a8.90 European D 14974 E Security ESD & Defence 2/2021 International Security and Defence Journal

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February 2021 • Battlefield Lasers • CBRN Reconnaissance

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Vehicules_Arquus_210x297.indd 1 22/05/2018 15:06 Editorial

Winter is Coming

On 1 July 1944, the convened a conference at a ski resort hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Delegates of 44 allied nations were there to discuss the post-war global order with America, then the world’s military, financial and economic superpower. The American proposal was simple. Instead of absorbing the European and Axis empires and establishing Pax Americana, the Washington delegation proposed three things: free access to the American market, protection of shipping lanes, and security from the Sovi- ets, including a nuclear umbrella. In return, the 44 nations would allow America to fight the in any manner it chose. Exchanging their national security policies for those three gifts was a no-brainer, and globalization was born. In the following years, organisations administering the new world order grew in number, size and power. They now include NATO, the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the G7, and others. In 72 years, these organisations changed the 44 Bretton Woods members from needy supplicants to power- ful competitors. The problem is, they continue to draw on the economic concessions and largesse of the country that founded the system – the United States. Then the disruptor of globalisation entered the White House in 2016. Trump’s election astonished globalist bureaucrats and Deep State careerists in Washing- ton. Together with the Democrat Party and the mainstream media, they spent the next four years vilifying the president and preparing for the 2020 election. Trump spent those years expanding the economy, reducing taxes, increasing jobs, and ending U.S. depend- ence on foreign oil. He also earned the eternal enmity of the Bretton Woods globalists by leaving or replacing multilateral alliances like NAFTA and the Trans Pacific Partnership, by insisting on tariffs favouring the US despite WTO complaints, and by confronting NATO allies with demands they pay the agreed-upon amounts for their defence. Resistance to Trump reached a peak when the Democrat Party, mainstream media, social media, and some senior US bureaucrats stole the 2020 election by combining fraudulent mail-in ballots, rigged ballot counting machines, and brazen fraud at polling places. There are too many videos and sworn affidavits to doubt that during a pause in ballot counting in several key states, millions of ballots appeared and radically changed the contest. If one needs details, there are the studies by Dr. Peter K. Navarro. Having captured the White House and Congress by exploiting the flaws inherent in a mail-in voting system, the Democrats decided to make the system permanent. Just days after Biden’s inauguration, an 800-page bill appeared in the Democrat Congress. Among many other things, HR-1 will: • Require that all states implement universal voter registration. Voters will not be required to register in person, but can be registered from databases, whether or not they are il- legal aliens or felons. • Bar states from passing any laws about mail-in voting. • Require that voters without an ID be allowed to vote if they simply sign a statement saying they are who they say they are. • Create a new Federal Election Commission of five members appointed by the president. The president’s party would get three of five seats and be able to make changes to elec- toral rules at any time. In reaction to such alarming legislation, suppression of freedom of speech, calls from Democrats to confiscate and to send “Trumpists” to re-education camps, it is no surprise that Texas state legislator Kyle Biedermann introduced a bill to allow Texans to vote on secession from the United States. It is too early to know if other states will join Texas, but as characters in the TV series Game of Thrones said when danger approached, “winter is coming,” American conservatives now know that grave internal dangers are on their nation’s horizon. The chill of that winter will reach Europe.

Chet Nagle

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 1 Contents

Photo: ODU Photo: Kalashnikov

Optical scopes constitute the Page 48 Military connectors have to withstand Page 41 state-of-the-art in gunsights. harsh environmental conditions.

SECURITY POLICY 56 Unmanned Systems in Support of Future Autonomy 14 ’s New Role in NATO Alex Horobets Korhan Özkilinc 62 Ground-Based Battlefield Laser Applications and Technology Sidney E. Dean COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY 68 Satellite Navigation – Is this just Phantasy? 1 8 Cooperation for International Security Thomas Withington Luca Peruzzi 72 CBRN Reconnaissance: 22 Italy’s Strategic Concept Obsolete or Omnipresent? General Enzo Vecciarelli Dan Kaszeta 27 “International cooperation in the 74 The Impact of Secure Tactical Video military procurement sector has always been John Antal of crucial importance.” Interview with Nicolò Falsaperna

32 The Italian Defence Industrial Base INDUSTRY & MARKETS Carlo Festucci 76 “Self-Reliance” and “Self-Respect”: Aero 2021 Suman Sharma ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 80 Op-Ed: EDGE Group 36 High-End Thermal Imaging Systems H.E. Faisal Al Bannai Doug Richardson 82 Outcome-Based Contracting 41 Connectors for Harsh Environments Peter Janatschek, Joe Spruill, Gustavo Scotti di Uccio Tim Guest 86 The Dutch Defence Sector on the Way 44 The Internet of Military Things – towards a European Defence Market Too Much Information? Ron Nulkes Thomas Withington 48 Scopes: Identification, Digitalisation and Range Superiority ARMED FORCES André Forkert 89 The Royal Saudi Air Force – 52 Hardware Upgrade: Confronting Multi-Dimensional Threats The Future of Rugged Devices David Saw Gerrard Cowan 92 Advances in Naval Mine Countermeasures 54 Ground Support Equipment: Often Luca Peruzzi Disregarded, yet of Vital Importance Florian Lobitz 98 Indian Naval Aviation Considering Major Reforms in 2021

Suman Sharma

2 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 VIEWPOINT FROM …

61 Copenhagen J. Bo Leimand 85 New Delhi Suman Sharma Photo: Audun Rikardsen

THE BRUSSELS BACKDROP IMU TACTICAL GRADE 66 EU and NATO - A Synchronised New Approach to Transatlantic Partnership Hans Uwe Mergener

COLUMNS

1 Editorial

4 Firms & Faces

5 ESD Spotlight

70 Masthead 1:1 scale

STIM300 is a tactical grade Inertial Index of Advertisers Measurement Unit, IMU, for demanding Aeronautics 77 guidance and navigation applications. Arquus 2nd cover Bren-Tronics 40, 53 • ITAR free CTA 59 • Small size, low weight, power and cost • Insensitive to magnetic fi elds Curtiss-Wright 78/79 • Low gyro bias instability (0.3°/h) DEFEA 60 • Low gyro noise (0.15°/√h) EDGE 35 • Low accelerometer bias instability (0.05 mg) Embraer 13 • Excellent performance under vibration and shock Expodefensa 45 • Fully calibrated and customer confi gur able to the FNSS 9 specifi c application • 3 inclinometers for accurate leveling IDEX 81 • Weight 55 grams, volume <2cu.in, power 1.5 W John Cockerill 4th cover Koehler 93, 97 STIM300 is fi eld proven in Military Land navigators, Mittler 3rd cover Missile systems, Target acquisition systems, Airborne surveillance, DIRCM, Remote Weapon Systems, Launch Nexter 17 vehicles and Satellites. ODU 43 Sensonor 3 Shield Africa 69 Vected 37, 51 WB Group 47 When size, performance and robustness matter Yugoimport 7, 57 [email protected] • sensonor.com

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 3 Firms & Faces

DNV GL Changes Name with the EU and NATO. Russell Gould, Man- Unit has been established under the man- (jr) Assurance aging Director of HENSOLDT UK, is taking agement of Lorenzo Benigni in his capacity and risk man- over responsibility for the international Busi- as Senior Vice President Governmental and agement com- ness Development to further strengthen Institutional Relation.

Image: DNV GL pany DNV GL Hensoldt’s business in global growth markets. The company’s operating management will will change its Both will become members of the Group Ex- be consolidated and reinforced by creating name to DNV on ecutive Committee and succeed Sabine Hipp, three new operating units reporting directly 1 March 2021. Head of Sales & Marketing, who is taking ear- to the CEO and COO: The move comes ly-retirement after more than 35 years with • The Engineering & Operations Unit, su- after a comprehensive review of the com- the company. She will continue to serve the pervising the coordination and integra- pany’s strategy as it positions itself for an en- Executive Board as a Special Advisor until the tion of all the company’s operating areas, vironment in which many of DNV’s markets end of March 2021. will be headed by Simone Astiaso. are undergoing fundamental change. The sales organisation will be divided into • The Strategy, Innovation & Transforma- The present name has been in place since two segments: Governmental Business tion Unit will build the company’s me- the 2013 following the merger between Development and International Business dium and long term strategic corporate Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Germanischer Development. Hensoldt is therefore taking and product sustainability and will be Lloyd (GL). The name simplification is a natu- account of its global presence and increas- headed by Gianni Maratta. ral consequence of a successfully completed ingly international strategic orientation. • “Future Business: Tempest, EFA, EVO merger and of having operated as a fully With a stronger focus on the national and and Public Financing” will coordinate integrated company for several years now. international markets, the company is mov- activities aimed at achieving the aims of ing even closer to its customers and can the main consortium programmes and EDGE Group Becomes Strategic serve them even more individually. of the Italian and international funds. Partner for IDEX & NAVDEX Stefan Hess has been working for Hensoldt This unit will be managed by Alberto De (jr) The Interna- since 2016 and has built up the Public Af- Arcangelis. tional Defence fairs department. He has many years of ex- Moreover, the Planning and Risk Manage- Exhibition and perience in industrial policy, customer needs ment Unit, headed by Ermanno Petricca in

Lgotype: ADNEC Conference and major programmes and in addition has the capacity as Chief Risk Officer, has been (IDEX 2021) and an excellent network throughout the Ger- created to supervise the risk management the Naval De- man and European defence industry. process and the Digital Proposal Configura- fence Exhibition Russell Gould has led the UK operations of tor system. (NAVDEX 2021) Hensoldt and its predecessor companies for have signed an more than 13 years. He has been involved in Teledyne to Acquire FLIR Systems agreement with the strategic development of international (jr) Teledyne Technologies Incorporated and Abu Dhabi based advanced technology business for more than 35 years. In addi- FLIR Systems, Inc. have entered into a de- conglomerate EDGE Group to become the tion to leading the International Business finitive agreement under which Teledyne will exhibitions’ strategic partner. The agreement Development, he will continue to serve as acquire FLIR in a cash and stock transaction comes in line with IDEX’s ongoing strategy the Managing Director for Hensoldt UK. valued at approximately US$8Bn. to develop collaborative opportunities with Under the terms of the agreement, FLIR leading Emirati companies specialising in de- Elettronica Overhauls stockholders will receive US$28.00 in cash fence and technology. Management Structure and 0.0718 shares of Teledyne common IDEX 2021 and NAVDEX 2021 are organised (jr) Elettronica stock for each FLIR share, which implies a by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Com- has adopted a total purchase price of US$56.00 per FLIR pany (ADNEC) in cooperation with the Min- new organisa- share based on Teledyne’s five day volume istry of Defence and the General Command tional model weighted average price as of 31 Decem- of the UAE Armed Forces. They will be held Photo: Elettronica to support the ber 2020. The transaction reflects a 40 per under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh further growth cent premium for FLIR stockholders based Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the of its products, on FLIR’s 30-day volume weighted average UAE, from 21 – 25 February 2021 at the Abu processes and price as of 31 December 2020. Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The events markets. As part of the transaction, Teledyne has ar- showcase the latest developments in the de- The Board of ranged a US$4.5Bn 364-day credit commit- fence sector with both highlighting the latest Directors, led by ment to fund the transaction and refinance in military technology, helping develop the the Chairman and CEO Enzo Benigni (pic- certain existing debt. Teledyne expects to national security sector. tured) and by the Vice Chairman Roberto fund the transaction with permanent financ- Turco, has appointed Domitilla Benigni as co- ing prior to closing. Net leverage at closing is Hensoldt Reorganises Sales CEO alongside Mr Benigni. Mrs Benigni, will expected to be approximately 4.0x adjusted (jr) Hensoldt AG also continue to hold the role of COO while pro forma EBITDA with leverage declining to is reorganising its holding specific powers to ensure a greater less than 3.0x by the end of 2022. sales organisation focus on long-term strategic choices, innova- Teledyne expects the acquisition to be imme-

Logo: Hensoldt with Stefan Hess, tion, sustainability and profitability. diately accretive to earnings, excluding trans- Head of Public Affairs, now also responsible With a view to improving communication costs and intangible asset amortisation, for the Governmental Business Development with Italian and international institutions, and accretive to GAAP earnings in the first full for , and the UK as well as the Governmental and Institutional Relation calendar year following the acquisition.

4 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 European Security & Defence Spotlight

Fourth Country plement ground radar signals and improve France to Receive First Selects ASCOD situational awareness. The information SERVAL VBMRs from 2022 (jr) A fourth country has selected the AS- obtained is transmitted to ground stations (gwh) The French land forces will receive a COD tracked armoured vehicle to meet or other aircraft using secure software- total of 689 SERVAL light armoured multi- its requirements. This comes after manu- defined radios and waveforms from the role vehicles (Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôles, facturer General Dynamics European Land SOVERON family. VBMR) under the SCORPION programme, Systems (GDELS) has received a contract with the production of 364 examples un- from Elbit Systems. The vehicles will be der contract. According to the production fitted with the latest 105mm large-calibre schedule for 2022, the first twelve produc- turret and delivered to an Asian-Pacific tion vehicles are to be delivered in the first customer over a period of three years. Ac- half of that year and a further 96 in the sec- cording to the website defence-blog.com, ond half.

the customer is the Philippine Army and Photo: Rohde & Schwarz The production consortium of Nexter and the contract is valued US$196M. Texelis has already delivered ten prototypes With its modular design and open system which are currently undergoing qualifica- architecture, the ASCOD can be outfit- tion tests. This process is so far advanced ted easily for multiple roles, including as that series production could already be initi- a Light Tank (LT) or Medium Main Battle ated. Tank (MMBT) and equipped with large- The FAB has operated the E-99M since The 4×4 SERVAL VBMR is a light version (in calibre cannons up to 120mm. Three other 2002. The main sensor is the ERIEYE-ER the 15 tonne weight class) of the TITUS 6×6 nations – , and the UK – have radar with Saab’s AESA technology, a with three versions planned: Patrol, Recon- selected the ASCOD as their preferred system which also characterises its exter- naissance and Communication. Systems tracked armoured vehicle platform. The nal appearance. Additionally, the mission common with the other SCORPION vehicles vehicles for the fourth customer will be systems, sensors and electronic counter- (GRIFFON, JAGUAR and LECLERC) for opti- branded with the name SABRAH. measures are being renewed and supple- mal integration with the SCORPION system mented. Six mission planning systems and network include: operator stations have also been ordered to train the crews of the aircraft. The first modernised aircraft was recently handed Photo: GDELS over to the FAB. Phozo: Nexter

Netherlands Orders Avon Protection FM50 (jr) Avon Protection have received an or- der from the for FM50 masks and FM61EU filters under a NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) contract. According to Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, The country joins , and Vice President of International Business and Services for GDELS, thee decision • Electronic core indicates a clear trend in the armoured • SCORPION combat information system vehicle segment to medium weight (≤ • Threat sensors MLC 50) and multi-role platforms, which • Remote weapon station. provide modern armies with commonal- The SERVAL is designed for use in combat ity, interoperability, flexibility, as well as zones in the middle segment of land forces, advanced , while signifi- mixing flexibility, strategic mobility and pay- Photo: Avon Protection cantly reducing logistic complexity and load transport capacity, complementing the cost of ownership. capabilities of the other SCORPION vehicles. With this contract, the number of ASCOD Another variant of the SERVAL is being de- vehicles in service or under contract reach veloped as a motorised protection solution 1,000 units. according to the requirements of the Gen- darmerie for operations in mainland France Encrypted Communications and overseas. for E-99M Finland in purchasing the FM50 to protect (gwh) Encrypted communications for the their . Developed in conjunction GA-ASI Demonstrates BLOS five Embraer E-99M surveillance aircraft with the United States’ Department of De- Command & Control with MQ-9 operated by the Brazilian Air Force (Força fense to counter the multiple CBRN threats (jr) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Aérea Brasileira, FAB) will be supplied in met in modern war fighting, anti-terrorist Inc. (GA-ASI) has completed the first Beyond the form of SOVERON radios from Rohde and peace-keeping operations, the FM50, Line of Sight (BLOS) High Frequency (HF) & Schwarz. The E-99Ms will be used for according to the company, is the most Command and Control (C2) demonstration detection, tracking, identification of flying operationally proven and widely deployed for an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). objects and air traffic control. They com- battlefield respirator in the world. The HF C2 capability does not require a Sat-

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 5 European Security & Defence Spotlight

ellite Communications (SATCOM) link and ray (AESA) radars, offering a cost effective KNDS Continues is capable of providing BLOS connectivity and truly crew portable field deployable E-MBT Development up to 8,000 miles, depending on transmit solution. (gwh) Krauss- Wegmann and Nexter power and link geometry. Designed to meet user requirements to Defense Systems (KNDS) are continuing to detect multiple threats in the modern bat- develop the Enhanced (E- tlefield or security environment, it offers a MBT) as an offering for the transition from number of modes allowing multiple func- current MBT technology to the land combat tions to be carried out by a single radar system of the future. Photo: GA-ASI sensor. The built in tracker reduces the need for additional electronic units, mak- ing it a lightweight, crew portable unit

that can be set up in a few minutes. In Photo: KMW fixed installations the low weight allows For the demo, GA-ASI integrated the US it to be installed without any specialist Government’s Collaborative Operations masts or structures. in Denied Environment (CODE) autonomy Controlled either locally or remotely from software into the Open Operational Flight a command centre, SPEXER 600 can be Profile (OFP) of an MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely easily networked with other sensors. Three years after the Franco-German hold- Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and flew the MQ-9 us- ing company KNDS was founded, the com- ing improved diagonal tails with conformal IAI & DRDO Test MRSAM pany unveiled a MBT at the Eurosatory 2018 HF antennas incorporated into the leading (jr) MRSAM, an advanced air and missile defence technology fair, which was com- edges. defence system that provides protection posed of the hull and chassis of a LEOPARD GA-ASI’s MQ-9 housed a FlexRadio Sys- against a variety of aerial platforms, has 2 and the turret of a LECLERC. The project tems’ FLEX-6600 HF software-defined ra- been successfully tested. is considered the young company’s first sig- dio and associated hardware to translate MRSAM is used by the Indian Air Force, In- nificant joint venture – financed with its own and execute an autonomous mission plan. dian Navy and Israeli . The funds – and is a “true KNDS product”, Nex- GA-ASI created a specialised HF software system includes an advanced phased ar- ter said. During in-house testing, the E-MBT adapter to manage the unique latency and ray radar, command and control, mobile had proven the concept’s viability in driving throughput constraints of the HF wave- launchers and interceptors with advanced and firing trials. form to demonstrate BLOS command and RF Seeker. The ongoing joint development aims to pre- control of the RPA. sent a prototype at Eurosatory 2022, with The demonstration was flown out of Lagu- many components on the test bench, so the

na Army Air Field/Yuma Proving Grounds Photo: IAI new prototype will have many significant on 16 December 2020. The MQ-9 was com- technical differences in the hull manded from Austin, Texas approximately and LECLERC turret. The weight advantage 1,000 miles away over an HF C2 link. This is to be maintained. capability enables an operator to task the The start of series production is targeted MQ-9 without needing SATCOM, provid- for 2025 which would make the E-MBT ing a means to operate in SATCOM-denied, available as a transitional solution if an in- contested environments. terim generation were necessary until the introduction of a new land combat system Hensoldt UK Launches (MGCS) and would be an alternative for na- SPEXER 600 tions not interested in procuring MGCS. (jr) Hensoldt UK has launched the SPEXER 600 multi-mission, X-Band ground based to Fit surveillance radar utilising the company’s RAFALEs with MBDA Products SharpEye solid state transceiver technolo- MRSAM is jointly developed by (jr) has signed a contract with MBDA gy. SPEXER 600 complements the SPEXER Aerospace Industries and India’s Defence to provide weapons for 18 RAFALE combat family of Active Electronically Scanned Ar- Research and Development Organisation aircraft intended for the Hellenic Air Force (DRDO). IAI is in collaboration with Israeli (HAF). and Indian firms, including: A signing ceremony was held in Athens • Rafael in the presence of the French Minister • TATA for Armed Forces, Florence Parly, and the • BEL Greek Minister for Defence, Nikolaos Pa- Photo: Hensoldt UK • L&T nagiotopoulos. Lieutenant General Theo- • BDL doros Lagios, General Director for Defence The current test, conducted at the Indian Investments and Armaments of the Greek test range, validated all components of the Ministry of Defence and Eric Béranger, CEO weapon system to the customer’s satisfac- of MBDA, signed the contract on behalf of tion. Israeli specialists and Indian scientists their respective sides. and officers participated in and witnessed The new aircraft’s weapons will benefit from the test. the strong commonality with those from the

6 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 Basic technical data

Range 70 km (262 mm) and 40 km (122 mm) Caliber 262 mm, 122 mm Launching device Disposable launch modules Number of launch modules 4 launch modules 122 mm or 2 launch modules 122 mm + 2 launch modules 262 mm Number of tubes per launch module 6 (262 mm), 24 (122 mm) The launch modules are designed for • Giving direction when launching • Locking the rocket when traveling • Electrical ignition of the rocket motor • Stowage and storage Operating temperature range -30°C to +50°C Operating range • Elevation 0° - 60° • Traversing ±110° Elevation and traverse • Automatic • Semi-automatic • Manual for other applications such as CASEVAC thus benefitingAccuracy the oflocal elevation economy and azimuth and se -angles ±00-01 (64-00 division) (casualty evacuation) due to their modular curing hundredsAccuracy of ofskilled MLRS jobs. position More than ±1 m Accuracy of MLRS orientation in firing position ± 00-01 design. In addition to the 34 vehicles pur- 200 suppliers, mainly SMEs, participate in Image: MBDA Angular rate chased in 2016 and based at the centre of the programme. • Elevating mechanism: 1°/s max excellence at the Jägerbataillon 17 in Straß / • Traversing mechanism: 3°/s max , the will oper- IAI to VehicleAttend IDEX 2021 8 x 8 KAMAZ 6560 with armored cab ate a fleet of 64 new PANDUR 6x6 Evo. The (jr) Israel AerospaceCrew Industries (IAI) is to at - Three, accommodated in the cab vehiclers will be delivered between 2022 tend the IDEXLoading exhibition for the first time. Standard loading/unloading lifting device on the utility vehicle and 2023 PANDUR vehicles have success- Expected to be held in Abu Dhabi, United or auto-loading the spare set accommodated on the platform Weapon stabilization Stabilized by way of four legs fully served in domestic and international Arab EmiratesOrientation from 21 andFebruary navigation to 25 Febru - INS and GPS missions since 1996. The sig- ary, IAI will Combathave its mission own booth with visual Autonomous MIRAGE 2000s and MIRAGE 2000-5s cur- and interactiveSlope displays correction at the exhibition. The Automatic, using a special device – up to 5° rently in service in the HAF. Like these, the company willElectronic exhibit a trigger wide range of systems RAFALES will be armed with: with an emphasis• onBurst aerospace fire with systems, variable civil time intervals: 0.3 s to 1.5 s with a 0.1 s time interval • SCALP cruise missiles aviation, mission •aircraft Single and fire more. Through- Photo: GDELS • Firing from the truck cab or a shelter at 25 m • AM39 EXOCET anti-ship missiles out the exhibitionTime to IAI prepare will focus for firing on promoting 120 s • MICA multi-mission air-to-air missiles communicationTime andto retreat local cooperation with 60 s MBDA will also supply METEOR beyond local governmentProtection agencies, and camouflage defence forces, Tarpaulin protection, optional Camouflage network visual range air-to-air missiles. local industriesWeight and academic initiatives in or - 38000 kg (max) der to furtherSize expand the company’s activity Austria Awards PANDUR in the region. • Length (max) 10360 mm • Width (max) 2850 mm Boaz Levy, IAI’s President and CEO said: “Isra- Contract to GDELS • Height (max) 3570 mm (jh) The Austrian Ministry of Defence has nificantly modernised version of the PAN- el AerospaceTransport Industries applauds the agree - Railway, trailer, ship, aircraft awarded General Dynamics European Land DUR MTPzUN, the PANDUR Evo, offers an ments signed by the two countries, agree- Systems- a contract for the delivery of unmatched compact vehicle design with a ments that open a window for extended co- 30 PANDUR 6x6 Evolution (Evo) wheeled crew of 11 soldiers, superior mobility, and operation, sharing of knowledge, promoting armoured vehicles. The new vehicles are a significantly increased level of protection investment, development and localisation of configured as armoured personnel carri- against mines and IED threats. The vehicles joint technology. IAI sees our activities in the ers (APCs) and can be quickly converted will be completely manufactured in Austria, TAMNAVAregion as an opportunity to promote coop- Multiple launch rocket system 122/262 mm Marketing Report: Yugoimport SDPR J.P. Should you have any further enquires, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] RÜSTUNG & TECHNOLOGIE  All the data given in the brochure are for information purposes only. The nal con guration and/or technical speci cation are de ned for each contract individually.

The 122/262 mm MLRS is designed as a modular system. The basic option uses disposable launch pods. The 1.2.2.6. The modularity is reflected in the possibility of using launch 122/262 mm MLRS is capable of receiving two spare 122 pods armed with 262 mm rockets and all variants of 122 mm mm launch pods. The system is (un)loaded with a hoisting rockets. device mounted on the platform. Another option is to use TAMNAVA 122/262 mm Multiple Launch RocketThe 122/262 System mm MLRS is a (MLRS)completely automated disposable launch tubes. weapon equipped with the GPS and INS that can perform a preset mission with full autonomy. he TAMNAVA 122/262 mm MLRSTAMNAVA is A typical TAMNAVA detachment includes Tdesigned as a modular system. Its modMultiple- the launcher launch vehicle rocket– a KAMAZ system 6560 122/262 mm ularity is reflected in the possibility of de- 8x8 with armoured cab – and a support / ploying launch pods armed either with 262 resupply vehicle that includes a standard Photos: Yugoimport mm rockets or with any variant of the 122The 122/262loading mm / MLRS unloading is designed crane as a modular for transfer system. - The basic option uses disposable launch pods. The mm calibre rocket family. The 122/262 mmThe modularityring launch is reflected pods. in the Thepossibility KAMAZ of using or launch MAN 122/262 mm MLRS is capable of receiving two spare 122 MLRS is a completely automated weapon,pods armedvehicle with 262 provides mm rockets protection and all variants for of the 122 mmcrew mm launch pods. The system is (un)loaded with a hoisting rockets. device mounted on the platform. Another option is to use equipped with GPS and INS, that is ableThe 122/262of three mm as MLRSwell asis aoutstanding completely automated mobility. disposable launch tubes. to execute a predetermined mission fullyweapon equippedThe system with the can GPS be and brought INS that can into perform action a autonomously. preset missionwithin with two full autonomy.minutes, and out of action in The basic option uses disposable launch 60 seconds, enhancing its survivability. pods. The 122/262 mm MLRS is capable of Once in position remote operation is also www.yugoimport.com receiving two spare 122 mm launch pods. possible. The system is (un)loaded with a crane Weighing up to 38,000 kg., the system is mounted just behind the armoured crew transportable by rail, road, sea and air, and cab. An alternative is to use disposable can self-deploy over strategic distances as launch tubes. well. A high degree of tactical mobility is Load options include either four 122 mm ensured by the vehicle, with added flex- launch modules, each with 24 rockets, or ibility through elevation (0° to 60°) and two modules of 122 mm and two of 262 azimuth (± 110°). mm, the latter with 6 rockets each. The The TAMNAVA is a modern, rugged, reli- system has been exhaustively tested at able and accurate MLRS system that offers -30°C to +50°C, and has successfully en- a single rocket fire option as wellwww.yugoimport.com as the For further information please come to the gaged targets out to 40km (122 mm) and classic “ripple salvo” of 0.3 to 1.5 seconds Yugoimport stand at IDEX, booth 12/D-30, 70km (262 mm). with a .1 second interval. or visit www.yugoimport.com. European Security & Defence Spotlight

eration within the Vehicular). The demo was hosted by Atos regional eco-system Information GmbH, which acts as the prime Photo: IAI and is open to pro- contractor for the Transparent Battlefield moting defence as Study, and included its C2 software as an well as civilian en- integral part of the demo. Photo: Rheinmetall deavors on a range BNET is a spectrum-aware SDR – utilising the of topics, such as spectral arena of the battlefield to the fullest space and satellites, in a cognitive way. It uses Multi-frequency air defence and rock- Channel Reception (MCR), which allows it to etry, intelligence, ro- receive and analyse information from numer- signed in July 2017, which originally envis- botics, UAVs, cyber etc. This exhibition is a ous frequency channels, simultaneously, us- aged the purchase of 2,271 vehicles, has now harbinger of long-term activity in the UAE ing a single RF head. been augmented to enable procurement of and in the region as a whole.” FIRE WEAVER is a networked sensor-to- a further 1,000 trucks, bringing the current shooter system which provides the tactical total to 3,271 UTFs. Pearson Engineering to A current call-off from the original framework Supply Mine Ploughs to the contract comprises a total of 292 5-tonne Indian Army trucks and 109 15-tonne trucks. Including re-

(jr) Pearson Engineering is under contract to Photo: Rafael lated services, the 401 vehicles in this call-off supply over 1500 Track Width Mine Ploughs come to €154M, including VAT. Delivery is (TWMP) to the Indian Ministry of Defence. to be complete by the end of 2021. Further- The order, which will see the Pearson plough more, another 1,000 trucks (including 150 integrated with the T-90 S/SK tank, will be 5-tonne vehicles and 850 15-tonne models) delivered in partnership with BEML Limited. are to be purchased in 2021 and 2022. They With previous experience in integrating represent sales of €389M, including VAT. counter-mine capabilities with the T-72, Funding will come from the German Gov- T-90, ARJUN Mk1 Main Battle Tank (MBT) forces with a GPS-independent geo-pixel- ernment’s Economic Recovery Package, with and BMP-2 Armoured Vehicles, Pearson En- based tactical common language among all delivery to be complete by the end of 2022. gineering is proud to be a current supplier to the sensors and shooters. This provides opti- The armed forces of the , the Indian Army. mal situational awareness and improved un- , New Zealand and rely to- derstanding of the battlefield. FIRE WEAVER day on trucks from Rheinmetall. Norway and uses Rafael’s advanced artificial intelligence have each placed substantial truck algorithms, processes the battle data, analy- orders with RMMV as well. ses it and prioritises fire allocation. Rafael has partnered with Atos Information Saab Signs Next Generation GmbH on a project involving the creation Corvette Contracts of a programme named “Transparent Bat- (jr) Saab and the Swedish Defence Mate- Photo: Pearson Engineering tlefield”, in which unmanned aerial systems riel Administration (FMV) have signed two and combat vehicles are used to create a 3D agreements concerning the next generation The track width mine plough will enable the picture of mobile operations in real-time. The of surface ships and corvettes. This concerns Indian Army’s T-90 MBTs to move through work will be performed on order to the Ger- the Mid-Life Upgrades (MLU) of five VISBY mined areas whilst remaining highly mobile. man procurement authorities, the Federal class corvettes, as well as a Product Defini- Pearson Engineering has a long heritage in Office of Equipment, Informa- tion Phase for the next generation VISBY the supply and integration of mine ploughs tion Technology and In-Service Support. Fol- Generation 2 corvettes. The contracts in- to Armed Forces around the world. lowing the completion of the first and second clude requirements’ analysis and are respec- phases, further phases are expected to take tively the start of the modification work of Rafael Completes Phase place in the coming years. the five corvettes and the acquisition of the Two of Transparent Battlefield VISBY Generation 2. Collectively, the agree- Study Bundeswehr Orders More ment is valued at 190 MSEK. (jr) Rafael has completed the second phase Trucks from Rheinmetall The first VISBY class corvette was launched of Germany’s Transparent Battlefield study (jr) Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr on 8 June 2000 and five examples are cur- while also having performed a demonstra- Equipment, Information Technology and In- rently in operational service. The product tion of its BNET advanced SDR communi- service Support (the BAAINBw) has placed an definition phase regarding MLUs aims to cation and FIRE WEAVER sensor to shooter order with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles make the five ships in the class operation- system for the . The event took (RMMV) for a further 1,401 military trucks. ally relevant beyond 2040. In addition to place in Paderborn, Germany, in the presence This has a gross total value of €543M, with of representatives from the Bundeswehr and the vehicles coming under the Bundeswehr various partners and industries. rubric of Unprotected Transport Vehicles

The demonstration included live traffic from (UTFs). Funding for the extra procurement Photo: Saab the Aeronautics PEGASUS Drone, along with of a thousand of these vehicles comes from the FIRE WEAVER sensor-to-shooter system, the German Federal Government’s Pandemic all carried over the BNET advanced software Recovery Package. A framework contract for defined radio (BNET Hand-Held and BNET the procurement of modern military trucks

8 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 modifying the ships’ existing systems, an air Rafael's SR Missile defence missile system will be added as a Evaluated by US Army new capability. The RBS15 anti-ship missile (jh) Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. Photo: Rafael system will be upgraded to the latest version and Rafael Systems Global Sustainment as well as will the torpedo system with the (RSGS), a US subsidiary of Rafael, demon- new Saab Lightweight Torpedo. strated the SPIKE SR (Short Range) missile at the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment Sikorsky & Boeing (AEWE) 2021 in January. AEWE 2021 is as- Unveil DEFIANT X sessing advanced technologies in support of Sikorsky and Boeing have released details US Army modernisation efforts, including designed for infantry applications, SPIKE SR of the advanced helicopter they are enter- the Army’s six modernisation priorities. As is to enhance soldier lethality, one of the six ing into the US Army’s Future Long-Range a portable, electro-optical guided missile, priorities. Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) com- petition. The aircraft, named DEFIANT X, is pitched as the fastest, most manoeuvrable PROTECTED MOBILITY

Image: Sikorsky AT YOUR SERVICE! and most survivable assault helicopter in history. DEFIANT X is a weapon sys- tem that builds on the handling qualities and transformational capabilities proven by the team’s technology demonstrator, the SB>1 DEFIANT®. DEFIANT X flies twice as far and fast as the vener- able BLACK HAWK® helicopter it is designed to replace. Currently undergoing testing in a digital combat environment, the aircraft continues to prove itself the most survivable platform for mission requirements. With its rigid coaxial rotor sys- tem and pusher propeller, DEFI- ANT X incorporates Sikorsky X2 Technology™ to operate at high speeds while maintaining low- speed handling qualities. This critical capability provides soldiers with increased manoeuvrability and survivability in high-threat air defence environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy de- fences while reducing exposure to enemy fire. Compared to the SB>1 DEFIANT, the DEFIANT X airframe has enhancements to improve aerodynamics and re- duce the thermal signature. The Army is expected to release a request for proposal on FLRAA later this year and is planning to award a contract in 2022. European Security & Defence Spotlight

As a member of the Spike Family of anti-tank AH-64E APACHE Helicopters of BIRD's RCD to HENSOLDT PrecISR™ guided weapons SPIKE SR, is a shoulder-fired for Kuwait earlier this year, the next phase of de- munition, with an enhanced range of 2,000 (J C Menon) The US has approved the sale velopment has been agreed upon by the metres. SPIKE SR features easy handling and of eight AH-64E APACHE helicopters and companies and will include developing allows lower echelon infantry to rapidly qual- related equipment to Kuwait at an estimat- specific and more advanced capabilities ify and sustain a high level of operation with ed cost of US$4Bn. The State Department tailored for HENSOLDT customers. The minimal training. AEWE assessed SPIKE SR has made a determination approving the new capabilities include, for example, dy- as a precision munition system for infantry namic SAR imagery footprints, control of squads, for which portability and simplicity multi-layered data visualisation, and en- of operation is essential. AEWE also assessed hanced real-time radar information and the system for its ability to allow close-com- status. bat formations to dominate the operational BIRD will also provide an ILS package that environment and handle new threats in a Photo: euro-sd.com includes RCD training and system documen- near-peer conflict. tation, to be provided to HENSOLDT and its During the assessment, live SPIKE SR mis- customers. siles hit both static and moving targets in possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait and day (EO) and IR modes. Challenges includ- the Defense Security Cooperation Agency CAE Simulators for Franco- ed overcoming battlefield obscurants that has delivered the required certification noti- German C-130J Squadron effectively eliminated the target from the fying Congress of this possible sale. (gwh) The Franco-German transport squad- field of view. During the assessment, sol- The Government of Kuwait had requested ron established for the joint operation of diers received instruction on the operation to buy eight AH-64E APACHE helicopters C130-J transport aircraft in Évreux-Fauville, of the weapon, including indoor and out- and remanufacture 16 of their AH-64D France will receive simulators from CAE in door training. US Army evaluators provid- APACHE LONGBOW examples alongside order to train flight crews and loaders. ed positive feedback on the system’s light 22 T700-GE 701D engines and 36 re- In early January 2021, CAE reported that weight, lethality and ease of use compared manufactured T700-GE 701D engines in the prime contractor for the C-130J, Lock- to what is currently in use by the US Army. addition to 27 AN/AAR-57 Counter Mis- sile Warning Systems (CMWS) and other APS for German related equipment. LEOPARD 2 MBTs According to a State Department spokes- Photo: CAE (jh) The German Federal Ministry of De- person, the proposed sale will supplement fence intends to conclude a contract with and improve Kuwait’s capability to meet the State of Israel for the delivery of 187 current and future threats by enhancing TROPHY standoff Active Protection Sys- Kuwait’s close air support, armed recon- tems (APS) as well as further services such naissance, and anti-tank warfare mission capabilities. “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military bal- ance in the region,” the spokesperson said. heed Martin, had awarded the Canadian Image: esut.de The principal contractors associated with company a contract to design, develop and this sale will be Boeing, Lockheed Martin, manufacture a suite of C-130J training de- General Electric and Raytheon Corporation. vices. The simulator suite consists of a C-130J There are no known offset agreements pro- full-mission simulator that can be reconfig- posed in connection with this potential sale. ured between the C-130J-30 air-lifter and the KC-130J tanker variants. There will also be a Follow-on Contract for BIRD’s C-130J fuselage trainer to train loadmasters. as spare parts, peripherals, training and Radar Control and Display Lockheed Martin has overall responsibility for ammunition. The systems are to equip 17 (jh) BIRD Aerosystems has received a follow- the delivery of the training equipment, learn- of Germany’s LEOPARD 2 MBTs. In paral- on contract to develop additional advanced ing management system, courseware and lel, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) will capabilities for its RCD (Radar Control and options for five years of training services. The be under contract for the adaptation of 17 Display) that controls HENSOLDT' PrecISR™ simulators will be delivered in 2023, ahead LEOPARD 2 A6 A3 MBTs to the A7 A1 con- advanced multi-mode radar family. of the planned opening of the new training figuration and the integration of the APS After successfully completing the first facility where French and German aircrew with these main battle tanks and a further phase of development and customisation and maintenance personnel will be trained Leopard 2 VT-ETB II, including the produc- from 2024. tion and delivery of accessories and spare The binational C-130J squadron consists of a parts. Together, the contracts cover a total total of ten SUPER HERCULES aircraft, bro- order volume of €120.2 million. Photo: Bird ken down as five each of C-130J-30 air-lifters According to the German MoD, TROPHY - and KC-130J tankers. France and Germany developed by RAFAEL Advanced Defense operate the fleet under a unique partner- Systems - is the most sophisticated and ship where the countries share aircraft used proven standoff active protection system for aerial refuelling, airdrop cargo and other currently available. cargo missions.

