Keeping capability alive and ships at sea. Keeping naval operations in focus, capability alive and ships ready to fight and win at sea through innovative and intelligent sovereign sustainment solutions. Your Partner at Sea navantia.com.au Editor’s Letter EDITOR’S LETTER It is often said that history doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. As we look at the 2020s and compare them to the global malaise experienced 100 years ago, this could not be more accurate AS THE world continues to grapple with the geo- Sandy details the introduction of Aegis and the lessons political, economic and strategic impact of COVID-19 and learned from the US Navy and other Aegis partners, as rising great power tensions, one can’t help but see the the Navy expands its fleet of Aegis capable warships and echoes of history. All of this change has occurred in a the plans for collaboration with industry to develop an relatively short period of time. For Defence Connect, this Aegis centre of excellence. changing global environment has prompted us to step up We will also speak to Coras Solutions to discuss the our offering to you. company’s evolution as a specialised consulting company Building on the success of the Defence Connect daily and the support it provides Defence as it undergoes the market intelligence and defence industry news bulletin, largest peacetime modernisation program. Defence Connect has expanded its daily offering to include Navantia Australia will outline its transition from the detailed policy, capability and doctrine analysis of the ‘build’ phase to the ‘support’ phase and its plans to issues affecting Australia’s defence and national security. continue supporting the modernisation and capability This has seen the addition of the Insight podcast, enhancements of the Hobart and Canberra Class vessels. which enables us to have free flowing, deep-dive Rhode & Schwarz discusses its shift from supporting conversations with uniformed leaders, politicians and the Navy over the past 40 years to being recognised academics to discuss in detail the issues and challenges as a prime input to Navy’s capability for key programs, facing Australia. including the Cape Class patrol boats and the future As part of this enhanced offering, Defence Connect is Hunter Class frigates. pleased to launch its own quarterly special editions, with iXblue discusses the role it plays in supporting this, the Maritime & Undersea Warfare supplement, the Navy’s hydrographic survey capabilities and the role first issue. The focus of this edition will be the maritime autonomous systems and leading-edge technology domain, deep-diving into the programs, platforms, plays in supporting the safe navigation of the maritime capabilities and announcements that will shape Navy commons and continued security in the nation’s EEZ. over the coming decade. Finally, HENSOLDT Asia Pacific discusses its To begin with, we will take a deep-dive into the transition from supporting the Air Force and the skills, government’s recently announced $270 billion investment expertise and capabilities it brings to Navy across into the nation’s defence capability as part of the 2020 the fleet, ranging from optronics masts for the Collins Defence Strategic Update and the 2020 Force Structure Class through to soft-kill counter-UAS capabilities for Plan, which outlines the planned expansion of Navy into deployed surface warships. the 2030s. As always, feedback is both appreciated and Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm will also provide a closer encouraged, so please get in touch with us should you look at Plan Galileo, the Navy’s plan to partner with have any ideas to put forward. Thanks again for your industry to keep the fleet ready to fight and win at sea. continued support as we all work together to make This issue of Defence Connect will also take a closer Australia a safer, more secure and prosperous country. look at the evolution of the unmanned and autonomous mine counter measure capabilities currently on offer from Northrop Grumman for the Royal Australian Navy. Defence Connect’s two newest members, Hannah Dowling and Sandy Milne, will be providing a closer look at the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and its evolution from fixed- Steve Kuper wing to one of the most capable rotary wing forces in Analyst and editor the world. Defence Connect www.defenceconnect.com.au 01 Maritime Supplement Contents IN THIS ISSUE: EDITORIAL Analyst and editor: Steve Kuper Journalsts: Hannah Dowling Sandy Milne Production manager: Lyndsey Fall MARITIME Senior production editor: AND UNDERSEA WARFARE Keith Ford SALES P.03 Defence Strategic Update Senior media strategist: Joe Vince P.12 The cutting-edge optronic Media strategist: mast system Andy Scott P.14 Plan Galileo P.18 Disruption isn’t a CREATIVE