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02 | Asian Military Review | Contents april/may 2016 VOlUmE 24 / iSSUE 3

VexIng QueSTIonS 10 faces both conventional and unconventional threats. Dzirhan Mahadzir examines how the country is meeting such risks in a fiscally-constrained climate.

Front Cover Photo: Iraq’s army has increasingly been on the frontline of chemical weapons attack, as examined in Andy Oppenheimer’s Countering the Chemicals article in this issue © US DoD 16 34 40 44

Soldier The Hertz Cannon Fodder Countering Modernisation the Chemicals Modernisation of infantry Locker Naval gunfire support Andy Oppenheimer examines soldier equipment, particularly Thomas Withington examines is essential to naval and the continuing weapons of concerning individual weapons, some of the technical challenges amphibious operations. mass destruction threat to is afoot in the Asia-Pacific with presented to tactical radio Gerrard Cowan examines the Asia-Pacific, and the Andrew White giving a round- engineers when designing such recent developments in this measures being taken to up of the latest developments. equipment for the Asia-Pacific domain combat it. region. 22 28 05

Spot on! Role With It Stephen W. Miller reviews The market for new and some of the ongoing efforts to upgraded multi-role combat improve the precision of artillery aircraft is in rude health across fire to enhance its support of Thomas Withington’s regular column providing all of the latest news the Asia-Pacific region, Joetey ground manoeuvre. and analysis regarding events in the defence radio frequency domain. Attariwala finds out.

| april/may 2016 | 03 Index of Advertisers AIMPOINT 19 AIRBUS 9 Editorial ARMY 47 BOEING V24 COVER 4 COPENHAGEN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY 31 DATRON 2 ESRI 21 EURONAVAL 49 PUBLIC ENEMY EUROSATORY 56 FNSS COVER 1 - 2 FLIR 27 NUMBER ONE? IDEAS 55 INDO DEFENCE 51 NEXTER 13 OTOKAR 7 hat have the possibility of the United ROSOBORONEXPORT 39 Kingdom voting to leave the European SUBSCRIPTION COVER 3 TRIJICON 17 Union during its referendum on its TEXTRON AVIATION 25 future membership of this multinational organisation on 23rd June, the possibility UKRSPECXPORT 33 VEXTRONIX 37 Wof a new Cold War between Russia and the West, following its armed interventions in Syria in 2015 and Ukraine 2014, and the possibility of an oil price shock have in common? They are all seen as potential risks to global peace, security and prosperity during 2016 by the Economist Australia Intelligence Unit (EIU) the London-based sister research organisation of The Economist , Publisher’s Internationale newspaper. Tel: +61 2 8298 9330, Fax: +61 2 9252 2022 Email: [email protected] All of these are distinctly unpalatable scenarios, yet one risk highlighted by the EIU, but not Stephane de Remusat, REM International mentioned above did catch AMR’s eye, notably the prospect that Donald Trump, the presumed Tel: (33) 5 3427 0130 E-Mail: [email protected] Republican Party candidate for the United States Presidential Election in November 2016 is reckoned to have a ‘moderate probability’ by the EIU in its 17 March report. Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 E-Mail: [email protected] Zena Coupé already ‘set out his stall’ as far as his prospective policies towards the People’s Republic of China Tel: +44 1923 852537, [email protected] (PRC) are concerned, blaming the country for “taking our jobs and making our products and Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg manipulating their currency”. It is not AMR’s desire to decide whether the PRC does or does not Tel: (46) 31 799 9028 E-Mail: [email protected] manipulate currencies. Russia However, one would caution whether it is wise to already direct provocative remarks towards Tel/Fax: (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 Email :[email protected] a nation which Mr. Trump may well have to work with should he be elected as commander-in- chief on 8 November. The US and the PRC are indeed both trade and strategic rivals, particularly Tel: +7 905 585 2956 E-Mail: [email protected] as it potentially already poisons relations between Mr. Trump and Beijing, before the former has Young Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc. Tel: (82-2) 481 3411 even secured the Republican nomination. E-Mail: [email protected] Secondly, Mr. Trump’s stance on the situation in the Middle East could also be a strategic Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581 Email: [email protected] proposing to ban all Muslim immigration into the United States. Similarly is his hawkish stance regarding increasing the breadth and depth of US-led military operations against the Islamic Blackrock Media Inc Tel : (+1 858) 759 3557 Email: [email protected] two countries. An end to ISIS and the fascist ideology it propagates cannot be achieved without All Other Countries Vishal Mehta, winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of Muslims within and without the region; Donald Trump’s Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile +66 9 8252 6243 E-Mail: [email protected] comments do little to help in this regard. Mr. Trump’s foreign policy as articulated so far does seem a cause for concern. In times of economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability it is Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile: +66 81 6455654 perfectly understandable to lash out at their sources, be they real or perceived. Yet, as Mr. Trump Email: [email protected] should know, polemic words do little to cool tempers, at a time when cool heads need to prevail. Thomas Withington, Editor

Editor: Thomas Withington Tel: (33) 562 271 697, E-mail: [email protected] Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Audit Bureau Of Circulations Media Transasia Limited,1603, 16/F, 21,204 (average per issue) Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong for the period 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014. President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Sasakorn Dumavibhat General Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta by subscription. Subscription rate for one year (8 issues) is U.S.$ 100.00 Readers should Marketing Manager: Jakhongir Djalmetov Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai contact the following address: Khakanaa Suwannawong Kanda Thanakornwongskul Porames Chinwongs Media Transasia Limited. Media Transasia Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok 10110, Thailand Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2387 Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1 Email: [email protected]

04 | AsiAn MilitAry review | by Thomas Withington

New radars are on the horizon for the Philippines and Romania, while both India and the US Navy are enhancing their Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities, with the US Army buying tactical radios, and the German armed forces overhauling their Satellite Communications (SATCOM).

The acquisition of new EL/M-2288 radars for the Philippines Air Force - represents an important ‘shot-in-the- able in two versions; the EL/M-2288-MR arm’ for that country’s ground-based air defences © IAI (Medium Range) which has a range of circa km), and the EL/M-2288-ER (Extended Range) which can detect aircraft at circa 259.1nm (480km). Both radars can detect targets at an altitude of circa 100,000 feet/ft which EL/M-2288 radar variant the Philip- pines will receive. The same family of radar has been exported to Azerbaijan (one ra- dar thought to have been acquired in 2014), Honduras (one radar acquired for $25 mil- lion in 2014) and Vietnam (two radars ac- Israeli radars may well replace the existing Bendix AN/TPS-1 ground-based air sur- veillance radars which the country acquired from the United States in 1960. Beyond the Philippines, mystery sur- rounds an announcement in early March that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is to receive a new Airborne Early Warning (AEW) plat- form. It was reported by the local Indian media that the country’s cabinet had ap- proved the $1.1 billion purchase of two Is- he Philippines will acquire three Israel Aerospace rael Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ETLA Systems’ EL/W-2075/90 Industries (IAI) ELTA Systems’ EL/M-2288 ground- based air surveillance radars for $56 million. According Il-76 turbofan freighters. delivered by the end of 2018. The sources added that Tthe radars will be installed at Ilocos Horte, on the northern tip of range of which has not been revealed, but which is envisaged Luzon Island, itself in the north of the Philippines archipelago. The other two radars will be installed on Lubang Island, on the should this purchase now go ahead, the IAF may receive the west coast of the Philippines, and on Palawan Island, also on more advanced EL/M-2090 member of the Phalcon family. This the archipelago’s west coast. radar still employs L-band transmissions, although it uses an Ac- The positioning of the radars at these locations will improve tive Electronically Scanned Array, and may employ technology the country’s coverage of the South China Sea. The Philippines which IAI developed for its EL/W-2085 AEW system which is has suffered worsening relations with the People’s Republic of - China (PRC) since the 8 April 2012 so-called Scarborough Shoal vice with the Israeli and Republic of air forces. There Stand-Off. The Scarborough Shoal is located in the South China are no details regarding if and when the IAF’s acquisition of Sea off the west coast of the Philippines and is claimed by the the two new AEW radars will take place. Sources close to IAI Philippines, the PRC and . During the incident, the Huk- told AMR bong Dagat ng Pilipinas (Philippines Navy) investigated Chinese had heard of the initiative, and that the company had as yet re- planned purchase. As such, there are no details on when these blocked by ships from the China Maritime Surveillance agency, new aircraft will be delivered. with relations between the two countries subsequently souring. The acquisition of the EL/M-2288 radar by the Philippines is ground-based air surveillance radars are ongoing in Europe, an important enhancement of the Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipi- with Romania announcing on 22 February that it will procure nas (Philippines Air Force) surveillance capabilities. According two Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-77 radars. Romania has acquired

| april/may 2016 | 05 India may well receive new EL/W-2090 AEW radars in the future. This radar is thought to incorporate technology from the EL/W-2085 AEW radar which is deployed by the Republic of Singapore Air Force on G550 airframes, as pictured here © Thomas Withington

- Electronic Warfare - - - Forele Aeriene Române - see above - -

06 | AsiAn MilitAry review | the award in late February of a contract worth electromagnetic spectrum.” At present, the $11 million to BAE Systems to advance the FSSR initiative is at the research stage, and initiative. The FSSR programme is being led there are no immediate plans to integrate this technology onboard existing combat- - ants. “The FSSR programme is a technol- lease disclosing the contract award, to provide ogy development programme that will “near-instantaneous battlespace situational demonstrate capabilities envisioned for awareness, emitter tracking, threat warning next-generation electronic warfare systems. and countermeasure cueing.” What this means Although these capabilities are broadly rel- in plain English is that the FSSR will be able to monitor a major slice of the electromagnetic have been established to integrate FSSR spectrum and detect friendly and hostile ra- dars, and then simultaneously direct a vessel’s Steve Hedges, technical director of technol- electronic countermeasures to counter the hos- ogy solutions for BAE Systems. tile threats, and to be able to do this in real time. Mr. Hedges also disclosed that the FSSR intends to cover the frequency range the coverage and decrease response times for of 0.5GHz to ten gigahertz. This will en- electromagnetic threat detection and response, able it to detect emissions from low fre- compared to existing systems. The FSSR ef- quency ground-based air surveillance radars in the Very/Ultra High Frequency Warfare Discovery and Insertion Programme - which intends to “develop and demonstrate Romania is expected to receive new AN/TPS-77 radars hertz which are increasingly being used from Lockheed Martin, following the conclusion of a a broad range of next-generation EW systems contract which could be worth at least $30 million for that exploit, deceive or deny enemy use of the two of these radars © Lockheed Martin radar cross section, along with existing

| april/may 2016 | 07 naval surveillance radars, and also X-band (8.5-10.68GHz) ra- radar which accompanies the Russian KBP Instrument Design Bureau AK-630M1/2 close-in-weapons system. X-band radars are also used by Anti-Ship Missiles (AShMs) such as the ARGS- 35E X-band terminal active radar homing system employed by the Zvezda Kh-35 AShM family. Such weapons, and their ability to deny access to the US Navy and its allies to stretches of water such as the Persian Gulf (Iran is a user of the Kh-35 family) are of increasing concern to the force.