10 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 France to Purchase E-2D The MK7 complies with NATO’s Generic HAWKEYE Vehicular Architecture (GVA). It is backward (J C Menon) France plans to buy three North- compatible and includes powerful Commer- Photo: author rop Grumman-made E-2D ADVANCED cial Of The Shelf components such as the In- HAWKEYE aircraft to provide advanced ra- tel i7 Quad Core processor and a solid-state dar capability to the country’s air defence drive. The new tactical computer features a 12.1” sun-readable LCD display, a high- resolution capacitive touchscreen, a GPS and a video recording function. Similar to previous generations of ETCs, the Photo: author ETC MK7 is designed to operate in harsh environmental and Electromagnetic Inter- ference conditions, fully compling with MIL- depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer STD-810G & MIL-STD-461E standards and training in addition to sustainment engi- interfaces with analogue and digital radio neering across the globe. It also covers systems. fleet-wide data analytics and supply chain The MK7s replace the ETCs introduced in management for part repair and replenish- the Netherlands more than ten years ago. ment to enhance overall supply availability. The new ETCs offer enhanced and more ro- The F-35 Joint Programme Office, together fleets. The French Government has signed bust Command and Control (C2) and tacti- with each US Service, international operators a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) cal data processing capabilities, improved and the F-35 industry team, leads F-35 sus- with the US administration signifying their security for processing and storing secured tainment and the Global Support Solution. intent to purchase the E-2D, which allows mission information, and a solid growth Under the existing sustainment organisa- the US Navy to begin contracting activities path for advanced C2 applications. tion, Lockheed Martin and industry part- with Northrop Grumman for production of ners BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman the aircraft. The signed LOA secures the sale provide critical sustainment support for that will include: over 600 aircraft in areas such as training, • Three E-2D aircraft Photo: Elbit base operations, repairs, global supply, and • Non-recurring engineering sustainment support to F-35 customers. • Spares More than 600 F-35 aircraft have been de- • Repairs and support equipment livered and are operating from 26 bases • Training and follow-on support around the globe. More than 1,200 pilots The anticipated contract award will be in and 10,000 maintainers have been trained 2022 with aircraft delivered to France in and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 2028 at the latest. 345,000 cumulative flight hours. The has been operating the E- In mid-December 2020, the Dutch procure- 2C HAWKEYE since 1998 and is the only ment agency ordered software-defined GA-ASI for SKYBORG country other than the US to operate its E-2s PNR-1000 radios for data and voice links VANGUARD Programme from an aircraft carrier. This capability ena- from Elbit Systems for €45M. Modules for (jr) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, bles interoperability exercises that support vehicle integration are also being procured Inc. (GA-ASI) has been selected by the Air HAWKEYES from each other’s carrier flight for the portable digital radios which feature Force Life Cycle Management Centre (AFLC- decks. With the US Navy’s fleet transition to blue-force tracking for continuous display of MC) to support the SKYBORG VANGUARD E-2D squadrons, the French Navy intends to own forces’ positions. The tactical comput- Programme. SKYBORG will become the maintain interoperability and partnership by ers described above support the operation foundation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Ma- taking steps to procure three E-2D aircraft. of the radios. chine Learning (ML) autonomous capabili- ties for a family of future USAF Unmanned New Computers for Dutch F-35 Sustainment Combat Aerial Vehicles. Combat Vehicles Deal Awarded GA-ASI will modify two of its company- (gwh) Dutch combat vehicles will be (J C Menon) Lockheed Martin has been owned AVENGER Remotely Piloted Air- equipped with MK7 tactical computers awarded a US$1.28Bn Undefinitised craft (RPA) with upgraded data-links and over the next 30 months at a cost of al- Contract Action (UCA) by the F-35 Joint the core SKYBORG System Design Agent most €20M. Tactical computers are the Programme Office to support operations (SDA) software, as well as other payloads. basis for Battlefield Management Systems and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet These AVENGERS will then be used as part (BMS), managing data from sensors and through 30 June 2021. of various experimentation events in 2021 communications equipment, making it The UCA provides initial critical sustain- and 2022, which will enable manned air- available at the various workstations in ment activities for a worldwide fleet while the combat vehicle. negotiations continue on a long-term con- Elbit Systems has presented its seventh- tract to build enterprise capacity and af- generation Enhanced Tactical Computer fordability to support the future fleet of (ETC) at the Dutch Defence Exhibition of more than 3,000 aircraft. The UCA funds Photo: GA-ASI the Nederlandse Industrie voor Defensie industry sustainment experts supporting en Veiligheid (NIDV). operations worldwide, individual bases,

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 11 European Security & Defence Spotlight

craft to control AVENGERS while in flight • A long-range ISR capability: HELIOS • Five missile warning sensors and relay specific information between the sensors will be part of an integrated • One control indicator unit replace- manned and unmanned aircraft. Flights will weapon system, designed to provide ment be conducted from GA-ASI flight centres in decision-makers with maximum ac- • One smart card assembly Southern California. cess to information. HELIOS data will be • One high capacity card/user data SKYBORG will provide the foundation on available on the Lockheed Martin-led memory card. which the Air Force can build an airborne AEGIS Combat System. Northrop Grumman’s infrared counter- autonomous ‘best of breed’ system that • A counter-UAV dazzler capability: The measure systems have been installed on adapts, orients and decides at machine HELIOS dazzler will be designed to ob- more than 1,800 large and small fixed speed for a wide variety of increasingly com- scure adversarial UAV-based ISR capa- wing, rotary wing and tilt-rotor platforms plex mission sets. bilities. of more than 80 types. Lockheed Martin completed the Critical HELIOS to be Fitted Design Review and Navy Factory QualifIca- Lincad’s Team Leidos to US Destroyer tion Test milestones in 2020, demonstrating Contract Extended (J C Menon) The US Navy (USN) will field a the value of system engineering rigour and (jr) Lincad‘s battery supply contract with High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical- proven AEGIS system integration and test Team Leidos has been extended by twelve dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) on a de- processes on the way to delivering opera- months. Under theterms of the contract tionally effective and suitable the company is to continue supplying a system that meets the USN’s mission re- range of primary batteries for distribution quirements. In March 2018, the company to deployed around was awarded a US$150M contract to de- the world. velop two of the systems – one for shore The batteries are mostly lithium chemistry, testing and a second to be installed on a with many used in mission-critical applica- Image: Lockheed Martin destroyer. The USN initially planned for the tions meaning they are required to con- installation in 2020 for what it is calling the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (SN- LWS) Increment 1. Image: Lincad Northrop Grumman LAIRCM for stroyer for the first time later this year. The (J C Menon) Egypt will buy one AN/AAQ- USS PREBLE will be the first to be equipped 24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Counter- with HELIOS, which will function as a close- measures (LAIRCM) system from the Unit- in weapon to defend against enemy cruise ed States to protect its 340-200 missiles. The 60-kilowatt HELIOS is much Head-of-State transport aircraft to im- more powerful than the 20-kilowatt laser prove the survivability of the Airbus from weapon system the USN tested aboard missile attacks. The principal contractor afloat forward staging base USS PONCE six will be Northrop Grumman with an esti- years ago. HELIOS will be the only deployed mated total cost of US$104M. laser system integrated into an operational The Generation 3 podded LAIRCM sys- Flight IIA DDG and follows the recent dem- tem, known previously as GUARDIAN, is form to exacting UK Defence Standards. onstration by Lockheed Martin and the USN an infrared countermeasure system that Lincad has invested further in its battery of full laser power in excess of the 60 kW detects, tracks and jams incoming mis- testing facilities to ensure that product sup- requirement. The scalable laser design ar- siles. It incorporates advanced missile plied continues to maintain these required chitecture spectrally combines multiple kilo- warning sensors, a compact laser pointer/ standards. Lincad also provides Team Lei- watt fibre lasers to attain high beam quality tracker and a processor in a single pod dos expertise in packing and labelling, en- at various power levels. that can be readily transferred between suring suitable packaging for various trans- HELIOS combines three key capabilities, aircraft to meet rapidly changing mission port modes, which includes full adherence brought together for the first time in one requirements. with IATA transportation regulations. weapon system: Each LAIRCM system consists of: The original three-year contract with Team • A high-energy laser system: The high- • Three GUARDIAN laser turret assemblies Leidos began in Q1 2018. After demon- energy fibre laser will be designed to • One LAIRCM system processor re- strating good performance during the counter UAVs and small boats. The placement contract, Leidos has agreed to extend the energy and thermal management sys- contract until Q4 2021. tem will leverage Lockheed Martin’s Team Leidos was founded to ensure con- experience on Department of Defence tinuous supply of mission-critical equip- programmes. The cooling system will ment and global expertise to the UK de- Image: author be designed for maximum adaptability fence industry. The organisation is assisting onboard ships. In addition, Lockheed in implementing the Ministry of Defence’s Martin will bring decades of shipboard Logistic Commodities and Services (Trans- integration experience, reducing risk formation (LCS[T]) programme, designed and increasing reliability. to improve the UK’s defence supply chain.

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APLICAÇÃO SIMPLIFICADAAPLICAÇÃO SIMPLIFICADA ELEMENTOS ISOLADOSELEMENTOS ISOLADOS

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Photographic record made by the Brazilian Air Force on one of the missions to combat COVID-19 in Brazil.

C42496-005-Embraer-DS-C390-EuropeanSecDef-Feb21-297x210-v1.indd 1 02/02/2021 10:15  SECURITY POLICY Turkey’s New Role in NATO

Korhan Özkilinc

Turkey is important to NATO because of its geopolitical proximity to the , Central Asia, and Europe. Nevertheless, some of Turkey's political decisions are causing unease in the West.

n January 2020 at an event in Brussels High Price to Pay for most volatile crisis regions. The danger Iwith high-ranking NATO ambassadors NATO Membership spots in the north are with and from Germany and the US, the audience , in the east with the troubled South asked an important question: Would Turkey paid a high price in blood to join Caucasus and Iran, in the south with the Turkey's political stance continue to be NATO. In 1950, without the approval of Arab countries and , which remain bearable as a member of NATO? The an- the parliament in Ankara, the ruling party in a state of war. The troubled neighbour- swer from both officials was a diplomatic - Demokrat Parti - decided to send Turkish hood has boosted Turkish interest in NATO Yes! The arguments made were accurate, troops as UN peacekeepers to the Korean and collective defence, and inevitably in because Turkey plays a major role in the War. The Turkish Brigade landed in Korea in Turkey the NATO bases are being updated fight against terrorism and at the same September 1950 where about 1,000 Turk- and new ones built. Izmir on the Turkish time makes a major contribution to con- ish soldiers out of a Brigade contingent of Aegean Sea is the home of NATO's Allied trolling migration. Moreover, because of 5,000 soldiers died (from a total of approxi- Land Command (LANDCOM), which com- its geopolitical interface with the Mid- mately 15,000 troops over a three-year pe- mands its land forces. LANDCOM is the dle East, Central Asia and Europe, Tur- riod). For the young republic, there were Alliance's advocate in land warfare, with key is of immense importance to NATO. two main reasons for becoming a NATO the 3rd Corps of the Turkish Army and the As of 1 January 2021, the Turkish Army member. Firstly, because of the threat from NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Turkey play- has taken over the lead of NATO's Very neighbouring USSR, and secondly, the ail- ing an important role. Its headquarters are High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), ing condition of the . located in Istanbul which is a high-readi- placing thousands of soldiers on standby, Turkish generals hoped to secure US assis- ness, joint, multinational force, responsible ready to deploy within days. This spear- tance in arming and modernising the Turk- to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. head force is based on the 66th Turkish ish army. This wish was granted and on 18 Other important bases in Turkey are the Photo: MoD Turkey

The Turkish Army is one of NATO’s largest in terms of size and manpower.

Mechanised Infantry Brigade with about February 1952, Turkey and its neighbour early warning radar system in Kürecik 4,200 soldiers from a total of 6,400 sol- Greece were awarded NATO membership. near Malatya, which is an integral part of diers serving in the VJTF, which includes NATO’s missile defence architecture. In ad- units from , Hungary, Italy, , NATO Bases in Turkey dition, two air force bases are integrated , , Romania, , in the region – one in Central Anatolia in Spain, the UK and the US. NATO leaders A quick look at a map shows that Turkey Konya and one in the south of the country had set up the VJTF at the Wales Summit has an enormous zone of influence. Its in Adana Incirlik not far from Syria. Moreo- in 2014 because of Russia's destabilisa- long coastline from the ver, there are important institutions such tion of Ukraine and ongoing troubles in to the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea has as the NATO Centre of Excellence Defence the Middle East. the country bordering some of the world`s Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) in Ankara as

14 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 SECURITY POLICY  a base of operations in the fight against a measure of solidarity and determina- in NATO, particularly in terms of logis- international terrorism. COE-DAT is an tion against international terrorism in tics and ammunition planning. The latest advisory body to the Allied Command order to deter terrorist activities in the models of Turkish armed vehicles, anti- Transformation (ACT), and relations with Mediterranean region. The Turkish Navy tank missiles and howitzers have been Allied Command Operations (ACO) are also participates in the Standing NATO provided to the VJTF force. Furthermore, generally coordinated by the ACT. In ad- Maritime Group 1 and 2, and Operation Turkey is currently one of the Associated dition, COE-DAT maintains relations with Sea Guardian was agreed at the NATO Nations of . Starting in 2021, numerous NATO bodies and non-NATO Summit in Warsaw in June 2016, which is the NRDC-T will host the STEADFAST JU- agencies. Recognised by NATO in 1999 as still used today for maritime surveillance, PITER-JACKAL for five years. In addition, the first NATO Partnership Training and counter-terrorism and capacity building Turkey will assume the duties of Maritime Education Centre, the Partnership for in the Mediterranean. In addition, on 11 Component Commander (MCC) for spe- Peace Training Centre (PTC-TUR), which holds the NATO Quality Assurance Un- conditional Accreditation Certificate, has

trained 18,280 people from over 108 Photo: NATO countries since its inception in 1998.

Participation in NATO Missions in the 1990s As the second largest army in the NATO Alliance, Turkey has participated in many NATO missions. Since the early 1990s, Turkey has been politically and militarily active in the Balkans. From 1993 to 1996, the Turkish armed forces participated in ““ in the with the aim of enforcing economic sanctions and the arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia. During the same Turkish President Erdogan at the NATO Conference in London period, they also participated in “Opera- in December 2019 tion Deny Flight“ and towards the end of 1995 Turkey also participated in “Op- February 2016, NATO defence ministers cific operations from 2023 to 2028 under eration Deliberate Force“ to maintain the made a rapid decision to assist Greek , MARCOM for no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovi- and Turkish naval vessels in the Aegean short. Under MARCOM, Turkey is also na. Since 1999, Turkey has been part of Sea in dealing with the migration crisis, involved in SNMG-2 and SNMCMG-2. the Forces "KFOR", with several called "NATO Deployment in the Aegean Turkey is capable of taking on additional hundred Turkish soldiers on the ground Sea". Since its inception, 31 ships from tasks within NATO. supporting the mission. In August 2001, eight nations have been involved, sup- Turkey participated in "Operation Es- porting Frontex - the European Border Political Context sential Harvest", which was carried out Agency. It should also not be forgotten in North Macedonia to disarm the par- that there were two cases when French From Turkey's point of view, withdrawal ties in the spirit of the peace process. and German frigates wanted to investi- from NATO is highly unlikely, because this From March to October 2011, Turkish gate Turkish cargo ships which resulted would result in Turkey becoming isolated frigates and submarines participated in in short-term disagreements with Turkish in foreign policy terms because NATO “Operation Unified Protector” designed officials. opens up a platform for talks with the to protect the Libyan population from most powerful countries in the world. violence, with the aim of disarming and Turkish Participation in From a NATO perspective, a withdrawal enforcing the no-fly zones. Turkish troops Recent NATO Missions would be a major blow to the Alliance's have been involved in the “International security architecture. Other NATO mem- Security Assistance Force“ (ISAF) since In 2001, the Turkish General Staff gave the bers like Greece or and Romania the beginning of the NATO mission in Af- order for the 3rd Corps to transform itself cannot secure the south-eastern flank ghanistan from 2001 to 2014; ISAF was into a NATO Response Corps, which it robustly enough against threats. Moreo- a reconstruction mission integrated with completed in 2003 and then subsequent- ver, the 1936 Montreux Strait Agreement security missions under NATO command. ly expanded into one of the seven special allows Turkey to regulate the presence of From 2014, this was transformed into units of the NATO Special Operations Western warships in the Black Sea, es- "Resolute Support". As a follow-up mis- Forces (SOF). It thus became the NATO sentially minimizing confrontation with sion to ISAF, Turkey continues to advise Rapid Deployment Corps Turkey, abbrevi- Russia. When Turkey shot down a Rus- and support the Afghan security forces ated NRDC-T. Thus, Turkey supports the sian warplane over Turkish airspace in to this day in Kabul. In addition, Turk- enhanced NATO Response Force (eNRF) the Syrian border area in late November ish trainers have been very active in Iraq every year, which includes the Very High 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2004. The Turkish Navy is involved Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). Turkey slapped Turkey, which until then had in "Operation Active Endeavour" follow- has made significant investments in the been friendly with Russia, with tough ing 11 September 2001, which served as unit, which is one of the most mobile sanctions. Now in 2021, Turkey has be-

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 15  SECURITY POLICY

capable of action. The fact that Turkey and Russia have become very close is a homemade problem of the West’s mak- ing, because Turkey, especially in the Black Photo: MoD Turkey Sea and the Middle East, was discouraged and politically neglected by the West for a long period of time.

Turkey’s Strategic Interests

It is, of course, Turkey's right to pursue its strategic interests with Russia, but some consideration of NATO by the Erdogan government would not be amiss. What should be addressed here is that the EU is not acting effectively in the Black Sea region, otherwise political developments would have been different. The verbal at- tacks of President Erdogan against the US and the EU show a "pro-Russian" attitude but this is an illusion if one takes into ac- Through its military operations in northern Syria, Turkey has success- count two decades pan-Turkish national- fully enforced its own security interests against Kurdish separatists. ism. Furthermore, the attitude of Turkey in Syria, Yemen, and Azerbaijan show come an important partner from Russia's ish MILGEM corvettes produced for the a clear attitude against Russia. The main point of view, with Russia building a nu- Ukrainian Navy. A major reason for the features of this pan-Turkish nationalism clear power plant in Turkey, and Russian Turkish-Ukrainian axis is the annexation were established not by President Erdogan gas is flowing to international markets of Crimea by Russia; Turkey does not rec- but by Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the through the recently completed Turkish ognise the annexation and is involved in Turkish Republic. Therefore, we should Stream. There is also growing tourism, the solution. This is because the Crimean ask ourselves whether the Astana process with the volume of trade amounting to Tatars are an ethnic group closely relat- has not failed long ago. Whether Russia around US$25Bn. More importantly, Tur- ed to the Turkish people; they are also and Iran really want the peace in Syria is key has acquired the S-400 missiles from known as Crimean Turks, with about 6-7 doubtful in the current situation. Through Russia, thereby jeopardizing the purchase million living in Turkey who are able to its military operations in northern Syria, of the F-35 JSF from the US. However, it exert immense pressure on the Turkish Turkey has succeeded in enforcing its own is clear that Russian President Putin is try- government if necessary. security interests against PYD, i.e. PKK, ing to split Turkey from NATO by exploit- thereby disrupting the foundation of an ing Turkey's weaknesses with the aim The South Caucasus independent Kurdish state for some time. of bringing down the Western world's However, one thing should be revisited, security architecture in the Middle East In the South Caucasus, Turkey maintains because for more than five centuries, the and Central Asia. From Turkey's perspec- geopolitical alliances with and Islamic-based people of Turkey and the tive, it is trying to balance its relationship Azerbaijan, in a region where Israel is also Jewish-based people of Israel have been with Russia over Ukraine while trying to very active; to some extent both Turkey linked by common values. Unfortunately, meet NATO's needs in the region – es- and Israel maintain geopolitical alliances relations have been disrupted since the sentially performing a complicated jug- in a similar vein as they do in Syria and Mavi Marmara incident in May 2010. gling act. In February 2020, Turkish Presi- Libya against Russia and Iran, although a A peaceful two-way understanding dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrain- tense relationship exists between Turkey would restore rational logic and resolve ian President Vladimir Zelensky signed and Israel regarding the Eastern Mediter- the crises in the Eastern Mediterranean a far-reaching defence agreement. In ranean. Azerbaijan's victory on the battle- on a larger scale. The basic order would late 2020, it became clear how Turkish- field against and the recovery of not only bring benefits in both direc- Ukrainian security cooperation would be seven formerly occupied districts around tions, but many would also be pleased expanded through the Crimea Platform Nagorno-Karabakh and the southern part in Washington and Brussels. One more and the Quadriga "2+2" formula of for- of this enclave would not have been pos- thing, however, should be taken into ac- eign and defence ministers. Ukraine and sible without the help of Israel and Tur- count: The dynamics in the Middle East Turkey have intensified such cooperation key. Russia has therefore been stopped and Central Asia make Turkey not only in the construction of a number of mili- to some extent in the Caucasus by both important, but also contentious; dealing tary products e.g. the Turkish drone Ak- countries for the time being and, more intelligently with Ankara would there- inci (Raider) manufactured by BAYKAR importantly, a bulwark has been estab- fore affect the future prosperity and se- and its unmanned systems powered by lished against Iran which has traditionally curity of NATO and the Ukrainian Ivchenko Progress turboprop maintained close relations with Armenia. in a positive way. Turkey’s leadership of engines. Ukraine has already purchased Therefore, Turkey with its geo-cultural VJTF should not be seen as a challenge, 12 Bayraktar TB-2 UAS drones and is due ties is geopolitically and strategically indis- but an opportunity to contribute to a to receive a total of 48. Representing an pensable for NATO; without Turkey, the better understanding with NATO and even larger dimension, are the four Turk- Alliance would be correspondingly less the EU. L

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NexterCorporate_210x297_VA_2019_V2.indd 1 02/07/2019 08:50 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY Cooperation for International Security

Luca Peruzzi

Italy has always been deeply committed to the main international organisations, within which it plays a leading role, also in terms of participation in initiatives and missions aimed at supporting international security and stability.

urrently, the Cprovide a daily average of more than 15,000 soldiers in 39 missions in 24 coun- tries, of which about 7,500 are employed Photo: Italian MoD beyond the country’s borders; 7,800 are involved in internal security and public utility roles, notwithstanding the pan- demic, which is heavily influencing opera- tions both internally and externally. Italy is currently the second highest con- tributing country to NATO missions and participates in the first group of Member States contributing to European Union (EU) missions. It is also the 20th State contributor to (UN) mis- sions, the first among western countries. In this context, “the strong Euro-Atlantic and European vocation, which represents a priority in our country's foreign policy, is clearly reflected in the military policy that Italy has been a key contributor to Afghinistan security. Depicted here the defence sector elaborates and promotes are assets near Herat. within the main international organisation of NATO, EU and UN”, the Minister of De- Mr Guerini “as a confirmation of Europe’s During the NATO leaders' meeting held in fence said recently. Italy role as a pillar in the collective security struc- December 2019, the Allies discussed the considers NATO as the main reference or- ture based on the trans-Atlantic pact. Today, strategic challenges facing the Alliance ganisation capable of effectively ensuring as in the past, NATO, Europe and the US and the consequent adaptation needs dissuasion, deterrence and defence. “The must stay connected – at the centre of a re- of NATO. The resulting commitment to European strategic autonomy” is viewed by ciprocal security and defence relationship.” the neglected southern flank with the ‘Implementation of the Enhancement of the Framework for the South’ and the ‘Regional Hub for the South’, within the Joint Force Command Naples, is viewed as a way to project stability in the area Photo: Italian MoD and countries neighbouring the southern flank of the Alliance. Italy is preparing itself to guide the soon to-be established Multinational Division South (MND-S) Command with the task of coordinating NATO’s Mobile Training Team operating in the area. As a co-founder of the European Union, Italy will continue to ensure its support for all initiatives aimed at giving sub- stance to the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS), in complementarity with NATO and according to their respective specificities, with the aim of developing capabilities such as to meet the needs of protecting European territory and its citizens. The Permanent Structured Co- Italian Minister of Defence Lorenzo Guerini operation (PESCO), supported by the Eu-

18 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY ropean Defence Agency (EDA), is a key enabler of EU integration in the security sector, and Italy is currently involved in 24 projects, 9 of which are nationally led. Photo: Italian MoD With regard to the EU's military capa- bilities, Italy supports the development of the Coordinated Annual Review on De- fence (CARD) efforts, in order to fill the gap between EUGS and the operational and planning requirements. Pursuing a consolidated policy of full sup- port to the UN, Italy actively participates in the organization’s initiatives and continues to provide an important contribution to peacekeeping in terms of human, finan- The Italian Army's deployable hospital was used right at the beginning cial, training and logistics resources. Cur- of the pandemic. rently, the defence sector participates in six UN missions, with a maximum author- ised presence of about 1,100 personnel. In September 2019, Italy joined the Eu- ropean Intervention Initiative (EI2) whose ultimate objective is to develop a shared Photo: European strategic culture, which will en- hance the ‘Old Continent’ countries’ ca- pabilities to carry out military operations under the framework of the EU, NATO, UN and/or an ad hoc coalition. Within the initiative, Italy has proposed to establish a ‘Mediterranean area of interest’ work- ing group. In addition to international commit- ments, as anticipated, all Armed Forces are involved in internal security and pub- lic utility duties on their national territory, with the having a dual com- mitment as an armed force, also tasked with domestic policing duties. The pan- demic saw a strong involvement of medi- cal, logistics support and frontline units The Italian Air Force's F-35A combat aircraft gained operational in support of the government and local momentum within NATO air policing. authorities, including nation-wide drive- through facilities, in addition to vaccine transport and distribution support with aircraft, helicopters and land vehicles, a commitment that puts considerable pres- Photo: Italian MoD sure on all Armed Forces.

International Commitments and National Interests The protection of national interests through participation in foreign opera- tions has evolved towards an approach based on ‘strategic areas’ in order to in- crease the country’s presence in places of clear national interest. Italian strate- gic objectives, including the protection of national interests and dialogue with all regional actors, focuses mainly in the ‘Wider Mediterranean’ area, spanning from the Gulf of Guinea to the /Arabic Gulf throughout the Mare Nostrum basin. “We must take note that Italian Armed Forces are employed in 24 countries in support of UN, we are in a geopolitical moment charac- NATO, EU, and international organisations.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 19 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY Photo:

The Italian Navy is actively involved in multinational operations in the 'Wider Mediterranean' area of strategic interest for Italy.

terised by great changes, the develop- commitment is demonstrated through sea traffic lanes, in addition to capacity ment of which intersect mainly in the support to EU and UN initiatives in Ma- building support in the Gulf of Guinea, Mediterranean area, making it a region li, the Sahel and . Furthermore, in since 2020, Italy is contributing with oth- of increasing complexity, as confirmed the context of the initiatives promoted er international stakeholders in patrolling by the increasingly marked presence of by the "Coalition for the Sahel", Italy the area’s waters with Italian Navy frig- actors coming from outside the area”, will contribute to the Takuba operation, ates involved in different counterpiracy Minister Guerini stated, highlighting that launched to support local security forces operations as a result of growing attacks. the pandemic is a factor of additional in- with the deployment of Special Forces, In the Western Balkans area, Italy, together stability. specifically in combatting the growing with its international partners, supports In the Mediterranean region, in addition phenomena of jihadist origin in the area the consolidation of democratic institutions to the national operation ‘Mare Sicuro’ between Niger, and Burkina Faso. To and their path towards progressive acces- with naval, aircraft and unmanned plat- protect national companies’ interests and sion to the European Union and NATO. forms in the Central Mare Nostrum area and the support package to the Libyan Navy and its Coast Guard, Italy follows the evolution of the Libyan crisis. It con- tributes to the political negotiations be- tween the national and international par- Photo: Italian Air Force ties to the conflict, through its involve- ment in the Italian Mission of Assistance and Support on Libyan soil. Italy also leads and participates in the EU CSDP mission EUNAVFORMED IRINI by provid- ing the headquarters infrastructure and accommodation, personnel, naval and air assets. This mission’s main task is ensur- ing compliance with the arms embargo placed on Libya, according to the provi- sions of various UNSC resolutions. Italy implements a policy of maritime military presence, though not continuous, in or- der to protect national energy interests especially in the context of the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); looking at this area, the Italian MoD wants to join the UNIFIL naval force in 2021. Moreover, a law to establish a national EEZ is await- ing approval by the Parliament. Italian Armed Forces have been at the forefront on international In the Sahel and West Africa, the national cooperation during the pandemic.

20 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY

In the Middle East, Italy is maintaining its level of engagement in the UN mission "United Nations Interim Force in " (UNIFIL), whose contribution to maintain- ing peace and security throughout the Photo: Italian Navy area remains crucial. In Iraq, the national military presence continues to be essential for the reconstruction and maintenance of the local and Kurdish security forces. The growing role of the NATO Mission in Iraq (NM-I) offers Italy the possibility to con- solidate a role of privileged interlocutor of Iraq. At the same time, given the value of Hormuz as a strategic communication and energy route, Italy joined the French-led initiative (European-led Maritime Aware- ness Strait of Hormuz - EMASoH) to lower tensions and ensure freedom of naviga- tion in the area. In the Horn of Africa, Italy is also play- ing an important role, both thanks to the The Italian Navy is enhancing its underwater frontline and support national contingent deployed within the components. EUTM mission - continuously under Italian command since 2014 - and year with the current Minister of Defence, initiative of the through bilateral training programmes Lorenzo Guerini, the approved defence (EDF). This programme is entering into its for Somali and Djiboutian personnel at budget for 2021 indicates an increase operational phase and seeing consortia the national base of (MIADIT). from €22.9Bn in 2020 to €24.5Bn in formed by the national industries of the Italy is also a long and continuing sup- 2021; the three-year programming docu- sector, which participate in 9 of the 15 porter of the naval EUNAVFOR Somalia ment indicates a further rise in 2022 to total projects, 2 of which are Italian-led. – to counter piracy €25.1Bn , followed by a reduction to According to Minister Guerini, the DPP in the Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean €23.4Bn in 2023. document goes in this direction, high- and is contributing to capability building As highlighted in the DDP 2020-2022 lighting the national impact of the invest- activities of littoral countries. document released last October, with ment and international programmes that In the context of NATO operations in Af- the 2021 national budget law approved provide adequate visibility and economic ghanistan, Italy will continue to guaran- last December, the Italian Government return to the national industrial sector. tee the leadership of the Train Advise As- has also introduced a new multi-year Speaking during last November’s Par- sist Command - West (TAAC-W) in Herat financing instrument in support of the liament hearing, Minister Guerini high- through the provision of support to train- defence sector, which represents a break- lighted the need for a strategy based on ing and mentoring the Afghan Forces, as through in the investments sector. In the two requirements: i) the development well as additional personnel in Kabul. last decade, the uncertainty of funding of a clear ‘Industrial Defence Strategy’ ‘ The Italian Government will decide on has lengthened defence procurement that allows for further strengthening of the military presence in , to- programmes resulting in the introduction cooperation between the defence, indus- gether with other NATO countries, in the into service of platforms and weapons try and universities, in order to give even coming months. systems later than expected and without greater impetus to research and develop- Italy continues its commitment to NATO’s in-service support. Moreover, the fund- ment in the high technology sectors; and Air Policing activities with Italian Air Force ing for both operations and procurement ii) the full implementation of effective ex- EUROFIGHTER TYPHOONS and F-35s have been further stretched by rising per- port support, through the G2G mecha- and in the context of enhanced Forward sonnel expenses. The procurement fund- nism, which saw the development of a Presence (eFP - in Latvia) with the Italian ing however, not only originates from first practical application in the context Army, in addition to the contribution in the ordinary defence budget, but also of cooperation with the Austrian Defence terms of surveillance and maritime secu- from the Ministry of Economic Develop- sector in the rotary-wing segment, the rity through the Navy’s participation in ment, as well as extra-ordinary funding first significant example of the potential the Standing Naval Forces, as well as Op- established in recent years. According to of this new tool. eration Sea Guardian. The Italian Armed Minister Guerini, if the overall funding Minister Guerini also highlighted the Forces are also involved in the European- budget is supported by the Parliament need to proceed with the revision of the led forces, such as the EU Amphibious in the coming years, it will be possible regulatory framework that governs de- and Land Battle Groups. to achieve the gradual alignment in the fence personnel, both military and civil. medium term of the defence budget, “The latter requires updating in order Growing Budget and to the average expenditure of European to withstand the challenges of our time. Long-Term Funding countries (1.58% of the GDP). There is a need to proceed with a revision The certainty of available funding will of the legislation, in order to adapt it to After a five-year decline since 2020, the also support the financial commitment new needs, especially in the personnel defence budget has been increasing in to the European Defence Industry De- sector, where the problem of aging re- size. After an initial return to growth last velopment Programme (EDIDP), a pilot quires a quick solution.” L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 21 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY Italy’s Strategic Concept

General Enzo Vecciarelli

The re-definition of global balance following the Cold War has led to a defence-security gap that has widened further, as clearly exemplified by the various crises breaking out in close proximity to Europe, both to the East and South.

rom an Italian perspective, the current guarantee operational and organisational Fstrategic concept is extremely complex advantages immediately, as well as in the and features dynamic forces that have an medium term. It will be necessary to adjust impact on our country and our reference the recruitment, education and training system of alliances (NATO, EU, and UN). processes to the current situation and its The renewed competitiveness between possible future evolution, steering them to- state and non-state actors, at both global Photos: Italian Armed Forces wards the acquisition of new skills required and regional level, is emerging with increas- to cope with future challenges. ing frequency in the Mediterranean Sea, Meanwhile, the Armed Forces have imple- which has once again become the centre of mented organisational measures to contin- geopolitical contest. This is due to it being ue with integration across the five opera- a site of resources and having resumed its tional domains, while focusing on develop- importance as a “middle sea”, a crowded ing and acquiring strategic enablers, which communication channel between the At- are inherently effect multipliers across any lantic and Indian Oceans. environment and component. Against Furthermore, the new operational domains this background, the Joint Cyber Opera- are more frequently a theatre of strategic tions Command (Comando interforze delle competition, which include cyber and Operazioni in Rete - COR) and the Joint space, in addition to the traditional land, Space Operations Command (Comando sea and air space domains. General (Air Force) Enzo Vecciar- interforze delle Operazioni Spaziali - COS) Against this backdrop, I deemed it appro- elli has been the Italian Chief of have been established to act as bodies with priate to elaborate my vision and guide- Defence since November 2018. common features in charge of the cyber lines into a Strategic Concept to have an He oversees the Chiefs of the and space domains respectively. integrated, effective, balanced military Armed Forces and, with regard to The need to achieve full capability to operate instrument that can operate with “sys- technical-operational matters, the effectively and generate multi- and cross- temic effectiveness and overall relevance” Defence Secretary General. He pre- domain effects is already transforming the and that can also contribute to protecting sides the Armed Forces' Chiefs of Joint Operations Headquarters (Comando our national interests. In the year since its Staff Committee and is also a per- Operativo di Vertice Interforze - COVI) publication, many of the Concept’s notions manent member of the Supreme which, in the near future, will guarantee the and forecasts have been proved valid with Defence Council. unity of Command and Control across all recent contexts where the pandemic crisis operations and domains. At the same time, has acted as an accelerator of instability. tainable over time and based upon emerg- the concept for the deployment of Armed This has facilitated actors that rely on a defi- ing technologies. Forces beyond national borders has been nite strategic agenda and can now exploit In fact, my vision entails innovation and revised in order to utilise the best resources unexpected room for manoeuvre. digitalisation as the main evolution accel- in areas and within missions in synergy with Speeding up the joint integration process erators and as the glue that holds the entire the other instruments of national power has become even more important in or- defence organisation together. We are cur- (diplomatic, information, and economic). ganisational and operational terms in order rently experiencing an era in which it will be Moreover, as with the cyber and space do- to continue to pursue the organisational crucial to harmonise the ability to operate mains, further cooperation should be pur- rationalisation of the defence sector as co- and the ability to connect, namely, to have sued with other state bodies, with industry hesively as possible. This should be done by a network able to guarantee uninterrupted and academia, balancing financial capabil- switching to a paradigm, which is oriented connectivity among operators and assets ity on the one hand, and the creativity and towards capability development that is sus- that are often automated, thereby ensuring ingenuity that have always characterised information superiority to facilitate prompt our economic, industrial, and military com- Author decision-making. munities on the other. Therefore, gaining and maintaining a tech- Air Squadron General Enzo Vecciarelli nological advantage against one’s compet- Italy’s Security Policy is the Chief of the Italian Defence itors will be key. Consequently, the military General Staff. should be informed by methods that allow National security and defence policy cen- for identifying specific technologies able to tres around a multilateral paradigm based

22 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY upon compliance with international law, and a system of alliances that depends on the major international organisations (NATO, EU, and UN). The Italian Armed Forces will continue to carry out their mis- sions: defending the State, defending the Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Mediterranean space, contributing to international peace and security, backing the protection of free institutions, and carrying out tasks in the event of disasters. In fact, the defence and security of the na- tional territory, maritime space, air space, and population widely depend on interna- tional security and defence. Accordingly, the Italian Armed Forces conduct several operational activities in various theatres of crisis. They have a high strategic impact, encompass the entire conflict spectrum, and range from capacity building in sup- port of partner countries that are most Italian Armed Forces have been heavily involved in the COVID 19 health engaged in combatting international ter- emergency since the beginning of the pandemic. Depicted here is an rorism, to activities designed to prevent Italian Air Force’s B 767 tanker/cargo aircraft taking Italian citizens traditional conflicts and inspired by the back from Wuhan. principle of transatlantic solidarity. Within Italy, the Armed Forces support the domestic institutions and local authorities in preventing terrorism and strengthening internal supporting the security; they also contribute their assets to operations and activities that can have a remarkable social impact, notably during times of emergen- cy, as proven by their significant support in managing the COVID-19 health crisis. This has resulted in relevant inter-ministerial and joint synergies. In cooperation with the COVID-19 Commission appointed by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, in support of the Ministry of Health, and in coordination with local health authorities and the Civil Protection bodies, the Joint Operations Headquarters has planned and managed the Armed Forces’ overall efforts. This occurred during the first wave of the pandemic through several activities such as: repatriation of nationals by inter- Italian Armed Forces continue to support NATO, EU, UN and other continental military airlift, setting up of international organisations' missions with an with an average of over field hospitals, biocontainment transport, 7,500 personnel. support to civilian facilities through med- ics, setting up of the COVID-19 hub at at home performing domestic security manoeuvre brigades report. They ensure the Celio Military Hospital in , and and public service tasks. preparation, training, and maintenance sanitisation of facilities. During the second of reporting units to be employed at wave, Operation IGEA has made available The Organisation home and within the many international 200 drive-through test sites located across of the Armed Forces missions in which the Italian Army is en- all Italian regions which carry out COVID gaged; 11 Manoeuvre Brigade Headquar- tests, and Operation EOS was initiated to The operational land component is based ters, including light, medium and heavy distribute the vaccines, according to De- upon one multinational Corps - HQ NATO forces; Combat Service Headquarters fence Minister Guerini. Rapid Deployable Corps-Italy, (NRDC-ITA) and Combat Service Support Headquar- Currently, on average, Italy’s foreign en- – for planning and conducting complex ters to provide combat support and logis- gagement amounts to more than 15,000 operations to perform functions such as tics support assets at Division and Corps service personnel deployed on 39 missions the Joint Task Force HQ, Corps HQ, Land level. This organisation also includes the in 24 countries, including 7,500 personnel Component Command and Multicorps necessary bodies in charge of territorial, continuously deployed beyond the nation- LCC, in case of Article 5 operations; two administrative, logistics, infrastructural, al borders with 7,800 personnel engaged Divisional Headquarters to which 4-5 and training functions.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 23 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY

The Carabinieri Corps

Through the Chief of Defence (CHOD), the Carabinieri Corps reports to the Minister of Defence for its military missions and tasks, including the operational deployments abroad to create security conditions and restore orderly conditions in the areas of intervention. The Corps also contributes to rebuilding local forces and restoring their functions through training, assistance, and advice (TAA) and observation efforts. The 2nd Mobile Brigade is the operational component responsible for the implemen- tation of international military cooperation. Through its dependant units, the Brigade is the backbone of the "Multinational Spe- cialized Units" (MSU), i.e. an international police force. Established to join ranks with theatre-deployed military forces and local The Italian Carabinieri’s Armed Force accomplishes both police, police forces – or UN forces – to preserve homeland as well as military missions in country and abroad. the rule of law, the MSU have been tasked with information gathering and criminal The Maritime Component Headquarters, Air Force Schools, with investigations, thus making up for the training/operational, logistics, and educa- shortcomings of local police forces. In the The Maritime Component performs the tional functions report, respectively. Two aftermath of September 11, 2001, captur- Navy’s operational functions through a Air Region Commands are responsible for ing terrorists and war criminals has been Fleet Command in charge of maintaining territorial functions. The Air Command included among their duties. Among the operational capability, preparation and trains and organises Units for them to capabilities of the Carabinieri Corps is the training of the surface force, submarine acquire and maintain proper operational Centre of Excellence for Stability Policing. component, aboard the fixed-wing and readiness and logistics autonomy. The Established in partnership with the US De- rotary wing component, amphibious and units, in turn, guarantee national airspace partment of State, the Centre is a doctrinal landing units, and the minehunting force. security around the clock. and training unit focused on Stability Polic- As the High Command of the operational ing Units that cooperates with the UN and area, it carries out planning, conduct, ex- The Logistic Command other international organisations. ecution and control tasks. Three Divisional Headquarters provide the capabilities to The Logistic Command provides technical Capability Development generate a deployable Task Group (1st Di- and logistics support to maximise the op- and Future Prospects vision) to carry out the missions assigned erational capability of the Air Force. The within Maritime Security Operations (MSO); Headquarters, Air Force Schools, deals with As far as capability development is con- a deployable Task Force/Group (2nd Divi- recruitment, education, and training. The cerned, an effective Joint Component sion) providing a Maritime Rapid Reaction training institutions and the Flight Schools serving as an enabler in all domains will capability; one amphibious deployable task report to it. be required to create capabilities, such as group (3rd Division) to which naval units report for amphibious operations involving aircraft carriers and amphibious transport; one Mine Countermeasure Headquarters for minehunter and hydrographic units; one Patrol Forces Command for coastal surveillance and defence to which patrol- ling units report; one Amphibious Forces Command to which the San Marco Ma- rine Brigade reports; one Naval Aviation Command to which aircraft and helicop- ter stations report, along with the relevant flight groups; one Submarine Command to which the submarine fleet reports.

The Air Component

The Air Component is supported by three The Italian Navy deploys its Fleet around the world in support of High Commands: the Air Command, to national interests. Its out-of-area missions cover principally the waters which the Aerospace Operations Com- in the ‘Wider Mediterranean’ area, spanning from the Gulf of Guinea to mand, the Logistic Command, and the the Indian Ocean, passing through the Mediterranean basin.