challenge, it’s an Senior designers: opportunity Daniel Berrell Allisha Middleton-Sim P.20 Future proof Jack Townsend communications Designer: Sheriel Paez P.23 The evolution of the Fleet Air Arm Broadcast media manager: Todd Stevens P.30 Sustaining the Canberra Class LHD capability OFFICE P.32 Powering greater Accounts: autonomy Chris Brace Media coordinator: P.34 Aegis and SEA 5000 Anthony Lee P.40 Navy and Australia’s Marketing coordinator: 03 maritime economy Demii Kalavritinos Head of event production: P.44 Support Defence Jennifer Hardy capability at home and Deputy head of content: abroad Emma Ryan P.48 Navy autonomous Director, commercial growth: systems Russell Stephenson Director: P.51 Leveraging international Alex Whitlock maritime support P.56 Building on four decades of delivering for Navy P.60 Navy’s evolving mission 14 and capabilities ENQUIRIES Advertising enquiries andrew.scott@ momentummedia.com.au joe.vince@ momentummedia.com.au Editorial enquiries [email protected] CONTACT Level 13, 132 Arthur Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060 23 34 Phone: 02 9922 3300 Maritime Supplement 02 www.defenceconnect.com.au Defence Strategy PREPARING NAVY FOR THE CONTESTED ENVIRONMENT OF THE FUTURE The government has released the long-awaited Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan, which earmarks $270 billion over the next decade, with Navy set to be a major beneficiary BY STEPHEN KUPER rom the frigid waters of the Southern Power projection, backed by a potent fleet Ocean to the comparatively temperate, of modern surface vessels and submarines, F shallow and congested waterways of including aircraft carriers, destroyers and south-east Asia’s strategically vital sea lines frigates enabled Australian policy makers of communication, Australia’s maritime to intervene directly in regional security sphere of influence and responsibility is matters in order to prevent any major threat among the largest in the world. to the Australian mainland. Prior to Federation, much of Australia’s However, the concept of ‘Forward Defence’ maritime security and trade was guaranteed and the ‘domino theory’ would prove to by the might of the Royal Navy, however be mildly successful during the Malaya the creation of the Royal Australian Navy crisis and Korean conflicts, but ultimately, off the back of the Australian Squadron politically unpalatable in the aftermath of in 1913 marked a major step-change in the disastrous Vietnam War. the young nation’s relationship with its The 1986 Dibb review and supporting maritime surrounds. 1987 Defence White Paper established and While the First World War saw limited solidified the Defence of Australia doctrine, action for the then infant Royal Australian which saw the nation’s maritime capabilities Navy, the Second World War and its truly shift away from power projection, global battlefield forced the RAN to radically towards control over the critical maritime shift its approach and capabilities as, for the approaches to the Australian landmass and first time, Australia was under direct threat the sea lines of communication the economy of attack and potential invasion. depends upon. The aftermath of the Pacific campaign Author of the 1986 Dibb review, Professor and the Cold War in many ways paved the Paul Dibb, explains the shift in doctrine way for Australia’s contemporary maritime from ‘Forward Defence’ and supporting strategy off the back of the nation’s major others’ security to enhance our own, to engagements during the Indonesian the comparatively isolationist ‘Defence of Konfrontasi, Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Australia’ doctrine: www.defenceconnect.com.au 03 Maritime Supplement Defence Strategy HMAS Adelaide conducts First of Class Flight Trials for the MH-60 Romeo helicopter off the coast of Queensland Source: Department of Defence Maritime Supplement 04 www.defenceconnect.com.au “Until the late 1960s, Australian defence single maritime capability modernisation planning and policy assumed that our forces and recapitalisation since the Second World would normally operate in conjunction with War, supported by the $95 billion Naval allies, and well forward of the continent. We Shipbuilding Plan. saw our security inextricably linked with the The 2016 Defence White Paper was driven security of others.” by the rapidly deteriorating geo-political, While this shift can be argued by some as economic and strategic environment of the essential as the strategic realities of the Indo- Indo-Pacific, characterised by six key drivers Pacific evolved after Vietnam and through the responsible for shaping Australia’s security later stages of the Cold War, it delivered some environment to 2035, namely: of the highly capable platforms that form the The roles of the US and China and the backbone of the fleet today.