Tactical Radio In late February, Harris announced that it would supply the Huk- bong Katihan ng Pilipinas (Philippines Army) with new vehicular Airbus’ Defence and Space subsidiary has received a contract to continue its support of radios. The contract, worth $12 million, covers the supply to the the German armed forces COMSATBw-1 and COMSATBw-2 SATCOM constellation until force of the company’s RF-7800V-V511 Combat Net radio to be 2022 © Airbus integrated with its RF-7800I vehicular intercom. In addition, the for general use by the army. The RF-7800V-V511 is a VHF vehicu- these radios is expected to commence by the fourth quarter of lar radio which carries the company’s proprietary TDMA (Time- 2017. These radios are to be used by mounted and dismounted enables up to 64 users to be accommodated on a single net, while Small Form Fit (HMS) tactical radio acquisition, which was spun out of the erstwhile JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) initiative, - following that programmes’ demise in October 2011. The AN/ ter Measure) waveform which helps to protect the radio against PRC-158 covers the V/UHF range of 30MHz to 2.5GHz with two hostile interference. The RF-7800V, meanwhile, is a handheld VHF channels enabling the radio to transmit and receive simultane- - ously. The radio carries a wide array of waveforms including the legacy Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System sources inform AMR that the radios will be delivered during the for voice and data VHF ground and air communications, and next nine months, with completion expected by the end of this the UHF HAVE QUICK-I/II waveforms also for ground-to- year. The sources continue that the RF-7800V-V511 radios and RF- air/air-to-ground communications. This is in addition to Har- 7800I intercoms will be installed onboard the BAE Systems/Unit- the Philippines Army acquired from the United States and Israel in 2015, acquiring 114 and 28 examples respec- level by dismounted troops, facilitating communication between tively. For more analysis troops and their vehicles. on tactical radio com- munications in the Asia- Satellite Communications - In the SATCOM domain, Airbus’ defence and space subsidiary thor’s The Hertz Locker was awarded a contract, announced on 9 March, by the Bundesamt article in this issue. für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr Elsewhere, Harris - has been awarded an tion Technology and In-Service Support) worth $163.3 million indefinite-delivery/ to operate the German armed force’s COMSATBw satellites and indefinite-quantity their supporting infrastructure. The COMSATBw constellation contract from the US consists of two spacecraft, COMSATBw-1 and COMSATBw-2. Army to supply AN/ Airbus has been providing these services for this constellation - since 2006. This new contract covers a seven and a half year dios. The contract has a ceiling of 65000 AN/ services until 2022. PRC-158s and includes In terms of services, these satellites provide the German armed forces with UHF (240MHz and 270MHz) and X-band (7.9- option. According to a plus additional SATCOM in the C-band (5.925-6.425GHz for New tactical radios are to equip the Philippines Army in the form of RF-7800V-V511 vehicular radios press release announc- (pictured here), which are expected to equip a significant number of the force’s recently-acquired ing the news released M-113A2 tracked armoured personnel carriers by Harris in late-Febru- the American continent to East Asia for the German armed forc- © Harris ary, full production of es using these satellites. AMR

08 | AsiAn MilitAry review | can we go 11 hours without blinking?

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Conventional warfare remains a key part of the Malaysian Army’s mission. Here Malaysian soldiers carry out a beach landing exercise with US Marines using Landing Craft Air Cushioned vehicles © Dzirhan Mahadzir

Vexing Questions

Prior to the 2013 Sabah Incursion, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) was focusing its capabilities on performing all aspects of conventional warfare. The incursion of 2013 has changed that, with the MAF now improving its conventional and non-conventional capabilities alike.

by Dzirhan Mahadzir

uring the Sabah Incursion, in the development of all three services penditure is $918.4 million in contrast to also known as the Lahad of the MAF (The Royal Malaysian Navy, 2015’s $911 million. However, it would be Datu stand-off which Malaysian Army and the Royal Malaysian occurred between 11 Air Force) being limited, particularly in considering that for 2015 the ringgit was February and 24 March regard to key conventional requirements pegged at a much higher value and as 2013,D insurgents from the so-called Royal such the increase for 2016 is likely due Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and for the Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia to the need to factor in the depreciating Northern Borneo, laid claim to the region (TUDM/Royal Malaysian Air Force), the ringgit in regard to progressive payments of eastern Sabah on behalf of Jamalul multi-role support ship programme for on the Airbus A400M Atlas turboprop Kiram III, the self-proclaimed Sultan of the Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM/ freighter procurement for the TUDM, the the Sulu Sultanate. The stand-off was Royal Malaysian Navy) and the tactical DefTech AV-8 Armored Fighting Vehicle ended by military action involving the transport helicopter for the Tentera Darat for the TDM, and the Littoral Combat Ship MAF and the Malaysian security forces. Malaysia (TDM/Malaysian Army). programme for the TLDM, with the latter The defence budget for 2016 recorded two, though built domestically, having a coupled with the depreciation of the an increase in development expenditure high percentage of imported components. ringgit, the national currency, has resulted allocation. For 2016, the development ex- It should be noted that save for small

10 | AsiAn MilitAry review | Regional Militaries

value or scale procurement, the defence A Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M freighter; four were budget allocation for development is not ordered of which two have already been delivered, with an indicator of the availability of funds the remaining pair to be delivered this year and next for large ticket procurements or an indi- year respectively © Dzirhan Mahadzir cation of overall funds available for pro- curement. The purchase of most major defence equipment is normally indicated rather than the annual defence budget allocation. The current Malaysia Plan is the eleventh Malaysia Plan of 2016-2020 and, based on parliamentary debates and procurement priorities include a new Mk.108/208 light attack/lead-in jet train- er aircraft, additional Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop trainers, new Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), naval support helicopters armed forces comprises the Starstreak The TDM also operated the Starburst for the TLDM, and additional ground- missile and ControlMaster-200 ground- system but phased it out in 2012, having based air surveillance radars. Save for the based air surveillance radar. During replaced it with the People’s Republic of Hawk Mk.108/208 upgrades and Pilatus the Defence Services Asia exhibition in China’s FN-6 MANPADS. A tri-service PC-7 Mk.II, there is little indication that Kuala Lumpur in April 2014, Weststar requirement for a medium-range air any of these targeted programmes are exhibited a Starstreak Lightweight defence system exists on paper but giv- proceeding and the likelihood of some of Multiple Missile Launcher mounted on the more expensive initiatives such as the its GK-M1 four-wheel drive vehicle. It materialize soon. is not known whether the vehicles are The split of priorities between pre- term appears remote. included in the contract or will form a venting a repeat of the 2013 Sabah Incur- One programme requested for under separate contract? The purchase was sion (see above) via strengthening non- largely to replace the Starburst systems conventional capabilities and at the same namely the procurement of a Manport- used by the TLDM’s Base Air Defence time strengthening conventional capa- able Air Defence System (MANPADS) Unit and the TUDM’s 401 and 402 GBAD bilities to allow the MAF to meet any po- for the three services in the form of the (Ground-Based Air Defence) Squad- Thales Starstreak. A formal contract sign- rons though the Malaysian Army would recent developments of the three services ing was held in September 2015 in Lon- receive some units also. The Starburst of the Malaysian Armed Forces which are don during the Defence Security and system was phased out in 2013 by the outlined below. - navy and air force and both services were tion where it was disclosed that the con- said to have been temporarily loaned KB Malaysian Army tract was worth more than $140.8 million. Mashinostroyeniya 9K38 Igla MANPADS In 2015, when asked about the major chal- A statement by Thales stated that the in- belonging to the army until a replacement lenges and issues that the TDM faced, the tegrated arms package for the Malaysian for the Starburst system was procured. chief of the Malaysian Army, General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi told the writ- er, “There are numerous challenges faced by us today but the chief among them is the non-traditional threat. The security environment is becoming more dynamic and is categorized as VUCA (Volatile, Un- certain, Complex and Ambigious). The Malaysian Army understands the need to analyse and respond to this security environment in order to ensure a high state of readiness to counter any possible threat towards the well-being of the na- tion. Besides that, limited resources are another matter that needs us to be more creative in planning and executing our responsibilities.” He also stated the need for the Malaysian Army to develop both its non-conventional and conventional The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Hawk Mk.108/208 fleet is due for an upgrade. Shown here is warfare capabilities, saying, “The future one of the aircraft which also carries markings showing ordnance dropped by the aircraft during development of the army will therefore the 2013 Sabah Incursion © Dzirhan Mahadzir attempt to strike a balance in its roles and

| April/mAy 2016 | 11 Regional Militaries

The AV8 Gempita IFV-30 variant, deliveries keted in Malaysia by DefTech as the AV-4. of which are due to commence this year Twenty vehicles are to be purchased, with with 68 on order. The Malaysian Army will a portion of them to be assembled in Ma- also receive several other variants of the laysia by DefTech and these vehicles will vehicle © Dzirhan Mahadzir have the Dillon Aero Hybrid M134D-H 7.62mm minigun on a crew-served mount. The AV-4s will be deployed in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) as part of the army’s role in the joint military/ paramilitary/civilian security command known as Eastern Sabah Security Com- mand (ESSCOM). ESSCOM was formed in the aftermath of the 2013 Sabah Incur- sion (see above) and its mandate is to ensure security in the area is maintained and no repeat incidents occur. Related to the ESSCOM requirements is the purchase of six MD Helicopters’ MD-530G rotorcraft announced in early February. The six helicopters will be as- capabilities in facing both traditional and Regarding army procurement pro- signed to the Army Air Corps and will non-traditional threats.” grammes, the indigenous AV8 AFV ini- Plans call for the army to expand its tiative is currently in the delivery stage, area of operation. On a similar note, the presence in East Malaysia with the addition with the IFV-25 amphibious variant be- Army Air Corps is expected to soon re- of a new division, the 5th Infantry Divi- ing supplied to the army, with the other ceive four ex-Royal Brunei Air Force sion to supplement the 1st Infantry Divi- main variants, namely the IFV-30, which Sikorsky S-70A Blackhawk medium-lift sion already there and the establishment is equipped with a Denel LCT-30 turret, utility helicopters donated by Brunei- of an Eastern Region Command for East and the LCT-30 ATGW version which in- Darussalam to Malaysia and these will Malaysia. Previously Army Field Com- cludes the LCT-30 turret equipped with also be deployed to East Malaysian for mand was responsible for Peninsular a Denel Ingwe Anti- Guided Mis- ESSZONE operations. In the meantime and East Malaysia regions. Gen. Sri Raja sile, both expected to commence delivery a number of the Army Air Corps’ Agusta Mohamed Affandi told the writer, “Based this year. The AV-8 is built by Malaysia’s Westland AW-109 light utility helicopters on the current situation in the Eastern Re- are deployed to the ESSZONE area to gion of Malaysia, namely Sabah and Sar- with a one-person FNSS Sharpshooter provide support there. awak, there is an urgent need to increase turret armed with a stabilised Orbital The Army Air Corps will also have the army’s force level and state of readi- ATK M242 25mm dual-feed cannon and ten Sikorsky S-61 Nuri medium-lift utility ness in both of these states. In this regard, an FN Herstal MAG 58M 7.62mm co-axial helicopters transferred from the TUDM the Malaysian Army has established the machine gun. Of the 257 vehicle order of to form a tactical transport helicopter Eastern Region Command Headquarters twelve variants, 46 IFV-25s have been or- squadron. Plans originally called for a to perform the duties of planning, com- dered and 40 had already been delivered new-build helicopter but budgetary con- manding and controlling all land opera- by the end of 2015 based on the statement straints have resulted in the S-61 trans- tions in the Eastern Region. This Head- in Parliament on 30 November 2015 by fers. A total of four S-61s were transferred quarters is also modelled on the Field deputy defence minister Datuk Wira Jo- in December 2015. Chief of the air force Command Headquarters in Peninsular hari Baharum who said that 27 vehicles Malaysia and will be equipped with suf- had already been delivered and another - 13 would be delivered at the end of the bat service support units in order to carry year. Regarding the IFV-30, a total of 68 out its role and tasks effectively.” The have been ordered. Of the remaining ten Malaysian Army has also formed up the Task Force 450 command in Sabah to con- the LCT-30 ATGW of which 54 have been centrate on the various land operations ordered while the remaining variants in the state with the aim of allowing the consist of command and control, and ar- 1st Infantry Division to focus on land op- moured recovery vehicles. erations conducted in Sarawak instead While the AV8 programme represents of the whole of the Eastern Region. Task the conventional aspect, being the replace- Force 450 will subsequently progressively ment for the army’s ageing Rheinmetall transform into the 5th Infantry Division. Condor four-wheel drive armoured per- The rate of the division’s establishment sonnel carriers and six-wheel drive SIB- will depend on the availability of man- MAS IFVs, the unconventional warfare as- A Royal Malaysian Air Force S-61 Nuri power and equipment to be allocated for pect is represented by the army’s purchase helicopter: Ten will be transferred to the it along with the completion of infrastruc- of the Chaiseri First Win MRAP (Mine-Re- Malaysian Army to form a tactical transport squadron for that force © Dzirhan Mahadzir ture to support the Division. sistant/Ambush Protected) vehicle, mar-

12 | AsiAn MilitAry review | Regional Militaries

from the Steyr AUG is expected to be com- of assets along with the challenges of pleted soon with the rifles supplied by conducting day-to-day operations with SMEO Ordnance which has a licence from ageing ships. It is early days to see what Colt Defence for local manufacture. The the TLDM chief’s plans would be for fu- Future Soldier System, previously known ture acquisitions, particularly given the as the Soldier Advanced Combat Technol- fiscal constraints, but a number of pro- ogy Integrated (SACTI) programme, is grammes will eventually have to be car- still under development and evaluation ried out, namely the acquisition of naval by Malaysia’s Sapura though the budget support helicopters and the replacement constraint means that when the system is of the fast attack craft fleet which have eventually fielded, it will be on a smaller been in service since the mid-1970s. For scale rather than widespread use. The the helicopter, the navy does have some army has long-term plans for an armoured breathing space as these will be operated brigade but is unlikely at the moment to on the six Littoral Combat Ships, based The PT-91M fleet of 48 form the Malaysian Army’s sole tank regiment. Plans receive funding for an additional regiment on DCNS’ ‘Gowind’ class design; the first call for a second regiment but budgetary of tanks to add to the sole main battle tank of which is currently being constructed constraints have prevented this from being regiment of 48 Bumar Labedy PT-91Ms at Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyards realised © Dzirhan Mahadzir currently in service. and scheduled to be commissioned in 2019 at the earliest. Thus the service does General Tan Sri Roslan Saad told the writ- TLDM have a two-year window for a decision to er that the rate of transfer depended on Admiral Dato’ Seri Panglima Ahmad be made, if the delivery and service en- the transferred helicopters reaching their Kamarulzaman took over as chief of try of the helicopters are to coincide with scheduled MRO (Maintenance, Repair the navy on 18 November 2015, and in the entry into service of the LCS. The six and Overhaul) appointment, following a speech to the TLDM on 21 December Littoral Combat Ships will carry the which they were transferred to the army. 2015 stated that other than security chal- Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile as its In the meantime the changeover of the lenges, the navy faced the realiies of lim- anti-ship armament with the MBDA Mica army’s standard assault rifle to the M-4A1 ited funding and budget, and a shortage surface-to-air missile.