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Integrated Command and Control (C2); Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Re- connaissance to ensure coordinated and synchronised support through decision- making, planning and deployment of Joint Fire Support and anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence as part of the wider NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence; ability to conduct special operations, pro- ject and deploy based on an expedition- ary approach, employ an adequate pool of enablers for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, and operate ef- fectively in the cyber and space domains. In the cyber domain in particular, the re- silience of network and information sys- tems, protection, and efficiency should be sought to provide protection and mitigate the effects of the rapid obso- Italian Armed Forces play a key role supporting national authorities in lescence of ICT technology. Moreover, fighting the COVID 19 pandemic. Shown here is Italian Army personnel as set forth in the national and inter- sanitising an urban area. national regulatory framework, facing cyber threats, investigating opportuni- ties to encourage the development and / or adoption of innovative approaches – such as Cloud Computing, Artificial In- telligence and Machine Learning – and promoting specific research projects, will also be necessary. In the space domain, the Italian Defence sector will have to update its develop- mental approach and achieve adequate capacity to assess threats from and to space, and to conduct space operations effectively while complying with interna- tional law. Capability development for the Land Component aims at shaping a balanced and flexible pool of modular, scalable, and properly digitised capabili- ties that can be readily deployed and in- tegrated into joint and / or multinational Italian Air Force’s F-35As involved in air policing missions over Island forces to tackle crises and deploy within the broadest spectrum of conflict, includ- ing high intensity scenarios. At the core of the adaptation process will be the "Combined Brigade System", i.e., a complex macro-capability consisting of organic sub-capabilities such as combat, combat support, combat service support, and command support units. It will be characterised by diverse operational plat- forms that have been suitably enhanced with additional capabilities, e.g., cyber / space, anti-aircraft defence, and C-UAS, information manoeuvre, to provide the required multi-domain effectiveness and to oppose new threats that may not nec- essarily be "physical" in nature. The Maritime Component should be capable of providing continuous de- fence and integrated security of mari- time spaces under national sovereignty through presence and surveillance, the Carabinieris play a key role in national and international out-of-area protection of strategic sea lines of com- missions.

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The Air Component will provide surveil- lance and defence of the national and Euro-Atlantic airspaces. It will also ensure that forces are protected from the air, while operating in the widest spectrum of conflicts in every domain – including high- intensity scenarios – and within joint and/ or multinational formations. At the same time, it will achieve air superiority, protect forces from air and missile threats, and provide command and control capabili- ties, high deployability and strategic trans- port, adequate defence capabilities, sup- port to land forces and precision engage- ments – also in depth – as well as carry out surveillance and reconnaissance tasks in areas of national interest. The focus will be on strengthening multidimensional surveillance and command and control capabilities, persistent aerial reconnais- sance, and information superiority; main- taining/renewing the air component and anti-aircraft defence; strengthening the strategic transport assets and the helicop- ter component dedicated to Search and Rescue missions, and rotary wing train- ing; modernising and acquiring precision, long range ammunition to engage in every domain, also to the advantage of other components. The Carabinieri Corps should be able to prevent and fight crime and carry out mili- tary police tasks; contribute to the integrat- ed defence of the national territory and to operations abroad, in particular through it Stability Policing capabilities – i.e., for train- ing and / or replacing local police forces. In this regard, with special reference to the tasks closely related to the defence sector, tactical ground and helicopter mobility will be enhanced, as well as IT security. The provisions outlined above are part of a structured, compound and uninterrupted process through which the defence sec- tor – in collaboration with the Secretariat General of Defence, for the procurement issues, and the Services – ensures that modernisation of the military takes place according to a capability-based logic. Medical personnel from the Italian Navy supporting national health In this regard, the overall development of authorities in the fight against the pandemic. The Italian Armed Forces the military instrument can be achieved play a key role in vaccines distribution. by bringing together what is known as Essential Operational Capabilities, i.e., munication, the protection of resources and precision engagement of targets in Force Preparation, Force Protection and and economic activities in areas of pri- every domain in support of other com- Engagement Capabilities; Command, mary national interest, and policing of ponents. Control and Communications (C3), Force the high seas. At the same time, the The modernisation of the underwater Support, Force Projection, and Informa- maritime component should be able to component has also been planned, to- tion Capability. The ensuing capability de- project force from / to sea and oper- gether with the completion of the mari- velopment programmes will leverage the ate in the widest spectrum of conflicts time patrol capability, the development expertise of national industries and draw – including high-intensity scenarios – and acquisition of new long-range preci- on bilateral, multilateral, NATO, and EU and within joint and / or multinational sion munitions, and the renewal of the symbiotic endeavours, in order to achieve formations, thus providing command national hydrographic and mine counter- mutual benefits, economies of scale, and and control capabilities, deployability, measures capability. interoperability. L

26 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY “International cooperation in the military procurement sector has always been of crucial importance.”

Like many other countries in Europe, Italy is currently investing a lot of money in modernising and equipping its armed forces. ESD had the opportunity to speak to the head of Italy’s procurement authority, SGD/DNA, Lieutenant General Nicolò Falsaperna.

strategy and submit it to the Minister for ESD: What effects did the establishment approval, in agreement with the CHOD. of the Permanent Structured Coopera- The procedure is then implemented by tion pattern (PESCO) have on your or-

Foto: SGD DNA the “operational body” of the Technical- ganisation’s structure and work? What Administrative Branch, which includes developments are to be expected in this ESD: Can you briefly elaborate on the the Technical Directorates of Land Arma- regard? role, organisation and duties of the SGD/ ments, Naval Armaments, Air Armaments Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: In line with the DNA? Are whether there other organisa- and Airworthiness, the Directorate of policy of the Ministry of Defence, the tions involved in defence procurement in Information Technology, Telematics and activities of the Secretariat General pur- Italy? Advanced Technologies, and the Direc- sue increasing levels of integration in Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: The Secretariat torate of Works and State Property. The the defence field with partner countries General of Defence and National Arma- armed forces also contribute to defence of the European Union. The Permanent ments Directorate is the Technical-Ad- procurement, within the limited scope of Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the ministrative Branch of the Italian Ministry exercise and training requirements. European Defence Fund (EDF) are among of Defence. It is a complex organisation, In this context, the defence industry the means by which this integration is whose duties within the Ministry of De- enjoys an important role. This role has conducted. In particular, I believe that fence involve the management and con- historically held high strategic value as PESCO is a novel defence package, one trol of national and international activi- one of the most important sectors in the which has opened new perspectives and ties in the fields of industrial policy and national economic system, in terms of identified priorities in defence matters. In defence materiel cooperation – including capacity and sovereignty of the military addition, with EDF support, the option of those related to the modernisation and sector, projection on international mar- joint programmes among European Un- renewal of military systems, vehicles and kets, protection of skilled employment, ion Member States has become increas- equipment – as well as the development modernisation of national technological ingly important, also from an investment of policies concerning innovation and assets and, last but not least, strategic efficiency perspective. technological research. enhancement of the country’s interna- The development of EU military capabili- The operational requirements related to tional role. ties promotes the work of the Secretar- equipment and materiel for the armed forces are defined – in line with the pol- icy guidelines expressed by the Minister of Defence – by the Chief of Defence (CHOD), who acknowledges, examines Foto: SGD DNA and harmonises the requests coming from the Armed Forces General Staff in order to meet the global needs of the mil- itary sector. Accordingly, he sets priorities and identifies the necessary financial re- sources, planning the allocation of funds after approval by the Minister. At this point, it is up to the National Armaments Director to define the best acquisition SGD DNA Headquarters

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tion cooperative work programme, and coordinates the national contribution to the in-house scientific research ac- tivities of the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE). Photo: Italian Air Force Carrying out of research, development and procurement measures is also imple- mented through the General and Techni- cal Directorates. Individual research projects are carried out by consortiums outside the Defence Administration, with the exception of Testing & Evaluation activities, which are coordinated by the Secretariat General under the control of individual armed forces.

ESD: As the budget available for procure- ment is provided from the defence budg- The first of Leonardo's M-345 basic advanced trainers on delivery to the et (Ministry of Defence), the Ministry of Italian Air Force Economical Development and other State funding, which is the likely trend of avail- iat General, which supports multilateral of top-priority interest for the defence able funding from today to the first half cooperation, acting as a driving force sector (the so-called clusters), in syn- of the 2030s? for the industries involved, resulting in ergy with the national defence industry Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: The well-estab- positive effects on industrial orders and and research centres, also in the aca- lished institutional collaboration between also on employment. In this context, it demic field, and with the aim of creating the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry is essential to work in synergy with the demonstrators in a representative envi- of Economic Development (MiSE), each Defence General Staff, which guides the ronment (seventh level of the common within the scope of their respective juris- Italian participation in PESCO by elaborat- Technology Readiness indicators). These diction, has enabled the Italian defence ing directives and priorities concerning activities are carried out both nationally, sector to undertake and support a series capability development. Promotion, sup- through the National Military Research of important initiatives aimed at renew- port and coordination of industrial coop- Plan, and through European cooperation, ing and improving the nation’s military eration activities are carried out by the with projects under the aegis of the Euro- establishment. In this regard, the defence Secretariat General in order to finalise the pean Defence Agency and, in the future, programmes funded by the MiSE have relevant procurement activities. through the research dimension of the been characterised by a strong push to- European Defence Fund, but also at an wards innovation and technology, acting ESD: To what extent does the SGD/DNA extra-European level through bilateral or as a driving force for the industry, the na- assume responsibility for the R&D com- multilateral relations. tional economy and the whole country’s ponent of armament programmes? Do Moreover, the Directorate supports na- institutional and economic system. Over you have your own R&D personnel? tional participation in the activities of the the past ten years, the MiSE has strongly Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: In my specific ca- NATO Science & Technology Organiza- supported the Ministry of Defence with pacity as National Armaments Director, I am responsible for research and develop- ment, and the production and procure- ment of weapon systems. These func- Photo: CIO tions, as outlined in the Guidance Act of the Minister of Defence and, in more de- tail, over a three-year period in the Multi- annual Planning Document. This allows the to bridge its capacity gaps and calibrate the future armed forc- es’ intervention capabilities, according to the multiple operational needs. To this end, the Directorate harmonises defence objectives with the national economic- industrial and technical-scientific policies. As far as technological research is con- cerned, the Directorate identifies, de- fines, promotes, coordinates and co- finances the relevant projects, address- ing technological research towards the needs of development programmes. This happens particularly in the sectors The CENTAURO 2 armoured vehicle

28 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY dedicated funds; its economic contribu- tion will certainly remain significant over the next decade, although it is currently difficult to estimate precisely. Photo: Giorgio Arra

ESD: What are the most important de- fence programmes currently carried out by your organisation? Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: We are carrying out an important number of programmes with diversified operational relevance (simple and complex), dealing with all programmatic development activities. I will only mention the most important ones, listed according to their specific sector. In the land sector, with the “New Blindo Centauro”, we intend to equip the cavalry units of the Italian Army with an armoured vehicle suitable for operating in the new operational contexts in terms of safety, protection and interoperability. First of class PAOLO THAON DI REVEL PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente The “VBM Freccia” is a protected, fast d'Altura) and agile vehicle intended for transport and combat, and suitable for ensuring the fulfilment of command functions. In the naval sector, innovative design PPAs

(Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Vessels) Photo: Leonardo are being developed to monitor and con- trol maritime areas of national interest, monitor maritime and economic activities and support rescue operations in case of natural disasters. Furthermore, I will men- tion the FREMM programme (European Multi-Mission Frigate) in cooperation with France – both in the “general purpose” version, with high operational flexibility, and in the anti-submarine version – and the U212 type NFS (Near Future Subma- rine) programme, an evolved version of U212A to meet and improve surveillance capabilities of maritime and underwater domains. In the aeronautical sector, re- garding fixed-wing aircraft, we are car- rying out a four-nation programme (IT, Leonardo's AW169 LUH DE, FR and ES) for the development of a European MALE (Medium Altitude Long ground”. I would also like to mention the CANO, TESEO Mark II Evolved, METEOR, Endurance) class Remotely Piloted Air- recently launched LUH 169 programme, STORM SHADOW, CAMM-ER and IRIS-T. craft System (RPAS) which, starting from a “light” helicopter which represents a In the space sector, it is worth mention- 2025, will be employed as an “Armed new-concept platform that will replace ing the COSMO-SkyMed 2nd generation ISTAR” capability. In the same field, the machines introduced into service be- programme for Earth observation, the M345 aircraft is actually an integrated tween the end of the 70s and the mid- SICRAL 3 programme for SATCOM and training system (composed of aircraft 90s. This system must be able to carry out MUSIS-CIL (MUltinational Space-based and simulators) which meets stringent a full spectrum of operational activities Imaging System-Common Interoperabil- cost-effectiveness requirements, and will (in land, maritime and coastal environ- ity Layer), aimed at enabling Italy and be competitive with the new-generation ments), also with a dual-use connotation France to exchange capabilities related basic training aircraft currently present on (able to support any military activities to Earth observation. international markets, in terms of both carried out for non-military purposes, initial acquisition and operating costs. As mainly in direct or indirect support and ESD: Which of your current programmes regards rotary-wing aircraft, the NEES in favour of national and non-national are carried out in international partner- (New Exploration and Escort Helicopter communities), combining the technical ships with other national or multinational for the Army) will replace AH-129 heli- features of the lines currently in service. procurement organisations? Are there copters in order to ensure operational As far as armaments are concerned, I will defence procurement efforts carried out continuity and increase capabilities to only mention some advanced missile and in the scope of public- partner- promptly support the “boots on the ammunition programmes such as VUL- ships?

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a special support to ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Re- connaissance) missions.

Photo: Leonardo Moreover, as already mentioned, the MUSIS-CIL (MUltinational Space-based Imaging System-Common Interoperabil- ity Layer) project is being carried out in cooperation between France and Italy. Another multinational programme as- signed to OCCAR for management as- pects is ESSOR (European Secure Soft- ware Defined Radio). It is a cooperation between six nations (ES, FI, FR, IT, PL and SW) and aims at the development of a common European Software Defined Ra- dio architecture, based on the American Software Communications Architecture (SCA); it also includes security aspects and, the development of a broadband waveform which is proposed to be a Italian COSMO-SkyMed 2nd Generation satellite SAR image of Genoa standard in the NATO context. From an airport industrial point of view, the programme has been awarded to a specifically Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: As mentioned, in- entire life-cycle in a changing environ- formed consortium, called "a4ESSOR ternational cooperation in the military ment, will set new standards for design SAS", formed by companies from the six procurement sector has always been and construction costs. participating countries (INDRA (ES), BIT- of crucial importance to the Secretariat The LSS - Logistic Support Ship project TIUM (FI), THALES (FR), LEONARDO (IT), General, both in European, NATO and - includes the development and produc- RADMOR (PL) and SAAB (SW). multilateral contexts. In this regard, I tion of five ships for Italy and France, to- Other international programmes in- would like to mention that Italy is one of gether with in-service support. The ships clude the NH90, managed by the NATO the founding members of OCCAR (Or- have been designed with enhanced “du- Agency NAHEMO (NATO Helicopter for ganisation Conjointe de Coopération en al-use” features, supporting both military the 1990s Design and Development, matière d’Armement), an international operations and civilian rescue operations. Production and Logistics Management organisation mainly dealing with the The EURO-MALE RPAS (Medium Altitude Organization) founded by IT, FR, DE, PT “through-life management” of coop- Long Endurance - Remotely Piloted Air- (which left the programme in 2014), NL, erative programmes concerning defence craft System), supported by IT, FR, ES and BE, and further extended to another six equipment, standing out as a reference DE, was integrated into OCCAR in 2016 nations (“Community Nations”): SW, FI, model and a centre of excellence in this and will be used all over the world as NO, AUS, NZL, and ES. sector. Among the programmes currently managed by OCCAR, the FSAF (Future Surface-Air Family) programme includes the following surface-to-air missile sys- Photo: CIO tems, land and naval respectively: • SAMP / T (System Sol-Air Moyenne- Portée / Terrestre) for the Italian Army, developed and produced jointly with France; • SAAM (System surface Air Anti Mis- sile) for the Italian and French Navies, developed and produced jointly with France; • PAAMS (Principal Anti Air Missile System) for the IT, UK and FR Navies, developed and produced jointly with France and the UK. All three systems share the ASTER ammu- nition, jointly developed and manufac- tured by IT, UK and FR. The programme has been managed by OCCAR since 2012. The FREMM programme is the most am- bitious and innovative among European naval defence projects. These multi-role frigates, designed to meet the needs of the French and Italian Navies over their CIO's 8x8 AIFV for the Italian Army and its embarked team of soldiers

30 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY

Another example of cooperation is the F-35 Lightning II / Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) pro- gramme, a so-called 5th generation aircraft

developed and manufactured by Lockheed Photo: via author Martin (USA), involving the participation of USA, UK, IT, NL, CAN, AUS, NO, and DK. The EF2000 and TORNADO programmes are also managed internationally, within the NETMA organisation. I will finally mention the METEOR missile programme, managed by a programme office (IJPO) based in Bristol (UK). As regards public-private partnerships, this is new territory that we are certainly keen to explore; at the moment, only minor programmes are managed in this way, but there will undoubtedly be im- portant developments in the near future.

ESD: Is the Italian law on G2G - as modi- fied in 2019 - able to support the national Italian industry and interests in the export domain or do you see a need for further modifications? The sail training ship AMERIGO VESPUCCI right next to the new FREMM Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: The latest changes frigate VESPUCCI to the national law on G2G have expand- ed the range of opportunities to support the export of Italian defence materiel, thus, completing the previous legislation which allowed the defence sector, and the Secretariat General in particular, to Photo: Italian Air Force facilitate and support ongoing and future commercial negotiations with countries that might be interested in purchasing systems produced by Italian companies. In fact, it is important for those compa- nies to be successful on the international market in order to consolidate their pro- duction capabilities and continue to in- vest adequately in R&D. In this respect, the recently introduced possibility to act as a contractual agency towards a foreign state not only expands the defence sec- tor’s range of action in the context of international cooperation with friendly and allied states, but also enhances the Italian Air Force participating in exercise RED effectiveness of governmental support to FLAG 2020 the industry, providing a full range of so- lutions to the advantage of the competi- Forces that constitute long-term future international level, which – involving al- tiveness of national commercial offers. challenges for your organisation? lied and friendly states, as well as their To complete the regulatory framework The Italian Aerospace, Defence and Secu- relevant industrial capabilities – creates in this sector, studies are taking place to rity Industry, including Large, Small and productive synergies and technological identify any changes to the rules govern- Medium-sized Enterprises, guarantees a collaboration of clear value and mutual ing the detailed execution and imple- high level of capability and sovereignty benefit. In this context, the role of the mentation methods for the formalisation for the military in terms of know-how, Secretariat is to further enhance the Ital- of a G2G agreement. production capacity and innovation. It al- ian industrial and technological base, so ensures the necessary Security of Sup- which boasts impressive results in terms ESD: To what extent is the Italian defence ply, guaranteeing to the Armed Forces of centres of excellence, research and de- industrial base capable of responding to the availability of most weapon systems, velopment capacities, product portfolio, the material requirements of the Italian materiel and services necessary for the as well as size of the production system Armed Forces? Are there areas where you accomplishment of their missions. Direct and employment rates. have to rely on foreign contractors? production by the national industry is Lt.Gen. Falsaperna: Are there any ma- suitably accompanied by a stratified and The interview was conducted teriel requirements of the Italian Armed multi-faceted cooperation activity at an by Luca Peruzzi.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 31 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY The Italian Defence Industrial Base

Carlo Festucci

The AIAD was founded in 1946 as the Association of Aeronautical Industries (AIA). With the advent of space activities, it subsequently changed its name to the Association of Aerospace Industries. In 1997, with the integration of the Grouping of Industries to Advanced Technology for Defence and the Defence and Space division of the National Federation of Electrotechnical and Electronic Enterprises, it included all major com- panies operating in the naval, military and land sectors.

n March 2009, AIAD became a Fed- eration and is today known as the Na-

I Foto: AIAD tional Organisation of Italian Companies for Aerospace, Defence and Security; it boasts a large number of members which produce an annual turnover of Foto: AIAD €16.2Bn and employs over 50,000 em- ployees (2019 figures). Leonardo and the ordinating jointly with the General Sec- different divisions cover about 85% of retariat of Defence and ICE (Italian Trade this total, however 75% of the federated Promotion Agency), together with the companies are considered as Small and Italian Space Agency. With this approach, Medium Enterprises (SME). the overall participation of national in- AIAD maintains a close relationship with dustries and a wide-ranging programme bodies and institutions representing their of bilateral meetings designed to explore interests, at the national, European, and and facilitate all possible cooperation global level. It drafts and submits reports between Italian companies and those of and industrial positions to the various Ital- other countries is taken care of. ian government departments; its ability In recent years, the Federation has acted to monitor and coordinate - which makes as co-organiser of SEAFUTURE, which use of the experience and knowledge will be held for the seventh time this year made available by an increasingly wide (14-17 June 2021). SEAFUTURE is an in- range of companies distributed through- Guido Crosetto has been the ternational event and business conven- out the country - has allowed it to consol- President of AIAD since tion for maritime and dual-use technolo- September 2014 gies, unique in the Mediterranean basin Author since it is held within a naval base, and at idate a solid image of authority, reliability the hub of the Mediterranean Sea for the Carlo Festucci is the and respect for its institutional mandate. Blue Economy. Secretary General of AIAD. Representing Italian industry, it is a mem- The aerospace, defence and security ber of the equivalent European Associa- sector is an extremely strategic area for tion ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Indus- the country. While on the one hand, tries Association of Europe); the activity Italy is provided with fundamental tools carried out within NATO, through the and capabilities for the defence of the NIAG (NATO Industrial Advisory Group), national interest, on the other hand, it is also very significant. represents a valuable tool of geopolitical As part of its research and innovation ac- influence, able to increase the country's tivities, AIAD has established and coordi- weight globally. Added to this is the eco- nates three technological platforms for nomic contribution; the sector is worth Aeronautics (ACARE-Italy), Space (SPIN- €16.2Bn (less than 1% of GDP but much IT) and Security (SERIT). It is a founding more significant [+14%] in terms of its member of the National Aerospace Tech- positive contribution to the country's nology Cluster (CTNA), whose member- trade balance), and 15% of the value ship includes all the national Technologi- of the entire sector in Europe; 70% of cal and Industrial Districts of Aerospace this value goes to exports. In this regard, competence. Italy ranks sixth in the world in terms of AIAD conducts intensive and significant the cumulative value of defence equip- business abroad in support of its inter- ment and technology exports over the nationalisation efforts. It does so by co- 2009-2018 period.

32 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY

Aircraft mercial airline manufacturers to design, SMEs with a high percentage of micro- build, test and integrate conventional and enterprises), of which 100 have “space” Italy offers the best possible experience composite structures and components. as their core business. The total turnover in vertical flight with advanced high per- Our highly automated facilities are spe- in 2017 was around €2Bn, placing Italy formance helicopters for commercial and cialised in large and com- in third position in Europe after Germany military operators worldwide. Rescue or plex structures. We manufacture large and France. In 2017, the economic return medical operations, security needs or en- and complex carbon fibre structures built for each Euro invested was four Euros. ergy services, executive and private trans- with unique and innovative technologies. The total amount of employees in this port, battlefield and naval tasks are all With tactical rotary and fixed wing, op- sector is today roughly 6,000 with an in- covered by our comprehensive range of tionally piloted Rotary Unmanned Air Sys- crease in the number of workers over the helicopters perform all types of mission tems (RUAS), aerial targets, and as a key last three years of more than 3%. with maximum efficiency and in com- partner in all major European Unmanned plete safety. Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) and Medi- The Naval Domain We build aircraft designed around crews um-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) un- who will use them for training, defence, manned aerial vehicle initiatives, we are at The international setting and the Italian tactical transport and surveillance pur- the forefront of autonomous flight. Fur- industries championing the naval domain poses. We also participate in some of the thermore, the industrial collaboration be- and underwater technology, enable us most advanced international programmes tween Italy and the stands to proudly state that Italian companies like the Eurofighter TYPHOON and F-35 out in the field of aircraft propulsion. enjoy globally recognised excellence. The JSF. Our wide portfolio satisfies all custom- Italian defence and security industrial ca- er requirements, from full basic to lead-in The Space Industry pability and knowledge does not have fighter training, to complex defence and an equal in terms of tradition, complete- peace enforcing operations; from bat- The space industry in Italy is comprised ness/inclusiveness and technological and tlefield airlift to humanitarian support in of a few Large System Integrators (LSIs), innovation excellence. demanding conditions; from command & able to assemble complex systems (sat- The Italian industrial segment is able to control to intelligence, and surveillance & ellite or launching systems) and a wide provide the widest range of components reconnaissance over both sea and land. community of SMEs, connected to each to meet the most demanding require- We provide airborne solutions that range other through a complex network of rela- ments, but also global solutions inspired from components through to full ISR/ tionships. The space sector is a high tech- by potential for tomorrow’s challenges. ISTAR, airborne sensors and effectors nology strategic domain where Italy plays And this includes a comprehensive inte- that operate across the full electromag- a leading role because it is one of only a gration capability, ranging from platform, netic spectrum from DC to Light (and limited number of countries worldwide equipment, weapon systems, to techno- beyond into UV). Our systems are based able to count on a fully equipped supply logical and innovative solutions. A broad on integrated and agnostic architecture, chain of products, expertise and servic- overview of the Italian naval/underwater capable of operating on any platform es. This Italian position is made possible capabilities represented by AIAD needs and with any onboard equipment. We thanks to the high technological content, to mention the following actors: are a world leader in airborne radar ap- the wide range of dual-use applications • The main Italian corporations, which plications and have extensive expertise (civil and military) and a strong, benefi- are leaders in underwater equipment, in advanced long-range electro-optical cial relationship between Research and torpedoes, acoustic technology, build- surveillance and targeting systems, RF Enterprises. ers of modern submarines and ship- sensors, electronic warfare systems, and From an economics point of view, the yards globally.. They are experienced anti-submarine warfare systems. Italian space sector is constantly grow- and cooperate with local partners in With a long history of experience and ing: in 2017, there were approximately the transfer of technology. The tradi- know-how, we partner with major com- 200 Italian companies involved (80% are tion of international cooperation of

IVECO Defence Vehicles is one of Italy`s most prominent defence contractors.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 33 COUNTRY FOCUS: ITALY

up field hospitals, employ and deploy doctors and nurses, establish the first swab centre in Italy, deploy the Corps of Foto: Fincantieri Engineers, and take care of things that we very often forget and remember only during times of natural disasters. But we have also seen the importance of defence in the health sector. Two years ago, the defence industry was one of the few stra- tegic and technological assets left in Italy, a country which has remained at the fore- front globally of certain sectors in which Italy is the world's leading manufacturer; think of packaging machines, for exam- ple, or certain mechanical engineering parts. But from a technological point Fincantieri is among the world's largest shipyards. of view, if we exclude pharmaceuticals, there are very few industrial sectors left these major Italian corporations has The synergy between SMEs and the in which we are among the world's lead- left a positive legacy in several coun- national corporations allow the Italian ing manufacturers and in which, when tries and has generated mutual ben- defence and security industry to play a we sit down at the table with another efits to the armed forces involved, to key role in an extremely diversified op- country, we have something to offer that the Italian and End User supply chains erational context, such as deep diving, others do not. and to the innovation hubs and uni- protection of coastal installations, seabed It is therefore fair to add the resilience and versities participating in these pro- resident equipment, solutions for Spe- pragmatism typical of the Italian mental- grammes. cial Forces and vehicles for amphibious ity. In this particular historical moment, • The leading facilities and Italian com- forces, with an important overlap and ex- there have been numerous examples of panies which specialise in equipment change of experience with dual-use and how the defence and security industries for surface vessels, underwater and commercial applications. have come to the rescue. They have pro- unmanned vehicles and providing The pandemic crisis has affected all sec- vided not only their own means, but also ITAR-free solutions, also excel in the tors of the economy, including the de- their own skills and resources to design realm of electronic warfare. fence industry, but it has also shown some and develop products and cutting-edge • I have to mention the unique Italian broader issues within the defence world. solutions in extremely short timeframes manufacturer of compact submarines, It has made us realise that defence is not (hyperbaric oxygen therapy against COV- recently selected by the Italian Navy only about the military, but it also consists ID-19, breathing apparatus, air ionizers to for its innovative technology dedicat- of a country's ability to react to such emer- sanitise air and surfaces, production lines ed to submarine rescue. gencies. We have seen the defence indus- converted to produce respirators, etc.). • There are many more niches of excel- try in a different light than in the past. These represent concrete examples of the lence in Italian SMEs: they continu- History has shown how the Italian Armed extraordinary ability of Italian industry to ously release studies, projects, devel- Forces have been engaged in front-line respond promptly, effectively and to the opments and updates in the naval and emergencies and in operational theatres, highest standards to the most challeng- underwater domains, from personal acquiring knowledge and skills that are ing requirements of their customers. diving equipment to mine warfare, to universally recognised. We have seen The defence sector has remained one survey and environmental monitoring. how the Italian Armed Forces have set of the few areas, in which all its differ- ent sectors are still present: aeronautics, helicopters, cyber security, land, naval and electronics. We could add two other sectors, which are not closely associated with the defence sector, but which will Find us on facebook! become increasingly important in the fu- ture: space and underwater. The space sector is now better known, the under- Foto: IVECO Defence Vehicles water sector less so. Nevertheless, it is sufficient in this respect to reflect on the  fact that the telecommunications, energy resources and the exploitation of some particular subjects will be in the under- water domain in the next few years. Few people will be aware that Italy is a country that boasts probably the greatest number Daily News – Upcoming Events of underwater technologies in the world, but they are totally disconnected from www.facebook.com/eurodefence each other and scattered among dozens of small and micro companies. L

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EDGE FP ad for ESD.indd 1 10/02/2021 4:10 PM  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY High-End Thermal Imaging Systems

Doug Richardson

The use of electro-optical (EO) systems operating at wavelengths ranging from the visible spectrum to the infrared has dramatically grown, but is no longer the prerogative of the major nations. Night-vision hard- ware is readily available to the armed forces of smaller countries, and even to non-state actors.

he more complex the observation task, Tthe greater the need for image reso- lution. The Elbit Systems subsidiary Opgal Optronic Industries defines detection of potential objects of interest as normally re- quiring two pixels - enough to show that Photo: Lockheed Martin something is there. Recognition of what that object is requires six pixels, but identi- fication of details requires 12 pixels. Historically, thermal imaging has been lim- ited by low resolution in comparison to visible imaging, but last two decades has seen a move to resolutions such as 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, and 1920 x 1576 pixels. Originally developed for military use, these high resolutions have now become avail- able in commercial sensors. For example, as its designation of ATHENA 1920 indicates, BAE Systems Sensor Solutions is based on a 1,920 x 1,200-pixel vanadium oxide (VOx) array. This uncooled microbolometer uses 12-micron pixel technology, and has a 60 Suitable for installation on one of the external weapon stations of an Hz frame rate. Introduced last year, it is in- F-16 fighter, the Lockheed Martin LEGION POD currently carries a nose- tended for use in security, surveillance, and mounted passive long-wave infrared receiver, but could be modified to targeting systems. accommodate other types of sensor.

IRST Technology

The US is retrofitting fighters such as the Air Force’s F-15 EAGLE and the Navy’s F/A- 18E/F SUPER HORNET with IRST (infrared search and track) systems. Part of the F/A- Photo: Lockheed Martin 18E/F SUPER HORNET Block III upgrade programme, the IRST Block II introduces improved optics and processing power, and is intended to increase the pilot's situa- tional awareness. Flight trials on the SUPER HORNET began in late 2019, and deliveries to the USN are due to begin in 2021. The original IRST Block I used components from the infrared receiver used on the F- 15K/SG, which was based on the IRST car- Author Following an earlier career in engineering, Doug Richardson is a defence journalist specialising in topics such as aircraft, missiles, and These screen captures illustrate the major improvement in thermal military electronics. image quality expected when the current EOTS system of the F-35 fighter (left) gives way to the new ADVANCED EOTS (right).

36 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  ried by the now-retired F-14 TOMCAT. It never entered full-rate production, the USN having decided to focus the programme on the Block II version. This uses a passive long-wave infrared receiver of improved design, an updated processor, plus an iner- tial measurement unit, and environmental control unit. The infrared receiver, proces- sor, and inertial measurement unit are housed at the front of a fuel tank carried on the aircraft's BRU-32 bomb rack. US Air Force F-15C and F-16 fighters can be fitted with Lockheed Martin's LEGION POD sensor system. Carried on one of the aircraft's external weapon stations, this combines a passive long-wave in- frared receiver, a processor, and an in- ertial measurement unit. It is intended to provide a weapon-quality track solution without the need for the fighter to use its nose-mounted radar. On 8 July 2020, an F-15C EAGLE used the pod in a trial in which the system was used to launch an AIM-9X missile. Under a late-2020 USAF contract, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are to upgrade existing Block I LEGION PODS carried by the F-15C with the IR re- ceiver and processor from the USN Block II IRST version.

The Lockheed Martin ELECTRO-OPTICAL Photo: UK Ministry of Defence TARGETING SYSTEM (EOTS) for the F-35 A series of hardware and software upgrades has allowed the Eurofirst LIGHTNING II is a multi-function system consortium to maintain the combat effectiveness of the PIRATE (Passive that provides air-to-air and air-to-surface InfraRed Airborne Track Equipment) used by the Eurofighter TYPHOON. targeting capability without compromis- ing the aircraft's stealth characteristics. optic interface connects the system with The system will be replaced by ADVANCED Developed to combine forward-looking the aircraft's integrated central computer. EOTS, part of the F-35’s Block 4 develop- infrared and IRST functionality, the EOTS is Lockheed Martin is currently delivering ment. It will introduce short-wave infrared, internally mounted, and observes the out- production Lots 13-17 of EOTS, and has high-definition television, an infrared mark- side world via a sapphire window located delivered more than 700 systems. Lot 13 is er, and improved image detector resolu- below aircraft's nose. A high-speed fibre- will completed this year. tion. These features are intended to provide

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system uses a sensor suite incorporating a second-generation, two-field-of-view fo- cal plane array thermal imager, as does the

Photo: Leonardo same company's ZIPKIN Pedestal-Mounted Air Defence System (PMADS). Mounted on the rear of the Poly Technologies FB-6A self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile (SPAAGM) system is a one-person power- operated turret armed with surface-to-air missiles and a 12.7mm machine gun. Its sensor suite teams a TV camera, a thermal camera, and a laser rangefinder. The new and improved Almaz/Antei TOR-M2 (SA-15 GAUNTLET) and its M2E export version incorporate a thermal im- aging device to supplement the system's Leonardo's SKYWARD-G was developed to equip the Swedish Air 3D target detection radar. An upgraded Forces's GRIPEN E and F fighters. The electro-optical unit is mounted in a version of the 2K22/2K22M TUNGUSKA fairing just forward of the aircraft's cockpit canopy in order to provide (SA-19 GRISON) hybrid gun/missile vehi- an adequate forward view. cle incorporating a new IR tracker was shown at the 2009 Moscow Air Show. increased target-detection and recognition planned for use on an unidentified tactical The new sensor supplements the original ranges. UAV by a customer in the Far East. day-only optical gunner's sight, and can A Leonardo-led “Eurofirst” consortium Electro-optical targeting systems have been provide data for the gunner's TTA (Tel- that includes Thales Land & Joint System a feature of modern Russian fighters such eteplovizniy Avtomat) automatic target and Tecnobit developed the PIRATE (Pas- as the Su-27 'Flanker' and Su-57, and similar tracker. sive InfraRed Airborne Track Equipment) sensors are being used on the latest gen- carried by the Eurofighter TYPHOON. eration of Chinese fighters. The EOTS-89 Unmanned Vehicles Based on long-wave infrared technol- and EORD-31 developed for use on China’s ogy, it has been progressively upgraded J-20 and J-31 fighters were developed by With small unmanned air vehicles and by hardware and software improvements Beijing A-Star Science and Technology. Both modified versions of commercially-avail- since the original configuration was devel- systems were reported to be ready to begin able drones now being seen as potential oped in the 1990s. flight-testing in 2015. According to the de- threats, thermal-imaging systems are also Leonardo's SKYWARD IRST was selected velopers, these sensors are expected to be being promoted as a method of detecting for use on the Royal ’s able to detect a B-2 at a range of 150 km, this class of threat. GRIPEN E fleet, and has been adopted by and an F-22 at more than 100 km. For example, Skylock developed its tripod- one export customer. Known export vari- In some cases, a thermal imager is used as a mounted long-range detection system to ants are the Skyward-K for an unspecified sensor of a short-range SAM or AAA weap- use visible-light and thermal sensors to de- Asian customer, and the SKYWARD-AB on. The Aselsan ATILGAN short-range SAM tect aircraft or UAVs. Its thermal camera uses a zoom lens of 48.5-700 mm focal length to provide fields of view ranging from 11.9° x 11.3° to 0.79° x 0.69°. According to the company, an aircraft can be detected at Photo: Aselsan range of up to 20 km, a UAV at up to 10 km, and a small drone at up to 3 km.

Airborne Sensor Packages

A sensor of relatively low resolution can provide detection of drones, but target- classification must be done by an opera- tor. A high-resolution sensor is needed if automatic target-detection and classifi- cation are required. According to Opgal, its ACCURACII XR thermal imaging sys- tem can detect a drone by day or night at ranges of several kilometres, using automatic target recognition (ATR) tech- niques to identify whether a potential tar- get is a drone. The decision as to which potential target is the riskiest must be The sensor fit mounted in the central of the turret carried by done either by an operator or by AI soft- Aselsan's ATILIGAN mobile short-range SAM system includes a ware, so that the camera can be used for second-generation, two-field-of-view focal plane array thermal imager. visual identification.

38 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

One problem to be faced if recreational drones of the type flown by enthusiasts are seen as a threat is that most of these are of plastic construction, and are powered by electric motors, so emit a minimal heat Photo: U.S. Air Force signature. Detection range of this class of drone could be little more than 100m. One novel recent use for thermal imaging was a 2020 project by the US Army Rapid Equipping Force, Program Executive Of- fice Soldier, and the C5ISR Center of US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command in response to Covid-19. A tri- pod-mounted infrared sensor was used at the entrance to military facilities to detect individuals with an elevated body temperature that might indicate viral infection. Since this test did not require physical contact, being conducted at a range of about two metres, it maintained a safe stand-off distance between the tester and the subject. It took only a few seconds, so helped to maintain a faster A thermal imaging system provides a speedy method of monitoring the flow of personnel into buildings and fa- body temperature of soldiers entering a building. This novel method of cilities. detecting increased body temperature was devised by the Program Ex- Military applications are still forcing the ecutive Office Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. pace of sensor development. Used by the US military for some two decades, wide- area motion imagery (WAMI) uses cameras able to capture images of wide areas – entire towns or even cities.

In 2006, the US Defense Advanced Re- Photo: U.S. Air Force search Projects Agency (DARPA) funded the creation of an airborne sensor package with a resolution of almost two billion pix- els. The resulting project was given the des- ignation GORGON STARE by the USAF. The first GORGON STARE system consisted of two sensor pods. One carried the electro- optical (EO) and infrared cameras (IR), while the other housed the digital processor and data-link hardware needed to send data to operations centres and frontline units. First fielded in March 2011, the Increment 1 sys- An MQ-9 REAPER equipped with GORGON STARE takes off at Kandahar tem could cover an area of 16 sq km. It was Airfield, Afghanistan, in December 2015. followed in 2014 by the follow-on GOR- GON STARE INCREMENT 2. This combined an array of visible-light cameras mounted in one pod with IR arrays from Exelis carried in a second pod. By 2015, INCREMENT 2 had replaced the earlier version. In mid-2020 when Logos Technologies Photo: Logos Technologies announced that it had won a US$6.7M contract to deliver two wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor prototypes to the US Naval Air Systems Command. This was an instance where high-resolution civilian IR sensors were adapted for military use; the company's commercial BLACKKITE Developed by Logos Technologies as a payload for the Insitu IR system became the basis of the USN's INTEGRATOR UAV, the BLACKKITE-I infrared sensor system can monitor CARDCOUNTER sensor package for the a city-sized area in near real-time, detecting and tracking all significant RQ-21A BLACKJACK. It allowed a single movers in the scene. It forms the basis of the USN's CARDCOUNTER sen- UAV to simultaneously monitor more than sor package for the RQ-21A BLACKJACK. 12 square km of terrain.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 39  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Autonomous Ground Vehicles During real-world military actions, the per- Over quarter of a century later, such a spec- formance of EO sensors is often degraded ification may seem like something from the One problem faced by developers of au- both by natural phenomena such as poor realm of science fiction rather being a real- tonomous and semi-autonomous ground light, glare from strong energy sources, istic military requirement, but as the text vehicles is that these require active illumina- and fog, as well as by deliberately-gener- of this article was being finalised, DARPA tion if they are to navigate at night, or in- ated smoke or other obscurants. The lat- issued a Broad Agency Announcement for side tunnels, or within darkened buildings. ter can include infrared smokes designed what it described as "Enhanced Night Vi- In the spring of 2020, DARPA asked indus- to provide high obscuration at LWIR. The sion in eyeglass form factors (ENVision)". try to help with the development of com- European Defense Agency (EDA) has This document expresses interest in hard- putationally intensive 3D infrared sensors launched the SPIDVE (Study on EO Sen- ware that will offer "extended visual ac- able to exploit triangulation and ambient sors Performance Improvement in De- cess beyond NIR to include short-wave signals in thermal images in order to create graded Visual Environment) programme (SWIR, 1.5-3 µm), mid-wave (MWIR, 3-5 to create passive sensors suitable for use in to study the effects on EO sensors of such µm), or long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-12 unmanned vehicles travelling at speeds of adverse visual conditions. It is conducting µm) through a common aperture", along up to 40 km/hr. an assessment of the problem, and inves- with an "expanded FOV to near natural Known as the INVISIBLE HEADLIGHTS tigating the most promising technologies eyesight (100°)". ENVision plans to explore project, this is intended to exploit arte- for image enhancement under Degraded the possibility of achieving direct vision of facts in the scene that previously might Visual Environment (DVE) conditions. The the infrared through a process known as have been considered clutter. According to goal is to restore partially or even fully the photon upconversion. This could eliminate DARPA, "An ideal sensor might be able to imaging capabilities of EO sensors when the need for multiple components and extract many orders of magnitude more degradation is present. could eventually lead to all-optical night vi- data about the environment than is attain- In the mid-1990s, a Russian night-vision sion (NV) systems in the future. These could able using conventional infrared sensors. specialist told this writer that in an ideal take the form of NV spectacles or even NV Enabling passive 3D vision for autonomous world, the individual soldier would like to contact lenses. Current plans seem to be navigation will require near-zero noise and have an optical aid that works in the re- focussed on supplementing or even replac- orders of magnitude greater measurement verse of sunglasses, boosting rather than ing the image-intensifying goggles used by diversity than conventional sensors -- par- attenuating the light levels of an external front-line soldiers, but in the longer term, ticularly at high speeds. More than likely scene. Needless to say, the soldier would the proposed all-optical systems might this will require completely new types of also like such a device to be no bulkier or serve some of the roles currently filled by infrared sensors." heavier than sunglasses. thermal-imaging sensors. L

Marketing Report: Bren-Tronics, Inc. RÜSTUNG & TECHNOLOGIE 

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ren-Tronics has cumulated over 45 years electronic warfare, the company is also able Bren-Tronics recently won a major contract Bof experience in the design, production to design and supply lithium-based batter- to provide hundreds of high voltage lithium and management of complex and intelli- ies for military systems as diversify as micro- technology batteries of several hundreds of gent rechargeable batteries for diversified drones, UAVs, UGVs or laser weapon. kWh for a laser weapon system. The bat- military applications. Always at the state of These new military applications need a mix tery underwent extreme safety and rigor- art, the company continues to innovate to of high voltage, high current, low weight ous military standards tests. provide the perfect match between power, and enhanced autonomy to perform well. The company also secures multi million dol- energy and safety for the growing diversi- Thanks to his know how and unique tech- lars contract to deliver thousands of batter- fied demands and applications. nology Bren-Tronics can satisfy the increas- ies and chargers to a Near and Middle East In addition to Bren-Tronics core legacy pow- ing defense system manufacturer demands customer. The application, kept secret, uses er solutions for tactical radio, optronics and for this type of challenging battery. new Bren-Tronics extremely safe lithium- ion cells technology and complex battery management system to operate the system remotely from almost any location and con- ditions. “From our know-how, long experience and unique technology, we are able to re- spond and fulfill any future military energy demand “ said Mathyas Petit, Director of International Business Development.

