linked to other simulation or C2 systems. Phase 2 improvements scope of use. For example, users will be able Although in the past CAE developed GESI Phase 2 development is in progress and to conduct an exercise from detailed urban interfaces with the Finnish and Italian C2 should be complete by early 2015 at the operations to large-scale joint operations in systems, these were mainly proprietary tech- latest. The work in this phase covers recon- one exercise. The upgrade also introduced a nology. The current intention is to provide naissance and command support, with further new interface and additional models, includ- more open interfaces and CAE is now con- development of its emergency relief func- ing an army aviation logistic model and the ducting research into the use of Battle Man- tionality. GESI is increasingly being used in a incorporation of naval platforms. agement Language (BML) for the exchange of Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) context. In 2010 a major product improvement data in the simulation of C2. “It is very important that GESI can support programme began, which is taking place in Urban and special operations training this kind of training” observes Kramp, “as it is two phases. The development of Phase 1, capability was also improved, together with becoming increasingly widespread”. GESI has which is the larger, has recently been com- the reconnaissance and surveillanceTDemo func- been in use at the German Academy for Crisis pleted. It includes a complete renewal of the tionality, in particular the use of unmanned Management, Emergency Planning, and Civil system architecture and modernisation of the aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground sensors. Protection (AKNZ) since 2011, and it is from graphical user interface, plus improvement Non-Article V and crisis response operations here that much of the drive for improving this of the administrative and editing processes. have been included in the simulation, with functionality originates. Interoperability with operational C2 systems the results of the use of non-lethal weapons CAE is hoping to expand its foothold in this

62 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Command and training

market in Europe, although Kramp explains gramme, as well as the Incident Command communications into the system, thus provid- that it is very different to the military market, Team Training System (ICTTS), which is ing the most realistic training environment. with less scope for large procurement proj- used for Homeland Security (HLS) and crisis Considerable use is made of AI within the ects like the military model but more for a response management training. virtual environment to minimise the require- service-based approach. “We can see there is ment for response cell personnel. Some of the a big demand, but for training events that are Tactical scenarios CGF software used is VT MÄK’s VR Forces, organised and delivered for the emergency In addition, Elbit was awarded a contract in with other third-party contributions together services.” He noted that the weekend follow- late 2012 to provide a system for the Royal with Elbit’s own proprietary software. ing his comments CAE was due to deliver a Netherlands Army (RNLA). This has been As well as tactical scenarios across the spec- major training event providing all the com- installed at the RNLA’s Manoeuvre Training trum of conflict the CST also enables train- puter equipment and controllers, devising the Command in the Prins Bernhard barracks in ing for CIMIC, for example with municipal scenario, and providing the AAR. Amersfoort, with the first phase delivered in authorities, police, and medical organisations In addition to Phase 2 other improvements 2012. According to Ofer Segal, senior director such as the Red Cross. are envisaged across the board, developed for Land Forces Training and Simulation at Segal notes that there are a number from customer feedback, involving particu- Elbit, additional capabilities are being provided of design considerations in developing a larly the environment and terrain display, in further phases at the RNLA’s request. command training system. Different levels of together with a very detailed medical The system provides training for HQ staff command demand different degrees of fidelity service model. This is particularly important from company to Bde level and will be capable in the simulation, but if a system is required to for Emergency Management training and of allowing the HQ staff of “several” com- span several levels of command the requisite will be introduced “within the next year” panies or up to three battalions to exercise degree of fidelity is required at the appropriate according to Kramp. simultaneously either with different scenarios level, with high-fidelity requirements neces- Elbit Systems provides Command and or all using the same one. Alternatively, it can sary for some scenarios. “There needs to be a Staff Training systems for the Israel Defence be used by a single Bde HQ. clear understanding of who the main trainee Forces (IDF) in the form of its tactical battle Participating units will deploy their own is,” says Segal. group trainer and with the training system operational HQ alongside the CST complex He also observes that different options for the Tsayad (Hunter) Digital Army Pro- and connect their C2 systems and operational are available for training provision such as a