The lightest 105mm gun worldwide

CREATING NEW REFERENCES IN DEFENCE I WWW.NEXTER-GROUP.COM | April/may 2016 | 13

Nexter-105LG1_213x143_VA.indd 1 14/03/16 11:41 Regional Militaries

The training ship Teguh Samudera at its launch in 2012; originally scheduled to enter service in 2013, together with her sister ship Gagah Samudera both ‘Jerung’ class having been in service for were left unfinished. The training ships are now being completed and should enter service later this year © Dzirhan Mahadzir will have to be replaced though it remains to be seen whether a similar class of boats or a larger ship class will be their replace- - cated for such. - two ‘Scorpéne’ class conventional hunter- killer submarines will be limited over the - going a scheduled repair and overhaul being performed by Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation at their facilities in the TLDM’s Kota Kinabalu naval base. The Tunku Abdul Rahman entered the repair and overhaul phase in wound up in 2014 leaving the status of the MiG-29N/UB would be phased out November 2015 while the KD Tun Razak the ships in limbo while the interest of the by December 2015 though the aircraft will commence this process in June 2017. creditors on the ships was being adjudi- continues to be in operation at the time The TLDM is also involved in ES- of writing (March) along with the fact government had taken ownership of the that 17 Squadron was conferred royal sea bases stationed off the coast of East- two ships which are now in the process of colours on 29 February; an odd situation being completed by Malaysian company for a squadron likely to be deactivated - Grade One Marine. with the retirement of the aircraft type it tion from the Philippines. These sea operates. The possibility is that either the bases take the form of the converted TUDM squadron will remain without any planes Bunga Mas The key programme for the TUDM has or alternately several of the 18 Sukhoi Su- Lima Tun Azizan, while the third been the replacement of the MiG-29N/ 30MKMs in 11 Squadron could be trans- sea base is the converted oil rig Tun ferred to 17 Squadron. Sharifah Rodziah. The TLDM is also expected to receive received its second A400M on 28 Decem- by the end of this year its two ‘Samudera’ and Saab’s JAS-39E/F Gripen are all vy- ber 2015 with the remaining two scheduled ing for a potential requirement of 18 air- for arrival in late 2016 and early 2017. All four aircraft will form part of 22 Squad- Tech of Malaysia in partnership with Dae- makes any decision unlikely in the near ron. Air force chief General Tan Sri Roslan woo of the Republic of Korea. Construc- term. Meanwhile the future of the MiG- Saad told the writer in December 2015 tion of the ships was halted in 2013 when that currently the TUDM was conducting conceptual studies on the vehicles and with the company being subsequently The TUDM had stated in the past that large equipment of the MAF that could conduct actual loading trials once the studies were completed. The TUDM is also expected to modernize its Lockheed A letter of intent was presented to Malay- sia’s Airod in 2014 for the modernisation of such and a formal letter of acceptance and contract is expected to be issued at the Defence Services Asia 2016 exhibition to be held in Kuala Lumpur this April. Overall the outlook for MAF development appears to be limited given the funding constraints and the need to split resources between building up conventional and non-conventional - tion improves the MAF is not expected The Royal Malaysian Air Force MiG-29N/UB fleet was to be replaced by a new fighter, though that programme has been stalled due to lack of funds © Dzirhan Mahadzir in the near term. aMr

14 | AsiAn MilitAry review | land Warfare

The New Zealand Defence Force is currently transitioning towards a soldier modernisation vision which includes the replacement of the Steyr AUG A1 assault rifle with the Lewis Machine and Tool CQB16 model © NZDF

AsiA-PAcific soldier ModernizAtion debrief

The Asia-Pacific comprises a highly-congested and complicated operating environment for nations seeking to assert their authority and control over strategic areas, with armed forces around the region continuing to invest heavily in programmes to enhance the capabilities of their personnel. by Andrew White

ccording to the Rand battalions’ worth of Almaz-Antey S-400 in high-priority areas such as naval, air, Corporation’s operational medium- to high-altitude surface-to-air missile and space capabilities. All these missile systems, reported in November developments are likely to improve the region in 2015, published 2015, expected to be delivered from PLA’s overall combat capabilities,” the in December 2015, one Russia by late 2017. “China’s ability to report articulated. ofA the most prevalent threats in the project power to more distant locations Such sentiments were echoed by areas is increasing Chinese investment is limited, but its reach is growing. the Australian Strategic Policy Institute into defence technology to contest the Over the next years, the Chinese PLA (ASPI) with Dr. Tobias Feakin, its director traditional air superiority of the US. (People’s Liberation Army) is likely of national security programmes, explain- One example of this is the People’s to concentrate on improving weapon ing how the past decade has seen the Asia- Republic of China’s plans to purchase six systems and equipment, particularly

| april/may 2016 | 15 land Warfare

of strategic interest and competition,” as threat of insurgency across the region, the as homemade bombs. In Australia, the mentioned in the ASPI’s December 2015 past year has seen insurgent incidents armed forces continue to respond to such end of year review. Summarising the past throughout the region in Afghanistan, threats with that country’s army now one twelve months of military manoeuvres, Indonesia and Thailand to name just a exercises and industrial developments in few, and militaries and security forces tranche of the Thales Enhanced F88 the region, Dr. Feakin revealed, “While continue to develop technology, concepts - the US has renewed its economic and of operations and tactics, techniques and placement of the legacy Steyr AUG F88 ri- military focus in the region, China has procedures to counter such threats. rapidly modernised and expanded its Such a focus is now seeing the main lethality, accuracy and reliability. military forces and tested the boundaries powers in the region concentrate on devel- The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian of international ‘norms’ in the South and oping and improving Counter-Insurgency East China Seas. Both countries seek to (COIN) capabilities with a particular em- phasis on offensive action and reconnais- same North Atlantic Treaty Organisation gain greatest access to Asia’s rapidly ex- sance missions as well as hostage rescue (NATO) standard 5.56mm x 45mm am- panding markets.” tasks. Areas of interest have ranged from munition as its predecessor, in the second The result is a series of “Show of lethality and protection through to mobili- half of 2015 with the remainder of the Force” posturings by major powers in the ty, Command and Control (C2) technology Royal Australian Army set to receive the area, generally focused on disputed is- and support systems across a wide rang- weapon throughout 2016 as part of the land chains, such as the Spratly archipel- ing cross-section of ground, maritime and Australian Ministry of Defence’s Project ago in the South China Sea (parts or all of airborne environments. Land 125-3C which works to enhance which are claimed by Brunei-Darussalam, infantry soldier equipment. With the pro- the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Australia - the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam), Lethality remains one of the top priori- proximately $100 million, the remainder of this programme includes the procure- region with cooperative exercises, memo- overcome insurgent combatants, who, ment of ancillary equipment including op- randa of understanding and industrial more often than not, are equipped with tical gunsights, laser aiming devices and agreements designed to optimise stra- powerful small arms such as the Kalash- the Steyr Mannlicher SL40 40mm Grenade tegic interests. Add to this the ongoing Launcher Attachment or Underslung

Thales has upgraded the F88 rifle to the EF88 configuration with the addition of a Rail Adaptor System as well as integrated an underslung grenade launcher and multiple other features to reduce weapon weight by 20 percent © Thales

16 | AsiAn MilitAry review | land Warfare

Grenade Launcher (UGL), worth a re- Koch, Sig Sauer, FN Herstal, Colt Canada Soldier As A System (FINSAS) project. maining $367 million. Additionally, the Initial iterations of the programme called EF88 is said to be some 20 percent lighter for a modular weapon system which than the Thales-manufactured F90 SA2 close quarters out to long range, the could allow soldiers to switch between see above) and - calibres depending upon the type of mis- the baseline design for the EF88. tect, identify and engage” enemy targets sion being undertaken as well as support- ing C2 equipment. New Zealand The two major components of the Meanwhile, the New Zealand Defence explained to AMR. The procurement falls programme comprise the selection of an Force (NZDF, which includes the coun- in line with a wider NZDF strategy to - enhance the capability of ground-based ter Battle (CQB) scenarios. Following en- responded to requirements in the contem- units with other areas of interest compris- - ing protection, situational awareness, mo- and mountainous regions of Jammu and lection of a replacement for its legacy Steyr bility and support. Kashmir participating entries, including - with US smalls arms specialist Lewis Ma- India chine and Tool (LMT) chosen to supply its CQB16 weapon as part of the NZDF’s Indi- requirements. This has led the MoD to remains under the control of the Indian A total of more than 8000 weapons, which Ministry of Defence (MoD) which con- weapon with the most likely option for - tinues to consider future options for the sign as opposed to the bullpup design of Indian Army and Special Operations the Ordnance Factory Board’s Excalibur Forces. The MoD is seeking to equip more within the NZDF between 2016 and 2017, than 400 infantry battalions with a new as- sources informed AMR programme is expected to be conducted ongoing for almost ten years now under ahead of competition from Heckler and the nomenclature of the Future Infantry -

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ibur get the go-ahead, a deal could see the pounds) without a magazine, the Excali- - domestic Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) bur Mk.1 includes a 400mm (15.7 inches/ - in) chrome-plated barrel. The gas operat- reduced weight and foldable or retract- ed weapon provides semi-automatic and able buttstock. According to OFB, the Excalibur Mk.1 to 400m (1312 feet). for the Israel Defense Force, the ACE is designed to incorporate “human engi- to be progressing with its CQB Carbine neering and ergonomics to make it suit- requirement, following the trial of the able for the emerging unstable realities of and mob control situations. The reason ARX-160 and ACE weapons in 2013. An for calling it Excalibur is that it incorpo- to AMR- rates the features of a weapon which is available in 5.56mm x 45mm calibre, was cess of marketing small arms to the Phil- launched back in 2010 although a larger at the same time capable of being light order for up to an additional 350,000 carbines could be made dependent on future options. These weapons are set to Singapore be issued to India’s Special Forces for COIN operations. The short-barrelled ACE carbine, a conventional design as element within Singapore’s armed forces - to trial ST Kinetics’ (STK) latest series of - ration, comprises a 368mm (14.5in) bar- tronic devices,” OFB literature explained. rel, which is also available in 7.62mm Weighing a total of 3.8 kilograms/kgs (8.3 x 39mm and 7.62mm x 51mm calibres.

IWI already supplies Indian Special Forces with members of the Tavor family of weapons, such as those illustrated as used by Indian Army Para Commandos © Indian MoD

18 | AsiAn MilitAry review | land Warfare

Israel Weapons Industries’ ACE is being offered to the Indian Ministry of Defence From CQB to for its Carbine Assault Rifle contract, which continues to be a slow-moving semi-sniping capability programme © IWI in a split second!