Find us on www.bren-tronics.com ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  Connectors for Harsh Environments

Tim Guest

This article looks at some of the industry players specialising in connector design and development, highlighting certain performance parameters and the kinds of tests required for a new connector to make the grade and takes a look at a handful of the rugged military connectors on offer and in use among European/NATO forces.

eliable connectivity on today’s bat- thing other than harsh would be foolhardy Tested to Stringent Rtlefield is essential and the humble in the extreme. And it’s those scenarios of Parameters and Standards connector plays a vital role in ensuring mud, sand, dirt, vibration, shock, water, mission-critical equipment stays opera- catastrophic impacts and more – includ- No matter the vendor, whether the likes tional in even the harshest scenarios. ing the need to be soldier-proof – that of Amphenol, Fischer, Glenair, ODU, Radios, situational awareness sensors, place an unenviable burden on military TE Connectivity (TE) and others, to be vehicle comms harnesses, individual sol- connectors to be as rugged and near-in- deemed suitable for military applica- dier systems and much more, all share destructible as possible, even in the harsh- tions a connector will be put through a Photo: Glenair Photo: Fisher Connectors

The UltiMate 80’s MIL-STD-810 and Vibration lab tests on the Series 151 MIL-DTL-55116 MIL-STD-202-compliant design is able to reproduce conditions that might be encountered in endure harsh environmental and mechanical a moving armoured vehicle. In temperature cycling extremes and is designed to distribute power tests, the Glenair Series 151 MIL-DTL-55116 must be for dismounted soldiers’ batteries, hubs, capable of five cycles of mating/unmating while radios, embedded electronic devices and meeting all electrical and air leakage requirements wearables. in conditions from -55°C to +85°C.

the need, as mission-critical, electronic est of environments. It is no wonder, then, series of tests to meet relevant military equipment, for reliable connectivity. Play- that these crucial components of warfare standards and prove performance un- ing their part in these connectivity stakes have been designed to the nth degree to der the toughest conditions. According are a huge variety of connectors; seem- weather such extremes and to meet the to a Fischer Connector’s spokesperson ingly insignificant bits of kit, connectors most stringent MIL STDs. Today, through talking to ESD, “The only way to ensure are anything but. They connect some of rigorous testing, a variety of established, innovative solutions are suited to ap- the most essential sensors and operational specialist makers ensure their connectors plications requiring faultless precision systems into the increasingly connected meet the demands of modern warfare. and high performance in harsh environ- battlefield ecosystem and the successful This article looks at some of the industry ments – and that they’re built to last prosecution of warfare relies heavily on players specialising in connector design – is to put connectors through a battery their flawless performance; the failure of a and development, highlighting certain of mechanical and environmental tests. connector could, potentially, spell disaster performance parameters and the kinds These may include: endurance - number at the most critical moments. While there of tests required for a new connector to of mating operations and full rotations; are undoubtedly many non-operational make the grade and takes a look at a bending/flexing - number of oscillations; scenarios that do not fall into the ‘harsh- handful of the rugged military connec- random vibration – acceleration; immer- environment’ category, to describe the tors on offer and in use among Europe- sion, e.g. IP68, sealed to 20m for 24 ‘operational military environment’ as any- an/NATO forces. hours; corrosion resistance, e.g. in salt

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 41  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Graphic: ODU

ODU offers military connectors that can withstand harsh environmental conditions and are in use with a num- ber of NATO forces. These high-speed, high-density connectors suit soldier communication systems, military vehicles and unmanned systems (UAV/UGV/UAS), as well as power management device applications, software defined and air traffic control radio applications, secure and encrypted communications, VoIP, computer/PAN and data recording devices.

fog and salt solution; temperature per- cables can go straight to a device/sen- rately). Contact retention tests require formance, e.g. from -55°C to +135°C. In sor (e.g. NVG) with minimal twists and individual contacts to withstand a sus- the case of the Fischer LP360 7-pin con- turns. tained force of least 10 pounds of axial nector, the first product in the Fischer Glenair, likewise, puts its connectors load, applied uniformly, at one pound Freedom Series, eight tests and proofs through stringent performance tests per second; a further retention test, the for endurance, oscillation, vibration, highlighted by those for its Series 151 pull test, on the other hand, requires the immersion, sealing, cleaning, corro- MIL-DTL-55116 QPL Audio Frequency connector to withstand an abrupt axial sion, and temperature, put this product Connectors. These tests illustrate well, force of 40 lbs applied to the shell, while through its paces at Fischer’s labs and the exacting testing regimes all MIL- another abrupt force of 25 lbs is applied in the field. The resulting rugged, light- STD connectors are put through, and to the cable. Neither test must cause vis- weight LP360 suits dismounted soldier it’s worth looking at them in greater ible damage and the complete connec- systems as part of a wearable connectiv- detail. To meet mating durability, for tor must continue to lock and unlock ity solution; with a low-profile, it offers example, the 55116 connector must go without difficulty. 360° mating freedom to optimize cable through 3,000 cycles without mechani- Vibration lab tests on the Series 151 MIL- management, allowing easy integration cal damage to its dielectric, and without DTL-55116, (the tests conform to MIL- into clothing and can be mated, routed compromising contact resistance and STD-202G, method 201A and reproduce and plugged in any direction, ensuring air pressure requirements (tested sepa- conditions that might be encountered in, say, a moving armoured vehicle), subject it to a simple harmonic motion, whose amplitudes and frequencies are known and varied during the test. Amplitude and frequency ranges are reached over a short duration, around a minute, then continu- ally repeated; the whole test conducted

Photo: ODU in each of three perpendicular directions over two hours. When complete, connec- tors must show no evidence of cracking, breaking or loosening of parts, and male and female ends remain engaged. When it comes to temperature extremes, ODU recently introduced a new additional locking kit for the Easy-Clean no scenarios place greater consistent version of its ODU AMC Connector. This enables screw locking in addi- ambient temperature demands on equip- tion to the connector’s original break-away function making this con- ment than Arctic and Desert conditions. nector highly suited to applications in high-vibration scenarios, such as Here, thermal contraction and expansion vehicle-mounted radio installations where data and signal links need of metal would, respectively, play havoc if serious protection. the metallurgical design/nature of a con-

42 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 withstand high levels of shock, vibration, corrosion, extreme temperatures, and 10,000 mating cycles. Now, a further UltiMate Series connec- tor, the UltiMate 80, (formally intro- duced at AUSA 2020 last October), is field-ready for unveiling to a European audience for the first time by ESD, of- fering rugged functionality compatible with NATO STANAG 4695. Fischer says HIGHEST this rugged 6-pin plug is lightweight and Photo: Fischer Connectors environmentally sealed offering a con- RELIABILITY nectivity solution for any soldier-worn device/sensor/equipment and personal electronic ecosystem used by NATO EVEN IN HARSH armies in their soldier modernization ENVIRONMENTS The UltiMate 80’s rugged 6-pin programmes. The UltiMate 80’s MIL- plug is lightweight and environ- STD-810 and MIL-STD-202-compliant mentally sealed, offering a design is said by Fisher to be ‘exception- ODU AMC® High-Density connectivity solution for any ally rugged by any market standards’. It is BREAK-AWAY soldier-worn device. able to operate and endure the harshest environmental and mechanical extremes nector were unfit for purpose. ‘Tempera- endured by dismounts themselves and ture cycling’ tests, therefore, put these is designed to distribute power for dis- products through their paces. In the case mounted soldiers’ batteries, hubs, ra- of the Glenair Series 151 MIL-DTL-55116, dios, embedded electronic devices and it must be capable of five cycles of mat- wearables. The connector displays high ing/unmating while meeting all electrical resistance to corrosion, being able to and air leakage requirements in condi- withstand 500 hours in a salt mist; it tions from -55°C to +85°C. This test con- performs 10,000 mating cycles and can forms to MIL-STD-202, method 107, test withstand a 100G shock resistance test. condition A. Its temperature cycle tolerance has been This connector is also tested for resist- tested between -55°C and +135°C. This ODU AMC® High-Density ance to salt spray, (conforming to MIL- new connector is environmentally sealed SCREW-LOCK STD-202, method 101E, test condition B), and displays connector ingress protec- and is subjected to eight hours in a 5% tion, both mated and unmated, compli- salt solution at 35°C ± 3°C, after which ant with IP68 sealing, at 2m for 24hours. it must show no evidence of base metal corrosion. Resistance to water immersion A Legacy Connection is also tested for Glenair’s 55116, and 2-IN-1 carried out when connected with test Back in the 1950s, the US Navy and SOLUTION cables, and when plugs are mated to re- Air Force competed to develop prod- ceptacles. After immersion in tap water, uct specs for electronic components at a depth of six feet for 48 hours, there to be used in fighter aircraft. From this must be no evidence of leakage into the emerged a new breed of connectors ap- body of unmated connectors, nor into propriate for use in a much wider military the body, or contact-face area, of mated context. Three products resulting from connectors. those 1950s’ competitions have stood ODU AMC® HIGH-DENSITY the test of time and are still proving in- WITH ADDITIONAL Ready for Harsh valuable today among NATO forces: TE’s SCREW-LOCK Environments legacy line of DEUTSCH circular connec- tors M81511, MIL-DTL 26482 series 2, 2-in-1 solution – a device part that’s When Fischer’s UltiMate Series, intended and MIL-DTL 83723 series 3; these have compatible with the robust screw-lock for field operations in extreme environ- consistently delivered rugged, reliable ments, added two power configurations connectivity in the harshest scenarios High-speed data transmission – a few years back, their suitability for ‘full even as technology has evolved. These signal, power and data transmission integration into all applications’, such as legacy connectors have enabled engi- all within one connector with field radios, UAVs, radar and surveil- neers to achieve high-performance op- Complete system – cable assembly lance systems to optimize power connec- erating efficiencies and improvements in including overmolding and flex tivity, was underpinned by their rugged cannot-fail applications, where prevent- assembly at the device part performance characteristics. Tested and ing disruption, delays and unacceptable proven suitable to meet IP68/69/her- connectivity failures, that could impact metic sealing standards, with 360° EMC mission-critical applications, has been www.odu-connectors.com/odu-amc shielding, the new connectors are able to the highest priority. L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 43  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY The Internet of Military Things –

Too Much Information? Thomas Withington

People are talking about the Internet of Military Things. What is it, how will it work and will we know when it has arrived?

he Internet of Things is a “commercial Teffort to integrate a wide variety of tech- nical and commercial information-gathering components to provide new business op- portunities based upon device and systems intelligence,” noted a report entitled The Photo: Lockheed Martin Internet of Things for Defence, published by Wind River. What then is the Internet of Military Things (IOMT)? “There is no uni- versal definition,” says a spokesperson for the (EDA), the European Union (EU) organisation coordi- nating defence collaboration across the EU’s member states. That said, the EDA defines it as “a military capability to connect, manage and extract information from a huge number of differ- ent military data sources or sensors inter- connected by a network infrastructure that could be civil or military but specifically di- rected and adapted to military applications.” Defence experts believe that the information gathered and shared Put simply, the sensors equipping platforms, across the IOMT will play an important role in helping reduce the personnel and deployed individually will be Clausewitzian Fog of War. able to share information they gather across the battlespace in real time. Not only will communications. Dr. Stephen Russell, Chief connectivity has developed and deepened they share this data they will also share of the Information Sciences Division at the in the military sphere: “In the 1980s and health and usage information. This could US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), argues 1990’s industry’s emphasis was on collect- range from an unattended radar warning that NCW “had a much greater emphasis on ing and storing information so that this can when its batteries need replacing, to a sol- information and information-systems being be applied to business decision-making.” dier’s heartbeat and temperature revealing purposed and prioritised for military applica- With these collection and storage mecha- when they are approaching exhaustion or tions.” The IOMT “is the next evolution of nisms firmly established, by the 2000s in- suffering hypothermia. that,” he says. Although founded in NCW dustry was focusing on “automating and concepts, the EDA spokesperson argues, it capitalising on this information, and on us- Network Centric Warfare focuses “mainly on sensor connectivity and ing it in much more complex, autonomous, data management, processing, storage and and dynamic ways.” Compared to network The march towards the IOMT is arguably an exploitation.” centric warfare, the IOMT “is about the col- evolution of the Network Centric Warfare Thus, not only are platforms, personnel and lective intelligence of all the smart assets (NCW) revolution witnessed in the 1990s installations connected, but their weapons acting in an integrated fashion to fluidly in the wake of the US-led Operation Desert and sensors are too. The IOMT also forms achieve complex military objectives,” says Storm of 1991 to evict Iraq from Kuwait. The part of the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO Dr. Russell: “It is that ‘collective intelligence’ NCW was about fostering a high level of trend. Definitions differ, but broadly speak- characteristic that is particularly distinguish- connectivity between personnel, platforms ing MDO emphasises the ever-deeper con- ing for the IOMT.” and installations using digital voice and data nection of personnel, platforms, subsystems, The bulk of battlespace participants have bases, sensors and weapons (participants) hitherto largely been ‘stove-piped’; they cor- Author to provide supreme situational awareness respond with their user by providing them across the battlespace without information information and/or data on their status Thomas Withington is an independ- saturation to facilitate all-domain manoeu- which is shared in a limited fashion across ent electronic warfare, radar and mili- vre. It is not unreasonable to argue that true standard military communications. Dr. Rus- tary communications specialist based MDO is but a pipe dream without the IOMT. sell says that the humble telephone is a good in France. Dr. Russell says that one can use industrial example of the contribution to warfighting development as a model to understand how the IOMT could make. The standard house-

44 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 hold telephone and early cell phones had a single purpose; to connect two people who wanted to talk to each other. That is the phone’s single purpose “and is separate from pretty much everything else, except the person on the other end of the wire.” Consider today’s ubiquitous smartphone. The handset is still a telephone, but through

software applications it connects the user Photo: US DoD to a host of different possibilities, from or- The increasingly routine use of uninhabited vehicles on the battlefield dering up a delicious chicken katsu curry to will greatly benefit from the advent of the IOMT and the levels of checking the latest cricket scores: “Imagine connectivity that this will bring. a battlefield where most, if not all, the sys- tems can communicate, have awareness of These constantly monitor our vital signs and the soldier’s condition. Based on that infor- their environment, can intelligently adapt for gently admonishing us when we fail to mation, they can advise their comrades on varied purposes, and understand both local achieve our 10,000 daily steps. Outfitting what first aid to give and prepare their treat- and global objectives that may even cross soldiers with sensors monitoring their vital ment for when they arrive at the scene. organisational boundaries,” posits Dr. Rus- signs and sharing this information with their A similar approach is being taken vis-à-vis ma- sell. Lorenz Lehmhaus, a defence consultant comrades, commanders and medics could teriel. The space age saw telemetry harnessed and owner of Defense Valley, believes that be the difference between life and death. A for space flight. Spacecraft would continually the IOMT will bring “complete battlefield squad commander could receive warnings send information on their key systems by RF transparency” expecting that it will help lift on their tablet computer or smartphone that (Radio Frequency) link back to controllers on the Clausewitzian ‘Fog of War’. one of their soldiers has dangerously high the ground. Today, airliners continually trans- blood pressure and a rising temperature, mit Health and Usage Monitoring (HUM) da- Application Forms warning of imminent heatstroke. The com- ta back to the ground so that airlines can see mander can remind them to drink enough how their aircraft are performing and when To this end, the IOMT has been muted for a water and tell them to rest in the shade for corrective or preventative maintenance may myriad of applications. Most conspicuous is a while. In the worst-case scenario, medics be needed. HUM systems used by platforms, soldier healthcare. Millions of us are familiar en route to evacuate a wounded soldier will sensors and weapons will similarly allow with fitness monitors we wear on our wrists. receive continuous real time information on maintainers to keep track of their charges.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 45 also be reduced. 4G can suffer delays of circa 20 milliseconds, which could reduce to five milliseconds with 5G. Fifth generation wireless will use frequencies of 400 mega- hertz/MHz to 3.4 gigahertz/GHz (low band), 2.4GHz to 4.2GHz (mid band) and 24GHz to 72GHz (millimetric wave). Some of these 5G frequencies already fall within standard very and ultra high frequency wavebands of

Graphic: Lockheed Martin 300MHz to three gigahertz. However, milli- There is unlikely to be a ‘big bang’ moment when the IOMT arrives on metric wave frequencies are in the upper part the battlefield. Instead, technologies underpinning the internet of mili- of the radio spectrum. These could host 5G tary things are likely to enter operational service incrementally over the line-of-sight networks to share IOMT data. coming years. 5G transmitters using these frequencies have the asset of being physically small, typically Logisticians also benefit: HUM information ed to fight wars large and small. Keeping under 15 millimetres in size, meaning that could tell maintainers that the on the amount of data needing to be shared transmitters could be fitted to the smallest of a main battle tank will need replacing after to a minimum will be vital. This could be items of equipment. The EDA sees millimetric the next 20 shots. Maintainers can use this helped by edge computing where data col- wave communications, together with avant- data to order a new barrel and have it ready lected by a specific device is processed at the garde approaches to connectivity like optical for when the tank returns to base. device before being shared on a network. and laser-based communications, showing The miniaturisation of electronics is helping promise while recognising that “several of Drowning in Data? immeasurably in this regard. The oft-quoted the innovations brought by 5G could be used dictum of Moore’s Law which posits that the with adaptation to military requirements.” It is a sine qua non that security will be in- number of transistors accommodated on a “Bandwidth demands are a common ques- tegral to the networks carrying IOMT data. single chip doubles every 18 months means tion” regarding the IOMT says Dr. Russell: This will include communications and trans- that even the smallest systems, such as a sol- “Many people tend to think of bandwidth mission security for the communications dier’s heart monitor, or the engine of a micro from a purely capacity perspective, it’s not.” hardware and algorithms constituting the uninhabited aerial vehicle can potentially ac- He says that one must remember that the physical and software layers of these net- commodate powerful computer processors IOMT is a dynamically composed common works, and cyber security to prevent these gathering and processing the data needing environment: A battlefield is not like village, it networks accepting and carrying malicious to be shared across an IOMT network. is always changing and moving, participants code. One can readily comprehend the cha- It may be possible to reduce the burden on maybe entering an IOMT network, while oth- os and destruction that could be wrought conventional military communications to ers maybe leaving because of deployment if red forces gain access to blue force IOMT handle this volume of data by harnessing new or attrition. Moreover, the IOMT network is networks. Furthermore, IOMT networks approaches. The emergence of so-called fifth being used to support a specific objective, must be able to safely, easily and quickly ac- generation (5G) wireless communications such as air-land manoeuvre to occupy an air- cept new devices. holds promise. 5G promises a step change field in support of the commander’s intent. One major consideration for the IOMT con- in data carriage boasting speeds of up to ten Dr. Russell says that the IOMT network can cerns the exponential increase in data which gigabits per second, according to some as- be orchestrated with these considerations must be moved around the battlespace. sessments, compared to the maximum of in mind, and employ techniques like data Bandwidth is already at a premium, given 100 megabits-per-second achievable with compression, adaptation, data usage man- the quantities of data and voice traffic need- existing 4G wireless standards. Latency will agement and network architecture accord- ing to the mission in hand and the operating environment: “The reality for the IOMT is all of these considerations will be in play and ideally autonomously optimised dynamically Photo: US DoD for mission requirements.”

Are We There Yet?

One could be forgiven for thinking that the IOMT is some years away but “IOMT technology is already here and has been, for some time. Consider the advent of smart weapons and uninhabited vehi- cles,” argues Dr. Russell. Mr. Lehmhaus agrees: “I assume we will never know the moment when the IOMT is a reality on the battlefield as the integration of technol- The IOMT will generate mind-bending amounts of data to enhance ogy is a continuous process.” Moves are situational awareness and command and control. Technologies like afoot to translate theory into practice. The cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning will come ARL has teamed with several universities to the fore helping to manage this torrent of data. in Illinois, Massachusetts, California and

46 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

Washington DC, along with SRI Interna- data and cloud solutions needed to process to support IOMT applications. Instead, “its tional, under the Collaborative Research and analyse the information are currently primary contributions are the foundational Alliance (CRA). available but at different levels of maturity. science underlying IOMT technologies.” He Dr. Russell says that this effort, which com- They are much more advanced than before says that these technologies could be typi- menced in 2017, is developing theoretical but still with a strong improvement poten- cally developed to Technology Readiness and algorithmic scientific approaches to ele- tial,” says the EDA spokesperson. Like their Levels (TRLs) of two or three. According to ments, which will underpin the IOMT. These counterparts in the USA, the EDA is involved US Department of Defence classifications, include machine-learning safety, which in IOMT initiatives via their Capability Tech- this would mean that practical applications focuses on detecting and communicating nology (CapTech) areas. These network ex- can be considered for scientific principles uncertainty in machine learning algorithms. perts across the EU looking at defence tech- which have been articulated, as per TRL- This is essential for managing uncertainty nologies of interest to member states. The 1. TRL-3 sees the start of active research or errors, which will inevitably crop up in EDA’s Communications Information Systems and development. Dr. Russell is confident IOMT software and hardware. Other areas and Networks (Information) CapTech runs that some of the innovations and advance- include training sensors to detect and in- projects like the Wireless Sensor Networks ments developed via the CRA’s work could terpret information which maybe outside a for Urban Local Areas or ‘WINLAS’ initia- rapidly accelerate to higher TRLs. He is con- sensor’s usual focus or which may arrive in tive. This looks at technologies which could fident we could see significant progress in an IOMT network through atypical means. help manage a large number of diverse sen- these IOMT innovations over the coming For instance, a radar may inadvertently de- sors in urban operations. Similarly, CLAUDIA decade. WINLAS and CLAUDIA are expect- tect weather phenomena as part of its mis- (Cloud Intelligence for Decision Support and ed to conclude in 2023 and should reach sion to detect aircraft. This information can Analysis) examines the application of cloud levels between TRL-2, where the technol- be shared across a network. While this radar computing to collect and analyse data from ogy’s concepts have been formulation to a is not usually tasked to collect weather in- a wide array of sources. maximum of TRL-5, where the technology formation the data are nevertheless useful. The CRA initiative is looking at collective has been validated in a relevant environ- These approaches, and the management of intelligence. Dr. Russell says that this will ment, according to EU definitions. Within IOMT networks in general, will be helped enable “a network of assets to have self- and without the EDA there is even discus- in no small measure by artificial intelligence awareness and autonomically reconfigure sion of the Quantum IOMT where quan- and machine learning. This will be vital as the and react in response to adversarial battle- tum mechanics is applied to the security amount of data zipping around a network field conditions.” He cautions that the remit management in an IOMT network. How- may eclipse the brain’s abilities to process: of the CRA is not to develop new software ever, this will no doubt warrant an article in “Artificial intelligence algorithms and big and hardware, which can be directly used its own right. L  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Scopes: Identification, Digitalisation and Range Superiority

André Forkert

Iron sights have been the standard for most hand weapons in the past. Only snipers were equipped with optical scopes. Even so, if optical solutions are now becoming the norm, iron sights will remain on pistols and as emergency back-up iron sights (BUIS) on nearly all weapons.

hey can be available as foldable, fixed or a removable add-on. Sights with magni- T Photo: HK fications have allowed for enhanced target recognition and identification at increased ranges. The reasons are the improved hit efficiency per shot, and thus a saving in ammunition and logistical effort, and also because most ROEs (Rules of Engagement), such as with ISAF/RS, MINUSMA, EUTM, etc., make identification mandatory. Even machine guns are using scopes today. It is expected that all pistol procurements in the future will ask for OR (optical ready) weapons. For pistols, sights like the Me- prolight RDS2, ACRO P-1, Trijicon RMR or Leupold DeltaPoint are available. Today’s standard in scopes are the Trijicon 6x48 ACOG (standard for US Army and US Marine Corps), Zeiss ZO 4x30i (Bun- deswehr), and the Specter OS4x LDS (UK SA80 L3) Most of them have a fixed 4x magnification A HK416 in the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group which allows for a performance of up to (DEVGRU) configuration, like used by the US Navy Seals, at Neptune 600-800 metres. Often, larger magnifica- Spear (the hunt for Osama bin Laden). As optics, an EOTech Holographic tion sights are teamed with red dot sights Hybrid Sight with an additional magnifier (or booster) is used. You can without a magnification like the Trijicon also see a laser light module at the front, a Surefire torch on the left RMR or the Aimpoint CompM4/M5 (e.g. side and the suppressor. the French HK416 F). Alternatively, a 1x red dot can be used together with a “booster” longer ranges, there are scopes available the rails, we will see more flexible mounts like the Aimpoint 3X or 6XMag-1 or the like the Steiner M5Xi 5-25x56 with was se- for red dots and their boosters. The original EoTech G33/G45. In Israel and with several lected by the Hessian police for its middle red dot manufacturer are offering them, as other armies and Special Forces, the Me- range weapon HK G38 MDW. This way the are specialised companies like W&E Platt prolight MEPRO M5 is the standard sight. shooter can engage at short ranges, as well PTY Ltd. from Australia with their Platt Some troops require a more flexible sight as longer range targets with a single source. Flip mount or Eratac tactical mounts from with a magnification of 1-6 or 1-8x. As an The goal is to be able to adjust quickly be- Recknagel GmbH from Germany, or SPUHR example, the US Marine Corps will replace tween higher and lower magnification to from Sweden. its 6x48 ACOG with the Trijicon 1-8x Vari- identify and engage targets at different Russia uses the Jupiter Plant JSC 1P87/ able Combat Optical Gunsight (VCOG), be- ranges. Today’s ranges for personal hand PK120 as a new but already widely used ginning in 2021. Another example for this weapons are between 5 and 800 metres. optic. This single magnification red dot range is the Kahles K16i 1-6X24 which is Part of this standard and flexibility is the sight can be used with the ZT310 3x mag- in use with military and police forces. For use of Picatinny rails or other mounting rails. nifier. The presence of Picatinny rails on As night fighting capabilities are also man- the receiver cover and handguard will Author datory, these rails are a basic requirement allow the mounting of modern electro- for lights, lasers or thermal add-ons. The optical sights of Russian and Western André Forkert a former infantry next step will be rails with integrated pow- manufacture. This will include the fixture officer, is Co-Editor of the German er sources. This is a projected requirement of in-line night or thermal imaging sights. website www.soldat-und-technik.de. for the US Army Next Generation Squad Images released by the manufacturer Weapon (NGSW) programme. On top of and the Russian MoD have shown some

48 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

2,600 FN SCAR-HPR rifles and the Steiner M7Xi 2,9-20x50 LPF MSR2 for use on the Hk417. According to Dr. Jörg Hennemann, Head of Marketing at Schmidt & Bender: “The 1–8×24 PM II Short Dot Dual CC is not Photo: Hensoldt a typical sniper riflescope. It is more a scope for a Designated Marksmen Rifle (DMR). A 1-8 scope gives you also the capability to work from close distance up to several hun- dred metres, which is necessary in the ur- The Steiner ban area scenario.” MINOX from Germany M5Xi military

is also offering a tactical line with the ZP TAC Photo: Steiner5-25×56 mm MSR2 line. Also available for example are the Mi- is a scope with ex- Three key features make the Hen- nox ZP5 5-25x56 THLR Hybrid, ZP8 1-8x24, tremely high magni- soldt SPOTTER 60 (20-60x72) the ZP5 3-15x50 or ZP5 5-25x56. The Swiss KSK fication, designed for long-range ideal instrument for the observa- is using the a PGM Hécate II with the LTE J10 use, tactical and sniper rifles. It is tion and identification of objects F1 8-10x scope from Scrome and the French widely used in the Bundeswehr and target hit monitoring: high Forces are using the Steiner Optics (through and was recently ordered by the magnification, a 72 mm lens and a Humbert SAS) M5Xi 5-25x56 LPF MSR2 on French forces. Mil-Dot reticle with continuously its PGM Hecate 2 in 12,7x99 mm. adjustable illumination, the size Mark Lang, a sniper at the Dallas SWAT and of which changes congruent with Director of Sniper Training at the TacFlow the magnification level. With the Academy in the US adds: “Law enforce- SPOTTER 45 (15-45x, shown), an ment generally is still trying to improve upon excellent, optic is available for a older riflescopes that have been in service wider range of applications. for a decade or longer. Every agency is dif- ferent, as is their ability to purchase new AK-12s fitted with a 1P87 holographic riflescopes. Typically, when a new precision Photo: Schmidt & Bender sight. This non-magnified sight offers a rifle comes into service it will have a new ri- self-illuminated reticule and wider field of flescope, but not every agency is able to get view over the standard iron sights. The rifles every 5-8 years, thus many police snip- The new PM 1P87 can be fired with both eyes open ers are still using older riflescopes. We still II Digital line and is night-vision compatible. Thanks to see Leupold Vari-X 3s in service and they no by Schmidt & the use of optics, the new AK-12/AK-15 longer manufacture those.” For Mark, the Bender was devel- will be much more precise and ready for most important trends at the moment are: oped on the basis night operations. There are many images “Continued improvement on turret locking of a specification for the optimum on the internet showing the new AK-rifles systems that prevent unintentional move- marksman situation. It combines with EOTech XPS2/3-family sights, espe- ment either when stored, in transport or on the capabilities of a normal scope cially with Russian Special Forces. And the operations. They do get turned and it’s up with the modern facilities of digi- snipers of Putin's presidential guard (Presi- to the sniper during a pre-shot checklist to tal technology: The information dential Security Service SBP) are using ensure they are zeroed out. They also need from compatible external devices the Kahles K 6-24x56, as ’s Special to be durable enough for law enforcement. – laser distance measuring units, Forces are doing. Thicker metal tubes and better internal com- ballistics calculators or others – ponents are also needed to withstand the can be displayed at the touch of a DMR and Sniper Rifles abuse from over 8-10 years of service. Also button in the field of view of the important are glued sublet objective lenses marksman. The Bundeswehr is using a Steiner M5Xi for any riflescope that law enforcement 5-25x56 MTC LT LPF-TreMor3 scope on its will utilise. There are still many riflescopes G22 A2 (Accuracy International Ltd.) and even from big manufacturers who do not the G29 (C.G. Hanel RS9). The scope is com- have this as a common practice.” The Dallas Photo: Swarovski bined with the Aimpoint Micro-T2. On the SWAT just received their next generation .50 BMG G82 (M82) the optic comes from sniper rifle - all snipers will be equipped with Hensoldt/Carl Zeiss Optronics ZF 6-24x72. the Accuracy International AX Multi-Caliber A Schmidt & Bender 1–8×24 PM II is used in 308Win/338 Lapua Magnum, using the for the DMR G28 (HK417) Patrol configura- Nightforce ATACR 4 X16X42 scope. tion (1.6 kg lighter) and a Schmidt & Bender There are different needs for law enforce- 3–20 × 50 PM II with the standard configu- ment (LE) and military (MIL) use. As stand- ration. The DMR G27 (HK417) is using either ard capabilities for the next generation of Swarovski is offering digitalised a Zeiss ZO 4x30i RD in combination with a riflescopes in law enforcement, Mark Lang solutions such as the dS 5-25x52. Carl Zeiss/Hensoldt RSA-S 1x come up with this list: The head-up display of the dS on top for the G27P, or a Schmidt & Bender • Zero stop feature as standard for both projects the essential measure- 1.5-6x42 Short Dot for the G27. The French elevation & windage turrets ment data distraction-free and in Army has also just ordered the Schmidt & • HD glass from either Japan or Germany, real time into the sniper's field of Bender 1–8×24 PM II together with the and not China view.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 49  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

(intelligence, surveillance and reconnais- sance) sources. However, it will take some more years to reach the full capabilities that users are asking for. Photo: Kalashnikov For the civilian market, but also for law en- forcement agencies, Swarovski Optik KG has designed the “dS” riflescope with in- tegrated digital intelligence. In addition to the pure optical line, a laser target range- finder (1,380 m) and ballistic computer are built in, which also measures temperature and angle and can record data such as wind. After measurement and calculation, the aiming point is automatically displayed corrected (via an LED that moves over the fixed reticle). It is controlled via its own app and Bluetooth. The whole thing was built into a 40 mm tube and can be viewed via an 800x600 Px LCOS display. The CR123A battery lasts for about 600 measurements The new opponent – AK-12 and Ak-15 – are using different Russian and the operating temperatures are sup- and western sights. In the back and forefront, you can see the EOTech posed to be between -10°C and +70°C. XPS2/3-family sights. Currently, 4,500 different ammunition types are already stored in the computer, • Adjustable illuminated reticle in both red they don’t want to be associated with this but own ammunition can also be entered and green area. Around the world a lot of spotting manually. In addition to the correct stop- • Wider range of variable powered rifl- scopes that come on the market for hunt- ping point, the dS displays the most im- escopes (a low of 2 to a high of 20) ing can also be found for governmental use, portant ballistic information in real time • Standard glued objective lenses to prevent like Optolyth, Levenhuk, Leupold, Bushnell, and without distractions on the head-up lens shift due to impact for LE/MIL use Vortex and many others. display. • Reticle patterns that are designed for law From Swarovski comes the binocular BTX Capabilities of the Meprolight’s NYX (Un- enforcement (military designs without a spotting scope set. This is intended to cooled Weapon Sight) include the capture lot of clutter) make long-term observation more com- and storage of still images, which can be • MIL/MIL OR MOA/MOA riflescopes. We fortable, maintain high concentration lev- downloaded to a PC later. For example, the need our turrets to match our reticles. els and therefore lead to longer periods shooter's view can be used as evidence in We do not need the MIL/MOA combina- of use; a forehead rest is also integrated. court or for forensics. A video-out with full tion any longer The BTX combines the advantages of a overlay for command & control is part of • Scope mounts that allow for mounting telescope and binoculars. It is equipped the product. other important accessories such as mini with an inclined viewer and ergonomic Ronen Hamudot, Vice President Market- red dots/ laser range finders, etc. forehead support. The spotting scopes ing and Sales from SK Group (Mepro- • A profile that allows common clip on have a fixed magnification of 30x and 35x, light, IWI): “Most of the operations are night vision devices forward of the rifle- with the option of the 1.7x range extend- happening during hours of darkness. scope without impediment er they can be increased to 50x and 60x. This results in a larger demand for night • Switchview USA fold down throw lever Thanks to the bayonet lock, the extender scopes and thermal devices. Beyond the on ocular end for positive indexing and is mounted between the objective and obvious demands for accuracy and to be quick power settings control. eyepiece modules of the ATX/STX/BTX lightweight, we see a growing emphasis family in no time at all. The exchange can on the robustness of the product, more Spotting Scopes be carried out directly by the user. An au- focus on MIL-STD compliance, the support thority version with reticle and laser filter of longer recognition and effective shoot- The standard spotting scope for the Bun- is also available. In addition, a smartphone ing distances.” deswehr is the 20–60x72 spotting scope can be attached as a camera. Also, from Israel comes the Smart Shoot- from HENSOLDT Optronics, or just Spotter er SMASH family of fire control systems. 60. It has three key features: high magnifi- Digitalisation SMASH is a combination of lens, simple- cation, a 72 mm lens and a Mil-Dot reticle to-install hardware with an advanced with continuously adjustable illumination For some time now, Schmidt & Bender and image-processing software. This way whose size changes congruent with the their competitors have been working on SMASH ensures that friendly forces are magnification level. Hensoldt is also offering scopes with digital displays. That way the kept safe while every round hits its target, the smaller Spotter 45 (15–45x magnifica- shooter can be provided with additional day or night. It even works as a Counter- tion). Also in use with the Bundeswehr is the information, like from a Kestrel 5700 Elite UAV System. The system is in use in Israel Leica Televid Apo 20-60x77 with oblique Weather Meter with applied ballistics, with and many other nations. The Indian Navy view. Leica, Nikon and Swarovski are offer- ranges from a Laser Range Finder (LRF) has just ordered it and it is also certifi- ing a range of high-class spotting scope, but or data from their spotter. Next steps are cated by the US Army, USSOCOM, NATO officially only for hunting. Even if they sell pictures and the future live feeds from Un- and tested by German Special Forces and to law enforcement and military agencies, manned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or other ISR the .

50 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

ly. This means a need for higher magnification lenses. The personal weapon will be a system, rather than a weapon. Part of the system is digitalisation, sights and ammo. It will include size, weight and power enhancements. The next step, on top of the optical sights, will be separate Fire Control Systems. We got our first taste of this at the NGSW programme. A separate Fire Control (NGSW-FC) programme is placed with L3Harris and its partner Leup-

Photo: Smash old, as well as with Vortex Optics. In the end, it will be a visual augmentation system with options for different ballistic reticle designs. The standard range will vary between 50 and 1,500+ metres. Enhanced levels of accuracy and the implementation of next-generation target location devices will be a factor. All scopes need to work with light The SMASH X4 combines a x4 magnifying optic scope with SMART- intensifier or thermal devices. As an example, SHOOTER’s fire control capabilities thus providing extended detection, the US Army selected the Individual Weapon recognition & identification ranges for the shooter, as well as extended Sights (IWS; uncooled 17 µm thermal sen- lethality ranges. sor technology) from Leonardo DRS for its Family of Weapon Sight-Individual (FWS-I) On the other side, even if digitalisation Conclusion programme. The IWS add capabilities like would be of great benefit, users also the connection to a wireless network and to require a scope that will work under all Users are asking for greater flexibility and ro- helmet, or head-mounted night vision de- conditions, even without electronics, no bustness of the products. NATO and other vices. This is a first step into the digitalised batteries, and no failure, only thanks to its western forces are seeking longer range system and much faster target acquisition for glass channel. weapon systems to surpass the new AK-fami- dismounted soldiers. L

Marketing Report: Vected GmbH RÜSTUNG & TECHNOLOGIE 

Editorial box for ES & D / European Security & Defence Perfect Configuration for Any Application

Depending on the scenario, thermal imaging cameras can be used for a Perfect configuration for any application wide range of applications, such as observation tasks or as clip-on devices. Depending on the scenario, thermal imaging cameras can be used for a wide range of applications, VECTED configures all of its thermal imaging cameras individually for each customer. such as observation tasks or as-­‐ clip on devices. VECTED configures all of its thermal imaging cameras individually for each customer. he aim of the Fürth-based company is plications in which both observation and Tto make it as easy as possible for us- clip-on functions play a role, VECTED of- The aim of the Fürth-­‐based company is to make it as easy as possible for users to operate thermal ers to operate thermal imaging cameras fers the option of programming a variety imaging cameras correctly. When it comes time to deploy their thermal imaging cameras, users often correctly. When it comes to deploy their of different settings. Additional customi- find themselves in a tense situation. Ideally, they should only have to turn on the device and be able to thermal imaging cameras, users often find sation options are available for reticles themselves in a tense situation. Ideally, which customers can supply individually use all preselected settings without any changes. Thisguration confi service is included even for orders they should only have to turn on the device for integration by VECTED. of just one camera. and be able to use all preselected settings The thermal imaging camera that is finally without any changes. This configuration used is optimally set up for the user and is A wide range of configuration options is available. For example, shortcuts can be assigned to frequently service is included even for orders of just absolutely uncomplicated to operate, be- Image: © VECTED GmbH used functions. In addition, relevant false-­‐colour imaging can bepre selected for specific applications. one camera. cause all functions that are inappropriate TheAnother subitems aspect of is the the main use of menu digital zoom which is only included in the configuration of cameras being A wide range of configuration options is for the user are removed from the user in- used in the field are significantly available. For example, shortcuts can be terface. reducedused for compared observation to or asthe a training weapons sight. For applications in which both observation and clip-­‐on assigned to frequently used functions. www.vected.de configuration.functions play a role, VECTED offers the option of programming a variety of different settings. Additional In addition, relevant false-colour imag- customisation options are available for reticles which customers can supply individually for integration ing can be preselected for specific ap- by VECTED. plications. Another aspect is the use of VECTED GmbH digital zoom which is only included in the Dipl-Ing. (FH) Wolfgang Schöberl Tel:The +49 thermal 911 960 imaging 687camera 0 that is finally used is optimally set up for the user and is absolutely configuration of cameras being used for Managing Director Fax: +49 911 960 687 49 uncomplicated to operate,because all functions that are inappropriate for the user are removed from observation or as a weapons sight. For ap- Melli-Beese-Str. 24 [email protected] D-90768 Fürth, Germany www.vected.dethe user interface.