TDemo

ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 63 Technology report Command and training

centralised facility or the use of real tactical while for battalion and below training it is thetic environment and 2-D and 3-D visuals, HQ. The Tsayad training system is the latter using its own Tactical Simulation (TacSi) interfaces with operational C2 systems, and type and Elbit has the ability to simulate com- software, in combination with VBS2, which an AAR process to support the training of communications links, C2 systems, and where provides a visualisation capability. RD is now manders and staff in combined arms opera- appropriate provide visualisation injects for developing an interface in order to integrate tions. It is particularly aimed at providing the HQ staff. Segal emphasises the beneﬁt of the two systems. This would enable, for training for units and formations leading up to using a non-centralised distributed network example, a VBS2 UAV feed to be provided and just prior to participating in major live ﬁre to enable HQ to exercise together, particularly into a Bde HQ, or a Bde commander to take exercises and deployments. in training for joint operations, with the same a simulated helicopter ride into the forward The MTWS – developed and maintained by degree of scenario generation. He also notes area, and also allows Bde and battalion HQ to Engility – provides interactive, multi-sided, that Elbit is concentrating on developing be exercised simultaneously. force-on-force, real-time modelling and generic interfaces and connections to achieve The US Marine Corp has two CAS training simulation with stand-alone tactical combat a CGF-agnostic solution and allow the integra- systems. The Combined Arms Command and scenarios for training commanders and staff tion with whatever CGF engine a customer Control Trainer Upgrade System (CACCTUS) in air, ground, surface, and amphibious opera- wishes to use. The ICTTS – which is used by Israel’s Home Front Command – is designed to train several levels of HQ at once, principally the individual District HQs with their subordinate individual city and tactical unit HQs, and with a higher control at the national level.

Urban-scene simulation A particular aspect of HLS command training is the simulation of a city-based scenario. “We have put a lot of effort into simulating the dense urban environment,” says Segal, “because it’s not only about crowd behaviours but also things like traffic. To get a realistic response to decisions in this environment you need to get this simulation right. You can’t create a high-ﬁdelity environment,

but by combining crowd and flocking tech- 1448669 Elbit: nology with some high-fidelity simulation Elbit’s ICTTS Simulator is used for Homeland Security command training. you can achieve good results.” Early in 2013 Rheinmetall Defence (RD) secured a contract to provide joint command is an enhancement to the Combined Arms tions. It is an automated exercise scenario and staff training to an unspecified Gulf Staff Trainer (CAST – not to be confused driver with stop/back up and replay capabili- country, which IHS Jane’s believes is likely to with the UK CAST) that will provide ties. Weapons characteristics and parametric be the United Arab Emirates. This followed fire support training for the Marine Air data are held in a dynamic data repository a separate contract in late 2012. The first Ground Task Force (MAGTF) elements up allowing the simulation of a range of real or contract is for brigade and above staff training to and including the Marine Expeditionary constructive forces according to the scenario. for about 5-6 exercises per year, while the Brigade (MEB) level; it currently provides It can be interfaced with current USMC second is for commanders and staff HQ at bat- training up to and including battalion/ and other US C2 systems such as C2 Personal talion, Bde and divisional level for about 10 Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) level. Computer (C2PC), the Intelligence Opera- 2-3 week exercises per year. The MAGTF Tactical Warfare Simulation tions Server (IOS), and the Global Command Both these are service contracts, with (MTWS) is designed to support the training and Control System (GCCS). As part of the RD providing all the hardware, software, and of senior commanders and their staffs in C2 US Joint National Training Capability (JNTC), connectivity necessary to run the exercises, processes and procedures. MTWS is being integrated into the US Joint together with personnel to act as higher and CACCTUS is a combined arms staff training Forces Command (JFCOM) Joint Live Virtual lower controls, as role players, and to deliver system that, when the upgrade is fully fielded, Constructive (JLVC) federation in order to the AAR. will enable comprehensive marine corps staff, augment other high-level command exercises To provide the tactical scenarios and the unit, and team training atTDemo home station (US) with marine corps validated models. exercise play RD is using a combination of CAST facilities, and through distributed train- Within the USMC MTWS is used for simulation software. For brigade and above ing involving CAST facilities across the marine command training from battalion to Marine training it is using IABG’s KORA (Korps corps. Currently provided by Riptide and due Expeditionary Force (MEF) level with facilities Rahmenmodell für die Offiziersausbildung – to be upgraded in 2014/15, it uses a variety at Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, Camp Lejeune, Corps framework model for officer training), of simulation capabilities including a syn- Quantico, Okinawa, and Hawaii. It is also used