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| april/may 2016 | 19 land Warfare

Members of the Singapore Special Operations Task Group are set to receive a series of equipment upgrades ranging from weapons through to tactical mobility platforms for operations across a range of environments © Singapore MoD on operations. “The active cooling func- electricity as well as supporting a soldier tion makes use of thermal sensors to auto- as a pseudo-exoskeleton. Another central matically decrease or increase the temper- element to the ARIELE concept is protec- ature, while its passive cooling function tion with STK unveiling its latest solutions is fabric-integrated and sweat-activated. to the market at the Singapore Air Show, This means that a soldier equipped with comprising personal protection equip- ARCTIC wear will be able to perform at ment including body armour and eyewear their optimum temperature for longer protection from ballistic and trauma periods, with the fatiguing effects of ex- threats. treme climates kept to a minimum. The The Australian Defence STK ARCTIC wear technology operates Philippines Force’s soldier modernisation in ambient temperatures ranging from Finally, in the Philippines, the armed forc- programme features new ‘Multicam’ combat minus 30 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees es continue to undergo a modernisation apparel, also available in women’s sizes as Celsius, keeping the soldier ahead in sur- programme and will soon be equipped illustrated in this image © Australian DoD vivability, in both searing heat and wintry with new Harris tactical radios. A $12 conditions,” the spokesperson added. million contract was awarded to the com- and real-time situational awareness ca- The POEMS comprises a smart power pany on 16th February with elements in- pabilities. They also will have secure in- management system designed to manage cluding the Falcon RF-7800V handheld teroperability with more than 15000 Har- energy from multiple power sources in- and tactical vehicle radios, and RF-7800I cluding batteries, fuel cells, solar power intercom systems. More information re- the Philippines armed forces.” and vehicle power, in order to control mul- garding this acquisition can be found in tiple devices. It also allows for the recharg- this issue's Pulse column. According to a Conclusion ing of batteries while on the move. As STK company spokesperson, this solution for With the exception of COIN operations, it AMR - in-vehicle voice and data communica- appears likely that the contemporary op- work integration and soldier systems be- tions will provide the Philippines armed coming standard operating equipment, the forces with secure tactical network connec- will continue to witness a type of non- present day soldier needs to be constantly tivity. Harris will also provide the Falcon kinetic warfare with nations in the region plugged in and powered up.” Finally, RF-7800V handheld Very High Frequency more interested in shows of force as part STK’s BRACES solution provides a soldier (30-300 Megahertz) Combat Net Radio for of wider psychological and information- with the capability to convert mechanical general use by the army. President of tac- based warfare. However, a mature capa- energy derived from movement during a tical communications at Harris, Brendan bility at the lowest tactical level will con- mission, into a power source for wearable O’Connell explained, “These radios will C2 technology. Comprising a brace worn provide soldiers in the Philippine Army smaller nations seeking to ensure their around the thighs, the system can also store with advanced command and control, own security in the region. aMr

20 | AsiAn MilitAry review | ONE PLATFORM, MANY MISSIONS.

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The F-35A/B/C is being marketed to select countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea as declared customers. Singapore has expressed interest in acquiring the F-35, and is currently a Security Cooperative Participant in the programme © Joetey Attariwala

Role With it

Discussing the multi-role combat aircraft market in the Asia-Pacific region is a daunting exercise at the best of times, and one that has many facets. This article will serve as a broad overview of recent events, programme developments and procurement initiatives in a region which effectively spans from India to Hawaii. by Joetey Attariwala

ecent events in the Asia- - R - - - - - -

22 | AsiAn MilitAry review | air Power

The Royal Australian Air Force is the first - service to adopt the F/A-18E/F Super - Hornet in the Asia-Pacific. In recent years, Boeing has spent considerable time and effort to market the F/A-18E/F as the best aircraft to meet the RMAF’s requirements Upgrades © Joetey Attariwala - - - - Programmes India Of the various nations exploring new - Malaysia appear to be the furthest along - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Indonesia - - Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara - -

| april/may 2016 | 23 air Power

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a formidable multi-role combat aircraft with an impressive weapons capacity as seen in this image with a loadout of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. The Eurofighter consortium is actively pursuing opportunities in Malaysia and Indonesia © Joetey Attariwala

ment comprising the Rafale-B/C, Euro- AMR the see above - - - - - - - - - - -

Japan The Rafale-B/C has significant air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities, and is the most modern front-line fighter employed by France. Operating with the French air force and navy, the Rafale-B/C has most recently conducted combat operations against Islamist insurgents © Joetey Attariwala

24 | AsiAn MilitAry review | new CAC0235 Beech Defense AT-6_Wolverine_Asian Military Review_8.25x11.25.pdf 1 3/1/16 3:13 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K air Power

The T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of advanced trainers and light combat aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with Lockheed Martin. The aircraft is operated by the Republic of Korea and the Philippines © Joetey Attariwala - - ing to the announcement this contract is

RoK - - - - Malaysia - AMR - - - aircraft. As one would - - - - AMR - - - Vexing Questions article in this issue. - Thailand Philippines - see above - - - - - - - and intellectual infrastructure associated Singapore - - - issues of AMR. AMr

26 | AsiAn MilitAry review | Standing Watch Twice the Standoff, Proven at Sea

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An operational benefit of the artillery PGM is that the increased round accuracy will effectively neutralize a target and do so without the need for firing adjusting rounds. This would reduce the engagement time and allow two or three guns to have the same effect as a battery of six or eight © US Army

Spot on! Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) have the potential to alter the way artillery indirect fires are employed and to potentially take on missions previously only possible with direct fire weapons, heralding a step change for artillery and ground operations in general. by Stephen W. Miller

apitalizing on electronics artillery by tightening the CEP (Circular These sizes provide the PGM with greater miniaturization has per- Error Probability; the size of the circle effect-on-target in that the larger warhead mitted packaging advanced has more explosive power, fragmentation guidance and homing will, with high probability, impact) and, and penetration. In addition, they have sensors into the warhead at best, will strike a point target. The much greater range and typically broader ofC artillery and mortar projectiles as support roles, particularly 155mm artillery, small as 81mm but more commonly - in 120mm and 155mm calibre. Using employment techniques and tactics. ment possibilities appropriate for PGMs. a number of techniques already well demonstrated in aircraft-delivered Sensor Technologies munitions, these PGMs at the very least Artillery PGMs have focused primarily Northern Europe during the Cold War on the large 120mm and 155mm calibres. which emphasised destroying large num-

28 | AsiAn MilitAry review | LAND WARFARE

bers of Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact (WARPAC) armoured vehicles during The M712 Copperhead was introduced in 1975 as a precision strike munition an air-land battle involving the North for artillery. It required an observer to Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). designate the target with a laser. The The objective was to attrite the expected seeker in the head of the projectile would mass of armour with main battle tanks home in on the laser energy reflected by and anti-tank guided missiles engaging the target © US DoD - lery using submunitions equipped ‘cargo’ rounds and PGMs against following units. from the 1960s through to the early 2000s toward reliance on the cargo projectile which would release a large number of high explosive and mine submunitions over large target areas. This use of sub- munitions (also termed cluster bomblets or CBUs: Cluster Bomb Units) was paral- leled in air-delivered ordnance. However, it became evident from the aftermath of combat during the US involvement in the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1975, and during US-led interventions in Iraq and the Balkans that the bomblet submuni- tions retained a very high ‘dud rate’. Many would not explode and would become a hazard for months and years to friendly troops and unsuspecting civilians. As a re- sult many of these CBUs were prohibited onslaught of Soviet tanks during a war in tionary and moving targets as long as they by the 2008 Convention on Cluster Muni- Europe (see above). The M712 was an anti- were visible. A characteristic of all laser tions. Any submunitions thereafter were armour weapon. It homed in on the energy seekers is that they ‘lock-on’ to the stron- required to have multiple redundant self- destruct mechanisms. With most submu- a ground laser target designator aimed by from behind the observer designating the nitions off-the-table, attention began to a forward observer on the ground or from shift to alternates. Coincidently advances a laser designator equipping an aircraft in miniaturizing electronics was opening such as a reconnaissance helicopter. Fired the target. Yet in highly mobile combat or the way for packaging these capabilities from a 155mm howitzer to a maximum where artillery support might be provided in fuses and warheads. The Convention not only eliminated has a shaped charge warhead to defeat from the observer and target this may not the cluster munitions, it also signalled armoured targets. It was employed dur- an increasing recognition and concern ing the US-led Operation DESERT STORM the trajectory of the projectile and seeker is for limiting collateral damage in apply- to expel the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in inbound to the observer, it is possible that ing weapons in general. This recogni- 1991. The M712 required that the target be the designator itself could be the domi- tion combined with the nature of counter painted until the round impacted. A bene- nant signature and perceived by the laser insurgency operations and the accom- seeker as the target, clearly not a desirable panying focus on building rather than struck was the one the observer had spe- circumstance for the observer. destroying, increased attention to reduc- Another approach to providing an ing unintentional damage and casualties. select, designate and reliably destroy high anti-armour capability to artillery is that These efforts were complicated by the value targets like command vehicles and used by Bofors and Nexter who collabo- air defence assets even when they were on rated on the development of the 155 BO- areas. The concept of using overwhelm- the move. NUS. This 155mm artillery round uses base bleed technology to extend its range laser-guided 152mm projectile in 1986, the to 35km (21 miles) with a 52 calibre gun no longer a reasonable option. 30F39 Krasnopol. Like the M712 it was and 27km (16.7 miles) for a 39 calibre base bleed (where a gun. It is a cargo projectile that releases Copperhead which was equipped with la- small gas generator increases the air pres- two infrared imaging sensor submuni- ser homing guidance. The M712 was devel- sure directly behind a to reduce drag tions. Once released and descending they oped by Martin-Marietta (now Lockheed scan for target heat signatures and steer Martin) in 1975. Its original impetus was 20km (12.4 miles). The ground observer’s using winglets toward the target. Once not necessarily reducing collateral dam- laser designator could mark a target out to over head, they detonate with an Explo- age but rather giving artillery the capabil- sively Formed Penetrator (EFP) designed ity to contribute to attriting the expected position and it could be used against sta- to penetrate the less protected top of the

| april/may 2016 | 29 LAND WARFARE

ful combat engagement during the US- ever, this price could be affected if orders led intervention in Afghanistan of 36km are lower than projected. The PGK’s CEP (22.3 miles). The initial 1a version has accuracy is under six metres (20ft). Rec- been further improved upon in the 1b to ognising that the CEP of the standard reduce production cost, increase accuracy fused M549 is 267m (875ft), this is still an and address early reliability issues. Tests exceptional improvement. The PGK is in service with the US Army, the US Marine - Corps, and the Australian and Canadian tres (16.4ft) CEP and better. An ‘S’ version armies. The design has also been adapted adds a semi-active laser targeting capabil- to the 120mm heavy mortar. ity that offers one metre (three feet) ac- curacy. It, as well as an ‘N’ naval version Naval PGMs for the 127mm gun used on many naval Naval guns have, in many navies, been warships, has been presented by Ray- superseded by missiles for surface-to-sur- The Excalibur has a near-vertical decent theon (please see Gerrard Cowen’s Can- face engagements. The greater range and onto the target. This optimizes the blast and non Fodder article in this issue for more accuracy of the guided missile offered fragmentation effects on the target while also reducing collateral damage © Raytheon discussion of naval gun developments). Presently Australia, Canada, the Nether- not provide. While generally acceptable lands, Norway, the United Kingdom and in ship-to-ship combat the trend toward target. BONUS is in service with the the United States are in possession of, or eliminating or reducing major calibre French, Finnish and Swedish Armies and have ordered, Excalibur. guns on naval combatants became a ma- has been evaluated by the US Army. An Orbital ATK has taken a different path jor concern to naval forces as naval gun- improved BONUS Mk.II has been devel- toward providing advanced guidance to - oped with improved target discrimination. the 155mm projectile. Its PGK (Precision tile littoral areas, particularly in the initial The SMArt 155 is similar to the BO- Guidance Kit) is a ‘course correction’ pro- stage of a landing before artillery can be NUS. It is a development of GIWS, a part- jectile provided as a kit that transforms a established on the ground. The lack of nership between Rheinmetall and Diehl standard 155mm projectile into a PGM. shipboard guns compromised the ability BGT Defence. It too is a 155mm artillery The PGK M1156 allows the gun crew - round, designed for a long-range and in- ing forces. Naval guns can be on-station top attack using two submuni- standard M549A1 and M795 155mm pro- and immediately available to respond to tions. A primary difference is that it uses jectiles. The M1156 accepts a lower accu- - parachutes in the descent after release racy to bring down the unit price of each fected by weather and visibility (as might from the munitions. It is in service with round. The last unit price of the Excalibur be the case for close air support and bat- the Australian, British, Hellenic and Swiss was $40000 but it had been $150,000. The armies and the Heer (German Army). PGK’s unit price was expected to drop in 2016 to under $11000 from $20000; how- range to allow ships to stand off the coast, GPS Guidance The expansion of the Global Positioning System (GPS) network coupled with ad- vances in microelectronics has allowed precise locations to be provided in very small electronics packages. GPS has been adapted to the artillery projectile which or winglets permit the round to be pro- grammed to steer towards and hit a spe- metres. The Excalibur M928 developed by Raytheon and BAE Systems’ Bofors divi- sion (not to be confused with the Bofors mentioned above) for the 155mm howit- zer uses this technique. The programme is a cooperative development that began in 2008 between the United Sates and Sweden providing a fully-integrated pro- of 155mm howitzers in service with both countries with accuracy of 20 metres (65.6 feet) CEP or better. Excalibur has a range of up to 40km The introduction of PGMs to naval guns are giving them a new level of capability. The increased (24.8 miles) in its latest 1b base-bleed range and point target accuracy make them an effective answer to the small fast attack boat threat. Here the USS Porter fires its Mk.45 127mm gun © US Navy version and in fact achieved a success-