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 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Hardware Upgrade: The Future of Rugged Devices

Gerrard Cowan

Military rugged devices continue to evolve, becoming lighter, smaller and more powerful. The industry is now looking to the future, with advances in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing set to enhance the versatility of laptops, tablets and wearable technology.

emand for rugged devices in the de- Dfence and security sector continues to grow, though it is fairly consistent in terms

of form factors. The “sweet spot” for rug- Photo: via author ged tablets in the market tends to be 10-11 in displays, and 14-15 in for rugged laptops, notes Fred Kao, Chief Executive Officer of Twinhead, which owns Durabook, manu- facturer of such systems as the Z14I rugged laptop and the U11I 11.6 in rugged tablet.

Information Access

Defence personnel are operating in new ways, due to digital transformation and in- creasing mobility. As new technologies are adopted and work processes become more streamlined, access to information – and the ability to share that information – has be- Soldiers need devices that are smaller, lighter, and more portable, but come more efficient. Meanwhile, data has with the additional advantage of ruggedness. become more prevalent, and analytics have brought greater intelligence to the domain. UX10 rugged tablet – partly pitched at digit- (PCIe), Kao noted, which improves the per- Kao labels rugged devices the ‘linchpin’ for ising military vehicle maintenance – and the formance of SSD storage and makes it faster. many operations, and the reason is clear: new B360 Pro fully rugged laptop, techno- Security must continue to evolve “as de- they enable personnel to make the best logical innovation is enabling companies “to fence organisations fight ever more complex use of new technologies like the Internet of meet many of these expectations without risks and potential attacks on systems, data Things (IoT), AI, augmented reality (AR) and compromising on rugged reliability”. and intelligence”, Kao added. For rugged cloud computing. hardware, this is reflected in the growing The evolution of demand in the military do- Material Changes use of security and data capture features main has generally followed similar trends like quick-release SSD, radio-frequency to the consumer market. Customers want While magnesium alloy has traditionally been identification (RFID), fingerprint readers and devices that are smaller, lighter, and more the primary material used in rugged chassis other techniques. Rugged manufacturers portable, but with the additional advantage construction due to its excellent strength- have also kept up to date with connectivity of ruggedness. According to Robert Ap- weight ratio, in recent years, advances in innovations to integrate the latest wireless ple, business development manager (BDM) plastic technology have seen a growth in the connections, such as 4G (soon to be 5G), at Getac, which produces systems like the use of composite plastics. This has helped to Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 5.0. further reduce overall device weight, Apple Author noted. However, the devices also retain the User Requirements same level of strength and durability. Gerrard Cowan is a freelance journalist Rugged devices continue to become lighter, A range of military users are increasingly and editor who focusses on aerospace, thinner, less bulky and more mobile, while adopting the Android operating system. defence and finance. remaining extremely rugged. There have This has enabled companies to supply more He was previously a News Editor at been a range of significant improvements in user-friendly interfaces, though there are The Wall Street Journal and Europe recent years, including the shift from HDD continuing demands for enhanced security Editor at Jane's, and is the author of to SSD storage, which has replaced mov- across the range. For companies like Zebra 'The Machinery' trilogy, published by ing parts to make devices more rugged. Technologies, manufacturer of the new HarperCollins. Traditional Serial AT Attachment (SATA) in- TC21/TC26, TC52x/TC57x and MC3300x terfaces are being replaced with PCI Express rugged mobile device, this has “been a key

52 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 Photos: Durabook driver”, said Andy McBain, Head of Earned he expects to increase in the medium-term. Value Management, Regional Product Man- For example, with AR, rugged devices have agement, EMEA. the power, data story and functionality – There are a number of common demands where consumer off the shelf devices do for military operators, notably that they be not – to generate powerful graphics or data rugged enough to be carried across long visualisations and advanced analysis at the distances and work in extreme weather con- source. IoT devices, central servers and other ditions with an extended battery life; that connected devices can share data to the rug- they have a camera for recording and com- ged system, allowing for 2D or 3D mapping municating details, as well as a screen that is systems, and what Kao terms “a mash up of legible in bright sunlight; and as enterprise- multiple data sources”. This can help support grade devices, that they include software rapid repairs or planning team actions. The Durabook Z14I rugged laptop for application deployment, security and There is potential to connect rugged devic- operating system updates, McBain noted. es to aircraft or vehicles to support diagnos- Looking to the future, there are a range of tics: repair and maintenance technicians trends likely to disrupt the industry in 2021, can identify faults, quickly access the nec- such as computer and machine vision; tem- essary documentation to solve a problem, perature sensors; intelligent automation and overlay AR onto the graphic display to including robotics and AI; and prescriptive show the fix and speed repair time. Kao analytics, which uses AI and machine learn- also pointed to edge computing, where ing (ML) to help operators make decisions computing tasks are conducted on the based on the data at their disposal. scene. This allows for selective, real-time Given the dynamic nature of the current data processing from within devices based global environment, the ability to execute on specific needs: for example, analysis of in an agile manner is critical. “The need for the vast quantities of data – including im- greater visibility is driving these [trends] in ages and videos – collected by unmanned our industry,” added McBain. aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Data Demands Future Focus The Durabook rugged Digital transformation has already had a A new mentality towards innovation and de- tablet U11I 11.6 huge impact on defence and security, with fence transformation is coming to the fore in technology now central to most operations the military sector. Apple points to a number Additionally, rapid developments in auto- and missions. In the coming years, it seems of areas where he expects developments in mation are transforming operations, while likely that the capacities for processing digi- the next decade or so, with the help of rug- saving resources and boosting efficiency. tal data will massively increase, while effi- ged technology. This includes mobile com- The growing use of automated drones – ciencies and improvements will develop in munications and wearable technology, with controlled via portable rugged devices – is a areas like hardware, safety and productivity. companies like Getac offering technologies good example of how this kind of technol- Kao pointed to the potential of technologies that are compact and light enough to be ogy is already being used. like IoT, AI, AR, 5G and the cloud, noting that worn on a chest harness, “offering much “Doing so greatly improves situational manufacturers are now building such capa- greater intelligence and communication ca- awareness, without putting soldiers’ lives at bilities directly into the hardware, something pabilities while on the move”. unnecessary risk,” Apple said. L

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www.bren-tronics.com  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Ground Support Equipment: Often Disregarded, yet of Vital Importance

Florian Lobitz

Ground Support Equipment (GSE), sometimes also called Aircraft or Aeronau-tical Ground Equipment (AGE), describes a wide field of special tools of wildly diverging technical complexity. Often perceived as the simple torqueing wrench, which should be available and functioning at any time, GSE nowadays has become a serious business in itself.

“ ou never know what you have until Yit is gone” does not only apply to ro- mantic rela-tionships, but also to technical subjects, especially to background topics and the as-sociated efforts usually not seen by the majority of people involved in a pro- ject man-agement environment.

Background

Engineering and design of technical solu- tions usually aims at functionality, reliability and simplicity. Sometimes however, when geometric boundaries occur, when the prime objectives are driven by lowering production costs, or the overall reliability of the assembly, special tools and electronic test equipment gain importance. The range Photo: OCCAR-EA, Bonn of GSE starts with simple mechanical tools The French TIGER HAD right up to pricey optronic test benches and software based artificial intelligence. ard is suitable for a task to be performed, a An example of a rather complex GSE is The initial situation has not changed at special GSE has to be adapted to its particu- the On-Helicopter Electronic Warfare Sys- all. End-users claim maximum operational lar purpose and existing limitations. Those tem Tester (OnHEST). Designed to test the availability of a certain system. It does not limitations range from the size of the tool functionality of the helicopter’s warfare really matter if a faulty system is a station- itself linked to accessibility, or the geometry sen-sors on radar, laser or missile-launch ary installation or a mobile craft. What has of the component to be worked on to elec- detection, the OnHEST works with a simpli- evolved are certain technical require-ments. tronic interfaces, adapters, communication fied graphical user interface operated on a With a few examples of the TIGER aircraft, I and information pro-cessing. handheld tablet computer – state of the art would like to raise awareness for an often- One example of a simple GSE is a guid- technology adapted to end-user require- disregarded topic of vital importance. ance shaft as shown in Figure 2. This hollow ments. cylindrical shaft the size of a cigar with a However, the interior of the flight-line Complexity certain internal diameter and a particularly tester and the software processing with- machined surface allows proper alignment in the OnHEST is highly sophisticated. Besides a large number of standardised of a torqueing tool required for working on In a nutshell, the system reads the heli- tools and commercial products, testability the helicopter’s main gearbox, one of the copters’ out-put in terms of internally and maintainability determine the need for core drivetrain components. processed data, the system’s reaction, as specific GSE. In general, if no existing stand- Before the development of this guidance well as counter-measure initiation, and shaft, a number of hard-to-reach self-lock- compares it with the flight-line testers’ Author ing nuts at a gearbox flange were dam- simulation. This implies signal detection, aged occasionally due to the improper signal processing and transformation Florian Lobitz is the TIGER Ground ap-plication of force. Flanks of the nut into discrete digital infor-mation, which Support Equipment Manager at showed signs of intense wear right up to is then fed into a specially designed soft- the OCCAR-EA (Organisation Con- total de-struction of the nut. The planned ware and processed further. The output jointe de Coopération en Matière introduction of this GSE will help ease the is – in a very simplified manner – a red d’Armement). task itself and to reduce the number of de- or green display of the system’s faulty or fects significantly. correct behaviour.

54 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

The general operability of the air-craft and shooting hints. In the end, this information the safety of the aircrew is, however not di- sets the basis for maintenance training. To rectly touched upon by this sys-tem. In case put it simply, maintenance training adapts of an actual combat situation, this changes the MRC information described in techni- drastically of course. cal publication to the individual skill level However, if the impact of one particular of the technicians. tool has to be described, it only makes This sketch of a few disciplines within in-

Photo: GAMSTAT, Valence, FR sense to bridge the gap to the other dis- tegrated logistic support, however, un- ciplines of the so-called area of Integrated derlines the disparity of complexity and Logistic Support (ILS). impact of GSE. In the end, the front-end A CAD-Model of serviceability of each piece of equipment a guidance shaft Integrated is embedded thoroughly; therefore, our Logistic Support two examples, the guidance shaft and the On-Helicopter Electronic Warfare System Impact The highlighted disparity of complexity and Tester, can be operated by mechanics of impact is evident; however, it can be tem- the same educational level. Complexity alone does not determine the pered with a row of surrounding ILS disci- relevance of a tool for an entire weapon plines. GSE is not just touching other ILS Future system and its operational availability. disciplines in a state of co-existence. Each Sometimes, very simple tools have enor- GSE is in fact poking through various layers In the future, basic mechanical GSE will, mous impact on fleet availability. of ILS and thereby linking those disciplines. of course, remain in the overall pool of Just imagine the guidance shaft mentioned Sticking to our two examples, the driving tools and special equipment, however earlier. If the technician had no tool for factors to be mentioned are an existing the complexity is about to advance, es- proper alignment and positioning of his maintenance repair concept (MRC), compli- pecially, if we look at upgrades or entirely torqueing wrench, the nut could break, be ance of technical publication and training new developments of future weapon sys- over-torqued or the flanks could sheer off. tailored to the individual skill level. tems. Improve-ments in user interfaces In a best-case scenario, the technician or The maintenance repair concept on the will need to allow the skill level of techni- his supervisor would identify the improper one hand describes a maintenance or re- cians using the equipment to remain the task performance, however in a worst-case pair procedure for a certain aircraft com- same. This leads in particular to a highly scenario, the aircraft would lose a drive ponent. Taking specifications and limita- sophisticated engi-neering development. train component in-flight which would tions into consideration, the MRC outlines The close hand-in-hand co-operation be- result in catastrophic system failure and the necessary technical measures to be tween the armed forc-es as the end-users death of the aircrew. performed in order to guarantee endur- on the one hand, and the industrial part- In comparison, a false utilisation of the ing component operability. Technical pub- ners on the other hand, is therefore more much more complex test equipment for the lication on the other hand translates this essential than ever. electronic warfare system (EWS) might not cryptic information into a narrative task The enduring and uniting objective is detect sensor failure or faulty internal da-ta description accom-panied by illustrations, once again to provide a maximum of op- processing. This could lead to alarm signals, drawings and pictures. The aircraft’s tech- eration-al reliability and force protection which are displayed incorrectly or counter- nical publication is the handbook or user to the ones who protect us – anywhere, measures that are not triggered accurately. manual providing preventive and trouble- at any time. L Photo: Spherea GmbH, Ulm

On-Helicopter Electronic Warfare System Tester (OnHEST)

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 55  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Unmanned Systems in Support of Future Autonomy

Alex Horobets

The trend that immediately comes to mind when talking about modern technology is the automation of processes and robotisation of military equipment – both individual units and in general. The process is aimed at tackling the issue of simultaneously solving a large number of tasks, which is beyond human capabilities.

he continuous introduction of modern Ttechnology into military equipment is constantly changing the nature of combat operations. This cuts the time required for Photo: Euro-SD information exchange and decision-mak- ing, which results in higher efficiency of combat missions compared to those using outdated technologies.

Superiority of Unmanned Vehicles with AI Today, automated processes in military equipment and high-precision weapons implement the established order of action, and, accordingly, remain unable to inde- pendently assess the situation in a specific combat situation and make decisions based on such assessments. The next stages in the development of military technology should include a gradual increase in the level of automation and the introduction The Russian URAN-9 tracked Unmanned Combat Ground Vehicle (UCGV) of robotic systems in certain types of weap- ons. The ultimate goal is the gradual elimi- aid, and as a separate unit. Since 2018, the Moreover, it is not only strike drones that nation of human engagement in the many Air Force Research Laboratory has been pose a significant threat but also reconnais- life-threatening phases of combat missions. developing an autonomous fighter based sance UAVs. The question arises whether The issue of introducing artificial intelli- on AI. In theory, and in many practical situ- AI-driven UAVs could be more effective in gence (AI) into robotic military platforms ations that have already been observed in the near future than platforms operated remains controversial and unresolved. tests, a machine controlled by a computer by humans. At the moment, it is obvious that the more defeats humans in terms of information technologically advanced the army is, and processing speed and decision-making. Trend towards Robotisation the more effective unmanned platforms it But with the current level of technology, employs, the more successful the military it is probably premature to talk about the This robotisation trend is not new. It all force becomes with fewer losses incurred full-blown and wide-range introduction of started in the second half of the 20th cen- in military operations. The flip-side of any such devices since plenty of potential emer- tury, with the gradual automation of indi- high-tech army though is that a huge gency situations and hazards have yet to be vidual units of military equipment. Progress budget is needed to further develop tech- worked out and tested. in microelectronics and computing capac- nology and procure hi-end equipment. For The years 2019-2020 saw unmanned aerial ity for information processing allowed the example, the on-board systems of a fifth- vehicles being used in a number of regional introduction of special equipment and soft- generation F-35 fighter apply AI-driven conflicts, proving effective in asymmetric ware to facilitate the operation of weapons computer algorithms for early detection of confrontation (recall Saudi Arabia and and military equipment. This ultimately led enemy targets, as well as elements of real- strikes from Turkish drones in Syria and Na- to reducing the response times to emerg- time augmented reality. However, such a gorno-Karabakh). Such efficiency points to ing threats. fighter costs a staggering US$78M. the further development of UAVs, as well The process of introducing AI technology For years, the US Air Force has been explor- as unmanned ground vehicles and systems in the military sphere could be significantly ing possibilities of using AI both as a pilot that would be capable of countering them. accelerated due to the relevant rivalry in

56 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 this regard between the US on one hand and countries like China and Russia on the other. The report by the Congressional Research Service on the use of weapons based on AI technology and autonomous systems, urges the Congress to address the issue of foreign actors applying AI-based military technologies. This issue has be- come especially relevant since 2018, when long-term strategic competition with China and Russia resumed. Among the Russian projects, experts note the VIKHR reconnaissance-assault un-

manned ground vehicle and the URAN-9 Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin tracked unmanned combat ground vehi- The VIKHR reconnaissance-attack ground robotic system with ABM-BSM cle (UCGV). The Russians are also devel- 30 combat module based on the BMP-3 platform oping the SARMA underwater unmanned vehicle to ensure navigation along the with the creation of a new structure of the Worth noting is a US Army's Mad Scien- Northern Sea Route. However, . In particular, the US military tist Initiative webinar held in September ground-based unmanned vehicles are could use autonomous systems, deploy- 2020, where the future of unmanned not set to make independent decisions, ing them in the combat zone to locate the aerial systems (UAS) was discussed, as well since they are controlled remotely. Most enemy, as well as carry out attacks on the as the possibility of their involvement in a likely, they will be used as an attractive enemy by autonomous aerial, ground, or future operational environment. Among PR stunt, while remaining an auxiliary tool sea systems before the main contingent the panellists were Sam Bendett (advisor, for the armed forces, rather than gaining is deployed, in order to weaken their CNA), Zak Kellenborn (Senior Consultant, dominance. In contrast to the situation in defences. The use of swarms of drones, ABS Group), and David Goldstein (Acting Russia, the Congressional Research Ser- which is often mentioned in American Branch Chief for the Precision Targeting vice advocates a massive introduction of think tank reports, immediately comes to & Integration Branch and a Counter-UAS robots into the US Armys ground troops, mind in this regard. Team Lead, Army Futures Command).  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

European Developments

In Europe, work is also underway to develop, test, and implement unmanned ground sys- tems in ground forces. For example, - based robotic vehicle manufacturer Milrem Photo: via author / Wiki CC has developed a hybrid tracked infantry complex with a THEMIS module principle, capable of performing a range of functions – from logistics and reconnaissance to supporting ground forces on the battle- field. According to Milrem Robotics, THEMIS has proven to be effective since a 2019 mission in Mali, where the machine pro- vided support to Estonian units as part of the Barkhane counter-terrorism opera- tion. Being modular and multifunctional, the platform also offers prospects for the integration of European arms manufac- turers. In particular, Milrem Robotics has The Ukrainian PHANTOM UGV on display at the 'Zbroya ta Bezpeka' signed contracts with countries interest- military fair, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2019 ed in further development in this area, such as Germany, France, and the Neth- Drones peculiar feature is being able to provide a erlands. Also, since 2018, Estonia has visual image for the operator even in dif- taken over the leadership of the indus- The drone swarm is the next step in the ficult weather conditions. trial consortium developing an integrated progress of UASs. It is expected that ro- No less important are the ongoing pro- Modular Unmanned Ground System (iM- botic systems, both fully autonomous and cesses of new technology development as UGS), launched as part of the Permanent jointly operated on the combat field by AI part of joint efforts by DARPA and the US European Security Cooperation (PESCO). and humans, will make up a major share defence industry. Their work is expected to The project's team also includes France, of the total combat force. Drone swarms, deliver a quality breakthrough, primarily, in Finland, Spain, Germany, Latvia, and Bel- which are small and relatively cheap com- the application of ground-based unmanned gium. pared to other military equipment, will be platforms. This includes solving the problem The prototype will employ the THEMIS used in both offence and defence. Such many developers have faced, which pre- UGV and will present a hybrid controlled autonomous self-organising systems are vents the full-blown use of robotic platforms and unmanned modular platform in 2021; being considered for use in all domains – in combat conditions, leaving them on the the aim is to further integrate unmanned air, ground, sea surface, submarine, as well sidelines only as auxiliary units assigned to platforms into doctrines and armies of EU as underground. perform a narrow set of tasks. The objective Member States. With the development of drone swarms, a is to teach unmanned vehicles to safely ma- Another important player in the Eu- new challenge emerges of countering such noeuvre and evade obstacles on rough ter- ropean market for unmanned ground systems (Counter-UAS). Practice has shown rain at high speeds, just as a human would platforms is the German manufacturer that the use of even relatively inexpensive do. To address the issue, a project worth Rheinmetall Defence, which has long modernised civilian drones is able to de- US$19.5M was launched to further develop been developing ground robots to sup- liver a blow to infrastructure, personnel, autonomous skills of unmanned vehicles. port ground forces. In November 2020, and critical weapons systems, especially The aim is to ensure that such vehicles the company presented its new project, immobile targets, military bases, vehicles, are not limited by software capacities or the MISSION MASTER unmanned ground and ships. This means that practically every information processing speeds, but only vehicle. According to the manufacturer, object within a combat zone will have to by mechanical limits or those of on-board the vehicle is designed to carry out high- employ effective counter-UAS means. sensors. The tricky part is that for combat risk reconnaissance missions and provide A particular feature of the evolving and vehicles, developers cannot use algorithms real-time data on operational condi- expanding drone market is that the UAVs already working well enough in commer- tions in the combat zone. According to come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and cial vehicles on laned roads. For off-road DefenseNews, the Netherlands and the functions. This includes tiny drones which terrain, however, many more difficulties UK have already expressed interest in the soldiers can quickly deploy for reconnais- arise, which include the need to construct project. sance and assessing the actual situation 3D surfaces, a large number of obstacles on the battlefield. In December 2020, the amid incomplete map data, the lack of road Ukrainian Innovations accepted into service the first markings and traffic rules. In the course batch of BUG mini drones weighing just of research, algorithms will be developed Ukraine has also been developing robotic 196 grams. A joint project by UAVTEK and to achieve effective performance of light military equipment, although such plat- BAE Systems, the mini drone has a flight tactical all-terrain vehicles at high speeds forms have not yet been officially adopt- range - without recharging - of up to 2 km in difficult terrain conditions with minimal ed by the Ukrainian army. However, re- and a battery life of up to 40 minutes. Its human intervention. searchers continue to search for solutions

58 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  toward an effective application of robotic platforms in real combat situations. The projects in question, developed by both private and state-owned defence firms, include an unmanned armoured person- nel carrier, PHANTOM, an unmanned ground vehicle, HUNTER, and a remote- controlled complex, CENTAUR.

Since 2018, the Robotics Design Bureau Photo: via author / Youtube Screenshot has been testing its HUNTER observation and strike vehicle in Ukraine. It boasts a silent operation, with no heat trails and uses AI to detect and recognise obsta- cles. Such features allow the system to be employed for the evacuation of wounded and for cargo delivery to the front line. In 2020, a video circulated on social media, shot at the Ukrainian military positions The new Ukrainian RSVK-M2 HUNTER unmanned ground vehicle in Donbas, showing a HUNTER approach undergoing tests in Eastern Ukraine enemy positions and firing a heavy ma- chine gun at fortified firing points at a m. Since the HUNTER is invisible through 500 kg, which specialises in transporta- range of 1,420 m and 1,200 m. There thermal imagers, it is able to discreetly tion, including of water, cargo and am- is no more information available about approach and get close to enemy posi- munition, as well as the evacuation of the features of the vehicle's practical use, tions. Also, following multiple tests in real wounded, rather than providing fire sup- but one of Ukraine’s Army's battalions combat conditions, the system has been port. A peculiar feature is that in combat has been testing the HUNTER in combat improved and modified many times since conditions, the vehicle is extremely hard conditions for several years already. 2016. to detect, while conventional vehicles of- According to HUNTER's developers, the The Ukraine-based A. Drones is devel- ten come under fire from anti-tank sys- machine is capable of firing at ranges oping the CENTAUR remote-controlled tems while delivering cargo to the front from several hundred metres to 2,400 complex with a maximum payload of line. Its prototype was the Israeli-made

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PROBOT, which is still used in the US and set to become a new reality in the near However, the widespread introduction of Israeli armed forces. future. By 2024, American troops are ex- robotic platforms in all armies should not Ukrainian companies began developing pected to accept for service, 624 robotic be expected anytime soon, since in many robotic platforms almost simultaneously mules by General Dynamics Land Systems countries, we still see a priority for years with other companies worldwide; what under the Small Multipurpose Equipment ahead for the purchase of conventional is needed now is an actual understand- Transports (SMET) programme. The first weapons, and for updating fleets of air- ing on the part of the government of the batch is expected to be delivered in the craft, ships, tanks and armoured vehicles. need for such systems to be supplied to second quarter of Fiscal Year 2021. Accordingly, a relatively small number of the army and used in combat. With of- According to Research and Markets, the state actors will be able to finance the de- ficial understanding regarding the role volume of the military robot market is velopment of robotic platforms and allow of robotic platforms in the structure of projected to grow from US$14.5Bn in themselves a serial purchase of new mod- the armed forces, government orders 2020 to US$24.2Bn by 2025. Among the els. Also, it will take a long until human op- will increase. In Ukraine, no such massive driving forces behind the market is the erators are withdrawn from final decision- demand for ground-based robotic plat- expanding use of UAVs and ground ro- making such as the order for opening fire. forms has been observed yet, since there bots in life-threatening missions. There are many issues still to be addressed is a pressing need to procure higher prior- While the effectiveness of UAVs has al- with respect to full robot autonomy apart ity types of military equipment required ready been repeatedly proven, including from technical ones, including legal and to defend Ukrainian territories. during the latest escalation in Nagorno- ethical problems. For example, how an er- Karabakh in November 2020, where the roneous attack on civilians might be pre- Perspectives for Unmanned Azerbaijani Army used a large number of vented, or how might a machine be taught Systems UAVs against Armenia's traditional-type to differentiate between a real threat and forces, a new trend is about the increas- a false one. Plenty of unresolved gaps also The situation regarding the purchase of ing use of unmanned ground vehicles. remain in the legal domain regarding the UAVs is much better today than before. If ground-based robotic platforms prove assessment of various situations that may However, it will be impossible to ignore this their effectiveness in the same way as arise from the use of robots. However, direction as such, since the more advanced UAVs, this could significantly reduce the this does not exclude that drones such as armies are increasingly focusing on robotic number of military personnel in general those used for reconnaissance and logis- platforms. For example, the massive use of and that of soldiers required on the bat- tics could become fully autonomous much robotic ground systems in the US Army is tlefield. sooner than the strike models. L Viewpoint from Copenhagen

Introvert, Eccentric, or Extrovert?

J. Bo Leimand Photo: via author

n Ines Geipel’s latest book “Umkämpfte Minister and had a sign declaring that she come engrossed in computer games and IZone” from May 2019, she writes that from should be executed. science literature. The extroverts, however, 2015, both the political setting and political This is quite unacceptable for all normal- hate to be limited in their freedoms, and climate have changed dramatically. When thinking Danes and the newspapers are if you deny them the space to be creative she wrote this and dedicated her book to now full of analyses and explanations and dynamic, you kill them softly. Home the changes in politics, she might not have about how this could have gone so far. office is poison for the extroverts as the been aware of the truth in those statement Three weeks before, the same protest social dimension of work is removed. and thereby the messages to us all sitting group had asked its members to gather Those people can see common sense in in the middle of a pandemic. But what we where doctors and nurses were living. The the actions to counter Covid-19, but after a witness today from Amsterdam, Berlin and purpose for calling that demonstration is year with less and less freedom and all the Copenhagen, is not at all pleasant, neither not clear, but one can only guess. restrictions, their patience has worn thin. from the side of the politicians nor from that The young men involved in the puppet in- The question remains as to whether those of the mob – to use an Americanism. cident are now in police custody and might people on the streets in Amsterdam, Berlin “Men In Black” is a new protest group in be charged with high treason. But at the and Copenhagen are extroverts or just a Denmark that wears black clothing while other end of the scale, some jet-setting mob. Or are they simply young people just demonstrating against the Danish Govern- people are travelling to Dubai or Ischgl, waiting for their first sentence to be put ment’s restrictions and the handling of the just to escape from the “pandemic prison”. on their CV? corona pandemic. On the group's Face- This has also caused an uproar amongst Personally, I don’t know, but I have a feeling book page, they write that they 'meet on Danes. In the middle of the spectrum, peo- that something has been boiling for some the streets for freedom'. The group also ple are reporting to the police when more time and the ordinary people have not been says that they do not deny that the corona- than five people gather at the same place in the focus of the elite both here in Den- virus exists, but that their struggle is about having fun. These people are now called mark and elsewhere. Geipel’s book is an how to deal with the pandemic. “the Corona Police”. Have we seen that eye-opener in respect to people’s behaviour Last weekend this group once again dem- before in our history? when they live under pressure, especially for onstrated on the streets of Copenhagen. It A well-known Danish psychiatrist, Henrik a long period of time. The pressure from the was a legal demonstration announced ac- Day Poulsen, Ph.D., is writing in the Dan- pandemic is just the trigger and maybe it is cording to the rules enshrined in our con- ish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that people time to re-invent the golden mean in Den- stitution. However, when the demonstra- can be categorised in three groups: the mark and start talking about this pandemic tion was ending, something went wrong. introvert, the extrovert, and the eccentric in a way that we might have to accustom A group of young men hung a puppet (“the nerds”). ourselves to living with it, in much the same from a lamppost, setting it on fire. The The introverts enjoy staying at home in way as Africa lives with malaria. puppet’s face was a picture of our Prime safety while the eccentrics can easily be- Life is dangerous after all – you risk dying.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 61  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Ground-Based Battlefield Laser Applications and Technology

Sidney E. Dean

For decades, laser systems have been considered the “weapons of the future”. Despite intense research in technologically and militarily advanced nations around the globe, they have yet to materialise as major offensive effectors.

attlefield laser applications to date Bhave largely focused on sensors, tar- geting systems, and suchlike. However, recent advances in energy management, optical systems, and miniaturisation have finally brought offensive and defensive bat- tlefield lasers nearer to fielding. Currently, the greatest interest for ground-based laser Photo: Dynetics/Lockheed Martin systems exists for countering unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) and for countering enemy rocket, artillery and mortar ord- nance (C-RAM), although other applica- tions are also being considered. Because of their superior energy efficiency and relatively compact size, solid-state la- sers display the greatest potential as tac- tical weapon systems, and have replaced both chemical lasers and solid-state slab lasers in military R&D programmes. A major advance came about with the realisation that tactically relevant High Energy Lasers (HELs) can more easily be achieved through Concept image of the 300 kW IFPC-HEL the process of Spectral Beam Combination (SBC). Instead of building a single laser ca- and has demonstrated the ability to mount mounted laser air defence pable of generating a tactically relevant a 20 kW class laser demonstrator on the system weapon for CUAS and C-RAM beam in the 30, 50 or 100 kW range, standard LANCE weapons turret of the missions. Utilising twin-mounted lasers numerous lasers with weaker output are BOXER IFV. As early as 2013, Rheinmetall in the “tens of kilowatt” range, IRON combined into one system; their individual demonstrated the ability to destroy three BEAM is understood to have an effective beams are coordinated to come together at jet-powered UAVs in one pass at a distance range of seven kilometres and be able to the same target point, thereby creating the of three kilometres using a 30 kW class HEL destroy a target within four to five sec- effect of a stronger weapon. mounted on a static Oerlikon SKYGUARD onds. IRON BEAM has been integrated air defence station; the same weapon de- into Rafael’s new CUAS Demonstrators and stroyed 82 mm mortar rounds at a range of system as a hard-kill option which was Prototypes 1,000 metres. In November 2020, the Ger- successfully demonstrated against multi- man MoD awarded Rheinmetall a contract ple manoeuvring targets in early 2020. In This technological progress has allowed to demonstrate a 20 kW laser for one year January 2020, the Israeli Defence Forces the construction of HEL technology dem- aboard a frigate, with a possible follow-on (IDF) announced that it had successfully onstrators and prototypes which point the phase on land. The DRAGONFIRE Directed tested a combined CUAS/C-RAM sys- way to future operational systems. Numer- Energy Weapon system under develop- tem, which it plans to deploy on fixed ous development and testing programmes ment for the British Armed Forces is pursu- and mobile platforms, as well as on an are currently in progress or planned on ing a similar route. The 50 kW laser jointly aerial platform. At the terrestrial level, the both sides of the Atlantic. These include developed by MDBA, Qinetiq, and Leon- IDF has operated Rafael’s THOR modular static deployment of lasers for point de- ardo is currently under evaluation aboard a weapon system for years. THOR, which fence, and deployment of laser weapon warship, but will also be consid- combines a 2 kW laser and a machine demonstrators on Infantry Fighting Vehi- ered for CUAS, C-RAM and missile defence gun on one mount, can be adapted for cles (IFVs) and trucks. for land forces. various armoured vehicles to detonate In Europe, Rheinmetall has been experi- In 2014, Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence IEDs, unexploded ordnance, and other menting with tactical lasers for a decade, Systems publicly introduced the vehicle- hazards at a safe distance.

62 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

US Army Set to Field Laser Weapons

The US Army plans to field major laser weapons within the next two years. In 2019, the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities Photo: Lockheed Martin and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) awarded rapid prototyping and contracts to accelerate fielding of combat-capable systems. “This is no longer a research effort or a demonstration effort. It is a strategic combat capability, and we are on the right path to get it in soldiers' hands," LTG L. N. Thurgood, US Army Director of Hyperson- ics, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Ac- quisition, declared in August 2019. There are currently two major programmes un- derway.

MMHEL/DE-MSHORAD In 2015, Lockheed Martin’s 30 kW ATHENA laser system disabled the The Multi-Mission High Energy Laser engine of a pickup truck. (MMHEL) programme is a technology mat- uration initiative to develop a prototype 50 kW Directed Energy effector for the Ma- noeuvre SHOrt Range Air Defense mission (DE-MSHORAD). The laser will augment other weapons deployed on the designat- ed MSHORAD platform. MSHORAD seeks to defend combat brigades from UAVs and Photo: Rheinmetall Defence provide a limited C-RAM capability. Addi- tionally, the system will be evaluated for the capability to engage manned helicopters and low-flying fixed-wing aircraft. Depend- ing on the complexity of the target and the desired effect on the target, the actually- deployed power can be dialled up or down along a sliding scale. The turret-mounted system consists of a 50 kW class ruggedized fibre-optic laser, a Rheinmetall concept of a future point defence system incorporating lasers stabilised beam control system, infrared ac- quisition and targeting sensors, a modular battle-management system with optional manual, semi-automatic and automatic op- erating modes, and a laser cooling system. Energy generation and storage infrastruc-

ture is integrated in the carrier vehicle. The Photo: Credit: Rheinmetall DE-MSHORAD system requires a three- person crew. The average cost per kill is estimated at US$30, less than conventional ordnance, and much less than air-defence missiles. In July 2019, Northrop Grumman and Ray- theon were selected as competing contrac- tors for the MMHEL development. For this competition, both firms are acting as sub- contractors for Huntsville (Alabama) based In February 2019, Rheinmetall concluded testing of a lightweight Kord Technologies, which acts as prime weapon station capable of mounting a 100 kW laser weapon. contractor for the MMHEL/DE-SHORAD project. The competing prototypes will ing the competition in order to guarantee units of the winning prototype. These will be evaluated in combat-realistic scenarios maximum soldier input into the evaluation be field tested together with the proto- against a variety of targets in May 2021 at process. type, aboard four STRYKER IFVs forming Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The prototypes will be After down-selection to one contractor, one operational platoon. All four units operated by soldiers, not contractors, dur- the Army will acquire three additional will be combat capable. This operational

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 63  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY

evaluation phase will begin in 2022 and will constitute the first deployment of a laser weapon system by a US Army com-

Photo: MBDA UK bat unit. When serial production begins, DE-MSHORADS will be assigned to com- bat brigades together with MSHORAD STRYKERs armed with automatic guns and STINGER missiles to ensure a full range of force protection capabilities.

IFPC-HEL

The Indirect Fire Protection Capability - High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) initiative is running approximately two years behind MMHEL, but promises to deliver a much more powerful weapon. It is based on the Army’s truck-mounted High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL-TVD), which began in 2012 as a 10 kW system and which passed critical design review The DRAGONFIRE laser demonstrator mounted on a truck as a 100 kW system in November 2019. HEL-TVD officially transitioned to the IFPC-HEL programme in January 2019, with the goal of fielding a 100 kW sys- tem. Recent technological breakthroughs prompted the Pentagon to revise its goals in January 2020, transitioning the HEL- TVD to the IFPC-HEL programme and raising its sights to the development of a 250-300 kW class objective weapon; ultimately the target could double again, Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems leading to an aspirational weapon in the 600 kW class at some point. To achieve the 300 kW goal, the Army will leverage laser weapon technology developed by the US Navy and central agencies of the Department of Defense. "The Army's Di- rected Energy strategy leverages proven technologies that exist today," said Dr. Craig Robin, the RCCTO's Directed En- ergy Project Office lead. "Our task is to Rafael’s DRONE DOME CUAS system includes a laser hard-kill option. increase capability by scaling those tech- nologies to rapidly deliver prototypes with residual combat capability." Lockheed Martin has been tasked with developing the laser, which Dy- netics will integrate onto an Oshkosh 10-wheel Palletized Load System (PLS) truck. While the PLS is off-road capable, IFPC-HEL will be much less manoeuvra- ble, and with less protection than the STRYKER-based DE-MSHORAD. Accord- Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems ingly, it is intended to provide 360-de- gree protection to fixed and semi-fixed sites, defending against rockets, artillery and mortars; unmanned aerial systems; rotary and fixed-wing threats; and, ac- cording to the Army, against “more stressing threats.” This ambiguous term presumably refers to cruise missiles, as Rafael’s THOR add-on system for armoured and up-armoured vehicles the Pentagon has identified 300 kW as uses high-energy lasers to provide rapid route clearance and neutralise the minimum strength laser capable of explosive hazards defeating cruise missiles.

64 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 Photo: Northrop Grumman Concept study of the STRYKER-mounted Directed Energy Maneuvre SHORAD system

The 300 kW IFPC-HEL weapon is expected Laser Contract Award for MBDA and Rheinmetall to be ready for demonstration in 2022. The Army's goal is to deliver four combat-capa- (jr) Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technol- ble lasers, integrated on tactical vehicles, ogy and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded a consortium consisting of for operational testing by a platoon in Fiscal MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition a contract to build, inte- Year 2024. Once fully operational, IFPC-HEL grate and support the testing of a laser weapon demonstrator in the maritime will be teamed with missile and microwave- environment. The order value is in the low double-digit million euro range. armed trucks to provide a full spectrum de- Work will be shared on a roughly equal basis. MBDA Deutschland is responsible fence to command centres, expeditionary for tracking, the operator’s console and linking the laser weapon demonstra- bases, radars and other vital sites. However, tor to the command-and-control system. Rheinmetall is in charge of the laser this will not be the end state. The Pentagon weapon station, the beam guiding system, cooling and integration of the laser has identified the next goal as the develop- weapon system into the project container of the laser source demonstrator. The ment of 500-600 kW class lasers, eventually demonstrator is to be built, tested and integrated by the end of the 2021. Trials followed by megawatt class systems. on board the frigate F124 SACHSEN are to take place in 2022. A breakthrough development in the history of defence technology, lasers en- Future Technology and gage targets at the speed of light, operating with great precision and producing Applications Outlook very little collateral damage. One thing is clear: once offensive and defensive laser effectors become widely available for battlefield applications, they will augment kinetic weaponry, Image: MBDA not replace it. Lasers have clear advan- tages in some areas, such as speed of engagement or “deep magazines”; they also have vulnerabilities such as limited effective range or degradation due to atmospheric conditions. Missiles and ra- dar-guided guns stand out in this regard. Point-defence and mobile laser weapons will provide extra layers of force protec- tion and offensive capacity – with the caveat that sophisticated opponents will be fielding equivalent weapons. Tactical advantages will be transient as one side or the other upgrades its technology. Ultimately, laser effectors will become standard weaponry, and will constitute simply one more element of the continu- ing tactical arms race. L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 65

The Brussels Backdrop

EU and NATO – Photo: author A Synchronised New Approach to Transatlantic Partnership?

