AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT OCT 2020 VOL.46 NO.8 MH-60R SEAHAWK HELICOPTERS A VITAL ASSET HUNTER CLASS INTERVIEW: SELF-PROPELLED FRIGATE PROGRAM BOEING DEFENCE AUSTRALIA HOWITZERS FROM UPDATE MD SCOTT CARPENDALE SOUTH KOREA KONGSBERG provides state of the art missile for ships, trucks, fighter aircraft and naval helicopters. Stealth, high-G agility and Automatic Target Recognition for the future. www.kongsberg.com PRECISION STRIKE SEA & LAND TARGETS Selected by : Norway - Poland - Malaysia - Germany - United States - Japan 2 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter OCT 2020 CONTENTS FEATURES 11 HUNTER CLASS FRIGATE PROGRAM UPDATE Print Post Approved PP349181/00104 The hull has not been changed for the RAN Managing Director/Publisher Marilyn Tangye Butler AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT SEPT 2020 Phone: +61 (0) 410 529 324 VOL.46 NO.7 14 ARMY LOOKS TO SOUTH KOREA FOR Email: [email protected] 155MM SPH Editor An historic and welcome development Kym Bergmann Phone: +61(0)412 539 106 Email: [email protected] MH-60R 16 SEA 1180 OFFSHORE PATROL CRAFT SEAHAWK Contributors You should be able to land helicopters on them Vladimir Karnozov HELICOPTERS Arie Egozi A VITAL ASSET Mark Farrer 18 MH-60R HELICOPTERS A VITAL CAPABILITY Mike Yeo Geoff Slocombe A significant boost for SWA George Galdorisi Australia 20 RAN MRH FLEET TO THE RESCUE Ventura Media Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd An important role in disaster relief PO Box 88, Miranda HUNTER CLASS INTERVIEW: SELF-PROPELLED FRIGATE PROGRAM BOEING DEFENCE AUSTRALIA HOWITZERS FROM NSW 1490 Australia UPDATE MD SCOTT CARPENDALE SOUTH KOREA ABN 76 095 476 065 22 1ST PERSON INTERVIEW Leading Seaman Aviation Technician Avionics Bradley Bailey signals Subscriptions a United States MH60-R Sea Hawk during flying operation on Scott Carpendale, MD Boeing Defence Rose Jeffree HMAS Hobart during the Exercise Rim of the Pacific off the coast of Phone: + 61 (0)2 9526 7188 Australia Fax: + 61 (0)2 9526 1779 Hawaii. Credit: CoA / Ernesto Sanchez Email: [email protected] 26 ENHANCING PORT & HARBOUR SECURITY ADVERTISING OFFICES: REGULARS USVs becoming increasingly prevalent Australia, NZ & Asia Pacific, 04 EDITOR'S LETTER USA, Canada & South America Covid a dress rehearsal for a conflict Graham Joss 30 HOBART CLASS AIR WARFARE DESTROYER Sales Director COMBAT SYSTEM UPGRADE Phone +61 2 9526 7188 Fax +61 2 9526 1779 The move to Aegis Baseline 9 Mobile +61 (0) 419 492 836 NEWS Email: [email protected] 06 RAAF space payload Australian launch 32 SUPPORT FOR THE FLEET AT SEA Europe The first RAN AOR is on her way Diana Scogna Mobile: +33 6 6252 2547 Palau receives Guardian patrol boat Fax: +33 1 7079 0534 Email: [email protected] 08 Ronson Gears contract with Lockheed Martin 34 RNZN’S LARGEST SHIP JOINS THE FLEET HMNZS Aotearoa arrives Israel Saab receives deployable health order Asa Talbar Talbar Media Phone: +972-77-562-1900 Strengthening how Defence deals with 37 IS THE RAN PREPARING FOR THE WRONG Fax: +972-77-562-1903 Australian industry THREATS? Email: [email protected] The danger of asymmetric warfare Printer 10 Vestdavit patrol boats contract Times Printers ISSN 1446-6880 38 NEWS FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN Our regular update Design Stun Media Email: [email protected] Follow us on twitter: @APDR_APAC READ APDR: ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. Facebook: Asia Pacific Defence Reporter (APDR) REGISTER NOW FOR YOUR MOBILE FRIENDLY APDR ONLINE www.asiapacificdefencereporter.com SIGN UP TO THE DAILY BULLETIN https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/#News_Bulletin_Form Contributor’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor and while every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate and timely, no liability is accepted by the publisher or editor for errors and omissions, however caused. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Asia Pacific Defence Publications Pty Ltd (unless otherwise stated) and cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to uncommissioned photographs, manuscripts or other media. © Ventura Media Asia Pacific Pty Ltd 2020 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter OCT 2020 3 EDITOR'S LETTER COVID-19 A DRESS REHEARSAL READY RELIABLE RESPONSIVE FOR A MAJOR CONFLICT National Cabinet a useful forum for exchanging ideas much of the “dog ate my homework” variety. Excuse and information, but that has been about it. There is 1: rooms on base are not air-conditioned. (True – but no overall definition of what constitutes a hot spot, or that’s a good thing with fresh air being preferred); 2: Combat Engineer Ambulance the minimum number of infections necessary before the rooms only have single beds. (If people want to restrictions ease, or agreement on how quarantines drag two single beds together that’s fine); 3: bases and lockdowns need to be enforced. This has are insecure and people