30 | AsiAn MilitAry review | LAND WARFARE

High-end electro-op!cal solu!ons for Remote Weapon Sta!ons

The Vulcano extended range munitions use a sub-calibre projectile. Shown in this illustration it has a ‘sabot’ or collar that fills the bore but detaches as it leaves the barrel © Finmeccanica thereby reducing their vulnerability to ground-launched anti-ship missiles. Sec- of 50km using a Krauss-Maffei Wegmann/ ondly, given the increased range and rec- Rheinmetall PzH2000 self-propelled how- ognising the limited number of ships and itzer at the Alkantpan Proving Ground in guns available to support a landing, na- South Africa. Firings included production vies must examine how to increase their and SAL) and unguided versions. Com- OTO Melara (now Finmeccanica), pany representatives indicated that 50km one of the leaders in naval guns, took was the safety limits of the range and that on these challenges. It developed the the 80km capability of the system would Vulcano munitions family consisting of have been otherwise attained. unguided (BER) and guided (GLR) am- OTO Melara has further adapted the munition for the 127mm naval gun. Re- sub-calibre concept of the Vulcano to offer alizing the suitability of their concept extended range and guided 76mm projec- to land warfare they applied the same tiles for use in their 76/62 naval gun that techniques to 155mm artillery. The BER is employed by 55 navies worldwide. The (Ballistic Extended Range) is unguided Volcano 76 round gives the gun a true multi-role ammunition with multi-func- multi-mission capability not only against tion (Altimetric, Impact, Delayed Impact, surface targets at sea and on land but also Time, Self-Destruction) programmable enhances its air defence role. The 76mm fusing. The GLR (Guided Long Range) Vulcano offers a range of 40km, more than is equipped with canard controls and an double the conventional round. Coupled Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)/GPS guidance system with an optional Semi- single gun can effectively and accurately Active Laser (SAL) terminal guidance. deliver a salvo in seconds. The unguid- ed 76mm BER was tested 2013 with the and as a result are able to reach ranges guided GLR demonstrated in 2014. The of 50km (31 miles) and 80km (49 miles) Copenhagen Sensor Technology A/S | [email protected] respectively for the BER and GLR. The initial production is expected imminently. 127mm naval round also includes a ver- - sion with an infrared imaging seeker for www.copst.com terminal guidance against ship targets. In 2012 OTO Melara and Diehl BGT amphibious forces could be conducted Defence signed a cooperation agreement by smaller vessels like corvettes and large for production and further development patrol vessels that are both more numer- of these and future large-calibre conven- ous (over 153 vessel classes in 45 navies tional and guided ammunitions for naval carry the 76/62) and are more likely to be Scan the QR code to see the product range and army use. In May 2014 the companies readily available to be tasked with gun-

| april/may 2016 | 31 LAND WARFARE

The US Army, Marine Corps and the Canadian Army’s M777 155mm howitzers, shown firing in Afghanistan. They have increased their range to 40km and achieved an accuracy of five metres at that distance using PGMs © US DoD

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32 | AsiAn MilitAry review | Untitled-1 1 2/15/16 10:29 AM land WARFARE

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The Asia-Pacific presents some particular challenges as far as tactical radio manufacturers are concerned. Varied topographies, varied climates and varied budgets, mean that radios for ground forces in the region must be tailored closely to a country’s specific requirements.

by Thomas Withington

34 | AsiAn MilitAry review | land WARFARE

rom the Gobi Desert, to the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the jungles of Borneo and the tropical climes of southern aF diverse and varied geography. While it has never been AMR’s intention to become a travel brochure, the preceding sentence provides an overview of the hugely varied environments does for the regions’ diverse charms. Such environments present challenges to tactical radio engineers, alongside the huge distances which can be encountered in nations such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) which alone has a land mass of 9.5 million square kilometres (3.6 million square miles). Thales is highly cognisant of the challenges posed display a large variety of operating environments ranging from semi-desert with high temperatures to jungle with dense canopy,” it told AMR via a written statement. The latter issue is particularly im- portant. Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) radios which operate in the 30 to 300 Megahertz (MHz) and 300MHz to three Gigahertz frequen- cy ranges can carry hundreds of kilobits- per-second (kbps) of voice, data and im- shortcoming: V/UHF radio transmis- sions are limited to a line-of-sight range. This means that the range of the radio can be increased only by elevating the radio’s antenna to allow it to ‘see’ a wider radius of the earth’s surface. It also means that buildings, mountains and dense jungle canopy can impede V/UHF radio trans- missions. This is a serious consideration for regional powers such as Brunei- Darussalam, Malaysia and Vietnam, to name just three, which are home to lush rain forests. Similarly, the rugged Himala- yan Mountains of the disputed region of Kashmir, or the urban canyons of ‘mega- cities’ such as Bangkok, can pose similar challenges to V/UHF communications. Geography challenges tactical radio engi- neers, because this can affect radio operat- ing ranges and thus mission duration. Topography and climate are As noted above, the PRC has a con- two of the major challenges siderable land area. While V/UHF ra- faced by tactical radio engineers vis-à-vis configuring dios cannot transmit across such ranges their products for customers due to the line-of-sight restrictions, the in the Asia-Pacific. Long length of a mission for a platoon patrol- operating ranges pose a third ling a particular area can be long. There- challenge © Harris challenge © Harris fore, as Claudio Armani chief technology

| april/may 2016 | 35 land WARFARE

between a V/UHF radio, between mili- tary and civilian radios, and a sovereign radio and a coalition radio,” argues Alan Callaghan, vice president and managing As the above discussion illustrates, military operations increasingly occur in the civilian space, particularly as regards authorities are often called upon to assist their civilian counterparts in the provi- sion of humanitarian relief in the wake of wake of Typhoon Haiyan which devas- regard with the porting of the APCO-25 waveform used by that country’s civil- tactical radios such as Harris’ AN/PRC- Thales’ Geomux waveform can be used in its FastNet family of handheld, manpack and 117G V/UHF manpack and vehicular ra- vehicular radios, the manpack variant being shown here, alongside its PR4G SDRs © Thales in the future ensuring that their military tactical radios can work seamlessly with those employed by local civilian authori- - Treaty Organisation-led efforts from 2001 sions can last between 24 to 48 hours,” to combat Taliban and Al Qaeda and it is therefore imperative that tacti- Thus it is essential that the tactical radios frequency, crypto and waveform interop- cal radio battery life can deal with such used by ground forces across the region erability, and this can be tailored accord- - are also capable of interoperability during - Waveforms only defending their territory but are Thales’ offerings regarding custom- also projecting forces on various theatres (see below abroad, thus requesting interoperability Tactical communications interoper- data transmissions, geolocation report- Interoperability ability in the region has received added impetus since 2011 when President perform using the Global Positioning tactical communications within the re- Barack Obama announced the ‘pivot’ of - - resistance to hostile electronic counter- in addressing security situations, such as the PRC’s growing strategic power in the radio waveforms; software programmes - region, particularly regarding maritime that direct a radio to behave in a particu- and territorial claims that Beijing contests lar manner, via radio frequency transmis- - sion propagation, or spectrum usage, to bi-product of this shift is the need for Northern Borneo laid claim to the region allied nations in the region to maintain - - - abling the painstaking and precise art of - manually-tuning a transceiver, as with forms (see below the tactical radios used by all of the bel- the Malaysian armed forces and security - be performed with push-button simplic- allows communications between ground AMR that its Geomux wavefrom used within and without the region as part of - by its PR4G radios can perform a num- - ing trend for interoperability in the Asia- - blue force tracking simultaneously and tralian Army both deployed to Afghani- very heavily on that … Interoperability

36 | AsiAn MilitAry review | land WARFARE

the region. In 2015, the company was Internet of Things things like sensor systems on the network awarded, “one of the biggest tactical SDR One area which could improve tactical each of which has their own IP address.” radio contracts,” of last year for FlexNet radio performance in the future for Put simply, when using such a network, radios to an undisclosed country. The customers both within and without the “you could dial in the IP address of an company’s statement to AMR noted that optronics system on the other side of the its Geomux waveform can also be used of Internet Protocol (IP) standards planet and see its imagery.” Needless to with its FlexNet radios, alongside the and techniques in military tactical say, such connectivity offers potentially PR4G family discussed above, thus “giv- communications. Much as the so-called huge applications for military users, ‘internet of things’ promises to improve deepening still the level of connectivity their own mix of radios according to their civilian lives by giving appliances needs, thanks to the waveform ported on and electronic equipment their own IP multiple platforms.” address to enable an individual to control Cognitive Radio Ensuring operability while reducing these appliances, or to check their status, The tactical communications community costs will continue to be at the core of the from their computer or smartphone, a is also abuzz with talk of Cognitive Radio requirements faced by tactical radio de- similar approach could be adapted to velopers. In recent years, much has been tactical radios, and to military electronics made of COTS, or ‘Commercial Off-The- and subsystems in general. Mr. Callaghan outside the region. CR is a complex theo- Shelf’ technology, with commercial or said, “What an IP network for the military ry, but can be explained as arguably the civilian technology, where appropriate, means is that all the radios and ancillaries next stage in the evolution of SDRs. As being used to meet some tactical com- on the network have an IP address. I don’t the above discussion notes, SDRs have munications requirements. However, Mr. need to know what radio you are using or absorbed much of the tuning burden that Armani sounds a note of caution in this the frequency, just the IP address, and the the tactical radios of yore required, with network will know where you are. So a a radio operator manually scanning a intensity situations and undemanding commander can pick up his smartphone environments, but civilian products can and instantly contact another comrade channel to use, or to perform communi- - using their radio. It is a sort of ‘military cations with another formation of troops. ronment,” he said. internet of things’. So we can also have SDRs began to absorb much of this bur-

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| april/may 2016 | 37

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Harris emphasises the need for interoperability within the armed forces of the Asia-Pacific. This is not only to ensure communications with other nations’ armed forces, but also to ensure communications with local civilian emergency services © Harris

Finmeccanica’s SWAVE tactical radio family includes a number of functions to maximise communications options offered to soldiers in the Asia-Pacific, not least of these are the ability to use satellite communications waveforms to enable intercontinental ranges © Finmeccanica AMR

38 | AsiAn MilitAry review | ROSOBORONEXPORT LAUNCHES AN UPGRADED ORLAN-10E UAV

he Orlan-10E multifunctional UAV system became flight, and automatic one of the first modern Russian tactical UAV systems return of the vehicle Twhich has successfully passed the full set of tests to the takeo" point if involving the RF Ministry of Defense and entered service the signal is lost. Two with Russian land and airborne forces. Its reliability and UAVs can be simul- e!ciency have been proven by intensive use in handling taneously controlled various tasks in di"erent climatic conditions. The accumu- from one ground lated flying time of the Orlan family of UAVs has exceeded station. All informa- tens of thousands of hours. Feedback from the military tion is transmitted to has enabled the developers to modify the system and im- the ground control plement a number of hardware and software innovations station in real time which have significantly improved its performance. The and simultaneously upgraded Orlan-10E is now available to foreign customers. recorded to the on- board flash drive. In its standard mobile configuration, the Orlan-10E system can be placed on virtually any vehicle (at customer’s op- The required objects tion) and includes 2 to 4 UAVs, a ground control terminal are automatically with built-in training aids, as well as a remote antenna. located with high There is also a portable reduced version with two UAVs. accuracy, their co- ordinates are fixed The Orlan-10E can be employed by the Armed Forces to to a digital terrain handle a wide range of tasks, including reconnaissance, map and transmit- target designation and fire adjustment, escorting army col- ted to the ground control terminal, which greatly increases umns on the march, and others. The Orlan-10E is e"ective the operational capabilities for handling units of various in border, sea area, military base and airfield boundary sur- branches of the armed forces The fact that the Orlan-10E veillance missions. In addition, it can be actively used for can be used as a communication repeater may also be a public order maintenance, during emergencies and other factor which makes it possible to use the latest network- cases where large areas need to be monitored, because the centric communications technologies at the tactical level Orlan-10E UAV can survey up to 500 square kilometers per of control, together with traditional direct communication sortie. According to Russian experts, the use of the Orlan- channels. 10E system for target designation missions alone increases the e"ectiveness of artillery and MRL fire several times. The developers have paid particular attention to commu- nication and control radio link coding and immunity, which In its standard configuration, one Orlan-10E UAV carries a is critical when the enemy possesses modern EW capabili- set of interchangeable payloads, including daylight still and ties. In addition, the Orlan-10E o"ers a low signature in a video cameras and night imager. The UAV design has open broad electromagnetic spectrum, which increases its sur- architecture that makes it possible to quickly change the vivability in combat. payload depending on tasks assigned and promptly test Automation, simplicity and ease of operation of UAVs, as and repair equipment through replacing some modules. Ac- well as protection against incorrect operator actions help cordingly, it also simplifies further upgrading of the system. shorten the required operator training time, reduce opera- tor workload and the probability of UAV loss due to human The Orlan-10E UAV’s factors. onboard equip- ment set provides a The Orlan-10E UAV is one among most intensively used in takeo" from a cata- the Russian army. E"ective operator training procedures pult, programma- and methods of UAV employment in a modern warfare en- ble en-route flight, vironment have been developed since its adoption. There- parachute landing, fore, foreign customers will receive not only quality UAVs, switching to manual meeting all modern requirements, but also highly skilled mode and vice versa professionals, which JSC Rosoboronexport is ready to train at any point of the according to advanced instruction programs