Hans Uwe Mergener

ith the outcome of the American outlined intentions for an “EU-US dia- be reflected in its approach to digital and Wpresidential election, a rarely per- logue on security and defence” to pro- climate policy. [On a sidenote: to this end, ceived synergy is emerging between the mote a safer, more democratic, and a the Brussels EU summit took a landmark Brussels suburb of Evere, where NATO is more prosperous world must of course decision: by 2030, greenhouse gas emis- headquartered, and the Schuman-Place, involve NATO. On 10-11 December, the sions are to be reduced by at least 55 per around which the EU Council and Commis- emphasized the strate- cent below the 1990 level.] Asked about sion buildings are clustered. It goes so far gic importance of a renewed relationship strategic autonomy, High Representative that NATO Secretary General Jens Stolten- with the US. European heads of state and Josep Borrell becomes almost mischievous berg attended a meeting of the College government want to open a new door in – in a good sense – by painting the op- of Commissioners, a weekly get-together relations with the USA, and supported posite which is: dependency, only to end of the Commission’s presidents and direc- the identified key areas of the agenda: up with Europe’s economic sovereignty. tors – described as historic by both sides. It the fight against coronavirus, economic Strategic autonomy is what makes Europe was mainly about synchronising the new recovery, climate change, technology, more resilient in terms of digital economy, approach to the transatlantic partnership. trade, multilateralism and shared values, the role of the Euro as a global currency, en- At their conference on 1-2 December and the promotion of democracy, peace ergy, climate and international trade. One 2020, NATO’s foreign ministers agreed and security. Simultaneously, they wel- of many lessons learned in the course of to plan for a NATO summit in the first comed the full participation of the EU in the COVID-19 crisis. half of 2021 – and not just as a gesture to the President-elect’s proposed summit What does this autonomy mean for de- Washington’s new White House resident. for democracy as it may create a new mo- fence and security? How can the EU shape Formally, it is about the starting signal mentum for closer cooperation between its global ambition? Should nuclear deter- for a new Strategic Concept of the Alli- the EU and ‘Biden’s America’. rence in Europe remain American or be- ance. After an initial review of the report In the meantime, an attempt was made come European, or be dispensed with al- of the so-called Reflection Group, filed at Schuman to pacify the semantic dispute together? These principal questions are on to counter allegations of being brainless, about the strategic autonomy of Europe- the table, at least for shaping NATO’s new ministers convened to start the process ans, which culminated in a harsh exchange Strategic Concept. There is talk – not very for its elaboration. While this mandate between French President Macron and flattering – in Brussels of a “typical Ger- can only be given by the heads of state Germany’s Defence Minister Kramp-Kar- man approach”: words and deeds in for- and government, a NATO summit would renbauer. As Charles Michel, the EU Coun- eign policy, especially in European defence offer a decent occasion for Joe Biden’s cil President, underlined: it is about more policy, are not in harmony. Berlin is not only first trip abroad. than the military dimension of strategic judged by its pecuniary contribution com- Coincidentally, on 2 December the EU autonomy. Upon our request, he said in a pared to its pledges, but also on the trial Commission presented an “EU-US Agen- press briefing: strategic autonomy encom- balloons it launched and which have since da for Global Change” encompassing passes all areas of life. The EU must position fizzled out, such as the protection zone in proposals for concrete initiatives such as itself more robustly and reduce its depend- northern Syria, a mission in the Strait of an EU-US Trade and Technology Council, encies, which have just become apparent. Hormuz, a European Security Council, a for an intensified transatlantic dialogue The relations with China also need to be Franco-German aircraft carrier, and a UN on the responsibility of online platforms re-calibrated, and not only because of fair Security Council with an EU seat. The state and big tech, and an agreement on ar- play in economic and trade relations. Ulti- of the Bundeswehr also fuels doubts about tificial intelligence (AI). Obviously, the mately, Europe’s independence must also Germany’s ambition and reality.

66 European Security & Defence · 2/2021

EU and NATO – Photo: NATO A Synchronised New Approach to Transatlantic Partnership?

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the December 2020 meeting of the in Foreign Minister`s session took place via teleconference.

In defence issues or security policy mat- by Russia and Ukraine (transport), is criti- What stays is the fact that Brussels will ters, Europeans continue to face chal- cally questioned. be the scene of a summit in the next lenges regardless of Germany’s position- Even EU parliamentarians agree that the six months – some say in early 2021. ing. Cases like the dispute over the mari- EU must intensify its efforts towards The synergy between the organisations time borders in the eastern Mediterrane- more autonomy in security and defence gives cause for optimism. Is it not a sign an or Libya could serve as a test case of policy matters. But as long as they do not of alignment as Secretary General Jens “strategic autonomy”. The ability to act manage to carry these convictions from Stoltenberg put the emerging process in the immediate neighbourhood must the walls of their Brussels and Strasbourg under the motto: “NATO 2030 – United be demonstrated. The current example parliamentary buildings to their home for a New Era”? What remains to be is Nagorno-Karabakh. The fact that ca- countries, they could just remain speech seen is the extent and the dynamics of pability gaps in EU operations are filled bubbles, not to talk about hypocrisy. the EU to join in. Maybe the new US by other states, like Turkey in the case of Which leads to the assumption that stra- President’s envisaged trip may offer the EUFOR “Althea”, the stabilisation opera- tegic autonomy may be a meaningless first opportunity to venture an assess- tion in , or even slogan, at least in this policy area. ment.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 67  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Satellite Navigation – Is this just Phantasy?

Thomas Withington

In the wake of Brexit, the British Government vowed to develop its own satellite navigation system upon losing access to secure parts of the EU’s Galileo constellation. Were London’s plans an escape from reality?

n September 2020, while much of the Iworld’s attention was understandably focused on the continuing Covid-19 pan- demic the British government shelved plans to develop its own GNSS (Global Naviga- tion Satellite System) constellation. Loss of Photo: Thomas Withington access to the secure signal from the Euro- pean Union’s (EU) Galileo GNSS network, which the UK would have benefitted from by virtue of being an EU member effectively ended once the then Prime Minister The- resa May triggered Article-50, the formal process for the UK to leave the EU on 29 March 2017.

Galileo

Galileo is a flagship EU project worth al- most US$12Bn. It involves scores of Euro- pean firms like Airbus, OHB and ThalesAle- Scores of British military platforms like the AgustaWestland/Leonardo niaSpace, and employs thousands. After AH-64D/E APACHE Longbow/GUARDIAN attack helicopters used by the two testbed satellites, GIOVE-A/B, were British Army Air Corps can use the encrypted M-Code transmitted by the launched using TSSKB-Progress SOYUZ-FG US Department of Defense's GPS constellation. rockets from the Baikonur Kosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan on 28 December Navigation and Timing (PNT) for navigation ognised as having a particular encryption 2005 and 26 April 2008, a further 24 sat- and targeting. The coding used by the PRS the receiver rejects it, and hence the jam- ellites were launched between 21 October transmissions helps safeguard against elec- ming or spoofing will not work. Users in 2011 and 25 July 2018. All these launches tronic attack. the UK can still access unencrypted Galileo were performed with either SOYUZ ST- Methods of electronic attack against PNT transmissions, but Brexit prevents the UK B or Airbus ARIANE-5ES rockets from the signals can include straightforward jam- accessing the secure PRS signals. Guiana European Space Agency spaceport ming by which a more powerful signal is in French Guiana, South America. transmitted across the same frequencies Let Me Go! The Galileo constellation began to transmit as those transmitted by a particular GNSS GNSS signals on 15 December 2016, reach- system in a specific area in the hope that By the time the UK’s referendum result ing a full operational capability three years this will drown out the latter transmissions. had forced it out of Galileo’s secure ele- later. Galileo transmits two signal types, a Alternatively, spoofing will sample, manip- ments the country had already contributed publicly available signal providing an accu- ulate and transmit similar GNSS signals to around US$1.5Bn to the initiative. In August racy of up to one metre (three feet) and those being received in a specific area. This 2018, Mrs May’s government pledged circa an encrypted signal reportedly providing could alter the signal’s waveform in such US$122M to study the development of a 10mm of accuracy. The latter, known as a fashion as to produce false information UK sovereign GNSS system to provide a se- the Public Regulated Service (PRS), is at the in GNSS receivers in a given locale. Spoof- cure encrypted signal. On the surface, a UK heart of Galileo’s encrypted communica- ing can be achieved by manipulating the GNSS constellation which was nicknamed tions. The reported accuracy of the PRS is transmission’s time signature or frequency Newton after Sir Isaac Newton, the Eng- ideal for military users who need Precision to convince a GNSS receiver that the plat- lish polymath, had attractions. Neither the form or person it equips is moving at a par- US nor the EU could switch off the signal Author ticular speed or in a particular direction, depriving the British military of secure PNT albeit false. signals if the country became embroiled in Thomas Withington is an independ- Coded GNSS transmissions help to avoid a controversial war. Secondly, developing a ent electronic warfare, radar and mili- this as the GNSS receiver will only accept GNSS capability would revitalise the British tary communications specialist based transmissions, which meet certain encryp- space sector no doubt having spin-offs into in France. tion requirements and will reject all others. other areas of space exploration and non- Thus, unless the GNSS transmission is rec- space high technology sectors.

68 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

Brexit will bar UK from EU Sat-Nav pro- gramme, but Britain could build its own’ written by Ann Swift, innovation fellow at the University of Portsmouth, southern England, stated that building a sovereign GNSS constellation could set the UK back a minimum of US$6.5Bn. There is every chance that such costs could increase at precisely the moment when the UK will be experiencing a ‘double whammy’ eco- nomic contraction as a result of the dam- age wrought by the Covid-19 epidemic and Brexit.

Photo: SSTL No Escape from Reality Surrey Satellite Technology was heavily involved in the secure element of the Galileo constellation. Members of the UK space industry are To put matters into perspective, an as- concerned that the lack of access to this part of the initiative could sessment in early December by the Or- cause it to lose key skills. ganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development intergovernmental China and the USA could develop and run projects in the space, defence and aviation organisation forecast that the UK econ- their respective Beidou and GPS constel- domains, Europeans realised that the only omy will have contracted by 6.4 percent lations because they are both rich. Russia way it could address the cost and com- by the third quarter of 2020. Even the developed GLONASS to keep sovereignty plexity of developing a GNSS constellation most optimistic scenario published by over GNSS provision but as an ‘illiberal was to pool resources. With the UK out the Office of Budget Responsibility, an democracy’ overt and widespread public of the club, there are serious questions as official financial watchdog monitoring criticism of the exorbitant US$13Bn that to whether developing a sovereign GNSS UK public spending does not expect UK the system is thought to have cost, ac- capability is financially feasible? Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to recov- cording to the Russian Beyond media or- Developing a UK GNSS system would not er to 2020 levels until late 2022/early ganisation, is unlikely. Like many big-ticket be cheap. An article entitled ‘Galileo Row! 2023 at the earliest.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION SECURITY & DEFENCE

7-10 June 2021 Abidjan / Côte d’Ivoire

République de Côte d’Ivoire Ministère de la Sécurité www.shieldafrica.com et de la Protection Civile #shieldafrica2021 Masthead European Security & Defence Issue 2/2021, February 2021 Meanwhile, Brexit looks set to be the ‘gift that keeps on giving’ ISSN 1617-7983 · www.euro-sd.com with this also making its presence felt on the UK’s future financial Published by health. Analytical firm IHS Markit forecast that sans the economic Mittler Report Verlag GmbH fallout from Covid-19 and assuming a deal between the UK and A company of the TAMM Media Group the EU on their future trading relationship, that UK GDP would enjoy a ten percent increase on levels seen in February 2020 by the fourth quarter 2025. Factoring in Covid-19 and assuming a deal Publisher and Managing Editor: Stephen Barnard (sb) between the EU and UK, the news is still bad. The best the UK can Editor-in-Chief: Jürgen Hensel (jh) hope for is to reach a level of GDP similar that that seen in Febru- Editorial Staff: Rolf Clement (rc, Political Affairs), Waldemar Geiger (wg, Infantry, ary 2020 by the fourth quarter of 2025. Assuming that no deal is Industry), Gerhard Heiming (gwh, News, Land Forces), Rolf Hilmes (rh, Army Technol- reached between the EU and UK, a scenario looking increasingly ogy), Hans-Uwe Mergener (hum, Naval Forces), Ulrich Renn (ure, Air Forces) likely as of late December 2020, the best the UK can hope for Online Editor and Webmaster www.euro-sd.com: Jack Richardson (jr) is a level of GDP ten percent lower than that seen in February Copy Editor: Christian Kanig (ck) 2020. This begs the question not only as to whether a sovereign Regional Correspondents GNSS constellation for the UK is desirable, but more importantly Belgium/EU/NATO: Joris Verbeurgt, Brazil: Roberto Guimarães de Carvalho, whether it is affordable? Forking out on an expensive satellite Denmark: J. Bo Leimand, France: David Saw, Georgia: Beka Kiria, India: capability could risk be seen as a barely-disguised vanity project of Suman Sharma, Israel: Tamir Eshel, Italy: Luca Peruzzi, Japan: Shinichi Kiyotani, The Netherlands: Jaime Karremann, Poland: Michał Jarocki, Portugal: António questionable necessity by sections of the British electorate. Brás Monteiro, Russian Federation: Yury Laskin, Spain: Esteban Villarejo, Taiwan, In July 2020, in conjunction with Bharti Global the British govern- North & East Asia: JD Kitsch, Turkey: Korhan Özkilinc, UK: Christopher Foss, ment took a US$500M stake in OneWeb, an ailing communica- Tim Guest, Ukraine: Alex Horobets, USA: Sidney Dean, Chet Nagle tions company. OneWeb had plans to develop and launch a con- Layout: stellation of small satellites with a launch mass of 150 kilograms CREATIV.CONSULTING GmbH, Germany (330 pounds) which would provide internet access anywhere on Production: Lehmann Offsetdruck GmbH the planet using Ku-band (13.4 gigahertz/GHz to 14GHz/15.7GHz 22848 Norderstedt, Germany to 17.7GHz) frequencies. Initially, OneWeb planned a constellation of 650 satellites, of which it had launched 74 at the time of its Office Address: Mittler Report Verlag GmbH bankruptcy. Plans were afoot to eventually increase the constella- Beethovenallee 21, 53173 Bonn, Germany tion to 48,000 spacecraft. Phone.: +49 228 35 00 870, Fax: +49 228 35 00 871 [email protected], www.mittler-report.de The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that the govern- ment had bought a stake in OneWeb with a view to using the Managing Directors: Peter Tamm, Thomas Bantle firm’s technology as the basis for a sovereign GNSS capability. Advertising, Marketing and Business Development OneWeb’s use of small satellites does provide financial benefits in Stephen Barnard reducing launch costs compared to conventional satellites given Phone: +49 228 35 00 886, Mobile: +44 7984 033154 [email protected] that the former use up less space and mass in a rocket than the Stephen Elliott latter. To put matters into perspective, ballpark figures state that Phone: +49 228 35 00 872, Mobile: +49 1590 173 0346 a satellite can cost circa US$2,500 per kilogram (2.2lb) to send [email protected] into orbit. Thus, a OneWeb satellite can be sent aloft for circa Waldemar Geiger Phone: +49 228 35 00 887 US$375,000. This compares very favourably with the US$1.8M re- [email protected] quired for a Galileo-FOC satellite weighing in at 1,612lb (732.8kg). Jürgen Hensel Given that small satellites are less expensive to build, launch and Phone: +49 228 35 00 876, Mobile: +49 176 2386 3904 operate than their conventional equivalents, the logic is that more [email protected] Dr. Andreas Himmelsbach of them can be placed into orbit, providing global coverage at a Phone: +49 228 35 00 877 competitive cost. Over the long term, it was mooted that the UK [email protected] could use OneWeb’s technology to launch multitudes of small Advertising Representative, Russia & CIS: satellites into a low earth orbit, typically at altitudes of up to 1,080 Laguk Co., Yury Laskin, General Director nautical miles (2000 kilometres) that could carry some form of Krasnokholmskaya Nab., 11/15, 132, RF-109172 Moscow, Russian Federation PNT payload. These could be satellites designed solely to carry a Phone: +7-495-911-1340, Fax: +7-495-912-1260, Email: [email protected] PNT payload or have a PNT payload ‘piggy backing’ onto future Exhibition Management and Advertising Administration: Renate Herrmanns OneWeb birds launched to carry global internet services. Advertising Accounting: Sabine Rump Subscription/Reader Service: Open Your Eyes PressUp GmbH, PO Box 70 13 11, 22013 Hamburg, Germany Is such a sovereign capability necessary for the UK? Probably not. Phone: +49 40 38 66 66-319, Fax: +49 40 386666-299 Civilian and commercial users in the UK and elsewhere depend Email: [email protected] on GNSS provision for an array of services. These services are not European Security & Defence, © 2021 Mittler Report Verlag GmbH only necessary to give you directions in your car, but they help de- The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. liveries to be made safely and on time and are even used beyond All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior transport to provide precise timing for a myriad of users. written permission of the publisher in Bonn. Returning to our high school mathematics lessons navigation is Cover photo: Italian Air Force a matter of calculating distance over time. For this, you need to know where you are, where you are going and how long it is tak- Annual subscription rate: €82.50 incl. postage ing you to get there. This is where timing comes in. GNSS satellites Reduced annual subscription rate for national distribution in Germany: each carry several atomic clocks. Time signals are superimposed €64.90 incl. postage onto the GNSS signals sent back to Earth. According to the www.

70 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  Photo: Airbus The UK purchased a large stake in OneWeb in the wake of her loss of access to the secure aspects of Galileo. However, the practicality of harnessing OneWeb’s satellite technology to develop a sovereign GNSS constellation is a matter for debate. gps.gov website, the time signal transmit- value later when their price recovers. In es- to deliberate interference over the past ted by the GPS constellation is sufficiently sence, HFT greatly accelerates the usual dy- few years. This resilience is only likely to accurate for anyone using a GNSS receiver namics of trading in stocks and shares, yet deepen in the future as the US Depart- to determine the time within 100 billionths it does so at much higher speeds than the ment of Defence continues investments of a second. pace of business once seen on frenetic trad- into the M-Code’s integrity. Time signals provided by GNSS constel- ing floors, hence the imperative for precisely lations are not only used for navigation. controlled timing mechanisms. Face the Truth Banks and businesses use GNSS time signals Traders and other commercial and civilian to mark and track transactions. Every time users in the UK do not necessarily need a Given that the UK gets access to M-Code you make a credit card purchase the time sovereign GNSS to exploit the timing sig- and will continue to have access to un- of the transaction is noted on your receipt. nals provided by Galileo and other GNSS encrypted civilian GNSS signals from a This may well be derived from a signal sent constellations. As the UK will not lose ac- plethora of constellations why has there from space. One notable application is High cess to the constellation’s unencrypted been such a fandango in the UK about her Frequency Trading (HFT). This has nothing transmissions its population can continue leaving the Galileo initiative? Dr. Bleddyn to do with radio wavebands, but everything to use Galileo alongside GPS, Beidou or Bowen, a lecturer in international relations to do with making cash. HFT uses sophisti- GLONASS for precise timing. Meanwhile, at the University of Leicester and an expert cated algorithms to track particular stocks the UK military gets access to the all-im- on space policy, argues that much of the and then to buy and sell at precisely the right portant encrypted M-Code PNT transmis- controversy was the result of concerns by moment before the price of the stock gets sions from the United States’ GPS constel- the UK’s space industry. As noted above, too high or two low. For example, you may lation. Access to Galileo would be nice as the British government had already contrib- have a large institutional investor like a pen- a back-up for the UK in case she ever loses uted US$1.5Bn to Galileo before it left the sion fund which decides to sell off millions access to M-Code, although this is highly project. Likewise, suppliers in the UK were of shares in a particular stock when traders unlikely given the close nature of the UK’s involved in the development of hardware managing the fund believe that the stock defence relationship with America. Like- and software for the project. For example, is losing value. This will cause the value of wise, a back-up option would be useful Surrey Satellite Technology helped build the stock to decrease. As it is declining HFT if for any reason the M-Code becomes navigation payloads for the satellites. Dr. software might buy the shares as they lose unavailable through deliberate electronic Bowen says that the British government is value. This is done in the hope that a trader attack. That said, the militarised GPS sig- concerned that with its participation in Gal- will be able to sell the shares price at a higher nal has shown itself to be highly resilient ileo at an end the UK may lose skills in niche technologies. Industry, meanwhile, is wor- ried that it will be unable to compete for fu- ture Galileo contracts from the EU: “Twelve percent of the work on Galileo was done by UK companies, and most of that was in sensitive security grade work,” Dr. Bow- en observed. There is nothing to say that the UK will not develop some kind of PNT Photo: European Space Agency service at some point in the future, as she explores alternatives to a space-based sov- ereign GNSS constellation. Nonetheless, with a serious economic downtown on the horizon because of Brexit and Covid-19, this is unlikely to happen soon. Thus, there is every chance that parts of the UK space industry could join numerous other sectors While the UK will lose access to the encrypted signals from the Galileo of British manufacturing which will strongly satellites because of Brexit, the country will be able to continue to use feel the economic fallout from Brexit for unencrypted transmissions. many years to come. L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 71  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY CBRN Reconnaissance: Obsolete or Omnipresent?

Dan Kaszeta

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance is one of the component disciplines of military CBRN defence. Reconnaissance - recce or recon, depending on one’s geography - sits alongside protection, detection, medical treatment, and decontamination as one of the pillars of CBRN defence. The classical missions of CBRN recce units and vehicles are to verify if CBRN attacks have taken place, charac- terise and map the perimeter of contaminated areas, and conduct route reconnaissance to check for CBRN hazards.

hroughout the Cold War era, CBRN Trecce technology lagged behind the actual doctrine. In reality, in the 1950s and 1960s, it was RN recce as portable radiation detection technology was more Photo: Rheinmetall advanced, cheaper, and more available than comparable chemical or biologi- cal detection. Much CBRN recce doc- trine evolved out of the tactical nuclear battlefield – the idea that radioactive contamination from use of battlefield nuclear weapons needed to be tracked and monitored. It was only in the 1970s that technology for chemical detection passed beyond the rudimentary stage. Even to this day, the capability to conduct biological recce is largely notional.

The Classical CBRN Platform

The classical CBRN recon platform was usu- The Rheinmetall FOX vehicle was a major change in CBRN recce capability. ally a lightly armed and armoured vehicle, often a variant of an existing recce vehicle The Success of the FOX A Shrinking Niche platform. For much of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and its allies used the BRDM- The tail end of the Cold War coincided with In broad terms, the niche filled by CBRN 2Rkh variant of their ubiquitous BRDM great improvements in chemical detection. recce vehicles is shrinking for several recce vehicle. CBRN variants of the BRDM A sea change came with the German FUCHS reasons. Overall, many countries have still serve in many parts of the world. The reconnaissance vehicle, first fielded in a much smaller conventional force struc- US Army used Jeeps and M113 APCs, gen- CBRN recce variant in the 1980s in Germany. tures, and smaller fleets of combat ve- erally without much specialty equipment Originally from Daimler-Benz (DE) and thence hicles. Armies that once had scope for installed in them, until the very end of the from Rheinmetall MAN and equipped with a specialty CBRN recce vehicles in a large Cold War. As late as 1993, training slides at mass spectrometer and other sophisticated Cold War era force structure have smaller US Army Chemical School showed soldiers detection equipment, the FUCHS CBRN ve- infrastructures that support fewer types leaning off the back ramp of an M113 with hicle (rebranded the FOX in US service) was and varieties of combat vehicles. Budg- detector paper on a wooden stick as an a major change in capability. The chemical ets are smaller and the CBRN threat is actual technique. warfare panic in the first saw the not as closely felt as it may have been in FUCHS pressed into service in various west- previous decades. With tighter budgets, Author ern militaries. At one point, about 120 were CBRN funds may get spent on measures in service in the US Army. 11 were bought by for overall force protection. Upgrading Dan Kaszeta is Managing Director at the UK, retired in 2011, and brought back out masks, or upgrading detection at the Strongpoint Security Ltd. and a regu- retirement in 2014. Norway, Netherlands, unit level, or upgrading decontamination lar contributor to ESD. Kuwait, and the UAE have used the FUCHS capability may take precedence over spe- CBRN recce vehicle. cialty vehicles.

72 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY 

An important aspect of CBRN recce is that technical developments in both point and stand-off chemical detection actually pose some fundamental challenges to the con- Photo: US Army cept of the traditional CBRN recce vehicle. Chemical and radiological detection devices continue to get better. Vitally, they are get- ting smaller and cheaper. The US DOD JCAD programme, won by Smiths Detection (UK) prompted a fundamental change in chemi- cal warfare detection. The JCAD series, also fielded commercially by Smiths as the LCD, is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than previ- ous generations of detectors. The Canberra (now part of Mirion) UDR-13 occupies a simi- lar space in radiation. The Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV) is the The US JCAD forces one to rethink the en- CBRN recce configuration of the STRYKER infantry APC. tire concept of CBRN recce. The numbers of JCADs fielded in the US military are stagger- However, despite all of this, there are some for the Swiss Army. Thales also developed ing. If every infantry squad and every combat products marketed in this space. In Europe, its ICAS 2 system around UK police require- vehicle is fitted out with chemical detection KMW (GE) holds a spot in this market seg- ments, but it could be useful in some military of reasonably high quality, then practically ment with the MUNGO vehicle and the settings as well. FNSS (Turkey) has entered every manoeuvre unit can be a CBRN recce DINGO vehicle. Both of these are specifi- into this space with its PARS 6x6 CBRN recce team. Similar advances in data connectivity cally marketed for the CBRN recce vehicle vehicle, first seen at exhibitions in 2015. The and communications have been fielded and role. The KMW BOXER vehicle is also of- PARS looks and feels like an attempt to emu- now the entire battlefield can have sensors ten cited as a possible candidate for CBRN late the Fuchs. India has its own homegrown proliferated around it. Chemical recce as a recce missions and has appeared on and NBC recce vehicle produced by DRDO, and it specific mission set and as a type of vehicle off as a suggestion in this space. Rhein- is a rare tracked entry in a market dominated now occupies a narrow niche in militaries metall MAN still produces the FUCHS as a by wheeled vehicles. that can embrace this new approach. flagship product in this space. Their “Light The major US programme in this arena is CBRN Reconnaissance Vehicle” is geared the M1135 Stryker, by General Dynamics Is there a Market? towards the civil responder market. Patria Land Systems (USA). This is a dedicated and Environics (both Finland) offer vehicles CBRN recce version of the Stryker family For all of these reasons, the market space and systems, respectively, in this space. of combat vehicles. Several hundred are for CBRN recce vehicles is not a particu- Saab (Sweden) has had a “CBRNe Recce Ve- believed to be in service, although in 2013 larly deep field. Some significant effort has hicle” on the market for nearly a decade, the US Army reduced the size of its overall gone into component upgrades for existing based on the now decade old “Automated buy. Significant phased upgrades to the vehicles. Indeed, one could have made a Warning and Reporting System”. Indeed, M1135’s systems are planned in the 2020s. whole career out of USA M93 FOX vehicle the AWRS can be grafted on to other ve- upgrades. The British Army announced in hicles. Kuwait has bought Saab systems for Outlook October 2020 a £16M contract with Rhein- CBRN recce. Thales (FR), as can be expected, metall BAE Systems Land for upgrades to also plays in this market niche. The Swiss The future in this space may actually be its small FUCHS fleet. This likely signals that branch of Thales produced a CBRN recce more interesting than the gradual shrink- no major new CBRN recce vehicles are go- variant of the MOWAG Piranha IIIC. It is be- age of the recce vehicle market. Continued ing to be procured soon in the UK market. lieved that 11 such vehicles were produced proliferation of sensors and data around the battlefield improve “situational aware- ness.” There is no impediment to this revo- lution in battlefield surveillance including

Photo: KMW CBRN sensors spread far and wide, thus possibly alleviating many of the original re- quirements for CBRN recce. Similarly, the revolution in unmanned sys- tems and standoff detection may push CBRN recce into the skies and onto small unmanned ground systems. The inherent danger of CBRN environments makes un- manned solutions desirable. Further, few commanders want to confront the para- dox of sending out lightly armoured CBRN recce troops in front of the main battle force. The prospect of useful remote sens- The MUNGO CBRN recce vehicle enables N/C detection and preliminary iden- ing, possibly by UAV, means that the days tification of NBC agents and comparable industrial hazardous substances. It of CBRN recce teams and vehicles may be can also be used to monitor contamination and document its extent. limited. L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 73  ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY The Impact of Secure Tactical Video Transmission

How Secure Tactical Video Transmission Impacted the Second John Antal Nagorno-Karabakh War

n 27 September 2020, a short and Odecisive war in the Caucasus erupted that provides a glimpse of wars to come. Azerbaijan and Armenia clashed in a con- flict in rough, mountainous terrain that lasted 44 days and ended in Armenia’s surrender and Azerbaijan’s triumph. The battlespace was the area of Nagorno-

Karabakh, the contested region between Photo: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis executed their version of cross-domain manoeuvre to win a rapid and decisive vic- tory against a defending and determined adversary. To achieve this, the Azerbaijanis invested a reported US$24Bn to upgrade their forces, purchasing the latest Turk- ish and Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Loitering Munitions (LMs). The effective use by Azerbaijan of these An Azerbaijani HAROP Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) detonates over weapons in the war was stunning. The an Armenian T-72 Tank as another UAV flies to a target to the left. unrelenting tempo, precision, and lethality of the Azerbaijani aerial top-attacks dev- Sensor-Shooter Integration UAVs, LMs, artillery, rockets, and smart anti- astated and demoralized the Armenians tank guided missiles (ATGM), such as the and played a definitive role in Azerbaijan’s The first phase of the Azerbaijani effort was Israeli-made Spike ATGM system. While the victory. These systems did not win the to employ their newly acquired high-tech TB2 UAV identified Armenian forces in the war by themselves, and UAVs have been UAVs and LMs, in addition to conventional designated strike zone, LMs circled autono- over-hyped in many press accounts of the artillery and rockets, to take down the Ar- mously overhead, automatically verifying war, but the impact of the high-definition menian air defence and command and con- their targets, and then diving into their vic- full motion video (FMV) provided by top- trol (C2) network. They did this in in the first tims to detonate their 23 kg (51 lb) warheads attack systems categorized this conflict as weeks of the war. Armenian air defence, in a kamikaze-like attack. Prior to launch the “the war of the drones.” The Azerbaijanis made up of older Russian-made systems, HAROPs are programmed before launch used the secure FMV capabilities of their could not stop the Azerbaijani UAV and to autonomously fly to a pre-defined strike systems to enhance sensor-shooter inte- LM attacks. Even when the Armenian air zone. Once there, they loiter and the human gration, to obtain battle damage assess- defence systems were operating, the aerial operator can select one LM for target search ment, and for propaganda to win the in- top-attack weapons penetrated the airspace and attack, while the others are monitored formation war. In these aspects, especially and knocked out the defenders. Azerbaijan periodically. According to IAI, “The opera- the use of secure tactical FMV video and used a wide variety of UAVs during the war tor directs the selected LM to the target data links, the conflict is a harbinger for and the most effective and notorious were area and uses the video image to select a wars to come. the Turkish-made BAYRAKTAR TB2 (Turkish target, and to attack it. The HAROP tracks defence company Baykar), the Israeli-made the target and then dives on it, detonating Author HAROP (Israel Aerospace Industries), and the the warhead upon impact. If required, the fully autonomous Israeli-made SKYSTRIKER attack can be aborted and the operator John Antal is a prolific author of (Elbit Systems). The electro-optical sensors can re-attack with the same LM.” The vital military articles and books and a on the most sophisticated UAVs and LMs component is the HD camera system which member of the US Army Science used by Azerbaijan are state-of-the-art allows the operator to gain situation aware- Board. He served 30 years in the Infrared (IR) and low-light High-Definition ness of the battlespace and direct the LM to US Army, with 26 years in tank and Television (HDTV) cameras that deliver se- attack targets designated by the operator. cavalry units. He also served as a cure tactical video reconnaissance, surveil- staff officer in the US III Armored lance, and targeting data. During the war, Battle Damage Assessment Corps and several high-level and the TB2 operated as an attack platform and multinational staffs. as the “eye in the sky” for Azerbaijani forces Once Azerbaijan knocked out enough Ar- to identify and designate targets for other menian air defence and C2 to achieve air

74 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY  superiority over designated strike zones, the UAV and LM effort concentrated on targeting Armenian artillery, tanks, and infantry units in bloody top-attacks. Since the modern UAVs and LMs operated by Azerbaijan contained both situation aware- ness and weapons capability in the same platforms, the Azerbaijanis could accu- Photo: wiki commons by Bayhaluk rately count their kills. Using the FMV from both UAVs and LMs to understand how many Armenian systems were destroyed or disabled, this information helped guide The BAYRAKTAR TB2 is a Turkish medium altitude long endurance their combined arms assaults that led to (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that uses an Aselsan the capture of terrain that dominated the Common Aperture Targeting System (CATS) for electro-optical recon- major highways linking Nagorno-Karabakh naissance, surveillance, and targeting. Low-light and infrared high- through mountain passes to Armenia. definition cameras on the TB2 generate an unblinking eye of the battle- Once the Azerbaijanis secured these vital space. The Azerbaijanis used the Full Motion Video (FMV) capability of roads, it placed the Armenians in Nagorno- the TB2 to great advantage in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Karabakh on the horns of a dilemma, with the choice to either fight to the death or surrender. Desperate to save their forces, Armenia proposed a cease-fire. Azerbaijan rejected the initial overtures as their ground Photo: IAI image forces moved to capture the major cities and decisive terrain in Nagorno Karabakh. Only after Azerbaijan achieved its objec- tives did they agree to a ceasefire. In a de facto surrender, Armenia accepted Azer- baijan’s terms on 10 November 2020 and withdrew from Armenian-occupied ter- ritories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Throughout the war, UAV and LM videos bolstered by robust secure tactical video feeds, provided the Azerbaijanis with su- perior situation awareness. The HAROP can be air-launched or launched from a truck, with as many as twelve loitering munitions per truck. Information War cial elements in Azerbaijan’s propaganda combat units of NATO would fare any bet- Azerbaijan, with the aid of Turkey, planned effort. Leveraging the power of real-time ter than the Armenians under the Azer- and prepared a high-tech conflict against video capture by unmanned systems to win baijani whirlwind? Has NATO fielded the Armenia for at least a decade prior to Sep- the information war is relatively new and integrated air defence capability to counter tember 2020. Part of this strategy involved the Azerbaijani’s played this hand skilfully. UAV and LM assaults? How many NATO winning the information war. This effort units have recently trained against UAV and was designed to confuse and demoralize Lessons Learned LM swarm attacks? How will NATO inte- Armenian forces and break the will of the grate the command-and-control cross-do- Armenian population. Every precision UAV As the 1973 Yom Kippur War was studied main capabilities of 29 multinational, mul- and LM attack was captured in high-defi- as an example of modern combined arms ti-service UAV systems? These questions nition video through a secure data link. The operations during the late 20th century, the demand answers. Tackling this challenge films depicted burning tanks and devastat- Second Nagorno-Karabakh War holds les- should start with a detailed study of the ing explosions among groups of Armenian sons in the dynamic clash between attack Second Nagorno-Karabakh War to derive soldiers. The Azerbaijanis used these grue- and defence, the use of technology, and lessons learned, and then transform those some videos in countless propaganda films conduct of cross-domain manoeuvre for lessons into updated doctrine, training, and on the Internet and social media platforms. today. The increasing “democratization of equipment. One of the key lessons is the Armenia’s viewed this footage and feared technology,” whereby high-tech weaponry use of secure tactical video equipped UAVs for their soldiers. In this propaganda ef- such as UAVs and LMs become available and LMs to enhance sensor-shooter inte- fort, the Azerbaijani message was loud and to all, and the secure tactical video pro- gration, raise situation awareness through clear: “We are winning. We will bring you duced by these weapons that depicts the battle damage assessment, and to win the death from above with our drones and you violence of each strike used as a powerful information war. When the next conflict can’t stop us.” As Armenian losses surged propaganda tool, has serious implications between peer-competitors occurs, the side and their lines continued to fall back, mo- for western military forces. The battlespace that fails to learn the lessons of the Second rale suffered. Courage is useless in the face is now transparent and there is nowhere to Nagorno-Karabakh War will find them- of educated bullets, and the Azerbaijani hide. As after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, selves at a significant strategic and tactical top-attack munitions hit their targets with the question on the minds of many west- disadvantage that they may not be able to brilliant accuracy. These videos were cru- ern military leaders should be whether the overcome. L

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 75  INDUSTRY & MARKETS “Self-Reliance” and “Self-Respect”: Aero India 2021

Suman Sharma

mblazoned with the overarching theme Eof ‘Self-Reliance’ as a mark of ‘self re- spect’ and ‘sovereignty’, India played host to its biennial flagship airshow – the Photos: Aero India 13th edition of Aero India 2021, albeit in a scaled down manner, with only 14 countries participating. With US$135Bn announced for the modernisation of the Indian defence forces, India has become the world’s largest arms market. Owing to the ongoing global pandemic, participation in Aero India saw a reduction in foreign participation from 165 foreign ex- hibitors in 2019 to only 78 this year. The clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2020 for 'Self- Reliance' continued to be heard at this year's airshow. Defence Minister Rajnath The “Roaring Metal Birds” on fly-by over Bangalore during the opening Singh reiterated the target of increasing ceremony of Aero India 2021. the country’s defence base from US$11Bn to US$25Bn by 2025, including an export was watched closely globally. Defence Min- 4. The US heavy bomber B-1B LANCER, of component of US$5Bn. Minister Singh ister Rajnath Singh stated, “Aero India 2021 the 28th Bomb Wing based out of Ellsworth stated that defence exports have grown promises to be the world’s first hybrid aero Air Force Base in South Dakota, USA, per- from US$278M to US$1.25Bn from 2015- and defence exhibition with a concurrent formed a "fly-by." 2020 with a vast majority spearheaded by exhibition integrating seminars, business to 5. The British defence company, BAE Sys- the private sector, adding that, the aero business events, product displays etc.” tems showcased a model of the advanced components sector is set to grow from trainer aircraft HAWK, along with a laser US$4.17Bn to US$8.34Bn by 2024. Key Highlights guided APKWS rocket at the show. “The impetus on self-reliance and indi- 6. HAL handed over three ALH (Advanced genisation in the aerospace and defence 1. Among the key highlights, on the in- Light Helicopters) Mk III to the Indian Navy sector can allow foreign OEMs to deepen augural day, the 'Atmanirbhar' formation and two ALHs to the Indian Coast Guard. their network of Indian suppliers and part- flight by indigenous aircraft showcased 7. The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) received ners to make in India, innovate in India India's Government-owned defence PSU the IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) for and design in India. At Airbus, we con- (public sector unit), HAL (Hindustan Aero- the Indian Army from CEMILAC (Centre for tinue to develop a globally competitive nautics Limited).. From the LCA trainer and Military Airworthiness and Certification). supplier ecosystem in India and nurture fighter, basic trainer HTT-40, IJT (intermedi- 8. Sixty start-ups under ‘Defence India Start- strong partnerships aligned with the gov- ate jet trainer), Advanced HAWK Mk 132 up Challenge’ were awarded grants of up to ernment’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and Civil Do-228, the full spectrum of trainer US$208M each. and Make in India,” said Remi Maillard, and fighter aircraft were displayed in action 9. Forty-five MSMEs ((Micro, small, medium President Airbus India & South Asia. thereby signifying self-sufficiency in India's enterprises) at Aero India received orders Airbus is eyeing the Indian Air Force`s C295 weapons platforms. worth US$28M. programme under which a final assembly 2. The sealing of the biggest indigenous or- 10. A total of 201 MoUs (Memorandum line is envisaged in India along with the Tata der was the highlight of the show, keenly of Understanding), 18 product launches, group and the NUH (Naval Utility Helicopter) watched by everyone. The US$6.7Bn con- 19 ToTs (transfer of technology), four Hand programme for the Indian Navy for which tract to procure 83 LCA (Light Combat Air- Overs and 32 major announcements con- Airbus has offered a final assembly line of craft) TEJAS fighters for the IAF announced cluded at the Bandhan ceremony were held the Panther helicopter in India with the Ma- last month was formally awarded to HAL on the last day. hindra group. on the first day of the show, along with the This year's show, which happens to be the second production line of LCA TEJAS at HAL Atmanirbhar Bharat first post-pandemic international event inaugurated by the Defence Minister. comes amidst a 10-month long border 3. For the first time, a two-day Conclave of As part of the IAF's focus on Atmanirbhar standoff with China at the LAC (Line of Ac- Air Force Chiefs from 75 countries and an Bharat and the Atmanirbhar Bharat mis- tual Control), was held at Yelahanka air force IOR (Indian Ocean Region) Defence Minis- sion, impetus is given to the fast-tracking of base in southern India's Bangalore city, and ters’ Conclave was conducted. incorporating indigenous products, as well

76 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 as enlarging the scope of involvement of Indian aerospace and defence industry, es- pecially MSMEs. With this in mind, the IAF has already identified approximately 4,000 lines of spares, like aviation grade filters (fuel, hydraulic & pneumatic), aeroengine bearings, hydraulic and pneumatic hoses, multifunction displays, aviation grade cir- cuit breakers, etc, to be made at home. Air Vibhas Pande, the IAF’s AOM (Air Officer-in-Charge, Maintenance) stat- ed on the issue of ‘Self-Reliance’, “To date, our dependence on foreign OEMs is to the tune of 85 per cent. The civil aviation sector The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, giving the opening speech and the MSMEs can contribute in a large at Aero India 2021 on 5 February 2021 way. There is huge scope, capacity and po- tential in the country to create an all-new nearly 240 suppliers including MSMEs Lockheed has teamed up with Tata and ecosystem as far as defence MRO (Mainte- feed into our two joint ventures and have formed Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostruc- nance Repair Overhaul) is concerned.” benefited from the vision of Lockheed tures Limited (TLMAL) and Tata Sikorsky Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India said Martin and Tata working together.” Aerospace Limited (TSAL), to manufac- that under Atmanirbhar Bharat, India will While Lockheed Martin is showcasing the ture aerostructure components for the C- be an MRO hub for both defence and civil F-21 fighter for the IAF’s 114 fighter jet 130J SUPER HERCULES transport aircraft, aviation. deal valued at approximately US$15Bn, while Boeing is partnering with HAL and Explaining their integration into India’s Boeing has offered the F-15EX fighter. Mahindra Defence. ‘Self-Reliance’, William Blair, Vice Presi- Currently operational in the US, Israel, The Indian Government has taken pro- dent and Chief Executive of Lockheed Saudi Arabia and Japan, the F15 is highly gressive policy steps like hiking FDI (For- Martin India opined, “We have currently rated for its combat prowess and agility. F- eign Direct Investment) to 74 per cent integrated more than 70 Indian suppli- 15EX has been described by Boeing as the under the automatic route, to boost de- ers into our global supply chain. We have most advanced version of the F-15 to date. fence manufacturing in India. L

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2/2021 · European Security & Defence 77 Marketing Report: Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions

Remote Operations and Management: Enabling Advanced, Vehicle-Based Tactical Networks

Charlie Kawasaki, CTO, PacStar, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions

etworking on-the-move capabilities Nare increasingly critical to today’s warfighter, as adversaries equip them- selves with the latest wireless technology

and smartphones while actively moving Photos: Curtiss Wright in ground vehicles. Internet Protocol (IP) networking on-the-move is a necessary response to counter the many foes who have ready access to this technology, and it is making warfighters more agile and prepared. Deploying networking equip- ment in vehicles (and also in command posts and fly-away kits) has many chal- lenges – including space constraints, pow- er and fuel constraints, and environmental extremes. Yet, increasing requirements to deploy more communications, network- ing, wireless and cyber capabilities at the edge conflict with goals to reduce the size, weight and power of deployed equipment. To meet these conflicting de- IQ-Core® ROAM’s consolidated network dashboard for tactical mands, future programmes are starting to networks ensures the manageability of distributed networks in look to small form factor networking and challenging environments. communications equipment – delivering more capability to the edge, while reduc- New Technologies bile platforms at the tactical edge, military ing SWaP and improving reliability. This communications programmes must effec- article outlines what programmes should To exploit the potential benefits of new tively deploy advanced IT infrastructure, look for in designs and test procedures to technologies such as artificial intelligence connectivity and compute resources. ensure that this new generation of equip- (AI), robotics, video analysis, IoT, AR/VR, Next generation technology will surely in- ment is up to the challenge. and other innovative technologies on mo- crease bandwidth requirements of the un-

PacStar Secure Wireless Command Post takes advantage of PacStar 453 delivers high performance over 14 virtualized network devices, consolidated on serv- GPGPU-accelerated processing at the ers, providing more capability at the network edge while network edge for video, AI/ML, sensor reducing SWaP. fusion and IoT applications.