would wander off them. been a national emergency, which is crying out for a (Obviously complete nonsense); 4: service people coordinated national response. would be at risk. (True. But so are health workers, police The Federal Government did the right thing initially, and others, but they manage); 5: bases have shared imposing tough restrictions on international travel, but bathrooms and are unsafe. (True – but manageable. Manoeuvre Support Vehicle Recovery after that things have fallen away – though agreements Other places with shared facilities include: residential KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA on having access to vaccines is a welcome, if colleges; airports; shopping centres and cinemas; belated, development. There are mixed feelings about some hospitals and aged care facilities; sporting he deadly pandemic has created conditions Australians stranded overseas, with some people venues – and so on). K9 K10 Self-Propelled Armoured for many countries similar to that which would saying of their fellow citizens that they are getting what The countries that avoided complete lockdowns Howitzer Ammunition T occur in the lead up to a major conflict – and they deserve and they can stay where they are forever, reacted quickly and decisively. All incoming airline Resupply Vehicle Australia’s collective response has been mediocre. presumably to become beggars and street criminals to passengers were temperature screened on arrival, We have escaped the worst health consequences as survive in London, Rome and Beirut. walking past IR detectors. Mandatory quarantine a result of several factors, including some good early We remind readers that in 2011 as Libya slid into a was strictly imposed with heavy financial penalties decisions, but also as a result of Australia’s geography ghastly civil war – which continues – China took the – but Governments then looked after people with Hanwha’s fighting vehicle experience is and the common sense of the vast majority of citizens. decision to evacuate all 55,000 of their citizens, many regular care packages and food deliveries. Contact directly applicable to Land 400 Phase 3 This latter quality has been absent in a number of other of whom worked in the oil and gas industry. They tracing – a key ingredient to success – was thorough countries – most notably the US. succeeded. It took six weeks and a mix of ships and and intensive, with each new case in Singapore 200+ 200+ 150+ 40+ However, the economic effects have been severe aircraft, but they did it. In 2015 at a smaller scale, being immediately assigned a team of five people to 2500+ 1800+ 1000+ 600+ 450+ – and rather than comparing ourselves with the worst China evacuated 225 of their citizens from Yemen and very quickly go through their recent history and act performers, to be better prepared it makes more as part of the same effort almost 700 foreign nationals accordingly. sense to learn from the best. These include: Taiwan; were rescued – an act of charity that our “who cares?” Asia learnt from the SARS outbreak of 2003 and the Armoured K9 Self K55 Self K10 Ammunition K21 Infantry Amphibious Multiple Rocket Ground-Based Ground-Based Singapore; and South Korea. None of these countries brigade would scoff at. countries that we referred to realised the seriousness Personnel Propelled Propelled Resupply Fighting Assault Vehicle Launcher Air Defence Air Defence Carrier Howitzer Howitzer Vehicle Vehicle System needed to go into extended lockdown – and while When we suggested in APDR that RAAF assets of the situation, which could have caused millions of some disruption has occurred, they have all been able such as MRTTs could evacuate Australians and deaths, and put in place systems and procedures that to continue with a business as usual approach, which then be quarantined on bases such as Laverton, could rapidly respond to crises. The writer witnessed HANWHA AS A PSI AND OEM HAS MANUFACTURED OVER Australia and other parts of the world can only admire. Richmond and Williamtown there was considerable this first hand in Singapore in mid-February when the 7000 FIGHTING VEHICLES As various inquiries here continue and more is informal pushback to that from within the Defence rest of the western world was just waking up. Even back learned about how NSW dealt with the Ruby Princess establishment. Everyone accepted that aircraft could then strict public safety measures were already in place, and how Victoria managed the hotel situation the be used, even though this would involve multiple flights with all taxi drivers wearing masks and gloves; many emerging picture is one of bureaucratic incompetence to multiple locations, so it would be an administrative temperature screening points; warnings on the radio, and buck passing with memory lapses and blame and logistic challenge – but it could be done. If television and online about what was coming, and more. K9 SPH An international User Group of over 2400 systems worldwide shifting rife.