SPECIFICATIONS: Take-o! weight – up to 18 kg Payload weight – up to 3 kg Speed – 70-150 km/h Flight endurance – up to 10 hours UAV-ground antenna communication range – up 100 km Flight altitude above sea level – up to 5000 m Max allowable wind speed at take-o! – no more than 10 m/s

AMR Marketing Promotion sea POWER

CaNNoN Fodder

Guns have been a key element of naval warfare for hundreds of years. This remains the case today, with a combination of cost factors and technological advances bringing about a renewed level of interest in naval gunnery.

by Gerrard Cowan

aval gun systems range from the small to the extremely large: from the 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns found on OTO Melara BAE Systems’ Mk.110 57mm /Finmeccanica'sN Hitrole Light, to the naval gun is pictured here. The Raytheon Phalanx family or Thales company believes that naval guns are becoming increasingly Goalkeeper Close-In Weapons Systems, relevant to modern warfare, to the BAE Systems’ 155mm Advanced with a demand for systems that Gun System for the United States Navy’s can combat multiple different ‘Zumwalt’ class destroyers. Within this threats © BAE Systems developed that could change the way we and in fact some of the older designs are rail guns to lasers. “There are still a lot really as good today as they ever need to of advantages to guns, and moving into cannon, and a new product called the - ture new players designing new cannon potential to have an even greater impact than they have had for generations,” said category, the company offers the Oerlikon Eric Wertheim, a naval expert and author Millennium Gun. Craig McLoughlin, se- is required means there are few compa- of the US Navy Institute’s Combat Fleets of nior vice president for systems at Rhein- nies that can manage that any more, and the World. “They could really play a very metall, told AMR important role.” you just want to develop new cannons.” ’s Rheinmetall specialises now as it was a century ago. “The tech- However, Mr. McLoughlin said there were a range of areas in the systems sur-

40 | AsiAn MilitAry review | sea POWER

rounding and supporting the cannon in which progress was continually being This picture shows the Hitrole system. made. For example, Rheinmetall supplies Finmeccanica became a propellants to ammunition manufactur- major player in the naval ers around Europe, and the company sees gunnery market following this as an area of potential future innova- the integration of OTO tion. Mr. McLoughlin also highlighted the Melara into its broader corporate structure © continual advances in stabilisation and Finmeccanica sighting systems. “The best cannon in the world is useless if your sighting system is not very good,” he argues. John Perry, business development director at BAE Systems, echoed Mr McLoughlin’s comments, saying that “even though the fundamentals of how a gun operates and how it looks have not changed over the years, the technologies under the weather shield and inside the projectiles have.” BAE Systems manu- factures a wide range of naval guns and ammunition, from 25mm up to the afore- mentioned Advanced Gun System, which Range Land Attack Projectile. In addition, its 40mm Mk.4 and 57mm Mk.3 naval guns are used on corvette and offshore pa- trol vessels, and it also manufacturers the 25mm Mk.38 and the 127mm Mk.45. ing multi-mission precision munitions. types of targets. The nature of the threat Mr. Perry said that in this age of He pointed to the company’s Standard is changing, Mr. Perry argues, with na- stretched defence budgets, the company Guided Projectile and the Hyper Veloc- vies having to consider the growing dan- had to develop cost-effective solutions to ity Projectile, both of which are under de- ger posed by a proliferation of low-cost meet the evolving needs of navies. One velopment for the US Navy, which could threats. This increases the relevance of na- way of doing this was through develop- provide a capability against different val guns and boosts the demand for sys- tems that can be used to combat multiple diverse threats. “The changing nature of threats to naval platforms is driving the need for multi-mission capabilities from naval guns,” he explained. “With the proliferation of low-cost, high-volume threats, the demand for precision effects and multi-mission capabilities has grown substantially. Customers are now look- ing to augment missile-only engagement capabilities with multi-mission, high-vol- ume precision effects from naval guns.” - cant technological developments in naval gunnery in the last ten to 15 years, includ- ing automated ammunition handling sys- targeting systems, gun propellant and barrel technologies. However, he drew particular attention to advances in gun- launched guided munitions, saying that they offer a cost-effective alternative to missiles across multiple missions. “Com- pared to missile solutions, gun-launched BAE Systems provides the Mk.4 40mm naval munitions are lower-cost, provide much gun, which is used on corvettes and offshore patrol vessels. The UK-based company larger magazines, can be rearmed at sea, manufactures a wide range of guns for and often times the effect they deliver is navies worldwide © BAE Systems more appropriately matched to the tar- get.”

| April/mAy 2016 | 41 sea POWER

spokesperson continued that the market had changed in recent years, “with a re- duced demand for big and medium-cal- ibre guns, (caused by) the reduced num- ber of big ships, but with an increased (demand for) small calibre guns, from 12.7mm to 40mm.” These were being used to equip small boats used by navies and police in different regions of the world. Finmeccanica sees the growth in naval gun sales, given the in- creased budgets in the region. The spokes- person also noted the growth in Africa, but said “the accessible market could be limited due to the presence of Chinese players.” A spokesperson for France’s Nexter also noted an increasing demand for smaller systems, particularly in the 12.7mm and 20mm domain. The company believes that “the market for naval guns is increasing, particularly for light remote-controlled sys- tems.” Nexter manufactures two ultra-light Nexter’s Narwhal remotely-operated system comes in two variants, the 20A and the 20B. naval mounts, the 15A and 15B, as well The Narwhal is currently in service with the French Navy, among others © Nexter as the Narwhal remotely-operated system, which has two variants, the The Debate coast guards and police,” a spokesperson 20A and 20B. The potential of guns as an alternative to for Finmeccanica told AMR. “Typically missiles in certain scenarios, particularly they are equipped with small calibre sys- Future Shock in these cash-strapped times, was also tems.” Finmeccanica is one of the major There is much work being carried out highlighted by Mr. Wertheim, who noted European suppliers of naval gun systems, on the future of naval gunnery, with a the potential of 114.3mm and 127mm guns following the integration of OTO Melara number of new technologies coming into - at the beginning of this year. The compa- focus. An example of this is the Electro- stead of missiles. “You have got to get in ny’s main focus for naval guns is on the magnetic Rail Gun (EMRG), which uses close, that is the danger with guns as the 40mm, 76mm and 127mm calibres. The electricity instead of gunpowder, and range is not as big as missiles. But the ben- so you have a much bigger amount of am- munition; hundreds of rounds before you run out, and the cost is much, much less compared to multi-million dollar missiles.” Still, the potential for guns as an alter- native to missiles should not be taken too far, says Mr. McLoughlin. “It is not that guns are trying to do the job of missiles, but there was a time when missiles were re- ally proliferating, and the missile is not so great for the close-in last 1.6 nautical mile (three kilometres) surrounding the perim- eter of a ship,” he said. “That’s where guns have their function … from my point of view the right argument is when is it good to have one system, say a gun, and when it is it better to have a missile?” There has also been a shift in demand, according to some of the major suppliers, with an increasing emphasis on small vessels. This has an obvious impact on the “Small, fast boats, sometimes built by new- comers having experience in the civilian France’s Nexter manufactures two ultra-light naval mounts, the 15A and the 15B. The company believes the market for naval guns is increasing © Nexter market only, are requested by navies,

42 | AsiAn MilitAry review | sea POWER

Laser Weapon System installed on the The 76mm calibre range is one of USS Ponce, a test bed ship, which is op- Finmeccanica’s main focuses. This image shows the 76/62 Super Rapid gun mount, erating in the Persian Gulf, “to conduct a light-weight rapid-fire naval gun © evaluation of shipboard lasers in an op- Finmeccanica erational setting against swarming boats and swarming UAVs.” A number of the companies AMR spoke to highlighted lasers as an area of particular interest. Matt Pryor, director of business development at MSI-Defense Systems (MSI-DS) said “We anticipate disruptive technologies like laser effec- tors complementing or replacing cannons in the 20-30 year time frame as lasers and their associated power controls reduce in size and weight.” MSI-DS manufac- tures the Seahawk naval gun system, which comes in three models: the origi- nal Seahawk mount for 25mm, 30mm, and 40mm cannons; the Seahawk Light Weight (LW) mount for 14.5mm, 20mm, 23mm and 25mm cannons; and the Seahawk Ultra Light Weight for 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine guns. Likewise, Rheinmetall and Germany’s Bundeswehr forces) successfully tested a High-Energy Laser (HEL) installed on a German war- mounted a ten kilowatt HEL effector on a MLG 27 light naval gun, and carried out a test programme in which the laser tracked potential targets such as very small surface craft and UAVs. The HEL effector was also tested against stationary targets on land, Rheinmetall said. Mr. McLoughlin said he believed that countering low, slow and small threats such as UAVs would become an increas- ing priority for naval guns, and that air- bursting ammunition would have an could launch projectiles at speeds of advantage in this regard. “You have got between 3609 knots (7240 kilometres- - - per-hour) and 4865 knots (9010.4km/h), mately 2000 knots/3704km/h dependent get)? So you need systems that can detect according to a report for the US Congres- on altitude). While this is about half the the UAVs reliably and effectively … then sional Research Service (CRS) by Ronald how are you actually going to be able to O’Rourke, the CRS’s specialist in naval EMRG, the report stated, it is more than hit that thing? The odds of getting one affairs. BAE Systems is working with twice the speed of a traditional 127mm round through the bullseye are not so the US Navy on the development of this - great. That is why I think people are look- weapon. Mr. Perry said that “getting on ing precision-guided artillery, please see ing more and more to alternative ammu- the right side of the cost curve with this Stephen W. Miller's Spot On! article in nition types like air bursting.” type of technology will put a tremendous this issue. Mr. Wertheim cautioned that the new burden on an adversary’s ability to re- A third area for future development technology types being pursued in the US spond and overcome.” is laser systems. The US Navy tested a and elsewhere are still at an early stage. According to Mr. O’Rourke’s report, prototype Solid State Laser between 2009 - as the US Navy worked on developing and 2012 against Unmanned Aerial Ve- cade it is possible they could have a sig- the EMRG, it realised that the guided hicles (UAVs) in a series of engagements; projectile it was developing for the sys- in 2010 and 2011 it tested another pro- about naval gunnery. “We are not there totype, the Maritime Laser Demonstra- yet. This is all very much theoretical. But 155mm powder guns. This could mas- tion (MLD), in tests that ended with the sively increase the speed of projectiles MLD engaging a small boat, according years and we are right at the point where to Mr. O’Rourke’s report. There is now a we are pretty sure.” AMR

| April/mAy 2016 | 43 LAND WARFARE

CounTering The ChemiCals

CW expert Col. Hamish de Bretton Gordon analyses suspected chlorine samples on the Syrian border. Col. de Bretton Gordon is a leading authority on ISIS’ use of chemical weapons © Avon Protection