64 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes Command and training

on the Command and Staff Course at Quantico version of the software, based on NATO CEO, told IHS Jane’s that interoperability and in the classroom and for exercise support. The doctrine, with a standard interface which ease of use were key principles. “Because we software is typically upgraded annually. can be easily customised. This is now mar- have a library of generic behaviours, anyone VT MÄK has developed its Staff Tactical keted as a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) can start using it immediately,” he said, “and Trainer (STT) to support command training product as SWORD. Further upgrades have the use of standard interoperability protocols for all US services. It supports the planning incorporated crisis management and civil like HLA or BML means that SWORD can be process and then allows trainees to execute emergencies, while additional human factor integrated into a wide range of C2 systems”. their plan either against each other or against algorithms set levels of stress and fatigue Future developments include a tablet or a computer-generated enemy, revising the based on the environment. iPad version of SWORD, which is likely to be plan as necessary and using real or simulated Amper has incorporated SWORD into the available by the end of 2013, reﬂecting cus- communications. All elements of the process Swiss FIS-HE C2 system, which is based on tomer demand for a more mobile capability. are recorded so that on completion of an Amper’s ne.on software, by adding an inte- This is coupled to the development of a cloud exercise trainee performance can be reviewed gration layer between the two. The simula- version, enabling connection to a remote and evaluated. tion can be controlled by the C2 software and simulation server, which can be administered and the exercise controlled remotely. Torres believes that where armies are developing a command and staff training simulation capability for the ﬁrst time it is likely to take a more distributed form with software integrated with C2 systems.

Tailored training This next release will also include improved civil security and public safety functionality, which is partly in response to the requirements of and will be of particular use to MASA’s latest customer – the Brazilian Army – in its preparations for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. This contract, worth USD30 million, was awarded in May 2013 for the provision of a customised version of SWORD, which will be used for training HQ AA 1448670 MASA: staffs from company to divisional level. This contract will equip only one of the Brazilian Army’s ﬁve training centres. “This is only the A screenshot from MASA’s SWORD showing the tactical picture with orbat and detailed unit ﬁrst phase,” said Torres, “and we would hope activity windows. to get the contract for the remaining phases of the programme”. In the US Army the STT is known as Battle is designed to be used principally as a decision In South America SWORD is also in use in Command and is designed to support battal- support tool, known as ne.tacplan, rather Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru, and Torres said ion and brigade commanders and their staffs. than for training. that two major countries in Asia, which he was It is also used by Ukraine and Latvia. The Danish software house Systematic and unable to name, use it for command and staff A relatively recent arrival on the wider MASA have combined to provide a stand- training with a third using it for analysis. staff training scene is MASA Group with alone command training system incorporat- MASA’s future plans for SWORD, which are its SWORD software. This is designed ing Systematic’s SitaWare HQ C2 system based on feedback from its customers, include to provide an intelligent simulation of with SWORD. This provides a COTS solution an increased focus on public safety behaviours military activity to support CP training, for C2 training, course of action analysis, and an improved capability for the software with simulated units following doctrine- wargaming, and simulation support in to take into account the effect of terrain on compliant courses of action once they concept and doctrine development. actions and behaviour. receive operational orders. It had its origins SWORD can also be simultaneously inte- with AI algorithms developed for the video grated at entity level, such that a simulation ON THE WEB and serious games market. First introduced running with Sitaware can also run in, for around 2002 the software provides the core example, VBS2. ActivityTDemo shown in Sitaware MASA’s SWORD cuts into the virtual behind an HMI from Thales for the French with standard map symbology can also be training world, 29.05.2012 Army’s SCIPIO C2 training system, which viewed in the VBS2 virtual world down to Networking future battlelabs, provides training for HQ from battalion to individual vehicles and personnel. The same 25.07.2013 divisional level. is possible for MÄK’s VR-Forces. ihs.com/janes MASA subsequently developed a generic Juan-Pablo Torres, MASA President and ihs.com/janes November 2013 Jane’s International Defence Review | 65 Parting shot T-72 in the frame for upgrades

The new Arena-E automatic A 12.7 mm machine gun enables the commander to hard kill defensive aid system engage infantry and lightweight or aviation targets; configuration sees the sensor a 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted co-axially. This system installed on the side configuration still requires the commander to expose of the turret rather than the their head and shoulders in order to fire the weapon, but legacy design’s mast to reduce a cupola can be fitted (not pictured) to provide shelter. its vulnerability. It is able to engage threats whilst moving at 1,000 m/s – a 43% performance This upgrade increase – and is available in a retains the proven lighter configuration enabling the smoothbore 125 mm DAS to be installed on a wider 2A46M main gun. This range of vehicles. is capable of firing armour-piercing fin- stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunition, as well as laser-guided projectiles that are effective out to a range of 5,000 m.