78 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 Marketing Report: Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions

derlying network across battlefield domains, work hard to centralise, standardise and au- administrators, and remote highly trained placing additional needs for communication tomate complex management, monitoring, administrators. link reliability. and configuration tasks. These challenges An example of a ROAM solution avail- While new technologies hold great prom- are much more difficult in ad-hoc, distrib- able today is provided by PacStar’s IQ-Core ise to deliver increased safety and lethality uted, intermittently or poorly connected ROAM software, which operates at multiple for the warfighter and offer new options networks in dynamic environments. tiers in a distributed network, including the for manoeuvre for commanders, integrat- Additionally, the burden of maintainability NOC, at remote sites, and on every network ing a vast suite of rapidly advancing tech- never gets “cheaper” as prototypes and node at the edge of the network. IQ-Core nologies presents a daunting challenge. proof-of-concepts transition to produc- ROAM enables the entire network to be Current methods of technology integration tion networks. As the innovation-lifecycle viewed through a single pane of glass, while are reaching the end of their usefulness, do continues to introduce more capability, the sharing views and access to deployed opera- not scale, are unaffordable, and require too maintenance-tail requires more training, tors at any echelon, to create a collaborative, much space, weight and power in the future more configuration management, more – especially as the array of new technologies testing, and requires additional processes to needs to be deployed. In order to “future manage. proof” new generations of vehicles, as well as to make existing platforms upgradable as Remote Operations technology continues to advance, modular and Management architectures must be adopted. This allows for incremental upgrades of individual tech- A solution to sustain modernisation efforts nologies while maintaining interoperability, is to consolidate and simplify network visu- functionality and cybersecurity. alisation, device integration, and configura- tion management, on vehicles, using open Modularity standard software and network manage- ment interfaces, into a single user interface Programmes must adopt a system of mod- that provides tailorable access to the con- ular electronics and software components figuration items and information appropri- that reduce size, weight and power, enable ate for the types of operators using the sys- multiple industry partners to interoperate, tems. Support for Remote Operations And enable incremental modernisation of com- Management (ROAM) on relevant tactical ponents, reduce cost, and deploy new networks will ensure the manageability of advanced technologies without requiring these systems at real world scale. Remote entire system redesigns. This modular elec- management of multiple platforms requires tronics approach is designed to transition network visualisation, node status and man- U.S. Marine Corps NOTM vehicle vehicles from using discrete “stove-piped agement, support for cybersecurity admin- mounted modular architecture boxes” to integrated, high density chas- istration, configuration management, and allow for incremental upgrades sis with standardised interfaces improv- aggregated node reporting. This will enable of individual technologies while ing maintainability. Additionally, software robust operational support from upper ech- maintaining interoperability, func- defined networking and the availability of elons, and aid in situational awareness while tionality and cybersecurity – while most software technologies in the form of driving down complexity, downtime, and enabling mobility. virtual machines enable programmes to take configuration errors. advantage of ever-increasing computing This type of solution can consolidate dozens, hierarchical, network operations and man- power while maintaining or reducing SWaP. or even hundreds, of diverse screens that agement structure. System administrators in Multiple functions and virtual network de- would otherwise be presented to operators the NOC have the same view and features as vices can be consolidated on single servers, and administrators, by underlying technolo- system operators. Network nodes can be re- providing more capability at the network gies each developed by a different vendor. It mote offices or sites, tent-based command edge. can also enable programmes to experiment posts, vehicle-mobile command posts, or with new technologies while maintaining small fly-away-kits – frequently connected Growing Complexity a consistent user interface, even across up- via SATCOM or unreliable WAN links. grades. Distributed software management While moving forward on increasing techni- As technology advances enable organi- technology – running locally on each node cal capabilities at the edge by reducing SWaP sations to deploy more technology on to – is necessary to efficiently achieve ROAM of networking and computing hardware, it smaller platforms, a critical side effect will functionality and consolidate the manage- is simultaneously necessary to consider a be added complexity, and increased re- ment plane of the network. This awareness robust communications management soft- quirements for maintenance and training. must extend from upper echelons to the ware solution for remote operations and The introduction of new technologies, com- edge of the tactical networks, and must op- management to maximise the effectiveness bined with an already increasingly difficult- erate seamlessly in disconnected, intermit- of networks. This will consolidate the man- to-manage IT infrastructure at the tactical tent, and limited (DIL) environments. A ro- agement plane of networks onto a unified edge, increases the risk of the network in- bust ROAM solution deployed on each node interface regardless of the type of technol- frastructure becoming unusable simply due can support collaborative management ogy or vendor. It will be capable of providing to its complexity. This dynamic is well under- between local on-platform, lightly-trained distributed, hierarchical, and efficient man- stood in enterprise IT organisations which or untrained crew members, on-platform agement of network-attached nodes.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 79 Op-Ed: EDGE Group RÜSTUNG & TECHNOLOGIE 

Opinion-­‐Editorial: Exclusively for Stephen Barnard from European Security & Defence

EDGE: Advanced Technology EDGE: Advanced Technology Priorities thatare Defin ing Us Priorities That Are Defining Us H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, CEO & Managing Director, EDGE Group

Just over a year ago, the UAE consolidated all its sovereign defence capabilities under EDGE, allowing us H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, to modernise our national capabilities systematically and comprehensively, making it fit a new type of CEO & Managing Director, EDGE Group conflict – a new era of hybrid warfare. Photo: EDGE Since the inauguration by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in November 2019, we have been able to ust over a year ago, the UAE consoli- looking to modularity, AI integration and leverage greater synergies between our subsidiary companies, better focus collaborative R&D Jdated all its sovereign defence capabili- swarm capability among key areas of near- investments in advanced technologies, upgrade our capabilities more consistently, and progress at a ties under EDGE, allowing us to modernise term exploration. speed that meets the needsof the fast-­‐evolving market. our national capabilities systematically and comprehensively, making it fit a new type The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). With These changes have already meant that we are now considered among the top 25 military suppliers in of conflict – a new era of hybrid warfare. modern defence and sophisticated security the world, and though this is quite a milestone in itself -­‐ being the first from the Middle East to be Since the inauguration by HH Sheikh Mo- systems being developed to operate the ranked among the likes of Rolls Royce, General Electric and Honeywell, our ambitions on export have hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince complex multi-domain environments of of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Com- today, our key objective is being resilient to only just begun. mander of the UAE Armed Forces in No- deception and disruption, converging cy- vember 2019, we have been able to lever- ber and electronic warfare for battlespace While we are building on the capacities of our past efforts, unlike before, we are looking ahead and age greater synergies between our subsidi- superiority. H.E. Faisal Al Bannai planning for the next 20 years with extensive investments – relying on advanced technology ary companies, better focus collaborative breakthroughs to spearhead our progression. We are rethinking our defence industry and combining it R&D investments in advanced technolo- And armament that will see the develop- viability and value across the defencewith and the latest in technology R&D, trends and projections, disrupting across critical areas in autonomous gies, upgrade our capabilities more consist- ment of next generation munitions tech- security supply chain. We will importcapabilities, where directed energy, cyber-­‐physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics, and smart ently, and progress at a speed that meets nology, air defence systems, and smart it is necessary – or where it makes thematerials most – with artificial intelligence embedded acrosscore platforms. the needs of the fast-evolving market. weapons, while also serving soldiers of the business sense. And, crucially, we will also

future through high-performance and high build new export capabilities with our glob- These changes have already meant that we precision. al partners, wherever we can offer a distinctOur strategic priorities at EDGErevolve around three critical areas: are now considered among the top 25 mili- competitive advantage. tary suppliers in the world, and though this While we understand the level of invest- Drones, with a specific focus on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles is quite a milestone in itself - being the first ment required to be on the leading-edge of Further to this, new technology means(UGVs ac-). Leveraging the benefits of autonomous capabilities, we are looking to modularity, AI integration from the Middle East to be ranked among technology, we also appreciate that those quiring new skill sets, and it is becauseand swarmof capability among key areas of near-­‐term exploration. the likes of Rolls Royce, General Electric and technologies must ultimately be sparked this that we are reshape a more relevant Honeywell, our ambitions on export have and leveraged by industry innovations, talent strategy for the defence industry.The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). With modern defence and sophisticated security systems being only just begun. partnerships, and a new talent strategy. To enable a more secure future, successful developed to operate the complex -­‐ multi domain environments of today, our key objective is being While we are building on the capacities workforce planning revolves around train- of our past efforts, unlike before, we are For that reason, EDGE is also focussed on ing current personnel, hiring the bestresilien and t to deception and disruption, ing converg cyber and electronic warfare for battlespace looking ahead and planning for the next 20 converging commercial market innovations brightest both locally and globally acrosssuperiority. a years with extensive investments – relying with defence capacities to shake up the in- broad range of different skills, and under - on advanced technology breakthroughs to dustry. It is collaborating with partners big standing the new ways of workingA innd this rmament a that will see the development of next generation munitions technology, air defence spearhead our progression. We are rethink- and small – from defence conglomerates dynamic technology-led landscape. systems , and smart weapons, while also serving soldiers of the future through-­‐ high performance and ing our defence industry and combining it to start-ups, because true innovation takes high precision. with the latest in technology R&D, trends place at the nexus of public-private-part- As a nation, we look ahead with confi- and projections, disrupting across critical nerships (PPPs). Being at the crossroads of dence to the tremendous opportunities areas in autonomous capabilities, directed the world and now with the clout of 25+ that advanced technology offers us. It gives energy, cyber-physical systems, advanced companies that spans offerings and capa- a country like ours the chance to compete propulsion systems, robotics, and smart bilities from design and manufacturing all on a level playing field, leveraging technolo- materials – with artificial intelligence em- the way to MRO and systems integration, gies as force multipliers, and a way to dif- bedded across core platforms. we have been developing more strategic re- ferentiate ourselves in the global market. lationships with business hubs and partners While EDGE starts with R&D in the high- Our strategic priorities at EDGE revolve than ever before. investment and explorative defence sector, around three critical areas: it ultimately intends to transform a cross- Drones, with a specific focus on unmanned Building local defence capabilities is a prior- section of industries in the UAE and beyond aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ity for every country, but building strategic through ‘spin-off’ innovations, positioning ground vehicles (UGVs). Leveraging the partnerships is what will distinguish us as itself as a notable global player in advanced benefits of autonomous capabilities, we are we bring a greater focus on commercial technology.

80 European Security & Defence · 2/2021

 INDUSTRY & MARKETS Outcome-Based Contracting New Ways of Contracting for Multinational Defence Programmes and Projects

Peter Janatschek, Joe Spruill, Gustavo Scotti di Uccio

ommercial entities such as airlines and ber and partner countries, acting under experience gained within 37 companies Cvarious countries’ military organisations NATO’s Conference of National Armaments and Ministries of Defence from 12 NATO have employed outcome-based contracting Directors (CNAD). Its aims are: Member and partner countries. (OBC) with varying degrees of success. The • To provide a forum for exchange of views initial stages of outcome-based contract- on industrial, technological, economic, NIAG Study 1: ing have been attributed to the commercial management and other relevant aspects aviation industry. The Rolls-Royce company of research, development and produc- “Concepts and Rationale for Con- pioneered the concept of selling propulsion tion of armaments equipment within the tracting for Logistics Capability on units to aircraft, rather than selling engines, Alliance, based on current and updated NATO Armaments and Support Pro- spare parts and repairs – known as ‘Power information provided by relevant NATO grammes” by the Hour’ - and has since expanded its bodies; concept to a number of countries’ military • To provide industry advice to the CNAD, Many nations engage in outcome-based forces. Furthermore, other similar arrange- and other NATO bodies as appropriate, contracting for weapon systems support ments have been concluded between in- on how to foster government-to-indus- and other logistics requirements. Many dustry and countries in order to provide try and industry-to-industry armaments different terms are used to describe these logistics as an outcome-based service. co-operation within the Alliance. arrangements, e.g. the US uses the term Some examples include aerial refuelling in One of NIAG’s tasks is to consider and com- “Performance-Based Logistics” (PBL). the UK, and pilot training in Singapore. In ment on NATO planning and acquisition both cases, the governments have avoided procedures and practices, in so far as they Background the cost of investing in infrastructure, train- affect industry. In traditional procedures, the government ing and operations, by having industry pro- In this context, industry has proposed and (‘customer’) would procure the required vide the desired outcome (refuelled aircraft NIAG has initiated, two “High Level Ad- support and services through transactional or trained pilots), at a cost less than the re- spective governments could have achieved organically. NIAG Studies OBL/OBC and Metrics

The NATO Industrial "Concepts and Rationale for Contracting for Logistics Capability on Advisory Group NATO Armaments and Support Programs" (2017 - 2018) The NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) is a high-level consultative and advisory "Metrics/Metrics data and analytical tools in the life cycle of NATO body of senior industrialists of NATO Mem- systems and in contracting for logostics capability in NATO arma- ments ans support programs" Authors (2019 - 2020) Peter Janatschek is Managing Direc- tor CALS Forum Germany (CFD) and Chair for the NIAG Studies “Contract- vice (HLA)” studies, both sponsored by the contractual arrangements. In OBC, the gov- ing” and “Metrics”. CNAD’s Life Cycle Management Group ernment procures an outcome, whereby Joe Spruill is Senior Consultant at (LCMG): industry takes on the responsibility, and as- the Logistics Management Institute 1. “Concepts and Rationale for Contracting sociated risk, to deliver those required out- (LMI) and Team Leader of the NIAG for Logistics Capability on NATO Arma- comes. Industry prime contractors include Study “Contracting”; Vice Chair for ments and Support Programmes” (2017- original equipment manufacturers (OEM), the NIAG Study “Metrics” and Vice 2018); non-OEM competitors, or joint ventures of Chair of ACT-NIAG Logistics & Sus- 2. “Metrics /Metrics data and analytical interested parties. tainment Community of Interest. tools in the life cycle of NATO systems OBC arrangements have common charac- Gustavo Scotti di Uccio is President and in contracting for logistics capability teristics and generally seek to achieve similar and General Manager of the Atlantic in NATO armaments and support pro- results, i.e. optimised performance and cost. Organization for Security (AOS) and grammes” (2019 -2020). By moving to OBC arrangements, govern- Chair of the ACT-NIAG Logistics & Both Study Groups were supported by ments have recognised that, by shifting the Sustainment Community of Interest. more than 60 experts – some of whom responsibility and risk, contractors were in- participated in both studies – bringing the centivised to make improvements, thus pro-

82 European Security & Defence · 2/2021

INDUSTRY & MARKETS 

Graphics: author Furthermore, the Study Group was tasked to develop a decision tree type of tool that can be used by NATO programme managers to determine whether, and to what extent, outcome-based contracting might be ap- propriate given the programme parameters.

Study 1 – Outcome, Findings and Recommendations The evidence observed during the study demonstrates that well-structured and well-defined OBCs will reduce total cost, increase system availability, and optimise industry performance (investments and costs) to deliver an improved outcome, i.e., a real win-win situation for govern- ment and industry. The most important finding of the study is that OBC processes have the same value for NATO as traditional contracting pro- cesses. The overarching recommendation is that NATO should fully adopt and im- COST plement OBC processes. From that, more AVAILABILITY detailed recommendations are derived on COST a possible way ahead for such an imple- RELIABILITY AVAILABILITY mentation by the Alliance. The final NIAG Study Report also includes Cost and Performance and Cost RELIABILITY Implement a business model that inherently incentivises: recommendations on how NATO doctrine • Improving processes and products to improve reliability and policy might be enhanced to encour-

Cost and Performance and Cost and availability age consideration of outcome-based con- •ImplementResulting a inbusiness O&S cost model reduction that inherently & improved incentivises Performance: • Improving processes and products to improve reliability tracting. Sample language for inclusion in and availability Time NATO documents is included. Traditional• vs.Resulting OBC support in O&S cost strategies reduction & improved Performance Furthermore, the required tool is provided Time in the final Study Report. The tool is de- Figureviding better 3 – Traditional outcomes at lower vs. cost. OBC SupportAim Strategies of Study 1 signed to support programme managers Increasingly, national military organisations The study had the objective to provide in determining which support solution is (e.g.Figure from 3 –UK, Traditional DE, NL, US) vs. are OBCleveraging Support analysis, Strategies recommendations, and tools for most favourable. the defence technological and industrial NATO to effectively exploit outcome-based base (DTIB) to provide operational support, contracting. 2 NIAG Study 2: and are contracting for that support, based The Study Group was tasked to analyse ar- on the delivery of performance outcomes. mament programmes that have been2 con- “Metrics / Metrics data and analytical Contracting for capability includes bring- ducted using outcome-based contracting tools in the life cycle of NATO sys- ing outcome-based, commercially-provided to achieve logistics or sustainment related tems and in contracting for logistics solutions to logistics and sustainment to missions. The evaluation of the respective capability in NATO armaments and increase user-defined availability and capa- programmes using outcome-based con- support programmes” bility, for the same or even reduced costs. tracting had to include a comparative cost- Examples of outcome-based services can benefit analysis between the outcome- Background also be called performance-based logis- based contracting and results that would OBC will not work without metrics. It is tics, fleet management, turn-key solutions, have been expected using traditional important that they are precisely defined, or total life cycle management, and OBC contracting methods. The study included properly established and well used. OBC has become a method of obtaining an op- comparisons of other countries’ efforts without metrics is highly ineffective. erational armament support that purchases and results. Of particular value were the Metrics are defined as a quantifiable entity “performance” (i.e. outcomes) rather than results from the US Department of De- that allow the measurement of the achieve- materiel, maintenance and/or repair services fense’s report on Project Proof Point. This ment of a process goal. Metrics can be (i.e. outputs). OBC generally expresses re- project assessed outcome-based support measured and reported in order to help quirements in terms of a desired end-state, programmes, and found that 25 out of 26 manage a process, service or activity. Met- rather than providing for prescriptive or of those realised, improved readiness at the rics and metric data form an integral and specification-based work statements. Sim- same or less cost. essential part of contracting for systems, ply put, OBC is more about the “what”, than Relevant NATO policy and doctrine had to whether it is OBC-based or traditional. the “how” in delivering the desired product. be identified and updated, to include the In the context of the management of the The approach is aimed at decreasing overall concepts of outcome-based contracting; life cycle of systems and of contracting for programme risk, improving reliability and sample language for consideration by the logistics capability, metrics and metric data maintainability, and driving down life cycle document custodian also had to be pro- should be identified as early as possible and costs. vided. feasible in strategy development and docu-

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 83

Multi-­‐Role Tanker Transport

 INDUSTRY & MARKETS

mented in the relevant plans and refined as the programme progresses towards imple- mentation of the contracting arrangements. A metric normally has a threshold value, rep- resenting the minimum required value, and an objective value, representing the desired maximum value. These values, for example, can be tied to the incentive strategies in out- come-based product support arrangements

and contracts and can serve as a powerful Photo: NATO way to achieve desired support goals. Multi-Role Tanker Transport One of the most critical elements of any con- tracting strategy is the tailoring of metrics These four Life Cycle Sustainment Outcome 3. The study was to contain a training to the operational role of the system and Metrics are universal across all programmes concept related to the outcomes of 9 ensuring synchronisation of the metrics with and are essential to effective sustainment the study, including the use of the de- the scope of responsibility of the support and logistics planning. cision support tool. provider. The level (system, subsystem or The evidence observed during the study component) and specifics ofFigure the arrange 7 – MRTT- Aim of Study 2 demonstrates that only well-structured ment will dictate whether to use top-level The aim of the study is to provide analysis, and well-defined metrics and analyti- outcome metrics, lower-tier metrics or both. recommendations, and requirements for cal data will enable efficient OBC pro- The US Department of Defense (DoD) for tools (e.g. a box of utilities, a set of mech- cesses. example has identified the following four anisms, best practices, a decision support OBC arrangements, and the implemen- so-called Life Cycle Sustainment Outcome tool) for the NATO community to effectively tation and use of metrics and analytical Metrics: use metrics and respective data and ana- data are inseparably linked; they will not 1. Availability (Materiel & Operational Avail- lytical tools throughout the management of function alone. ability) the life cycle of systems and in contracting A key data element used in maintenance for logistics capability. Findings and and logistics planning. This study is the direct follow-up activity to Recommendations 2. Materiel Reliability Study 1. Provides a measure of how often the sys- This NIAG Study concentrated on three fo- The overarching recommendation is that tem fails/requires maintenance. Another key cus areas: NATO should fully adopt and implement data element in forecasting maintenance/ 1. The study should contain performance the concept of using and implementing logistics needs. metrics and metrics data relevant to OBC metrics, metrics data, and analytical tools 3. Ownership Cost contracting which, if this methodology is throughout the management6 of the Life They are focused on the sustainment as- adopted, could be used and experienced Cycle of Systems and in contracting for pects of the system and represent an es- in NATO contracting agencies such as the logistics capability. sential metric for sustainment planning and NATO Support and Procurement Agen- execution and are useful for trend analyses. cy (NSPA) and the NATO Eurofighter and Conclusions Furthermore, they support design improve- Tornado Management Agency (NET- ments/modifications. MA), national contracting (e.g. US, DE) The logistic support for multinational 4. Plus Mean Downtime and industries (best practices); defence programmes within the Alliance A measure of how long a system will be 2. The study was to provide a refined deci- has always been an enormous challenge unavailable after a failure. Another key piece sion support model, which is based on for all nations and industries involved. used in the maintenance and logistics plan- the model developed by the previous The contracting for their support and the ning process. NIAG study; relevant services have very often led to OBC CONTRACTS CHARACTERISTICScostly and ineffective solutions. OBC processes have the same value for OBC CONTRACTS CHARACTERISTICS NATO as traditional contracting process- es. The overarching recommendation is Contract Characteristics Results that NATO fully adopts and implements these processes, especially for new pro- Contract ContractLong Characteristics Term; Five Years Plus HighResults Incentive to Invest jects such as the Multi-Role Tanker Trans- Term port (MRTT), a High Visibility Project (HVP) Contract Long Term; Five Years Plus High Incentive to Invest establishing a multinationally owned and FundingTerm Stable; Funding Floor ROI Business Case for Investment operated fleet of MRTT aircraft. In combination with the implementation Funding Stable; Funding Floor ROI Business Case for Investment and use of well-structured and well-de- Provider Delivers Top-Level Higher Risk Offset by Opportunity Risk Performance-Support Outcomes for Higher Reward fined metrics, total costs will be reduced, Provider Delivers Top-Level Higher Risk Offset by Opportunity system availability increased, and indus- Risk Performance-Support Outcomes for Higher Reward try performance (investments and costs) Based on a Few Top Level Provider Has Broad Flexibility in

Tenets of Success of Tenets - to deliver an improved outcome - will be Metrics Performance-Support Outcome How to Deliver Outcomes BasedMetrics on a Few Top Level Provider Has Broad Flexibility in optimised, leading to a real win-win situ- Tenets of Success of Tenets Metrics Performance-Support Outcome How to Deliver Outcomes Metrics ation for NATO governments, agencies Strategy Aligned with Top-Level End Item Clear System-Level Provider and industries. L Responsibility StrategyFocus AlignedPerformance with Top-Level End Item Clear System-Level Provider Focus Performance Responsibility Figure 5 – OBC Characteristics Figure 5 – OBC Characteristics

4 4

Viewpoint from New Delhi

India to Engage in UN Multi-

Photo: Suman Sharma lateral Reforms through Political Engagement

Suman Sharma

s India assumes its seat on the United Nations Security Coun- touch, which in turn will be guided by dialogue, mutual respect and Acil (UNSC) for the eighth time as an elected non-permanent commitment to international law. Global institutions needed to be member beginning 1 January 2021, with its agenda to push for re- reformed and adequately represented, in order to be able to deliver.” formed multilateralism, one is reminded of former US Ambassador To recall, India is presently represented in 22 UN Bodies. The coun- to the UN Jeane Kirkpatrick’s comment: “What takes place in the try has previously served on the UN Security Council seven times as Security Council more closely resembles a mugging than either a a non-permanent member (1950- 51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, political debate or an effort at problem-solving.” 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12), and India was one of the founding Seeking inclusiveness, accountability and striving for a structure which members of the UN. can accommodate multipolarity in a multilateral framework seems to Multilateral UN bodies like WHO, WTO, World Bank, IMF require ac- be the driving force that India will aim to work towards during its time tive participation by India which has so far been passive and obstruc- in the UNSC. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambas- tionist, leading to global recognition of India’s rise. This is possible sador T S Tirumurti recently stated, “We will be a country which will only when India, like others, decides to work with other powers. reinforce multilateralism.” One Ministry of External Affairs diplomat stresses that “We should “India needs to have a proactive political engagement at the UN also participate actively in the regional economic integration through for incremental progress”, stated India’s former deputy permanent trade and investment linkages or else no one will take us seriously. representative to the UN, Manjeev Singh Puri, adding that “Across For example, our role in the Indo-Pacific will have no strength with- the Atlantic, nations have given a fillip to multilateralism. The new out a strong economic component to it”, adding that “Security Biden administration will work the traditional alliances like the World alliances have an aggressive posturing but there is a cost to be paid. Bank and the IMF to make them more effective, which will work as This is an old model of the Cold War. Cooperation through alliance a counterweight to China. China needs to be part pf the game and is needed for world peace and stability. More importantly for taking play accordingly, keeping its large population in mind, and shed its on China.” hegemonistic designs.” Ambassador Manjeev Puri differs slightly, explaining that “India Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out the blueprint last year has jumped up to being the fifth largest economy in the world. in his address at the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN for Security issues geographically speaking are not locational. It is ‘reformed multilateralism’ in a post-COVID-19 world, which reflects more a question of shadow boxing among powerful nations. India the realities of the contemporary world, addresses contemporary chal- is becoming important. The PM himself pushed for political en- lenges, focuses on human welfare and gives voice to all stakeholders. gagement at his BRICS address, as well as his address at the 75th New Delhi plans to push for the finalisation of the Comprehensive anniversary of UN foundation.” Convention on International Terrorism which it had proposed in 1996 However, it is interesting to note that a multilateral UN body like to augment global action against terrorism, their sympathisers and the WHO, even after one year, has not yet come out with any con- supporters seeking streamlining of the process of sanctioning of the crete information regarding the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic terrorists and terrorist entities. Other priorities for India during its ten- and its real cause, thereby displaying its failure to function as a ure include counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, maritime security, re- multilateral body. formed multilateralism, technology for the people, women and youth During its two-year tenure at the UNSC, India aims to work collec- and developmental issues, especially in the context of peace building. tively towards accountability from bodies like the WHO, in a bid to External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar reiterates that “Multilateral- ensure prompt responses from them. The WHO’s handling of the ism is needed to reflect contemporary realities and adopt a compre- pandemic is an example of how important reforms of multilateral hensive approach to peace and security and technology with a human bodies are.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 85  INDUSTRY & MARKETS The Dutch Defence Sector on the Way towards a European Defence Market

Ron Nulkes

To date, no common European defence market has been created. This article considers five strategic recommendations for the successful development of the Dutch defence sector.

eopolitical relations are hardening, fence policy remain matters of national con- Gand threats are increasing in number, cern within the European and transatlantic variety and complexity, according to the context. This article looks at five strategic Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence “Defence recommendations regarding the successful Photo: Ron Nulkes Vision 2035” paper, published in 2019. That development of the Dutch defence sector is why the Dutch government is commit- en route to the European market. First, we ted to a strengthened Europe becoming will examine the Dutch approach to the EDF an independent geopolitical player. NATO and national instruments. remains the cornerstone of Dutch security policy and one of the instruments to achieve The Netherlands’ Commitment this is participation in the European Defence and Governance for the EDF Fund (EDF), for which the EU is making €7Bn available for the period 2021-2027. With the The Netherlands’ Government has an ex- EDF, the intends to pressed ambition to be among the top 10 strengthen the existing defence capabili- countries with regard to the resources al- ties in Europe with the aim of encouraging located from the EDF. In addition to its own Member States and companies to increase national interest, it is in the future interest cooperation in the field of research and de- of Dutch companies to position themselves velopment and in the acquisition of new de- via-à-vis the EDF. In the first instance, the fence capabilities. Additionally, the EC wants EDF focuses on research and development to strengthen the European Defence Tech- projects. It is not yet clear whether Member nological and Industrial Base (DTIB) through States will also obtain the results of these the EDF. Until now, the European DTIB projects. The EDF requires at least three has been formed by relatively closed value entities (such as companies, knowledge chains. There is no level playing field since institutions, universities) from at least three no open defence market exists in Europe. different countries to participate in projects. Not only do Member States want to keep Cooperation between governments and the Ron Nulkes, Director of NIDV sovereign control over the deployment and private sector is therefore essential because equipment of their troops for national secu- Member States must express the intention to The National Defence rity reasons, but they also want to protect use the results of a project, with or without Industry Policy their national value production chains. This other Member States, for their equipment. has become particularly evident during the Successful participation in the EDF therefore However, the Dutch Government is not COVID-19 pandemic. Dutch security and de- requires intensive coordination between focussing solely on the EDF. It allows new the government and the defence sectors, as knowledge and technology to be incorpo- Author well as with foreign governments. rated into the value chain of the defence In the Netherlands, the involvement of vari- sector, thereby enabling new companies to Ron Nulkes (colonel ret.) is Director of ous national policy areas is essential in this enter the sector. However, there is no level the Netherlands Industries for Defence respect. The Ministers of Defence and of playing field and an open defence market in and Security Foundation (NIDV). Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) have Europe does not (yet) exist. Member States After various posts with the Konin- established the Interdepartmental Coordi- require not only sovereign control over the klijke Marechaussee (Royal Military nation Group (ICG) for European Defence deployment and equipment of their troops Police) and Royal Netherlands Air Force Cooperation (EDS) and appointed a Special for national security reasons, but also for the (RNLAF), he took up the position of Representative (General [ret.] Tom Midden- protection of their national production. A division head project procurement of dorp). The Defence sector is represented by recent government policy document there- the Defence Materiel Organization of NIDV (Nederlandse Industrie voor Defensie fore stipulates a sovereign Dutch approach Dutch MoD in 2006. NIDV represents en Veiligheid) which is a member of the ICG to be an instrument for strengthening the 180+ companies and knowledge insti- EDS. Industry, ministries and knowledge in- defence sector. To improve the position of tutes based in The Netherlands. stitutions are thus working closely together the defence sector, the government deems to achieve the best possible result. customisation necessary. It states that the In-

86 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 dustrial Participation (IP) policy, in addition to strengthening the DTIB, contributes to the international positioning of the Dutch DTIB and improvement of levelling the playing field. This Dutch hybrid course is steadfast.

A Hybrid Course for the European Security and Defence Policy Most European countries are following a hybrid course in the development of a Common Security and Defence Policy.

For the defence industry, this is essentially Photo: Koninklijke Landmacht about strengthening international coop- The Dutch Government is committed to a strengthened Europe eration, such as the EDF, and a sovereign becoming an independent geopolitical player. approach, with or without intergovern- mental cooperation. The Permanent Struc- nance must ensure that banks finance the in interpretation. Compared to most other tured Cooperation (PESCO) is an example defence sector. There must be clarity about countries, the Netherlands has adopted of such cooperation. additional financial support from the gov- a stricter interpretation of these criteria, The hybrid course of most Member States ernment. something that enjoys strong political sup- complicates the strengthening of European The Netherlands Government should guar- port nationally. defence capabilities and breaking open the antee that financial instruments are made Although the Netherlands sets an example value chains. This approach transcends vari- available to the defence and security indus- on reporting export control decisions, not ous policy areas within the Netherlands, so try. It has made a good start by reserving all Member States make it clear why they that the ICG has a crucial role to play. To €20M for co-financing EDF projects. grant a licence, while other Member States properly position the Dutch defence sec- openly refuse to do so. This puts industry op- tor for the EDF, strategic decision-making is The Relationship between erating under more restrictive governments needed on the following five points: PESCO and EDF at a serious disadvantage. One of the first study projects of a preparatory programme Funding Opportunities There are now 47 PESCO projects. The of the EDF with a Dutch contribution has for EDF projects Dutch Government participates in 11 of now been granted a licence. However, the these. These intergovernmental projects Dutch EDF ambition will be limited if Dutch Companies wishing to participate in EDF can also be registered for the EDF, including companies want to lead an EDF consortium projects need financing of their long-term the prospect of a financial bonus. However, with the goal of entering the market. Com- investments since not all the costs of partici- when a company is interested in an EDF/ panies from countries with a less restrictive pation are reimbursed by the EU and financ- PESCO project, problems arise if the Mem- policy will think twice about participating in ing through financial institutions is problem- ber State of residence does not participate a consortium led by a company from a coun- atic. Because of NGO pressure, most Dutch in that PESCO project, as two Dutch compa- try with a restrictive export policy. Then, ac- banks do not finance companies in the nies found out last year when they were ex- cess to markets to recoup investments is, to defence sector. Even the European Invest- cluded as consortium members. The Euro- put it mildly, unclear. ment Bank (EIB) invests little or nothing in pean Commission was unable to intervene; The export of military equipment outside military programmes. The banks value the here the PESCO and EDF regimes collide. Europe is essential for the European DTIB. contribution of NGOs over security interests It should not matter whether a company For this reason, even non-restrictive France although the EIB now offers openings for is from a country participating in a PESCO and the equally restrictive Germany have loans to Member States for dual-use pro- project. If participation in such a project is re- concluded bilateral agreements such as the jects. The defence sector is a sector in which fused for this reason, the Netherlands would ‘Toulouse Treaty’. This means that if one of investments can be made, and not just in have to join the PESCO project not only for the countries participates less than 20% in a dual-use projects for Member States. The operational but also industrial reasons, so cooperative project, the leading country de- companies affiliated with the NIDV and ASD that the company can still participate. cides on exports. However, this agreement adhere to the integrity statute and therefore only addresses a symptomatic issue of large do not participate in prohibited weapons or A European Implementation differences in interpretation of the Common unauthorised exports. of Export Policy Position. The success of the EDF therefore In addition, supplementary financial sup- depends on the successful further harmoni- port from the government is necessary. A Whilst Member States adhere to the EU sation on the European Export policy. good start has been made with the reserve Common Position on Arms Exports, con- Commitment to unambiguous interpreta- of €20M on the budget of EZK. Accord- trolling the export of military goods and tion of the Common Position is necessary. ing to the ‘juste retour’ principle (whereby technology is a sovereign affair. Moreover, The Dutch Government should transfer the the Dutch financial contribution to Europe it is unlikely that this will change anytime granting of export licences for the EDF to flows back into the Dutch economy), which soon. With the Common Position (inter- the Member State in which the consortium I would also welcome for the EDF, three to governmental), a decision is tested against leader is located. The Netherlands will not be four times more is needed each year. I also eight criteria, including a mechanism for in- able to become a consortium leader for EDF note a positive general attitude towards formation exchange. Unfortunately, these projects if it remains more restrictive than achieving this volume. The Minister of Fi- criteria suffer from significant differences the other participants in the consortium.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 87  INDUSTRY & MARKETS

A Good Starting Position for the EDF

The Dutch DTIB is internationally renowned for its high-quality technological knowledge industry and competitiveness. However, the Dutch defence sector is under pressure due to increasing international consolidation, limited scale in the Netherlands and possi- bly due to protectionism from EU countries,

which seem to make much more use of Ar- Source: NL MoD ticle 346 of the Treaty on the Functioning of Like most European countries, the Netherlands takes a hybrid approach the European Union (TFEU). By focusing on to its defence policy, relying on both European cooperation and sover- Dutch design, development and construc- eign decision-making. tion, Dutch earning capacity will be created for decades to come. the defence sector; as a result, the sector for the defence sector. The execution, where has regularly been able to develop and possible, will be achieved based on intergov- Born a Decade too Early market components for weapon systems ernmental cooperation (such as PESCO), but with interesting spin-offs and spillovers. also through the EDF. The objective of the With European Directive 81/2009, imple- Partly because of the transatlantic con- EDF is the development of military capabili- mented in the Public Procurement Act for text of European cooperation, it is recom- ties, whereby the European DTIB is strength- Defence and Security (ADV), the EU and mended to continue to apply the IP instru- ened through international cooperation in the national governments have committed ment explicitly in Dutch assignments to the value chain. to an open and transparent European mar- transatlantic and European suppliers. This The Netherlands’ Government focuses on ket for defence and security equipment. is in line with the strategic objective to two horses: the reinforcement of the Eu- The directive, and therefore also the ADV, further develop this IP policy. ropean defence sector and the application should contribute to achieving a level play- The use of Article 346 (TFEU) by the Neth- of Industrial Participation whilst providing ing field in the European defence market erlands is essential. The report on procure- the essential pillars of co-financing of EDF with space for production and sales and ment law versus national security, in this projects and close coordination with in- the innovative industry. Although all Mem- case relating to the ecosystem for Dutch dustry and knowledge institutions. The ber States have implemented the Directive, military-logistical capabilities, offers interest- Ministries of Defence and of Economic they continue to exercise their sovereign ing starting points for legitimising this. Affairs and Climate Policy actively support powers through Article 346 (TFEU). In The Dutch government needs to continue the Dutch defence sector to join the first many cases, a defence assignment remains using its national instruments. With the ap- EDF projects. Dutch ambition is well-suit- within the national value chain. Ten years plication of Industrial Participation and the ed to apply a juste retour principle in the after its introduction, it can be argued that use of Article 346 (TFEU), customisation can implementation of the EDF. the objective of Directive 81 has not been be applied for the Dutch defence sector. If a Dutch security and defence policy will achieved. Less than 20% of the financial capacity is not available in the Netherlands, remain a sovereign matter for the time volume of European defence projects has research should be conducted into the desir- being. The intended strengthening of the been put out to European tender, though ability to build it up. geopolitical role of the EU requires that cross-border integration in the value chain the Member States also cooperate in the based on the directive has hardly taken A Choice of European field of defence equipment in a NATO con- place. Directive 81 was born a decade too Cooperation Partners text. Therefore, a focus is not only needed early, and instruments such as the EDF a on European industrial cooperation, but decade too late to facilitate consolidation For the Netherlands, European cooperation also on transatlantic industrial coopera- and integration of the European defence offers the greatest opportunities if it is joined tion. For our safety, it continues to be vital market. A different order might have di- by German and French-led programmes. to pay attention to national industrial ca- rected the market more favourably. The Netherlands is accustomed to coop- pabilities. It is legally tenable for the Dutch Large Member States actively encourage eration with both countries. But the Neth- Government to acquire national projects, their industries to intervene in the defence erlands can also play a leading role where such as other Member States, with refer- markets of other Member States. And if German and French companies can join. The ence to Article 346 (TFEU), which applies Dutch assignments go abroad, the Neth- NIDV has a partnership with several asso- customisation to the Dutch defence sec- erlands will no longer play a role in the ciations from like-minded countries, which tor. This is not only about existing indus- European value chain, even if it was estab- meets at the Associates consultation. The trial capacities, but also about the ques- lished based on this EDF in the next dec- countries of this Associates consultation and tion of whether these can be built up in ade. The IP policy has certainly benefited the preferences of the Ministry of Defence the Netherlands. the Dutch defence sector in recent years could be juxtaposed. It is recommended In addition to its commitment to the EDF, the with the focus on early participation in that the Netherlands decides with which high-tech defence sector deserves such an development programmes in line with the countries it wishes to cooperate in the Euro- approach for start-ups, scale-ups, small and view that ‘military off-the-shelf’ projects pean defence dossier. medium-sized businesses and larger compa- are generally less technologically interest- In the coming years, the Netherlands will not nies. It is up to the players of the Triple Helix ing. Joining a project with the American only be able to look back on an increase in of government, industry and knowledge in- DTIB at an early stage has given several the number of defence projects that flow stitutions to help this policy on its way to the Dutch companies a permanent position in into the market, but also on a realistic policy European defence market. L

88 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMED FORCES  The Royal Saudi Air Force – Confronting Multi-Dimensional Threats

David Saw

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) finds itself in an incredibly challenging operational environment having to deal with both conventional and asymmetric threats. It is forced to do so at a time when the strategic realities in the Middle East are rapidly changing. What’s more, the new US administration will pursue a new Middle Eastern policy signifying yet more change and uncertainty.

he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Tsees itself as being at the centre of the Islamic world. Islam’s two holiest places, Mecca and Medina, are in the KSA and the King is known as the ‘Custodian of the Photo: US Air Force Two Holy Mosques’. The Saudi Kingdom’s geographical position, together with its re- ligious significance, especially in terms of Sunni Islam, and its wealth, also make the KSA the leading state in the Arab World.

Threat Perceptions

The strategic centrality of the KSA in the Middle East inevitably makes it a target for hostile actors, thus the KSA faces both conventional and asymmetric threats. While the KSA looks for strategic stability across the Middle East, its competitors look In December 2020, Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15s taxi at King Faisal to spread instability, attack the Kingdom’s Air Base during joint missions with US Air Force aircraft. The RSAF is a allies and destabilise the country itself. En- major user of F-15 aircraft, acquiring the F-15C/D under the Peace Sun suring stability and confronting those who programme, then the F-15S and more recently the F-15SA. would encourage instability is particularly vital at this time, as the KSA embarks on an (UAE), helped the Bahraini government KSA, and once Iran is demonstrably nucle- ambitious agenda of internal reform. put down the 2011 revolution, where the ar-armed, we enter uncharted territory. At Bahraini Shia were the dominant opposi- that point, Saudi Arabia will need a veri- The Iranian Threat tion force, amidst suggestions of possible fiable deterrent capability. Just how they Iranian interference. Since 2014, Iranian- are going to achieve that will be a critical The obvious primary threat to the KSA is supported Houthi forces battle Saudi- factor for the future strategic stability of Iran. While the KSA sees itself as the cham- supported Yemeni government forces in the region. pion of Sunni Islam, Iran portrays itself as the Yemeni Civil War, a brutal conflict on the champion of Shia Islam resulting in a the southern border of the KSA that has Disputes with Qatar long history of conflict between Iran and often spilled over into Saudi territory and much of the Arab World. A significant has seen direct Saudi military involvement Qatar represents another threat to the element to consider is that the theocratic and that of some of its GCC partners. , KSA, although it might be more accurately regime in Iran wishes to alter the political Furthermore, there is the strategically and described as a strategic competitor, or per- shape of the Middle East, thereby funda- economically important Eastern Province of haps even an irritant. In June 2017, the KSA mentally challenging the KSA and its in- the KSA where the majority of the Saudi and many other Arab States severed dip- terests. Shia population reside; there is plenty of lomatic relations with Qatar, and blocked Evidence of Iran’s intentions can be seen in scope here for Iran to foment trouble and Qatari aircraft, ships and other forms of the ‘Shia crescent’ that now extends from look to destabilise the situation. transport from crossing their territory by Tehran through Iraq and Syria into Leba- Any discussion of the Iranian threat is in- land, sea or air. As of January 2021, the Ar- non where Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, holds complete without mentioning the nuclear ab boycott of Qatar appears to have ended, the real power. The KSA and the United issue. It is well known that Iran intends to but full diplomatic relations have yet to be Arab Emirates (UAE) acting under the acquire a nuclear weapons capability. This restored. If anybody thought this meant a auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council is, of course, an existential threat to the return to normal service, that Qatar had

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 89 IDS and 20 HAWK 65A trainers. Following this,, the Tornado Sustainment Programme would see an upgrade in the capabilities of the RSAF TORNADO IDS fleet. All of this led to the Salam Project, a £4.43Bn programme signed in Septem- ber 2007, covering the acquisition of 72 TYPHOON aircraft, 48 Tranche 2 and 24 Tranche 3 variants. Subsequently, HAWK 165 trainers were also acquired. An op- tion remains for a second purchase of 48

Photo: Copyright Eurofighter - Jamie Hunter TYPHOON aircraft, which has long been The RSAF acquired 72 TYPHOON aircraft under the £4.43Bn SALAM discussed but has been slowly fading into project signed in 2007 between Saudi Arabia and the UK. The relation- the background. ship goes back to the MAGIC CARPET programme of the 1960s and Regarding RSAF programmes with the the AL YAMAMAH programmes of the 1980s and 1990s. US, at the end of the 1970s, the RSAF em- barked on the “Peace Sun” programme somehow been forgiven, and welcomed both overt and covert - of extremist groups which was followed by the eventual acqui- back into the Arab fold, then they have in the Middle East, especially the Muslim sition of 72 F-15C and 22 F-15D aircraft not been paying attention. The boycott Brotherhood. This grouping is considered through to the early 1990s. The RSAF then was proving embarrassing and that is why to be an anathema by the KSA, the UAE, acquired 72 F-15S aircraft, the Saudi variant it was ended. The fundamental problems Egypt and other Arab states. of the F-15E, from the mid-1990s onwards. between Qatar and many of the other Arab The KSA has had border disputes with Qa- The last major US purchase, according to states continue to exist and are not going tar in the past which have turned violent, the 2010 Defense Security Cooperation to disappear. however, armed clashes between the two Agency notification to Congress, valued at Despite Qatar being a relatively small coun- countries are now deemed unlikely. The over US$29Bn, covered the acquisition of try, it is nevertheless an incredibly wealthy presence of a major US base at Al Udeid 84 Boeing F-15SA aircraft, with APG-63(v)3 one and has proven to be highly skilled at in Qatar further reduces the possibility of AESA radars, plus the upgrade of 70 F-15S projecting soft power. Al Jazeera news conflict. That being said, since 2015, Qatar aircraft to the F-15SA configuration, as well channel, based in Doha, in both its Arab has significantly boosted its airpower via as air weapons, training and support. and international versions, is a classic soft the acquisition of 36 DQ/ The future of the RSAF obviously rests with power tool. Qatar’s political lobbying net- EQ, 24 EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON and 36 the F-15SA and the TYPHOON. However, work is also well connected and effective Boeing F-15QA, all arriving with extensive should the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) arrive from Washington DC through to Berlin, air weapons packages. Undoubtedly, an in the Gulf as seems likely via a UAE ac- London and Paris. Furthermore, Qatar con- unwelcome development for the KSA was quisition, then the KSA would also look to tinues to cause disquiet due to its funding - the fact that Turkey was invited to establish acquire that kind of capability. In the mean- a major base in Qatar, which could even- time, the key considerations for the RSAF tually accommodate a brigade-sized unit. include enhanced target detection and en- Suspicion of Turkish intentions is wide- gagement capabilities allowing the effec- spread across the Arab world at present. tive use of stand-off weapons to suppress ground targets and reduce the threat to Photo: US Air Force Saudi Airpower attacking aircraft. Operations over Yemen have shown the risks to aircraft in ground In terms of combat aircraft, the RSAF has attack missions and thus far, UAV systems traditionally turned to Great Britain and have failed to adequately replace/supple- the US to meet its needs. Back in 1966, ment manned aircraft in these missions. the KSA was forced to upgrade RSAF com- There is also a need to improve capabilities bat capabilities in the face of a conflict in terms of air defence missions, and not in Yemen. This resulted in a programme just against manned aircraft. Iran and its known as “Magic Carpet” under which an surrogates have used UAV systems to at- initial batch of six HUNTER aircraft were ac- tack critical infrastructure targets, such as quired as an interim measure, followed by the oil industry and airports. Attacks have six LIGHTNING F.52 and two LIGHTNING already been at multi-UAV level and will T.54 aircraft. This was later followed by the inevitably expand to UAV swarms in the arrival of 34 LIGHTNING F.53K, six LIGHT- future. NING T.55K and 25 STRIKEMASTER Mk 80 Fundamentally, the challenge for the RSAF trainer/light attack aircraft. is to continue to improve the quality of its A RSAF Boeing F-15SA is tanked by In 1985, the first in a series of arms sales effectiveness. Simply acquiring more air- a KC-135 during a training mission with Britain was agreed. Known as Al craft is not a measure of success. Unfortu- in September 2020. The RSAF ac- Yamamah, the first sale covered the supply nately, for both the KSA and the RSAF, the quired 84 F-15SA aircraft and has of 24 TORNADO ADV, 48 TORNADO IDS future in the Gulf region is one of strategic upgraded its existing fleet of 70 aircraft and 30 HAWK 65 trainers. In 1993, uncertainty, challenging the soft power F-15S aircraft to the F-15SA con- the second Al Yamamah contract was capabilities of the KSA and the deterrent figuration. agreed, covering the sale of 48 TORNADO capabilities of the RSAF. L

90 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 INTELLIGENCE FOR THE INTELLIGENT

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anz-abo_ESD_A4_2020.indd 1 09.02.21 12:13  ARMED FORCES Advances in Naval Mine Countermeasures

Luca Peruzzi

Mine Countermeasure (MCM) operations have always been time, manpower and equipment consuming. The technological developments offered by the unmanned and increasingly autonomous systems are allowing the industries and navies to look to modular equipment ‘toolboxes’ being operated by motherships standing off from the minefield, increasing safety levels and speed of operations.

he ‘toolboxes’ include unmanned Tsurface vehicles (USVs) able to au- tonomously launch, recover, search and identify autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), towed side-scan sonar and mine neutraliser vehicles, in addition to aerial Photo: US Navy / Bill Mesta systems from the mothership, all connect- ed and managed through a command and control system. Technological and opera- tional challenges, including autonomous target recognition, communications and unmanned platform power management, however, need to be overcome.

US Programmes

After many years of operations with AVENGER class (and previously also OS- PREY class) mine countermeasures ves- sels (MCMVs) and Sikorsky MH-53E SEA DRAGON helicopters equipped with ded- icated towed systems, the US Navy’s fu- The Textron Systems 12.7-metre long Common Unmanned Surface Vessel ture surface MCM warfare requirements (CUSV) will deploy from LCS and vessels of opportunity carrying alterna- are planned to be fulfilled by a mix of un- tively the same company UISS (Unmanned Influence Sweep System) or manned and manned systems deployed the remote minehunting mission equipment. from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class of ships and vessels of opportunity (VOO), while the airborne MCM capability is be- ing evaluated for post-2025 operations. Developed to counter deep, shallow, and tethered mines in the littoral envi- ronment, in addition to the Northrop Grumman MQ-8B FIRE SCOUT Vertical Photo: US Navy / John Green Take-off and Landing UAV equipped with dedicated payloads, the LCS MCM Mis- sion Package’s (MP) latest configuration includes the Unmanned Minesweeping System (UMS), Remote Mine-Hunting (RMH) and Buried Mine-Hunting (BMH) capability modules. Both the UMS and RMH packages are based on the same 12.7-metre long Common Unmanned Surface Vessel (CUSV) supplied by Textron Systems, towing the UISS (Unmanned The Raytheon AN/AQS-20C towed minehunting sonar together with the Influence Sweep System) or the remote future BARRACUDA mine neutralisation system will provide the US Navy mine-hunting mission equipment. The a full-cycle semi-autonomous MCM capability.

92 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMED FORCES 

capability supporting clandestine mine detection against volume, bottom, and buried mines, with Block 1 IOC planned for Q3 FY 2022.

The MMCM Joint French-UK Programme Last November, on behalf of the French and UK MoDs, the OCCAR agency awarded Thales Defence Mission Sys-

Photo: Thales tems a contract for the delivery of un- As part of the MMCM programme’s unmanned systems package, the manned-based MCM packages under 12-metre USV by L3Harris ASV & Thales will operate the Thales T-SAM the Phase 2 of the so-called Maritime towed sonar with SAMDIS high-resolution single-path antenna system Mine Counter-Measures (MMCM) pro- for detection, classifica- tion and localisation of mines.

Textron Systems-provided UISS towed system consists of a magnetic/acoustic sweep sys- BOOKSKoehler tem which low-rate production ...... was launched in the Q2 2020 and is planned to reach the ini- exciti ng i n s ig hts i nto mar iti m e art & h i story tial operational capability (IOC) in 2021. The RMH module includes the under-delivery towed Raytheon AN/AQS-20C (or the Northrop Grumman AN/AQS-24B towed ORDER by RHIB-based USV used by NOW! the US Navy in the Gulf) mine- hunting sonar, in addition to the future BARRACUDA mine neutralisation system. Capable of single-pass detection, clas- sification and localisation (DCL functions) and an IOC planned for Q4 FY 2021, the AN/AQS- 20C, together with the BARRA- CUDA mine neutralisation sys- tem, will provide the US Navy a full-cycle semi-autonomous mine countermeasures capabil- ity. The BARRACUDA is an ex- pendable, modular, mine neu- International traliser with an A-size sonobuoy Maritime Museum diameter intended for employ- Walter König Hamburg (Ed.) Manfred Stein ment from a surface platform ...... (initially the CUSV together with the towed sonar) to auton- johannes east prisoner omously reacquire, transmit da- holst meets of war – ta with a communication buoy Seascape Artist west bone ship to the MCM MP operator and Hardcover • 29,5 x 26 cm The Maritime Silk Road neutralise previously detected 1.400 photographs • 456 pages during the models near-surface mines. With a de- English language edition Treasures from the age E tailed design and development (D) 148,00 13th – 17th Centuries of Napoleonic Wars ISBN 978-3-7822-1323-3 Paperback • 21 x 26 cm • 160 pages contract awarded to Raytheon Hardcover • 30 x 24 cm • 408 pages Bilingual German / English in April 2018, the BARRACUDA English language edition E (D) 19,95 is set to achieve IOC in 2026. E (D) 128,00 ISBN 978-3-7822-1295-3 The General Dynamics KNIFE- ISBN 978-3-7822-1205-2 FISH medium class UUV pro- vides the Buried Mine-Hunting ART • CALENDAR • CARS • COOKBOOK • CRUISE • HAMBURG • HISTORY • MUSIC • PHOTOGRAPHY • SHIPPING • TECHNOLOGY • TRAVEL ......

koehler-books.de A Company of the Group and the upgrade demonstrator were acquired in November 2020, while the third ‘primary system’ will follow in 2021 and an additional four are planned by 2025. Each primary system is made up of two 12-metres USVs by L3Harris ASV & Thales, one accommodating the Thales T-SAM towed sonar with SAMDIS high- resolution and single-path multi-view capable system for detection, classifi- cation and localisation (DCL functions) of the threats and the other the Saab

Photo: Royal Navy/MASTT MuMNS (Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisa- The Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) autonomous ARCIMS USV will be used by tion System) ROV able to-relocate and the Royal Navy for minehunting applications, hydrographic and mine- neutralise the threat. The MuMNS is sweeping operations, in the latter case with a system developed by AEUK. equipped with three reloadable muni- tions to accomplish multiple neutralisa- gramme. Following the successful com- November sees the acquisition of three tions in one mission. The upgraded dem- pletion of previous phases awarded by so-called ‘primary systems’ for France onstrator (primary system) is made of OCCAR in 2015 and 2016 in which two and the upgrade of the demonstrator one Portable Operations Centre (POC) identical system demonstrators have system, in addition to a new Shore Op- by Thales including a Mission Manage- been procured and successfully proved eration Centre (SOC) and a training cen- ment System and MiMap software for their capabilities at sea for each country, tre, the latter two facilities also provided post-mission analysis, one USV L3Harris the procurement phase launched last by Thales. Two new ‘primary systems’ ASV & Thales with one MuMNS and one TSAM, in addition to three ECA Group ESPADON AUVs with a Thales SAMDIS payload. The latter systems were includ- ed into the package to conduct clandes- tine longer reconnaissance missions and DCL functions.

Photo: Royal Navy/MASTT The UK acquired three ‘primary systems’ with identical systems, but with each in- cluding one Thales POC, one USV with one TSAM and MuMNS each and the upgraded demonstrator ‘primary system’ made up of one POC, including the same MMS and MiMap post-analysis software package, one USV and one TSAM and MuMNS each. Concerning the AUV/UU- Vs for the primary systems, ESD under- stood that the French MoD will first eval- uate systems as part of MMCM before deciding which type/size of AUV/UUVs to procure between the large (ECA Group A27-M) or medium (ECA Group A18-M). Thales SAMDIS sonar and communica- tion systems are compatible with both types of UUVs, as well as the MMCM op- erational centre, said the French Group. The UK MoD has launched a AUV/UUV market survey to which Thales will par- ticipate with other suppliers.

French SLM-F

The French MMCM programme segment is part of the wider Marine Nationale’s SLAM-F (Système de Lutte Anti-Mines Futur) programme. The containerised MMCM systems can be quickly deployed The French/UK MMCM mission package will use the Saab MuMNS by air and vessels of opportunity, but in (Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisation System) ROV to-relocate and neutralise addition to being controlled by onshore the threat. The MuMNS is equipped with three reloadable munitions to C2, they will be embarked and operated accomplish multiple neutralisations in one mission. by four-to-six new Bâtiments de Guerre

94 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 des Mines (BGDM) to be procured by the French DGA to replace the current fleet of ten TRIPARTITE type MCMVs. The new large-size 80-90 metres and 3,000/3,500 tonne BGDMs will have the capability to operate two USVs with AUV/UUVs, as well as UAVs to be deliv- ered from 2025. The programme also regards the procurement of three new generation Bâtiments Bases de Plon-

geurs Démineur (BBPD NG) or dedicated Photo: ECA Group MCM/EOD diver support vessels to re- The ECA Group A18-M AUV has more recently been acquired in Europe place the current fleet of four dedicated for the BE/NL offboard MCM programme and by the Latvian MoD, platforms. together with other ECA Group equipment.

The UK MHC Programme

The Royal Navy’s Mine countermeasures

and Hydrographic Capability (MHC) Photo: ECA Group programme was established with the goal of procuring a capability that will, over time, replace the HUNT class, SAN- DOWN class MCMVs and hydrographic vessels with unmanned vehicles suites controlled from onshore or at-sea not- dedicated platforms. However, in the meantime, the two MCMV classes are being upgraded to extend their life- service and be retired between 2023- 2031. Under the ‘Project Wilton’ initia- tive of the MHC programme, in 2020 the service established a UK peacetime route survey capability putting together USVs, AUVs, portable operations centre (POC) and associated communications. Two Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) autono- mous 11 metre ARCIMS (Atlas Remote Capability Integrated Mission Suite) USVs which will be joined in 2021 by a 15-metre SEA class platform, also pro- vided by AEUK, and fitted with an ad- vanced autonomy controller for launch and recovery of mission systems or al- ternatively the C2 of smaller ARCIMSs. ‘Project Wilton’ will initially manage a fleet of AUVs, including the Hydroid RE- MUS 600 and 100, L3Harris upgraded Iver3 platforms, as well as M500 ROVs, together with hydrographic and off-the- shelf mine-hunting sonars. The follow- on step will see the UK MMCM system addition, while the UK MoD launched a survey to acquire three sets of new UU- Vs, launch and recovery systems, C2 and different payloads in 2021. The other ini- tiative called ‘MCM in a Box’ regards the development of a portable and modular mine-hunting and disposal capability to be forward-deployed in the Gulf. Last January, the UK MoD awarded AEUK an additional contract for the supply of the The Belgian and Dutch MoDs have acquired from Belgian Naval & new combined influence minesweep- Robotics, a JV of Naval Group and ECA Group a complete offboard ing systems as part for the MHC pro- MCM suite, including 12 motherships and a pool of circa 100 MCM gramme. The contract covers the supply drones called toolbox, shared by the two navies.

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 95 of three 11-metre ARCIMS USVs config- ured with a power-generation module and towed magnetic, acoustic, and elec- trical influences. Graphic: Abeking & Rasmussen

The Future Offboard MCM Programme The BE/NL stand-off MCM capability based on motherships employing a ‘tool- box’ of offboard unmanned MCM sys- tems will be fulfilled by the Belgium Na- val & Robotics, the consortium of Naval The German Abeking & Rasmussen shipbuilder announced last Novem- Group and ECA Group, which was con- ber the steel cutting for two new platforms based on an evolved Type tracted in May 2019 by Belgian Defence, 332 FRANKENTHAL class non-magnetic steel MCMV design for the Indo- also on behalf of the Netherlands’ MoD, nesian Navy. for the supply of twelve 2,700-tonne dis- placement motherships, six for each na- vy, plus a pool of about100 MCM drones called ‘toolbox’, shared by the two na- vies and supplied by ECA Group. Each mothership is equipped with two lateral Photo: Giorgio Arra stations to launch and recover 12.3-me- tre INSPECTOR 125 USVs in two different models. The USV family will deploy the A18-M AUVs equipped with the UMISAS synthetic aperture sonar, the towed ve- hicle with the T18-M towed sonar, the mine identification and disposal systems (MIDS) comprising the SEASCAN Mk2 and the K-ster C ROVs, all provided by ECA Robotics, and the minesweeping suite, towing magnetic/acoustic influ- ence systems to be provided by Polish The second EL KASSEH class MCMV has been delivered to the Algerian CTM. The motherships will be equipped Navy by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a JV of Fincantieri and with ECA Robotics UMISOFT software Leonardo, while a third one is under construction. with the Naval Group’s Multi-Drone Mis- sion System (SMMD, Système de Mission Multi-Drones) for unmanned mission planning, execution and data analysis, as well as the integration with the Naval Group’s Polaris Command Management Photo: Elbit Systems System (CMS) and the supply of the UMS SKELDAR V-200 unmanned aerial vehi- cles. In charge of the ship’s preliminary design, Naval Group works in close col- laboration with the Kership JV between Piriou and Naval Group, which will carry out the detailed design of the ships and their construction. Kership’s activities will start after crossing the preliminary design review milestone, which was scheduled for last December. The ECA Robotics Bel- gium will take delivery of all unmanned systems carried by the 12 motherships under a contract awarded last Septem- ber. Spanning a 10-year period, after a design period of three years, Belgium Naval & Robotics will move into the pro- duction phase of these drones, while Kership will begin construction of the Last January, Elbit Systems announced the award of a contract from an first-of-class mothership, which together Asian-Pacific country for supplying an undisclosed number of SEAGULL with its mission and drones suite, will be USVs equipped with a MCM equipment package. delivered to the in 2024.

96 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMED FORCES 

Other European Programmes for two new platforms based on an Pacific country for the supply of an un- evolved Type 332 FRANKENTHAL class disclosed number of SEAGULL USVs Last September, the ECA Group an- non-magnetic steel MCMV design for equipped with a MCM equipment pack- nounced that it had been awarded a the Indonesian Navy to be delivered by age. This includes integrated side-scan €20M contract by the Lavtian MoD to mid-2023. No further information has and forward-looking sonars, mine identi- modernise three ex-ALKAMAAR class been released, but the new platforms fication and destruction ROVs. The USVs (Tripartite type) MCMVs acquired from are likely to be equipped with a mission also will be equipped with the company’s the Netherlands in 2006, opening the suite, including MCM drones belonging autonomous suite, combat management way for the French Group to upgrade to the SeaFox family. system and satellite communication ca- these programmes. The modernisation pability. Thanks to the suite, according carried out with ECA Group’s Mauric Israeli Developments to Elbit Systems, the SEAGULL USVs will naval design bureau subsidiary and Lat- be able to execute end-to-end MCM op- vian companies, will see the adoption of Last January, Elbit Systems announced erations, handling bottom, moored and a UMIS integrated system with A18-M the award of a contract from an Asian- drifting sea mines. L AUVs and SEASCAN Mk2 and K-Ster C mine identification and disposal systems, allowing for out-of-minefield MCM op- erations. Together with a new Mine Warfare Data Centre, the platforms will be delivered in 2021, 2023 and 2034. BOOKSKoehler The Polish Remontowa ship- ...... builder announced last De- cember the launch of the third discovering th e wor ld of s h i ppi ng KORMORAN II class MCMVs for the . The latter will be equipped with Teledyne Marine GAVIA AUVs and Saab Deutschland Double Eagle Sa- rov hybrid ROV/AUV systems together with KATFISH 180 towed high-resolution side-scan sonar from Canadian company’s Kraken Robotic. This system is also at the centre of the Danish Navy’s upgrading of MSF class manned/unmanned remote- ...... Peter Neumann Raoul Fiebig I controlled platforms to be deliv- Marcus Krall RESPEKT Frank Heine I Frank Lose ered in 2022-2023. MARTIN FRANCIS The German Maritime Search THE GREAT PASSENGER SHIPS Design & Innovation and Rescue Service at 150 OF THE WORLD Looking to exports, last De- ...... Hardcover 2nd Edition • Hardcover 8th edition • Hardcover cember, the second EL KASSEH 28 x 28 cm • 160 pages 28 x 28 cm • 192 pages 24 x 30 cm • 308 pages class MCMV for the Algerian Bilingual German / English Bilingual German / English English language edition T (D) 29,95 • ISBN 978-3-7822-1327-1 T (D) 19,90 • ISBN 978-3-7822-1203-8 T Navy delivered by Orizzonte (D) 19,95 • ISBN 978-3-7822-1245-8 Sistemi Navali (OSN) JV be- tween Fincantieri and Leonar- do, reached the North African country, while a third vessel is under construction. The ves- sels are built by Intermarine (IMMSI Group) and based on the worldwide known family of MCMV based on monocoque single skin glass reinforced plastic, equipped with a com- ...... Jürgen Friesch I Uwe Hollenbach bat system provided by Leon- Peter Neumann I Christian Ostersehlte Peter Andryszak HSVA@100 ardo and MCM suite including NORDIC A century of pivotal research, Eberhard Petzold Atlas Elektronik hull-mounted North Sea Emergency innovation and progress for the Sebastian Meißner Towing Vessel maritime industry THE GLOBAL CARGO FLOW sonar, Gaymarine PLUTO PLUS ...... Hardcover • 21 x 27 cm • 168 pages Hardcover • 30 x 22 cm • 176 pages Hardcover • 30 x 26 cm • 240 pages ROVs and a Klein Marine Sys- English language edition English language edition Bilingual German / English tems side-scan sonar. In late T (D) 9,95 • ISBN 978-3-7822-1048-5 T (D) 29,90 • ISBN 978-3-87700-135-6 T (D) 14,95 • ISBN 978-3-7822-1278-6 November, the German Abek- ing & Rasmussen shipbuilder announced the steel cutting ART • CALENDAR • CARS • COOKBOOK • CRUISE • HAMBURG • HISTORY • MUSIC • PHOTOGRAPHY • SHIPPING • TECHNOLOGY • TRAVEL ......

koehler-books.de A Company of the Group  ARMED FORCES Indian Naval Aviation Considering Major Reforms in 2021

Suman Sharma

The Indian Navy has ambitious plans for its air arm and has outlined some major purchases in 2021

ideki Tojo, the man reported to have Hordered the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1940, a General in the Impe- rial Japanese Army and later prime minis-

ter, proved the importance of the naval air Photo: via author / CC arm in wars. He later remembered: “The main American naval forces were shifted to the Pacific region and an American Ad- miral made a strong declaration to the ef- fect that if war were to break out between Japan and the United States, the Japanese Navy could be sunk in a matter of weeks.” During World War II, the world witnessed what was soon to become the future of wars. Japanese naval air power launched 353 aircraft from six heavy aircraft carri- ers in a surprise military strike destroying or crippling 19 US ships. Indian Naval aviation has come a long way from pitting its sole aircraft carrier, INS INS VIKRAMADITYA is the Indian Navy`s first aircraft carrier. VIKRANT in 1961’s “Operation Vijay” lib- erating Goa from Portuguese colonial rule, The Indian Navy currently operates its has assisted in the streamlining of supplies, to gearing up for modernisation through sole aircraft carrier INS VIKRAMADITYA systems, components and training. Vice some of its major programmes in 2021. whereas a second carrier – an indigenous Admiral (ret.) Anup Singh of the Indian The gravity of having a strong naval air arm battleship, to be christened INS VIKRANT Navy says, “The contract with Fincantieri is recently took centre stage when the Indian post-induction – is undergoing sea trials. about propulsion system integration. Fin- Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh stated The Indian Navy has ambitious plans for cantieri was chosen after an open selection that “Air operations are integral to naval its air arm and has outlined some major process as the oversight contractor for in- operations. Airpower at sea is required purchases for 2021. The big push this year tegration of the entire propulsion system.” here and now. If you have an aspiration will be the launch of India’s first indigenous Former Indian Naval Chief, Admiral Sureesh to become a US$5TN economy and have aircraft carrier - INS VIKRANT - and the fi- Mehta, himself a former SEA HAWK pilot one-fifth of the world’s population, you nalisation of the long pending RFP (Request lauds the present Naval Chief’s remarks, would have to go outward and seek the for Proposal) for the 111 NUH (Naval Utility "All three aircraft carriers are not opera- world. For that, air power is required at a Helicopter) deal. tional at any one point of time, two are longer range and is absolutely necessary.” VIKRANT, with its length of over 260 me- operational and one is always under refit, Naval Chief Singh, who is himself a helicop- tres and a 60-metre breadth, capable of therefore the decision to have three carriers ter pilot, stressed that “We have not yet operating STOBAR (short take-off but is a wise one.” gone to the government (seeking approval arrested recovery) aircraft, including the and funds) for the third carrier as we first indigenous LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Helicopters want to get certain parameters right. But TEJAS, has two take-off runways and a we don’t want to be a Navy tethered to the landing strip with three arrester wires. The The long pending US$3Bn deal proposal shore.” And Vice Admiral (ret.) Shekhar Sin- basic design for the indigenous VIKRANT to acquire 111 NUH for the Indian Navy to ha of the Indian Navy, a former SEA HAR- was the responsibility of the Indian Navy’s replace the ageing vintage CHETAK heli- RIER pilot says, "Since the 1960s, the naval Directorate of Naval Design with the de- copters has been shelved due to a lack aviation doctrine has been about operating tailed design done by the design team of of consensus over involving government- three carriers, one on the eastern seaboard CSL (Cochin Shipyard Limited). Scheduled owned Indian PSU (public sector unit) and one on the western seaboard. The In- for commissioning in early 2021, VIKRANT HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). dian Navy's maritime domain awareness is will be fully operational by 2022. These choppers are mandatory for search robust. Naval air assets have a larger reach There is some foreign assistance in the and rescue operations, casualty evacu- and can find targets much faster and de- VIKRANT project in the form of consulta- ation, low-intensity marine operations stroy them.” tion and integration. The Italian Fincantieri and torpedo drops. This proposal was

98 European Security & Defence · 2/2021 ARMED FORCES  first initiated in 2008 with the aim to buy the entire lot from foreign manufactur-

ers, but in 2014, changes were made in Photo: Airbus the proposal to buy just 16 and build the remaining 95 in India. In 2018, the Gov- ernment of the day decided to involve pri- vate Indian manufacturers. In May 2020, the DAC (Defence Acquisition Council) went ahead with its decision to involve the Indian PSU HAL as the partner with the selected foreign firm, thereby inviting opposition from the Indian Navy. The 111 NUH is Indian Navy’s first pro- gramme under the new Strategic Part- nership model. The Strategic Partnership is aimed at boosting domestic manufac- The Indian Navy uses HERON TP UAVs to patrol the innermost layer of turing in collaboration with foreign firms India's three-tier maritime surveillance network and reducing defence imports that cur- rently account for 60 per cent of military of 200 kilometres away and also scan- jets to replace the existing MiG-29K fleet acquisitions. Under this model, a foreign ning targets on sea and land. in a mega deal worth US$25Bn. The en- vendor teams up with an Indian partner. It The US$905M deal for 24 multirole heli- visaged roles for these 57 fighters include can include either a private Indian manu- copters to replace the SEA KING 42/42A shipborne air defence, air-to-surface at- facturer or a Government-owned PSU. The ASW fleet was inked in February 2020 dur- tack, aerial refuelling, reconnaissance foreign chopper giants identified for the ing US President Donald Trump’s visit, un- and electronic warfare. Boeing F/A-18E/F 111 NUH programme are Lockheed Mar- der the fast track mode, between Sikorsky SUPER HORNET and Dassault RAFALE-M tin, Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopters and and the Indian Government; deliveries will have emerged as the main contenders for Russian export agency, Rosoboronexport, commence in early 2021. this deal. Vice Admiral Sinha explains, “As while the Indian private players are TASL The MH60Rs were envisaged to operate for the 57 fighter aircraft required for the (Tata Advanced Systems Ltd), Mahindra De- from frontline ships and aircraft carriers carriers, unlike other nations, India first se- fence, Adani Defence, Larsen & Toubro and providing them with the critical attributes lects a carrier then finalises an aircraft for it, Bharat Forge. of enhanced surveillance and attack capa- whereas it should be the other way round." Six KAMOV-31 AEW (airborne early bility. They will be employed in offensive With the deal clearly in mind, Boeing re- warning) helicopters worth US$295M and defensive roles including anti-subma- cently demonstrated the compatibility of its from Russia under a single vendor pur- rine warfare, anti-ship strike, low intensity F/A-18 SUPER HORNET fighter jets with the chase are high on the priority list this maritime operations, and search and res- Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, at a shore- year. These choppers will be on board cue. Their delivery comes at a time when based facility, Naval Air Station Patuxent the IAC-1 VIKRANT performing the role the Indian Ocean region is witnessing an River, Maryland, US, demonstrating that of an extra set of eyes. Radars on board increased security threat due to the prolif- the F/A-18 SUPER HORNET could synchro- Indian naval ships are unable to track eration of Chinese submarines. nize well with the Indian Navy’s STOBAR low-flying targets owing to their limited system. INS VIKRAMADITYA and the un- ‘horizon’, which is where the KAMOVs Fighter Jets der-construction indigenous aircraft carrier come in as they have a rotating radar. The (IAC)-I VIKRANT both have a ski-jump with KAMOV-31 has a radar system capable of For its aircraft carriers, the Indian Navy is a STOBAR mechanism. detecting aerial targets up to a distance eyeing 57 multirole carrier-borne fighter Armaments for the 57 twin-engine deck- based fighters include a gun, plus four beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and two all-aspect air-to-air missiles. Overtures

Photo: Airbus by the Indian Government-owned defence research agency DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) has how- ever, provided a ray of hope to the Govern- ment’s recent clarion call for a ‘Self Reli- ant India’ when it proposed developing a twin-engine deck based jet, modelled on the indigenous Naval LCA, due to enter ser- vice by 2030. The need for an indigenous fighter was felt following three MiG-29K accidents in the past year, raising questions about their safety record. The Naval LCA programme which began in 2009, achieved a milestone in January 2020 as it successfully demonstrated its first ever The Indian Navy wants to purchase another six Russian-made KAMOV-31 arrested landing on board INS VIKRAMA- helicopters. DITYA on completion of extensive trials

2/2021 · European Security & Defence 99  ARMED FORCES

II UAVs teamed with Dornier-228s make up the inner most layer. To buttress its lethal unmanned strike ca- pability, the Indian Navy is also keen on

Photo: via author / CC armed SEA GUARDIAN, worth more than US$1Bn. The ‘hunter-killer’ SEA GUARD- IANs, with their advanced ground con- trol stations, air to ground missiles, smart bombs, launch and recovery elements, all of which was augmented with the sign- ing of the Indo-US bilateral military pact COMCASA (Communications, Compat- ibility and Security Arrangement) in 2018, thereby paving the way for greater access to advanced military technologies which the SEA GUARDIANs possess. The original deal was for 22 armed drones, India wants to buy another six Boeing P81 aircraft for US$1.8Bn. reduced later to 12. In 2021, this proposal is expected to move ahead with the new on the SBTF (Shore Based Test Facility). at INS RAJALI, Arakkonam, are known US administration under the Pentagon’s The Naval LCA jointly being developed for their snooping and anti-submarine FMS (Foreign Military Sales) and see the by ADA (Aeronautical Development warfare capabilities. These patrol planes light of the day. Agency), DRDO and the Indian Navy, has are being extensively used in the Indian Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has leased a strengthened landing gear and other Ocean and eastern Ladakh ever since the two non-weaponised MQ-9B SEA necessary modifications for a carrier. The border standoff with China kicked off in GUARDIAN drones for a period of one Indian Navy has plans to acquire 40-50 May 2020. The ninth P8i was commis- year for surveillance over the Indian LCAs for both INS VIKRAMADITYA and sioned in July 2020, while the last three Ocean region and eastern Ladakh sector, VIKRANT. are poised to enter service in 2021.The from the American drone giant General Vice Admiral (ret.) Sinha adds: “The air P8is are packed with radars, electro-optic Atomics Aeronautical Systems, with a arm of the Navy has long been neglect- sensors, HARPOON Block-II missiles and clause of extending the period for an- ed, but now it’s moving ahead rapidly, as MK-54 lightweight torpedoes. other year. we have seen in the recent past with INS Following China’s increasingly aggressive Also noteworthy is the Government-ap- VIKRAMADITYA, P8is, MiG-29Ks coming posturing, India is moving ahead with an proved acquisition of 10 Naval Shipborne in. As for maritime surveillance, a total additional order for six P8is in July 2020 Unmanned Aerial Systems worth around of 31 aircraft are required. P8is are also worth US$1.8Bn. The deal is high on the US$178M for surveillance on board large performing an ASW role. The first draft list to be signed this year. warships. proposal for anti-submarine warfare heli- With an operating range of over 350 Also to watch out for in 2021 will be the copters was initiated in 1995, but the deal nautical miles, MRMR (medium range US$400M worth upgrade of the Israeli for 24 MH60R was inked during President reconnaissance aircraft) touted as the unarmed HERON UAVs (Unmanned Aeri- Trump's visit to India in February 2020.” Navy's ‘eyes and ears’ over the Indian al Vehicle). The Indian Navy has been op- Ocean in the medium range. The RFP erating UAVs since 2006. The upgrade in- Surveillance for the nine MRMR worth over US$1.5Bn cludes equipping the 30 naval UAVs with was sent to Alenia (ATR 72 MPA), Air- air to ground and air-launched anti-tank Surveillance capability is paramount in Military (C-295 MPA), Antonov guided missiles and laser-guided bombs. maritime aviation. After acquiring eight (An-70), Boeing; Elta, Lockheed Mar- Earlier these UAVs were acquired only for LRMR (long-range maritime reconnais- tin (SC-130 version of the HERCULES), surveillance purpose and the offensive sance) aircraft P8i worth US$2.1Bn, the Saab (340 or 2000 MSAs) and Embraer role was not envisaged, until the recent Indian Navy placed an order for four (EMB-145-based MPA). The deal is likely Chinese incursions. more under the optional clause, worth to see conclusion in 2021. The deal for Retired Vice Adm. Sinha says that” The US$1.1Bn, followed by a recent an- MRMR aircraft, poised to replace the Chinese threat is real and one has to be nouncement for six more. ageing vintage ISLANDERs, is likely to ready for it. During the previous regimes, Former Naval Chief Adm. Mehta says, be concluded in 2021. These surveil- there was "sea blindness", as threat per- “Surveillance is required as a large area lance planes will join Dornier-228s and ception was limited to just continental has to be covered. Air assets give a larger IL-38s of the Indian Navy and the Coast India, till 26/11 happened. The Chinese reach. More numbers are required as the Guard to secure the 7,516 kilometre have become frequent visitors in the In- oceans are huge. From the east coast to long Indian coastline. With 350 nautical dian Ocean region and aggressive in the the west coast, the entire area concerns miles as the operating range the MRMR South China Sea hence these acquisitions India and it is only through surveillance planes will act as the Navy's eyes and ought to be expedited.” that these waters can be kept cleared. ears over the Indian Ocean region in Former Naval Chief Adm. Mehta adds, The P8i induction was a major step as the medium range, whereas the P-8Is “The present Government has handled these planes are performing well.” with their 1,200 nautical miles operat- purchases well, as is evident from the Also referred to as ‘submarine hunters’ ing range, patrol the outermost layer of modernisation of the IAF (Indian Air for their anti-submarine warfare role, India's three-tier maritime surveillance Force). The more you delay procurements, the Boeing P8is, based in southern India network. Israeli HERON and SEARCHER- the more expensive they become." L

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