In the latter half of 2015 and early 2016, the Middle East remained the main theatre where CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear) threats are an ongoing threat, translated into reality by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

by Andy Oppenheimer

o this end, this organisation Under Threat don, who provides CW advice to non- has employed mustard gas and In February US Central Intelligence governmental organisations operating in chlorine in multiple attacks Agency director John Brennan assessed Syria and Iraq, leading several missions using bombs and mortars, that ISIS had used “chemical munitions to Syria to this end, ISIS has chemical mainly in Iraq throughout 2015 weapons albeit in very small quantities, Tand into 2016. That said, any region is the group had access to chemical precur- including mustard agent and Toxic In- at risk from insurgent CBRN action and, sors (which can be used to make chemi- dustrial Chemicals (TICs) like chlorine. as for protecting against incidents using cal weapons) and munitions, and had Test results held by the Organization for the ability to make small quantities of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and North American countries are better- chlorine and mustard gas. According to leading Chemical Weapons (CW) expert 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, re- counterparts. Colonel (rtd.) Hamish de Bretton Gor- vealed that ISIS used sulphur mustard

44 | AsiAn MilitAry review | LAND WARFARE

gas against Kurdish forces in Iraq in 2015 - based on samples taken from 35 Kurd- ish Peshmerga became ill in August 2015 near the city of Irbil in northern Iraq. - Col. de Bretton Gordon sees more CW also in northern Iraq. The city has been Stepping Up - Peshmerga forces - under threat to demonstrate resilience to an - used chlorine-laced bombs to defend Ti- The Australian Government’s Defence Science - and Technology Organisation (DSTO) provides - invaluable support for the Australian Defence bility through the protection of personnel Force through protecting personnel from - - exposure to CBRN weapons and TICs. ©DSTO - - - bomb explosion. stantiated speculation that they are trying ISIS Targets utilising anthrax and possibly plague.” East and Europe. Col. de Bretton Gordon the ability to respond both domesti- cally and in support of Australian forces - - deploying the Royal Australian Air Force that could be used for Radiological Dis- - clear materials notably uranium and plu- tonium. In mid-February reports emerged 2015 that had been planted in a super- - stored in a laptop-sized case from a stor- age facility near the southern Iraqi city of Basra. A RDD can be fashioned from - tals and research centres. The material Bretton Gordon estimated this had not been acquired through the Internet but - ployed in industrial gamma radiography - gramme is based. - - cause permanent injury to a person in opportunity to strike in an attack similar The DST Group provides science and and could be fatal to anyone exposed for to those launched by Islamists in Paris in technology support to improve the Australian - Defence Force’s CBRN defence capabilities. - Australia faces a tangible threat from ISIS’ use In mid-2015 Australian foreign minister of CBRN weapons on its territory © Australian Department of Defence the signs and symptoms of such an effect -

| april/may 2016 | 45 LAND WARFARE

Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Battelle, focuses on developing state-of- the-art test and evaluation systems which event’ operations. Vice president and gen- eral manager of Battelle CBRN Matt Shaw test approach and that is what makes us stand out. As the question of how to protect become more sophisticated, the tools being used to answer them, the test equipment, analysis and understanding,

RoK Readiness Out of countries facing real CBRN threats, the RoK is on constant alert in response to its northern belligerent neighbour. On 6 January the Democratic People’s Re- public of Korea (DPRK) announced it Australia’s SOER provides leading-edge mobility, survivability and specialist counter-CBRN - capabilities. The SOER can respond to domestic incidents and those that occur during deployment © Australian Army derground test of a hydrogen bomb. The seismic analysis that led to this claim was, however, doubted by experts, including recovery in Hazmat (Hazardous Materi- Indigenous Rand Corporation analyst Bruce Bennett als) emergencies including analysis of Protection who said, “The bang they should have CBRN material, personnel and civilians, Australia’s indigenous CBRN protection gotten would have been ten times great- and areas affected by CBRN materials. Its company, Duram Products, manufac- er than what they are claiming. So Kim International Deployment Group utilizes tures respirators, escape hoods and PPE Jong-un (the DPRK’s Supreme Leader) is the Specialist Response Group for par- (Personal Protective Equipment) suits either lying, saying they did a hydrogen ticular medium- and high-risk planned for security forces, Special Forces and test when they did not, they just used a operations or emergency incidents in ad- civilians. A mode of protection becom- dition to force protection. The Australian ing more widely deployed is the escape the hydrogen part of the test really did Chemical, Biological, Radiological and hood. To protect against chemicals and Nuclear Data Centre provides techni- toxic fumes, the new Duram Personal cal intelligence products and services to Escape Mask can be carried in pocket Intelligence Service also stated that the support law enforcement and it collects, collates, analyses and disseminates in- detonation, which is vastly more power- valuable technical information and intel- ful and technologically advanced than a ligence when CBRN agents are used. charcoal specially impregnated to absorb acid gases with an optimal exhalation Nevertheless, the January nuclear test valve which enables rapid exhalation and was the fourth by the DPRK since 2006. improves physiological conditions for the According to US Director of National In- user. Protection is guaranteed for around telligence James Clapper, in January the one hour against toxic gases discharged country restarted the plutonium reactor at Centre, north of the capital Pyongyang, The Market which provides fuel for its nuclear weap- In terms of market expansion, accord- ons, and had taken steps towards mak- ing to the CBRN Defence Market Report ing an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile 2016-2026, published by London-based (ICBM), having launched a long-range research company Visiongain, overall rocket under the guise of its Bright Star-4 world revenue for the prime CBRN de- satellite launch on 7 February, soon after fence sectors of detection, protection, de- the January test. This was internationally contamination, simulation and training condemned as the DPRK is banned under Applying Fido C2 disclosure spray on a military truck can expose trace levels of nerve is forecast to reach $11.2 million in 2016 United Nations sanctions from using any agents or sulphur mustard directly on the in the following client countries: Brazil, ballistic missile technology. surface, at sub-microgram sensitivity, within France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, five minutes. This can lower costs by at the Republic of Korea (RoK), the United DPRK Threats least 60 percent by reducing the amount of Kingdom and the US, and in burgeoning The DPRK has also long-posed a seri- decontaminant used © Flir Systems markets in the People’s Republic of China, ous CW threat. It is not a member of the

46 | AsiAn MilitAry review | September 6-11 Patriot Expocenter Moscow Region, Russia

www.rusarmyexpo.com

Organizer:

Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation LAND WARFARE

ing event focused solely on our areas of responsibilities, and allowed us to fully utilize our knowledge and skill sets with- out any interruptions. It is not intended for all military members or all emergency re- sponders.” Months earlier, in March 2015, soldiers from 20th CBRNE (Chemical Bio- logical Radiological Nuclear Explosives) Command of the United States Army carried out a two-week exercise, KEY RE- SOLVE, in the RoK, with UN Command multinational military forces supporting the RoK) troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and the UK.

Japan Japan has experienced the worst CBRN attack to date, when the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo released near-weapons grade sarin nerve agent on the Tokyo subway on 20 March 1995. Japan also ex- perienced the nuclear disaster at the Fu- Battelle has developed a range of test and evaluation systems to help experts address CBRN kushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant fol- incidents. Here, a Battelle employee applies chemical agent during swatch testing of military lowing the Tsunami which hit the western uniform fabric © Battelle coast of Honshu Island in the Fukushima Prefecture on 11 March 2014. This was the Chemical Weapons Convention and, ac- intense, integrated emergency response world’s worst nuclear disaster since the cording to the RoK 2012 Defence White capability exercises for emergency man- meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Paper, began producing CWs in the 1980s agers from the 51st Civil Engineer Squad- in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine) on and has an estimated 2500 to 5000 tons ron and bio-environmental engineers 26 April 1986. The Fukushima disasters in several facilities nationwide, as well from the 51st Aerospace Medicine Squad- showed the vulnerability of nuclear pow- as possessing the capability to produce er plants also to insurgent attacks. The BWs including anthrax and smallpox. For emergency responders. According to the environmental effects and psychological CBRN protection, the RoK imports much commander of the 51st Aerospace Medi- impact caused by the dispersion of, and of its PPE and respirators from Avon Pro- cine Squadron Major Jung Lee, “this train- contamination by, radioactive substances tection (UK), Optrel (Switzerland) and Apollo Safety (US). The threat of the DPRK’s BW has prompted the US and the RoK to carry out joint defence exercises for biological war- fare, codenamed ABLE RESPONSE, every year since 2011. These involve both coun- tries’ departments of defence and health, the US Department of Homeland Secu- rity, their disease control centres, and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This preparedness is also meant to deal with the possibility that pathogen- ic bacteria could accidentally spread from the DPRK, prompting the need to detect Joint training exercises are also carried out by US Air Force (USAF) Bio-environ- mental Engineering, Emergency Manage- ment, and Republic of Korea Air Force CBRN teams, such as that held in August 2015 at Osan airbase in the northern RoK. Two groups within the USAF 51st Fighter Wing jointly responded to an improvised The Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 was the worst since the Chernobyl meltdown in 1985 and the full environmental effects are still to be measured © TEPCO explosion as part of a week-long series of

48 | AsiAn MilitAry review | LAND WARFARE

in the environment and food chain from cooperation between the armed forces tion sheltering system to complement an the Fukushima accident has dwarfed any- and related agencies also includes lend- island-wide Public Warning System used thing that guerrillas could accomplish to ing suitable chemical protection suits to warn of military threats such as an air date. But a physical or cyber-attack on a and dispatching liaison personnel from raid, and have hardened metro stations to nuclear power station, and particularly the Chemical Defence Unit. The Techni- serve as civil defence shelters. on a spent fuel pond, could trigger an en- cal Research and Development Institute Singapore’s Defence Medical and En- vironmental disaster on this level. of the Japanese Ministry of Defence and vironmental Research Institute (DEMRI) At the military level, the Japanese Self- the JGSDF are developing and procur- conducts research into force protection Defence Forces (encompassing the coun- ing personnel protection equipment and against CW and BW. During the SARS try’s sea, land and air forces) use protective detection technologies, with research (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) masks and protection suits to prevent inter- and development into CBRN technolo- crisis in 2003, DMERI defence engineers nal exposure, and cooperate with agencies gies, CBRN Threat Assessment Systems - to measure contamination and to transfer and equipment for CBRN decontamina- perature scanning system, effectively casualties in the wake of such disasters. The tion, chemical agent surveillance, medi- preventing the spread of the virus. This Chemical Defence Units of these services cal countermeasures for biological agents, illustrates the ‘all-hazards approach’ now are equipped with chemical reconnaissance new system for biological agent detection prevalent in many countries to defend not vehicles shielded from radiation and pro- and CBRN reconnaissance vehicles. only against CBRN attacks and threats but vide practical training for civil protection those, with the potential to cause world by local governments every year. Singapore pandemics, produced by nature. Just as The sarin incidents spurred national Among countries possessing gold standard this preparedness approach is aimed at agency defence against chemical attacks. CBRN defence capabilities, Singapore is protecting populations from both deliber- Therefore the chemical protection, chemi- in the forefront. Its Civil Defence Force ate and accidental attacks, all countries at cal detection, transportation of casualties, (SCDF), under the purview of the Ministry risk have to become better-equipped and decontamination and medical activities of Home Affairs, mitigates hazardous ma- trained to deal with CBRN modus operandi overseen by the Chemical Defence Unit which combine the bomb, the bullet and of the Japan Ground Self Defence Force rescue and emergency medical services. the machete along with hostage-taking (JGSDF) have been boosted. Enhanced The SCDF operates a collective protec- and increasingly CBRN. AMR

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Jocelyn de Virel Julie Boozer Sabrina Jonas Sales manager Sales assistant Sales contact for Maritime Safety & Security, Motorisation and Propulsion + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 05 - [email protected] + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 06| -april/may [email protected] 2016 | + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 10 - [email protected] 49 Regional news and d evelopments south asia AsiA-PAcific Procurement uPdAte by Pierre Delrieu

SHOPPING LIST Nigerian President Muham- Aarshal Adesola Nunayon The Nigerian Air Force madu Buhari to a joint session Most of these models, Amosu visited Pakistan and is looking to procure three of the country’s National however, are now decades reportedly visited the Pakistan Chengdu Aircraft Indus- old and Nigeria has long Aeronautical Complex’s JF-17 tries Corporation/Pakistan The newspaper also reported been seeking to modernise its Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Nigeria’s Air Force was was allocated for ten Super been considered a possible given an overall budget of Mushshak aircraft, and an $425 million in 2016, accord- later this year, and the Nige- additional $56 million for two the 2014 International Defence rian Ministry of Defence has Mi-35M helicopters as well as Exhibition and Seminar, held Punch, $308 million being budgeted $25 million towards in Karachi in December 2014, destined to cover recurrent this acquisition, along with The Nigerian Air Force cur- a senior Pakistani Minis- expenditure and $116 million the allocation of funds for two rently operates seven Mil Mi-24 Russian Mil Mi-35M attack he- attack helicopters, conducting The CAC/PAC JF-17 is licopters, and ten PAC Super counter-insurgency operations, Butt, told reporters the two currently in service within the along with eleven Chengdu F-7 countries were close to sign- Pakistan Air Force, which has The Nigerian newspaper ing a contract for between 25 been operating some 50 air- Punch published the informa- craft since 2007, with plans to tion after a copy of the coun- before the statement, the then acquire up to 200 additional try’s 2016 budget was leaked, Nigerian Air Force chief of units, according to Pakistani following its presentation by twelve Dassault/Dornier

by the state-run China Ship Building Company, some 35 he added the country “faces months after the contract for many challenges internally, their acquisition was signed mostly related to growing by the Bangladesh Govern- Islamisation and radicalisa- ment and China’s Shipbuild- tion, these challenges require ing Industry Corporation efforts to bolster and revamp the internal security system During the handover versus building a modern ceremony, Commodore AKM - Faruk Hasan, director of the ships’ construction project for explained that “Bangladesh the BN, told reporters that the is beginning to view itself as - a emerging regional player in cally designed for the force, the backdrop of its high con- adding that the vessels will tributions to United Nations be the most advanced frigates peacekeeping and its engage- in service with the country’s ment with the PRC, adding NEW CORVETTES corvettes, BNS Shadhinota and navy, boosting its coastal that the country’s “defence The Bangladesh Navy BNS Prottoy, both built defences and enhancing its (BN) announced it had at Wuchang Shipyard in the humanitarian and disaster received two new Chinese- People’s Republic of China The 90-metre/m built ‘Type-056’ class cor- Pushan Das, a researcher (300-feet/m) long corvettes vettes which are also cur- journey to their home port at the Observer Research displace 1300 tonnes, with a rently in service with China’s of Chittagong on 10 Janu- Foundation, a think tank, in ary, where they were greeted New Delhi told AMR that with a handover ceremony this purchase was “part powered by a twin diesel en- attended by the Chittagong of Bangladesh’s broader gine providing enough power published on 11 January, Naval Zone’s commander military modernisation called to allow a top speed of more stated that the C13B vari- than 25 knots (46 kilometres- ant of the ‘Type-056’ class The vessels were handed over Bangladesh “is not engaged

50 | AsiAn MilitAry review | AMR 16.ai 1 11/11/2015 11:39:56

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K Regional news and d evelopments southeast asia

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT of the type, but schedule and BAE Systems announced manufacturing deadlines re- on 29 January it had signed a contract for the licensed build of an Offshore Patrol Vessel A spokesperson from (OPV) to be built by Bang- BAE Systems told AMR kok Dock, at their Mahidol design of HTMS Krabi Adulyadej Naval Dockyard development of an existing facilities in Thailand, for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). This by Bangkok Dock to suit the deal marks the second supply of a ‘River’ class OPV design that BAE Systems has made is a multi-mission OPV, the for Bangkok Dock and the include protection of the country’s exclusive economic HTMS Krabi accepted by the - RTN in August 2013. saster relief, and search and The deal to build the rescue. Support provided - second OPV and lead the expressed the possibility for on engineering and design, the spokesperson continued, additional sales of the ‘River’ adding that the company class OPV in South East Asia, assistance in collaboration - Bangkok Dock in September - sel in the UK, in Thailand, and cians involved in the current Bangkok Dock has expressed manufacture of three ‘River’ for three OPVs in December plans to build the second class OPVs for the Royal as it encourages the maxi- 2011, as a potential incentive Navy; a programme valued mum industrial participation three years. The RTN projects

all six aircraft completed by - - 2017. Once operational, these ed to form an attack helicop- helicopters are expected to perform missions ranging Malaysian Army’s develop- from attack and reconnais- sance to security missions in the raising of three helicopter support of Malaysian Army - missions in the Eastern Sabah ent mission types: an attack Security Zone (ESSZONE), - ing the Sabah/Lahad Datu incursion in February 2013 by The light observation the so-called Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. To boost its military Malaysian Army’s tactical-lift LITTLE BIRD TO MALAYSIA - response and capability in this MD Helicopters (MDH) tions systems, and optronics region, the Malaysian Army disclosed on 1 February that - 61A Nuri medium-lift utility Malaysia’s Army Aviation is range of threats. helicopters transferred from Although it failed to the Royal Malaysian Air disclose the value of the deal, and secured a transfer from Force (RMAF). More infor- 530G light reconnaissance Brunei-Darussalam of four mation regarding Malaysian helicopter, as Malaysia places announcement that delivery defence procurement can be an order for six helicopters medium-lift utility helicopters found in Dzirhan Mahadzir’s - previously operated by the Vexing Questions article in Royal Brunei Air Force. this issue.

52 | AsiAn MilitAry review | Regional news and d evelopments east asia

the People’s with cruising speeds of up to Liberation 566 knots (1050 kilometres- Army Air Force per-hour). The missile carries a 704-pounds/lbs (320-kilo- onboard the gram/kgs) warhead and PLAAF’s Xian has a maximum range of 97 Aircraft Industry nautical miles/nm (180 Corporation’s kilometres/km). The TL-2 is a smaller, bombers and 36.3lbs (16.5kgs) 3.2nm (six ki- Xian H-6 stra- lometre) range missile intend- tegic bombers. ed to arm Unmanned Combat “The PLA likes to Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) or promote compe- be launched from the ground. tition among its defence compa- marketed during the 2014 nies,” explained Zhuhai Airshow, where it was Mr. Fisher, presented as a precision strike adding that “the weapon to equip the Cheng- KD-88/TL-7 was du-built Pterodactyl/Wing NEW MISSILES tured by the Hongdu Avia- designed to compete with Loong medium-altitude long- During the Singapore tion Industry Group. the CASIC C-802 family of endurance UCAV, currently Air Show in February, the Richard Fisher, a senior anti-ship cruise missiles,” in service with Egypt, Nigeria, People’s Republic of China’s fellow on Asian military although, “unlike the C-802, Saudi Arabia and state-owned National affairs with the International the KD-88/TL-7 is not com- the . Aero-Technology Import and Assessment and Strategy bat proven.” “The TL-2 may also be a Export Corporation (CATIC), Centre, a think tank, told According to CATIC of- Hongdu product,” Mr. Fisher which manages export sales AMR that the TL-7 is the stated to AMR, adding that, of aviation defence and com- export model of the China during the air show, the TL-7A “while it is promoted as arm- mercial products, revealed Haying Electromechanical variant can be launched from ing the small Aisheng ASN- two new weapons, the Technology Academy KD-88 209 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle TL-2 and the TL-7 turbojet precision-guided air-to- variant is ground-launched, (UAV), (the TL-2) could likely powered air-to-surface cruise surface missile. The KD-88 while a third variant, the TL- arm many other small UAVs missiles, reportedly manufac- is currently in service with 7C can be launched from ships, made in China.”

sion to lift Japan’s ban on “Japan is (the UK’s) closest weapons exports in April security partner in Asia and I 2014, the programme aims at the integration of Japanese defence cooperation between seeker technologies into the our two nations. We will do that through joint exercises, Visual Range Air-to-Air Mis- reciprocal access to our military bases, military the missile’s accuracy and personnel exchanges and performance. cooperation on equipment, including a new air-to- of talks on the co-operative air missile.” DEEPENING RELATIONS systems and equipment research project on the feasi- The governments of was reached on 21 January, bility of a Joint New Air-to- MoD press release, further Japan and the United during talks held in the UK Air Missile (JNAAM) was additional Japanese and Kingdom have initiated a involving visiting Japanese concluded during an earlier cooperation programme to foreign minister Fumio visit to Japan on 8 January include improving amphibi- jointly research and develop Kishida and defence minister by Mr. Fallon. Following ous and counter-homemade new air-to-air missile tech- - his visit, the ministers from bomb capabilities, as well as nology, as part of growing ish foreign secretary, Philip mine hunting in the Persian cooperation on defence-re- Hammond, as well as the discussions would move to Gulf. The UK also welcomed lated issues between the two UK’s defence secretary, Mi- the second stage. Mr. Fallon greater Japanese participa- countries. chael Fallon. First discussed also expressed his enthusi- tion in North Atlantic Treaty An agreement on devel- in July 2014, following Prime asm regarding the coopera- Organisation joint exercises oping defensive military Minister Shinzo Abe’s deci- tion agreement, saying that and exchanges.

| april/may 2015 | 53 Regional news and d evelopments australasia

will be the premier provider superior end-to-end military of service and support for rotorcraft solution.” future customers of Bell The agreement with BAE Helicopter military rotor- Systems, which will surely craft in Australia,” adding enhance Bell Helicopter’s that “BAE Systems is an position in promoting the Australian aerospace leader AH-1Z to the AAA, was an- with unmatched technical nounced just days before the knowledge and expertise and publication in late February this relationship aligns our of the 2016 Australian Defence interests and pursuits as we White Paper, which stated that work together to pursue op- the Australian government portunities to strengthen and will be seeking to replace support the capability and its 22 Airbus Helicopters posture of the (AAA).” In EC-665ARH Tiger attack turn, Steve Drury, BAE Sys- helicopters with a new armed NEW HELICOPTERS Bell Helicopters with support tems Australia subsidiary’s reconnaissance capability ON THE HORIZON? and assistance for future aerospace director, voiced his from the mid-2020s. Although BAE Systems and Bell He- Australia AH-1Z customers, company’s enthusiasm for there is currently no formal licopter have decided to join including overseeing helicop- the collaboration saying that requirement for a replace- forces and resources to sup- ter maintenance and sustain- BAE was “looking forward ment aircraft, Bell Helicopter port Bell’s efforts to promote ment, and supporting pilot to working closely on op- has reportedly already started its AH-1Z Viper helicopter and technician training. portunities with Bell Heli- advertising the AH-1Z’s gunship for Australian Army Speaking following the copter as its sustainment and capabilities to the AAA and Aviation (AAA), and signed announcement of the deal, support partner in Australia,” an arrangement to that avail, Lisa Atherton, executive adding that BAE Systems AH-1Z, which is a marinised which they announced at vice president of military has been “maintaining rotary aircraft, was designed to the Singapore Air Show in business for Bell Helicopter wing aircraft for more than operate from ship and shore February. explained that the deal “with 20 years and this long-term bases, in open seas, on littoral According to the deal, BAE Systems establishes strategic partnership with zones, and in desert and BAE Systems will provide the groundwork for what Bell Helicopter offers a tropical environments.

QINETIQ AUSTRALIA focus of the strategic alliance SIGNS ALLIANCE WITH between the two companies DST GROUP will be to strengthen the QinetiQ Australia, the lo- existing partnership between cal branch of the British mul- QinetiQ’s Australia subsidiary, tinational defence technology DST Group and the Director- company, and Australia’s ate General Technical Airwor- Defence Science and Tech- thiness-Australian Defence nology Group (DST Group) Force (DGTA-ADF) which have announced they have entered a strategic alliance to aircraft airworthiness, and collaborate on research and ensures the continued safe development projects “in operation, enhanced capability areas of strategic importance and reduced cost of owner- opment) efforts.” Dr. Alex to the Australian Department ship for these platforms. Zelinsky, DST Group’s Chief Other areas of research of Defence” according to a “This Strategic Alliance Defence Scientist empha- and development between statement issued by DST. … cements the tripartite the two companies will DST Group, formerly partnership between QinetiQ strategic alliance, saying that reportedly feature “tradition- known as the Defence Science Australia, DST Group and it “builds upon the strong al and exotic materials, and Technology Organisation the DGTA-ADF,” said Greg relationship DST Group signatures, (Unmanned (DSTO), announced the agree- Barsby, QinetiQ’s Australia already has with QinetiQ. Aerial Vehicles), weapons, ment on 29 February, stating subsidiary managing direc- Leveraging the synergies training, cost assurance, that the deal was signed in tor, adding that the alliance between our organisations and integrated soldier Canberra three days prior, on also “combines the strengths has the potential to bring real systems,” adding that both 26 February. DST Group and of QinetiQ’s global business capability enhancements to parties “have also pledged to QinetiQ Australia already the (Australian armed forces) support ongoing skills devel- share a relationship spanning innovation in several collab- in areas that require innova- opment through training and over two decades. A major orative (research and devel- tion, deep technical expertise employee rotations.”

54 | AsiAn MilitAry review |

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| april/may 2015 | 57 Regional News and Developments 292mm in. Bleed 292mm in. 286mm Trim 286mm 260mm Live

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