IHS:IHSS:1 15183631518518363

Additional ERA panels ﬁtted to the glacis The Arrowhead ERA package that has been plate and hull sides extend protection. ﬁtted to the frontal arc of the turret is designed to However, they do not provide all-round cover. counter armour-piercing sabot and HEAT rounds.

he T-72 remains the most widely ex- ported of recent main battle tanks and 18% FACTS & FIGURES Tthe upgrade market is consequently very healthy as users try to keep them current. Russia’s Uralvagonzavod rolled out the 40% Global MBT newest upgrade packages for the type at the 20,000 RAE arms fair in mid-September, with much upgrade of the work focused on improving protection market by 16% According to Russia’s Uralvagonzavod, through the addition of explosive reactive value about 20,000 T-72s were built armour (ERA) and defensive aid systems. between 1974 and 1991, either at The armour enhancements follow Russian facilities or under licence in the traditional form, with protection 9% Czechoslovakia, India, Iran and Iraq, 8% emphasized over the frontal arc and no 9% with modified versions such as the overt increases around the engine bay or M-84 built in Yugoslavia, PT-91 in sides, and no sign of passive bar or slat Poland and other Chinese variants, armour, showing distinct confidence in M1 Type 59 Leopard 2 some of which ended up in Pakistan. the active systems and perhaps making T-72 T-90 All others Many of them still remain in service it an upgrade package more suited to with original operators or have conventional force-on-force warfare rather guarantee of lasting support for the changed hands on the official and than urban environments. foreseeable future. black markets. Other enhancements include the fitting Russian industry’s reputation for of missile systems and new electro-optical supporting its products took a hammering sensors to increase lethality at long ranges. through the 1990s and the subsequent However, as has become traditional with decade as the country looked internally to T-72 upgrades, the gun is untouched, with deal with the collapse of the Soviet Union. $1.4bn lethality improvements introduced via new However, Russia’s generally resurgent ammunition designs and natures. economy and confidence has encouraged IHS Jane’s DS Forecasts values the With large numbers of vehicles still in industry to restore its positionTDemo in the market, T-72 upgrade market at USD1.4 service, a host of companies around the as evidenced by recent growth in the number billion (or USD1.02 billion excluding world offer individual enhancements and quality of upgrade packages that have Russia) over the next decade, with 17 or integrated upgrade packages, but the been unveiled over the last few years, for countries boasting actual – or expected – Russian original equipment manufacturer legacy products as well as new production enhancement plans in place. sells its state-supported position as a lines such as the latest T-90MS/SM.

66 | Jane’s International Defence Review November 2013 ihs.com/janes CHANGI EXHIBITION CENTRE

An international platform for key decision makers in ASIA’S SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2014 HIGHLIGHTS BIGGEST FOR the aerospace community to touch base, exchange insights and establish networks, Singapore Airshow Aviation Training Zone Business Forums AVIATION’S provides exclusive access to business opportunities Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit 2014 FINEST in Asia Pacific’s flourishing markets. Get on board with leading industry players and secure your Asia Pacific Security Conference 2014 presence at Asia’s largest airshow.

Register now for Singapore Airshow 2014! Enjoy the Early Bird Admission Rates when you To book your space, please contact: register online from now till 30 November 2013. Danny Soong / Vivian Koo / Cathryn Lee Tel: +65 6595 6123 / 6595 6122 / 6596 6114 www.singaporeairshow.com/registration Email: [email protected] SCAN TO REGISTER NOW! TDemo

Organised by: Official Media Partner: Supporting Publications: Supported by: Held in: AIR & MISSILE DEFENCE SOLUTIONS

PROTECTING TODAY’S WORLD TAKES A GLOBAL PATRIOT. Proven technology and growing global partnerships deﬁne Patriot’s track record of success. Trusted for superior protection by 12 nations and allies around the world, Patriot’s demonstrated performance in combat and more than 2,500 system tests is unmatched. Patriot simultaneously defends against multiple threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and UAVs even in severe electronic countermeasure conditions. It provides a reliable and adaptable line of cost-effective defence today, for the most urgent threats of tomorrow.

See why Global Patriot is the air and missile defence system of choice for more nations worldwide. TDemo Raytheon.com | Keyword: Global Patriot

Connect with us: